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Events below are now past. Details for Christmas 2012 will be given nearing the time. Please look again in November.

Christmas Services 2011

Come and join us to celebrate Christ’s birth

Nativity

Sunday 18 December, 10.30 am

Telling the story of Jesus’ birth

A service for all ages

Children and youth taking part

Carols by Candlelight

Sunday 18 December, 4.30 pm

Carols and Bible readings

Mince pies, tea & coffee after the service

Christmas Day

10.00 am Celebrate the coming of Emmanuel - ‘God with us’

Suitable for all ages

Carol Singing at Asda

Thursday 15 December, 7.00 pm

picture of Basingstoke Silver Band playing carols in Asda

With the Church of Christ the King and the Basingstoke Silver Band (pictured left).

Refreshments afterwards at the Church of Christ the King (next to Asda).

What’s Christmas all about?

Only 12% of adults in the UK have a detailed knowledge of the Nativity story, according to research by Theos, the public theology think tank: www.theosthinktank.co.uk

Find out more

Explore the following web sites to find out more about the birth of Jesus:

Listen to or read the real story: www.christmasunwrapped.org.uk

Five short pieces, following the main characters of the story: www.rejesus.co.uk . This site also has a lot of other material, including a pub quiz.

Loads of information, from the original records in the Bible to present day customs around the world. www.whychristmas.com

What the Bible says

Some of the passages in the Bible describing the events:

(links to BibleGateway.com, the on-line Bible)

Angel foretells Jesus' birth

Luke 1:26-38

Birth of Jesus

Matthew 1:18-25

Luke 2:1-7

Shepherds visit the baby Jesus

Luke 2:8-20

Visit of the Wise Men

Matthew 2:1-12

Escape to Egypt

Matthew 2:13-18

The Bible

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

Why a Candlelight Service?

No one really knows how candles came to be associated with Christmas.

But in the Bible, Jesus is often compared with light, giving us spiritual illumination. The Gospel of John starts by describing Jesus as a light shining in the darkness:

In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

John 1:4-5 (NIV)

Later on in the Gospel of John, Jesus said that he was the light:

“I am the light of the World. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”