1st November 7pm Deanery Confirmation Service, St Mary's Hardwick.

12th November 10am Remembrance Sunday with silence kept at 11 am.

26th November 10.30am United Service at Comberton Leisure for all local churches.

Gifts of food at the Harvest Festival Service in October and the subsequent sale of produce supported Emmaus and Jimmy's Night Shelter. Over £160 was raised.

The monthly hymn singing practice will be held on Thursday 2nd November. Meet at 7.30pm to start singing at 7.45pm and finish at 9.15pm.

The Annual Art Exhibition will take place in St Mary's Church on Friday 24th to Sunday 26th November between 10am and 4pm. There will be a range of art and craft goods by local artists on sale and admission is free.

There will be a Christmas Coffee morning Saturday 2nd December in the Village Hall. Fundraising for St Mary's with Bric-a-brac, cakes, a raffle and a Christmas decorations stall.

Home Groups are open to everyone and meet fortnightly on Mondays and Thursdays at 7pm for a bring-and-share meal followed by study, discussion and prayer at 8pm. Please contact Clare or John Crang for further information.

If you have recently moved to the village, or are a visitor you are welcome to any of our services. If you prefer a quieter reflective service, perhaps you would like to attend Morning Prayer on Tuesdays at 9.15am or the 8am or 8.30 Communion on Sundays. If you prefer music and singing come at 9.30am.

The Annual Church Fete took place on Bank Holiday Monday 28th August and over £3000 was raised the highest sum ever, thanks must go to the planners, stall holders and those who came and supported it on the day.

The Harvest Thanksgiving Service will be held at 9.30 on Sunday 1st October. Everybody is especially welcome to this special, all-age service. Gifts of food brought to the service will be used to support Emmaus and Jimmy's Night Shelter, working with homeless and vulnerable people un the Cambridge area.

If you have recently moved to the Village or are a visitor you are welcome to any of our services. If you prefer a quieter reflective service, perhaps you would like to attend the 8am or 8.30 (Toft) Communion. If you prefer music and singing come at 9.30. The family communion on the second Sunday of each month is followed by coffee, squash and biscuits. Young children have their own area in the side chapel with soft cushions, paper, crayons and books.

The next confirmation for Bourn Deanery will be at 7pm on Wednesday 1st November. There will also be a chance to renew baptismal vows. Please contact Mike Booker or Matt Watts for more information.

Home Groups are open to everyone and meet fortnightly on Mondays and Thursdays at 7pm for a bring-and-share meal followed by study, discussion and prayer at 8pm. Please contact Clare or John Crang for further information.

The Christian Aid Week collections this year raised over £1,500, which is more than last year's total and a testament to the generosity of Comberton people towards those less fortunate than themselves. Our heartfelt thanks to all who gave amounts large or small, and to those who gave their time and energy to making the collection happen.

Here is an explanation from Christian Aid about the uses to which your money will be put:

“Christian Aid works where the need is greatest - irrespective of religion or race. We believe in strengthening people to find solutions to their own problems, so we support local organisations who are best placed to understand local needs. We also help them through 16 overseas offices. We are striving for an end to poverty and campaigning to change the rules that keep people poor. The money you raise will support our partners' work in more than 50 countries.”

After his ordination in Ely Cathedral on 1st July, Matt Watts, the new curate, and his wife Jacqui will be welcomed in Comberton St Mary's on 2nd July.

Musical events in Church: Girton Operatic Society presents Pink Champagne, based on “Die Fledermaus”, on July 8th at 7.30pm. Tickets are £5 each and are available in advance from the Social Committee or at the door. (Proceeds in support of St Mary's building project.)

The Annual Church Fete will take place on Bank Holiday Monday 28th August. Look out for posters.

Do you have some time to spare to help tidy our churchyard — weeding, pruning etc. and giving the old graves a bit of TLC? If you can help, please come along at any time from 9.30am, bringing suitable gardening tools. Refreshments will be provided at coffee time.

Musical events in Church: Comberton Cantabile will perform Music for a Summer Evening on 16th June at 7.30am (in aid of the New Village Hall piano fund) and Girton Operatic Society presents Pink Champagne based on 'Die Fledermaus' on July 8th at 7.30am (in support of St Mary's).

Each Tuesday morning, at 9.15am, there is a half-hour service of morning prayer, to which all are welcome. The service will be based on the Common Worship order for daily prayer, with time to remember individuals and particular needs. You are very welcome to come if you are free on any Tuesday morning. If you would like to have anything especially remembered in prayer, please write names or requests in the prayers book, at the back of church. Also Mike Booker would be very happy to receive requests for prayer direct (phone or email).

Home Groups are open to everyone and meet fortnightly on Mondays and Thursdays at 7pm for a bring-and-share meal followed by study, discussion and prayer at 8pm. Please contact Clare or John Crang for further information.

The CBC Alpha course runs on Thursdays from 27th April, and the Bourn Deanery Spirituality Course runs on Wednesdays from 17th May.

A Spring Sale will be held from 2.30 on 13th May in the Village Hall in aid of St Mary's building fund.

Christian Aid Week is from 14th to 20th May.

The Lady Chapel, with its cushions, furnishings and activities for young children is well used by families at the 9.30 service, which on the second Sunday of the month is followed by coffee, soft drinks and biscuits.

Home Groups are open to everyone and meet fortnightly on Mondays and Thursdays at 7pm for a bring-and-share meal followed by study, discussion and prayer at 8pm. Please contact Clare or John Crang for further information. On Maundy Thursday 13th April at 8.30pm there will be a joint service of Holy Communion with St Andrews's Toft. Each Tuesday morning there is a half-hour service of Morning Prayer, to which all are welcome, at 9.15am. The service will be based on the Common Worship order for daily prayer, with time to remember individuals and particular needs. You are very welcome to come if you are free on any Tuesday morning. If you would like to have anything especially remembered in prayer, please write names or requests in the prayers book, which is on the table at the back of church, also Mike Booker would be very happy to receive requests for prayer direct ('phone or email).

Christian Aid Week - 14-20 May. Richard and Sue Kellow, who last year co-ordinated the volunteers who collected for Christian Aid Week, are now in Moscow working as part of the Church Mission Society, so a new organiser is needed to get the envelopes to the collectors and receive them at the end of the week. Please contact Mike or Clare is you can help. Full reports of church activities may be found in 4M available whenever St Mary's is open.

Ash Wednesday and therefore the beginning of Lent falls on 1st March when there will be a service of Evening prayer at St Mary's at 7.30pm. Readings for private prayer over Lent may be found in the book I desire justice produced by Ridley Hall. The fourth Sunday in Lent or Mothering Sunday is on 26th March when all, both young and old are welcome to come to remember and give thanks for our mothers and families.

It was wonderful to see so many young children in church at the family service in February. The service on the second Sunday of the month is followed by refreshments and a collection for the work of the USPG project in Africa entitled Back to Eden. The church last year raised £734 towards this project.

The Home Group continues to be well supported and now meets fortnightly on Mondays and Thursdays at 7pm for a bring and share supper followed by study. Please contact Clare or John Crang for further information.

Each Tuesday morning there will be a half-hour service of Morning Prayer, to which all are welcome, at 9.15am. The service will be based on the Common Worship order for daily prayer, with time to remember individuals and particular needs. You are very welcome to come if you are free on any Tuesday morning. If you would like to have anything especially remembered in prayer, please write names or requests in the prayers book, which is on the table at the back of church, also Mike Booker would be very happy to receive requests for prayer direct ('phone or email). Full reports of church activities may be found in 4M available whenever St Mary's is open.

The collections at the Christmas services went to the Church Housing Trust and Jimmy's Night Shelter and donations for coffee after the family service support the USPG Back to Eden Project. Mary Jenkins reports that members of the congregation donated enough money to buy nine pairs of goats for orphans in Africa. In addition, two families independently bought a pair of goats each. So 11 orphans will be receiving these alternative Christmas gifts. Many thanks to everyone who contributed.

Prayer on Tuesdays
Each Tuesday morning there will be a half-hour service of Morning Prayer, to which all are welcome, at 9.15am. The service will be based on the Common Worship order for daily prayer, with time to remember individuals and particular needs. You are very welcome to come if you are free on any Tuesday morning. If you would like to have anything especially remembered in prayer, please write names or requests in the prayers book, which is on the table at the back of church; also Mike Booker would be very happy to receive requests for prayer direct (phone or email). The Home Group continues to be well supported and now meets fortnightly on Mondays and Thursdays at 7pm for a bring and share supper followed by study. Please contact Clare or John Crang for further information.

Lent
Ash Wednesday and therefore the beginning of Lent falls on 1st March when there will be a service of Evening prayer at St Mary's at 7.30pm. Full reports of church activities may be found in 4M available whenever St Mary's is open.

Notices and services cover Advent, Christmas and the Epiphany, a very busy time in the church when visitors are welcome to any of our services. Worship at St Mary's consists of the 8am Communion, a quieter, reflective service using the Book of Common Prayer and the 9.30 Communion service with music and singing with a shorter communion service on the second Sunday of the month, where children are especially welcome. This is followed by drinks, biscuits and time to socialize. It was wonderful to see so many children in Church at the beginning of November.

Janet and Keith Mills have returned from visiting USPG Back to Eden Project which is supported by the monthly coffee morning and the proceeds of the Harvest Festival and Supper. Information about the project may be found at the back of the Church.

Advent Sunday at the end of November saw a large gathering of Christians at the Leisure Centre and the Christingle Service at St Mary's. Singers have also been practising on Wednesday evenings for the Christmas Carol Service on 18th December at 6.30pm with its familiar readings and a variety of carols. Forget the hassle of shopping and catering and come to sing and reflect on the Nativity.

The Home Group continues to be well supported and has been studying Paul's epistle to the Ephesians throughout the Autumn. It meets fortnightly on Mondays at 7pm for a bring and share supper followed by study. Anybody interested in joining is especially welcome on Monday, December 12th, which will be a chance to look back at the last few weeks and to think about plans for next year. Please contact Clare or John Crang for further information.

The annual Art Exhibition will take place in St Mary's Church on Friday 2nd , Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th December at 10am-4pm on Friday and Saturday and 11am to 4pm on the Sunday. All are welcome.

Remembrance Sunday falls on the 13th November when the British Legion will be taking part in the service. The service will be held at 10.45, so please aim to be seated in good time to allow those marching from the village to enter the church. The family service this month will therefore be on the 6th November.

The church gave thanks for our Harvest at the beginning of October, the two Comberton Brownie packs did the readings and the Social Committee organized the refreshments, the subsequent sale of produce and the Harvest Supper on the 15th October. The collection at the end of the service and the sale of produce which had decorated the church raised £120 for the USPG Back to Eden Project. Janet and Keith Mills are visiting the project in South Africa and will be able to report back on agricultural improvements made in the area.

On 27th November (Advent Sunday) the 9.30 service will be replaced by a service at 10.30 in the Leisure Centre of the Village College involving all the churches from the area. In the afternoon there will be in St Mary's the annual Christingle service at 3.30 supporting the work of the Children's Society.

The annual Art Exhibition will take place in St Mary's Church on Friday 2nd (10-4) , Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th December (11-4). There will be a range of art and craft goods by local artists on sale. All are welcome and admission is free.

The Church was crammed full on 4th September for the Licensing of the Revd Mike Booker as Priest-in-charge of St Andrew's Toft and St Mary's Comberton by the Bishop of Huntington. The combined choir of Toft and Comberton led the singing and Mike was welcomed by church members of the local denominations and by representatives of the local community. A feast was laid on afterwards in the Church grounds on a wonderful warm evening. Thanks to all who organised and prepared for the evening's celebrations.

The Annual Church Fete on Bank Holiday Monday was again held in Church Farm Meadow. The weather was good and the side-shows and lunches were very popular. The Fete raised £2837.76, an increase on last year. Many thanks to all those who helped in planning or running or attended this event.

Harvest Festival The first Sunday in October we will be celebrating Harvest Festival at the 9.30 service. The Church will be decorated with produce on the Saturday and all will be welcome to worship and give thanks.

The Home Group contiunes to be well supported and is currently studying Paul's epistle to the Ephesians. It meets fortnightly on Mondays at 7pm for a bring and share supper folowed by study. Please contact Clare or John Crang for further information.

The normal Sunday services continue throughout August and visitors are welcome to any of our services. The first Sunday of each month has a shorter communion service at 10am followed by coffee, squash and biscuits. From September the service times change to 8am and 9.30. On 20th August from 9.30 there will be a Church 'Spring Clean' and Churchyard Working Party in preparation for the arrival of Revd Mike Booker and on Bank Holiday

Monday 29th August from 12 noon to 4 pm the St Mary's Church Fete will be held on Church Farm Meadow. All welcome.

September 4th sees the licensing of Revd Mike Booker, Priest in Charge of St Mary's.

Instrumentalists and singers came together after worship on 5th June to practice for the next Family Service in July. There will be a further rehearsal on 3rd July and all are welcome. The Home Group meets on Mondays and is thriving. The Church continues to support the USPG Back to Eden Project from contributions made when coffee is served after the Family Service. Church building, repair and other funds were boosted by over £560 from the Spring Sale recently held. Planning is already well underway for the August Fete.

In May £1294.58 was collected in Comberton for the work of Christian Aid, a magnificent sum.

This part of the Church year is known as Trinity and young visitors to St Mary's might want to look at the cushions in the Children's area to see what colour they are. The normal Sunday services continue throughout this period and visitors are welcome to any of our services. The first Sunday of each month has a shorter communion service at 10am followed by coffee, squash and biscuits.

While St Mary's awaits the arrival of the Revd Michael Booker as Priest-in-Charge of the parishes of Comberton and Toft and Team Rector Designate, the team of visiting preachers, church members and musicians maintain regular worship, welcome new members to the church through baptism and introduce additions such as the Taize music practiced in May.

The normal Sunday services continue throughout this period and visitors are welcome to any of our services. If you prefer a quieter, reflective service, perhaps you would like to attend the 8am Communion. If you prefer music and singing come at 10am.

The first Sunday of each month has a shorter communion service at 10am followed by coffee, squash and biscuits. Young children have their own area in the side chapel with soft cushions, paper, crayons and books.

We are delighted that the Bishop has now formally announced that the Revd Michael Booker is to be appointed Priest-in-Charge of the parishes of Comberton and Toft and Team Rector Designate. After training and working as a teacher, Michael was ordained priest in 1988 and served as a curate in the Canterbury diocese before moving to Leamington to be a vicar in the Coventry Diocese.

It was good to see the two Comberton Brownie Packs actively involved in the Mothering Sunday service on 6^th March when they, and all the congregation gave thanks for those who care for us. The Annual Parochial Church Meeting will be on 3^rd April after the 10am service when the annual reports will be presented and the PCC elected.

A reminder that all, both young and old, are welcome to come to remember and give thanks for our mothers and families at the Mothering Sunday Service on March 6th at 10am.

On Saturday 19th March, in aid of Church Funds, a Easter coffee morning with a bring and buy will be held at 1 Church Farm Cottage from 10.30 to 12.00. (The Church Farm Cottages are opposite St Mary's Church on the main road)

The normal Sunday congregation were joined by family and friends who filled St Mary's for the candlelit Carol and Christmas Services. Visiting priests, readers and musicians assisted the "St Mary's Team" who prepared the Church and planned the services. Normal weekly giving towards the running of the Church and monthly USPG and Back to Eden Project were augmented by special collections for the Children's Society at the Christingle Service; Nightshelter and the Church Housing Trust at the Carol Service and the Disaster Emergency Committee Tsunami Appeal at the January services.

Please note that easter falls early this year and so Evening Prayer on Ash Wednesday is on the 9th February and Mothering Sunday is celebrated on the 6th March.

This is a very busy time for the church. The normal sunday services will continue and the first sunday of each moth will have a shorter communion at 10am followed by drinks and biscuits. Young children have their own area in the side of the chapel with soft cushions, where they can read and colour-in. It was good to see so many children using this in November

Thanks to all the visiting preachers, churchwardens, musicians and all those who are helping to maintain worships in St Mary's. Special thanks to those who helped arraigning events such as the Christingle services and November and the Christmas services.

This is a particularly busy time in the church when visitors are especially welcome to any of our services. The normal Sunday services continue throughout this period. The first Sunday of each month has a shorter communion service at 10am followed by coffee, squash and biscuits. Young children have their own area in the side chapel with soft cushions, paper, crayons and books and it was good to see so many using this space in November.

The Annual Church Fete this year was held in Church Farm Meadow. The side-shows and lunches were very popular and the Fete raised £2,672, an increase on last year. Many thanks to all those who helped in planning or running or attended this event.

We have enjoyed over the summer a variety of visiting preachers. Visitors are welcome to any of our services. If you prefer a quieter, reflective service, perhaps you would like to attend the 8am Communion. If you prefer music and singing come at 10am. In any event you will be welcome.

Harvest Festival The first Sunday in October we will be celebrating Harvest Festival at the 10am service. The Church will be decorated with produce and all will be welcome to worship and give thanks.