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St John the Evangelist's Services and Events Calendar
St John's is in a benefice of three churches alongside All Saints (Cople)
and St Lawrence (Willington)
The table below gives details of the times of the weekly services for
all three churches. Click for benefice services and other events
If you are interested in any of the Cople events then contact a Cople churchwarden
We also meet at St John the Evangelist, Moggerhanger for weekly prayers at 9:00am every Tuesday morning. All are welcome to join us to pray for your loved ones, those in difficulty, the world situation or just to have a quiet, reflective time. If you would like to submit a prayer item then either place it on the prayer board by the phoenix chapel (to the right of the church, stickies and pen provided) or send to the Rev Klimas or contact a churchwarden. All items are treated with full confidentiallity, it is not necessary to give personal details.
Family Services - Junior Choir
Junior Choir has started again on Wednesday (Term Time) at 18:00. We are now hard at work practicing Christmas carols for all the special services in December.
Family Service
Thank you to all our youngsters who came to sing and act for us about ‘The Two Kings’ GLyn (our only big person) was a wonderfully intimidating Saul who relyed on David (excellent acting from young Rhys) to save the day but resented him for being so popular!
Yasmin and Alex narrated beautifully and George and Finlay were staunch brothers of David.
Maddy was Saul's good and faithful body servant.
Shoeboxes
Thank you to everyone who brought the shoeboxes to be blessed. These have all been sent off to Operation Christmas Child for distribution.
Do have a look at www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk to see the joy on the faces of those who receive these christmas gifts.
Travelling Crib
The travelling crib has started on its way to Bethlehem - well around Moggerhanger really. It is a charming knitted set in a presentation box and our hosts are enjoying playing with it. There are still a few spaces left on its diary if you would still like to book it for a night. Please get in touch with Ali and go on the list. All donations go to BECHAR for other homeless families.
If you are aged seven and upwards and wish to join the choir. We meet every Wednesday (Term Time) at 18:00.
Please contact Ali here
Youth Group
If you wish to join in Youth Group events (youngsters ten and up) then please contact Julie
Coming Events
Monday 5th December 20:00 Prayer Course at St John's Moggerhanger
Saturday 10th December 14:30 Carols, cakes and plants in St John's church during the day
Sunday 18th December 18:00 Carol Service at St John's
Saturday 24th December 15:00 Crib Service at St John's
Saturday 24th December 23:30 Midnight communion service at All Saints, Cople
Sunday 25th December 10:00 Christmas sung communion service at St John's
Events 2010
Because of the large number of events that we have had at and for St John’s, we have put all the past events on to it's own page to prevent excessive loading times. Please view St John the Evangelist previous events here.
Harvest Supper
Monday 10th October 2011
Thank you everybody who made the harvest supper such a success. The organisers, cooks (lovely sheps people and wonderful apple pies!), servers and waiters and the long distance loneliness of the washing up. We had an auction of the fresh harvest produce that so many people had brought to the church and £200 raised for the Bishops harvest appeal for the people of Cambodia.
Earlier in the day all the tins that had been collected were taken to the Prebend Street Day Centre in Bedford (BECHAR) for the homeless and rootless. With tins from our sister churches of Cole and Willington as well as ours we completely filled the boot of a large estate car (seats down) and tired out our ‘sorters’. (Thanks very much for the help, guys). Tony at the Centre was thrilled with all that we brought and thanked us all very much. “Every scrap will be used” he said.
Keep up the good work, BECHAR, we will continue to support you.
(Sorry too busy to take photos - anyone want a press job?)
Farewell to Audrey
She is going into sheltered housing nearer to her family.
Needless to say we will all miss her cheerfulness, calmness, sense of fun and (personally) total absence of fear of spiders.
(When seeing the lurking leggy monster in the sink I would immediately yell AUDREY and she was always there to sort the beast out.)
Jo gave her a special day on the Friday down at Little Orchard and we presented her with a going away token on the Sunday.
Thursday 19th December 2010
Even though the christmas tree festival was officially on the Saturday 11th December the church looked wonderful all over Christmas, for our lunch club on the 9th (see below) and for our carol service and crib service.
It certainly added a magical dimension to our worship to be sitting surrounded by such beauty.
Our thanks to Jo and her team and everyone who decorated a tree. A brilliant success.
Unfortunately we had to cancel the morning service on the 19th as about 6 inches of snow had fallen the day before and the temperature had dropped to -9 and we did not want any literally frozen congregation.
It was very touch and go (with the state of the roads) as to whether we held the carol service at all, but thanks to our wonderful friends we won through.
I was very touched as to how many people braved the weather (especially at night) to praise Jesus's birth with us.
Especial thanks must go to Tim and Carolyn for the hard work of clearing the snow and ice from the long path to the church. Thanks to them we havn't got any MORE broken ankles in Moggerhanger (plenty already). Also to William with his 4 X 4 picking up our vicar so that she could be there. Thank you for braving the elements Jackie.
It was a lovely service, our readers the lessons read well and clearly, the choirs sang beautifully and we all enjoyed those favourite carols without which Christmas just isn't right!
Thursday 9th December 2010
Well that was a reall logistical operation and no mistake. We had excellent numbers for our big Christmas lunch, 30 people booked for lunch and 4 requests for ‘takeaways’.
I'm afraid the church (even though the heating had been on since half eight in the morning) was still very cold so we have to thank all our brave stoics who sat and ate with us.
Pat and Corel are amazing and should really be headhunted by the army as I am sure they would take the organization for field rations for a couple of thousand troops quite in their stride.
All the turkeys, roast potatoes, roast parsnips, pigs in blanket (of course) fresh vegetables, delicious bread sauce and gravy was all cooked and ready to serve for our hungry clubbers.
Carving was not easy, for my efforts I should say hacking would be more appropriate but at least there was plenty for everyone.
Corel and Pat had the traditional rich christmas pudding all ready for dessert and (because we were being nice for Christmas) there were options of fruit in jelly or scottish shortbread for those who aren't too keen on Christmas pud (Yes! amazing eh)
To round off a very satisfying meal we served tea and coffee with mints, a right royal repast for a fiver.
(Two of our clubbers said that it was a much better meal than they had the prvious night at a dinner dance. There you go!)
The Official Opening of our new kitchen
Monday 25th October 2010
As it just happened to be Betty's 80th birthday (not carefully arranged at all), she had the honour of officially opening our new kitchen by cutting the ribbon and blessing it.
Doreen christened the new oven by making some lovely fresh hot scones (very quickly consumed by the hordes present) and Carrie kindly made a super ‘kitchen cake’. (see pics)
It turned out to be an incredibly hectic day as later on we had our harvest festival supper in the village hall, organized by the inestimable Jo (with lots of helpers - thank you one and all).
Food and tables had to stretch out as an unexpected 97 people came, a lot of them especially to surprise Betty.
One lady whom she had not seen for decades came all the way from Folkstone for this event.
I think Betty was rather overwelmed.
After the supper we had the auction of Harvest goods to raise funds for the Bishops ‘Harvest for the Hungry’ appeal.
With some cajoling from Bob, our auctioneer we raised £157.50.
We are all looking forward to a good rest now.
(After clearing up, of course!)
Jo yet again allowed the village rabble to invade her lovely home (well garden at least) by having the yearly village BarBQue in her orchard. There were side stalls manned by our youth volunteers (well, mostly) so everyone could try their skills out.
William and the ‘smokey’ gents presided over the astonishing array of burning flames to provide one and all with lots to eat.
Puddings were brought to round off the meal and then came the entertainment
Chris and his band played and sang, inducing even the staidest to tread a measure.
It didn't even rain!
What a great day. Thanks Jo and William and everyone who helped prepare, on the day and clearing up. A lovely event
Saturday and Sunday 18th July 2010
This year we have celebrated 150 years of worshipping in St John the Evangelist church at Moggerhanger. Lynda planned us out a very ambitious celebratory weekend with a gift day and wedding exhibition on the Saturday then a special service on the Sunday, inviting the Bishop of Bedford to preach followed by a huge lunch. Betty wrote to about 200 different people who have all been associated with the church over the last (150) few years (most of whom she knew) and a lot came!
You can see the beautiful dresses of people who married in St John's if you wait for them to come round in the picture.
We also produced a church guide (available for a modest sum) and a history of the Dawkins family and the church.
Thanks go to Jean-Pierre for all the hard research on this and to Jo for writing and putting it all together.
Many people worked exceedingly hard getting the churchyard into shape for the visit (especially ALex, Tim and Carolyn - but lots of others on a 'weed binge') and of course church cleaning (we think it might be well over 30 years since we have seen the beautiful small 'dove' window high in the apex of the church.
Thank you to everybody who helped with the displays and stalls, the church looked wonderful and you could buy your cakes and pickles too!
Then came the big lunch
Again, so many peopple helped with this that it is very difficult to thank everyone but particular thanks must go to Michelle, the kitchen supremo and calm, clear thinker, Dorothy (ended up exhausted) Pat, Carolyn & Tim and of course, the tireless Jo. It went immensely well and was a testiment to what this village can do working together in harmony.
We had a lovely Agape supper in the back of our little church at Moggerhanger on Maunday Thursday 1st April 2010 with a welcome and three simple courses, soup, bread and cheese followed by fruit interspersed with a hymn, readings and prayers.
Thanks go to all who helped for the evening.