New Christmas traditions

This evening was our first Havering Christmas Carol service as part of the Urban Expression team and Church community. Unfortunately, it was also the last time that the Carol service will be happening in the local pub, as it is now owned by a housing developer and will be closing at the end of January 2016. We made sure that it was a good ‘un this evening – with lots of enthusiastic singing to carols and Christmas songs, chatting and playing games, making Christingles (our first experience of this!) and having fun. Personally, I’m all for Carol services which include breaks for buying beers.

Today was also 3 months to the day that we have lived on our estate. I think in the last two weeks, things have been settling down a bit and we are beginning on find our feet. School holidays began on Friday for DH, so we have a couple of weeks to enjoy being together and hanging out over Christmas. It will be great to have DH around, it can be hard work figuring out a new place, a new community, new neighbourhood with just the children.

We are also discovering and creating new patterns and rhythms as a family. We have been reading this Advent book together, and enjoying talking about what it means for us to look forward and anticipate the birth of Jesus. It has been amazing hearing the insightful and tender reflections that our children have made. Their opinions and questions about faith and the Jesus story help us to think afresh about how we follow Jesus as a family and individually in this new place.