Keynsham Methodist Church - Festivals
The Church celebrates particular important times in the life of Jesus as Religious Festivals
LENT AND EASTER at Keynsham Methodist Church
Lent is the season of the church year when Christians prepare for Easter, the greatest of Christian festivals. During Lent we remember the highlights of the life of Jesus leading up to his cruxifixion (Good Friday) and his resurrection from death (Easter day)
We share in these preparations with "Churches Together in Keynsham and Saltford" (CTKS)
Tuesday evenings in Lent
CTKS event - starting on February 23rd, and running for 5 weeks, there will be a series of talks and worship exploring a book entitled "The courage to Connect" by Rosemary Lain-Priestly. The book explores the challenge of connecting our spiritual lives with our everyday lives and encourages us to discover the unique role we each have in God's world.These will be held at 7.30pm in the Baptist Church (on Keynsham High Street).
Wednesday lunch times in Lent
CTKS event - there will be Lent Lunches for 5 weeks commencing February 24th at 12.30pm at St. JOhn's Church Hall (in the High Street). A bread and cheese lunch will be followed by a short reflection for the Lenten season.
Ash Wednesday - February 17th
Ash Wednesday is the start of Lent and is named after the tradition of placing a cross of ashes on the forehead as a sign of repentance - "Repent and believe the gospel."
There will be a service of Holy Communion at 12.00 noon in the church at Victoria.
Holy Week
Holy Week is the last week of Lent and includes Palm Sunday (when Jesus entered Jerusalem in a triumphal procession and people waved palm branches in salute), Maundy Thursday (when Jesus ate the Last Supper with his disciples, and instituted what we call 'Holy Communion') and Good Friday (the day of Christ's crucifixion).
Palm Sunday 8.30am Holy Communion at Queens Road
10.00am Queens Road - All Age Worship.
10.00am Victoria - joint service with Baptists conducted by the Baptist Minister, Revd Mick Standbridge
6.30pm Victoria - Cafe style service
Maundy Thursday 1st April CTKS service at St.John's Parish Church (in Keynsham High Street)at 7.30pm. A celebration of Holy Communion, remembering the Last Supper Jesus shared with his disciples.
Garden of Gethsemane 1st April at Victoria Centre for young people who will spend 24 hours together from 9.00pm on Maundy Thursday to 9.00am on Good Friday. The young people spend quality time together and lead devotions on the hour, every hour, through the night. In the Methodist Key Centre and Victoria Church they will try to stay awake as the disciples of Jesus did on that night in the Garden of Gethsemane outside Jerusalem.
Good Friday 2nd April. CTKS service at St. John's Parish Church at 10.00am, followed by a Walk of Witness along the High Street to the Clock Tower, followed by Hot Cross Buns served at the Baptist Church.
Easter Sunday - "Christ is risen,Hallelujah"
The day of resurrection begins with sunrise services at 6.00am in the grounds of Kingswood School (Bath) and at 6.30 a.m. at Woodford Lodge (Chew Valley Lake). These are circuit services.
Services including Holy Communion will be held at 10.00am at both Queens Road and Victoria Centres of Keynsham Methodist Church.
There will be an Easter Celebration at 6.30pm at Victoria.
PENTECOST
Pentecost is the festival when Christians celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is celebrated on the Sunday 50 days after Easter. This year it will be celebrated on May 23rd. Pentecost is regarded as the birthday of the Christian church, and the start of the church's mission to the world.
The Holy Spirit is the third part of the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that is the way Christians understand God.
Pentecost is a happy festival. Ministers in church often wear robes with red in the design as a symbol of the flames in which the Holy Spirit came to earth. The symbols of Pentecost are those of the Holy Spirit and include flames, wind, the breath of God and a dove.
The First Pentecost
Pentecost comes from a Jewish harvest festival called Shavuot. The apostles were celebrating this festival when the Holy Spirit descended on them. It sounded like a very strong wind, and it looked like tongues of fire. The apostles then found themselves speaking in foreign languages, inspired by the Holy Spirit. People passing by at first thought that they must be drunk, but the apostle Peter told the crowd that the apostles were full of the Holy Spirit.
ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS
Advent is the four Sundays before Christmas. Sunday worship will follow the themes appropriate for the preparation of the birth of Jesus which we celebrate at Christmas. During this season there will be Carol Services.
We have a late night service on Christmas Eve and a morning service on Christmas Day.
COVENANT SERVICE
From the very earliest days of Methodism, John Wesley invited the Methodist people to renew their covenant relationship with God. We do this once a year near to New Year. We generally have a special joint service on a Sunday in January. For those unable to get to the particular Sunday service we also have a Covenant Service on a weeknight.
Details of all the services of the festival seasons will be given nearer the time