In a few minutes I am off to school to join the reception classes (63 children and about five staff plus a few parents) for an outing to see baby Jesus.  You didn't realise it was feasible to go back 2000 years and across a continent all within the school day did you!  Polesoworth Abbey runa wonderful 'live nativity' event - complete with real baby.  As I recall the first ever nativity play I witnessed (40 years ago tomorrow - it kind of sticks when it coincides with your 6th birthday!) I hope that for at least some of these children it will be as important for them, prompting the life-long, timebound journey of faith, it did for me.

Then, for a total change, tonight I will in the 'upper room' of our local pub with 40-50 adults singing along to the Radio Leicester 'Sing Christmas' service.  Some of those who come will never enter a church service per se, while others will be my own folk being missional.  There will be few who struggle to climb the stairs (no DDA compliance here) but who will then thank us for putting on this event for them and who, for a moment, will rediscover the inner child who longs for the magic and mystery of Christmas past.  Quavery voices and dewy eyes - always brings a lump to my cynical middle-aged throat!

For anyone counting (like Nigel!) between yesterday and today we will 'tick off' the first 200 or so of our pre-Christmas contacts!  But more importantly, I will enjoy myself as I help others reconnect with the heart of Christ-mas