Author: stjohnstmarkchurchbury

Our Walking Group on 6th July was a much anticipated visit to Malham in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Some of us had never been before. Others had not been for a good number of years. The walk included Janet’s Foss, a picturesque waterfall, in which people were already cooling off.

We’re being asked to choose: What kind of people do you want to be?
“Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength”. Moses says: is this how you want to be known?

Our next Sunday@Seven service is July 28th. The theme this time is ‘It’s Summer…let’s sing!’

We shall be singing some of our favourite songs and hymns. Please let Nigel know, either directly, or via the contact page, which ones you like.

As a one-off, we’ll be meeting in the church at Christ Church, rather than in the hall.

Attached is our Benefice of Walmersley Road July and August 2019 magazine. It’s a bumper edition so grab a brew and find a comfortable chair… Alongside all the normal news, views and ‘what’s on’, you’ll find an article on Spring Harvest with Archbishop Sentamu’s challenge for 2020.

Here are the Bible readings for July 2019 which we’ll be using in church.

If you want to read up in advance – or if you can’t be with us and want to follow the same readings then here you go!

This month’s scriptures include the Hospitality of Abraham & Sarah, The Samaritan and the Lord’s Prayer.

A small group from St John with St Mark joined the well attended Prayers for Peace service at the Ukrainian Church on June 23rd, 2019.

Tens of thousands have died in the conflict with many more displaced from their homes.

The situation in Ukraine is a sombre one. But this was a wonderful service with representatives from different Christian traditions and nationalities. The hymns were in English and Ukrainian as we worshiped together surrounded by Eastern Orthodox paintings and icons.

#MoreThanSunday is being launched by Manchester Diocese on 1 July 2019. The aim is to help grow our faith and increase our discipleship 7 days a week.

By signing up, you will receive a monthly email. This will contain a reflection and a Bible quote relevant to a theme that will be different each month.

There will also be a link to a podcast featuring local people who have an insight to share.

St John with St Mark School has been chosen by Tesco Bury as one of their projects in their Bags of Help scheme. If they get the most tokens they will receive £4000 towards improvements to their Early Years Playground. Please support the school by asking for your blue tokens – and put it in their collection box.

We’ve just registered with easyfundraising. This is a great site where you can raise money for St John with St Mark’s Church with your everyday online shopping. At no extra cost to yourself! Each time you shop online via the easyfundraising website the retailers give the church a percentage donation as a ‘thank you’.

This year’s retreat to the St. Joseph’s Prayer Centre near the National Trust reserve in Formby was once again held in the week leading up to the second May Bank Holiday. The theme this year was the ‘Miracles of Jesus’ and we had several thought provoking sessions on some of these miracles and how they relate to our daily lives in the year 2019.

Our next Sunday@Seven service is June 30th. The theme this time is ‘The Spirit is willing, but…’

This is the first Sunday@Seven after Pentecost so we imagine that Nigel may take full advantage of that in his choice of songs and readings.

Pentecost is when we remember the Holy Spirit being given to the disciples after Jesus’ ascension. The Spirit was given to guide, inspire and teach them – as it does with us today.

For the Vicar of Dibley, heaven meant being surrounded by mountains of chocolate. And many think of heaven in terms of food and drink: heavenly food, heavenly wine…

Our reading from Acts tells us that if you’re wanting a quiet life then the very last thing you want to do is to go looking for a prayer meeting…

Here are the Bible readings for June that we will be using in church. This month includes both Pentecost and Trinity Sunday. If you don’t have access to a Bible then there’s a link to the Vanderbilt Divinity Library.

Here is our June 2019 magazine. In it you’ll find articles on the fantastic Open Group talk by Jim Metcalf on Community Action Nepal, our Benefice Boundary walk and updates from the very active Mothers’ Union. We also look forward to the ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ season which runs from Ascension to Pentecost.