Author: stjohnstmarkchurchbury

I don’t know if you have made any new year resolutions? I haven’t. From past experience, intentions to eat more healthily, take more exercise and, in the past, to stop smoking would all be consigned to the rubbish bin by January 4th.

Our next Sunday@Seven service will be on January 27th. The theme is ‘Then it dawned on me’.

This is a chance for more informal worship, prayer and meditation.

We’ll meet in the Barritt Room at St John’s Hall. Brews and cake will be on hand!

During December 2018 and January 2019 our Walmersley Road Walking Group were involved in two walks. In December we took the Metrolink to Manchester Victoria station and begun our walk back along sections of the Irwell Sculpture Trail. In January we explored the three reservoirs of Bolton: Jumbles, Wayoh and Turton & Entwistle.

In the words of our Bishop in the January issue of the CRUX magazine, I’d like to challenge us at this Epiphany-tide, and the start of a New Year, to take the story of the Magi as a metaphor for our own journey with God. 

The British Red Cross will be holding a free 2 hour training course on ‘Helping adults at greater risks of falls’. Particularly appropriate with the weather as it is! This will be at St John’s Hall from 9.15am on Saturday 2nd February 2019. It’s a repeat of the course held in November.

Here are our Bible readings for January 2019. So if you can’t get to church and want to follow the same scripture passages then here you go. Or if you just want to read up in advance for the Sunday to come, then please make use of below.

Take a look here for details of our Christmas services this year.

We’d love to see you at one or more of these special occasions!

You’ll also find information about the Christmas Day dinner which this year is at St Mary’s.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is JC Jacobsen, and I have been dead for 130 years.” The talk was entitled “Why You Should Answer Every Question with Probably,” and fits in with Carlsberg’s long-time slogan, “Probably the best beer in the world.”

If you come along to either of the churches in our Walmersley Road Benefice you can pick up a copy of our December magazine. We would love to see you! Inside this Christmas and New Year edition you’ll see prayers, Bible readings and meditations plus details on activities and services. There’s also a letter from Barbara Silvester…

Our next Sunday@Seven service will be on December 30th. The theme is ‘Standing at the gate’.

This is a chance for more informal worship, prayer and meditation.

We’ll meet in the Back Room at Christ Church Hall. Brews and cake will be on hand!

Here are our Bible readings for December 2018. So if you can’t get to church and want to follow the same scripture passages then here you go. Or if you just want to read up in advance for the Sunday to come, then please make use of below.

But come on – it’s Christmas! We’d love to see you in church! Our carol service is on Sunday 23rd December, 6.30pm at Christ Church, Walmersley.

And if you live away from us then please go to a service near you.

You’re very warmly invited to our church Christmas Fair on 24th November. The fun starts at 11am and we’ll be joined by the choir from the St John with St Mark’s School Choir.

We’re each asked to follow our own particular call, to make the most of what we’re given and not waste it. To show the love & mercy of God to anyone we come across – even when we don’t feel particularly able. Because if we don’t then who will? And we too can be messed up and conflicted, just like Jonah.

I used to play the piano at a nursery school, so that the children knew that music didn’t always come from a machine. There was a 3 year old who had major problems who called me Mrs. Piano and he was a gem…

Our Advent Bible studies this year will be based on Rowan Williams’ book, ‘Being Disciples’.

The book was described by the current Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, as ”Here is quite the most beautiful writing on discipleship I know. I am grateful for the inspiration that I find in these pages. I commend it to those who have been on this journey a long time, as well as to anyone who wonders what on earth following Jesus is all about.”