Category: Nurture

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.

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.

The Ukrainian Church on Bury Old Road is inviting Christians from all traditions to join them in prayers for peace.

The postcode for the church is M7 4PX.

The service will take place on Sunday 23rd June at 3pm.

It will be supported by the Right Reverend John Arnold, Roman Catholic Bishop of Salford. Also helping will be Reverend Karen Lund, Anglican Archdeacon of Manchester, along with other church leaders.

Our next Sunday@Seven service is May 26th. We’ll be meeting again at the hall in Christ Church. The theme is ‘Light up the world’ which is the strap-line from Thy Kingdom Come.

Thy Kingdom Come is a global prayer movement that invites Christians around the world to pray for more people to come to know Jesus. It’s an international and ecumenical call to prayer.

We will have both churches open for morning and evening prayer during Thy Kingdom Come, which runs 11 days from May 30th.

Easter us – a modern day Psalm written by Walter Brueggemann. You God who terrified the waters, who crashed your thunder, who shook the earth, and scared the wits out of chaos. You God who with strong arm saved your people by miracle and wonder and majestic act…

At our last Sunday@Seven I was given a two minute slot to say something about Psalm 19. Think of it as a speed sermon! The intention is to have an ‘open mic’ section in future Sunday@Seven services for anyone who feels led to share a word or two, either prepared or off the cuff.

Seeing is believing – or is it? Do we believe everything we read in the newspapers or see on television or on film? Not always and rightly so. You only have to see what can be done to a digital photograph using the latest computer technology to know that the old adage “What can’t speak can’t lie” is no longer true.