Parish Magazine, October / November 2023

by | Oct 26, 2023 | Magazine Letter

Dear Friends

I wrote in the last magazine about the small groups we were about to launch in September for study, prayer, care and witness. These have now begun and I’m pleased to say that for the first week’s session we had 14 people attending across our three groups. If you have not yet signed up to attend your local group and would like to do so, please sign the list on the noticeboard at the back of church or have a word with Keith and Ali White (group north of Whittle Brook), Joan Rotheram and Janet Kerswell (for group between Whittle Brook and Liverpool Road), or David and Janet Tanner (for group between Liverpool Road and Warrington Road). If you live outside of the parish, either sign at the bottom of the list on the noticeboard or have a word with me, and I will allocate you to your nearest group.

In September, we also launched Messy Church at St.Mary’s. Messy Church is a form of church suitable for all ages, particularly for those with children, involving crafts (which can be messy!), worship and food. We had 16 people – helpers and attendees – at the first session and had a great time, thinking about the nature of God’s world. As one young person put it, “I would come again, even without the food!” For further information, please click here.

We also restarted the Alpha course in September with 10 people – helpers and guests – attending. I am delighted that people want to explore (or explore again) the basics of the Christian faith, and I can think of no better way of doing that than by attending the course. As people attending previous courses have said, “I feel really glad to have attended the Alpha course, thank you for inviting me!” and “Doing the course has made me rethink a lot of things in my life, and is impacting how I would deal with certain situations”.

This month we celebrate Harvest at St.Mary’s on Sunday 1st October at both our services. I’m very pleased that our cubs and scouts will be helping me once again with our 10am All Age Worship. Donations of tinned goods for Warrington Foodbank will be gratefully received on the day or drop off beforehand if you can’t come then. For a list of what they would particularly like help with, please visit their Donate Food page. Toiletries are also welcome.

Also this month, the PCC will be having an away morning on Saturday 7th October in order to think and pray further about the possibilities of Fit for Mission and becoming part of a larger parish. Do please pray for them as they come to make a decision about this at their November meeting. There will also be a Fit for Mission Fair on Wednesday 11th October between 7-9 pm at The Gateway on Sankey Street in the town centre (opposite the Town Hall). Do drop in at any time to learn more about Fit for Mission – there will be a variety of stalls present.

Finally, in November, there will be our annual memorial service on Sunday 5th at 3 pm. We will be inviting the families of those we have taken funerals and interments for this past year, but anyone is invited to attend to remember a loved one who has died at any time. Then on Saturday 18 November at 12 noon, it will be our Christmas Fair. Do come along to grab some Christmas presents and enjoy all the fun of the fair!

Best wishes

Jeremy Tear

Pioneer Team Rector

Team Letter, October 2023

by | Oct 24, 2023 | Team Letter

Dear Friends

Time seems to be flying by since I last wrote in August! If you have been away on holiday, I hope you had a refreshing break. We are definitely now into autumn with the leaves turning on the trees and some colder days and nights, though the last vestiges of our Indian summer seem to have returned today!

The coming month will be a significant one for the churches in our team as our PCC’s come to vote on Fit for Mission, the diocesan change programme. Change is never an easy thing for us to deal with as human beings but the reality is that change always goes on around us, and that includes in the church. So, for example, St.Mary’s and St.Philip’s have both had new chairs in the last couple of years, St.Paul’s’ has had a new building, and St.James has sold off some of its church land for development. We have all engaged in new mission activities, whether that be starting new congregations (such as Lifetime at St.Paul’s or Messy Church at St.Mary’s), new enquirers courses (such as Alpha at St.James and St.Mary’s) or new groups, such as Little Fishes and Fun with Friends at St.Philip’s. And of course some members of our churches will have moved or died, and others will have joined. So please pray for wisdom for our PCC members as they come to take important decisions on whether their churches wish to be part of the ongoing exploration of what Fit for Mission could look like in our deanery. I believe this could be an exciting time for us as churches as we work closer together to see God’s Kingdom come in our town. That is not to say it will be easy but there is definitely something to be said for working together for the common good.

There are three diary dates to note for the coming months:

1. Team Memorial Service, St.Mary’s, Sunday 5 November at 3.00 p.m.

This is our annual opportunity to remember loved ones who have died. Invitations have been sent to the next of kin for those whose funerals we have taken over the past year and those attending will hear the names of their loved ones read out and have the opportunity light candle to remember them. If you would like to come to remember a loved one who has died, no matter when that was, please sign the sheet in your church by Sunday 29 October.

2. Church Warrington Carol Service, HJ Stadium, Thursday 14 December, 7 pm

50,000 invitations are being distributed across our town for what promises to be a great night. Do invite a friend or a neighbour to come with you to hear the good news of Christmas. Please register at Christmas Carols at the Halliwell Jones Stadium. There will be a choir with rehearsals on Tuesday 28th November and Monday 4th December, both in Bold Street Methodist Church Building, 7:30pm-9:30pm. We are also looking for people who will respond to those who express an interest in the Christian faith at the end of the service and give out information to them. There are training evenings, both at 7.30-8.30 p.m., on Tuesday 14 November at Bethany Church, Liverpool Road, Sankey Bridges and Thursday 23 November at Life Church, Cotwsold Road, Orford. If you would like to help with either of those things, please contact hello@churchwarrington.co.uk There will also be a prayer meeting for the event on Sunday 3 December, 7 – 8 pm at Wycliffe URC, Bewsey Street in the town centre.

3. Team Post Christmas Service, StMary’s, Sunday 31 December, 10am

Our Team post-Christmas communion service will be held this year at St.Mary’s. That will be the only service across our four team churches that particular Sunday. Sarah Peppiatt will be leading this and all are welcome.

With my best wishes and prayers.

Jeremy Tear, Pioneer Team Rector