Posts by Nick Jackson

Notices for 7 April 2019

Passion Sunday

The special service at 6:00pm today will include Stainer’s ‘The Crucifixion’ sung by the Wesley Singers and friends. Refreshments afterwards.

Lent Course

Last sessions on Tuesday evening at 7:30pm and Wednesday morning at 10:15am.

Compline by Candlelight

On Tuesday at 8:45pm.

Church Brasses

These are in need of some urgent TLC in time for Easter, so if you can help them to sparkle again please come along on Saturday at 2:30pm. No experience or equipment needed just your time and perhaps a pair of Marigolds.

Holy Week

Monday 15th – Wednesday 17th April 10:00am to 11:30am. Coffee and chat in the Community Centre followed by a short bible study. All welcome to come to either or both.

Good Friday Activity Morning

On Good Friday April 19th from 10:00am to 12 noon in the Community Centre.

Annual Parish Meetings

These are on 30th April at 7:30pm in the Community Centre.

Dementia Awareness Training

27th April at 2:00pm in the church, This is open to anyone interested in knowing how we can help dementia sufferers take part in the life of our church and community.

Easter Flowers

Donations towards the cost of flowers for Church would be appreciated and may be given to June Reed or Shelagh Freer.

Thank God It’s Friday

This Friday from 6:00pm in the Community Centre. A chance to relax and unwind at the end of the working week.

Notices for 31 March 2019

Passion Sunday – next Sunday

The special service next Sunday at 6.00pm will include Stainer’s ‘The Crucifixion’ sung by the Wesley Singers. Refreshments afterwards.

Lent Course: “And who is my neighbour?”

On Tuesday evenings at 7.30pm followed by Compline and Wednesday mornings at 10.15am after the 9.30am Eucharist. Refreshments are available beforehand.

Compline by Candlelight

Tuesdays in Lent at 8.45pm, following the Lent Talks. All welcome.

Church Brasses

These are in need of some urgent TLC in time for Easter, so if you can help them to sparkle again please come along on Saturday 13th April at 2.30pm. No experience or equipment needed just your time and perhaps a pair of Marigolds.

Mothers’ Union

On Wednesday at 2.00pm. Service and Enrolment in church followed by a talk on the AFIA project by Yvonne Hudson. Friends welcome.

Easter Flowers

Donations towards the cost of flowers for Church would be appreciated and may be given to June Reed or Shelagh Freer.

Family Activity Day

On Good Friday April 19th from 10.00am to 12 noon in the Community Centre.

All welcome.

Church Events

If you need help publicising a church event please contact the Communications team. See David Waddington or e-mail [email protected].

To Love and Serve the Lord


Words for the Rededication of St. Mary’s Community Centre
Revd. Matthew Peat

It is a real privilege to be able to stand here and articulate some of the feelings in our midst this morning.

I guess one of my predecessor’s Fr Garrett had similar feelings when this building was finished in 1968.

Perhaps then it felt as it does today, a significant moment not just in the life of the church but of the wider community of Colton and Whitkirk in which St. Mary’s stands.

Over the years the doors of this building have been open for all sorts of events.

From parties to pantos.
From flower shows to funeral teas.

We hope and pray this will continue into the future and that alongside them new possibilities will be opened to us too, so that this will truly be a centre for our community.

Continue reading “To Love and Serve the Lord”

Update for Hall Users

As the work on our Church Hall heads into the final phases, we’re excited to let Hall users know that access to the Hall is planned to be available from the middle of November.

If you are a regular Hall user, the Hall Redevelopment Team will be in touch in the next few weeks to organise things such as keys, storage and when you will be able to start using the new spaces.

Brief Encounters


Choral Evensong
Ezekiel 37.1-14, Luke 24.13-35
Revd. Matthew Peat

A friend of mine once wrote a series of plays based on memorable stories from the Bible. He called it ‘Brief Encounters.’ In these brief encounters he helped both actor and audience to see that these stories though centuries old, have an enduring quality to them.

These brief encounters came to mind because in these days of Easter, Jesus’ resurrection appearances are often brief encounters.They are mysterious and intriguing with an enduring quality that makes us stop and think time and again.

This evening is one example when Jesus meets some of the disciples through a brief encounter on the road to Emmaus. It’s a passage I know well, I chose it as the Gospel for when I began my ministry as a parish priest.

It spoke to me then and still does about how we might make Christ known.

How we should come along alongside people and listen, just as Jesus did.
How we should share our stories and talk to help make sense of this life, just as Jesus did.
Of how we meet Jesus the breaking of bread and of how ‘hearts’ are ‘burning within us’ when we meet Jesus along the way.

I could talk about any one of these this evening but instead I want to spend this time reflecting on some other words from the reading, ‘their eyes were kept from recognising him.’

I’ve always been puzzled by the mystery that surrounds the resurrection appearances. For in these brief encounters it’s clear that Jesus has changed.He is unrecognizable to people who knew him well. But then something happens, a word, an action and they know. Why though all this mystery?
Continue reading “Brief Encounters”

We Want Your Input

As part of redeveloping the Church Hall, we want to get input from the parish to help give us a better idea of what you consider important, and what you would be interested in seeing more of in the future.

Starting today, every household in the parish will be receiving a survey form through the post. You can fill in the paper copy and drop it off at the Church Hall or call and ask for it to be collected (details inside the survey), or you can take the survey online now in about 3 minutes.

Every response helps us build a better Hall for the future, and we value your input — it’s your Church Hall as well!

In Giving We Receive

The Whitkirk Weekly Pound
Just £1 Extra Per Week!

Parish At Risk Of Meeting Share Target!

St Mary's Church

Following two years of increased focus on regular giving St Mary’s Church, Whitkirk is now on the cusp of being able to meet its Parish Share obligations for the first time since the 1990s. Current giving commitments from the 153 households committed to the planned giving scheme will cover 86% of the current year’s Parish Share. The PCC Giving Team calculate the current shortfall could be bridged by each of those households increasing their giving by just £1 per week.

New Givers Really Welcome

The door is always open for anyone not currently part of the planned giving scheme to sign up and make a regular financial commitment to help St Mary’s deliver its key aim to be a place in the community where everyone finds a welcome and is nurtured in their journey with Christ. Planned giving helps St Mary’s to plan ahead with confidence safe in the knowledge that all activities are affordable. So if you’re not currently part of the scheme please do think and pray about this and if you want to learn more speak to Matthew or our Gift Aid Officer Shelagh Freer. Please be assured any contributions are managed with total confidentiality.

Parish Share? What’s That?

This is the amount St Mary’s and all other Parishes are asked to contribute to the Diocese each year to cover its running costs. Around 90% of the share received by the Diocese is used to pay for clergy; including stipends, pensions, housing, council tax, training etc. That leaves around 10% that is used for a combination of diocesan administration and contributions to the General Synod for National Church responsibilities. With such a significant amount used to cover clergy costs the simple fact is a reduction in Share income will inevitably result in fewer clergy.

What’s a Pound?

Obviously not quite what it was 10 years ago but to put into a bit of perspective the following cost around £1:

  • A Daily Newspaper (Afraid your Sunday one will likely set you back a bit more…)
  • Couple of pints of milk
  • Bottle of pop
  • Couple of packets of crisps

Just a pound a week will do it!

Doesn’t sound much does it? But if everyone currently signed up to the planned giving scheme was able to contribute £1 per week extra then St Mary’s is likely to be able to meet its Parish Share commitment.

Please take some time in the week to think and pray about the life and work of St Mary’s and how your financial contribution can help us to do God’s work right here in Whitkirk.

 

Hope Filled Child


Sermon Year C – The Presentation of Christ in the Temple
Hebrews 2.14-end, Luke 2.22-40
Revd. Matthew Peat

Many of you are Grandparents. In that role you take a keen interest in the lives of your Grandchildren. Some of you see them more than others, almost and maybe even every day, some of you less so, separated by geography and so on.

Grandparents in many ways have the best bits of parenting. They usually don’t work so can turn up as and when required, with little else to worry about except to concentrate on their charges.

That concentration can of course be demanding “Grandma can you do this or that” or “Grandad I don’t like those” or perhaps trying to respond to the most disturbing question ever asked “why?”

And yet though they can be exhausting Grandparents are invariably delighted by their Grandchildren.

Continue reading “Hope Filled Child”