St Nicholas Parish Church Fleetwood. Week beginning 16th February 2025 We seek to be a church that lives by faith, is known by love and is a voice of hope to the community we serve. Website https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/11671 Sunday 16th February 8.30 am Holy Communion in Church9.30 am Worship on Zoom10.45 am Holy Communion in Church4.00 pm Family & Co Tuesday 18th February 10.45 am Community Singing for Pleasure, Jubilee Room2.00 pm Holy Communion in Church3.00 pm Funeral of Dylis Pumphrey at Carleton6.45 pm PCC Meets in Jubilee RoomThursday 20th February10.30 am Community Coffee MorningSaturday 22nd February 10.00 am Confirmation – Session 5 Jubilee RoomSunday 23rd February 8.30 am Holy Communion in Church9.30 am Worship on Zoom10.45 am Holy Communion in Church12.30 pm Baptism of Lee Peters & Graham xx4.00 pm Family & Co Daily Prayer Tuesday 8 AM St Nicholas' | 5:30 PM St Nicholas'Wednesday 8 AM St Nicholas' | 5:30 PM St Nicholas'Thursday 8 AM St Nicholas' | 5:30 PM St Nicholas' Friday 8 AM St Nicholas’ Private prayer is available immediately after the 10.45 service for anyone who wishes to be prayed for or with in the Lady Chapel **********************************************The sermon slot today at all our services will focus on the gospel reading from Luke chapter 6, but the reading from 1 Corinthians chapter 15 (overleaf) deserves our serious attention too.For Paul, belief in the bodily resurrection is not optional. It doesn't matter to him how scandalous it sounds. The scandal is part of the good news. Nonetheless, some of the Corinthians must have winced at the idea of a God who raised corpses. Why can we not just believe that God is powerful and follow Jesus’s teaching to love one another? Do we really need to believe that God raised Jesus from the dead? Do we really need to live in hope of Christ’s return?Paul does not budge. If there is no resurrection, there is no hope. If there is no resurrection, then everything we thought we knew about God is a lie. If there is no resurrection, then all we have is this life. And the so-called gospel is not really “good news” at all.It's much easier to just preach on the bits of the gospel that sound like wise council for living, like being kind to one another and living peaceably. These are worthwhile goals, but the gospel demands more. At the core of the gospel is a God who refuses to abandon creation to the powers of sin and death. God is a God of life and that’s good news indeed. AMEN.Lent Study: Bishop Philip’s five-week study will begin 12th March. We will meet every Wednesday at 4.30 pm in the Broadway Hall. The title this year is “Hear our Prayer” and we will be examining the prayer lives of five Old Testament figures who prayed, how that relates to the prayer life of Jesus and by doing so, think about our own prayer lives. Everyone is welcome.Confirmation: On Sunday 9th March at 5 pm Bishop Jill is coming to St Nic’s to confirm fifteen confirmation candidates. This will be a glorious occasion not just for those involved but for the church family too. Please save the date and be sure to keep the candidates and their families in your prayers.Please also remember in your prayers: Katie, Brian Brown, Louise Gorley, Mark Price, Michael Carthy, Paul and Mark Sumner, Sandra Pratt, Michael, Chris Kelsall, Elaine Clarke, Tracey Ashworth, Philip Wayman, Primrose and Rev Andrew Downes. We also remember the families of Dylis Pumphrey, Alan Richmond and Janet Davies whose funerals are due to take place.
St Nicholas Parish Church Fleetwood. Week beginning 9th February 2025 We seek to be a church that lives by faith, is known by love and is a voice of hope to the community we serve. Website https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/11671 Sunday 9th February8.30 am Holy Communion in Church9.30 am Worship on Zoom10.45 am Holy Communion in Church12.30 pm Baptism of Harlow Cooper4.00 pm Family & Co Tuesday 11th February 10.45 am Community Singing for Pleasure, Jubilee Room11.00 am Funeral of Clare Barker at Carleton2.00 pm Holy Communion in ChurchThursday 13th February10.30 am Community Coffee MorningFriday 14th February9.00 am Little Gang – Broadway RoomsSaturday 15th February 10.00 am Confirmation – Session 4 Jubilee RoomSunday 16th February 8.30 am Holy Communion in Church9.30 am Worship on Zoom10.45 am Holy Communion in Church4.00 pm Family & Co Daily Prayer Tuesday 8 AM St Nicholas' | 5:30 PM St Nicholas'Wednesday 8 AM St Nicholas' | 5:30 PM St Nicholas'Thursday 8 AM St Nicholas' | 5:30 PM St Nicholas' Friday 8 AM St Nicholas’ Private prayer is available immediately after the 10.45 service for anyone who wishes to be prayed for or with in the Lady Chapel**********************************************This week we start our countdown to Lent and with this in mind we will be offering a five-week Lent Course, similar to last year and produced by Bishop Philip. We will meet on a Wednesday late afternoon, with the time and location still to be confirmed. The format will be relaxed and will include listening to Scriptures, a Video talk and short discussion. Hope you can come! If you want to come but need a lift, ring the Vicarage 874402 and we’ll sort it out. Please mark it on your calendar or in your diary now. Five weeks beginning 12th March.Confirmation: On Sunday 9th March at 5 pm Bishop Jill is coming to St Nic’s to confirm fifteen confirmation candidates. This will be a glorious occasion not just for those involved but for the church family too. Please save the date and be sure to keep the candidates and their families in your prayers.Electoral Roll: We all need to complete a new registration form this year as a completely new roll is being produced. If you are over 16 and attend St Nic’s regularly you need to sign up!Please also remember in your prayers: Katie, Brian Brown, Louise Gorley, Mark Price, Michael Carthy, Paul and Mark Sumner, Sandra Pratt, Michael, Chris Kelsall, Elaine Clarke, Tracey Ashworth, Philip Wayman, Primrose and Rev Andrew Downes. God of compassion, be close to those who are ill, afraid or in isolation. In their loneliness, be their consolation; in their anxiety, be their hope; in their darkness, be their light; through him who suffered alone on the cross, but reigns with you in glory, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.We also remember the families of Dyllis Pumphrey, Clare Barker, Barbara Sharrocks, Alan Richmond and Janet Davies whose funerals are due to take place.
St Nicholas Parish Church Fleetwood. Week beginning 2nd February 2025 We seek to be a church that lives by faith, is known by love and is a voice of hope to the community we serve. Website https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/11671 Sunday 2nd February 8.30 am Communion by Extension10.45 am Holy Communion in Church4.00 pm Family & Co Monday 3rd February1.30 pm Community Crafts and Games – Jubilee RoomTuesday 4th February 10.45 am Community Singing for Pleasure, Jubilee Room2.00 pm Holy Communion in ChurchThursday 6th February10.30 am Community Coffee Morning11.00 am Funeral of Scott R in ChurchFriday 7th February9.00 am Little Gang – Broadway RoomsSaturday 8th February 10.00 am Confirmation – Session 3 Jubilee RoomSunday 9th February 8.30 am Holy Communion in Church9.30 am Worship on Zoom10.45 am Holy Communion in Church12.30 pm Baptism of Harlow Cooper4.00 pm Family & Co Daily Prayer will resume publicly w/c 10th Feb Private prayer is available immediately after the 10.45 service for anyone who wishes to be prayed for or with in the Lady Chapel**********************************************We are delighted to welcome Rev’s Fiona Haines today who will preach and preside at the 10.45 service. And also, grateful to Vicky Bentley a Licensed Lay Minister on placement with us, who will conduct a service of Communion by Extension at 8.30 am. Communion by Extension allows a Lay Minister to distribute the elements, which have been consecrated at a previous service by a Priest, to a worshipping community using an authorised form of service. Today, 2nd February we celebrate the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, also known as the Feast of the Purification. It commemorates the presentation of Jesus and the purification of Mary in the Jerusalem Temple forty days after Jesus' birth, in accordance with the requirements of Jewish law (Leviticus 12:2-8). The feast is celebrated forty days after Christmas. According to the account of Luke 2:22-39, the presentation of Jesus was also the occasion of the meeting of Jesus with Simeon and Anna, the gospel passage set for today. Simeon's prayer of blessing on the Christ child is the basis for the canticle Nunc dimittis which is often used at funerals. The celebration of the feast dates from the fourth century in Jerusalem. It was introduced in Rome in the seventh century, where it included a procession with candles and the singing of the Nunc dimittis. The celebration came to include the lighting and blessing of candles which were carried in the procession. For this reason, the feast is also known as “Candlemas.”Simeon was a devout Jew who had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. The Nunc dimittis, the song of Simeon: Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation; Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; To be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel.Please remember in your prayers: All of our confirmation candidates, Katie, Brian Brown, Louise Gorley, Mark Price, Michael Carthy, Paul and Mark Sumner, Sandra Pratt, Michael, Chris Kelsall, Brian Morris, Elaine Clarke, Tracey Ashworth, Philip Wayman, Eloise, Primrose and Rev Andrew Downes. We also remember the families of Scott Remblance, Dyllis Pumphrey, Clare Barker, Barbara Sharrocks and Dorothy Hankey whose funerals are due to take place.
St Nicholas Parish Church Fleetwood. Week beginning 26th January 2025 We seek to be a church that lives by faith, is known by love and is a voice of hope to the community we serve. Website https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/11671 Sunday 26th January 8.30 am Holy Communion in Church9.30 am Worship on Zoom10.45 am Holy Communion in Church12.30pm Baptism of Luca Carney4.00 pm Family & Co Monday 27th January11.30 am Funeral of Steph Cashmore in Church Tuesday 28th January 10.45 am Community Singing for Pleasure, Jubilee Room2.00 pm Holy Communion in ChurchWednesday 29th January10.00 am Funeral of Brian Gregson in Church6.30 pm Fleetwood Churches TogetherThursday 23rd January10.30 am Community Coffee Morning – Jubilee RoomFriday 24th January9.00 am Little Gang – Broadway RoomsSaturday 1st February 10.00 am Confirmation – Session 2 in the Jubilee RoomSunday 2nd February 8.30 am Communion by Extension10.45 am Holy Communion in Church4.00 pm Family & Co Daily prayer:Tuesday 8 AM St Nicholas' | 5:30 PM St Nicholas'Wednesday 8 AM St Nicholas' | 5:30 PM St Nicholas' Private prayer is available immediately after the 10.45 service for anyone who wishes to be prayed for or with in the Lady Chapel**********************************************Today: “The Joy Fest” is taking place in the Marine Hall from 11 am. It’s a community event filled with fun, joy and laughter for all the family. It’s free entry, and you’ll still make it to Family & Co at 4 pm!Electoral Roll 2025: The roll is being redone this year. EVERYONE needs to complete a new form. You will find application forms at the back of church, please complete one for yourself and take one for anyone who finds it more difficult to get to church these days but is still considered part of the church family. To be included on the roll, you must be baptised and aged over 16 and be able to answer yes to ONE of the following: - (1) You live in the parish and are in communion with the CofE. (2) You don’t live in the parish but have habitually attended St Nic’s for the last 6 months or more. Place the completed form in the box in church.Donald Trump: On Monday Donald Trump was inaugurated as US President for the second time. What does Trump 2.0 mean for Christians in the UK? Should we care? Or maybe the question should be ‘How should we care?’ John Stott, the renowned theologian and the Rector of All Souls Langham Place for twenty-five years used to say that we should hold the newspaper in one hand and the bible in the other! In 2025, that may be the Bible and our trusted news app. Nevertheless, he was emphasising how critically important it was to sensitively relate the word of God and the world to one another. He would say it is impossible to fully comprehend one without the other. And so, if the question is ‘how should we care?’, the Spirit demands it of us to pay attention for the sake of global flourishing, starting with our vulnerable neighbours. Micah 6:8 answers the question of what the Lord demands of us: ‘To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.’ When the Bishop of Washington this week dared to request mercy for the marginalised in America, Mr Trump himself said the bishop’s message was “nasty in tone.” Whatever your view, just recognise the election result is worth caring about. As Christians we must ingest the news with hearts that lean towards justice and mercy, no matter our party preference!Please remember in your prayers: All of our confirmation candidates, Sister Eily May, Katie, Brian Brown, Louise Gorley, Mark Price, Michael Carthy, Paul Sumner, Sandra Pratt, Michael, Chris Kelsall, Brian Morris, Elaine Clarke, Tracey Ashworth, Eloise, Primrose and Rev Andrew Downes. We also remember the families of Stephanie Cashmore, Brian Gregson, Scott Remblance, Dyllis Pumphrey, Clare Barker, Barbara Sharrocks and Dorothy Hankey whose funerals are due to take place.
