St Nicholas Parish Church, Fleetwood

Week beginning 8th November 2020 – In Lockdown

Sunday 8th November – Remembrance Sunday

9.30 am Zoom worship – please phone the vicarage for details if you would like to link up.

You can listen via your phone if that is more helpful.

11.00 am A poppy wreath will be laid at the closed door of the church and prayers will be said.

Wednesday 11th November

Funeral of Joyce Wane at Carleton

Thursday 12th November

Funeral of Dorothy Brookes in church

Friday 13th November

Funeral of Rodney Swan in church

Sunday 15th November

9.30 am Zoom worship

Church of England Call to Pray

On All Saints Day the Archbishops wrote to all the clergy in the Church of England. In this letter they stated their conviction that the first and primary response of the Church at this time was prayer. “Bearing in mind our primary vocation as the Church of Jesus Christ to pray and to serve we call upon the Church of England to make this month of lockdown a month of prayer. More than anything else, whatever the nation thinks, we know that we are in the faithful hands of the risen Christ who knows our weaknesses, tiredness and struggles and whose steadfast love endures for ever.” The Archbishops, in consultation with the House of Bishops, decided that this call would take the form of an invitation to every Christian and person of good will to pray at 6pm every day, beginning this Thursday 5 November (!) for the period of this present lock-down.

There are some helpful daily resources on the Church of England website – google: “A call to prayer for the nation Church of England.”

Here is a prayer to use this coming week: Loving God, at this time of crisis when so many are suffering, we pray for our nation and our world. Give our leaders wisdom, our Health Service strength, our people hope. Lead us through these parched and difficult days to the fresh springs of joy and comfort that we find in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Diocesan Call to Pray and Give 12th-29th November

This is a diocesan led initiative to boost parish funds at the end of this very challenging year. It has been somewhat hijacked by the Archbishops’ call to pray and the national lockdown. That said we would encourage to continue to think and pray about how you may be able to respond to help meet the financial shortfall we ourselves are facing at St Nicholas. Details of how to give will follow at some point.

Opening of St Nicholas Church for private prayer

We are delighted to announce that the church will recommence opening for private prayer from Monday 9th November. The church will be open daily from 10.30 am-12.30 pm Monday to Friday. Please do pop in, particularly at this time when we are not able to worship together and please advertise it widely to your friends and neighbours of any faith or none. Come, pray, light a candle and know something of God’s peace in these turbulent times.

Prayers

Please pray for those who will be laid to rest this coming week and for their families who miss them.