St Nicholas Parish Church, Fleetwood Week beginning 12th September 2021 Sunday 12th September 8.30 am Cancelled 9.30 am Cancelled 10.45 am Holy Communion in Church – Rev Canon Dick Cartmell Sidespersons - Elizabeth & Margaret: Reader - Joy Monday 13th September 2.45 pm Funeral of Adrian Parkin at Carleton Tuesday 14th September 2.00 pm Holy Communion in Church Friday 17th September 9.00 am Launch of St Nic’s Little Gang in the Broadway Rooms Saturday 18th September 3.00 pm Karen Hay’s licensing at Blackburn Cathedral Sunday 19th September 8.30 am Holy Communion in Church 9.30 am Worship via Zoom 10.45 am Holy Communion in Church Sidespersons – Susan & Christine: Reader - Sandra 12.30 pm Baptism of Henry Green 1.30 pm Baptism of Bonnie-Leigh Jackson Authorised Lay Ministry- Next Saturday at Blackburn Cathedral, Karen Hay will officially be licensed as a Lay Minister, having undertaken a Diocesan course in 2020-2021. The ALM training programme is designed to nurture and equip people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives who bring a variety of gifts to the body of Christ. We give thanks to God for Karen and look forward to supporting her in this important ministry going forward. Lord, you call us by our names. Help us to be confident in our own unique identity. To find opportunities to develop our specific gifts and our passions. Enable us to hear and recognise the call of Jesus in our lives, and those of others. Help us to find appropriate and life-giving ways to spread your Good News in a way which draws others to you and helps them experience your radical and extraordinary love. Amen. Thursday Coffee Mornings- It seems an age ago since we met monthly on a Thursday for coffee and a catch up in the Jubilee Room. Well, the good news is that we are making plans to relaunch it. Going forward it will be advertised as a ‘Community Coffee Morning’ and it will move to weekly rather than monthly. Clearly this is going to require willing volunteers to prepare, brew up and welcome those who attend. Is this something you and a friend could help with? If we had six or eight willing couples then it would share the load! Please see the Vicar to sign up. Windows – All the groundwork, planning and permission has now been completed for the replacement of the windows in the East and West sides of the church tower. Work is due to commence the week beginning 27th September. There will be scaffolding erected inside and outside of church for a period of about 2 weeks. Please do pray for everything to go smoothly, for the safety of the workforce and the community. 100 Club Winners last week were: Maureen Siddall, Christine McLellan and Margaret Taziker Please add to your prayers; - Nigel, Helen, Jane, Margaret, Elliott, Janet, Nick, Heather and Maureen, whose needs at this time are known to God.
St Nicholas Parish Church, Fleetwood Week beginning 5th September 2021 Sunday 5th September 8.30 am Holy Communion in Church 9.30 am Worship via Zoom 10.45 am Holy Communion in Church Sidespersons – Jillian & Dorothy: Reader - Margaret 12.30 pm Baptism of Nova Clark 1.30 pm Baptism of Jayden Reynolds 6.30 pm Induction of Fleetwood Methodist Minister (Pilling Methodist Church) Tuesday 7th September 2.00 pm Holy Communion in Church – Fr Alan Leeson Sunday 12th September* 8.30 am Cancelled 9.30 am Cancelled 10.45 am Holy Communion in Church – Rev Canon Dick Cartmell *Please bring with you a cosy blanket or a shawl which you will need during the service* Sidespersons – Elizabeth & Margaret: Reader - Joy Remaining restrictions – Following a meeting of the congregation on 18th July we agreed to review our Covid restrictions at the beginning of September. The PCC met on Wednesday night and after much discussion we have agreed to remove some of the remaining restrictions still in place. From Sunday 12th September we will no longer be required to complete the track and trace paperwork. Hand sanitising on entry will continue, but the wearing of face coverings is now optional. All pews will be open but if you would prefer to keep some distance between you and the next person, please just leave a book or something next to you. At Holy Communion the Priest will intinct (dip) the bread into the wine and place it in your hand. If you would prefer to continue to receive in ‘one kind’ then just motion to the Priest before you receive. Whilst we acknowledge that the virus is still prevalent in our communities, we do want to try to live alongside it safely and are moving, with most other public places, to a position of personal responsibly. Please continue to be cautious and speak to the Vicar if you have any concerns. Church Sitting- Are you able to offer 90 minutes once a week/fortnight to enable us to keep the church open each weekday for private prayer? Please don’t assume that someone else will do it. If we are to play an active part in the community then the church needs to be open and available. Please see Karen Hay if you are willing to commit to this ministry. St Nic’s Little Gang - We are thrilled to announce that with effect from Friday 17th September we will be offering a community toddler group from 9am – 10.30 pm in the Broadway Room. There will be toys and healthy snacks, a bible reading and some songs. Please do pray that this initiative will be well supported going forward and that we will begin to forge new relationships with the youngsters and their families who come along. 100 Club Winners last week were Elizabeth King (No 28), Christine McLellan (No 38) and Paul Meekins (No 23) Summer Quiz Entries for this should be placed in the box at the back of church by next Sunday. Please add to your prayers; - Nigel, Helen, Jane, Margaret, Elliott, Janet, Nick, Heather and Maureen, whose needs at this time are known to God. Finally, please remember to bring your own cosy blanket or shawl to next week’s 10.45 am service!
St Nicholas Parish Church, Fleetwood Week beginning 29th August 2021 Sunday 29th August 8.30 am Holy Communion in Church 9.30 am Worship via Zoom 10.45 am Holy Communion in Church Sidespersons – Carole & Sandra: Reader - Karen 12.30 pm Baptism of Arlo Pirie 3.00 pm Memorial Service for Eileen Wright Tuesday 31st August 2.00 pm Holy Communion in Church Wednesday 1st September 7.00 pm Meeting of the PCC in the Jubilee Room Sunday 5thSeptember 8.30 am Holy Communion in Church 9.30 am Worship via Zoom 10.45 am Holy Communion in Church Sidespersons – 12.30 pm Baptism of Nova Clark 1.30 pm Baptism of Jayden Reynolds 6.30 pm Induction of Fleetwood Methodist Minister (Pilling Methodist Church) Afghanistan. Tragic. Dangerous. Unnecessary. Tony Blair recently used these words to describe the Afghanistan crisis. Despite the ex-PM’s reassurances that the UK’s sacrifices were not in vain, Blair conceded that gains of the past two decades are likely to be lost. Twenty years of intervention in Afghanistan has amounted to nothing. Or so we fear. We might question whether our efforts and prayers to make the world a better place will ever make a difference. The words of a biblical author ring in our ears: ‘all the things that are done under the sun … are meaningless, a chasing after the wind’ (Ecclesiastes 1:14). The situation in Afghanistan stirs questions we often do our best to avoid. What if our work is all for nothing? What if the sacrifice was in vain? What if it’s all meaningless anyway? But look carefully, and you may catch a glimpse of a different story. A pregnant Afghan refugee boarded her evacuation plane and went into labour during the escape from her homeland. Moments after landing at a German air base, a baby girl was delivered in the aircraft’s cargo bay. A birth to a refugee, in an unexpected setting, is a Good News story worth noticing! There’s a force at work in the world more powerful and more beautiful than we’re often shown. The gospel of Jesus tells us as much. And wherever gospel-affected people apply themselves, their efforts tell the same story – be it in Afghanistan or aisles in Aldi, with refugees or mums-to-be, in boardrooms or playrooms. Sin and chaos are pushed back. The power and the beauty of the gospel break in. This is not triumphalism that turns a blind eye to tragedy. We and all Christians rightly mourn and pray for Afghanistan. But underlying these prayers is a conviction that in God’s story, tragedy gives way to joy. Danger will be overcome by peace. Through the cross, we have hope that what seems like unnecessary suffering will one day be revealed as sacrifice not in vain. It is not all for nothing!Pray for AfghanistanO God of mercy and of peace, We hold before you the peoples of Afghanistan. Be living bread to those who are hungry each day Be healing and wholeness to those who have no access to health care amidst the ravages of pandemic Be their true home to all who have been displaced Be open arms of loving acceptance to those who fear because of their gender, ethnicity, religious or political views Be peace to those engaged in armed conflict and those who live within its shadow. Turn our hearts and minds to your ways of just and gentle peace, Open our eyes to see you in all acts of compassionate care Strengthen our hearts to step out in solidarity with your suffering people and Hold us all in your unfailing love. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who emptied himself of all but love in order to bring life in all its fullness.AmenPlease add to your prayers;- Nigel, Helen, Jane, Margaret, Elliott, Janet, Alison, Nick, Elizabeth, Heather and Maureen, whose needs at this time are known to God.
St Nicholas Parish Church, Fleetwood Week beginning 22nd August 2021 Please continue to take great care in church. Face coverings are still required. Sunday 22nd August 8.30 am Holy Communion in Church 9.30 am Worship via Zoom 10.45 am Holy Communion in Church Sidespersons – Karen & June: Reader - Elizabeth 12.30 pm Baptism of Evelyn Sperrin Tuesday 24th August 2.00 pm Holy Communion in Church Thursday 26th August 1.30 pm Funeral of Brian Beavers in Church Friday 27th August 2.45 pm Funeral of Rita Rodkill at Carleton Sunday 29th August 8.30 am Holy Communion in Church 9.30 am Worship via Zoom 10.45 am Holy Communion in Church Sidespersons – Carole & Sandra: Reader - Karen 12.30 pm Baptism of Arlo Pirie John Chapter 6 – This week brings us to the end of a five week focus on chapter 6 in John’s gospel. Last week I summarised the first three weeks. Here now is a short summary of this and last week. Week 4 – “I am the bread of life that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever.” We said that eternal life, rather than a place where we go to when we die, is as much about experiencing the presence of God in this life now; an experience which continues into eternity. When we experience perfect love or perfect peace or joy in this life, these are tiny experiences of the presence of God, glimpses of what is still to come, for all eternity. Jesus says this gift of eternal life is given to those who “eat this bread and drink this cup.” Week 5 – In the final part of chapter 6 we have the disciples’ response to this teaching and we’re told that many found it too hard and turned back and no longer followed Jesus. In response to the question, “Will you go too?” Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” We experience something of eternal life when we meet with Jesus in word and sacrament. We are nourished and strengthen and empowered to go on, receiving glimpses of life lived in the eternal presence of God. I do hope and pray that you have taken something new and helpful from this chapter of John’s gospel. It is always a privilege for me to share Holy Communion with you at home. Please do not hesitate to be in touch with me to arrange a visit. God be in my head, and in my understanding; God be in my eyes, and in my looking; God be in my mouth, and in my speaking; God be in my heart, and in my thinking; God be at my end, and at my departing.... 100 Club Winners last week were: Dorothy Warren (No 15 - £15), Christopher Ashworth (No 77 - £10) and Jillian Muir (No 94 - £5) Please add to your prayers;- Elsie and Gerald, Nigel, Jane, Margaret, Elliott, Janet, Alison, Nick, Elizabeth, June and Maureen, whose needs at this time are known to God. And also, for the families of Brian Beavers and Rita Todkill who funerals are due to take place this coming week.
