A pdf version of this letter with illustrations is available for download.
October 30th 2024
Dear Friends,
Summer is well behind us now and Autumn is well underway now the clocks have gone back to GMT. My retreat in the environs of Rome at the start of the month is a distant if fond memory.
Church Developments
The day after I got back from Rome, 9th October, members of the PCC, including me, along with the Area Dean and the Acting Head teacher at All Saints’ School, met with the consultants the PCC subsequently appointed to help us with our plans for the church over the next five to ten years. They are Irving Patrick Consulting, and you can find out more about them here:
https://www.irvingpatrick.co.uk/
What their website will not tell you is that John Patrick and I go back a long way to undergraduate days, and were colleagues in the Diocese of Lincoln for 10 years. After leaving Lincoln Cathedral where he was Sub Dean, and responsible for the fabric, he ‘poached’ the cathedral project manager, Anne Irving, to be his business colleague. Between them they raised the funds for and implemented over £18m of work over ten years. We are in safe hands.
John and Anne have already been very generous with their time, for free, and like very much what they see here, especially the potential of the building in an area of high deprivation. Until about a month ago, I thought we could be home and dry, all singing and all dancing for just over £1.5m. IPC is more optimistic, and has already seen further scope, and, should all go to plan, we could be looking at an overall project north of £3m.
This is doubly exciting as there is every possibility that over the next five years All Saints School will be completely rebuilt, at no cost to us this time, unlike the present building. It is very much hoped and expected the new school will be on the same sight, with school and church, building and people working seamlessly together, giving even more to the community we are called to serve. Even if the rebuild is not on the land we share, we will still plough on with our plans, as the need is great. Obviously, the church family will benefit too. The medium to long-term future for us is looking rosy. There’s more in the next section which ties in with this. However, things are very, very tight for the next couple of years, and we are in danger of losing all our unrestricted reserve monies which we keep at 25-30% of our expected income. This is because we have to keep the building safe and warmer, and because he HAVE to pay our parish share if we are to be eligible for most diocesan grants. We have not been eligible to claim these for the past five years. Now we can, but for how long? We are taking advice on how to meet this challenge, and I will report back.
Community Music Project
The only way we can raise the huge sums of money for bricks and mortar is by becoming more outward facing in what we have already. The church building as it is currently is not the greatest asset. We are seeking to set up a music programme which will benefit the local area, and may in time feed into church events, and spawn a church music groups, even a choir once more. We can begin to sow some seeds for that now, in anticipation of bids and to and support from existing initiatives locally and nationally
The recital we held on 19th October was to raise funds for our plans for community music. Those of us who were there (and I did a turn) had a spell-binding afternoon of virtuoso organ pieces, brilliant improvisation and some very rousing hymns. About 50 people turned out to hear the world-famous Wayne Marshall OBE put our fabulous organ through its paces. The majority were visitors, some making the effort to travel a long way. Even though it was the first weekend of half-term I had expected a few more church people to have come. Maybe the word ‘recital’ was off-putting. Anyway, Wayne loves the organ and the venue, and wants to come again. We raised £600 after very modest expenses were deducted from the retiring collection.
I hope that our community music project can be linked to a bid to take part in Sing my Soul for the academic year 2025/26 and beyond. This means we will have some professional assistance with music making in our worship. This is WITH us not for us.
You can find more about it here:
https://www.manchester.anglican.org/faithlife/sing-my-soul/
Events from now and Christmas.
I think these are reasonably firm, and they will be confirmed at the PCC Meeting on 12th November.
Sunday 3rd November
10.00 am The Feast of All Saints and the Commemoration of All Souls
As we are dedicated to All Saints this is our Patronal Festival. It’s also the 208th Anniversary of the dedication of the present church building.
We will have an opportunity to renew our baptismal vows as we admit Isabella to Holy Communion. Your prayers please for her, her parents, god-parents and friends who will be attending the service.
It is also the custom we remember by name those we love but no longer see, who have died and are with the saints departed.
If you have names of loved ones you would like read out, please send them over by email, here at [email protected] or text or WhatsApp then over to 07596514541.
I’m sorry about the short notice for this, and there ought also to have been a list up in the narthex from the beginning of the month.
Sunday 10th November
10.00 am Remembrance Sunday
The eucharist part of the service will be shortened a little so we can have the Act of Remembrance, with the Two Minutes’ Silence bang-on 11.00 am.
Monday 11th November
10.45 am Armistice Day Remembrance, The Peace Garden
If you are able, please join Councillors, representatives of Veterans and Community Groups, along with our Schools for this civic act. There will be refreshments afterwards at The Stirling Centre.
Sunday 24th November, Christ the King
9.00 am Holy Communion BCP (no music) 35-40 mins
11.00 am Holy Communion (with music) 50-60 minutes
This is the last Sunday of the church year. It brings the trial period of two BCP services on the last Sunday of the month, after which service provision, generally, will be reviewed, that is, is this working? We’ll keep you posted.
Sunday 1st December Advent Sunday
10.00 am Parish Sung Eucharist
This is the first day of the new church year.
The Children’s Society small change ‘candle’ tubes are distributed.
Sunday 8th December, The Second Sunday of Advent
10.00 Parish Sung Eucharist and Toy Service
We present the gifts of new toys to be donated to the Manchester City Mission
3.00 pm A Service of Confirmation with Baptism
We are hosting this for our Missional Community, and will be joined by The Bishop of Middleton.
Thus far the only candidates are from us, but it is a goodly number. We have a babe in arms to baptise, and two young adults who will be baptised and then confirmed
alongside other candidates. Please come and support them, even if means two trips to church!
Friday 13th December 3.00 - 6.00 pm (tbc) All Saints School and Church Christmas Fair
It’s a while since either church or school held one of these. More details to follow
Sunday December 15th The Third Sunday of Advent Gaudete
10.00 am Parish Sung Eucharist
The Liturgical Colour is Rose, which reflects the ancient lightening of Advent Discipline as those working away from their families could return home for a celebration – it is a Sunday after all.
3.00 pm Community Carol Service
This is open to all, but principally for individuals and statutory and voluntary groups across Newton Heath. This will be a very relaxed informal service with some traditional readings, poems and carols.
Sunday 22nd December The Fourth Sunday of Advent
10.00 am Parish Sung Eucharist
3.30 pm Christingle Service
There’s a real Christmas tingle to this, although we’re not quite there. Towards the end, we make a circle of light with our candles and listen to John 1.1-14. Christingles kits are distributed to take home. The collection is traditionally for the Childrens Society, and the small change ‘candle’ tubes are collected in to augment it.
Tuesday 24th December, Christmas Eve
3.30 pm Children’s Crib Service (tbc by PCC on 12th November)
A simple service for the very young and young at heat.
8.30 pm The First Eucharist of Christmas
Followed by mulled wine and mince pies
Christmas Day
10.00 Festal Eucharist
Sunday 29th December, The Holy Family
10.00 am Holy Communion (BCP)
Although this is the last Sunday of the month, the last in the trial period, there will be just one service
Guild of Servers
I’ve mentioned this many times before, but maybe this time, I’ll keep my foot on the gas and bring this to fruition.
The more the merrier, robed up or not assisting with the worship, and especially around the altar, be it carrying the cross, a torch, or assisting at the altar, helping with setting up the table and the ablutions after the distribution of communion.
This is open to ALL.
We have a limited number of robes we can adapt, or if you think you have stopped growing you might like to consider buying your own cassock or alb or cotta.
Maybe we can have something in place, even on a rota basis by Christmas.
With all good wishes and every blessing,
Fr Andrew
All Saints Newton Heath
0161 219 1807 (Rectory/Parish Office)
07596 514 541 (Rector's mobile)
A Church Near You; https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/15869/