As many will know, we have been without heating in the church here for a few months due to a broken down boiler that is beyond viable repair. We have been working hard to rectify this situation, going through the necessary Church of England permissions procedures for the installation of a suitable replacement boiler, and identifying suitable contractors and obtaining quotes. This is now all complete and we are nearly ready for work to start!However, this is going to cost around £35,000!! Thanks to some incredibly generous donations, we have £23,000 of this in place and so we are looking to raise the rest. We are also aware of other expensive works that will be needed on the stonework of the church building over the next couple of years, likely to cost over £25,000. Please do consider whether you can contribute towards raising the funds needed for this vital work! Any donations would be very gratefully received, thank you. Donations can be made online using these details:Account name: The PCC St Andrew MaghullSort code: 40-29-08Account number: 14323092(Please use ‘boiler&fabricappeal’ as a reference)Or for other ways to donate please contact us at enquiries@maghullstandrew.com or on 0151 531 8972.
And the alternative collect prayer for this 2nd Sunday of Epiphany: Eternal Lord, our beginning and our end: bring us with the whole creation to your glory, hidden through past ages and made known in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. SERVICESSUNDAY 18th JanuarySt Andrew's: 10.00 am Holy CommunionSt James': 11.15 am Morning Prayer St Peter's: 11.15 Morning Prayer AND: 4.00 pm Church for AllWednesday 21st January10.30 am Team Holy Communion Service at St Andrew’sSUNDAY 25th JanuaryFourth Sunday of the month team service: 10.30am at St Thomas, Melling (Rock Lane, opposite Bootle Arms). Our first all together team service of the new year - be great to see all there! So no morning services on this Sunday at St Andrew’s, St James & St Peter’s. St Peter's: 4.00 pm Church for AllBible Readings Sunday 18th January: Isaiah 49:1-7, John 1:29-42 Sunday 25th January Team Service: preacher's choiceTEAM PRAYERSTeam Prayers will now be taking place ahead of our monthly team service on the 4th Sunday of each month at whichever church is hosting that month’s service, at 9.45am. So the next one will be at St Thomas' on Sunday 25th January at 9.45am. All welcome.We’re also going to be intentional now about having a short informal time of prayer at each church before the Sunday services each week - so the person leading the service will pray with others who are there for 10 mins or so 20 minutes before the start of the service, so 9.40 ahead of 10am services and 10.55 ahead of 11.15am services. Everyone is very welcome to join in with this. St James usually has a time of individual prayer and reflection helped by two worship songs from about 5 minutes before the actual start of the service. News Ladies Fellowship This returns this coming Thursday, 22nd January, at 2pm in St Andrew’s Church Hall with Brian Topping speaking again, sharing his tales of life as a Customs Officer. All welcome.Parish Giving Scheme The new system is now available to access. Should you at any time require information, please contact your parish representative, or contact PGS directly by Post: 76 Kingsholm Road, Gloucester, GL1 3BD; Phone: 0333 002 1260 or1271; Email: info@parishgiving.org.uk; Website: https://www.parishgiving.org.uk/Weekly Giving Envelopes at St Andrew’s Church: For anyone who has Weekly Envelopes and is near to requiring a new box for 2026 please let Geoff Walker know 0151 526 5366 / 07724881207 Thank You.StampsA request from St Thomas’ for your used stamps, as they are collecting them to support training guide dogs. Please do pass any you have in to your church, and the clergy will ensure they get to St Thomas’. Thank you.Request for Wool Donations - also stuffing material for toys & pillowsWool donations for our craft and chat group wld be very gratefully received! Whether whole or part balls of wool, any colour etc. Also, at the moment, donations of stuffing material for toys & pillows would be much appreciated. If you are able to drop off to the craft & chat group between 12.30 and 2pm on Thursdays at St James’ Church Green Lane, that would be great, but collection can easily be arranged. Please contact Pat Dunbar by text message on 07795147109 or email at patcol@blueyonder.co.uk Thank you! WEEKLY EVENTSCraft and Chat: every Thursday 12.30pm until 2pm at St James in the fellowship room. Knitting, crocheting or any craft, you are assured of a very warm welcome so please do come and join us. PatHot lunch, tea and cakes every Thursday afternoon at Melling Tithebarn……12.00pm to 2.00pm. A plate for donations will be available. You are assured of a very warm welcome so please do come and join us. MONTHLY EVENTSSt Peter's Tea and Scones: everyone is welcome to join us for tea and scones on the first Friday in every month from 2pm-3pm. The next one is on Friday 6th February. Expect lots of friendly chats and live music by our resident Michael with his keyboard. Prayer & Worship - monthly get together Each month we are going to be gathering for a time of prayer & worship together at St James Church, Green Lane. This will be a relaxed and informal time, but led and with songs, reflection on passages of scripture, pointers / themes for prayer etc. This is following on from the Prayer Course that a number of us did through Lent & Easter time, but is absolutely open to everyone, not just those who came to that course. The next of these will be on Wednesday 11th February, 7.30pm and we would be delighted to see you there. Please do speak to Rev. Simon or Claire Sherman for any further information.Bereavement Support: at St Andrew’s Church. Further enquiries, and if there are any particular requests for bereavement support, from anywhere across our 4 parishes, please contact St Andrew’s Parish Office 0151 531 8972. Other noticesBulletin items for inclusion Please send an email to revsimonelliott76@gmail.com stating ‘for bulletin’ in the email ‘subject’ box / email title by midday Thursday of the week you’d like items included.Foodbank: the Foodbank is based at St George's United Reformed Church on Northway opposite Iceland, on Tuesdays 10.00am-12.00 noon.Tins, packet foods and toiletries are always useful. They will gratefully receive donations from 10-12 on Tuesdays at St George’s URC on Northway (easiest access is via the car park on Larchwood Avenue). Alternatively please do drop any donations off before Tuesday on the vicarage doorstep at 23 Green Link. Thank you.CONTACT DETAILSPlease contact us…If you know anyone who would like to receive this emailIf there is anyone who needs prayer If you know anyone who needs a phone call Contact details:Revd. Ian Hopkins 07914 505437 or ianfee100@gmail.com Revd. Simon Elliott 07919 464348 or revsimonelliott76@gmail.com
Please note that there will be a break for Christmas so we will meet each Thursday prior to Christmas up until and including 15th December and we will recommence on Thursday 12th January 2023. The Community Craft and Chat group began meeting 6 weeks before lockdown and although we weren't always able to meet during lockdown...people kept busy knitting and crocheting. What a blessing that has been. We have made hearts for hope which have been sent to ITU units and to the bereavement ward at Wigan Royal infirmary. We have also posted these hearts to the bereaved families of those whose funeral we have conducted. We have had some lovely letters of thanks. Blankets small and large, hats for premature babies all are still needed and we can provide patterns for these too. Please see below for other ideas of items that are needed. We have also made fish and chip jumper and hat sets which we sent to Uganda to help the “Warm baby project”. This project still needs fish and chip jumper sets and also baby jumpers or cardigans age 6 months plus. If you feel you can help there is a knitting pattern for Fish and Chip Babies to download on the right. If you can't print a pattern or knit here are some other ideas that don't really need a pattern and if you need some help to get started ask in church or in the New Year!Knit or crochet scarves of varying lengths: your choice of stitch, style and colour!Knit blankets for prem babies approximately 12" or 24" square (garter or stocking stitch is fine, colour[s] unimportant). If you crochet them please use a tight double crochet stitch so babies can't stick their fingers through the spaces.Knit bonding squares for prem babies approximately 5" square (garter or stocking stitch is fine, colour[s] unimportant). Make in pairs: one is worn inside her bra by the mother, one is with the baby then they are swapped over.Knit cannula sleeves for prem babies: knit 26 stitches and 36 rows with 4mm needles or similar to make a rectangle approximately 10cm x 7cm (or 4" x 2 3/4") (garter or stocking stitch is fine, colour[s] unimportant) then sew up the sides leaving the ends open to form a tube (but they aren't needed at the moment so try something else please!)Knit or crochet a 40" square blanket for patients who are terminally ill using any stitch or pattern, in one piece or with a number sewn together (preferably in cheerful colours)Crochet (or knit) a 12" square of any design or colours for a comfort blanket for people with dementia (no need for twiddly bits).Knit or crochet hearts for terminally ill patients and bereaved families: there are lots of free patterns and tutorials online, try and make them about 3" wide. Use the Get in touch CONTACT FORM on St James pages on A Church Near You if you need a pattern from church.( Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/SweetMellowChill-8503012/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=3423091">SweetMellowChill</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=3423091">Pixabay</a>)
The local Foodbank based at St George's URC on Northway opposite Iceland on 14th December 2021 * Please see 'Latest News' for a guide to what the Foodbank is short of but all donations are gratefully received. * To donate goods - you can drop off donations at St George's Church on Tuesdays 10-12 * You might want to offer a street collection point -let people know you are willing to take donations to the Foodbank informally via your street networks- WhatsApp, phone etc - put a plastic box out for donations at a set time on a set day. Remember the Foodbank needs toiletries as well as food.Then take your box to St George's Church on Tuesday between 10am and noon.* We still have contact with the Trussell Trust South Sefton foodbank which covers Bootle, Litherland and Netherton. They are always short of stock so when Maghull doesn't need our donations, they will be sent to South Sefton.Aintree Foodbank is still open and also independent: see Hope Community Church webpage
