Our 3 Shires Festival will take place from the 21st June to the 14th July.The name refers to the three counties Staffordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire that joined together here in Warley a hundred years ago. This is our 6th festival and this year the events will span across four weekends.We have a range of music from choral to instrumental, classical to folk and secular to sacred. Our aim is to make music accessible to everyone so many of our events are free to attend with an opportunity to donate to the festival.You will hopefully see some brochures available in church that have all of the events in so please do take one for yourself and some for any friends who maybe interested. Our website also shows the different events that are taking place so please do visit and share the website: 3shires.org.We do hope you can come and support as many events as possible. John Barber.
I've now completed the Christian Aid 70k in May challenge. In total, in May, I walked 360,000 steps or 160 miles and raised £497.50 for Christian Aid. Thank you to my family and friends who supported me. You may like to watch this 1min film to see the impact of donations.
St Hilda’s Church PCC voted unanimously on April 21st to join the Inclusive Church Network, therefore committing to fostering a welcoming environment that celebrates and affirms every individual without discrimination.Rev. Jenni expressed her enthusiasm for the decision, stating, “I'm thrilled to be welcomed as part of the Inclusive Church Network. This is an important step for us to put into practice what we believe. We won't always get it right, but Inclusive Church challenges and encourages us to consider how we reflect the radical welcome of God to all. As a church we commit to striving towards this, and doing what we can to make this a reality. We hope it will enable newcomers to know they really are welcome and for all us to grow in faith."The Inclusive Church Network is a network of churches, groups, and individuals united around a shared vision of an inclusive church - a church which celebrates and affirms every person and does not discriminate.Prior to the vote, St Hilda’s embarked on an educational journey to ensure the entire congregation was informed and prepared for the challenges and opportunities inherent in joining the Inclusive Church Network. Throughout February and March the church organised a series of special services featuring both in-house and guest preachers. These services explored themes such as mental health, ethnicity, disability, poverty, gender, and sexuality. Copies of all sermons from these services are available upon request from Rev. Jenni.To learn more about the Inclusive Church Network and its mission, please visit their website at https://www.inclusive-church.org/.There are a series of books at the back of the church – do borrow them or chat more to Jenni as we move forward in these areas.
On Tuesday 4 June our wonderful churchwardens were formally admitted to their office by the Archdeacon of Birmingham.Churchwardens, along with the parish priest, are generally responsible for the day-to-day functioning of a parish. Julie and Ian are volunteers who use their time and gifts to enable the mission and ministry of our church. Thanks be to God for their willingness to serve in this role.
