Our Christmas Worship at St Cuthberts

We look forward to welcoming friends old and new to our Christmas programme at St Cuthberts Wrose. Hope to see you over the festive season...

SUNDAY DECEMBER 13th

11.00 am CHRISTINGLE  The ever-popular Christingle service with a twist - this year you actually get to make your own Christingle... even 'customize' it!  A lively blend of Christmas songs, prayer activity, fun stuff and the St Cuthberts puppet group.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 20th

11.00 am  MAKING OF THE CRIB  This year we have a brand new crib and nativity set at St Cuthberts. Come along and share in the unveiling of our new crib scene, as we re-tell the Christmas story. Plus Christmas Carols and a brief sermon.

5.00 pm CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT  One of the most popular services of the year. All your favourite carols in the magical atmosphere of a fully candlelit Church. A lovely occasion for children and adults alike!

CHRISTMAS EVE

11.15 pm  MIDNIGHT MASS  With the presents all wrapped and final preparations complete, why not take a break and enjoy the unqiue occasion of Midnight Communion? See in the day of our Saviour's birth in Church with our reflective Communion and well known Carols.

CHRISTMAS DAY

10.00 am  CHRISTMAS FAMILY COMMUNION  An all age Communion with the Christmas story told like you've never seen it before! Loads of fun and Christmas cheer for all ages (includes communion)

Liquid Advent comes to St Cuthberts

Something a bit different for Advent Sunday this yewar - 'Liquid Advent'

Liquid Worship is something that we've done several times before at St Cuthberts, usually for specific seasons of the year - but those who haven't been before, this is a time of worship that consists of a whole series of interactive prayer stations around the Church.

Instead of the worship being mainly directed from the front, people can go wherever and whever they wish, and interact with the stations in a relaxed and informal way.

There'll be something like 12 or 13 different activities, mainly in the Church worship area - with a couple in the sanctuary and one in the Creche room. Some will be things to look at, some will involve making something, whilst others will involve a creative response. All are suitable for all ages, all levels of knowledge and all backgrounds - just come along and have fun grappling with Advent themes!

Don't forget that Liquid Worship is just one of our two morning services for Advent Sunday! We have our Advent Communion and the Blessing of the Advent Wreath at 9.30 am with a sermon and Advent hymns. The Liquid Worship then comes along at 11.00, after coffee

As always, everyone is most welcome!

'Advent Journeys' on Tuesdays

The Church small groups will take a short break during in Advent and over Christmas, and instead there will be a special Tuesday night program at Church for Advent.

Titled 'Advent Journeys' this three week series will take place on Tuesday evenings in the Church Hall (please note that it is in the Hall, so you can guarantee that it will be warm!) from 7.30 pm until just after 9.00 pm.

There'll be a vibrant mix of worship, prayer activities, interactive discussions, videos, creatie stuff and all round interesting things to help us think about the Advent journey as we move towards Christmas.

Everyone Welcome!

Two exciting services planned

Following on from our extremely well received All Saints and Remembrance services, we have two exciting services planned for Sunday Novemner 15th.

Kicking us off at 9.30 am we have a Songs of Praise service, but this will be a Songs of Praise with a twist. We'll be looking at stories behind the hymns - and learning more about the authors, and how the hymns came to be written. It promises to be a fascinating insight into well known hymns, with insipiration and encouragement as we sing some our favourites.

Join us for Songs of Praise at 9.30 Morning Worship!

Then at 11.00 we have a Cafe Church service in the Hall. With a blend of worship music, creative discussion and shared learning, we will be examining one of the most interesting and challenging parts of Mark's Gospel, the story of the Rich Young Ruler. There will be lashings of tea and coffee plus we will have bacon butties available for £1 (all proceeds to the new 'Moses Basket' group)

Cafe Church will also be our monthly Gathering Communion - and we will be sharing in a simple act of breaking of bread around the tables! It's all shaping up to be a wonderfully innovative and stimulating occasion. Join us any time from 10.45 onwards (please note that the usual 'between service' coffee will not be happening on this Sunday.

All Saints Memorial

We are making a special push this year with our All Saints Worship, since the actual day of All Saints - November 1st - falls on a Sunday.

Once again, we are hosting our ever-popular and moving Act of Memorial during the All Saints Day Communion Service at 9.30 am. We are inviting all of those who have been recently bereaved. There will be lovely music, carefully chosen words and, of course, the act of Memorial itself, when people will be invited to light candles in memory of their loved ones.

I would like to extend a warm invitation to everyone to this special occasion, which will be very much our main service of the day this week. There will also be The Gathering at 11.00, when we will be having a relaxed time of worship, testimony and teaching called 'Saints Alive'

Exciting new link up with Bolton

In major news, it has been announced that we are to enter into an exciting and creative new partnership with our neighbouring parish of St James and St Chrysostoms Bolton.

Here is the official announcement from the Bishop, as read in St Cuthberts on October 4th

Bishop David is pleased to announce that after consultation, he has invited the Reverend Paul Walker to become the priest-in-charge of St James Bolton, whilst continuing as the vicar of St Cuthbert, Wrose. 

This will mean changes for both churches and the Bishop sympathises with those who fear that sharing a minister may hold back the mission and minisry of the church. However, it need not be so.  The Bishop asks   the two churches to plan together how this shared ministry will work and also to develop new opportunities for the  churches to support one another in mission. 

It is expected that Paul will take up this appointment early in the New Year.

On Sunday October 11th I will be devoting the 'sermon slot' in both morning services to a fuller explanation of this new arrangement, together with some initial thoughts as to how this might work out in the future.

You can also find out a bit more about St James by visiting the church website.

Get Started with Start!

Start! is a 6 week course which covers the very basics of the Christian faith. Presented by Robin Gamble, it is a lively mix of video clips, interactive discussion, fun exercises, vox pops and bite-sized chunks of teaching.

Suitable for people who are just finding their way into church, maybe through baptism or a wedding - or those just curious to find out what Christianity is about, the course has proved extremely popular and helpful in churches up and down the country.

We've got a Start! Course just about the kick off - it all gets started on Sunday October 11th. We meet from 6.30 until just before 8.00 pm (it will actually last about an hour and a quarter) at the Bold Privateer on Wrose Road. The bar will be open and we'll provide nibbles!

Come and join us!

Harvest Festival is coming

Harvest Festival this year is on Sunday September 27th. This year we are 'going trad' - and asking for Harvest gifts of fruit, vegatables, baking or other food produce. These will be distributed around the parish to various people who we feel would appreciate a blessing via a Harvest parcel.

It will also be 'Back to Church Sunday' the annual initiative to invite people back who maybe haven't been for a while. Our two services on Harvest Sunday will have a particular 'outward looking' focus - well known songs and hymns and plenty of traditional Harvest cheer.

This is the run down for the day

9.30 HARVEST COMMUNION A traditional Harvest service with well-loved hymns, a sermon, and the Common Worship Harvest liturgy. A great re-introduction for those used to Church of England Worship.

11.00 HARVEST FAMILY WORSHIP A service for all ages, with lively singing, puppets, fun and activities. This will also be a Parade Service for Uniformed Groups. A great service for people less used to coming along to Church - very friendly, and lasting less than one hour.

We hope to welcome you on Harvest Sunday, whether a regular, a visitor, a guest or someone coming 'Back to Church'...

While the vicars away.. the admin will play?

Well, not really, but I am going to have a play with the website :)    Over the next week I will be making changes to the church website, adding and moving pages & generally having a shuffle about.    I will also be wandering around church, camera in hand, to update some of the pictures of our PCC, Church Wardens and Ministry and Mission Teams.    

I would love to hear from you regards things you would like to see on the website, whether you are a regular attender of the church, or someone further afield, who likes to see what we are up to here in Wrose.

Church Hall Floor takes shape

The Church Maintenance crew are currently working very hard to install a new floor in the Church Hall. Well done to the team for the progress made so far! Apologies if I forget any names, but so far I have spotted Steve, Graham, George, Steve B, Stewart, Robert, Tony, Clive and Dave over there. There have also been a steady stream of people coming to make drinks or prepare food. Thanks to everyone, you are doing a great job!

Here are a few pictures of the ongoing work.