February Newsletter
Welcome... to February's Newsletter
Easter falls early this year. This means that Ash Wednesday, when Lent begins, is also Valentine's Day. It seems a strange pairing: Valentine's Day is when celebrations are characterised by chocolates, flowers, cards and a preponderance of pink and Ash Wednesday features the giving up (often) of chocolate, red wine and it's when we are marked with a cross of Ash on our forehead. Both events do, however, have something in common in that they have love at their centre. We journey with Jesus through Lent towards the Cross which is the ultimate revelation of God's love for us. The ashen cross on our forehead on Ash Wednesday reminds us that we are loved so much that Jesus gives everything for us - in our journeying through Lent we empathise with his suffering through our Lenten disciplines and practice. On Valentine's Day we celebrate romantic love and cards, chocolates and flowers are given as tokens and reminders to our loved ones of our love for them and their love for us.
The good news is that even though Valentine's Day falls in Lent it doesn't mean you can't open your cards or enjoy your flowers, but you might need to wait to open the wine or eat the chocolates! Lent reminds us that real love is costly.
In this month's newsletter
Church News
What's happening in Lent?
The Prayer Course
This year's Lent Course wrestles with some of the difficult questions surrounding prayer. These five sessions go deeper, provoking honest conversation around the hardest and most personal questions we all ask about prayer. You are invited to come and join in, meeting together on Monday nights starting on 19 February from 7.30 - 9.00pm with video discussion and refreshments - in St Peter's Rooms.
Footsteps through Mark's Gospel
A favourite event for many in Holy Week is our church group reading of a Gospel and this year we will be reading St Mark. An option for a Lenten activity is to join us in reading through this Gospel, little bit by little bit each day (or as often as you can!). If you are registered for the newsletter this will pop into your inbox each day, if not you will need to register to receive.
How does it work? Each day in Lent we will email you a short passage from Mark's Gospel together with a two sentence reflection written by one of the ministry team. Read in your own time and let Mark's Gospel or the thought for the day journey with you, as you go. When Holy Week comes, join us to read St Mark all the way through in one go - and enjoy!
Watch and Pray
Wisdom and hope for Lent and life. Watch and Pray is the National Church of England's Lenten resource which invites us to watch and pray, to wait expectantly and seek God in both familiar and unfamiliar places. If you would like a copy please place your order with the office, the books are £2.50 each.
Fancy a trip out for the day?
Do you like to have a day trip out somewhere? A chance to explore somewhere new, or revisit a favourite place? To treat yourself to a nice lunch?
Does it leave you refreshed and ready to get on with things at home with new energy, a fresh slant on life? I had a day trip out last Wednesday and it did all this, and more.
I went to Foxhill, Chester Diocese’s very own retreat centre, based in the countryside near Frodsham, and less than an hour away from us by car. In this beautifully warm and welcoming place we worshipped, listened, reflected and prayed … if we wished. We could get stuck in to some craft, read, chat or walk in the maze and lovely wooded grounds (better in the summer, this!). We could opt in or out of anything we wanted – with tea and coffee on tap and a splendid buffet lunch.
There were people amongst us who were just setting out on their journey of faith, and others were Christians of many years. No previous knowledge or experience was necessary. Just people coming to take advantage of the space, time and surroundings to get a feel of where their faith might be going, and celebrate it. Or just to enjoy being somewhere different.
I’ve been to several of these over the years and hope to go to a couple more this year – there’s one a month. Perhaps it is something you’ve thought of, but not got round to, or felt wary of? You could let me know if you think you might like to go, or want to know more about it. I usually go on my own, but I’m happy to go with others.
You can find out more here: Foxhill House (foxhillchester.co.uk)
They say: “Whether we have been a follower for decades, a short while, or just taking our first tentative steps, whenever we allow space to welcome Jesus into our lives, he promises to turn up. Time spent at Foxhill is one of the opportunities we have to respond to Jesus’ knock.”
So did Jesus turn up? Well, perhaps you’ll have to ask me…
Anne Stirling
Mothers’ Union
In January, Valerie Jones, our entertaining speaker from Tytherington Women’s Institute, showed us how much could be achieved by a group of determined women setting their minds to a project. The amount of money they raised for their breast cancer scanning charity by baring all for their calendar was phenomenal and the bravery of the women being photographed with VERY little on (some even outdoors!) was staggering. Our collection at the meeting added nearly £200 to their total.
Young Church
Sunday 4 February
There will be Young Church this Sunday 4 February during the 10.30am service. Our young worshippers will have the opportunity to explore Lent and Shrove Tuesday. There will be games, stories and crafts to help think about what the period of Lent is, what happens during it and why it is an important time in the Christian calendar. Come along, bring your friends and have some fun!
The Young Church Team
Breakfast Church
Sunday 18 February, 9.30am St Peter's Rooms
As it's Shrove Tuesday in the week before Breakfast Church this month, watch out for a menu change. There will, of course, be pancakes... but what toppings will there be?
You will have to be there to find out! All families with school aged children are welcome.
Methodist Messy Pancakes, Tuesday 13 February
This year's popular Methodist Messy Pancakes for Shrove Tuesday will be on Tuesday 13 February from 3.00-5.00pm at Prestbury Methodist Church (opposite the Village Hall). This annual event has been a big favourite with many St Peter's children attending. It's always lots of fun (and very delicious) - the perfect antidote to a cold wet February evening and a great way to help children mark the church seasons with the beginning of Lent.
Cost: £1 per person
Money Matters
Thank you to all of you who have spoken to me about the Money Matters articles in the last two monthly newsletters. Your feedback is appreciated and is very helpful.
Inflation has indeed hit us very hard over the last two years and church running costs are now around £450 per day!! It’s really hard at times to get your head around just how challenging it has become to “balance the books”.
We’ve managed to make some very useful savings as we’ve examined each item of cost carefully over the last few months, but despite this we are still seeing costs higher than income by around £1,000 per month. All costs will continue to be challenged as we move through 2024 as we look to close the gap between costs and income.
In terms of giving to the church, our website can now accept donations and we also have the machine at the back of church for contactless donations. Also at the back of church there are giving packs containing gift aid forms and bank standing order forms for regular giving.
If you would like more information on giving please talk to me, the Treasurer, one of the wardens or Pauline Rhoades in the Parish Office. Thank you.
Steve Saunders
Caring for Creation
A fundamental part of our Christian faith is caring for God’s Creation. And there will be a general election this year. Please consider signing an open letter to Macclesfield’s prospective parliamentary candidates to show them how we care for Creation and how important to us as voters are the climate and nature crises faced by the world: the letter asks them to support the private member’s Climate and Ecology Bill. It is already supported by a huge number of individuals and organisations including A Rocha, who accredit us as an Eco Church. It take a couple of minutes at most - please take action here:
https://action.zerohour.uk/
Thank you.
Social Justice and Environment Hub
Looking Ahead - Save the date!
Some important events in Church life are coming up and it's good to get them in the diary.
The Annual Parochial Church Meeting takes place on Sunday 17 March after the morning service. The words annual and meeting convey to many something as exciting as watching paint dry but the APCM is a celebration of the achievements of the past year and an opportunity to hear of future plans and the vision for the year ahead. There are necessary things to be done: elections, accounts etc; opportunities to ask questions; thanks to be expressed to those who are stepping down from areas of service; prayers for those taking on new roles and responsibilities.
Next month there will be details of what roles there are elections for. This month, as well as putting the date in the diary, there is an important question, "Are you on the Church Electoral Roll?". If you are part of St Peter's and St John's and if you consider them to be your home Church then do fill out an electoral roll form. For more details talk to Sue Parker or one of the Church Wardens.
Spring Tidy Work Party
Saturday 23 March 10.00am
The consequence of winter winds and the forgotten Christmas wreaths means the churchyard is in need of some TLC and as it will be nearly monastic garden planting time, it's the perfect time for a work party. But it's not only the outside that would benefit from a little spruce up! The upper room cupboards, loft room (above the choir vestry) and Vicar's vestry would all benefit from a sort-shift-and-bin session. So whether for inside or outside all (of all ages and gifts) to help with the Church Spring Tidy. Please look out for sign up sheets at the back of Church and in St Peter's rooms in due course but put the date in your diary.
Holy Gardeners
In April all the plants for the Monastic Garden will be being delivered and we are looking for a team of volunteers to plant them. Once in, they will need tending and caring for. Would you like to be a member of the Holy Gardeners? Get in touch via the office, Steve Hill or Patrick if you're interested.
News From St John's, Adlington
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? St John's own Blue Submarine?
Is this a new art installation telling the story of Jonah, is it a special prayer space cut off from the noise of passing traffic or somewhere for the children to meet during services?
It might not be any of these but something exciting in it's own usefulness. The Blue Submarine is the holding tank for the new flushing toilet that is being installed as part of the Church reordering and extension.
St John's will follow St Peter's from being one of the one third of Churches that don't have a flushing toilet, to the two thirds of Churches that do! If you were hoping to see it in it's blue glory - sadly, it's now in its place securely buried and connected.
Instead you can now see work going on apace: concrete floor and wooden frames of the extension in place, new windows installed and more.
As foundations are laid for the building, so the St John's team are busy laying spiritual foundations for the exciting mission opportunities ahead.
Do continue to keep the work at St John's in your prayers. For some involved in the building work this might be the nearest they have been to a church ever and it would be great if they asked why is it here, what's it all about, can I come to the opening service and how can I know Jesus for myself?
Worship Services for February
St Peter's Church Sunday Services
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Date
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8.30am
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9.30am
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10.30am
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4.30pm
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Sunday
4th
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Holy
Communion
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Holy Communion
with
Young Church
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Sung
Evensong
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Sunday
11th
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Holy
Communion
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Family Worship
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Choral
Evensong
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Ash
Wednesday
14th
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10.30am & 7.00pm
Holy Communion
with
imposition of ashes
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Sunday
18th
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Holy
Communion
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Breakfast
Church
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Holy
Communion
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Choral
Communion
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Sunday
25th
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Holy
Communion
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Holy
Communion
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Exploring
the
Bible
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Mission Congregation Services
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Sunday
4th
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Sunday
11th
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Sunday
18th
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Sunday
25th
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St John's Church,
Adlington 11am
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Morning
Worship
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Holy
Communion
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Church of the
Resurrection,
Upton Priory 10am
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Holy
Communion
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Morning
Worship
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Ash Wednesday 14 February
Holy Communion with Imposition of Ashes
10.30am & 7.00pm St Peter's
Mid-Week Worship
Day
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Time
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Service
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Church
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Monday
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9.00am
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Morning Prayer
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St Peter's
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Tuesday
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9.00am
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Morning Prayer
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Zoom
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Wednesday
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10.00am
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Morning Prayer
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Upton Priory
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Wednesday
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10.30am
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Holy Communion
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St Peter's
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Thursday
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9.00am
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School Community Worship
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Church School
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2nd & 4th
Thursdays
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10.15am
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Pram Service
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St Peter's
& Rooms
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Diary for February
Mondays: Morning Prayer 9.00am St Peter's Rooms
Monday 12th Mothers' Union at 2.00pm
Tuesdays: Morning Prayer at 9.00am Zoom Code 503 346 024 Passcode 793684
Wednesdays: Holy Communion 10.30am
Bell ringers
Thursdays Holy Dusters 11.30am
Thursday 15th Pram Service at 10.15am St Peter's
Fridays: Choir Practice 7.45pm in St Peter's
Resources for Lent
In addition to your usual pattern of Lenten disciplines this year we are making available:
1. The Church of England's Watch and Pray booklet
2. Daily reflections by the Ministry team on Mark's Gospel
3. The Prayer Course II on Monday evenings
Prayer focus
Thank you, Lord
For all I've seen and heard
for all I've felt and learned
for the loving people
for the living faith
for the place
for the prayer
through others I learned of your love
through trails I learned of your suffering
through sharing I learned of your power.
Many have told me that
to be human is to make mistakes
but you have taught me by your life that this is not so
I must strive to model myself in your image
to follow your way
humble, loving, selfless,
building your new world. Amen
Those who are sick
Rosemary Birch
Those who have died
Christine Sealy
Claudette Treasurer
Those whose Ashes are being interred
Margaret Rushton
Stephen (Jim) Barker
Community News
Yoga
Last month's yoga session raised £20 for the Church clock tower fund.
Real Easter Eggs
If you are interested in ordering Easter Eggs from the Real Easter Egg Company, details of the range of eggs available and how to order are on the Church notice. Eggs are not only fair trade, palm oil and plastic free but also each egg has the Easter story included.