If you struggle to see how the God of the Old Testament can be the same as the God of the New Testament, or if you wonder what relevance the writings of ancient Prophets can have in Colne in 2025, this is the course for you! The course, developed by the Bible Society, will increase your confidence, equip you to read the Bible better and help you to see its relevance to daily life. The course provides a birds-eye view of the world’s bestselling book. Course begins on Wed 18th Sept at St Bartholomew’s , 7 - 9pm and 1.30 - 3.30pm. Over eight interactive sessions, it combines video teaching, group discussion, personal reflection and daily readings. Contact Rev Alex, Rev Michelle or Rev Tony if you would like more information.
The Community Grocery at St Bartholomew's will open on Fridays from the beginning of August. In a plan to ensure a greater variety of fresh food is available, the new day for opening will ensure those who use the Grocery have supplies for the weekend. Louise Smith, who helps organise the weekly Grocery said, 'We noticed that some food was going out of date between being delivered to us midweek and being given out the following Monday. Changing the date will be better for getting the most out of the food that's donated'.Rev Michelle Delves says, 'This is so much more than a Grocery! It has become a HUB for people to access other help and support and is a real blessing on our community'.Refreshments are served and there is a 'Winter Warm Space' and the chance to meet and talk to others. Continuing plans include staying open for longer and serving a light lunch each Friday.
During our Sunday Worship we were delighted to commission our four new Authorised Lay Ministers (ALM) at St Bartholomew's. After 12 months of training in the Diocese they were commissioned as:Minister for Preaching and Youth– HeesooMinister for Children and Families – KarenMinister for Mission and Evangelism – Katy and DavidAs we move forward we will grow teams working towards the four vision strands of: Inspiring Young People; Evangelism; Discipleship and Worship.
Fling wide the gates, unbar the ancient doors….. This line from the well known hymn based on Psalm 24, reflects some of the joy we feel each week as we gather for worship and prayer.We often say, ‘The church is the people not a building’ - this is very true. Still, we must acknowledge that, in our community the building is symbolic of our Christian presence in Colne, of the presence of God and of his desire to be with us; with joy we invite everyone in the community - you are very welcome! We always look forward to entering our sacred space, our gathering place and the point from where we go out to share the good news of the Kingdom—See you in church soon!Psalm 100 v 4-5 “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations .”
