St Nicholas Parish Church Fleetwood. Week beginning 26th February 2023 We seek to be a church that lives by faith, is known by love and is a voice of hope to the community we serve. Website https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/11671 Sunday 26th February 1st of Lent 8.30 am Holy Communion in Church 9.30 am Worship on Zoom 10.45 am Holy Communion in Church Sidespersons: Karen & June. Reader - Joy 12.30 pm Baptism of Janie Ann Taziker Welcome and set up - Berny 4.00 pm Family & Co in the Broadway Rooms Monday 27th February 1.15 pm Funeral of Eleanor Riseborough at Lytham Park Tuesday 28th February 2.00 pm Holy Communion in Church Wednesday 1st March 11.45 am Funeral of Rene Pilling at Carleton Thursday 2nd March 10.00 am Community Coffee Morning & Warm Hub in the Jubilee Room Friday 3rd March 9.00 am St Nic’s Little Gang in the Broadway Rooms 11.45 am Lent Lunch at Fleetwood URC 2.00 pm World Day of Prayer at Fleetwood URC Saturday 4th March 10.00 am Church Cleaning Sunday 5th March 2nd of Lent 8.30 am Holy Communion in Church 9.30 am Worship on Zoom 10.45 am Holy Communion in Church Sidespersons: Susan & Christine. Reader: Margaret 4.00 pm Family & Co in the Broadway Rooms ********************************************** Lent Lunches: The United Reformed Church is hosting this Friday’s lunch. For many years the Churches Together in Fleetwood have hosted a simple lunch of soup and a roll on each of the Fridays in Lent. It’s an opportunity to meet with other Christians and to invite your neighbours along too for fellowship and a bite of lunch. There is no cost, although we are encouraged to make a donation towards this year’s chosen charity, International Aid. Please do make a determined effort to come to as many of these lunches as you are able. Much preparation is involved for the hosting church! World Day of Prayer: One of the WDP Guiding Principles states that ‘Prayer is rooted in listening to God and to one another. On the first Friday in March through WDP there has always been an emphasis on listening to women sharing their hopes and fears, their joys and sorrows, their opportunities and needs. This year the theme of the worship service “I Have Heard About Your Faith,” is based on the letter to the Ephesians, and is an invitation to active listening, which is the ground of all our prayers. Following the example of the letter (1:15-19), where the author praises the church for their faith in Jesus and love toward all the saints, the worship services, which will take place all over the world on Friday, contextualize the witness of the saints with the stories from the women of Taiwan. Why not come along and be part of this wave of prayer? It’s at the URC on Friday after the Lent Lunch. May God give us the wisdom and courage to tell the stories of faith that transform lives. Please also remember in your prayers – Dorothy Angel, Rev Jane Everitt, Rev Martin Keighley, Elizabeth King, Chris Kelsall, Michaela Jones, Janice Porter, Mark Price & Lucy Adamson. And the families of, Eleanor Riseborough, Emily Lowe, Josie Gibson & Rene Pilling, Stan Kirkham & Ray Merrison whose funerals are due to take place.
St Nicholas Parish Church Fleetwood. Week beginning 19th February 2023 We seek to be a church that lives by faith, is known by love and is a voice of hope to the community we serve. Website https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/11671 Sunday 19th February Next Before Lent 8.30 am Holy Communion in Church 9.30 am Worship on Zoom 10.45 am Holy Communion in Church Sidespersons: Carole & Sandra. Reader – David 12.00 pm Short meeting of the PCC in Church 4.00 pm Family & Co in the Broadway Rooms Tuesday 21st February 2.00 pm Holy Communion in Church 6.45 pm PCC (Parochial Church Council), meets in Jubilee Room Wednesday 22nd February 10.00 am Funeral of Les Fletcher at Carleton 12 00 pm Holy Communion with the imposition of ashes Thursday 16th February 10.00 am Community Coffee Morning & Warm Hub in the Jubilee Room Friday 24th February 9.00 am St Nic’s Little Gang in the Broadway Rooms 11.00 am National moment of silence in Church for Ukraine 11.45 am Lent Lunch at Trinity Baptist Church Sunday 26th February 1st of Lent 8.30 am Holy Communion in Church 9.30 am Worship on Zoom 10.45 am Holy Communion in Church Sidespersons: Karen & June. Reader - Joy 12.30 pm Baptism of Janie Ann Taziker Welcome and set up - Berny 4.00 pm Family & Co in the Broadway Rooms ********************************************** Silence for Ukraine: A national minute’s silence will take place at 11am on Friday 24 February to mark the one-year anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. St Nicholas Church will be open for private prayer as usual, but on Friday, the church bell will toll at 11 am and prayers will be said as we pray tribute to the courage of the Ukrainian people. Since the war began, thousands of Ukrainians have been killed defending their freedom from Russia’s appalling onslaught. Millions more have been forced from their homes, with 114,400 Ukrainians finding refuge in the UK. God of peace and justice, we pray for the people of Ukraine today. We pray for peace and the laying down of weapons. We pray for all those who fear for tomorrow, that your Spirit of comfort would draw near to them. We pray for those with power over war or peace, for wisdom, discernment and compassion to guide their decisions. Above all, we pray for all your precious children, at risk and in fear, that you would hold and protect them. We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Amen. Lent Daily Reflections: “That You May Know the Truth” is the title of this year’s Lent reflections prepared for us by clergy and lay-members of the diocese. Please take your copy and try to set aside some time each day to journey with us through these 40 days of Lent. Lent Lunches: For many years the Churches Together in Fleetwood have hosted a simple lunch of soup and a roll on each of the Fridays in Lent. It’s an opportunity to meet with other Christians and to invite your neighbours along too for fellowship and a bite of lunch. There is no cost, although we are encouraged to make a donation towards this year’s chosen charity, International Aid. Please do make a determined effort to come to as many of these lunches as you are able. Much preparation is involved for the hosting church! Trinity Baptist Church is hosting this Friday’s lunch. Please also remember in your prayers – Dorothy Angel, Rev Jane Everitt, Rev Martin Keighley, Elizabeth King, Chris Kelsall, Michaela Jones, Emily Lowe, Janice Porter & Mark Price. And the families of, Eleanor Riseborough, Les Fletcher & Clara Pilling whose funerals are due to take place.
St Nicholas Parish Church Fleetwood. Week beginning 12th February 2023 We seek to be a church that lives by faith, is known by love and is a voice of hope to the community we serve. Website https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/11671 Sunday 12th February 2nd Before Lent 8.30 am Communion by Extension in Church 9.30 am Worship on Zoom 10.45 am Holy Communion in Church Sidespersons: Judith & Dorothy W. Reader - Sandra 12.30 pm Baptisms of Jayden and Barney Welcome and Set Up – Dorothy W 4.00 pm Family & Co in the Broadway Rooms Tuesday 14th February 2.00 pm Holy Communion in Church Wednesday 15th February 2.00 pm Memorial Service for Betty Hart in Church Thursday 16th February 10.00 am Community Coffee Morning & Warm Hub in the Jubilee Room Sunday 19th February Next Before Lent 8.30 am Holy Communion in Church 9.30 am Worship on Zoom 10.45 am Holy Communion in Church Sidespersons: Carole & Sandra. Reader - David 4.00 pm Family & Co in the Broadway Rooms ********************************************** Turkey & Syria – You will without doubt have been utterly shocked this week as the scenes from Monday’s earthquake have dominated our news bulletins. The earthquake which hit southern Turkey close to the border with northern Syria was initially a magnitude 7.8 followed by a second 7.5 magnitude earthquake 9 hours later, with aftershocks following. Many thousands of men, women and children have died or are injured in the aftermath of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Even before these devastating earthquakes, there were over four million people in need of aid in Northwest Syria. Nearly 3 million people have been displaced by the long conflict in Syria, 80% of whom are women and children. Now extreme weather events and the spiraling costs of food and fuel prices due to ongoing conflicts are making the situation even worse. People are facing a crisis on crisis. Whatever your personal response, please join with us in prayer. God of time and space, we cry to you for your children - our neighbours - in southern Turkey and northern Syria, following the earthquake that has devastated hundreds of lives. Only they and you know what it is like to experience such trauma in the middle of the night. We give thanks for the aid that is already being given and for the promises of help that have been made by many nations. Comfort, we pray, those who are trapped in collapsed buildings; those who have lost loved ones; those who wait for news and those digging through rubble to save others. Grant the gift of hope so that those caught between life and death know that you are with them and that others are ready to support them as they seek a future that overshadows the experiences of today. We ask this in the Name of Jesus, who endured so much for love of them. Amen Please also remember in your prayers – Dorothy Angel, Rev Jane Everitt, Rev Martin Keighley, Elizabeth King, Chris Kelsall, Michaela Jones, Emily Lowe, Janice Porter & Mark Price. And the families of, Betty Hart, Eleanor Riseborough, Les Fletcher & Clara Pilling whose funerals are due to take place.
St Nicholas Parish Church Fleetwood. Week beginning 5th February 2023 We seek to be a church that lives by faith, is known by love and is a voice of hope to the community we serve. Website https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/11671 Sunday 5th February 3rd Before Lent 8.30 am Holy Communion in Church 9.30 am Worship on Zoom 10.45 am Holy Communion in Church Sidespersons Susan & Christine. Reader - Margaret 4.00 pm Family & Co in the Broadway Rooms Tuesday 7th February 2.00 pm Holy Communion in Church Thursday 9th February 10.00 am Community Coffee Morning & Warm Hub in the Jubilee Room Friday 10th February 9.00 am Little Gang in the Broadway Rooms Sunday 12th February 2nd Before Lent 8.30 am Communion by Extension in Church 9.30 am Worship on Zoom 10.45 am Holy Communion in Church Sidespersons. Reader – Judith & Dorothy W. Reader Sandra 12.30 pm Baptisms of Jayden and Barney Welcome and Set Up – Dorothy W 4.00 pm Family & Co in the Broadway Rooms ********************************************** Today we start the countdown to Lent. The books of daily Lenten reflections prepared by representatives from within the Diocese will be with us shortly and will help us to refocus. Lent is a significant season in the year for us. It is a time of solemnity and self-reflection where we confess our failings and resolve to live a more godly life based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. You may be in the habit of surrendering a particular vice such as a favourite food or alcohol. But whatever your sacrifice, it is a reflection of Jesus' deprivation in the wilderness and a test of your own self-discipline. Rather than just go through the motions of ‘another Lent’ it would be wonderful if we would all resolve to strive to be a little more godly at the end of it. We have three more Sundays before we mark the start of Lent with Ash Wednesday. Let’s use this time to decide how we are going to use these forty days in our own lives. In the famous words of University Challenge, “Here is a starter for ten…!” Let us this Lent fast from complaining and feast on appreciation. Let us fast from hostility and feast on tenderness. Let us fast from bitterness and feast on forgiveness. Let us fast from self-concern and feast on compassion for others. Let us fast from words that pollute and feast on phrases that purify. Let us fast from discontent and feast on gratitude. Let us fast from personal anxiety and feast on eternal truth. Let us fast from discouragement and feast on hope. Let us fast from thoughts that weaken and feast on promises that inspire. Let us fast from problems that overwhelm and feast on prayer that undergirds. 100 Club: winners recently include Muriel Freestone, Shirley Kershaw, Penny Meekins, Barbara Quirk and Tracey Meekins. Please remember in your prayers – Dorothy Angel, Rev Jane Everitt, Rev Martin Keighley, Elizabeth King, Chris Kelsall, Michaela Jones, Emily Lowe, Janice Porter & Mark Price. Please also remember the families of, Betty Hart, Eleanor Riseborough & Clara Pilling whose funerals are due to take place.
