Good News – Saturday Coffee Morning in the WorkshopThe Saturday Coffee Morning will return on 31st January.We extend our sincere thanks to Helen Lewandowska, who is kindly taking up the baton from Maggie and Jan. For many years, Maggie and Jan have offered this much‑valued service to our community, and we are deeply grateful to them and their teams for the hard work, kindness, and welcome they have given to everyone who has enjoyed a Saturday morning coffee.Helen will now be coordinating the teams, and we are thankful to all who have volunteered to help continue the wonderful legacy that Maggie and Jan have built.We hope you will keep supporting the coffee mornings and enjoy the warm, friendly atmosphere and good conversation over a cup of coffee.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.As we enter the penitential time of Lent, our prayer focus is on those areas of our world which need improvement, if the Kingdom of God is to be welcomed in. We pray for the obvious problems of countries ruled by dictators with an agenda to grasp as much as they can, but also, we pray for the ‘closed’ countries, where the citizens are indoctrinated into hatred and fear, and unable to leave or even think differently. We pray for our own country, that the atmosphere of ‘them and us’ will be removed and a joyous welcome for all types of people will be the norm.As Valentine’s Day is this month, we pray for all people forming new relationships or deciding on marriage, that they will remember that loving is serving, forgiving and generosity, as well as receiving and contentment. We pray for all families, all generations, that they will live in harmony.We continue to pray that God will encourage His choice of new Vicar to bring fresh ideas and enthusiasm to our church. We give thanks for the excellent work and dedication of Julie and our retired clergy, who have given so much to the life of the church through the past year.Some of our young people are taking important exams very soon, so we pray for them. We ask God to ensure that they feel secure and without anxiety, knowing that they are truly loved, regardless of their exam results.As the weather starts to move into spring, we need to continue to pray for the homeless and those in poverty; winter is not over for them yet. We give thanks for all charities directing their care towards relieving poverty and debt, and we ask God how we can become involved and help.Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
FEBRUARY 2026 NEWSLETTERJulie Writes...Dear friends,Sunday 1st February will see us celebrating the Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Candlemas) and will signal the end of Epiphany. I have had a feeling of a repeating theme, and some might say I’ve been a bit repetitive in my preaching as we’ve shared our Bible reading each week during the Epiphany season.I’ve felt we were being called to draw closer, to know Jesus at a deeper level. That wonderful encounter in John’s Gospel when Jesus invites those first disciples to ‘Come and See’, and to spent time with him. That encounter transformed them, as they took up that invitation for the rest of their lives.Last Sunday we thought about the conversion of Saul. We heard about the intervention of Jesus in his life and the time he spent praying and coming to know Jesus more. It transformed him from a man determined to bring an end to the followers of Jesus, into Paul the great evangelist of the early church, spreading the message of Jesus’ love far and wide. So, what is Jesus inviting us to do now?Lent lies ahead for us. Is this a good time to aim to spend more time in Jesus’ presence? I know many of you have very busy lives, so what about the Lectio 365 app (lectio365.com)? Simple to install and easy to use (better to catch it in the shower or in the car on the way to work rather than miss it!)I’m hoping we can set up some Lent groups (watch this space for more details) and we can grow and learn together.When I came to you, a lovely member of the congregation gifted me a small book of Iona prayers. One really speaks to me. It’s called ‘We bring you everything and tip it out in front of you’. It’s written by Roddy Cowie. At the end of a long list of all the things we might being to God, it draws them all together with this prayer:Lord, light up the things we need to see,brush to one side the things we need to put out of our minds,show us the door we need to openand the paths we need to take,and be beside us as we goso that the work we do is your work,and the roads are your roads,leading to your presence.we ask this in the name of your Son,our brother,Jesus Christ.Amen.Other items:Note for your diary:Ash Wednesday 18th February, there will be the usual Wednesday morning services with an additional joint service at St. Stephen’s Hightown at 7.30pm.Churches Together in Formby, Altcar and Hightown.Following our last meeting it has been decided to join together for morning prayer on the 3rd Saturday of each month.The first of these will be at St Stephen’s Church, Hightown on Saturday 21st February at 10.30am.World Day of Prayer 2026 – A service for everyone,prepared by the women of Nigeria.‘I will give you rest, come’.Friday 6th March 2pm at St Stephen’s, Hightown.With God’s LoveJulie
