What a lovely few months it has been at St Thomas’ Church, Lydiate! Looking back over the summer and autumn, we give thanks for the many opportunities to bring people together, share our faith, enjoy fellowship and celebrate our wonderful local community.From outdoor worship and family activities to music, special services and our Harvest celebrations, there has been plenty happening at St Thomas’.Here are just some of the highlights from June to October.🌳 Outdoor Church Parade – Worshipping TogetherJuly brought a wonderful opportunity to take our worship outdoors with our special Outdoor Church Parade on the Parish Field, near the Scout and Guide Huts.With our fantastic Scouts and Guides taking part, the interactive service was followed by games and family fun. Families were also encouraged to bring a picnic and enjoy spending time together.It was a lovely opportunity to bring our church and wider community together in a relaxed and welcoming setting, with everyone warmly invited, whether regular churchgoers or visiting for the first time.🫧 Bubble Church – Faith for Our Youngest MembersWe have also continued to celebrate the importance of welcoming our youngest children and their families through Bubble Church.These monthly Sunday services are specially designed for babies, toddlers and young families, combining action songs, Bible stories, puppets and simple activities.With themes such as listening, the sessions provide a fun and engaging way for little ones to begin exploring faith, while giving families an opportunity to share time together.We are delighted to offer this welcoming space for our youngest members and their families.🕺 A Trip Back to the 70s!September brought a chance to step back in time with our fantastic 70s Night at St Thomas’ Church Centre!With music, fun, a quiz and refreshments, it promised to be a wonderful evening of entertainment and fellowship. Guests were encouraged to dig out their fabulous 70s outfits and join in the fun.Events like these provide a great opportunity to enjoy one another's company and bring people together beyond our regular church activities.🌾 Harvest Festival – Celebrating TogetherOctober saw us preparing for our Harvest Festival celebrations, inviting the whole Lydiate community to join us in giving thanks for the harvest and all the blessings we enjoy.There was plenty to see and enjoy at St Thomas’ Church over the weekend, including:🌻 Beautifully decorated window sills created by local schools and uniformed organisations.🎃 A fun scarecrow trail around the churchyard.🐭 A search for the hidden harvest mice around the church!☕ Refreshments and opportunities to enjoy our beautiful church.🙏 Our special Harvest Service on Sunday, bringing together our church family and local community.💚 Our Scouts and Guides – Getting Involved!A particularly lovely part of our Harvest celebrations was the involvement of our Lydiate Scouts and Guides.They joined us for a special Harvest Service, beginning with a very own 'Welly Parade' as they made their way from the Millennium Centre to church.And there was something new to celebrate too – our very first Planting Party! With wellies on and hands in the soil, everyone had the opportunity to plant bulbs and start something that we can watch grow together.It was a wonderful way to celebrate the changing seasons, encourage care for our environment and bring different generations together.❤️ Supporting Our Local Community – Micah FoodbankHarvest is also a time to remember those who may be facing difficult circumstances.As part of our celebrations, we invited donations of harvest gifts for Micah Foodbank, helping to support local people in need.We are very grateful for the generosity of everyone who contributed. Every donation, however small, makes a difference and is a lovely expression of the care and compassion at the heart of our Christian faith.🙏 Thank YouAll these activities reflect what makes St Thomas’ such a special place: a welcoming church at the heart of its community, where faith, friendship, family and fellowship come together.We are enormously grateful to everyone who has helped organise events, supported our activities, volunteered their time and talents, and joined us in worship and celebration.A special thank you goes to our wonderful Scouts and Guides, local schools, uniformed organisations and everyone who helps make St Thomas’ such an active and welcoming part of Lydiate.Above all, we give thanks to God for the opportunities we have to share His love, welcome others and serve our local community.As we look towards the months ahead, we hope to continue building on these happy memories and welcoming even more people to share in the life of St Thomas’.💚 Everyone is welcome at St Thomas’ Church, Lydiate – we look forward to seeing you! ✝️🌳☀️ Join us for our Outdoor Church... - St Thomas Church Lydiate | Facebook🕺💃 Get ready to step back in time! 🪩✨... - St Thomas Church Lydiate | Facebook🫧 Join us this Sunday at 11 a.m. in the... - St Thomas Church Lydiate | Facebook🌾🍂 Harvest Festival at St Thomas’... - St Thomas Church Lydiate | Facebook🍂 HARVEST FESTIVAL FUN! 🌾🎃 💚💜We’re... - St Thomas Church Lydiate | Facebook
🌿 Spring Highlights from St Thomas'🌿As we look back on March, April and May, we give thanks for a wonderful season of worship, fellowship and community life across our churches.✝️ Journeying Through Lent and Easter Spring began with our Lent Course exploring inclusion, hospitality and radical welcome, helping us prepare our hearts for Easter. We then gathered for Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter celebrations, rejoicing together in the good news that Christ is risen. Easter services, vigils and Easter Egg Hunts brought people of all ages together in worship and celebration.🌍 Caring for God's CreationWe continued with our environmental commitments and throughout the spring we reflected on our responsibility to care for God's creation.👶 Welcoming Families Parent & Toddler groups continued to flourish, and in April we launched Bubble Church, a fun, puppet-led service designed especially for toddlers and young children. We have been encouraged by the growing number of families joining us.☕ Friendship and Fellowship Our regular Warm Welcome Lunches have continued to provide valued opportunities for friendship, conversation and support. These gatherings remain at the heart of our community life, offering hospitality and companionship to all.🎉 Fun Community Events There has been no shortage of opportunities to enjoy ourselves together, including: 💃 Line Dancing Evening 🎶 Preparations for concerts and musical events 🍲 Shared meals, lunches and social gatherings⛪ Special Worship and Reflection We marked Rogation Sunday, Ascension Day and Pentecost, celebrating God's presence in creation, Christ's ascension and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thoughtful Tuesday evenings have also provided opportunities to explore prayer, scripture and everyday faith together.🤝 A Commitment to Welcome We continued reflecting on what it means to be an inclusive church, building on the Radical Welcome course and renewing our commitment to ensuring everyone feels valued, respected and welcome within our church communities.🙏 Through changing seasons and changing circumstances, we have continued to trust in God's faithfulness, support one another and celebrate the many blessings He has given us.Thank you to everyone who has worshipped, volunteered, supported events, shared fellowship and helped make our church communities such welcoming places. We look forward to all that God has in store for the months ahead.💜 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (Psalm 46:1) ✝️https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02Ug5H8Nvq7HerhNh3jgnt6tGZEy6zC748qHZWahA7iMAgQDZakLiqJk4AjArgFHzUl&id=61554888742153 https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0yikVjxNPa1wNKPjDU4Sx1fzTPbeDcMrQNWshXMNgCfjrfnwpN4wXdrBUxJDg24g8l&id=61554888742153 https://www.facebook.com/reel/896965536653337 https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid06WnJNQMQZMNbVZCosTiocoEQaU9xQN24m42mu8wZLZcXvN8qDK4CvmmNFHuXmS5Al&id=61554888742153https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0z45eVpxVtWLAUJUnCuXACxb3xP7jYaVhpxzHEtiJFqf8auUjx8WrHHkAisLLtURgl&id=61554888742153https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid05fkFVQUbigVPBVRb74yckJp7wA964X8hQe5Hp7MZpXeZcSQhCqy51Q8nKZrjd9Czl&id=61554888742153https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02VqEoZ26E4BNAkYQLbmVHpxgdwEma8GBmS1MmxRKoNfAphF8Kgx7d25JGBzttCjTQl&id=61554888742153https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02xgMdaf6rkTH32vHEAqhE5QEoQQ528fUPNamiMVSp3BtGg4qHGoFf8aFhrwQ9bKNpl&id=61554888742153https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02zamVbZ91L5ef2DFDefwmo17ubSdQJSHsKRMN3a5hpfWmD1n3gskEYZLq9bFZpjdDl&id=61554888742153https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0W6XecceqTdU7B6RqMYiB8bEGpZzszrjEBaJzvpTAiDDfadPA3NSYYRCMDfd8RJY8l&id=61554888742153
It’s been a wonderfully busy and joyful few months at St Thomas’ Church in Lydiate — and we’ve loved every moment of community life together! 🌟We started the season with festive cheer 🎄✨! Our Christmas Tree Festival 🎄🌟 lit up the church with creativity, color, and community warmth. Families and friends enjoyed carol services 🎶, candlelit gatherings 🕯️, and joyful Christmas Day celebrations 🎁 — spreading hope, light, and happiness to all who joined.As the new year began, we paused to mark Plough Sunday 🌾, giving thanks for the land and those who work it — a meaningful reminder of our rural roots and God’s blessings on the year ahead.Next came our Lego-themed service 🧱✝️, bringing faith stories to life in fun and imaginative ways. It was a delight for children and adults alike, showing that worship can be both creative and joyful! 😄We also celebrated the global impact of young women in faith and service during our service in celebration of Girl Guiding around the world 👧🌍 — a wonderful opportunity to honour courage, friendship, and community spirit.Finally, we enjoyed an inspiring talk on Gerard Manley Hopkins 🎙️📚, exploring the life, poetry, and legacy of this remarkable literary figure. It was a fascinating afternoon for poetry lovers and anyone interested in faith and culture.Amid all these special events, our regular worship continued to nourish us 🙏 — Sunday Eucharists, midweek prayers, and fellowship gatherings keeping our church community connected and thriving.A huge thank you to everyone who joined in, supported events, baked cakes 🍪, prayed 🙏, or simply brought your presence and smiles 😄. You are what makes St Thomas’ such a warm, welcoming, and joyful place! 💛Here’s to the next season of friendship, faith, and community life! ✨(2) 🎄✨ Christmas Tree Festival – This... - St Thomas Church Lydiate | Facebook(2) ⏰🌾 Plough Sunday is this Sunday! 🌾🚜... - St Thomas Church Lydiate | Facebook(2) 🧱Tomorrow our 11 a.m. service will be... - St Thomas Church Lydiate | Facebook(2) 👧🕯Photos from our service yesterday,... - St Thomas Church Lydiate | Facebook(2) 📖✨ An Evening of Poetry, Place & Local... - St Thomas Church Lydiate | Facebook
