A festival church continues to offer services at the main festivals throughout the year (Christmas etc) and is still available for baptisms, weddings and funerals, but is not expected to fulfil a regular pattern of services. It is able to focus on wider community uses such as concerts and other events and often involves people committed to the future of the building, but not necessarily worshipping in it.We celebrated becoming a festival church with a Christmas singalong, which we hope will become a regular event.Repairs and renovations to the church are underway, thanks to the funds raised from the flower festival weekend in August.We now have Wi-Fi and a card reader to enable donations. Our "festival church group" met in February to discuss future events and how to make the church a true part of the community.Thank you to everyone who has supported and continues to support this initiative to re-energise our church. For more information, please make contact with us.
The next edition will come out at the beginning of June and will cover the period up to the end of August. Items for publication should be sent by Friday 22nd May.
The annual Lent Challenge has been launched, inviting individuals to attend every Holy Communion at St Augustine’s, Kirkby, at 10am on each Thursday in Lent. The Lent talks will explore Controversial Issues in St Paul’s letters and be addressed by a variety of visiting speakers (see below, with Bible references for those who wish to read in advance). An Easter Egg will be given to everyone who completes each one: 26th Feb, 5th March, 12th March, 19th March and 26th March. 26th February – Should Christians always pay tax? The Church’s relationship with the State (Romans 13:1-7). Rev Laura Wild.5th March – What are Tongues? Do Christians need to speak in them? (1 Corinthians 14:1-19). Nick Land. 12th March – What are Bishops for? (1 Timothy 3:1-12). The Ven Dr Amanda Bloor, Archdeacon of Cleveland. 19th March – Belief and Personal Morality: Christians and Biological Sex (Romans 1:18-27). Mark Sutcliffe. 26th March – Men and Women: their roles in the Church (1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1 Timothy 2:11 12). Gina von Bradsky. All are short talks within a service of Holy Communion and everyone is welcome whether a regular attender at services or not
Thanks to a generous grant from the National Churches Trust, St Cuthbert's is currently carrying out essential repairs to the roof and internal walls. We were able to raise match-funding through the successful flower festival and concert and other donations in 2025.The NCT's vision is that church buildings across the UK should be well maintained, open to everyone, sustainable and valued. Working on the ground across all four nations, they support churches of all denominations, helping them to thrive. As a charity, they are independently funded and rely on the generosity of supporters to carry out this work.
