Author: Chris Chorlton

This week we are gathering together at 10:30am at St Paul’s Church for our Parish Communion service

We are continuing our new sermon series called ‘Follow Me’ as we focus on what it means to follow Jesus with our whole lives. This will be the focus at both our weekly Communion services, so whether you join us on a Sunday at St Paul’s or a Wednesday at St Barnabas, we’ll be thinking about discipleship and following Jesus, together.

Our Scripture reading will be from Matthew 9:9-13

To see the live stream of the service click here.

Baptisms

As a parish we are looking forward to celebrating baptisms towards the end of November! If you haven’t been baptised before and would like to talk about what that means and looks like, chat to one of the leaders after the service.

Giving

There are many in our parish who regularly give to the church through a Direct Debit to our bank account. If you do – firstly thank you so much for your generosity! It would be a great help though if you transferred across to using the Parish Giving Scheme. As charity rules, tax claims etc become more complicated it is increasingly becoming a big task to claim back the 20% we can get on top of your gift. Joining the Parish Giving Scheme makes it all so much easier for us – and easier for you too! Please speak to Zarine if you want to know more about it – or click the links!

This week we are gathering together at 10:30am at St Paul’s Church for our Parish Communion service

We are continuing our new sermon series called ‘Follow Me’ as we focus on what it means to follow Jesus with our whole lives. This will be the focus at both our weekly Communion services, so whether you join us on a Sunday at St Paul’s or a Wednesday at St Barnabas, we’ll be thinking about discipleship and following Jesus, together.

Our Scripture reading will be from Matthew 8:18-22

To see the live stream of the service click here.

Baptisms

As a parish we are looking forward to celebrating baptisms towards the end of November! If you haven’t been baptised before and would like to talk about what that means and looks like, chat to one of the leaders after the service.

Giving

There are many in our parish who regularly give to the church through a Direct Debit to our bank account. If you do – firstly thank you so much for your generosity! It would be a great help though if you transferred across to using the Parish Giving Scheme. As charity rules, tax claims etc become more complicated it is increasingly becoming a big task to claim back the 20% we can get on top of your gift. Joining the Parish Giving Scheme makes it all so much easier for us – and easier for you too! Please speak to Zarine if you want to know more about it – or click the links!

We’ve had two Parish Forum’s this week looking particularly at our finances.  The good news is that we are now in a knowledgeable position regarding finances.  The bad news is that now we know we realise that we are not in a healthy position!

As followers of Jesus, his love and salvation gives us a remarkable status – one that money and wealth cannot give us.  Money will not save us from tragedy – money will not give us more control in this chaotic part of a chaotic world. However we do need it to operate!  You surely know that we often get grants for things as a Parish.  This helps with a lot of the ways we bless the community.  But it cannot pay salaries, heating and light – which are our biggest expenditure.

If you missed the forums you can see a video here of what was said.  Please remember that after much investigation the PCC has come to the conclusion that the best path spiritually and financially is to continue with our vision to multiply and grow into our 4 church buildings.  Perhaps on different days at different times.

We are praying and hoping for ideas of how to raise some more money before the end of the year.  All sensible ideas will be investigated!

A big thanks to Ann Brown our treasurer for a lot of un-thanked hard work.

Can you offer to buy something for the parish?  Ideas below:

• Box of Coffee – £40
• Running one service £30
• Breakfast Church – £200
• Heat and Light – St Paul’s – Weekly £450
• Toilet Roll across the parish £5 per week

As we said the very best way you can give is by using the Parish Giving Scheme. As charity rules, tax claims etc become more complicated it is increasingly becoming a big task to claim back the 25% we can get on top of your gift. Joining the Parish Giving Scheme makes it all so much easier for us – and easier for you too!

Of course you can still put money in the collection as well as online.

Thank you so much to those who regularly, faithfully and sacrificially give – some over many many decades.  It is much appreciated!

This week we are gathering together at 10:30am at St Paul’s Church for our Parish Communion service with Sunday School.

We are continuing with our sermon series ‘Proclaiming With’ and this week we are continuing thinking about God’s people in the New Testament, proclaiming with Paul as he reflects on God’s grace in his life. Our Scripture reading will be from 1 Timothy 1:12-17

To see the live stream of the service click here.

Baptisms

As a parish we are looking forward to celebrating baptisms towards the end of November! If you haven’t been baptised before and would like to talk about what that means and looks like, chat to one of the leaders after the service.

Al Massira – 6th & 7th of October

Al Massira is a course where participants are invited on a journey to discover the basics of the the Christian faith – it is particularly useful for those from a Muslim background.  We are hosting this here in our Parish.  More Information found here.

Inspired – Riding Lights Theatre Company

will be at St Wildfred’s Church Lidget Green this coming Wednesday, £10 tickets at the door – details on the image below:

Bradford Theology School

Bradford Theology School is running a new Year 1 course in 2024. This equips students with Foundations in Christian Theology. They have an open day on September 9th. This gives people interested in the course the opportunity to experience a day of teaching with the school, hear about the vision and values and ask any questions they have. For more details and for students to sign up for the day they just need to register here.

Robin Gamble retirement service – Sunday, 1 October 2023, 6:00pm at Bradford Cathedral

Robin Gamble, Bishop’s Advisor in Church Growth, retires this autumn. All are invited to come and celebrate his dynamic and fruitful ministry as a parish priest and as an encourager of evangelism. The service will include sung worship, testimonies, presentations and prayer.  More details on the Cathedral Website

Giving

There are many in our parish who regularly give to the church through a Direct Debit to our bank account. If you do – firstly thank you so much for your generosity! It would be a great help though if you transferred across to using the Parish Giving Scheme. As charity rules, tax claims etc become more complicated it is increasingly becoming a big task to claim back the 20% we can get on top of your gift. Joining the Parish Giving Scheme makes it all so much easier for us – and easier for you too! Please speak to Zarine if you want to know more about it – or click the links!

This Sunday we have our Annual Parochial Church Meeting after our morning Service.

Documents

Our Report this year is Downloadable below – it would be great if you can have read it by tomorrow.

Our accounts are still with the Independent Examiner – hence the report is listed as DRAFT.  However the figures are extremely unlikely to change.

We have also prepared a budget – it isn’t great reading, so brace yourself.

Minutes for last year’s APCM are also available as well as and Agenda

Downloads

Agenda for 2023 APCM

Minutes for 2022 APCM

Budget for 2023

Report and review of 2022

Timings

We hope the morning looks like this – thanks for understanding if it doesn’t follow the plan exactly.  Sorry but this will not be livestreamed.  The video review of the year will be on our Youtube Channel after the meeting.

9.30am Prayer

10.30am  All Age Communion Service

11.45am Coffee with our Election of Wardens Meeting

12noon APCM begins

This week our Communion service is at 10:30am this Sunday at St Paul’s Church.

We’re continuing our sermon series on Encounters with Jesus, reflecting on one of the most famous chapters in the Bible, John 3, as we see Nicodemus encounter Jesus.

So, our Bible reading this week is John 9:1-12

To see the live stream of the service click here: https://linktr.ee/ParishofGHM

Manningham-on-Sea

A date for your diary!

On Sunday 7th May, following the King’s Coronation, we are having a day of fun at Manningham-on-Sea at St Pauls!

There is much to be done to make this a fun and celebratory day in our community and we’d love your help.

If you would like to be involved, please talk to Emma, Clare or Michelle.

This Sunday is our Breakfast Church as we continue to look at the Christmas Story in the build up to Christmas.

This week we’ll be thinking about how there was no room for Mary and Joseph on arrival in Bethlehem, looking at Luke 2:7 a short passage – but one of the most famous in history!

We don’t Live stream our Breakfast Church – but come along instead of watching from home.

On Sunday it is the 5th Sunday of the month.  It is a ‘Juicy’ service when we try to use our church space in a different way and have different ways to experience the Bible Story.

This week it is Zacchaeus the Tax Collector, can find the Bible passage in Luke 19:1-10.

This week on Sunday we continue to look at the Sermons of Jesus – looking at the story where Jesus blesses the children and the Rich Man you can find the Bible passage in Luke 18:15-30.  Our Parish Communion service is on Sunday at 10.30am – St Paul’s Church Manningham

Notices

Ben’s Sister

Please pray for Ben and his family – his sister has died suddenly after having long term health issues.  He’s taking some time off and travelling to see family.

Interfaith Prayer for Peace in the Congo Bradford Cathedral 

To commemorate Congo Week and Black History Month Bradford Cathedral is holding an Prayer Vigil to to help us pray for peace.

Bradford Theology School

This is a new initiative for anyone wanting to gain a greater knowledge of God, Scripture and theology.  Have a look at the information on the website for details.

Lantern Festival

Some are making lanterns in our Places of Welcome and we want to be officially present as a Parish for this lovely community event.  It is in Lister Park on 28th October 2022 at 6pm

Recipes and Stories

We have some funding for community cohesion around a possible GHM recipe book,  The idea would be to tell a story that relates to a recipe – maybe a family favourite, or something that matches with a special memory.  We hope that this can bring community together to talk, share and cook.  Also it would result in our very own recipe book.  Can you think if you’d like to contribute or if it is something you can help us with.  Ask Michelle for more details or Contact us.

This week on Sunday we continue to look at the Sermons of Jesus – reading The Persistent Widow in Luke 18:1-8 you can find the Bible passage in Luke 18:1-8.

Notices

Lantern Festival

Some are making lanterns in our Places of Welcome and we want to be officially present as a Parish for this lovely community event.  It is in Lister Park on 28th October 2022 at 6pm

Recipes and Stories

We have some funding for community cohesion around a possible GHM recipe book,  The idea would be to tell a story that relates to a recipe – maybe a family favourite, or something that matches with a special memory.  We hope that this can bring community together to talk, share and cook.  Also it would result in our very own recipe book.  Can you think if you’d like to contribute or if it is something you can help us with.  Ask Michelle for more details or Contact us.

Saying Goodbye services are returning to Bradford in October with a Baby loss remembrance and support service.  On the 29th October at 2pm, in Bradford Cathedral,  we will be hosting one of our Saying Goodbye Services.