On Sunday 7th May 2023 we repurposed our community event into a Royal One! We incorporated an act of worship, a community fun day and a coronation celebration into the main event. 58 people came to worship outside, and then and extra 491 people from the community came to celebrate with us. Thanks so much to many in our Parish who worked tirelessly from 9-5 to bless those from outside our Church.
Keep scrolling for some more pictures.
Much was discussed at this meeting – here are some notes of our discussions.
Three areas for concern are: What can we do?
Is helping all people to become more like Jesus.
It is Costly. One hour on a Sunday is not enough to become a mature disciple of Jesus.
This is the bedrock for everything else – if we are Disciples – we will care and evangelise! This brings people in – Pastoral Care keeps people in!
It’s OK to be vulnerable with others.
People of our parish need to know we think they are valuable and that we care.
What follow up do we need after RESTORE
This needs serious praying!
We need some training. We need persistence and intentionality.
Can we make a Menu of what we offer as a Parish?
How can people opt in?
How do we know what is going on if people don’t tell us?
What can we do for those who can’t get to gathered worship?
This Morning we gathered as a Church family to welcome new members. Below are some pictures that are quite self explanatory. This video below starts at the baptism part of the service.
This morning we welcomed Rev Emma Wilkinson to the Parish of Girlington, Heaton and Manningham. Emma preached at our 10.30 Parish Worship service and we had a great lunch to get to know each other better. Scroll down for pictures of Emma’s ordination in Wakefield on Saturday and the service today. If you missed this morning you can watch it back here.
Meeting all together at the end
On Good Friday 2022 we held four short services in each of our churches. Then we set off to meet each other. Drawing lines between our churches makes the shape of a cross so we finished our service all together at the centre of the cross. We finished our service with the words:
If you have ever believed that God has abandoned us, this day says He hasn’t!
If you have ever believed that God can’t save us, this day says he can!
Leaving St Barnabas
Service at St Philip’s
Heading up the hill
Service at St Martin’s
Heading down the hill
Last night we welcomed Rev Ben Care and his family to our Parish. Bishop Toby led the service and we were joined by Archdeacon Andy Jolley , our Area Dean Rev John Bavington as well as others from around the city. Many friends of the family travelled great distances for the occasion and we’re so grateful to all who did!
Scroll down for some more pictures as well as the livestream if you want to relive the whole service.
Last week we met to talk about the future as a single Parish. All four churches were represented and we ensured mixed tables for a well balanced discussion. Below is a selection of the comments made both during feedback and written on the table notes. Hopefully for those who were unable to come this will give a flavour of how this event unfolded.
How can we be a Church that reaches young people, families and non churched people?
What are you anxious about?
What are you Hopeful about?
The Revd Ben Care, currently Assistant Curate at Burton St Chad & Stretton with Claymills in the Lichfield Diocese is to become Associate Vicar of Girlington, Heaton & Manningham in the Bradford Episcopal
Area. Ben will be licensed on 23rd November 2021 at 7pm at St Paul’s Church, Manningham by Bishop Toby Howarth.
Ben introduces himself below….
I am delighted to have been appointed as the new Associate Minister for the parish of Girlington, Manningham and Heaton.
A little about me: I became a Christian aged 20 whilst at Warwick university and it transformed my life. Helen and I met and married on a Christian year out course in 2001 and have been trying to follow where Jesus leads ever since. Along the way I have worked and volunteered for mission organisations and I have long had a heart to see people of different faiths and backgrounds come to know Christ. Eventually the twists and turns of this journey led to being ordained in 2017 and serving my curacy in two churches in Burton upon Trent, in the Midlands. The things that I am passionate about are seeing God’s church become more fully what it can be; for us to be growing as disciples, living out His call on our lives wherever that finds us and being a people committed to His word and grappling with it. My hope is that as we grow and change more into His likeness this will spill over into the lives of those around us.
I will be coming with my family; my wife, Helen, and our daughters Anna (aged 11) and Lyla (aged 6). We love spending time outdoors, walking and exploring the countryside and nature so we’re really looking forward to getting to know the area. I am a board game geek, bookworm and coffee connoisseur.
I am excited to be joining you as we seek to serve Christ in this parish together.
On June 20 2021 we had a joyous occasion as we held baptisms! Many had been waiting most of the pandemic for this moment. So it was especially meaningful.
You can find the livestream available here. If you came to the service and couldn’t see the baptism well – then a very special close up view is worth watching.
We did manage to go outside to say a proper farewell to Sue – here is a short montage of pictures and a bit of video of her parting words.
Thanks to the many of you who attended our APCM on 30th May 2021. It came around quickly this time since our last one was in November 2020.
As well as the formal meeting and administration there was a video recap of the year, a parable and some group discussion about our vision for the future. For those of you who couldn’t attend or if you want to attend again…..!
You can watch the recap of 2020 here:
You can hear the Parable of the Two Luncheon Clubs and the meaning explained on this video:
