I’m back! And it’s great to be back. THANK YOU so much for your prayers and support. In particular, my heartful thanks to Andrew, Judith, John, Martin, Peter, Paul, and Chris, for their collective leadership, ministry and care for everyone at Christ Church. There are many others I could name too – too many to name. Thanks to everyone for your good will in supporting me to have the sabbatical.
What a week it’s been! Andrew, Kim, Ena and Toby had a wonderful send off on Sunday, with the congregations at Christ Church showing their generosity in many ways. And what a wonderful welcome back it was for me and Lauren, with a banner and a BBQ! Thanks to Andrew and the team that put that together.
Monday night was a great moment for the people of St. Peter’s and St. David’s Fleetwood as Andrew was licensed as their curate-in-charge, until, God-willing, a point next year when he might become priest-in-charge or vicar. It was great to have a good number of people from Christ Church come and support Andrew and his family. Do please continue to pray for Andrew.
So what have I been doing this week? In many ways I’ve kept a lower profile than usual, in order to have the opportunity to fully catch up. To start with there were 1033 emails, nearly all of which haven’t needed any attention due to the brilliant Denise for responding to them whilst I’ve been away (thank you Denise!). I’ve ensured I’ve been reading every email that has information I need to see, and where a response is needed from me I’ve been gradually making them. I’m down to the final 15! I’ve met with people during the week to plan for the coming weeks, as activities restart. There’s lots of people I hope to get out and see around in the parish in the coming days and weeks. It really is great being back, and I’m so grateful for the kindness of everyone in welcoming me back and for making returning so easy and straightforward.
I’ve much to share in the coming weeks about what the sabbatical was like, what we did, and how it has helped and brought fresh inspiration. For now, here’s some snippets of things I’ve been reflecting on this week and sharing with people I’ve met…
1. God is faithful. People often comment on how many activities of mission and ministry we have taking place at Christ Church. None of which can happen without volunteers. At the Standing Committee meeting last night, we counted up how many individual volunteers we have through the week. What do you reckon it is? Have a guess…
It’s a staggering 70 people! That’s 42% of everyone that comes on a Sunday. However if we think for a moment that we have children and young people coming on a Sunday who are in full-time education during the week and therefore have limited opportunity, this means over 50% of adults who worship on a Sunday volunteer in some way at our activities during the week and at worship on a Sunday. I can assure you, this is not normal. This figure is way higher than average. We are not short of volunteers, far from it. The Lord has blessed us with so many. And yet there are still activities where we sometimes need even more volunteers. We trust in our faithful God to provide.
2. God is faithful. Yes, that’s the same as the first point! My reference point for anything to do with Christ Church goes back to October 2015 when I arrived, almost 9 years ago. The income for 2015 was £96,860. A lot of money! This was due to the generosity of church members in their giving and fundraising initiatives. Now to 2023, to last year. What do you reckon the income was? Any ideas? £100k? £150k? No. It was £223,021. Yes, almost a quarter of a million pounds. Comparing the £223k to the £96k in 2015, we’ve seen a 130% increase in income over 8 years. God is faithful! He keeps giving just enough for what is needed. Everytime there’s a need, everytime there’s a new venture in line with His will, God provides. And yet, there is still more needed, with constant careful monitoring of spending and planning and increased generosity to be encouraged. Through it all we can say confidently, God is faithful. There is so much to celebrate.
Tomorrow I look forward to reflecting on this more, as we consider Psalm 1 during our teaching. The psalm starts with these words:
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
Let us, individually and corporately, be seeking to walk in the way of the Lord, delighting in Him, in His word, and His faithfulness.
See you tomorrow!
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Sunday Services
The services and activities on Sunday 8th September are:
- 9:00 AM Traditional (The Book of Common Prayer) Service of Holy Communion (with refreshments afterwards)
- 10am Meadows Books open (until 10:45 AM)
- 11:00 AM Contemporary Service of Holy Communion livestreamed (with refreshments afterwards)
- 12:15 PM Meadows Books’ open (until 12:45 PM)
- 5:00 PM Treehouse Informal Service of Holy Communion (with refreshments)
- 6:00 PM Meadows Books open (until 6:15 PM)
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Watching Online, Bible Reading and Order of Service
Our livestream can be viewed on our YouTube channel here and our Facebook channel here. In our morning services we will be looking at Psalm 1. The 11am order of service is available here.
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Men United
The next Men United meal is at the Tramway on Friday 13th September at 7:30 PM. Please see John Hearnshaw to book a place.
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Prayer for Growth
At the Prayer for Growth meeting on Tuesday evening at 7:45 PM, we will be hearing about the life of a great nineteenth century preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon. It will be followed by 30 minutes of prayer. All are welcome to join us.
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An evening of magic and laughter
Featuring close up magic from Rod Williams and a headline show from Britains got Talent star John Archer at St John’s Church, Blackpool on Wednesday 2 October 2024 at 7:00 PM.
They will be performing their main stage show for us, but also interviewing each other about their christian faith. This is an absolutely perfect event to invite people exploring faith along to. It’s also made so older children can come with parents too if families want to come together. Click here to book.
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The Installation of Revd Joseph Kennedy as Bishop of Burnley
The Installation of Revd Joseph Kennedy as Bishop of Burnley will be on Sunday 8th September at 4:00 PM at Blackburn Cathedral. Tickets are no longer available but you can watch the livestream on the Diocesan YouTube channel here.
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Treehouse Weekend Away
It has been seven years since we started the Treehouse service. I hope you’ll agree, it’s been tremendous. New friendships have been formed and there is a real family feel to all that happens on a Sunday afternoon. It is with excitement therefore that we have a weekend away planned for Friday 25th to Sunday 27th October 2024. This will be a great opportunity to spend time together whilst growing deeper in our Christian faith.
This weekend aimed at children and families is open to all congregations, not just those that attend Treehouse. The weekend will be full board, including all meals in the hotel from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch, with the option of a packed lunch on the Saturday.
You can book places for the weekend here. You can read more about the Treehouse Weekend Away, including a draft programme, in this letter.
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Giving to God
There are numerous ways to give to God and contribute to the mission and ministry of Christ Church:
- Bank transfer – details available here
- By dated giving envelopes (on request)
- By contactless machine at the back of Church (or sometimes positioned in the Pilgrim’s Rest or the Community Centre)
- Online giving – you can give online here
- You can give by text with a smartphone. Send a text to 07380 307 800 containing our keyword “CCTFY5”, followed by the word “give”, followed by the amount they wish to give. For example “CCTFY5 give £10” to give £10. Step by step instuctions here
- Cash in the collection plate (positioned on the font)
Bank transfer or standing order is the preferred method of giving as they do not have any processing fees attached. Tax payers can add Gift Aid to their gift. More information about this can be found on the website here.
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Diary of Activities and Services
Monday 9th September
- 9:00 AM to 9:30 AM – Morning Prayer in Church
- 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon – Pilgrim’s Rest in the Chapel
- 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM – Playhouse (parent, baby and toddlers) in the Community Centre
- 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – The Meadows Bookshop and Giftshop
- 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – Food Pantry available (emergency food support)
- 12:00 Noon to 1:30 PM – Lyrics and Lunch with the Dream Team Singers in the Community Centre and Church
- 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM – Bowl & Chat in the Community Centre
- 7:45 PM – Growth Group in the Community Centre
Tuesday 10th September
- 9:00 AM to 9:30 AM – Morning Prayer in Church
- 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon – Pilgrim’s Rest in the Chapel
- 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM – Playhouse (parent, baby and toddlers) in the Community Centre
- 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – The Meadows Bookshop and Giftshop
- 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – Food Pantry available (emergency food support)
- 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon – Craft & Chat in Church
- 12:00 Noon to 1:00 PM – Lunch in the Community Centre
- 7:45 PM to 8:30 PM – Prayer for Growth in the Community Centre
Wednesday 11th September
- 8:00 AM to 10:30 AM – Fridaymen volunteers in the Churchyard and Church
- 8:00 AM to 8:30 AM – Breakfast Club and Walking Bus to Royles Brook School in the Community Centre
- 9:00 AM to 9:30 AM – Morning Prayer in Church
- 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon – Pilgrim’s Rest in the Chapel
- 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM – Playhouse (parent, baby and toddlers) in the Community Centre
- 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – The Meadows Bookshop and Giftshop
- 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – Food Pantry available (emergency food support)
- 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM – Wednesday Morning Growth Group in Church
- 11:15 AM to 12:00 Noon – Traditional (BCP) service of Holy Communion in Church
- 12:00 Noon to 1:00 PM – Lunches for Seniors in the Community Centre
- 5:45 PM to 6:45 PM – Lighthouse in the Community Centre
- 7:30 PM to 8:45 PM – Musical Worship Team Rehearsal in Church
Thursday 12th September
- 9:00 AM to 9:30 AM – Morning Prayer in Church
- 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM – Pilgrim’s Rest in the Chapel
- 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM – Playhouse (parent, baby and toddlers) in the Community Centre
- 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – The Meadows Bookshop and Giftshop
- 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – Food Pantry available (emergency food support)
- 12:00 Noon to 1:30 PM – Lyrics and Lunch with the Dream Team Singers in the Community Centre and Church
- 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM – Bat & Chat in the Community Centre
Friday 13th September
- 8:00 AM to 10:30 AM – Fridaymen volunteers in the Churchyard and Church
- 9:00 AM to 9:30 AM – Morning Prayer in Church
- 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon – Pilgrim’s Rest in the Chapel
- 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – The Meadows Bookshop and Giftshop
- 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – Food Pantry available (emergency food support)
- 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon – Craft & Chat in Church
- 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM – Move and Chat in the Community Centre
Saturday 14th September
- 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – The Meadows Bookshop and Giftshop
Sunday 15th September
- 9:00 AM Traditional (The Book of Common Prayer) Service of Holy Communion (with refreshments afterwards)
- 10:00 AM Meadows Books open (until 10:45 AM)
- 11:00 AM Contemporary Service of Holy Communion livestreamed (with refreshments afterwards)
- 12:15 PM Meadows Books’ open (until 12:45 PM)
- 5:00 PM Treehouse Informal Family Service (with refreshments)
- 6:00 PM Meadows Books open (until 6:15 PM)
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With blessings,
Damian
