Church Officers
Rector: The Revd Derek A Baines – Tel: 01772 641521; E-mail:
Churchwardens
Mr Eric Barker OBE JP – Tel: 614385; E-mail:
Mr Robert Hawthornthwaite – Tel: 612952
PCC Secretary
Mrs Andrea Susnik – Tel: 615336; E-mail:
PCC Treasurer
Mrs Barbara Wood – Tel: 617679: E-mail:
Deanery Synod Representatives
Mrs Avril Wright, Mrs Jane Elphick
Stewardship Recorder/Gift Aid Secretary
Mr Philip Norton – Tel: 07970 798345; E-mail:
Magazine Secretary
Mrs Elsie Kirkham – Tel: 615832.
Flower Secretaries
Mrs Althea Slater – Tel: 614966, and Mrs E Wignall – Tel: 615675
Electoral Roll Secretary
Mrs Julie Tanham – Tel: 612992
Verger: Mrs Irene Pickles – Tel: 615708
Assistant Verger: Mr Stuart Tighe – Tel: 612963
Weekly Giving Envelopes: Please contact the Churchwardens.
Organisations
Sunday School – meets 10.15 in School, first three Sundays of the month.
Leader: Mrs Kathleen Leigh – Tel: 612196.
Hoole Church Ladies’ Group – meets 7.30pm, 3rd Tuesday, in School.
Leader: Mrs Erika Penrose – Tel 613816; E-mail:
St Michael’s Men’s Fellowship – meets 7.30pm, 2nd Tuesday, in School.
Secretary: Mr Ted Hopkins – Tel: 617002.
Friends of St. Michael’s – Caring for the fabric of our ancient church
Chairman: Mr Eric Barker – Tel 614385.
Secretary: Mr David Turner – Tel 617485.
Social Committee – Contact: Sheila Taylor, Tel: 616850
Hoole St Michael C E Primary School
Head Teacher: Mrs Jo Duckworth – Tel: 613219.
1st St. Michael’s Hoole Scout and Guide Groups – Group Scout Leader: Mandy Clark – Tel: 617761; E-mail:.
Church Web Sites: www.hoolevillage.com and www.hooleparishchurch.com
1
The Rector’s Ramblings
Just out of ‘holiday mode’ and here we are at the PC again – doesn’t seem 2 minutes since I completed the June Magazine. Life these days seems to rush by and I am reminded of the readings that we had last weekend, Trinity 2, when we looked closely at the compassionate nature of God and how Elijah, Paul and our Lord all demonstrated this in raising people from the dead and showing that God transcends all things on earth. The final act was of course Jesus’ resurrection so that all believers will be saved.
Many are preparing for their summer holidays; schools certainly are with SATS behind them and Leavers services and programmes being arranged. It is during the summer months when things go quiet as members of our congregations go on holiday or spend time with families – often looking after Grandchildren – and generally hoping that there will be enough sunshine to ‘recharge’.
It is during these quieter periods within the church year that we need to reflect upon our faith and recognise the compassion that Jesus has for all people. It is a fact that there are many people of no faith, those who struggle to find meaning in life, or those who are simply antagonistic towards any kind of religion. It is incumbent upon all of us to try and get the message of Jesus to all whom we meet. As you know, the Church of England is, like many Christian denominations, going through (another) period of change and just as in centuries before concern is being expressed about dropping numbers and less people coming forward for ordination. This is combined with an increasing secular pressure to ‘change our ways’.
Scripture shows us the unchanging nature of God and in the aforementioned readings we see how compassionate he is towards human kind and suffers as we suffer.
As we look at the world we wonder how things will ever be loving or normal as there is so much hate and brutality. The worst thing is that because of Communications networks we become immune to it all as things arrive on screen in graphic detail.
Our challenge is to help people around us to recognise the compassion of God in our lives and help others to begin a meaningful and personal relationship with Jesus. This begins when we meet someone on the street and is reinforced by the warm welcome they receive when visiting the church. The words that are shared by us all will help those visitors to realise that we have something special.
Therefore I ask that as you relax and enjoy the family or the quiet times, or a holiday away that you pray for all those in the villages who have no real beliefs and seek the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Pray for opportunities to challenge our own beliefs and to strengthen them and therefore gain the confidence to share that faith with others so that more people will come to know the compassion of God.
Your brother pilgrim,
Derek
Looking back, with a glance forward!
June has seen some great weather (I think that it may break for a short spell) and the local fetes and galas in South Ribble have enjoyed a successful year.
We will have held a joint Methodist and St Michael’s communion service during which Derek will have talked about “Reshaping Ministry for Mission” (RMM). This will be followed on the Tuesday evening by the Deanery session on the RMM work will have met & I hope that Congregation members will have attended to air their views on our changing church.
The Men’s Fellowship work will have been acknowledged in a service of thanksgiving during which we may have heard the School choir.
The PCC will have attended training evenings at Diocese.
The Pastoral team (Baptismal group) have met and looked at how we make progress with Baptismal training. Rona McClure is now moving on quietly with her training as parish Pastoral Assistant.
The Liturgy group will have met, more on that next month.
The Ladies Group will have held their Garden Party.
Some of the PCC will attend a Diocesan Stewardship training evening.
July sees the service for Women’s Ministry in Lancaster to which all are invited.
Do you have a World War I story to share?
The First World War broke out on 28th July 2014 and August next year will mark the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I with various events nationally and internationally. This will be an occasion for much national reflection and remembrance. HOPE is working with key Christian ministries to support local churches with resources to serve their communities, marking this key moment in history and pointing to Jesus. If your family or church has a story about the impact of the Bible, prayer or Christian faith on those who served in, and lived during World War I please email it to:
We will hold days of prayer at certain times following the guidance of our Church of England Leaders.
What will summer be like??
15th July St Swithun (or Swithin) - saint for a rainy day
St Swithun is apparently the saint you can blame for rainy summers. It is said that if it rains on his special day, 15th July, it will then rain for 40 days after that. It all began when he was made Bishop of Winchester in 852 by King Ethelwulf of Wessex. It was an important posting: Winchester was the capital of Wessex, and during the 10 years Swithun was there, Wessex became the most important kingdom of England.
During his life, instead of washing out people’s summer holidays, and damping down their spirits, Swithun seems to have done a lot of good. He was famous for his charitable gifts and for his energy in getting churches built. When he was dying in 862, he asked that he be buried in the cemetery of the Old Minster, just outside the west door.
If he has been left there in peace, who knows how many rainy summers the English may have been spared over the last 1000 years. But, no, it was decided to move Swithun. By now, the 960s, Winchester had become the first monastic cathedral chapter in England, and the newly installed monks wanted Swithun in the cathedral with them. So finally, on 15 July 971, his bones were dug up and Swithun was translated into the cathedral.
That same day many people claimed to have had miraculous cures. Certainly everyone got wet, for the heavens opened. The unusually heavy rain that day, and on the days following, was attributed to the power of St Swithun. Swithun was moved again in 1093, into the new Winchester cathedral. His shrine was a popular place of pilgrimage throughout the middle ages. The shrine was destroyed during the Reformation, and restored in 1962. There are 58 ancient dedications to Swithun in England.
Services for July:
7th July – 6th after Trinity
9.00 BCP Holy Communion
10.30 CW Holy Communion
3.00 BCP Evening Prayer
4.00 Holy Communion (Old Mill Court)
14th July – 7th after Trinity
9.00 BCP Holy Communion
10.30 No service at St Michael’s – Joint Service at the Methodist Church
12.30 Baptism
Thursday 18th July
10.15 CW said Holy Communion
Revd Alistair McHaffie
21st July – 8th after Trinity
9.00 BCP Holy Communion Revd Nick Procter
10.30 CW Holy Communion Revd Nick Procter
12.30 Baptism Revd Nick Procter
3.00 BCP Evening Prayer Mr Ian Wells
Thursday 25th July
10.15 CW said Holy Communion Revd Alistair McHaffie
28th July – 9th after Trinity
9.00 BCP Holy Communion Revd Barbara Wilson
10.30 FAMILY PRAISE Revd Barbara Wilson
12.30 Baptism Revd Barbara Wilson
Thursday 1st August
10.15 CW said Holy Communion Revd Alistair McHaffie
4th August – 10th after Trinity
9.00 BCP Holy Communion
10.30 CW Holy Communion
3.00 BCP Evening Prayer
4.00 Holy Communion (Old Mill Court)
N.B. There will be no Monday Evening Prayer on the 15th, 22nd or 29th July.
Saint of the month
25th July
St James the Apostle – apostle to Spain and Patron of Pilgrims
James and his brother John were sons of Zebedee and fishermen from Galilee - the ‘sons of thunder’, as the gospel writers describe their impetuous characters and fiery tempers.
James stands out on three accounts: he was one of the three disciples who witnessed the Transfiguration of Christ. Jesus took him, along with Peter and John, to ‘watch’ with him in the garden of Gethsemane. Finally, he went on to be the first apostle to die for the Christian faith, when in AD 44 King Herod Agrippa put him to the sword in Jerusalem at Passover time.
In the centuries following his death, James became associated with the evangelising of Spain, and as a powerful defended of Christianity against the Moors. The heyday of the cult of Santiago de Compostela was from the 12th to the 15th century, and the pilgrimage to Compostela became one of the most important of medieval Christendom. This in time transformed the iconography of James, and his emblems became the pilgrim’s hat and the scallop-shell of Compostela. Over 400 English churches have been dedicated to James.
Prayer intentions
Prayers to stay connected
Heavenly Father,
Forgive us that we are all so busy. There are so many demands; so many expectations. Emails and Facebook demand instant replies and, if we’re honest, they drain away our time as we try to keep in touch with everyone, whenever they contact us. We keep in touch with everyone who demands our attention, Lord, but often, in all the rush to communicate, we don’t keep in touch with you, the greatest communicator of all. You communicated all we need to know by sending Jesus. He is your love in person. He makes it possible for us to know you by trusting in him. Thank you for pressing the send button that gave Jesus to us. Thank you that you will never switch off or close down. Help us to spend our precious time wisely and to stay connected to you.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
By Daphne Kitching
We pray for
W Our own church as we move towards change as the Church of England comes to terms with the reducing numbers of clergy
W All who will be baptised through the summer months
W All who travel on holiday for safe journeys and times of relaxation
W We pray for our own pilgrimages and that we are given opportunities to learn and to share that learning with others in the villages.
From the Parish Registers – June
Holy Baptism “We welcome into the Lord’s Family”
DARCEY ELIZABETH BURNS, daughter of David Burns and Samantha Burns of Much Hoole
ETHAN JOSEPH BAMBER, son of Stephen Mark Bone and Emma Jane Bamber of Walmer Bridge
Holy Matrimony “Those whom God hath joined together”
No weddings.
The Departed “Rest eternal grant unto them”
ELSIE SMITH of Little Hoole, service followed by cremation at Charnock Richard Crematorium
From the Register of Services
Attendance / Communicants / CollectionsMay / 26th / 83 / 39 / £461.25
June / 2nd / 63 / 54 / ££347.00
9th / 159 / 23 / £440.20
Collections from Baptisms, Weddings & Funerals: £502.40
Church Flowers
Date Arrangers Donor
July 7th Mrs Slater & Mrs Kirkham Mrs Slater
14th Mrs Wignall & Mrs Dalton Mr Harrison
Pedestal: Mrs Ball
21st Mrs Johnson Mr & Mrs Taylor
28th Mrs Clarkson & Mrs Smallwood Mr & Mrs Clarkson
Aug 4th Mrs Slater & Mrs Kirkham Mr & Mrs Clark
Sidespersons’ Rota
July 7th 9.00 Andrew Cornwell
10.30 Paul Johnson, Jean & John Aughton
3.00 Sylvia Douglas
14th 9.00 Ken Bishop
10.30 Jock Davidson, Norman Skellorn, Tom Wignall
21st 9.00 Henry Redshaw
10.30 Ted Hopkins, Bill Carr, Peter Blakeley
3.00 Peter Smallwood
28th 9.00 Rob McMurray
10.30 David Turner, Lisa Turner, Philip Wilson
Aug 4th 9.00 Mike Redshaw
10.30 Paul Johnson, Jean & John Aughton
3.00
Readers’ Rota
9.00 10.30
July 7th --- B Wood 2 Kings 5: 1-14
K Leigh C Bamber Galatians 6: 1-16
14th --- J Dewhurst Amos 7: 7-end
V Van Holsbeke D Turner Colossians 1: 1-14
21st --- G Slinger Amos 8: 1-12
M Redshaw J Elphick Colossians 1: 15-28
28th --- M Kirkman Hosea 1: 2-10