From the Children's Minister

“Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.                                            
Your people will be my people and your God my God.”
(Ruth 1:16)

In our children’s groups we have begun a 4 week series on the book of Ruth.  Last week we thought about the loyalty, friendship and faithfulness of Ruth to Naomi.  This week we are focusing on the kindness and generosity of Boaz, not only to Ruth but also to his workers.  I wonder which of your friends, family or co-workers see or hear about Jesus through you, the way that Boaz’s workers heard about God as they worked in his fields or the way Ruth found God through her relationship with Naomi?

We can often underestimate what difference seemingly small acts can mean to people but Jesus tells us that when others see our good deeds, people will glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).  As we begin 2024 I encourage us all to offer ourselves to God once again, to be a living sacrifice for Him. To offer our acts of kindness, generosity, service, the way we treat our colleagues, employers or employees to Jesus and pray that He will use these to bring others into relationship with our heavenly Father.

Rosie Blackett
Children’s Minister

From the Vicar

Dear Friends,

An army marches forward on its stomach – so it is said, the gruel and effort of attrition and warfare can only be really achieved through strength and sustenance. It is also said that as an army marches forward on its stomach so a church marches forward on its knees. I will side step a comment about posture as friends and close colleagues know knees are not currently one of the Vicar’s strong points! However to prayer: however and wherever you can, going forward into the new year, do note the following and join the wider church family in this adventure which is discipleship to Christ, gathering together which is Church, and prayer which gives meaning to it all.

1. Thank you to the many who made our last prayer meeting so significant - the highest numbers yet and, to me, a taste of a church coming alive! The next one is on Feb 6th 7:30pm and is especially to pray for our Connections course and outreach activity (see below);

2. Pray for the Ministry Team away day this next week as we reflect what is the best way to mobilise God’s people and build on our prayer triplets. Do pray we get the right ask that is both achievable and attainable for God’s people. I shall be praying personally that our next initiative will see an increase on the 100 or so people who last year enrolled for prayer triplets as we go forward amongst a wider group from the church family. Watch this space and be anticipating something from the Lord that will bless us and of course – do please sign up;

3. Seek the Lord while he may be found. I have counted at least six examples of outreach of our members to others. What a thrill to know that those who are seeking the Lord in our Parish might find him in these times – the bridge of course is ourselves and courageous invitation to others that they can join in with our plans.

Do make sure you pick up your verse for the year sheet with times and dates!

Yours in Christ,

The Revd Canon Mark Brown

From the Assistant Minister

I do trust that you had some joy, peace and thankfulness in your Christmas days. In our rush into January, as the Feast of the Epiphany too slips past us, I invite you to pause for a moment, to recall those amazing visitors to the Christ child, so beloved by carol writers and Christmas card artists.

In Matthew’s Gospel account, we read that the star came to rest over the place where the child was.  The amazing star, supernatural guide for Magi from outside the Jewish nation and tradition, leading them precisely to the Saviour of the World. In this wonderful moment we see that Christ fulfilled prophecy and that His first coming and the Redemption He brings are given to challenge all humankind - Christ waits even now, for response from Jew and Gentile alike. When the Magi saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy (Matt 2.9-10). I do hope you too can feel, if only just a little, overwhelmed with joy in your Saviour as you enter a New Year.

The Prophet Isaiah (60.1-3), long before the Incarnation took place, set the scene -

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
    and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
    and his glory will be seen upon you.
3 And nations shall come to your light,
    and kings to the brightness of your rising.

Dear Lord, we make it our prayer for 2024, that this year more and more people from the nations of the World - and their rulers - will come to the light of the Gospel and be overwhelmed with joy. Amen.

Happy New Year!

Revd Godfrey Smallman

From the Curate

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
(2 Corinthians 9.15)

How can you describe the indescribable? God becoming man, the creator entering his creation, the eternal one entering time and space, the Lord of all becoming a baby. May our hearts be filled with thankfulness to God for the gift of his Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ – the indescribable gift!

Thank you to all those who have gone above and beyond during the Christmas season in enabling us to celebrate and share the indescribable gift of God through services and song. It is amazing to think that 595 adults, 119 children and young people have come to our Church Carol Services so far, alongside 544 children coming to Primary School Carol Services, accompanied by 419 adults. Beyond the four walls of church, the gift of God’s Son has been shared with 70 toddlers, at Broomcroft House Care Home, in 3 local pubs, and through open air carol singing at Carter Knowle shops.

As we give thanks to God for his indescribable gift, let us pray that many will receive the gift of Christ this Christmas time. And let us pray that we are given opportunities to share God’s love with those near and dear to us. As 2024 beckons, who might the Lord be leading you to invite on Alpha, that they too can know God’s indescribable gift?

With thanks for your love, service, and partnership in our Lord,

Revd Simon Oatridge 
Curate

From the Vicar

Keep us, O Lord,
While we tarry on this earth,
In a serious seeking after you,
And in an affectionate walking with you,
Every day of our lives;
That when you come,
We may be found not hiding our talent,
Nor serving the flesh,
Nor yet asleep with our lamp unfurnished,
But waiting and longing for our Lord,
Our glorious God for ever.
Amen

Dear Friends,

Thank you for all your prayers and good wishes during the Christmas season. The staff and I are very grateful for your support and partnership in ministry and we pray that the Christ we serve will be born in many peoples’ hearts over this Christmas period.

We are however not there yet and during the remaining days of Advent, Richard Baxter’s famous prayer has been brought to my attention. May I say that I see many at All Saints for whom this is a lived-out prayer. Such a joy to behold. I commend it to you for yourselves in your own time spent with the Lord and perhaps with those with whom you gather in various settings. It is a prayer I shall be using to see greater and fuller evidence of in the days ahead.

With my renewed gratitude for your friendship and partnership in ministry.

The Revd Canon Mark Brown
Vicar

The Grand Reveal - Our Wonderful Windows

For the last 10 weeks we have had scaffolding up internally and externally while we have had significant and extensive restoration and repair work done to two of our large stained glass windows. The scaffolding was finally removed on the 7th December 2023 and the sunlight shining through for today’s mid-week communion was quite stunning.

The work on the windows has been carefully and diligently carried out by Pendle Stained Glass Ltd. and the scaffolding supplied by Hardy Access Services and we are so pleased with the result.

This is a fine example of how some of the money, generously donated to All Saints, is used. We are blessed to worship in a beautiful Grade II listed building that needs a lot of care and maintenance, usually by specialised and skilled teams. We are so thankful to be in a position to afford this work and to secure the building for this and future generations but without ongoing donations and gifts this wouldn’t be possible so thank you.

Thank you to all involved and to Hugh for the short video below of the scaffolding coming down to reveal the completed work, just in time for our Christmas carol services this weekend.

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/i6IZWL6SMAA

From the Associate Vicar

You're Invited!

This December we will be invited to so many events. Family gatherings, work events and school extravaganzas. This Christmas we are all invited to encounter Gods love for us. Whether that’s for the first time or the hundredth, we pray that this church will be a place to meet with God and with also have fun with friends. Why not invite someone along to one of the services that we are running?

Depending on what you like, we are putting on something for everyone. Whether you like church to be contemporary or traditional, formal or informal, a place of stillness or noise and energy for the whole family, there is something here for you and your friends.

And if you would like to find out more about faith and work out what you think – then you are also invited to join us for Alpha starting in January. It is ten weeks (either Monday evening or Thursday morning) with food and discussion for you to hear about the Christian faith and then for you to work out what it means for you personally.

For more information and to sign up email roland.slade@allsaintsecclesall.org.uk You can also find out more by visiting our Alpha page.

Revd. Roland Slade, Associate Vicar.