Keeping Holy Week and Easter at St Chrysostom’s

Keeping Holy Week and Easter at St Chrysostom’s

Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. HOLY WEEK AND EASTER AT ST CHRYSOSTOMS Holy Week and Easter is a time for us to enter deeply into our faith. Here is the schedule for Holy Week and Easter at St Chrysostom’s. We encourage one another to make a special effort to come to worship, to journey in faith together. Principal acts of worship are indicated in this way. From the Mass of the Last Supper through to the Easter Vigil has been, from the earliest days of the church, a time of fasting and abstinence for Christians. Meditations of each of the Stations of the Cross, especially written for the people of St Chrysostom’s by our clergy and others, are being published each day on our church blog A quality printed version of the meditations is available in Church for £1. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Holy Week 9am Morning Prayer 9.30am – 3pm Children’s Holy Week Day 5pm Holy Mass with devotional address Tuesday in Holy Week 9am Morning Prayer 5pm Holy Mass with devotional address Wednesday in Holy Week 9am Morning Prayer 5pm Holy Mass with devotional address Holy (Maundy) Thursday 9am Morning Prayer The Great Three Days begins 7.30pm Mass of the Last Supper with Watch of Prayer to midnight (come and go as you wish after the Mass) Good Friday 10am Morning Prayer 2pm Solemn Liturgy of the Cross 5pm Maria Desolata (A quiet devotional service) Holy Saturday 10am Morning Prayer Church cleaning party preparing the church for Easter – Volunteers please! Come from 10am 8pm THE GREAT EASTER VIGIL followed by Easter party – please bring some food to share Easter Day 9.30am Morning Prayer 11am HIGH MASS OF EASTER DAY 5pm Benediction and Maria Consolata followed by wine and Easter cake Confessions during Holy Week (or by appointment) Monday (14th) 5.30pm Fr Chris Hartley Thursday (17th) 9.30am Canon Ian Gomersall Saturday (19th) 9.15am Canon Ian Gomersall follow on Twitter | forward to a friend Our (New) Church Website Our Church Blog

Conversation, baptism and kindness

Conversation, baptism and kindness

Are you one in ten who have done an act of kindness, today? Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. St C’s eNewsletter 12th February 2014 We had a lovely Mass last Sunday with a baptism. We welcomed Noah Thomas Fallows into the fellowship of the Church. After the baptism we received a card with this message: “To Father Ian and all at St Chrysostom’s, Thank you for taking the time to make Noah’s baptism so special. It was a wonderful service and you have made us all feel so welcome at St Chrysostom’s. Lots of love, Katherine, Anthony and Noah xxx” What is that unusual painting at the head of this week’s newsletter? Find out on our church blog. 5pm a@ St C’s Everyday: Monday to Thursday, Mass, Friday to Sunday, Vespers. Don’t forget on Friday it’s St Valentine’s day (actually its Ss Cyril and Methodius but the world wins a bit with St Valentine!). Why not do an unexpected and perhaps anonymous act of kindness to someone on Friday? Did you know a recent survey by Friends of the Elderly showed that nine out of ten people in England admit they regularly go through a whole day without performing a simple (or single) act of kindness for someone else. How sad is that? Let’s go against the majority, and start on Valentine’s day – or why not today! We’ve a children’s day at Church on Monday (17th) on the theme of LOVE. All primary school aged children welcome. (Nursery excepted). 9am to 3pm. £2. To book a place contact the church office on 0161 225 2550. The next Justice and Peace group is on Thursday, 20th at 7.30pm at Church. This month the group is looking at taxation, and Trish Lindsay will lead the evening. A few people, including one or two from our congregation, have been asking about help with conversation in English. This isn’t about learning English, more about practising by informal chat. If we have enough volunteers it could be possible to have an informal tea and conversation at Church on a Wednesday from 4-5pm. We’d need two or three volunteers to be there. We could work out a rota, so it would not need to be a weekly commitment. Interested – let Fr Ian or Laura or John, know. Thank you. On our church Facebook group – report from this week’s Munamato, Recorder lesson with Laura at the school, and more… Why not join? Looking ahead Sunday 23rd February, at the end of 11am Mass, Dedication of new bench at Church in memory of Gill and Dick Hatch Thursday 27th February 2pm Confirmation with Bishop Mark Sunday 2nd March 11am Teaching Mass – mass for all ages 5pm Benediction Wednesday 5th March ASH WEDNESDAY Lent begins Mass at 12.05pm and at 7pm Saturday 22nd March 2.30pm – 5pm Quiet afternoon led by Canon Alma Servant Looking further ahead: This year’s Walsingham pilgrimage is 25th to 29th August. Please note the dates now. Fr Ian has suggested this poem by the American poet Robert Frost to help with thought and reflection on the challenges which life can bring. Why not read it and see what you think?

6 February, 2014 13:41

Organ News, Thank you’s and a bench

Oh no! The organ… Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Angelus St C’s eNewsletter 6th February 2014 Greetings from St Chrysostom’s church. Did you notice what the weather was like last Sunday? – according to folklore it forecasts the next forty days or so! So what are we to expect? – see our church blog! St C’s at 5pm: Daily worship at 5pm – Monday to Thursday Holy Mass, Friday to Sunday, Vespers. Tuesday (11th) is a requiem Mass at which we remember those who have died recently, and any others we wish to remember. Names can be written down before Mass on Tuesday. We will remember Fr Jim Wardle Harper, former Rector of St Chrysostom’s (1968-75) who has died recently at this Mass. This coming Sunday we welcome Noah Thomas Fallows to be baptised at 11am Mass. Twelve children from Years 5 and 6 at St Chrysostom’s school are being prepared for confirmation. Classes are held every Tuesday at the school. Bishop Mark is coming to church to confirm the children on Thursday 27th February at 2pm. We’ve a Church children’s day on the theme of LOVE for primary school aged children (not nursery age) on Monday 17th February 9am – 3pm. Games, craft work, music and learning together. If you know someone who wants a place hurry! There are only twelve places. Cost £2 / child. Children are asked to bring a packed lunch. We’re looking for adult volunteers to help too – can you spare an hour or two? Just speak to Laura or John, parish assistants. Six of our Kharis (our ‘Sunday School’) leaders have begun an in house training course on Monday evenings. We’d like to encourage more children to join Kharis during Sunday Mass. A bench has been put in place at the front of church, near the new prayer tree. Its been provided with money given to church by family and friends of the late Gill and Dick Hatch, faithful and much loved former members of our church. A plaque in the porch is also in place indicating that the bench is in their memory. We will also be putting a small wicker fence near the prayer tree for prayer ribbons to be tied on until the prayer tree is fully established. The new bench will be dedicated immediately following 11am Sunday mass on Sunday 23rd February. If you were at Mass on Sunday 26th you will know something went wrong with the organ! Oh no! The main bellows has collapsed, and a major piece of repair work is needed. This is particualrly frustrating after we have had so much done to other areas of the organ recently. The Church Council Standing Committee will meet on Sunday coming to consider what can be done. Because we have already spent much on the organ and as we are already pledged to do other building work it may be some time before the organ can be repaired unless we can obtain money from other sources, including grant funding. For the time being the piano will be used for worship, and we are investigating having a temporary electronic organ. THANK YOU to all who have, so far, taken free will offering envelopes to give regularly to church: We thank: Liz Greatorex, Vinnie Grant, Pier Ofoche, Lydia Kingsley, Edna George, Dominic Wasey, Angela Lim, Desmond Ward, Edna George, Ian Gomersall, Admos Chimhowu, Anthony Ogbebor, Philippa Allen, Maureen Williams, Byung Hee Kwon, Neville Grant, Yvonne Douglas, Tayo Adebowale, Ryan Bebb, Horel Grant, Paul Pritchard, Mark Fallows, Chris Hartley, Timothy Hunsley, Andrew Omakaro, Monday Ogbomo, Malcolm Hicks, Warren Daniel, Simon Riley, Ionie Grant, Noel Preston, Ann Landon, Marie Landon, Sylvia Smith and Sandra Palmer. In addition we thank those who give directly by standing order from their bank to the church: Kristof Seaton, John Grant, Ian Gomersall, Edward Moss, Timothy Stibbs, Sandra Palmer, Byuing Hee Kwon. We’d like to encourage more regular givers to our church to do so by monthly standing order. Standing orders save time (no opening envelopes, counting, banking…), they save money (no stationery costs) and make for a more reliable income for the church and help with a consistent cash flow. Don’t forget our Facebook Group – if you are not already a member why not join the 136 people who already are – its a place to see photos of church events, share news and views etc. Its a friendly group too! For those who Tweet: Follow us @StChrys (132 followers so far – including Bishop David!) PS – Where is the owl pictured at the head of the newsletter?

Candlemass, Black Narcissus and Crisis of Doubt

Candlemass, Black Narcissus and Crisis of Doubt

What are our aims? Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Angelus: St C’s eNewsletter 29th January 2014 We had a lovely meal at Swadesh on Portland Street after Mass on Sunday as we said goodbye to Mathew Tharakan, who has worshipped with us for the last eighteen months or so and in the last few months has worked at church as a verger. Photographs of the meal and Mathew saying goodbye are on the church facebook group (click here) Mathew has also left us with a recommendation for a South Indian resturant – we’ll be trying it out in the future! This coming Sunday is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (Candlemass) – celebrating Jesus, Light of the World, coming into the temple as an infant. Candles are blessed and we process into church singing to God’s glory. If you have any candles you’d like blessing for home do bring them to Mass on Sunday. What has brought some eminent critics of faith back to faith? Malcolm Hiicks shares some thought on this fascinating topic on the church blog. Click here. Every Tuesday in term time Fr Ian or one of the parish assistants lead a time of spiritual reflection at St Chrysostom’s school, called Munamato. Ten or twelve children (of any faith) attend, and always join in well. This week all thought about the story of Noah, and God’s love for us. We also learned the significance of the dove logo used by church and by school. Twelve children from Years 5 and 6 at St Chrysostom’s School are being prepared for Confirmation. The Confirmation is at church on February 27th at 2pm. St Chrysostom’s @ 5pm: Worship every day at St C’s. Monday to Thursday, mass. Friday to Sunday, Vespers. Sunday is the Feast of the Presentation: Mass at 11am, and Benediction at 5pm, Tea and cake after Benediction. Black Narcissus – is this month’s film. Its a remarkable and highly rated film about tension and conflict among a group of nuns in the Himalayas. It is enjoyable and thought provoking. Come and watch! 6.15pm on Sunday in the church social room, all welcome. Collect Active Kids vouchers from Sainsbury’s please! A local cub pack are collecting the vouchers to get pieces of camping equipment for the children. They could do with our help and support (Dominic from church is in this cub pack). You get the vouchers when you make shopping or petrol purchases at Sainsburys. There will be a box to put them in at Church. Thank you. The Church Council met on Sunday and agreed our aims for Church in 2014. They are: 1. To involve children more in Church, 2. To build up our regular and other financial income by 10%, 3. To consolidate our average Sunday attendance at 80 and encourage a 5% increase in other connections with church, 4. To encourage church members and others we have connection with to explore their faith and prayer, 5. To increase fellowship and friendship at Church, 6. Contributing and being part of the local community and parish, 7. Enhancing our church building and grounds, 8. Developing our liturgy and worship. The Church Council looked at ways we can do this and will be sharing ideas with everyone over the coming weeks. Sponsor a Day in 2014 was launched by Edward our treasurer last Sunday. We invite people to sponsor the running of our Church by choosing a day or days to sponsor. We ask people who sponsor to raise £25 / day sponsored. We’ve made a good start with over 30 days sponsored so far. Join in – look at the display in Church and choose YOUR day/s. For those who Tweet: Follow us @StChrys (131 followers so far) follow on Twitter | forward to a friend Our (New) Church Website Our Church Blog

The Peace of Wild Things, and more…

The Peace of Wild Things, and more…

Whats been going on at church this week? Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Angelus: St C’s Newsletter 23rd January 2014 Greetings from St Chrysostom’s. It’s a busy week at Church this week. Those who worship on a Sunday understandably are not always aware of what goes on in and from church during the week. This week the our parish is being leafleted by Mathew, John and Laura with a simple information flier about church. We are visiting different places of worship in Christian Unity Week. An interview panel for a new priest for St Agnes / St Luke met on Tuesday at Church from 2-8pm – Bishop Mark, the Archdeacon and Fr Ian were part of the panel interviewing, and we prepared an evening meal at church for the panel. A Confirmation class had its first meeting, led by Fr Ian, at St Chrysostom’s School – and all these on top of our regular weekday activities of having church open, visits, people calling, schools work, daily prayers… The weeks are always varied and interesting! There have been some interesting new posts on our church blog this week. You may especially be interested in one called ‘The Peace of Wild Things‘ – click here to read it – it’s an encouragment to find a spiritual moment in our busy lives. Another post reflects on the life of St Agnes, whose feast day it was on Tuesday, and invites us to pray for women like Agnes who suffer brutality and violence. (To read it click here). Its great that a number of children at St Chrysostom’s School have expressed an interest in Confirmation. They will be prepared for Confirmation in classes at the school led by Fr Ian. Bishop Mark will be coming on Thursday February 27th at 2pm to take the Confirmation. All welcome to come along. This is another example of our outreach from church. Some of the children may never reguallry attend our church but through school, and through our meetings with the children, they will be encouraged to explore Christian faith and grow into it. Do pray for the children and for their parents / carers. This week is the week of prayer for Christian Unity. On Friday at 11.30am we are going to the Armenian Church to say Morning Prayer. It will be a short service in this lovely little church. If you can, why not come? Leave St Chrysostom’s at 11.20am and walk up to the Armenian Church (on Upper Brook Street, close to Tesco’s). Photos of the places we’ve visited are on the Church Facebook Group. St C’s @ 5pm: Daily worship at 5pm at Church. Monday to Thursday, Mass, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Vespers. A peaceful time of prayer and reflection. Next Monday, 27th, is Holocaust Memorial Day and prayers for the day will be offered at 5pm Mass. On Sunday coming (26th) everyone is inited to go to Swadesh restaurant in Portland Street. Mathew has chosen the venue as a very reasoably priced place with good food. Its Mathew’s last Sunday at Church so it will be a good place to say farewell to him. Just come along – its a buffet meal so you can easily come and go as you please. A group will leave Church after Mass on Sunday. Looking forward:This year the Feast of Presentation, Candlemas, falls on a Sunday. We will have a special mass for the Feast – “The Light of the World.” And Benediction at 5pm will also celebrate this lovely feast. The day celebrates the day when Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus into the temple and Jeruslaem and there Simeon proclaimed him ‘a light to the nations’ and Anna, an elderly prophetess, spoke about the child and his future. We invite everyone to make a special effort to come to Church for this feast. If you have candles you would like blessing for your home they can be brought to church that day. For those who Tweet: Follow us @StChrys (132 followers so far)

Run, Volunteer, Worship and Picture this

Run, Volunteer, Worship and Picture this

Picture this, Run and Volunteer Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Angelus – St C’s eNewsletter 10th January 2013 Thank you to all who made our celebration of Epiphany last Sunday so wonderful and worshipful. Children and adults helped process the three kings to the crib and we sang out our praise of God shoen to us in Jesus Christ. Benediction was lovely, enhanced by lovely singing and special cakes! You can read a reflection on last Sunday’s Benediction, and see a photo of the wonderful Three Kings cake on the church blog: Click here. Lovely prayer cards with a prayer of blessing for homes were given out on Sunday, we have some spare copies for those who would like one – perhaps to send to a friend or relative. Thank you to the person (who wishes not to be named) who gave money for the printing of the cards. More information on our Blessing of Homes, which we encourage at New Year, can be found by clicking here. St C’s @ 5pm everyday we have worship at Church. Monday to Thursday, Mass, Friday to Sunday, Vespers. Its the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord on Sunday. Being baptised by John Jesus completely identifies himself with the people – with ourselves. The broadcaster Lavinia Byrne tells of the priest who asked Sunday school children: ‘What were the words which came from God when Jesus stepped out of the water of baptism?’ A child replied ‘You are my beloved daughter, and I love you very much.’ That child heard God’s affirming message; she knew God loved her. We are to recognise in Jesus’ baptism the implication that, through him, we too are God’s beloved. Volunteers please! We are wanting women or men, boys or girls who will be willing to commit to come to Mass on a Sunday at least once a month. What to do? Serve at the altar. Will you volunteer? Speak to Fr Ian, Fr Chris or Mathew on Sunday – and we will have a serving training / practice for the first ones who volunteer after Mass on Sunday January 19th. The Medaille Trust, helping those who have been freed from human traficking, has a house just opposite church. On Thursday(16th) Samantha Baxendale is coming to talk at our church Justice and Peace group about their work, and how we can support and encourage them. All are welcome – just come along to church at 7.30pm. StC’s Great Manchester Runners : Exercise your way to a healthy 2014 by joining our Bupa Great Manchester 10K Run team on Sunday 18 May. We will be raising money for Mary’s Meals, an international charity providing hot school meals to hungry, impoverished children. Registration for the event is £38 at www.greatrun.org. Speak to parish assistant John or Mark Fallows if you’d like to take part. (There is a report from last year’s run here) Looking forward: Church meal after Mass on Sunday 26th. Details in church. Now picture this! The Baptism of Jesus was a favourite subject for artists. The wide range of images is an indication of how important Christian communities have considered the Lord’s baptism. Some images of the Baptism of the Lord have been posted on our Church Facebook Group – and you could add one if you wish. (You can search through Google images ‘Baptism of Christ’) follow on Twitter | forward to a friend Our (New) Church Website Our Church Blog

The Wise Worship!

The Wise Worship!

New Year and Epiphany @ St C’s Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. The Angelus – St C’s eNewsletter 31st December 2013 Thank God for blessings received this year, and pray for the year to come. Prayers at Mass at 12 Noon on New Year’s Day will especially focus on the year ahead. Isn’t the photo above lovely? It was taken at the Nativity service on the Sunday evening before Christmas. It was a special informal service, very much enjoyed by the children – and Santa came at the end too. Fr Ian and Kim, Dominic, Gregory and Annie thank everyone who sent Christmas greetings, cards and gifts, this year. That was most kind. They appreciate the love and prayers of the people of St Chrysostom’s. They wish everyone a Very Happy New Year. Are you following our daily reflections for the Twelve Days of Christmas – they can be read on our church blog: Click here. The reflections were written by members of our ministry team. Worship this week: Don’t forget we worship every day at 5pm @ St C’s! Tuesday December 31st, New Year’s Eve, 5pm Mass Wednesday 1st January 2014, 12 Noon Mass with hymns (Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God) with prayers for God’s blessings for 2014 Thursday 2nd January 5pm Mass (Ss Basil and Gregory) Friday 3rd January 5pm Mass Saturday 5pm LGBT Communion (Mass of the Epiphany) SUNDAY – The FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD – The Wise worship! 11am High Mass of the Epiphany 5pm Solemn Benediction, followed by a Twelfth Night Social – ALL WELCOME! We welcome Revd Penny King as the preacher at Benediction. You are welcome to bring food to share if you wish. On Sunday chalk is blessed and we can take some home to ‘mark’ our doorways at the beginning of the New Year. Whether or not we take chalk we are all encouraged to pray for God’s blessing on our homes in 2014. This year everyone will be given a special prayer card we have had printed which has on it a prayer we can use for our home, and which can be displayed if we wish. There will be spare copies of the card to send to relatives or friends. Some numbers at the end of the year: We had an average attendance of 80 at Church on a Sunday in 2013. This is excellent – we are a growing church, and it is encouraging that our average attendance is rising. Our church blog had over 21,300 ‘hits’ in 2013. This e mail newsletter is sent to 242 e mail addresses. 130 people follow us on Twitter and there are 129 members of our facebook group. Next year it would be great if we could increase all these figures by at least 5%. Of course not all in the facebook group or who get the e mail newsletter come to church but many used to and still like to be in touch, and some are in sympathy with our style and aims but live far from us – we still consider them as part of our ‘family.’ Something else we hope to increase is our income. Please will you help us to do so? We need to increase our regular income to maintain the church and to sustain our work. We are delighted that a few more people have decided to give regularly through the free will offering envelope scheme. We are encouraging everyone who sees St Chrysostoms as ‘their church’ to give regularly towards its upkeep through the envelope scheme. We are also inviting all who wish to sponsor the church for a day in 2014. All you have to do is choose a day or days you’d like to sponsor, and then raise £25 for each day. (It actually costs over £50 a day to run the church, but the Church Council chose £25 to encourage more to join in). The day you choose could be an anniversary, a birthday, in memory of someone etc. Simply fill in the simple form we have made to indicate your day/s and we will enter your day/s on the Sponsor a day calendar in church. Then when you raise the money (which can be before the date chosen) give it in to church and we mark the calendar as paid. You can raise the money by whatever way you wish, and if, say, you wanted to hold a coffee morning or fund raising event other church members will be willing to help. Coming soon: Angelus moments... find out more later! For those who Tweet: Follow us @StChrys follow on Twitter | forward to a friend Our (New) Church Website Our Church Blog

Name the donkey, Pray at 5 and Coffee time?

Name the donkey, Pray at 5 and Coffee time?

Can you help with the donkey’s name? Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. St C’s eNewsletter 13th November 2013 We’ve certainly observed Remembrance-tide in the parish this year. Sunday Mass included the Act of Remembrance, and it was lovely to have a bugler present. Fr Ian has led Remembrance assemblies in both our church schools, and John and Fr Ian led a Remembrance Service at Hulme Hall on Tuesday evening. (See the lovely photo in the church facebook group) At Church we’re having more work done on the organ and to do this it means we are without an organ to accompany worship until December. A new prayer tree is being planted in the next week or so, and a bench to go near it is on order. New heaters are being installed in the next few days they are in addition to the four new heaters we had installed a few months ago, and brings heater work to a close. St C’s @ 5pm. There is worship everyday at church. Monday to Thursday Mass, Friday to Sunday Vespers. Did you know that each Wednesday after 5pm Mass we gather at the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham and offer ‘Parish Prayers’ praying particularly for those who have asked for our prayers. Why not spread the prayer – pause wherever you are at 5pm and join in the prayer. Sunday is Prisons Sunday when we pray for prisoners and those who work in prisons. This theme will be included in Vespers on Sunday, and also in our Justice and Peace group meeting on Thursday, 21st November at 7.30pm at Church. Next week is also Inter faith week and we are encouraged to find out more about other faiths and their beliefs. Children from both schools will be visiting the Jewish Museum, and a class from St Chrysostom’s school will be visiting the Hindu Temple on Wilbraham Road. Fr Ian and the Head teachers will be visiting Victoria park Mosque and a visit to the Buddhist Centre is planned too. Look out for more information. Would you like to have a go at singing in our choir being set up to sing at the Carol Service on December 8th at 6pm. Anyone willing to attend a few rehearsals is welcome. There is a notice up in church, or speak with Fliss Morgan. Don’t forget the Church Fair is after Mass on Sunday 24th November. Donations of books and other items for sale very welcome. In particular gifts for a Tombola which Fr Ian is organising with Mathew are very welcome. (For example, toiletries, chocolate, small gifts…) Our Parish Posada starts on Advent Sunday, 1st December. In this the figures of Mary, Joseph and the donkey visit places in our locality each day and come to church in time for Christmas. Its a great time of outreach to others and we’d love all to be involved. If you’d like them to visit you, or if you’d like to go on a visit or visits, please speak to one of the parish assistants. Now – We need your help to name the donkey in our Parish Posada this year. Laura and Mathew have come up with four suggestions and ask you to vote for one. Don’t delay, vote today: Click here for the names and how to vote. Do you know a family or individual in need of food? We are able to give a little help at church by referring people to a local food bank. It costs nothing for those in need. Fr Ian can issue a voucher for food to a person or family in genuine need. If you know someone please ask them to speak to Fr Ian. When is the best time for coffee? Find out on the church blog.Click here. For those who Tweet: Follow us @StChrys (128 followers so far) follow on Twitter | forward to a friend Our (New) Church Website Our Church Blog unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences

Daffodils, Daily at 5, Holy Souls

Volunteers welcome…The Chantry book… Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. St C’s eNews 17th October 2013 We celebrated 136 years of our church on Sunday, and it was great to have over 80 people at worship. In his sermon at Mass Fr Ian talked about William Wordsworth’s famous poem The Daffodils, and how the poet is cheered by the memory of the scene of the daffodils. Fr Ian encouraged us to revisit our own church in our minds and memories, and be encouraged, spiritually by this special place of prayer. Fr Ian also reminded us how Bishop Knox at the rededication of the church encouraged St Chrysostom’s people to cultivate a love of daily public worship. Fr Ian mentioned how encouraging it was that each day of the year at 5pm Mass, or prayers, are said at St Chrysostom’s. On Sunday at Mass we invited people to take part in our church life by volunteering – we need volunteers to help in several ways. Forms were given out for people to indicate what they are happy to help with. There are spare forms in church if you missed the opportunity. On Tuesday morning at St Chrysostom’s school children gathered, as usual, for Munamato prayers. This is a lovely time of quiet reflection at the beginning of the school day. About twelve different children attend each week. This Tuesday the children looked around them to see what beautiful things they could see – this included a colourful hair bobble, lovely hands, Mrs Jones – the deputy head teacher, and more. The children talked about how important it is to be still at times and thought of the Bible verse Be still and know that I am God. Wednesday was Blog Action Day – an initiative of Amnesty International. This year Amnesty encouraged people to write a blog entry on Human Rights. St Chrysostom’s Church joined in, and you can read the blog John, our parish assistant wrote, called Contentious Deathsby clicking here. St C’s @ 5pm. There is worship everyday at church. Monday to Thursday Mass, Friday to Sunday Vespers. Did you know that each Wednesday after 5pm Mass we gather at the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham and offer ‘Parish Prayers‘ praying particularly for those who have asked for our prayers. Thursday 17th – the Justice and Peace group meet at Church at 7.30pm. This month the topic for discussion is Mental health Issues. One in four of us each year is affected by mental health issues, but they are issues which are not always spoken about. Anyone is welcome to come along, new members are very welcome. Our Church Council are meeting after Mass on Sunday. We are discussing renewing more heaters in church, fund raising, Advent and Christmas, and more. November is the month of the Holy Souls, when we remember those who have died, especially members of our own families and friends. If you have someone whom you would like remembering by name please write their names in the Book of the Names of the Deaprted in Church, or you can e-mail Laura (click here) and she will enter the name for you. The names will be read out at the All Soulstide liturgy on Sunday 3rd November at 5pm, and all are encouraged to attend that. We are also updating our Chantry Book. This records the names of those we remember each year at the anniversary of their death. If you wish a name entering in the Chantry book, and we hope you do, please put that name in the Book of Names of the Departed and please put the date of the death (including the year) after the name so we know where to enter it. People are prayed for by name on or close to the anniversary of their death at 5pm worship. We’d like to buy a copy of Exciting Holiness – which has the Bible readings and prayers for Saints days in it. Its an official publication of the Church of England and can be bought for £25. If you would like to give money for this, perhaps in memory of someone, or as a thanksgiving, please have a word with Fr Ian. And also… we are planting over 100 daffodil bulbs outside church to mark our 136th birthday. Would you like to give a donation towards them? Its great to see several new members in our church facebook group. We’ve over 115 now. If you are on Facebook why not join the church facebook group? Click here to join. For those who Tweet: Follow us @StChrys (124 followers so far) And a final word, today from the Pope! Hot of the press from the Vatican. In his homily given today the Pope reminds Christians that Prayer keeps us from loosing faith: See http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/10/17/pope_francis:_prayer_keeps_us_from_losing_faith/en1-738101 follow on Twitter | forward to a friend Our (New) Church Website Our Church Blog unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences

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136 years and doing well

Saying YES! Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. St Chrysostom’s Celebrating 136 years ‘Let us do good to all people’ (Galatians 6.10) We’re celebrating 136 years of St Chrysostom’s Church on Sunday – a celebration of the ‘Church’s birthday.’ More details below. It was a busy week last week on Friday, World Smile Day, Fr Ian and Mtr Kim visited both church schools and encouraged smiling by giving everyone, children and staff, smiley badges. It was a lovely morning – look at this photo from St John’s School and see the head teacher smiling! Harvest produce was also gathered and brought to church – an amazing amount. Thank you to all who contributed. The gifts have been taken to Cornerstone – to help the homeless and disadvantaged of the area and Cornerstone have written thanking us all for our generosity. It was also Fr Ian’s birthday last week. He spent the evening at the Radison Blu Hotel in Manchester! Why? Click here to find out. Celebrating our Church’s birthday on Sunday 11am High Mass – come along and raise your voice in thanksgiving! We have a shared lunch after Mass – bring something to share. 5pm Benediction – a time of holiness and prayer. Do come to this special act of worship, Fr Ian is leading and Revd Penny King will be the Deacon. benediction will be followed by coffee/ tea and cake. On this Sunday each year we encourage people to give to the Church on its birthday by volunteering to do some simple task. We are so grateful to all who give voluntary help at church. On Sunday everyone is given a simple card on which they can indicate what they are willing to do. So come along and be prepared to say YES! Please pray for God’s blessing on our celebrations on Sunday, and for our work and witness as members of St Chrysostom’s, St C’s @ 5pm. There is worship everyday at church. Monday to Thursday Mass, Friday to Sunday Vespers. Did you know that each Wednesday after 5pm Mass we gather at the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham and offer ‘Parish Prayers’ praying particularly for those who have asked for our prayers. Morning Prayer is usually said Monday to Friday at 9.15pm and on Sundays at 9.30pm. Interested in online help to pray? Try sacred space. We have a bench on order for outside the church, in memory of Dick and Gill Hatch. About the same time as it is introduced we also hope to have a new prayer tree planted near it. There will be a plaque commemorating Dick and Gill in the porch of church. In that place we also hope to introduce other plaques of the same size for those who give specific gifts to the church. John, parish assistant, is encouraging people to join our church facebook group. It’s a great way of sharing thoughts and ideas and also sharing photos too. Its also a great way of getting to know one another better, and so stregthen our church community. There are some lovely photos of World Smile Day and children with Harvest gifts in the Facebook group. If you are not on Facebook why not join and join the Church facebook group, and if you are a member do join in the conversation 🙂 The children of St Chrysostom’s School who met for Munamato prayers on Tuesday talked this week about a passage from St Paul’s letters. ‘Let us do good to all people’ (Galatians 6.10) | forward to a friend Our (New) Church Website Our Church Blog unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences

This email was sent to kim.wasey@gmail.com why did I get this? unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences St Chrysostoms Church · 4A Anson Road · Manchester, Eng M14 5BG · United Kingdom