May 2017 THE MAGAZINE OF THE HORWICH & RIVINGTON TEAM CHURCHES Price 50p

June2017 Deadline: May 21st

Publication date: June 4th

IN THIS ISSUE Page 2: Directory

Page 3: Monthly Musings; TKC; Half Marathon Man Page 4 : Music For All—Take Your Pick; Congratulations; Pensioners Advice & Information Fair; Training Opportunity Page 5: Christian Aid Week; New Confirmations; Rest in Peace; May Sayings Page 6: Horwich In Bloom and Fruit & Vegetable Competition; May Recipe; Wise Words

Page 7 : From the Registers; ‘Dying for a Cuppa’; Dates & Reminders for May. Page 8: All about the young people—Through the eyes of a child; Palm Sunday Albert; Time4Twos & Time4You; Messy Church

CHAPLAIN GILL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BOLTON I was licensed as the Co-ordinating Chaplain at the University of

Bolton by the Bishop of Bolton, the Rt. Revd Mark Ashcroft, on 24 March. I have worked at the University for the past twenty years as a researcher and lecturer and have been an Honorary Chaplain since 2014 when I did a placement in the Chaplaincy as part of my ministry training.

I have reduced my hours as an academic so now have two part-time jobs, one funded by the University and the Chaplain’s post funded by the Diocese of Manchester. My links with the University mean I know the staff and the students. I know the highs and lows the pressures both can feel at certain times of the academic year.

As Co-ordinating Chaplain, I am responsible for working with the honorary chaplains and pastoral assistants of different faiths that make up the Chaplaincy support. It is a multi-faith chaplaincy as is the University and the town and it is important that all chaplains including myself are there for all staff and students, whether of faith or no faith. Many of the issues that come through the door are pastoral rather than spiritual and often someone just needs a person to talk to.

We run regular worship events such as morning prayer, Anglican Holy Communion, Roman Catholic Mass and Muslim Friday prayers. Our Buddhist Chaplain does regular meditation and the Unitarian Chaplain also holds a regular reflection. I intend to be a visible presence in the University paying regular visits to the halls of residence, the café, the bar, the social areas and the Queen’s Campus at Farnworth.

Please keep me in your prayers as I start this new challenge. The job was advertised four times before I applied and each time no one suitable was found; so maybe this really was meant to be my job. I am also the first self-supporting minister of my cohort to have got a paid job in the church.

If anyone finds themselves in the University, please call into the Chaplaincy for a cup of tea. If I’m not there my contact details are on the door. Revd Dr Gill Smart, chaplain.gill@bolton.ac.uk

Brave souls from Holy Trinity up the Pike

in the mist and rain on Good Friday

Holy Trinity Church Playcare: Weekdays Lisa Entwistle 667606 Parents & Toddlers Mon. 09-11 am. Jaffa Tots (3-6) Sunday 09.15 Andy Ruaux 460776 Jaffa Juniors (7-10) Sunday 09.15 Anne Fletcher 468263 Jaffas (11-13) Sunday 09.15 Andrew Ruaux 460776 Tuesday Beavers Nigel Anderson Nigel.Anderson@brooks.com Thursday Cubs Brian Boyne kathboyne@hotmail.co.uk Beavers, Cubs & Scouts (overall) Christine Bradley 410811 Rainbows & Monday Brownies Angela Alcroft angela_alcroft@tiscali.co.uk Wednesday Brownies Katie Webster katie164@btinternet.com Friday Guides Kathryn Tomkinson kath.tomkinson@btinternet.com

St. Catherine’s Children’s Club Sunday 10.30 Michael Behrend 697162 Tiny Tots Wed 09.15-11.15 Michael Behrend 697162 St. Elizabeth’s Church Energize (4-11) Sunday 10.00 Jane Halstead 468273 Pathfinders (11-14) Sunday 10.00 CYFA (14+) Thursday 20.00 Gill Smart 468271 Beavers, Cubs & Scouts Derek English 469972 Brownies Monday : Beverley Gowen 468581 Rainbows Tuesday : Meriel Gregson 697255 Rivington J.A.M. (1-14) 3rd Sunday 10.30 Susan Firth 01257 480084 (Jesus & Me) Church Hall

YOUTH ORGANISATIONS ACROSS THE TEAM

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CHURCH SERVICES SUNDAYS Holy Trinity Church: Every Week 08.00 Holy Communion 1st, 2nd, 4th & 5th Sundays 09.15 Informal Worship (with K4C) 10.45 Choral Service (Communion) 3rd Sunday 10.45 Parade services termly for information on other services check newsletter and monthly notices Evening Services 18.30 Holy Communion (1st Sunday) 18.30 Evening Praise (2nd Sunday) 18.30 Celtic Communion (3rd Sunday) 18.30 Enigma (4th Sunday)

Rivington Parish Church: 10.45 Holy Communion 1662 10.45 Family Communion (2nd Sunday) St. Catherine’s Church: 08.45 Holy Communion 1662 10.30 Holy Communion (1st, 3rd & 4th Sundays) 10.30 Church Family Worship (2nd Sunday) 10.30 Morning Worship (5th Sunday)

St. Elizabeth’s Church:

08.45 Holy Communion 1662 (1st Sunday)10.00 Home4All (1st Sunday) 10.00 Communion4All (2nd Sunday) includes our children 10.00 Word4You (3rd Sunday) 10.00 Communion4You (4th Sunday)

WEEKDAYS 1st & 3rd Wednesday of each month 09.30 Holy Communion—St. Elizabeth’s 2nd & 4th Wednesday of each month 09.30 Holy Communion—Holy Trinity 4th Thursday of each month 10.30 Holy Communion St Catherine’s Every Wednesday 6.30p.m Evening Service with Holy Communion—St Elizabeth’s 1st, 2nd & 3rd Tuesday each month 09.30 Midweek prayers for all church members at the Independent Methodist Church, Lee Lane Last Saturday of month—Mattins at Rivington Church

PEOPLE & PLACES

THE MINISTERIAL TEAM Rector: Stephen Fletcher Vicar: Michael Behrend Curates: Jo Smith Gill Smart Associates Peter Harley Caroline Tracey Honorary: Glenda Bush Colin Craston Brenda Craston Anthony Greenhill David Griffiths Readers: Irvine Delamore David Hawes THE TEAM CHURCHES: Please note that changes in personnel as a result of AGMs will be advised in June edition. Holy Trinity Church Warden: Susan Preston Treasurer: Lesley Greenhalgh Secretary: Susan Kerr Rivington Church Wardens: Peter Holden Warren Wells Treasurer: David Hawkins Secretary: Barbara Shaw St. Catherine’s Church Wardens: Ian Winnard Kath Jackson Treasurer: Andrea Shore Secretary: Pam Smith (c/oTeam Office) St. Elizabeth’s Church Wardens: Sandra Almond Jane Halstead Treasurer: Richard Skidmore Secretary: vacant post

468263 697162

240508 691539 692303 468271 699972 699972 696509 469621 696437 693727

693722 693973 692760

01257 482451 307949

077105667 01257 480759

694005 770598 694613

692252

692749 468273

BELOW THE PIKE BELOW THE PIKE is published by the Team Council of the Anglican Churches of Horwich and Rivington. Its aim is to link the Team Churches with each other and the wider community of Horwich. The contents are not exclusively religious, but encompass any matters of Christian or local concern. Anyone who would like to make such a contribution, through the Editorial Committee, is most welcome (details below). Please be aware that the articles printed do not necessarily reflect the thoughts of the Editor or Editorial team Editorial Team

Editor: Margaret Broadfoot 690283 email: mbroadfoot283@btinternet.com Stephen Fletcher (Rector) 468263 Pam Knowles 667363 Gloria Long (Holy Trinity) 692035 David Griffiths (Rivington) 469621 Judith Whalley (St. Catherine’s) 691968 St Elizabeth’s (vacancy) THE TEAM OFFICE is situated in the crypt below St. Catherine’s Church. Open Mon to Fri: 10.00 a.m. to 12 noon Telephone: (01204) 692252 Email: churchteamoffice@gmail.com Holy Trinity Parish Hall Booking enquiries to:- Susan Preston T: 693722 E: colin.preston8@btinternet.com St. Elizabeth’s Church Hall Booking enquiries to:- Jill Harley T: 694611 E: jill.harley@talktalk.net Web Site: (all churches) www.bhrmp.co.uk/ BAPTISMS Initial enquiries for baptisms Team Office or Emma Shawcross WEDDINGS Initial enquiries for weddings

Revd Caroline Tracey

692252 469355

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Monthly Musings for May

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This month is about …

TKC -

TKC—what’s that you may ask? Treating kids carefully? Talking kitchens and cooking? WRONG!

It’s actually Thy Kingdom Come. So what, you may say—it’s part of the Lord’s Prayer, we all know that?

Well, this is different and you can be a part of it!

Here in Horwich and Rivington all the Christian churches are going to join the global wave of prayer

between Ascension and Pentecost, 25 May – 4 June. It started as an invitation from the Archbishops

of Canterbury and York in 2016 for people to come together in prayer in the Church of England and

come to know Jesus Christ. This year it has grown into an international and ecumenical call to prayer.

The world and our communities need prayer and as Archbishop Justin Welby says ‘In praying ‘Thy

Kingdom Come’ we all commit to playing our part in the renewal of nations and the transformation of

communities’

Let us join together across Horwich and Rivington in one of the many varied prayer events taking place

across all our churches in the 10-day programme between Ascension and Pentecost. There is quiet prayer,

there is messy prayer, there is prayer and pizza, there is a prayer tree, there is prayer and crafts plus many

more. Come along and join us as we pray for our communities, ourselves and our world. The dates and times

of all events can be seen below. Resources for you to use will be available in your churches—watch out for

them.

DATE TIME EVENT CHURCH

25th May Ascension Day

'Thy Kingdom Come Launch

7.00pm 'Prayers and Pizza' (suitable for young people) St. Elizabeth's Church

7.30pm Ascension Holy Communion St Catherine’s Church

26th May 10.30am—12pm Prayer and Crafts New Chapel UR Church

27th May 10.30 - 11.00am Matins and Morning Coffee Rivington Church

29th May 12pm – 2pm Prayer Labyrinth Holy Trinity Church

30th May 5.30 - 6.30pm Exposition St Mary’s Church

10.30am - 12pm Prayer Cross & Cup n Natter St John’s Church

31st May 11am — 3pm

Prayer Tree Middlebrook in the Vue Mall

7.30—9pm Your Will Be Done on Earth Liberty Christian Centre

1st June 7.30 – 9pm Prayer for the Community Horwich Evangelical

Church

2nd June 7am – 7pm 7 to 7 Prayer Room St Catherine’s Church

3rd June 10am – 12pm

Pentecost Prayer Morning St Elizabeth’s Church

4 – 6pm Family Prayer Party

4th June 5.30pm Pentecost Praise Party Holy Trinity Church

Paul Greenhalgh, one of our trainee ALMs, is running the Manchester half marathon on May 28th to raise funds for The Christie. Please support him in his efforts by sponsoring him at: https://www.justgiving.com/Paul-Greenhalgh10 Go Paul !!!!

CONGRATULATIONS— Malcolm and Doreen Carey on their Golden Wedding Anniversary April 1st David and Andrea Arrowsmith on their Golden Wedding Anniversary May 27th

Also, some readers may remember Doris Mackenzie who attended Lee Lane church until its closure in 2005. She was 100 on April 6th and celebrated at Grange-over-Sands where she now lives.

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HORWICH MUSIC FESTIVAL DATE TIME EVENT PRICE GENRE

Friday 5th May 2pm – 3pm HANKY PARK FREE Folk/comedy duo

Friday 5th May 6pm – 8.30pm MARK RADCLIFFE £6.00 Bolton born Radio 2 DJ and musician

Saturday 6th May 2pm – 3.30pm HORWICH RMI BRASS BAND

£6.00 Our very own Brass Band!

Saturday 6th May 6pm – 8.30pm PETE KING / NICOLA FARNON TRIO

£7.50 Jazz

Sunday 7th May

1pm – 3.30pm ALICE KIRWAN / NORTHERN STRING QUARTET

£7.50 Classical

Tickets on sale now at the venue, Horwich Community Centre, tel 01204 668157 or 01204 691090. Book early to avoid disappointment. For further information visit www.horwichmusicfestival.com or

www.facebook.com/HorwichMusicFestival

MUSIC FOR ALL—TAKE YOUR PICK!

LET YOUR HAIR DOWN! RIVINGTON CHURCH on Saturday 13th May at 7pm present The WABASH JAZZMEN in a programme of foot tapping New Orleans Traditional Jazz. Tickets: £10-00 Concert only, or why not make a night of it and stay for the after - concert meal for £30 (concert and meal)? Tickets available from: Sandra Leatherbarrow on 01204 843631 or Bob and Lilian Culshaw on 01204 696242

SOUNDS OF BRASS Holy Trinity Church,

Church Street, Horwich welcomes

Haslingden & Helmshore Band on Saturday May 20th at 7.30 pm

Tickets £8 (schoolchildren free)

including refreshments

Proceeds to support the Stanley Grange Community, Salmesbury

ADVANCE NOTICE!

The ‘All Britain’ Festival of Male Voice Praise

in the Victoria Hall, Bolton, on Sat. 3rd June, 2017 at 6.30pm.

Admission by ticket (£5) from the Box Office, or online at www.ticketsource.co.uk or from CLC Bookshop, Deansgate, Bolton.

PENSIONERS’ ADVICE AND INFORMATION FAIR, FRIDAY 5 MAY 2017, 10AM-1PM AT HORWICH RMI, RAMSBOTTOM ROAD, HORWICH, BL6 5NH

A Pensioners’ Advice and Information Fair will be taking place at the Horwich RMI on 5th May from 10am to 1pm. It is a free event organised by our MP, Chris Green, as he is aware of how many queries he gets for advice, information and support every day from people in his constituency across Bolton West and Atherton, and a lot of these requests come from older people relating to every aspect of their lives. He is organising this event so that key organisations are brought together in one room, giving older people the opportunity to tackle a wide range of issues. More information can be obtained from: chris@chris-green.org.uk or by phoning his office on 01942 409 132.

Training for All Age and Family Worship 23rd May 7.30pm at St Elizabeth’s. For anyone who leads services

or young peoples volunteers. Further info to follow.

SOME MAY SAYINGS -

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May. William Shakespeare

You are as welcome as the flowers in May. Charles Macklin

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living water that faith provides inspired much thought. Following this, we were honoured to greet the Bishop of Lahore, who was on a short visit from Pakistan to our diocese. To have both Bishops present at the confirmation was an unexpected, yet welcome surprise.

After the candidates had approached the font and made the symbol of the cross on each of their heads in turn, we were informed that we were about to witness a conditional baptism, which the Bishop had never performed before. It seems truly

On Sunday the 19th of March, at Holy Trinity Church in Horwich, there were confirmed fourteen candidates from the Horwich Team Churches and St Peter’s , Belmont, into the Christian Church. I happened to be one of them. The atmosphere in the Church that day was wholeheartedly positive, from the Reverend Stephen’s encouraging smiles to the wise sermon from the Bishop of Bolton, Mark Ashcroft.

It was clear to all that the Bishop was a kind-hearted and astute man, and his sermon about the

to have been a day of firsts for us all, as we watched one of our number being baptised and then a moment’s search for a towel so we could continue with the service.

Two by two, we approached and knelt before the Bishop to be confirmed. Two by two, we felt the living water which he had previously spoken of wash over us.

After the final moments of the service, there was time for photographs and conversation with the Bishop before celebrations began. Isaac Knowles (The candidates were pictured in the March edition)

NEW CONFIRMATIONS

CHRISTIAN AID WEEK: STANDING WITH REFUGEES LIKE NEJEBAR

Nejebar and her family have fled horrors in Afghanistan, where her husband was threatened with torture and death for being a government worker. (pictured left—photo courtesy of Christian Aid)

But now they’ve arrived in Greece, all they have is a tent. They have no other protection against wind and rain. There’s no school for their five children. And they have no certainty or clear idea of what will happen to them now. They thought they would stay here for 10 days, but it’s already been six months and there’s no end in sight.

Nejebar’s husband Noor describes their initial reaction to arriving in the camp in Greece: ‘It was like suicide for us. But we took the decision that it is better to die here than to die there from war.’

Thanks to you, Christian Aid has been there for refugees like Nejebar since 1945, providing essential food, shelter and legal assistance for people far from home. And we still believe in life before death.

This Christian Aid Week, 14-20 May, our team of churches is continuing to walk with refugees by doing door to door collections, coffee mornings, soup lunches, store collections, bucket collections and events in local schools. You’ve helped us be there for refugees since 1945 and we’re not going to turn our backs on refugees now.

Speak to Sue Ruaux sueruaux@icloud.com to join us.

REST IN PEACE May I share with everyone that Linda Gillet and I met in Ridgmont Cemetery on 11th April and said some

prayers at the new stone which has been erected to mark the place of those, buried in common graves, from the Free Church tradition. The inscription reads: “In Memory of Adults and Children from the Free Churches Buried in These Unmarked Graves 1928 – 1977. Forever Remembered” May I express my thanks to all from our various churches who contributed to this stone. Given the oversight which was made earlier, I would suggest there is a sense of rightness to how we have responded. Revd. Jennifer McKenzie

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SOME WISE WORDS TO HELP YOU ON YOUR WAY—IF YOU HAVE ANY TO SHARE PLEASE SEND THEM IN:

We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give. Winston Churchill

ENTER HORWICH IN BLOOM 2017 Horwich in Bloom is a fun community competition, why not enter your garden today? There are lots of different categories you can enter from front gardens to shop fronts, from containers to community allotments; there’s a section for everyone. You can pick up your entry form from the Horwich Library, Horwich Community Centre or email: vickihrc@outlook.com Closing date: 26th June 2017. So get your form off as soon as possible to Horwich Community Centre, Beaumont Road, Horwich BL6 7BG. You never know, this year you could be picking up a trophy at the presentation day on Saturday 16th September.

AND, TALKING OF GARDENING…… HORWICH FRUIT, FLOWER & VEG COMPETITION 2017

Saturday 16th September 2017

If you love to grow your own Fruit and Veg, or maybe your family says you’re the best jam maker in the world then the Horwich Fruit Flower & Vegetable Competition is definitely for you. There are various sections you can enter from home produce to home grown produce and there’s even a section for kids too. If you have ever felt the pride of eating a home grown tomato, then imagine how you would feel walking away with a trophy! The Horwich Fruit Flower & Veg Competition has taken place in Horwich for over 100 years and it would be great to get every allotment owner, leisure gardener, home baker and jam maker in Horwich to enter something this year. For more details: Call: 01204 668157 or email: vickihrc@outlook.com or drop into the Horwich Community Centre, Beaumont Road, Horwich BL6 7BG and pick up your entry form.

RÖSTI (Swiss Fried Potatoes) Portions for 3 – 4 people In itself rösti is a very simple dish, but the preparation takes some know how. It is important that the potatoes are cooked at least one day beforehand. They must be pressed together in the pan like a round loaf and covered with a soup bowl or a tightly fitting lid. Rösti must not be stirred, otherwise it will not form a crust. 1kg (2.2lbs) potatoes 3 Tablespoons butter 1 Teaspoon salt 2 Tablespoons milk Boil the unpeeled potatoes until semi-tender the day before preparation. The following day peel and grate, using a grater with large holes. Heat the butter in a frying pan. Add the potatoes and sprinkle with salt. Using a spatula, press into a circular mound. Sprinkle with milk and cover securely. Reduce the heat as soon as the potatoes begin to sizzle. Fry very slowly for another 30 minutes. During this time a brown crust will form. Cover the pan with a flat platter and flip the rösti onto it. Traditionally served with a fried egg on top! Rösti Variations: Rösti can also be prepared from raw, finely grated potatoes. Turn a few times in hot butter, then press

into a mound and cover. Fry for 15 – 20 minutes.

Rösti with bacon : Finely chop lean bacon and sauté in butter. Add to potatoes.

Rösti with onions: Cut onions into strips, and fry with the potatoes.

FROM THE REGISTERS

BAPTISMS & THANKSGIVINGS We welcome to the family of the Church: 12th March John Winston Pollard (with apologies for late entry)

2nd April Hugo Ezra Lindsey 9th April Max James Webster 9th April Mable Rose Horne 9th April Sophie May Leino

FUNERALS We offer love and sympathy to the relatives and friends of: 27th March Martyn John Cunningham 28th March Doreen Dennett 31st March Doreen Kay 5th April Irene Speed 6th April Margaret Bromilow 7th April Jack Holt

19th April Arthur Marchant Cooper 21st April Pamela (Pam) Ashworth 21st April Patricia (Pat) McCoy 21st April Lesley Joan Bennett

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DATES & REMINDERS FOR MAY

1st may - 50th anniversary family fun day st Elizabeth’s

church grounds. open to all

5th may—pensioners advice & information fair at rmi

10am—1pm (see Page 4)

5th—7th may—Horwich music festival (see page 4)

8th May—Monday matinee at Horwich community centre -

‘bridget jones’s baby’ 2pm

13th may- messy church at st Elizabeth's 4pm (see page 8)

13th may— Wabash jazzmen Rivington church 7.30pm (see

page 4)

14th—20th may—Christian aid week

14th may—civic Sunday holy trinity 10.45 am

16th may—’dying for a cuppa’ st Elizabeth’s 7.30pm (see

column left)

20th may—brass band concert holy trinity 7.30p.m (see

page 4)

23rd may—all age worship training st Elizabeth’s 7.30pm

25th may—4th june - Thy kingdom come (see page 3)

25th may— Ascension day communion st Catherine’s 7.30pm

27th may—Matins at Rivington Church 10.30am

3rd june—messy church at st Elizabeth’s 4pm (see page 8)

ANSWER TO JOKE ON P. 8— Smiles—because there is a mile between

the first and last letters!!

WHY DON’T WE TALK ABOUT DYING?

It can be invaluable to talk to someone about those big, practical questions concerning Death, Dying and Funerals. Yet research has shown that 20% of people over 75 believe that "Death is a long way off" and 3% would say, "that they are too young to think about it" The truth is we are all going to die. But no-one wants to say anything! To help us start thinking and talking about these key topics we are holding a 'Dying for a Cuppa' evening at St. Elizabeth's Church on Tuesday, 16th May starting at 7.30 pm. √ There will be Tea and Cake √ There will be Talk √ There will be Questions The evening will give you the chance to talk about death, think about your funeral, ask questions and air your thoughts. There will also be cards with thought provoking questions to start conversations and you will be invited to sit at a table with three or four others. We promise a relaxed evening to explore those important questions. No need to book, just turn up! There will be resources available for you to take away at the end of the evening.

Admission and Refreshments are FREE

With many thanks to Easiprint, Crown Lane, Horwich for their excellent service & the quality and printing of this magazine

Q: What’s the longest word in the

dictionary?

Answer on Page 7.

Just when you thought you knew it all, it’s a little disconcerting to find yourself learning something new from a 4-year-old! But that’s just what happened to me. I was fortunate to help out earlier this week when a small group of children, from Poppy & Jack’s nursery, visited Holy Trinity with their teachers.

They arrived, full of chatter and enthusiasm, to be shown around the church by Jenny Dagnall. I had expected them to be somewhat in awe of the size of the building, they are after all quite small in comparison. In reality it was the little things that seemed to impress them most: the display of the uniformed groups’ flags, the commemorative patchwork quilt on the wall, the marble statue of the kneeling lady; all of these were exclaimed over and admired, but the highlight of the visit were the three African drums, gifts from the Ugandan AYF Choir, which were banged lustily and with great fervour, as well as them making echoes by shouting “Hurray!”

Peace however was soon restored when refreshments were offered and Jenny read a story about love – “Guess how much I love you?” - before the children thanked us and returned to the nursery.

So what did they teach me? Well, they taught me to look at things with a new eye, that joy can be found in the simplest or smallest things. While we were looking at the kneeling lady one of the children seemed mesmerised by a camel carved on the plinth of the statue, just touching it with his fingertips. He didn’t seem to notice the kneeling lady above his head, just the camel. Another child, while we were looking at the drums, just wanted to stroke the cover (some kind of animal skin) and touch the faces carved in the wood. I learnt that you don’t need to know everything, that the smallest thing can bring pleasure, all you need to do is to look with a child’s eye and you can find beauty in all sorts of things. Gloria Long

THROUGH THE EYES OF A CHILD

Time4You and Time4Twos at St Elizabeth’s

Over 40 parents and volunteers this week attended the Annual General Meetings of the popular Time4You and Time4 Two parent and baby/toddler groups which meet at St Elizabeth’s church hall. Both have been awarded lottery funding to deliver a range of evidence based, fun activities led by an early year’s specialist Rachel Holland, that support parent child relationships and children’s optimal development, and which, in many cases, can be replicated at home. Special events over the year have included a teddy bear’s picnic, Easter bonnet parade, raft building and camp fire, a bear hunt and ever popular Nativity services and Christmas party including a visit from Father Christmas – this year complete with sleigh! Thanks were expressed to the team of amazing volunteers who both help

create a warm and friendly space and ensure the smooth running of the group each week. Parents with children aged under 5 are welcome at the groups and anyone who can spare either a Thursday or Friday morning at least once a month to join our volunteers would also be very welcome. Please contact Brenda Griffiths (brendagwoodford@gmail.com) 01204 469621

MESSY CHURCH !!!

13th May and 3rd June Sessions start at 4pm, and include a light

meal. Everybody is welcome. Contact Jane Thompson 468541

Albert, the donkey, visited Rivington Church on Palm Sunday. The congregation were reminded that a donkey like Albert carried Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. King Herod rode around on a big war horse but King Jesus rode a donkey, fulfilling an Old Testament prophecy 500 years before, that the Messiah – God’s Chosen One – would come to the Holy City riding on a donkey to proclaim God’s peace. The congregation were able to see the cross that all donkeys carry on their backs reminding us of the cross that Jesus would be killed on the following Friday, to proclaim God’s love and acceptance of all people. And of course we know that wasn’t the end, Jesus rose again on Easter day and is alive today. Alleluia!