Message from Rev Wendy Oliver

I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’m living through some kind of disaster movie at the present time!  What will happen next? Society seems to have gone a bit bonkers doesn’t it?  Well never fear God is still here and so is Christ’s Church, Harwood.

Sadly though in the light of the Government guidance around non-essential contact to help stem the spread of the Coronavirus, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have issued advice that public worship is suspended until further notice.  Therefore, it is with great sadness that we must announce that there will be no more formal worship services held at Christ’s Church, Harwood during this very difficult period.  Our APCM (AGM) due to take place on 28 March is also postponed.  All other church groups including the Lounge Café are cancelled until further notice.

However, this does not mean that the church is not still alive and active!  WE ARE!!!  We are still church although in different ways.  AND there are lots of ways we can support one another, stay in touch, pray even if we don’t meet for regular worship on Sundays.

There is no way COVID-19 will defeat us!  I know many people are feeling fearful of the future and what it holds, but remember we are a Church of HOPE!  That hope is what will bring us through to the end of this difficult time.

How can we bring HOPE in this situation? Well first let’s look to scripture, Psalm 23 is a marvellous place to start, with acknowledgement that God is the good shepherd always with us, meeting our needs, even if that leads us to walk through the shadow of death, he brings us through to the other side and is still with us.  Let’s remember too that as Christians we have HOPE of a future, eternally with God.

We can PRAY, and if we don’t know the words to use, or we feel we’ve never really prayed before and are nervous why not try using the Lord’s Prayer.

Christ’s Church, Harwood has a Strategy Team which is looking at different ways we can still be church in a very different world. 

Although there will not be usual worship services on Sunday morning the church will be open this Sunday from 9.30-10.30am for people to come and spend a time of quiet reflective prayer in our beautiful church building.  Obviously safety measures will need to be adhered to.  

From Monday 23 March a number of us will, in our own homes, be using the Church of England Daily Prayer at 10am and 7pm.  If you would like to join in the app can be downloaded at the Google and Apple app stores, it’s called Daily Prayer.  It is very easy to use.

It is hoped that we will be able to make sure that the majority if not all of our regular congregation will be contacted by someone from church and are putting plans in place so everyone knows we are there for them.

Our social media sites will be regularly updated with prayers, podcasts, videos and information to help everyone through.  The magazine due out at the beginning of March will have lots of articles prayers and articles which we hope will encourage us all in this difficult time.

Please remember that we also have a Grub Tub here in Church and many people will need help from Food Banks during this time of uncertainty, so if you have an extra tin or two, toilet rolls or anything else which could help someone else, please do drop it off on Sunday mornings whilst we are open.

The Canon Slade register will also be available to sign and a collection plate for your regular giving.  Please remember that just because the church is closed we still have to keep it aired and cleaned, we also have a busy churchyard that needs maintaining and without all of us continuing to give financially, it can quickly fall into disrepair.  It is 181 years old after all!!!

A small number of notice sheets will be available for collection on Sundays for those who can’t get online, together with lists of people who are available to volunteer to shop & deliver food and for those who are self-isolating and need our help.  There are also some volunteer forms you might like to put through your neighbours doors to let them know you are there for them. We are already being contacted by members of the community to see if we can help out as they are self-isolating.

Finally my dear brothers and sisters let’s remember that even if we are self-isolating, feeling ill, alone and scared that God is always there and if we ask will wrap his loving arms around us. Also we, The Church is there for you too.

Be safe and trust in the Lord.

Wendy

Children & Young People Update

The Education Department of the Diocese of Manchester have recently received a £1 million grant for BOLTON for a project called Children Changing Places which will engage children, their families and schools in the Bolton area to create new discipleship pathways for children.

The project will have a particular impact when children reach the key points of moving into primary education or from primary to secondary education. It will focus on building strong links between the home, church and school to create discipleship pathways from toddler group to secondary school and beyond.

The Children Changing Places project will start in the early years, helping existing toddler groups to become more intentionally Christian and creating 10 new toddler groups across three deaneries. It will encourage and establish new worshipping communities such as Messy Church and Messy Tots.

Work will also develop to create discipleship pathways within primary schools, perhaps looking at how church could take place in school, or how children can be encouraged on their faith journeys through ethos groups and worship groups.

In September 2019, three Chaplaincy Assistants will begin their work alongside the Chaplains in three CE high schools in the Bishop Fraser Multi Academy Trust. The Project will provide ‘safe landing’ and further discipleship opportunities for those children in our Bolton CE primary schools as they transition to CE high schools. This will develop and nurture their faith as they continue along their Christian discipleship pathway.

Our Church School is Bolton St Catherine’s Academy (BSCA) and it is one of the schools in the Bishop Fraser Trust, the others are Canon Slade and St James Farnworth.  This means we at CCH are very fortunate as we fall into categories of the project in a number of areas. 

Firstly, a new toddler group called “Little Fishes” will open its doors in church on Wednesday 30th October at 1.30pm.  Little Fishes will be intentionally Christian and a new team is coming together headed up by Jenny Plant ably assisted by Rosie Lund, Lilian Punchaby, Caroline Loftus and Val Dunning who are even now attending training courses and making decisions about how it will work, what we will need etc etc etc.  We have been working closely with Steph Openshaw, the Children Changing Places Early Years Worker and are hoping to receive a small grant to help fund it.  More volunteers would be very helpful even if you can’t come every week.  Speak to Rosie if interested.

Secondly, Nicola Witter Children Changing Places Project, Deanery Children & Family Worker goes regularly into St Catherine’s primary school to work with Yr 5&6 children and attended the BSCA Leavers Assembly in church on 16th July and was very impressed with it.  She is hoping to attend Awesome, our after school club on Wednesdays at BSCA and see what we are up to and hopefully offer encouragement and advice to Rev’d Adrienne Morgan and her team.

Thirdly, a Chaplaincy Assistant has been appointed to work alongside the Chaplains at BSCA and part of their job includes a placement at a local church for 7 hours a week.  Guess what?  WE are the local church and I am delighted to announce that Connor Harmsworth, who was introduced to the church last Sunday (28th August) will be with us from September for 2 years.  He will work initially with the current leaders of CC (our youth group) to inspire, enthuse and give confidence as they work with our young people.  Connor is looking at new material that can be used which will engage with CC members and that will be introduced soon as is feasible.  More details will follow as Connor’s ministry unfolds amongst us.  He will be at The Moving On Service at 10.30am on 8th September when 5 children will be Moving On to CC from FISH.  Afterwards there is a BBQ for everyone to do come along and meet him.

This is all very exciting for us as a church and I hope and pray you will all get behind the amazing things that are happening here at Christ’s Church, Harwood.

God bless

Wendy

Rev’d Canon Wendy Oliver, Vicar

New Website

Welcome to our new look website!  We’ve tried to add as much information as we can to tell you about all the things we do here at Christ’s Church and how you can get involved.  Each page also gives you the details of the relevant person to contact if you’d like further information.

Please do have a look around and give us your feedback!  Don’t forget we are active on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram too and would love to hear from you if you are part of any of our groups and have a story or a photograph to share.

I’ll also be keeping in touch with you via my ‘Vicar’s Blog’ so make sure you check back regularly to see what I’ve been up to!

Wendy