Parish Profile
We are pleased to share with you our Parish Profile document which highlights the needs of our Parish and what any new member of clergy joining us could get involved with…
Walk Thru Bible Event 20th August 2022
Walk Thru the Bible - 20th August 2022 - 10.00 to 4.30 am
The Old Testament is massive, often hard to understand and difficult to navigate.
Relax and enjoy the journey as an experienced guide encourages you to see God's word through the 'Big Picture'. Our fun and memorable sessions will help you learn with such clarity you'll be able to retell the whole storyline to a friend. We will also do our best to inspire and equip you to keep digging deeper.
The event will be held at Harwood Methodist Church in conjunction with the Churches of Harwood. Tickets £14, please bring a packed lunch. We promise you you won't be disappointed! See flyers at back of church.
Scout Group Plant Sale 2022
Dear Supporter,
We are again offering you the opportunity to support our Scout Group with our annual fundraiser which is the sale of Summer Bedding Plants.
All the money raised is used to enrich the activities we provide to our Beavers, Cubs and Scouts.
Each year we offer for sale a variety of high quality, commercially grown bedding pants. These become available for delivery around the middle of May. All we ask you to do is buy some for yourself or get friends and neighbours or work colleagues to buy some.
Many satisfied customers will verify that they are very good quality, delivered to your home within the cost.
Unfortunately, in the current climate there has been an increase from our grower which we cannot prevent increasing the price list this year,
Our best sellers are often much better value than the local garden centres. All prices and quantities along with dates can be found on the attached order form.
The last date for orders is Sunday 27th March. Delivery to us will be 12th May and we will contact you about collection or delivery as soon as plants are available.
Payment for orders can be by cash, cheque (banked on delivery) and for this year we are offering payment by bank transfer. If paying by bank transfer, use ‘PLANTS’ plus your name for the reference and please could you make payment no later than 27th March using the details below:
Account No: 11799152 Sort Code: 16-00-06 Reference: PLANTS”your name”
Orders can be pushed through my door or phone me to arrange collection of the form. You could also email or text an order.
All the contact details are at the bottom of the order form and below.
Many thanks for your continued support.
Simon Bromilow
Group Scout Leader
40th Bolton Moorland Scout Group
Address: 16 Bramhall Avenue, Harwood, Bolton, BL2 4EL
Tel: 01204 380138
Mob: 07768 992560
Email: simon.bromilow@hotmail.co.uk
Frugal Lunch - Thursdays: 3rd March to 1st April
Over the next 6 weeks we will be meeting in the Church Lounge between 12 and 1pm for a simple lunch and to reflect and meditate on the last week of Christ’s life.
We know that not everyone will be able to join us so please join us while you are having your lunch, wherever you are, if you can join us please bring your own lunch tea and coffee will be provided.
Each week a member of the Ministry Team will lead us through a passage from Luke’s gospel:
3rd March Luke 19:28-38 Jesus enters Jerusalem
Written and led by Gail.
10th March Luke 22:1-6 Conspiracy to kill Jesus by Judas
Written and led by Mike.
17th March Luke 22:7-23 The Last Supper
Written and led by Adrienne.
24th March Luke 22:47-53 Jesus betrayed and arrested
Written by Julia, led by Liz.
31st March Luke 22:54-62 Prediction of Peter’s denial
Written and led by Heather.
7th April Luke 23:44-49 Jesus on the cross
Written by Martin, led by Adrienne.
Frugal lunch 3rd March 2022
For those who know me, my reflecting on our reading in Luke 19;28-39 (Jesus enters Jerusalem) will not be strange, we normal concentre and reflect on people, places, or situation in the passages, but I would like to look at it from the Donkey view, I know it strange but let’s give it a go.
Setting the scene
In verse 28 we find Jesus and the disciples heading to Jerusalem, Jesus turns to two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”
It was a warm day and I tied up resting round the back of my owner’s home in the shade next to the water trough,
2 men approached and untied me, what’s going on? who are they?
my owners saw what was happening and asked them,
“Why are you untying the colt?” “The Lord needs it.” They replied,
I was puzzled, my owner just let them take me, where were we going, want do they mean the Lord needs me, and what for, and who is this Lord? I was frightened.
We walk up the road toward the mount of olives,
I’ve been there before with my owner to collect olives, as we got closer, I noticed a group of people all gathered round talking, was the person they called the Lord with them,
It was getting hot, a man came and stood in front of me, he spoke very gently as he led me into the shade, “you’ll be cooler here rest for a while”
A short time later he greeted me again it was gentle and kind and there was something in his voice and in his smile that made me feel safe and peaceful, was this the man they called Lord?
They put cloaks on by back to protect me, I wondered what I was going to carry today, it turned out it was the kind man, I’ve never carried a person before it felt a bit strange, but somehow it felt ok.
We headed towards Jerusalem the road was rough full of stones and very dusty, the crowed seemed busier than usual today, people started crowding round me I was scared, but a gentle touch from the man I was carrying made it feel safe. As we moved close to the city the crowds started to move to the side of the road to let us through, what was going on?
As we went along, people started spreading their cloaks and palm leaves on the road which made the road easier to walk on and muffled the noise my hoof normal make, the whole crowd began joyfully singing and praising God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen it started hurting my ears,
38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”[b]
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
As we entered the city I saw my owner, who smiled gently at me as the man I was carrying got down thanked me and went on his way, I watch as he disappeared into the crowed, the singing and praising faded as it followed him into the city, my owner lead me home “you have had a busy day, it’s time to rest” he said gently.
What was going on, the man I was carrying must be someone special, but if only I had know what was going to happen to him in the coming few day, would I have carried him into Jerusalem?
Could you relate to what the donkey was thinking?
Annual Parochial Church Meeting APCM 2022
The APCM will take place on Sunday 13th March at 12 noon in Church.
Please see links below for the documentation.
Wreath Making Masterclass
A huge thank you to Gail for running her annual wreath making classes this weekend. This year it was all change as we work hard to be an eco friendly church. We ditched the oasis for willow wreaths, recyclable ties and twine. Here are the results…
Walmsley Mothers' Union Deanery Festival
Celebrating 100 Years of Christ’s Church Harwood Branch
Rod Ashworth Funeral
FUNERAL OF ROD ASHWORTH Monday 24th May at 11.30am followed by the committal at East Lancashire Crematorium, Radcliffe at 12.30pm If you would like to come and pay your respects at Rod’s funeral please note, our churchyard will be closed. The funeral cortege will be leaving his home, 471 Hough Fold Way, and will proceed along Stitch mi Lane to church. Unfortunately, due to the restrictions still in place in church, the family are sorry but only invited mourners will be allowed in church / crematorium. With this in mind they would like to invite you to line Stitch mi Lane, along the route they will take, both to church and to the crematorium. Please be aware of any restrictions that may still be in place.
Thy Kingdom Come - Pray for 5
Thy Kingdom Come is all about praying for people to come to know the amazing, life-transforming love of Jesus. We encourage everyone to choose 5 people they know, and pray for them throughout the 11 days and beyond!
There are so many creative ways you can pray for your 5. You can use a band and tie 5 knots, each one representing one of your 5. Or maybe each time you drink a cup of tea or coffee, you could remember to pray?
You could write their names on your bathroom mirror, or in this little card, to help remind you to pray throughout the day. Or perhaps your could pray during your daily exercise such as running or walking.
Why not watch this video from The Rt Revd Dr John Sentamu as he encourages us to pray for 5.
NOTE: This is an old (but good) video - the dates this year are 13th - 23rd May
Becoming an Eco Church
Here at Christ’s Church Harwood we are beginning to work towards becoming greener and more eco minded. We are aiming to achieve a Bronze eco award from the diocese. To this end we need help from people in our parish who also feel committed to being good stewards of God’s creation.
Psalm 8 says ‘You have made them [humans] rulers over the works of your hands.’ These words mean we have the responsibility to care for and look after the world that God created. A world where people and animals and all the works of God’s hands are cared for by us. By humans. This is quite a responsibility and one which needs help from many people.
We need to consider each of the following;
Worship
Buildings
Land
Community
Lifestyle
We won’t be able to make huge changes or touch on all areas at once but we can make a start.
Worship
We hope to hold a service to pray for creation and to encourage each other.
Buildings
We are looking into greener heating and lighting and using eco friendly cleaning products.
Perhaps we can twin our toilets and so sponsor areas of the world where sanitation is poor.
We can put up water tubs to collect water from the downspouts.
Land
Our gardeners already do a lot to protect and preserve our churchyard. I know that we are grateful for all their hard work. Indeed, much of what they do already will feed into this eco ambition.
Can we think of other ways to encourage wild life into our grounds.?
We might build a hedgehog run. We might have more bug and bird boxes.
Community
Does anyone know of a local group we might work alongside?
Can we share lifts to church or cycle?
Toilet twinning would also be part of this area.
We already use Fairtrade products in the café and have used them for some years in church. Can we do more?
Lifestyle
How might changes in our own homes and daily life make a difference to the world we live in? Do we recycle and re-use?
These are just a few ideas. I am certain that you can all think of lots more and I hope that many of you will want to be part of this initiative. This is a project which needs lots of ideas and support. I know that many of you already do lots of green activities which we can build on and share so that we here at Christ’s Church can really move forward to gain the Bronze award.
It would be especially great if young people could get involved. I know that they have lots of ideas and we would like them to be part of this.
If you want to get involved or just find out more or indeed bring ideas, we will meet via zoom at 7pm on Wednesday 28th April. Contact me via email and Ill let you have the link.
Please let other people know who may have missed this notice.
Thanks. I look forward to seeing you.
Adrienne Morgan
Book of Memorial for HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
We have set up an online book of condolence for HRH, The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. It will only be open until Sunday evening. Once closed we will send a letter to the Royal Household detailing where it can be accessed.
Floral displays can be left around the cenotaph in the churchyard but that they will be removed on Monday morning at 9.00 am. Alternatively, if you so wish you can make a donation in lieu, as requested by The Queen, to a charity of your choice. We suggest the Duke of Edinburgh Award charity.
Annual Parochial Church Meeting APCM 2021
The APCM will take place on Monday 19th April at 7.30pm via Zoom.
If you would like to attend the meeting please email parishsec@hotmail.co.uk or telephone 01204 525196 (leaving a message with your email address) so that you can be sent the Zoom joining details.
Please see links below for the documentation that would ordinarily have been available to collect in church.
Scout Group Plant Sale
40th Bolton Moorland Scout Group
Dear Supporter,
I hope you’re staying safe and well.
It was disappointing to have to cancel last years Bedding Plant Sale due to the pandemic, especially since this is our only fundraising activity in support of the Scout Group each year. All the money raised is used to enrich the offerings to our Beavers, Cubs and Scouts.
So for 2021 we hope to bring a little bit of normality and some colour to gardens by once again offering the Sale of Bedding Plants.
Each year we offer for sale a variety of high quality, commercially grown bedding pants. These become available for delivery around the middle of May. All you have to do is buy some for yourself or get friends and neighbours or work colleagues to buy some.
Many satisfied customers will verify that they are very good quality, delivered to your home within the cost.
Our best sellers are often much better value than the local garden centres. All prices and quantities along with dates can be found on the attached order form.
The last date for orders is Sunday 28th March. Delivery to us will be 20th May and we will contact you about collection or delivery as soon as plants are available. We do not cash any cheques until delivery is made just in case there are any shortages, although this is very rare!
Orders can be pushed through my door or phone me to arrange collection of the form. You could also email or text an order and I will trust you to pay on delivery.
All the contact details are at the bottom of the order form and below.
Many thanks for your continued support.
Simon Bromilow
Group Scout Leader
40th Bolton Moorland Scout Group
Address: 16 Bramhall Avenue, Harwood, Bolton, BL2 4EL
Tel: 01204 380138
Mob: 07768 992560
Email: simon.bromilow@hotmail.co.uk
NOTICE - PETER WILLIAM'S FUNERAL
Peter's funeral will take place on Monday 25th January at 1.15pm in church.
Due to Covid restrictions only Peter's family and invited guests are permitted inside church.
We are also not allowed to have anyone standing within the church grounds so it will be taped off.
To minimise the number of people wanting to watch from the street outside church and allow people to follow social distancing guidelines we ask that anyone wishing to attend spread themselves along the route from the family home.
The funeral cortage will depart from the family home on Appledore Drive, turning left onto Stitch-mi-Lane and up to church.
Whether you intend to come along or not we invite you all to leave a message on Peter's memorial page. You can upload a photo under 'memories' or simply leave a message.
Bolton's Big Carol Service
You are invited by churches across the Bolton borough to join in with/watch our online carol service, ‘Bolton’s Big Carol Service’.
It will be available to watch on YouTube and Facebook at 7pm on Mon 21st Dec, and any time/day after, by:
• Clicking this link: https://youtu.be/_SQHUBid9rE
OR
• By searching ‘Bolton’s Big Carol Service’ on YouTube or Facebook
Please share this invite with your contacts, family and friends over the Christmas period and also please share the info/image/link etc on all your social media platforms.
Details about the service:
• Over 40 Bolton Churches, Christian Organisations and Community groups have contributed towards or participated in the service.
• There are carols/music from: St Peter’s Halliwell, The Salvation Army, King’s Church Breightmet, Bolton Parish Church, Bishop Bridgeman Primary School, Bridge Church and the Bolton Music Service Singers.
• There are messages from Barry Woodward from Proclaim Trust, Dave Bagley from Urban Outreach, and Rachel Eden from the ‘Children Changing Places Project’ as well as input/prayers from many other churches.
• The event has been organised by the ‘Passion for Bolton 2030 Vision’ steering team, Bolton’s town-wide church unity group, who aim to share the love of God across Bolton by encouraging churches to work together to support each other and support the Bolton community.
• An article in the Bolton News about the carol service can be seen by using the link:
https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/18945417.community-joins-together-deliver-boltons-big-carol-service/
Application for Repairs to Church Tower & Spire
Please see notice below that we have applied to the Consistory Court of the Diocese of Manchester to carry out the repair and re-pointing of the tower and spire and re-bed of coping and kneeler stones.
Our Youth Need You!
As you all know, this September we relaunched our youth group under a new name ‘WAVES’. We wanted to do this as part of adding fresh vision and purpose behind our 0-18’s work. We have lots of exciting plans in the pipe line and are passionate about helping our young people feel part of our Church.
However, we are currently limited to what we can offer our young people for one reason – we don’t have enough leaders. We have a great number of young people ready to access our provision and therefore an incredible opportunity to be a part of their discipleship. Young people aren’t just the future of the church, they are the church of today. The creativity and energy young people have to offer is invaluable to the church, especially in such unprecedented times. We have the privilege of having the opportunity to be a part of shaping their lives with Christ, but if not the Church, then someone else will.
Our aim as a ministry is to create a space for people to THRIVE – young people and leaders alike. We are looking for enthusiastic leaders to be part of facilitating an online zoom program. This will include games, fellowship and biblical teaching. The sessions will be led by myself and the plan for the session will be communicated to you in advance. You would be placed on a rota to serve one Monday evening out of four or five weeks. We want our young people to feel part of our church so regular communication with our families is also a part of what we do.
We would absolutely love to have you on board as part of the team who makes WAVES happen. If you are interested in joining the team or have any , please feel free to contact me for more information via email – connorharmsworth@manchester.anglican.org
I look forward to hearing from you!
Connor – Parish Youth Worker
Message from Rev Wendy Oliver
As I write this I am breaking the rules really as I am still on sick leave and will be for some time.
However I just had to say to you all a HUGE HUGE thank you for your incredible generosity in supporting the Tower/Spire fund. We have just about reached our goal of £33000 in 3 months not 6!
However, please do not stop giving as the more money we raise towards the £66000 means the less grants we require and who knows we may even raise the whole amount!
I have always known you were an incredible group of people and you are. THANK YOU!
I was listening to Julia's sermon for last Sunday 18 October 2019 - if you haven't seen, read or heard it please do check out our website christschurchharwood.org. It is excellent.
The reading is from Luke 10 regarding the sending out of the 72. It is a call to each and everyone of us to follow Jesus and serve our church in any way we can.
You may not realise that we now have a Youth Group (11-18) now called WAVES which is just starting to meet via Zoom each week. Connor has an amazing vision for our YP and is there not only to inspire them but also to train the leaders. There are over 20 youngsters in the 2 groups making up Waves.
The problem is lack of leaders. We only have Connor and 1 other at present.
I think it is a terrible indictment of our church when no-one wants to work with our YP, not only the church of tomorrow but also the church of today. What does it say to them? Will they feel part of the church when no adults are there to support them?
How can they know about Jesus who is alive and working in all our lives today if we don't share our own stories with them?
I know it is scary but at present all meetings are via Zoom and Connor is there to teach and encourage; our Lord Jesus is with us and his Holy Spirit will bring courage and the words we need. If you love children and want to see them come to the Lord contact Connor.
Please do contact Connor to find out more: Tel: 07941011687
Or email: connorharmsworth@manchester.anglican.org
Bless you all
Wendy