Leesfield Parish   April 30th  2017

There are still a few copies of our magazine available. Do get one if you haven’t had your copy yet. It is good value at only 80p! It relies for its quality on YOUR contributions. Have you written anything for it yet? Doesn’t have to be long, or very literate, just share your ideas thoughts, experiences etc. Has anyone written about any of our Easter services/events yet?

Items for next magazine to paulmdent@gmail.com

Confirmation classes this week -  for children Tuesday after school at St Thomas Church.

For adults Wednesday 7pm at St Thomas’. It isn’t too late to join!

Bible study group will begin next week - Monday May 8^th at 1.30pm in St Thomas Community room. All welcome –if you are around do come and support this new venture. It will end with a cuppa and a chat and in time for school pick-up!

We plan to have a Big Brekkie in support of Christian Aid on Thursday 18^th May at 9am – 11am. Tickets available now  Adults £5 children £2.50. Volunteer helpers needed to help make this a fun morning and raise money for this excellent cause. Please let Edith know if you can help in any way.

St Thomas church is open regularly on Tuesday and Saturday mornings, so people can drop in, look around, pray or just sit. For this to happen, we need volunteers to sit in church (Could be in the back room !) Can you help with this? Can you spare an hour now and again? See Edith or sign the list please.

There are many many ways of keeping in touch with what is going on in our churches –get to check out our blogspot and the facebook links. Churches Together has a web site and a new facebook page too…… If you are on e mail make sure we have your address so we can send the weeklty newsletters and dates. If you don’t use e mail you can find lists of dates at the back of both churches.

A big thank you to Lydia who has agreed to take over responsibility for the newsletter! Please do send her anything you want added to the newsletter or dates sheet.

Items for the newsletter to Lydia (pastorlydia7@yahoo.co.uk) by Wednesday eve please.

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Could you help with house-to-house collections for Christian Aid Week, 14th to 20th May? it's quite easy, just deliver the envelopes and return to collect them a couple of days later. We collect in the same streets in Lees Village every year, and although we meet with a few negative responses there are so many people who welcome the opportunity to support this most deserving cause. The more collectors we have, the easier it is to cover our usual streets.

For the first time this year we are also hosting a "Big Brekkie" to raise money for Christian Aid, on Thursday 18th May from 9 to 11 am in St Thomas' Community Room. There will be bacon butties, beans on toast, toast and jam, tea, coffee and juice, and we are really looking forward to welcoming visitors from all around the area to join us. Tickets are now on sale - Adults £5, Children £2 - please ask in church or contact Edith or Liz. Volunteers to help with the event would be greatly appreciated.

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Diary dates

Tues May 2^nd          Children’s Confirmation class after school St Thomas Church

Wed May 3^rd           Adult Confirmation group meets 7pm St Thomas’

Sat May 6^th             Coffee morning 31 Ivy Green Drive 10.30 till noon

Mon May 8^th            Bible Study group St Thomas community room 1.30pm. All Welcome

Tues May 9th          Children’s Confirmation class after school St Thomas Church

Wed May 10th         Adult Confirmation group meets 7pm St Thomas’

Sat May 13^th           Wedding at St Agnes   3.30pm

Sun May 14^th          Christian Aid Week begins

                                All Age service at St Agnes as it’s Anniversary Sunday

Mon May 15^th          Bible Study 1.30pm St Thomas   

                                 Building Committee St Agnes 7.30pm                                                                 

Wed May 17^th          Children’s Confirmation class after school St Thomas Church

                                  Adult Confirmation group meets 7pm St Thomas’

Thurs May18^th        Big Brekkie in aid of Christian Aid  Details follow but 9am start

Sat May 20^th            Tea and Toast St Thomas’ 10.30 till noon

                                  Rose Queen crowning   St Agnes  2pm

Mon May 22^nd          Bible Study 1.30pm St Thomas   

                                  Archdeacon’s Visitation   Christ Church Friezland 7.30pm

Tues May 23^rd          Children’s Confirmation class after school St Thomas Church

Wed May 24^th          Adult Confirmation group meets 7pm St Thomas’

Thurs May 25^th        Ascension Day Service 7.30 St Thomas  Coffee Eve follows

Sat May 27^th            St Thomas open to allow people to Explore church with the new  Guide book  - refreshments available. 10.30am

Sat June 3^rd            Coffee morning 2 Leesway 10.30 till noon.

Sun June 4^th           Whit Sunday  Service St Thomas 9.15  Then we walk…..   Joint service (Churches Together) 12noon in St Thomas

Leesfield Parish   April 23rd  2017

Jesus appears to the disciples in the upper room

The parish service this morning is followed by the Annual Parish Meeting, where we talk about the year just gone and elect church wardens and PCC members for the next year. This is meant to be a meeting of all our members, so please do stay on!

Zion Methodist invite us to afternoon tea on Monday at 2.15pm

Avalon Park Coffee morning Tuesday 10am till noon. All welcome.

Ladies of Leesfield meet Thursday 27^th 7.30pm St Thomas’. Speaker Steve Whitehead on the history and renovation of Uppermill Museum. All Welcome

Children’s confirmation class Tuesday after school at St Thomas Church. We will finish around 4.20pm. There is a sheet at the back of school with the dates of all the confirmation preparation sessions. Do pick one up if you haven’t already got one.

Adult sessions begin soon – if you have not yet been confirmed now is a good time to think about it –and talk to Ruth or Edith.

Bible study group will begin Monday May 8^th at 1.30pm in St Thomas Community room. All welcome.

We plan to have a Big Brekkie in support of Christian Aid on Thursday 18^th May at 9am. Tickets will be £5 each…available soon. If you are willing to help with this please have a word with Edith or Liz Dent.

St Thomas church is open regularly on Tuesday and Saturday mornings, so people can drop in, look around, pray or just sit. For this to happen, we need volunteers to sit in church (Could be in the back room!) Can you help with this? Can you spare an hour now and again? See Edith or sign the list please.

A big thank you to Lydia who has agreed to take over responsibility for the newsletter! Please do send her anything you want added to the newsletter or dates sheet.

Items for the newsletter to Lydia (pastorlydia7@yahoo.co.uk) by Wednesday eve please.

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British churches founded Christian Aid in 1945 to support refugees who had lost their homes and possessions in the Second World War. Twelve years later, we launched Christian Aid Week to help fund this ongoing work. None of our work would be possible without the tireless dedication of our volunteers.

For many years volunteers from Leesfield Parish have participated in the house-to-house collections in Lees Village, regularly raising £200 or more for Christian Aid. Even in these days of TV advertising and on-line donations, the envelope through the letterbox and the cheery collector remains an effective way of both raising money and increasing awareness of the work of Christian Aid.

We are always on the look-out for new collectors. It involves dropping off envelopes on a selected street, and then returning to collect them a couple of days later. If you think you could help please email lizzy.dent@googlemail.com

Also for Christian Aid Week we are hosting a Big Brekkie in the Community Room at St. Thomas' Church at 9 am on Thursday 18th May.

Tickets are priced at £5 each, and will be on sale shortly.

Watch this space for more details.

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Dates for your Diary

Sun April 23^rd     Annual Parish Meeting follows the Parish Service at St Thomas 10am. No service at St Agnes today

Tues April 25^th    Children’s Confirmation class after school St Thomas Church.  

                             Coffee morning at Avalon Park  10 till noon   All Welcome

Thurs April 27^th   Ladies of Leesfield 7.30pm in St Thomas. Steve Whitehead on the history and renovation of Uppermill Museum.  All Welcome

Tues May 2^nd       Children’s Confirmation class after school St Thomas Church

Wed May 3^rd        Adult Confirmation group meets 7pm St Thomas’

Sat May 6^th          Coffee morning 31 Ivy Green Drive 10.30 till noon

Mon May 8^th        Bible Study group St Thomas community room 1.30pm. All Welcome

Tues May 9th       Children’s Confirmation class after school St Thomas Church

Wed May 10th      Adult Confirmation group meets 7pm St Thomas’

Sun 14^th May       Christian Aid Week begins

Mon 15^th May       Building Committee    St Agnes 7.30pm

Wed 17^th May      Children’s Confirmation class after school St Thomas Church

                              Adult Confirmation group meets 7pm St Thomas’

Thurs 18^th May    Big Brekkie in aid of Christian Aid  Details follow but 9am start

Sat May 20^th        Tea and Toast St Thomas’ 10.30 till noon

                              Rose Queen crowning   St Agnes  2pm

Mon 22^nd May      Archdeacon’s Visitation  Christ Church Friezland 7.30pm

Sat May 27^th     St Thomas open to allow people to Explore church with the new Guide book  - refreshments available. 

Leesfield Parish   April 16th  2017

Happy Easter to everyone!

Next Sunday we have a parish service at St Thomas, beginning at 10am. There will be no service at St Agnes that day. Sunday School will take place at St Thomas' and St Agnes' children are welcome to join us. Please note the change of time. 
               
Annual Church Meeting is next Sunday April 23^rd, following the parish service at St Thomas. At this meeting we elect Wardens and PCC members. Could you please begin to think about your role in the life of our church with this in mind. There are lists at the back of church for nominations for church wardens and PCC members. We need PCC members who will attend meetings regularly. 

We hope to have St Thomas church open regularly on Tuesday and Saturday mornings, so people can drop in, look around, pray or just sit. For this to happen, we need volunteers to sit in church (Could be in the back room !) Can you help with this? Can you spare an hour now and again? See Edith or sign the list please.

Confirmation. Now is a good time for adults who have not been confirmed and children in Year 6 or above to think about Confirmation. Classes will begin soon after Easter in preparation for the Confirmation service on Sunday July 9^th. If you are interested please see Edith (children) or Ruth (adults)

Avalon Park..Easter Bonnet parade with prizes and refreshments this afternoon (16^th April) 1.30 to 4pm All welcome

A big thank you to Lydia who has agreed to take over responsibility for the newsletter! Please do send her anything you want added to the newsletter or dates sheet.

Items for the newsletter to Lydia (pastorlydia7@yahoo.co.uk) by Wednesday eve please.

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Churches Together Act of Witness to the Passion

It was wonderful to see so many Christians of all denominations gathered together in the centre of Lees on Good Friday to mark this most significant event in the Christian calendar.

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Diary dates

More detailed information about events can be found by clicking here  http://leesfieldparish.blogspot.co.uk/p/social.html        
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Sun April 16th  Easter Day   St Agnes 9.15am  St Thomas 11am

Sat April 22^nd      Tea and Toast    St Thomas’ 10.30 till noon

Sun April 23^rd      Annual Parish Meeting follows the Parish Service at St Thomas 10am No service at St Agnes today

Tues April 25^th    Children’s Confirmation class after school St Thomas Church

                            Coffee morning at Avalon Park 10 till noon. All Welcome

Thur April 27^th    Ladies of Leesfield  7.30pm in St Thomas. Steve Whitehead on the history and renovation of Saddleworth Museum.  All Welcome

Tues May 2^nd     Children’s Confirmation class after school St Thomas Church

Wed May 3^rd      Adult Confirmation group meets 7pm St Thomas’

Sat May 6^th        Coffee morning 31 Ivy Green Drive 10.30 till noon

Tues May 9th      Children’s Confirmation class after school St Thomas Church

Wed May 10th    Adult Confirmation group meets 7pm St Thomas’ 

Sun May 14^th     Christian Aid Week begins 
Mon May 15^th    Building Committee    St Agnes 7.30pm

Wed May 17^th    Children’s Confirmation class after school St Thomas Church  Adult Confirmation group meets 7pm St Thomas’

Thur May 18^th    Big Brekkie in aid of Christian Aid  Details follow but 9am start

Sat May 20^th      Tea and Toast St Thomas’ 10.30 till noon

                           Rose Queen crowning   St Agnes  2pm

Mon May 22^nd    Archdeacon’s Visitation  Christ Church Friezland 7.30pm

Sat May 27^th      St Thomas open to allow people to Explore church with the new Guide book  - refreshments available.

                                     

Leesfield Parish   April 9th  2017

Today is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. Details of all the services are overleaf. Please do attend as many of these events as possible. It is not really possible to understand the significance of Easter if you haven’t travelled through Holy Week with fellow Christians.

After today’s  service at St Thomas we have a short PCC meeting to approve the accounts for last year.

Also working on welcome, we hope to have St Thomas church open regularly on Tuesday and Saturday mornings, so people can drop in, look around, pray or just sit. For this to happen, we need volunteers to sit in church (Could be in the back room !) Can you help with this? Can you spare an hour now and again? See Edith or sign the list please.

Confirmation. Now is a good time for adults who have not been confirmed and children in Year 6 or above to think about Confirmation. Classes will begin soon after Easter in preparation for the Confirmation service on Sunday July 9^th. If you are interested please see Edith (children) or Ruth (adults)

Annual Church Meeting is on April 23^rd, following a parish service at St Thomas at 10am At this meeting we elect Wardens and PCC members. Could you please begin to think about your role in the life of our church with this in mind. There are lists at the back of church for nominations for church wardens and PCC members. We need PCC members who will attend meetings regularly.

Avalon Park..Easter Bonnet parade with prizes and refreshments 16^th April 1.30 to 4 All welcome

Donations towards the flowers for Easter at St Thomas would be gratefully received by Audrey or Lesley. At St Agnes please volunteer to provide flowers by adding their names to the list

A big thank you to Lydia who has agreed to take over responsibility for the newsletter! Please do send her anything you want added to the newsletter or dates sheet.

Items for the newsletter to Lydia (pastorlydia7@yahoo.co.uk) by Wednesday eve please.

Tues April 11^th         10am service St Thomas

Thurs April 13th      Maundy Thursday                St Thomas 7.30pm

                                   We then keep watch till 9pm when we finish with Compline.

Fri April 14th           Good Friday    Service at St Thomas 10.30am

                                   Then we gather with our fellow Christians for an outdoor

                                    service at 12.30  (opposite Legends)

Sat  April 15^th           Easter Vigil  St Agnes 7.30pm

Sun April 16th         Easter Day  St Agnes 9.15am      St Thomas 11am

Sat 22^nd April          Tea and Toast    St Thomas’ 10.30 till noon

Sun April 23^rd          Annual Parish Meeting follows the Parish Service at St Thomas                                      10am    No service at St Agnes today

Tues April 25^th         Childrens’ Confirmation class after school St Thomas Church

Thurs April 27^th      Ladies of L  7.30pm in St Thomas  Steve Whitehead on the                                              history and  renovation of Uppermill Museum.  All Welcome

Tues May 2^nd            Childrens’ Confirmation class after school St Thomas Church

Wed May 3^rd           Adult Confirmation group meets 7pm St Thomas’

Sat May 6^th              Coffee morning 31 Ivy Green Drive 10.30 till noon

Tues May 9th            Childrens’ Confirmation class after school St Thomas Church

Wed May 10th          Adult Confirmation group meets 7pm St Thomas’

Sun 14^th May            Christian Aid Week begins

Mon 15^th May          Building Committee    St Agnes 7.30pm

Wed 17^th May          Children’s Confirmation class after school St Thomas Church

                                   Adult Confirmation group meets 7pm St Thomas’

Sat May 20^th            Tea and Toast St Thomas’ 10.30 till noon

                                   Rose Queen crowning   St Agnes  2pm

Sat May 27^th            St Thomas open to allow people to Explore church with the new

                                  Guide book  - refreshments available. 

HOLY WEEK SERVICES

Leesfield Parish April 2nd 2017

Final Lent Lunchtime session is on Tuesday at 12 noon at Zion Methodist Church. All Welcome!

A big thank you to Lydia who has agreed to take over responsibility for the newsletter! Please do send her anything you want added to the newsletter or dates sheet.

 Next Sunday is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. Details of all the services are overleaf. Please do attend as many of these events as possible. It is not really possible to understand the significance of Easter if you haven’t travelled through Holy Week with fellow Christians.

It is really important that we work on welcoming those who come through our doors. At both of our churches we sometimes give the impression weare a bit of a clique that it is hard to get into. Can we all please think about how we look to newcomers? Also working on welcome, we hope to have St Thomas church open regularly on Tuesday and Saturday mornings, so people can drop in, look around, pray or just sit. For this to happen, we need volunteers to sit in church (Could be in the back room !) Can you help with this? Can you spare an hour now and again? See Edith or sign the list please.

Confirmation. Now is a good time for adults who have not been confirmed and children in Year 6 or above to think about Confirmation. Classes will begin soon after Easter in preparation for the Confirmation service on Sunday July 9^th. If you are interested please see Edith (children) or Ruth (adults)

Annual Church Meeting is on April 23^rd, following a parish service at St Thomas at 10am At this meeting we elect Wardens and PCC members. Could you please begin to think about your role in the life of our church with this in mind. If you live in our parish (or attend regularly) and are 16 or over you should be on the Electoral roll. If you aren’t please complete a simple form (at the back of church)

Donations towards the flowers for Easter at St Thomas would be gratefully received by Audrey or Lesley. At St Agnes please volunteer to provide flowers by adding their names to the list

Items for the newsletter to Lydia (pastorlydia7@yahoo.co.uk) by Wednesday eve please.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Tues April 4^th       Final Lent lunchtime session at Zion Methodist Church  12noon

Sun April 9^th           Today begins Holy Week    Please attend as many of these as you can!

                                  Services today at St Agnes 9.15am St Thomas 11am

Tues April 11^th         10am service St Thomas

Thurs April 13th      Maundy Thursday                St Thomas 7.30pm

                                   We then keep watch till 9pm when we finish with Compline.

Fri April 14th           Good Friday    Service at St Thomas 10.30am

                                   Then we gather with our fellow Christians for an outdoor

                                    service at 12.30  (opposite Legends)

Sat  April 15^th           Easter Vigil  St Agnes 7.30pm

Sun April 16th         Easter Day  St Agnes 9.15am      St Thomas 11am

Sat 22^nd April            Tea and Toast    St Thomas’ 10.30 till noon

Sun April 23^rd          Annual Parish Meeting follows the Parish Service at St Thomas 10am

                                  No service at St Agnes today

Tues April 25^th         Childrens’ Confirmation class after school St Thomas Church

Thurs April 27^th          Ladies of L  7.30pm in St Thomas  Steve Whitehead on the history  

                                      and  renovation of Uppermill Museum.  All Welcome

Tues May 2^nd            Childrens’ Confirmation class after school St Thomas Church

Wed May 3^rd           Adult Confirmation group meets 7pm St Thomas’

Sat May 6^th              Coffee morning 31 Ivy Green Drive 10.30 till noon

Tues May 9th            Childrens’ Confirmation class after school St Thomas Church

Wed May 10th          Adult Confirmation group meets 7pm St Thomas’

Sun 14^th May            Christian Aid Week begins

Mon 15^th May          Building Committee    St Agnes 7.30pm

Wed 17^th May           Children’s Confirmation class after school St Thomas Church

                                     Adult Confirmation group meets 7pm St Thomas’

Sat May 20^th              Tea and Toast St Thomas’ 10.30 till noon

                                    Rose Queen crowning   St Agnes  2pm