Parish Church of St Luke Holmes Chapel
Serving Christ in our local community
St Luke’s in the rainbow – image courtesy of Martin Hobby
This week at St Luke’s
Sunday 24th September: Trinity 16
readings: Galatians 2: v5-21; Matthew 20: v1-16
9.00 am – Holy Communion in church – traditional communion service in contemporary language with hymns
10.00 am – Genesis meets in the church hall – launch of Operation Christmas Child at St Luke’s – see Notice
10.30 am – Morning Worship in church – “no books” service with songs and hymns, followed by tea/coffee in the Church Hall
Monday 25th – Wed. 27th September
9.00 am – Morning Prayer by Zoom (Tim’s account)*- short service with lectionary Bible readings, prayers and a video song or hymn
*note: if you are local to Holmes Chapel and would like to join in one of our regular short services (30 mins) of Morning Prayer by Zoom, please email comms@stlkhc.uk and we will send you the Zoom login details.
Wednesday 27th September
10.30 am – Morning Prayer in church – a short, quiet service for midweek
7.30 pm – St Luke’s Community Choir – meets in the church hall again – open to anyone who enjoys singing
Thursday 28th September
9.00 -10.00 am – Early Birds toddler group meets in the church hall – open to toddlers from the local community accompanied by a parent, grandparent or other relative or carer – see notice
Sunday 1st October: Harvest – Trinity 17
readings today: Philippians 19: v1-13; Matthew 21: v28-32
9.00 am – Harvest Holy Communion in church – traditional service in contemporary language with hymns
** No Genesis today in the Church Hall **
10.30 am – Harvest Thanksgiving and Parade Service in church – “no books” family service including many from Holmes Chapel Guiding in our big “Harvest Thankyou”, as well as your Harvest gifts, please bring a bread roll for the sermon; refreshments as usual in the Church Hall after the service
our Harvest gifts this year will be given to the Storehouse Foodbank in Congleton run by the New Life Church – good items to bring include those shown below:
Operation Christmas Child 2023
Operation Christmas Child at St Luke’s launches at Genesis on Sunday 24th Sep 2023.
September tidy-up of the churchyard
The dedicated group of volunteers who turned up to tidy the cremation memorials area in our churchyard on Saturday 9th Sep. had plenty of work to do after the wet weather this summer.
Toddler group at St Luke’s
Our new weekly activity for Toddlers continues this Thursday in St Luke’s Church Hall from 9am-10am. It will continue each Thursday morning during termtime.
MU meeting 19 July 23
This was the last meeting of the year before the Summer Break.
We thought about what it means to be a member of the MU and discussed ideas for our own future meetings.
Charlotte’s charity challenge for CALM
Update on Charlotte’s 50km South West Ultra Challenge on 5th August supporting CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably), the charity leading a movement against suicide.
Barnabus Sunday
Steve Best of Barnabus Manchester spoke at both services on Sunday 23rd July.
September 23 Letter
There are two initiatives for children and their parents, COMING SOON at St Luke’s.
In early October (2nd-13th) we have the return of the Knitted Bible Experience. Thirty-five scenes from the Bible are reimagined using knitted characters. Favourites from the Old Testament and New, including Noah’s Ark and Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep……
On 14th September, we launch a Toddler Group for parents/grandparents and their pre-school children. It will be named Early Birds, because the group will meet in the first part of Thursday mornings, from 9am to 10am, at St Luke’s Church Hall at the far end of the Tesco Car Park.
July/August 2023 letter
Do you want to know who chooses the Bible readings for our services at St Luke’s? And how are they chosen?
It’s worth knowing. It matters. The Bible is the Word of God, and contains all things necessary for salvation. And the weekly Bible Reading is the largest influence on the sermon. If you care about what the church is preaching, you will care about how its Bible readings are chosen …………..
Church Council 2023-2024
See the PCC page for details of the the new Church Council for the coming year following appointments made at the Annual Church meetings on 14th May and the first Council meeting on 15th May.
The next meeting of the Church Council is on Monday 11th Sep at 7.30pm in the Massey Room of the Church Hall – see agenda here
Praying together in the weeks of Trinity
The Lord be with you
And also with you.
This is the day that the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
whose judgements are true and just.
Praise our God, all you his servants,
All who fear him, both small and great.
The Lord our God, the Almighty reigns:
Let us rejoice and give him the glory.
For the marriage of the Lamb has come
And his bride has made herself ready.
Blessed are those who are invited
To the wedding banquet of the Lamb.
From Revelation 19
Praying Together
When sickness is near:
you can view or download this prayersheet here
God of compassion, be close to those who are ill, afraid or in isolation.
In their loneliness, be their consolation;
in their anxiety, be their hope;
in their darkness, be their light;
through him who suffered alone on the cross, but reigns with you in glory,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Merciful God, we entrust to your tender care those who are ill or in pain,
knowing that whenever danger threatens your everlasting arms are there to hold them safe.
Comfort and heal them, and restore them to health and strength; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
For hospital staff and medical researchers
Gracious God,
give skill, sympathy and resilience to all who are caring for the sick,
and your wisdom to those searching for a cure. Strengthen them with your Spirit,
that through their work many will be restored to health;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
From one who is ill or isolated
O God, help me to trust you,
help me to know that you are with me, help me to believe that nothing can separate me from your love
revealed in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Lizzie Pilcher’s charity walk
Lizzie successfully completed her Half Marathon walk around London landmarks for Crohn’s and Colitis UK on 19th June 2023 and raised over £700 in sponsorship. See route and photos.
Organ recital – October 2021
Our new organ was commissioned at a recital on 2nd October 2021 by the acclaimed organist Ian Tracey, Organist Titulaire at Liverpool Cathedral.
Thanks to the generosity of many we have now been able to welcome our new organ into the church—and it is clear that it will be of great benefit to our worship.
Ian treated the audience to a superb programme of music chosen by him to demonstrate our organ’s capabilities. His wonderful musicianship and his interesting and engaging comments about the music and the organ itself made it an evening to remember.
Daily Hope Line 0800 804 8044
Daily Hope offers music, prayers and reflections as well as full worship services from the Church of England at the end of a telephone line. A Church of England initiative in partnership with CONNECTIONS at Holy Trinity Claygate, and Faith in Later Life The line –...