Parish Church of St Luke Holmes Chapel
Come to Christ, Love to Learn, Learn to Love!
News about opening of St Luke’s
The church is open for individual private prayer from 9am to 12 noon Monday-Wednesday.
We are weighing up how and when we can resume some services of communal worship.
Official relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions on opening churches, has enabled us to allow limited safe access to St Luke’s for individual private prayer, subject to careful conditions being met. These conditions include everyone entering the church following the written instructions inside the church porch as to the use of hand sanitiser, where to sit, and maintaining the Government guidance on social distancing.
Recent further relaxation of restrictions by the authorities now permits certain services to resume in church buildings, but subject to strict conditions including social distancing being met and comprehensive risk assessment. St Luke’s is a relatively small church and keeping to the two metre social distancing requirement will severely limit the maximum number who can attend. We are looking at how small services such as midweek communion meeting the official conditions might be safely conducted in St Luke’s and consulting about the likely attendance before deciding how and when to proceed further.
Our regular 10am Sunday service using Zoom continues for parishioners with internet access, as do our short services of Morning Prayer on Monday – Wednesday at 9am and our Prayer Meeting on Thursday at 9.30am – please contact secy@stlukesholmeschapel.uk if you need access details. Please also check our website and FaceBook page for support in your individual worship and prayer.
Read more information on the Noticeboard
Useful Links:
Sunday July 12th: 5th after Trinity
Today’s Bible readings are:
- Philippians 1.19-30
- Matthew 13.1-9, 18-23
This Sunday whilst St Luke’s remains closed for corporate worship, we are still able to join in worship together in our virtual service of Morning Prayer starting at 10am through an internet Zoom meeting.
Before the service why not watch the short video recorded by our vicar Rob McLaren. This week he introduces the third of the series of addresses for July and August when we are studying St Paul’s letter to the Philippians.
The service will start at 10am in a Zoom meeting and last about 30 minutes. It will be followed at 10.45am with a chance to catch up informally in small groups with other Church members over a cup of coffee/tea also using a Zoom meeting.
If you plan to join the service, please start your Zoom login five minutes or so before 10am so that we can begin on time.
The joining details for the Zoom meetings have been sent to all our parishioners with email addresses. We’re sorry we can’t open these Zoom meetings up to everyone but if you are local to Holmes Chapel and would like to join in, please let us know by email secy@stlukesholmeschapel.uk.
This week
- The Bible readings for Monday 13th – Sunday 19th July are shown below.
- On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday starting at 9am we will hold our regular shortened Morning Prayer service through Zoom.
- Also on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday between 9am and 12 noon, St Luke’s Church building will be open for individual private prayer – see Noticeboard for further information about conditions of access.
- On Thursday at 9.30am why not join us for half an hour in our Special Prayer service, again through Zoom.
Note: the Zoom joining details are the same as for the Sunday service – again let us know if you do not have them and would like to join in.
Our Prayersheet to help in our personal worship in the weeks after Trinity Sunday can be viewed below – we are using it in our Morning Prayer services. You can also download a copy here suitable for printing.
Bible Readings: 13th - 19th July
Monday 13th July: Psalm 98, 1 Samuel 1.1-20, Luke 19.28-40
Tuesday 14th: Psalm 106, 1 Samuel 1.21–2.11, Luke 19.41-end
Wednesday 15th: Psalm 111, 1 Samuel 2.12-26, Luke 20.1-8
Thursday 16th: Psalm 115, 1 Samuel 2.27-end, Luke 20.9-19
Friday 17th: Psalm 139, 1 Samuel 3.1–4.1a, Luke 20.20-26
Sunday 19th, Trinity 6: Psalm 139 1-11,23-24, Philippians 2.1-11, Matthew 13.24-30,36-43
Praying Together after Trinity Sunday
Praying Together @St Luke's, Holmes Chapel in the weeks of Trinity - to help you in your personal worship see a printable version of this prayer sheet here 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...
Praying Together – when sickness is near
you can view or download this whole 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.
The Rt Revd Mark Tanner to be confirmed as the 41st Bishop of Chester on Wed 15th July
The Rt Revd Mark Tanner, currently Suffragan Bishop of Berwick in Northumberland, will be confirmed as Bishop of Chester at 11am on Wed 15th July. At that point Bishop Mark legally becomes the Bishop of Chester, although he is not expected to take up his public duties until September.
Everyone is welcome to watch the service, which will be broadcast entirely online due to Covid-19 restrictions – https://www.chester.anglican.org/news/confirmation-of-election-service.php .
The service will include music from Chester Cathedral’s Nave Choir, a reading and prayers from young people in the diocese, and the new Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell will give the address. Prayers will be offered for Bishop Mark, the Diocese of Chester, the Northern Province of the Church of England, and for our country, as well as for the wider world.
You can view some of his first reactions (and those of his wife, Lindsay) to his new appointment in this short video and also in his video conversation with Bishop Christine, the Bishop of Newcastle. You can also see his response to some searching questions about his faith from several young people from around the diocese who chatted online with the Bishop-elect recently, giving an idea of what may be in store when he starts his ministry with us in the autumn.
Churchyard spruced up again
Many thanks to the team of volunteers who quickly spruced up the memorials area of St Luke's Knutsford Road churchyard on Saturday morning, 11th July, enjoying some fellowship at the same time whilst taking care to maintain social distancing. No prizes for guessing...
Well-being and the COVID-19 pandemic
The coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis means life has changed for all of us. It may cause us to feel anxious, stressed, worried, sad, bored, lonely, or frustrated.
If you’re finding things hard emotionally right now, you’re not alone.
Beatitudes for a global pandemic
We are sharing this video to help us remain hopeful and focus on what matters and those affected during the global pandemic.
Sailing the South Pacific during lock-down
Sailing the South Pacific - with Carole and Martin Elliott - a holiday cruise of a life-time blown off-course by the corona virus emergency We were so overwhelmed by people being concerned for our safe return from holiday this March that we decided we ought to let you...
Announcements
July 2020 letter
It is a step forward to be able to go into the church building again for private prayer, but let’s remember that’s not church. This whole challenging season of closure and disruption has not just knocked us out of our routine, and made us wary of taking anything for granted. It has caused us to consider deeply why we need church.
From Monday 22nd June, an aspect of the normal use of St Luke’s church building has been restored. The doors are open for half the week and everybody is welcome to pray and ponder privately within, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. There is clear guidance to be followed to minimise health risks and enable thorough targeted cleaning. It’s not much, but it is a step in the right direction.
2020 Revision of Church Electoral Roll – period extended
Because of the pandemic restrictions, our annual Church meetings need to be delayed until 25th October. However, the required annual revision of the Church Electoral Roll by the Parochial Church Council will still begin as already notified from Sunday 22nd March but the revision period will be extended until 10th October (15 days before the date of the delayed annual Church meetings).
Mothers’ Union – April 2020 Report
MU report - April 2020 Well, what a strange year! Our AGM meeting usually is in March to coincide with the financial year, but this year both Dorothy and I were going to be away for that meeting so we planned it for April. Little did we know that April wasn't going...
Genesis Update – 2nd May 2020
As you know, because of the public health restrictions, Church services and Genesis are now suspended and the church and hall buildings are now closed until further notice. We thought you would like to know what is going on using Zoom to keep our CHurch fellowship together and also to have some links to prayers and resources you can use in your families.