Parish Church of St Luke Holmes Chapel
Serving Christ in our local community
Coming week at St Luke’s
Passion Sunday 26th March – Lent 5
Readings: 1 Corinthians 1, v20-25; Luke 23, v33-49
9.00 am – Holy Communion in church – a traditional service in contemporary language with hymns
10.30 am – Holy Communion in church – a less formal, “no books”, communion service; followed by coffee/tea in the Church Hall
Monday 27th to Wednesday 29th March
9.00 am – Morning Prayer on Zoom* (Rob’s account) – a shortened version with shared Bible readings
*Note: if you are local to Holmes Chapel and would like to join one of our short Zoom Morning Prayer services, please email comms@stlukesholmeschapel.uk and we will send you the access details.
Wednesday 29th March
10.30 am – Midweek Communion – a short, unsung service of Holy Communion during Lent
7.30pm – 9pm – St Luke’s Community Choir meets in the Church Hall
February 2023 letter
We are people living in a culture which is hampered by the over-influence of feelings…….
Making decisions based on feelings usually ends up with us choosing the easy way out. In these ways, following our present feelings is often not good for our long term welfare……
The Apostle Paul said: ‘For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do…’ (Romans 7:18,19). He framed this in the middle of a clear analysis that we humans are too influenced by our sinful nature. And even when we know the right thing we ought to do, we end up being influenced away from that, and towards the bad thing we know we ought to avoid. We have a bias: our sinful nature tends to compromise our good intentions, and indulge our worse side.
That is one of the reasons we need Lent, which starts on Ash Wednesday 22nd February. We use the 7 weeks of Lent to train ourselves in this important thing: not letting our feelings win the day!
Dust & Glory – Lent 2023
Help your journey through Lent by following the Dust & Glory booklet by Emma Ineson, the new Bishop of Kensington.
Now available as a free app for Apple and Android mobile devices.
Earthquake appeal
The devastation and casualties of the terrible earthquakes in Syria and Turkey continue to increase and relief aid and support for the injured and survivors are still urgently needed.
Thank you to everyone who has already given to the relief efforts in Turkey and Syria by whatever means. The Earthquake Appeal bucket at the back of church for cash donations has raised over £400 for Barnabas Aid which has local links to help affected Christian communities in remote areas and the Community Choir has donated £100 to the British Red Cross relief efforts.
Christian Aid Lent 2023
For the first time since the Pandemic, the HC Christian Aid Group is pleased to run Lent lunches in St Luke’s Church Hall to raise funds to help those in great need around the world.
The Lent lunches will be served in the Church Hall on Friday 3rd, 10th, 17th and 24th March only, from 12 noon until 1.00pm at a cost of £5 per head, payable at the door.
Each of the lunches will be followed by a Music Recital in St Luke’s Church, starting at 1.15pm. Admission is free but donations to Christian Aid can be made at the church.
Genesis update – Jan 2023
Thank you for all your support and encouragement with the Christmas services which were so well received.
Genesis meets on Sundays normally at 10am in the Church Hall continuing until 10.45am. We then join the congregation in the church service to share our learning with them, for prayers, a short sermon and for singing. The service finishes around 11.15am so we can all leave together to enjoy fellowship over a drink and biscuit back in the Church Hall.
The Spring term programme up to Easter is shown below.
MU Epiphany service 2023
It was lovely to see about 28 members, including several from Sandbach Heath and Brereton, turn up on a very cold, snowy day for our Epiphany service and party on Wed 18th Jan.
Canon Rob conducted a Communion Service for us, and reminded us of the importance of Epiphany. After the service he enrolled his mother, Margaret McLaren, as a member of
the Mothers’ Union.
Nativity Service 2022
A big thank you to our 18 children from Genesis for bringing the Nativity to life for us and for helping us focus on the true meaning of Christmas in our service in St Luke’s church last December.
Praying together – Epiphany
Praying Together @St Luke’s, Holmes Chapel during Epiphany
O Lord, open our lips and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
From the rising of the sun to its setting your glory is proclaimed in all the world.
Epiphany Collect:
O God, who by the leading of a star manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth:
Mercifully grant that we, who know you now by faith, may at last behold your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen
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.
Pastoral letter – November 3rd 2020
We write because the latest announcements of the authorities mean there will be no services in church for the next four weeks (and maybe more!). This is disappointing news as our regular 9am Sunday and 10.30 Wednesday small services had been going well. People were positive. Numbers were averaging 30 on Sundays and 20 on Wednesdays. We have made the most of our window of opportunity since the end of July, and thank you for your responsible participation. We will write again when we are able to re-open church services in church.
Towards normality? Your views on worship again in church
The recent relaxation of the official virus restrictions to allow some limited services to start in churches under carefully controlled conditions is very welcome but poses real problems in small churches like St Luke’s. To guide discussion at the July meeting of the Church Council about how and when to resume the limited church services now permitted, we consulted our congregations through a short questionnaire. Read more for some of the statistics and findings which led to the PCC deciding to resume limited services in St Luke’s on a trial basis in August.
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.