Tower Hill Community Carol Service
Tuesday 13th December at 6:30pm at the Community Centre, Ebony Way

Town Centre Carol Service
Saturday 17th December at 11am at the Bandstand

Carol Concert
with the Band of the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment
Saturday 17th December, 6.45pm at St Chad’s
Admission charges apply £2 children, £4 adults

Morning Carol Service
Sunday 18th December, 11.00am at St Mark’s

Carols by Candlelight in the Chancel
Sunday 18th December, 6.30pm at St Chad’s

Carols by Candlelight at St Martin’s and St Andrew’s
Sunday 18th December, 6.30pm

Crib Service (For youngsters and their families)
Christmas Eve, 2.00pm at St Mark’s, 4.00pm in St Chad’s and in St Andrew’s

The First Communion of Christmas
Christmas Eve, 9.00pm at St Mark’s

Midnight Communion Services on Christmas Eve
11.00pm at St Andrew’s
11.30pm at St Martin’s and St Chad’s

Christmas Morning Services
Holy Communion: 10.00am at St Andrew’s, St Chad’s and St Martin’s
Family Service: 10.00am at St Mark’s

There will be no Tuesday morning Communion at St Chad’s on 27th December

New Year’s Day Services
9.30am Holy Communion at St Mark’s and St Martin’s
11.00am Holy Communion at St Chad’s and St Andrew’s

Trafford Hall was the venue for an AwayDay attended by over 60 members from the four churches in Kirkby.  Back home Sunday services were cancelled in all but St Chad’s and the Awayday began and ended with short services in the Trafford Hall Ballroom.

Upstairs the children mapped Kirkby and thought about what was good and bad about church.

Downstairs the adults’ debate was facilitated by the Team Consultant, Harry Bundred.  Church members described what they thought about Kirkby, what they suspected Kirkby thought about their churches then started to dream how the church could represent itself better.

The discussion will carry on back home too.  Members of all our churches are invited to a follow-up meeting: 7.30pm on 10th October at St Mark’s. This will be where we start to work out not just what we think but what we are going to do about it.

You can view the Flip Chart pages here.

Redacre, Home of the Sisters of the Jesus Way

Arriving at Redacre, the house of the Sisters of the Jesus way in West Kirkby, we were made welcome with the choice of either tea or coffee as we settled in, before a short service of worship led by Rev Andy Heber before our first talk of the day by Lynne Heber.

“Rolling back the Stone” was a reflection on old hurts, griefs or resentments you may be holding in your life and how, if you would only acknowledge them, the Lord would roll them away and not allow them to prevent your love and belief in him. As we read the lesson of how Jesus rolled the stone away from the Tomb of Lazarus, who then came out alive, the comparison became clear of how nothing is impossible to overcome with God’s help.

We dispersed for a time of quiet reflection on our own lives in Christ and to explore the gardens, which we could not unfortunately sit and browse in due to the wet and very windy weather! – But hey! We were here! and had the whole house and a chapel in which to do our thinking.

Lunch was served by the sisters at a beautifully laid table in the dining room, and whilst we ate one of them told us the remarkable story of how they got the house after the death of its owner, enabling them to make their dream come true of helping people in need of a quiet time of retreat. One can stay overnight and there is no set charge, only by donation, either large or small, given in thanks for the loving care shown by the sisters,

After lunch, a further talk and a guided meditation we again separated to our own private time with God before coming together in the chapel for a final communion service and prayers for healing. Then time for tea before we departed for home.

As we took leave of the sisters we gave thanks for the time we were able to spend in the peace and tranquility of their home and ministry; and to the Rev Andy Heber and his wife Lynne for their input. Refreshed and recharged we left for Kirkby and final goodbyes, and thanks for so many blessings.

Peace be with you!

Votives: often a picture of prayer.

We have now managed to put the last piece of a jigsaw of evening worship in place that means there is a service in the parish every Sunday evening.

There has been demand for this for some time and four new forms of worship for the church in Kirkby have been developed over the last couple of years.

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6.30 evening services now follow the following pattern:
1st Sunday: Taizé Worship at St Martin’s
2nd Sunday Café Church at St Mark’s
3rd Sunday Reflections at St Andrew’s
4th Sunday 1662 Evensong at St Chad’s
5th Sunday Healing Service on rotation

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Taizé Worship
Follows the reflective and musical traditions of the Taizé Community in Burgundy, Southern France.  The repeated contemporary chants throughout this half hour service give a peaceful opportunity for prayer.  Held in St Martin’s on the first Sunday of every month.

Café Church
Adopts the familiar rules of the High Street Café.  This is more about being church than doing church.  The Bible isn’t read out loud but a passage of scripture is printed on the menu each week. Hymns aren’t sung but there is always music playing. Prayers aren’t said but they can be written on altar cards.  A sermon isn’t preached but there is a lot of talk and chat.  All welcome for good food and hot drinks - Café Church is easy church – at St Mark’s on the second Sunday of every month.

The “Reflections Service”
Provides a fresh take on big themes using multi-media and multi-sensory ideas to get you to think and inspire fresh prayer. Third Sunday of every month at St Andrew’s.

St Chad’s
A traditional church building and a traditional form of Evening Prayer from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer is on offer there every fourth Sunday of the month.  This is by no means new but it is new to the present generation of churches in Kirkby and was the last piece of the jigsaw we have put in place.

Four times a year there is a fifth Sunday
Each month this happens there will be a service of Wholeness and Healing moving around the four of our churches on a rotational basis.

Andy & Lynne on their wedding day

Revd Andy Heber and Lynne Livingstone sealed the knot on Saturday 4th June at Orangefield Presbyterian Church in Belfast. The day was blessed by fine weather for a photo-shoot at Stormont before returning to the Church Centre of a reception.

After a couple of weeks away in the quiet of West Ireland they have now returned to Kirkby where Lynne is beginning to settle in.

More pictures below..

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The scene in the Church car park

Stormont Gardens

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Carole and Joan our resident cooks

On Monday 7th March Meet ‘n’ Eat at St. Andrew’s opened its doors to the public for the first time and was encouraged when a steady stream of local residents came through the doors. The idea behind Meet ‘n’ Eat is to provide a low cost nutritious meal and a chance for people to come together, talk and buy second hand goods. A meal of Soup, sandwiches, salad and a hot drink is provided for £1.50 and a number of second hand books, CDs and DVds are on sale for only 25p an item. The church is also open and people can go in to offer prayers or light a candle if they wish.

Currently the club is meeting fornightly on Mondays between 11:30 and 1:30pm however from 9th May it will be operating weekly, 11:30 to 1:30pm.

So come along, meet old friends and make new ones and you may also pick up a bargain! For more information, if you would like to volunteer to help out or if you have any books, CDs or DVDs that you would like to donate then please ring Andy on 0151 5487969.

Two of our first customers

Mothering Sunday Services:
9:30am at St Mark’s and St Martin’s
11:00am at St Andrew’s and St Chad’s

Come and celebrate motherhood with us and say thank you to your own mum.

Invitations have been sent to every family who has come for a Baptism in our churches over the past year.
All ages and all comers welcome.

Another wedding in 2011!

Andy and Lynne on the Giants' Causeway

Revd Andy Heber and Lynne Livingstone announced their engagement to the Kirkby churches this morning.  They are to be married in Belfast on Saturday 4th June.  Lynne lives and works in Northern Ireland.  Andy is Vicar of St Andrew’s Church Tower Hill.  We wish them every blessing as they make their plans.

Chinese Dragon made by Kirkby youngsters

Chinese New Year

We are going to go to Chinatown on Sunday 6th February to celebrate the Chinese New Year. We will meet at Kirkby station at 12:30pm to get the train, returning when you’ve had enough! There will be dragon parades, funfair, street stalls, displays of Chinese art and calligraphy, and much more!

Footloose – the Musical

Saturday 12th March, 8:30pm at the Empire. Tickets are £20.50, and we may meet up for a meal beforehand.

Car Treasure Hunt

After the roaring success of the last two, we are organising another on Saturday 28th May, leaving at 5pm, finishing with a pub meal. Tickets £3 for the treasure hunt, pub meal extra!

Mersey Experience Weekend!

24th – 26th June, Games & Wii Night, Liverpool Museum (if it’s open…), Mersey Ferry, sunbathing on New Brighton beach, etc. Sunday lunch at the stunningly refurbished Isla Gladstone Conservatory in Stanley Pk.