News
Rotas for December & January are on the Gallery page (posted 25.11.08)
REPAIRS TO THE CHURCH ROOF START MONDAY (re-posted 31.10.08)
The scaffolding is now up, the portaloo installed, and the work to repair the south aisle roof (the side nearer St James' Street) is ready to start in earnest on Monday 3 November, and will probably last for 9 weeks. It doesn't look pretty at the moment, but the metal cladding is essential to prevent unauthorised access to the scaffolding.
The Church of England has launched a new website to help couples who want to marry in church (posted 06.10.08)
See: www.yourchurchwedding.org
SECOND ANNUAL DUCK RACE on Sunday was brilliant! (posted 05.10.08)
The stream was running fast and high due to the previous night's rain, but the weather was perfect, clear blue skies. We had five races: four heats and a final, interspersed with burgers, hotdogs, tug-o-wars and sack races. More info, including photos, to follow. Well done all who put in all the hard work to make it such a successful afternoon.
Church of England Marriage Law changes today! (posted 01.10.08)
The new law will widen the availability of marriages in Church of England churches. It will extend the 'qualifications' needed to be married in an Anglican church (presently: residence in the parish concerned, or habitual attendance at worship in the parish) by the addition of 'Qualifying Connections'. This does not mean that anyone can be married in any Anglican church, but it does significantly widen the choice.
The legislation can be found here:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/uk-church-measures/cm-2008-index Further information can be found on the Church of England webiste at:
www.cofe.anglican.org/info/socialpublic/marriagefamily/marriageanddivorce/marriagemeasure/
PCC Decides to Splash-out to stop Splash-in! (posted 23.09.08)
At a meeting of the Parochial Church Council (PCC) last night it was decided to use almost all of our reserves to pay for urgent repairs to the church south aisle roof (the lower roof on the St James' Street side of church) which has been leaking very badly in recent months, particularly at the vestry end. This repair will cost a total of nearly £65,000 - leaving the church coffers almost empty, and £30,000 of our Parish Share to the Diocese as yet unpaid.
We also decided to aim at paying our Parish Share in full! That would amount to £2,142 per week until the end of December - or about £20 per week per regular attender. The Vicar has now increased his giving to the church to that amount - will you join him?
MVP enduring a wet(ish) weekend (posted 07.09.08)
Members of the MVP (our post-Confirmation youth group) and their helpers are spending the weekend together at St John's-in-in-the-Vale, the Carlisle Diocesan Youth Centre near Kendal in the Lake District. Reports received from them suggest that the weather is not all that bad, but it was noticed that they did take plenty of kindling and soild fuel with them (although the Centre has central heating!). A roaring fire does help dampened spirits, though. This morning, after church next door at St John's, they're all off to Kendal Leisure Centre to get wet all over again. We expect them back this evening.
Organ Speakers re-located (posted 24.07.08)
The speakers for the organ, which have been located right at the back of church since the installation of the new digital instrument a year or so ago, have now been re-located to the front of church. On Sunday, see if you can spot them! A clue might be the fact that the church currently has scaffolding all across the chancel arch (see picture). We are not sure yet whether this will still be in place on Sunday - if it is we will just have to work around it. The new sound, however, is wonderful - and will be yet more wonderful when the organ builders come to 're-voice' it ('tweak' it, to you and me!) to suit the speakers' new location. The sub-woofer has also been re-located, so thos on the back row will no longer have to hang on to their hats during the low notes!