Parish Church of
Saint Cuthbert Lytham
April 2018
Parish Magazine £1
The Leadership Team
Vicar: The Revd NickWells
01253 279676
Hon. Assistant Priests: The Revd David Hirst
The Revd Helen Houston
Readers: Mr David Matthews
Mr David Chapman
Mr Barrie Stacey
Mrs Bev Wells
Mrs Nicola Whitehead
Services
Sunday Services
8.30amHoly Communion (BCP)
10.00amHoly Communion (CW)
10.00amSunday @10 - All Age Worship
Weekday Services
Friday 11.00amHoly Communion
Bi-monthly Services on Sunday
4.00pmTaize
7.00pmContemporary Worship –
Sunday 15th April
Dear Friends
I am very much looking forward to returning to work from Easter Sunday, initially in a part time capacity. I will not be able to carry out pastoral visits for the next three or four months as I am still prone to infections following the aggressive chemotherapy I had at the beginning of the year. The Stem Cell Transplant has gone well, though I had to fight the flu virus whilst in hospital which delayed my discharge by a few days.
Each day I have grown a little stronger and amongst other things have set to sorting and tidying my study, and a job well over-due, looking through huge amounts of papers from my Grandparents which were passed on to me by my Dad. I needed something to stop me going stir crazy. Some days I was like a caged lion.
Looking forwards, on the 29th April we have our Annual Parochial Church Meetings, when we review the activities of the church in 2017 and receive the accounts. At the meetings we also elect our Sidespeople, Church Wardens and PCC. Following the resolution passed at last year’s APCM all the PCC positions are up for election (except those which are ex-officio), there are 8 places to fill so please think carefully who the best people within our church community are to take these places, looking at what skills they have tocarry out their duty as a charity trustee. I am asking everyone who is nominated to prepare and write a brief statement for the meeting to read, setting out what they believe they will bring to the PCC, to help inform the vote.
During May we will be running a Giving in Grace Campaign. This means we will be writing letters to all the church members and arranging teaching on the theme of Stewardship, in other words we will be talking about our giving of our finances and of our time to God and his church. Although St Cuthbert’s has reasonable funds in the bank much of this is earmarked to spend on repairs and renovations to the building, and indeed we have been forced to use some of these monies simply to meet our annual expenditure.
Giving of time and money is a basic Christian principle and the bible talks a number of times about God’s people tithing – giving 10% of their income to God as a first priority, the Church of England encourages people to consider giving 5%. As you receive the Giving in Grace letters I would ask you to consider prayerfully what you give to God and St Cuthbert’s and respond in the manner that you feel is appropriate. We will set out one or two of our plans, and also lay out our day to day costs, so you can make a more informed decision, for example, if we wish to employ a Children and Family Worker in the future we will only be in a position to progress this, if our level of giving promised from the campaign shows we will have the income to support it.
I very much look forward to catching up with everyone on my return. I am grateful to all the people who have ensured the church continued to run smoothly through my enforced absence.
Please have a Blessed Easter and remember that together we are the Body of Christ.
Yours in Christ
Nick
Annual Parochial Church Meeting
As mentioned in Nick’s letter our APCM is on Sunday 29th April at 11:30am in church. Please do try to attend and also consider if there is a role within the life of the church which you may be feeling called to fulfil.
St. Cuthbert’s Electoral Roll
Notice that the annual revision of the Parish Electoral Roll has started and will end on the 13th April. This is simply an opportunity for any amendments to be made on the forms available at the back of the church. If you are already on the Roll and your details (i.e. address, telephone number and email address) have not changed, then no action is required. Application forms are also at the back of the church for anyone who wants their name adding to the Roll.
Once the revision period has been completed on the 13th April, no additions can be made to the Roll until after the Annual Parochial Church Meeting on the 29th April.
Tom Burton, Electoral Roll Officer.
Best Wishes to the Dearnley’s
With very mixed emotions we have said farewell to Tracy and Michael Dearnley who have been such quietly active members of St Cuthbert’s through recent years. Between them they have served on the PCC, Deanery Synod, on the LEP, as sidesman, serving coffee, assisting Open Church, singing in the choir, leading Cubs and much more; not to mention that Tracy has been Deputy Head of Lytham Church of England Primary School for a number of years, including a time as acting head.
However, a new chapter in their lives has now opened up and they have become the proprietors of a lovely Bed and Breakfast in Coniston called the Bluebird Lodge Guest House.
We are so thankful for their involvement at St Cuthbert’s and wish them every blessing in their new venture. I am sure they would be very pleased to help with holiday arrangements in the Lakes for any of us in the future too.
Sunday @10 - All Age Worship
In February we launched our All Age Worship in the Church Hall, which runs parallel to our 10am Communion Service in Church. The idea has been borrowed from a number of other churches and seeks to develop a fresh expression of churchfor people who prefer to worship in a more relaxed style to our formal sung communion.
This is a significant development in the life our parish and was fully agreed by the PCC last autumn. Clearly some people do not fully understand this development, but we would ask for your support and prayers – it is complementary to our other services and certainly not a rival. If you are intrigued as to what goes on at Sunday @10, then do feel able to pop along one week and find out.
If you know someone who finds the 10am Communion service not to their liking, then why not encourage them to try out the service in the Church Hall instead.
Meet Daisie Smith - Our Rose Queen
My name is Daisie Smith and I am honoured to be chosen as this year’s Rose Queen. I am thirteen years old and I attend St Bede’s CatholicHigh School in Lytham. I go to St Cuthbert’s church and as I have grown up, I have participated in many groups within both St Cuthbert’s and St John’s churches. I loved being a member of rainbows, brownies and sea scouts and enjoyed many memorable trips and adventures within these uniformed organisations. I also enjoy taking part in the Step Up youth group, puppet ministry, youth club and Sunday club in church. I have enjoyed club days as a white maid, walking with my dance school and on floats representing the church. I have led services in both Churches ranging from puppet shows to dance routines. I attended confirmation classes and was confirmed in 2016.
I have participated in many weekends away with church including youth camp and trips away with youth club but the most memorable trip was to Soul Survivor with Ali in 2017.
In my spare time, I dance at the Lytham Academy of Performing Arts. I also take classes in tap, ballet, musical theatre, contemporary and Irish dance and I have recently been lucky enough to dance at Disneyland In Paris.
As Rose Queen I am very much looking forward to the year ahead. I am extremely lucky to have such good friends in my retinue and together, we hope to make St Cuthbert’s proud.
Rose Queen Coffee Morning and Spring Fair
The Coffee Morning and Spring Fair held on Saturday 24th March, raised over £900 for St Cuthberts Rose Queen funds. What an amazing amount. Well done to all involved and thank you to those who attended and supported.
Bishop of Lancaster Announced
The Revd Dr Jill Duff has been announced as the new Bishop of Lancaster and is expected to take up duties in July. She was ordained as a Priest in the Liverpool Diocese in 2004.
Before ordination she worked for Esso Petroleum. Co. Jill was a curate in the Bootle Deanery in a neighbouring parish to Nick when he was Vicar of St Oswalds Netherton.
Jill brings lots of experience through a variety of roles. She has been involved in planting and leading new congregations and Fresh Expressions of Church.
Most recently she has been a Director of St Miletus College North West, based in Liverpool.
Nick has already extended an invitation for her to visit St Cuthbert’s and we hope to meet her later in the year.
QUIZ for April: Nothing foolish
‘Here cometh April again, and as far as I can see the world hath more fools in it than ever.’ So said Charles Lamb, but no fools will do well in answering questions such as those which follow. Why not put yourself to the test?
Please write your answers on a separate sheet, adding your name and contact details.
The names of prominent women
1. Rub half a wand between axes for comedienne. [4,3]
2. Actress stupidly bet Handel that Bryn was around. [6,7]
3. TV news presenter dries awkwardly when covering as anun,bizarrely. [7,4]
4. Nasal hairs reach around English actress. [5,10]
5. Designer child's not returned following catheter being cut. [4,7]
6. First halves of hatred tiered Jackie: question for actress. [6,7]
7. News presenter's conflict following a filthy place in Scottishchurch. [6,4]
8. Hitman really injured author. [6,6]
9. Classicist is mad about a Berry recipe. [4,5]
10. Strangely been an only Queen. [4,6]
Equipment useful to have
11. The lad Derek conceals a means of climbing [6]
12. Tipsy padre naps [9]
13. West Didsbury initially numbers two score [2,2]
14. One who does dishes [6]
15. Vodka cocktail [11]
16. Puzzling: dance and see last week [6]
17. Headbutts and flees [4,3,5]
18. Bridge-builder tightens bolts [7]
19. Grip of depravity [4]
20. Princes are all to pieces [7]
Firsts and Lasts
21. Sir Alexander Bustamente was the first prime minister of whichcountry?
22. Opened in 1976, what was Britain’s first out-of-town shoppingcentre?
23. In which year did the last branch of Woolworths UK close?
24. Which was the first city outside Europe to host the OlympicGames?
25. In which year did Concorde make its last commercial flight?
26. Which ‘Bourne’ film was released first?
27. Who were the first sponsors of football’s League Cup?
28. At which circuit did the first British Grand Prix take place?
29. Margaret Bondfield, 1929: what office did she hold?
30. In which year was the first iPhone available?
Alliterative Answers
31. Barbara Vine is the pseudonym of which British author?
32. What was the only UK hit single for The Archies?
33. Which outsider won the 1986 World Snooker Championship?
34. Which sprinter is the only Namibian to win an Olympic medal?
35. Which Democrat lost to Richard Nixon in the 1968 US
presidential election?
36. Which British playwright wrote ‘The Norman Conquests’?
37. Which family comedy starred Jamie Lee Curtis and LindsayLohan?
38. Which Scottish-born musician briefly played with The Beatles?
39. Who was the lead singer with the rock band Deacon Blue?
40. Which son of a British prime minister directed the film ‘TheWinslow Boy’ in 1948?
Entries to David Matthews by 15th April.
QUIZ for March: A rich spectrum of general knowledge
The clear winner was John Webb with 49/50. Well done, John!
Answers: 1. 1860, 2. Libra, 3. Red, blue, green, 4. 10, 5. 15,
6. Lithium, 7. 13, 8. Bones, 9. Kitchen, 10.One, 11. Mark Chapman, 12. London’s Burning, 13. Time, 14. The Montgolfier brothers, 15. October, 16. Vatican City, 17. 121, 18. Edinburgh, 19. Swimming, 20. Sicily, 21. Holyhead, 22. Galapagos penguins, 23. Rihanna, 24. Formula One, 25. 50p, 26. Types of grape, 27. Dutch, 28. Mother Theresa, 29. Penny Red,
30. Friend of a friend, 31. Waterfall, 32. Tax deductible,
33. 2500 tonnes, 34. [e.g.] Children, oxen, 35. Ski Sunday,
36. 1739, 37. Faroe Islands, 38. Jean-Paul Sartre,
39. Strontium, 40. John Wycliffe.
At our March meeting we welcomed Mr David Kershaw who gave an excellent talk and slide show of the work of the R.N.L.I. It gave an amazing insight into the fantastic work of volunteers who risk their own lives to save the lives of others in dangerous situations at sea. He also gave us interestingspecification details of the recent arrival of the new Shannon lifeboat at the St. Annes Lifeboat Station.
Thank you to the small group of ladies who prepared the one hundred and twenty bunches of daffodils given out at the Mothering Sunday Services which were much appreciated.
We meet on Monday 9th April for the Lady Day Service at 11.00 am in church and this will befollowed by lunch at Tiggis, St. Annes. A list will be available each Sunday at the back of church for names and choice of menu if you would like to join us.
The next meeting is on Thurs. 12th April at 2.30 pm in the Victory Hall when welcome once again our favorite speaker, Mrs Pat Ascroft who will tell us of her 'Trek Croatia'. All welcome. Margaret Fisher
April’sDiary
Sunday 1st8.30 am Communion
10 am All Age Communion
3 pmRAF Commemoration Service
Monday 2nd7 pm Choir Practice
Wednesday 4th9 amMorning Prayer
9.45 am Bertie Bear Club
7 pm Bell Ringers Practice
Thursday 5th10.30 am Community Craft Group
Friday 6th11 am Communion
Saturday 7th9.00 amMorning Prayer
Sunday 8th8.30 am Communion
10 am Communion
10 amAll Age Worship
6pmEvening Prayer
Monday 9th7 pm Choir Practice
Tuesday 10th7 pmAlpha Course
Wednesday 11th9 amMorning Prayer
9.45 am Bertie Bear Club
7 pm Bell Ringers Practice
Thursday 12th10.30 amCommunity Craft Group
10.30Stepping Stones
2.30 pmMothers’ Union
7 pmPCC Meeting
Friday 13th 11 am Communion
Saturday 14th9 am Morning Prayer
Sunday 15th 8.30 am Communion
10 am Communion
10 amAll Age Worship
6 pmEvening Prayer
7pmContemporary Worship
Monday 16th7 pm Choir Practice
Wednesday18th9 am Morning Prayer
9.45 am Bertie Bear Club
7 pm Bell Ringers Practice
Thursday 19th10.30 amCommunity Craft Group
Friday 20th11 am Communion
Saturday 21st9 am Morning Prayer
Sunday 22nd8.30 am Communion
10 am Communion
10 amAll Age Worship
6 pmEvening Prayer
Monday 23rd7 pm Choir Practice
Wednesday 25th9 am Morning Prayer
9.45 am Bertie Bear Club
7 pm Bell Ringers Practice
Thursday 26th10.30 am Community Craft Group
Friday 27th11 am Communion
Saturday 28th9.00 amMorning Prayer
2 pmWedding
Sunday 29th8.30 am Communion
10 am Communion
10 amAll Age Worship
6pmEvening Prayer
Monday 30th7 pm Choir Practice
Please note that the deadline for articles to be included in May’s magazine is Sunday 22nd April.
Pentecost
On Sunday 20th May there will be a Pentecost Walk of Witness. The Lytham participants will leave from the Lifeboat Station at 2:45pm and meet up with walkers from St Annes at Fairhaven Lake for an act of worship at 4pm. Philip, Bishop of Burnley, will be present and an invitation is extended to anyone to take part.
Pledge2Pray 2018 - Thy Kingdom Come
Between 10th - 20th May, communities and churches around the world are gathering together to pray that their friends, families and neighbours come to know Jesus Christ. Prayer events of all shapes and sizes will take place across the 10 days, including 24-7 prayer rooms, prayer days, prayer walks and half nights of prayer. Cathedrals, churches and other venues will host Beacon Events, gathering people across towns and cities to worship and to pray for the empowering of the Holy Spirit for effective witness.
Once again St Cuthbert’s has Pledged2Pray and the Vision Champions are planning activities and events for the 10 days.
As we pray 'Thy Kingdom Come' we should expect that God will use us to help answer our prayer. He will give us opportunities to witness to Him with the people we have been praying for. He will use us to invite people to know and experience the goodness of His Kingdom and to join His family. But we also know that most of us find speaking of our faith daunting. We feel ill equipped. We assume someone else, maybe anyone else, is better suited, or we think that sharing faith is someone else’s job. All Christians are appointed as God’s witnesses. It is not a choice. The only choice is whether we are good witnesses or bad ones.
Ordination
Adam Thomas, our new curate, is to be ordained on Saturday 30th June at 10:30am in Blackburn Cathedral. He will be introduced to everyone at St Cuthbert’s the following day and will be preaching at our 8:30am and 10am Communion services.
Adam and his family will be moving to Lytham earlier in June in preparation for his ministry here. Please remember Adam in your prayers at this significant time in his life and be ready to welcome him into our fellowship.
100 Club
Take part in the monthly draw and you could win £100!
All profit goes directly towards the upkeep of the church!
All you need to do is pay £5 per month by standing order. This buys you a number between 1 and 100. Each month a number is drawn, rather like a raffle, and the owner of that number receives a cheque for £100.