Sunday 22nd December…
10:30 Nativity Service
Later in the day…
5:45 Carols on the Community Garden
6:15 Mulled wine and mince pies
6:30 Christingle and more carols!
Christmas at Bank Top Church – starts with the Nativity…
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Our Church Profile
As we head towards the new Missional Partnerships we were asked to prepare our church profile.
This is a document we created towards the end of last year and it assesses our strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities.
We hope you find it realistic.
You can find it here
Safeguarding a priority here!
We’ve put our safeguarding policy statement on the website here
URC Daily Devotions
You may or may not be aware that the United Reformed Church makes available daily devotional reflections, written by all kinds of contributors.
You can now find them on our website here as they live at the right-hand end of our menu or…
- You can subscribe to receive them as emails here: http://devotions.urc.org.uk/)
- And now you can also find them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/URCDailyDevotions/.
Thy Kingdom Come… #P2P
I heard about this on Thought for the Day this morning…
Thy Kingdom Come is a global prayer movement, which invites Christians around the world to pray between Ascension and Pentecost for more people to come to know Jesus Christ. What started out as an invitation from the Archbishops’ of Canterbury and York in 2016 to the Church of England has grown into an international and ecumenical call to prayer.
The hope is that:
- people will commit to pray with God’s world-wide family – as a church, individually or as a family;
- churches will hold prayer events, such as 24-7 prayer, prayer stations and prayer walks, across the UK and in other parts of the world;
- people will be empowered through prayer by the Holy Spirit, finding new confidence to be witnesses for Jesus Christ.
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses …to the ends of the earth. When he had said this…he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight…Then they returned to Jerusalem … and were constantly devoting themselves to prayer…
When the day of Pentecost had come they were all together in one place… All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit… and that day about three thousand persons were added.” Acts 1,2
“In praying ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ we all commit to playing our part in the renewal of the nations and the transformation of communities.”
Archbishop Justin Welby
There are a wealth of resources here
Bank Top Offerings
This article is a follow-up from the financial breakdown that Val Singleton explained to us during our recent service.
First let me thank each and every one of you for the continued support that is given to Bank Top throughout the year.
It is heart warming to be among so many caring individuals that form the Bank Top family.
They say that time and tide waits for no man, and where the finances of Bank Top are concerned that is very true. The recent changes to the contribution Bank Top has to make to the synod together with the usual inflationary pressures that occur means we are running the Church at a loss. The offerings we receive from regular attenders is a wonderful gift however we would like to ask that you consider giving even when you are unable to attend meetings.
There are a number of ways in which this can be done;
- Standing Order
If you can set up a regular standing order, this gives Val an advanced picture of monies that are coming in. If you are a tax payer and fill out a gift aid form Bank Top can also claim money back from the government. For a Bank Top Standing Order Request form please click on the link and print off. (all your personal detail are kept confidential and the only person that can alter a standing order is yourself) - Offering Envelopes
These are designed so that you can budget a regular offering each week and place them in the collection whenever you are able to join us at our regular Sunday services. (If you would like some envelopes please ask Val Singleton) - Sunday Service Offerings
Each week we collect offering from people attending the Sunday service.
Bank Top has long been a communal focal point for many groups and organisation, so anything you are able to give to help Bank Top raise the funding needed would be gratefully received.
Thanks and God Bless you All
Supporting our Charities
HARVEST (Family Service 21st September)
Once again, with your help, we will be supporting BOLTON HOSPICE and
WINTERWATCH
BOLTON HOSPICE – with gifts of food and other items – see list below;
• Any tinned meats, fruits or soups
• Any fruit juice in bottles or cartons
• Sugar, tea, coffee, Ovaltine, Horlicks etc
• Cakes, biscuits (please, not homemade due to health and safety laws)
• Men’s and Ladies toiletries
Please ensure food items are well within use by date.
WINTER WATCH – with monetary donations. Envelopes for this will be available in church soon.
STOREHOUSE GRUB TUB
GrubTub
We’ve had our GRUB TUB in church now since the end of January and it’s been filled eight times with all your donations of food, which have been delivered to Urban Outreach to be sorted and packed into bags and given out to people in need. A letter of thanks has been received from Urban Outreach.
SAMARITAN’S PURSE – SHOE BOXES (Family Service. 16th November 2014)
This will be the 14th year we have supported Samaritan’s Purse appeal by filling our shoe boxes with goodies that appeal to three different age groups; boys and girls:
2 to 4 years
5 to 9 years
10 to 14 years
When you receive the leaflets it will tell you what items can be included and also what NOT to include.
You will need to cover your box with some bright wrapping paper; then stick on your label and tick the correct age and indicate Boy or Girl. Inside your box, on top of the items, enclose a cheque or cash in an envelope for €3 – this goes towards transportation costs. The leaflets will be available as soon as I receive them.
Can we say a VERY BIG THANK YOU to everyone for all the support we’ve received over the years for all the charities we are involved in.
Maureen Roocroft.
Remembering our First World War dead…
On the war memorial in church are the names of seven men who gave their lives for their country in the First Word War, 1914-1918.
These are:
Walter Boardman
Arnold Ogden
Frank Boardman
George Ward
Herbert Hargreaves
Richard Fell
James Isherwood Bolton
To commemorate their sacrifice we have been trying to find out something about these individuals and we have put together what we have found, and displayed it in church. You’re very welcome to come and see what we have pieced together.
The first named is Walter Boardman of Hugh Lupus Street, who Joined up In July 1914 and died at the Somme in August 1916.
The last of these, and we think the youngest, was James Isherwood Bolton, who died, aged 20, on Peace Day, the 11th November 1918. Having survived the bullets he tragically died of “Spanish Flu” on the last day of the war.
We Will Remember Them…
