Over 250 people attended the day, which included a family fun afternoon with arts, crafts and face-painting. All ages from the community attended to see just how the church looks inside after the refurbishment, and we received a very enthusiastic response for all that we have done this year.

Thanks to Sam Stratford for the official photography.

Bishop Richard unveiling the inscription

Park Brow Primary School Choir

Family Activity

The new kitchen in action

Members of St. Martin's

Inside, a new lighting scheme was installed, restoring the use of pendant lighting that the church had originally. A modern kitchen and toilets have been created in what was a corridor and storage space, and the old pipe organ was sold to a church near Leeds, and the space has been used to create a cafe area.

The project has been environmentally friendly all the way through, installing low energy lighting, and re-using the wood from the old choir stalls to make the servery for the kitchen.

For anyone who knew the old St. Martin’s, it’s hard to describe just how much of a transformation has happened.

The building is now open and in use by various groups, and is available for other community organisations to hire.

Refurbished exterior of St. Martin's Church

Refurbished interior of St. Martin's

St. Martin's kitchen

Once again our healing team from Kirkby came together for another day retreat, and this year decided to stay a little closer to home and pay a visit to Loyola Hall in Rainford.  The hall, which is run by Jesuit Order, has beautiful gardens and an air of peace and quietness.

After a very welcome cup of tea or coffee, we were introduced to the Rev. John Roberts who had so kindly come along to co-ordinate the day for us, which began with a short service of worship before getting down to the real business of the day.
We were then spilt into small groups of 4 or 5 people and each group were given a passage from the Bible to read, discuss and discover what we had learnt about the Ministry of Healing from the one we had read.  Food for thought as we had to report back!!  We then separated and were left to find a quiet lonely spot out in the beautiful gardens in which we had to think and pray about what we really wanted the lord to do for us as an individual!  Not a difficult task as one could almost feel his presence and know he was listening in such peaceful surroundings.

However, the body as well as the soul had to be fed!  Back to the house for a shared lunch or a visit to the book shop to either read, buy or just browse.  Lunch over we settled down once more to listen to what the Rev. Roberts had to tell us about the true meaning of a Healing Ministry.  After which we wandered out into the gardens once more to enjoy the lovely sunshine with which the Lord had blessed us.

Our thoughts and prayers for this session was to ask ourselves “where does our own individual church need healing” a question of many aspects and many varied answers.  Returning to ‘base’ once again we came together as a team for our closing service of worship and as we joined in communion at the end of our retreat we were left with an inner peace and tranquility.
The fellowship we had shared and what we had learned as a healing team will go with us on our homeward journey and will, hopefully extend into our work as a Healing Ministry.

Our thanks to both Rev. Andy and to Rev. John for their input and organisation and for such a peaceful day of retreat.

During the day Jill Ridgeway was also inspired to write the following:

How can I forgive?
For the wrong I feel you’ve done.

How can I forgive?
For the hurt taht still goes on.

How can I forgive?
When my heart’s still filled with pain.

How can I forgive?
While my tears still fall like rain.

How can I forgive?
Tho time has long since gone.

How can I forgive?
I don’t want this to go on.

How can I forgive?
And mean it from my heart.

How can I forgive?
We’ve drifted miles apart.

How can I forgive?
If you are not still there.

How can I forgive?
Just take it to God in prayer!

St. Martin's crosses

Work finally starts on Monday, 15th February for 15 weeks at St. Martin’s to totally refurbish the church. We are very excited at the prospect of seeing St. Martin’s restored to make it one of Kirkby’s most beautiful modern spaces, as well as a functional community space for Southdene.

As well as necessary repairs, we will be decorating the church inside and out, restoring the windows, putting in a kitchen and toilets, and creating a new entrance, meeting room and cafe-style space.

While the work is happening, the church will be closed during the week, but we will still be meeting on Sundays for worship, although while a gas pipe is being moved, it might be a little chilly for a while!

When the work is done, we will be launching the refurbishment on Saturday 19th June, with a family fun event, welcoming the Right Reverend Richard Blackburn, Bishop of Warrington to re-open the building. Watch this space for details!

Questions of Faith

Why is there so much suffering?

What happens when we die?

Is there a God?

Who exactly was Jesus?

And what does Church offer me in my life?

Questions of Faith is an opportunity to explore the big questions of life – the really big ones, that everyone thinks about, but often don’t get discussed. In a relaxed, friendly and welcoming environment, where no-one’s opinion is wrong, no question is too daft to ask, and where you absolutely won’t get preached at, come along to explore the really big questions that we all face – Questions of Faith.

Starting Sunday, 21st February, 2010, at 6:30pm at the Rectory, Old Hall Lane, Kirkby, or ring Tim Stratford on 0151 547 2155 for more information.

The Empty Cross at Dawn

Holy Week begins with our usual Palm Sunday celebrations in the four churches on Sunday morning, St. Mark’s and St. Martin’s at 9:30am, and St. Andrew’s and St. Chad’s at 11am.

Holy Week Meditations are all at 7:30pm as follows:

Monday at St. Chad’s

Tuesday at St. Mark’s

Wednesday at St. Andrew’s

Maundy Thursday Passover Meal and Vigil are at St. Andrew’s at 7pm

Good Friday begins with the children’s workshops at 9:30am and 11:30am, followed by the Hour at the Cross at St. Mark’s at 2:30pm.

In the evening, there is an Ecumenical Service at St. Andrew’s at 7pm.

On Easter Eve (Saturday 3rd April), there is a Vigil Service at St. Chad’s at 8pm.

And Easter Day is celebrated in all four churches at their usual times, St Martin’s and St. Mark’s at 9:30am, and St. Chad’s and St. Andrew’s at 11am.

Candles lit in prayer

As the church spends its traditional period preparing for Easter, we are running a Lent Course looking at prayer in various forms.

We begin on Ash Wednesday, with the Imposition of Ashes, at 7:30pm at St. Mark’s.

We then go on to explore some different forms of prayer on Wednesday evenings, all at 7:30pm, as follows:

Wednesday 24th February: Liturgical Prayer (St Chad’s)

Wednesday 3rd March: Taize Prayer (St. Andrew’s)

Wednesday 10th March: Ignatian Prayer (St. Andrew’s)

Wednesday 17th March: Prayer Stations (St. Mark’s)

Wednesday 24th March: Prayer and Touch (St. Chad’s)