Shared office space at St Mark’s church with occasional duties in other parish offices.

Possibility of further hours on particular projects should funding be available.

Starting date: Monday 6th September 2010.

Application closing date: 5.00pm Friday 25th June 2010.
Interviews will be held on the afternoon of Monday 5th July.

All details and an application form are available here.

From left to right: Liam Fogarty (Chairman), Flo Clucas (Lib Dem), David Dunne (Conservative), George Howarth (Labour), Anthony Rundle (UKIP).

St Chad’s played host to an election debate on Friday 30th April in which four prospective parliamentary candidates subjected themselves to questions from the public.

The evening was supported by the Kirkby churches of all denominations and was a great way for residents to listen and decide about which way to vote.

It was a brave decision by the candidates to enter into this sort of debate and all four did so wholeheartedly.  The debate helped bring democracy alive in the town.  It is not the churches’ place to tell people which way to vote, but all of us want to encourage residents to weigh up their options and to cast a vote.

Liam Fogarty has good experience of how to hold the ring in political cut and thrust from his time with the BBC and he did so expertly here.  Debate was lively both on the platform and from the floor.  It could have descended into a shouting match but never did.  Despite one or two technical difficulties for which St Chad’s apologises, the evening went as hoped and is a model for future elections, local and national.

There are five candidates standing in Knowsley.  National church advice is that it would be in contradiction to our charitable objects as a church to provide a platform for the British National Party and it was for this reason that only four candidates were invited to take part in this event. Click here for links to that advice (pdf file, opens in a new window).

About 120 residents attended to hear the candidates speak.

Chairman Liam Fogarty.

……………….ENDS………………

Meeting with Mgr Guido Marini, the Master of Pontifical Ceremonies, above St Peter's Square. From left to right: Fr Philip Moger, Revd Anne Dawtry, Very Revd David Richardson, Revd Tim Lomax, Dana Delap, Very Revd Rogers Govander, Revd Paul Thomas, Gill Ambrose, Revd Canon David Kennedy, Rt Revd Graham Kings, Revd Professor Paul Bradshaw, Revd Canon Gilly Myers, Revd Peter Moger, Rt Revd Bob Patterson, Revd Anders Bergquist, Rt Revd Stephen Platten, Revd Simon Jones, Revd Gary Waddington, Mgr Guido Marini, Revd Canon Carl Turner, Sue Moore, Fr Paul Gunter, Mgr Mark Langham, myself (expertly pressing the button on my camera was Revd Rhiannon Jones)

It was my privilege, as a member of the Church of England’s Liturgical Commission, to attend a series of meetings in Rome at the end of April.  This included some of the regular domestic business to resource worship in the Church of England as well as dialogue with counterparts in the Vatican.

Members of the Liturgical Commission were treated to some of Rome’s most spectacular sights, including visits to the catacombs underneath the tombs of the Popes in the basement of St Peter’s Basilica, a rooftop view of St Peter’s Square from underneath the Papal Apartments and the city-scape from the rooftop garden of the UK Ambassador’s residence.

The visit demonstrated the trust and respect that is held of one another as members of two different churches.  There is a great deal that is held in common both in belief and practice.

Perhaps the most stark difference that emerged through our discussions about worship was in the importance attached to cultural context.  In the Vatican the aspiration of universal practice was stressed; that is to say the hope that worship would be as uniform as possible throughout the world.  And indeed part of the job of the leaders we met was to promote that.  In the Anglican Communion local context is allowed to strongly shape how the Church worships.  So patterns of worship for the Church in Nigeria carry recognisably African references that are not present in the Church of England.

These meetings were particularly timely as the Holy Father prepares to visit the UK in September.  There is a widespread hope across the Church of England that his visit inspires many more to think an reflect on the Christian faith whether expressed in Roman, Anglican or other church tradition.

The privilege of being up close at a Papal Audience.

The crowds who come to hear the Holy Father in St Peter's Square every Wednesday morning.

Thought to be one of the earliest depictions of Jesus, this mosaic is on the ceiling of a catacomb deep beneath St Peter's Basilica in Rome.

ENDS…………….

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)