Good morning and welcome to our joint service of holy communion for Sunday 9 July, on which we welcome Rev Helen as our new curate. She will be sworn in by Rev Steve, but we begin with the hymn “Love divine, all loves excelling” … More Rev Helen’s Licensing Service
Good morning and welcome to our service of holy communion for Sunday 2 July. Rev Adele is with us today to preach and preside.
We begin with the hymn “O God our help in ages past” … More Welcome
As I write this letter, we have all just learnt of the death of a very dear and loyal friend, Joan Lane. I know she will be sadly missed by many of us and will be remembered for her energy, welcoming smile and devotion to God … More June letter to the parish
The parishes of St Margaret’s Prestwich and St George’s Simister are blessed. We have been selected to host an hour of Great Sacred Music at 1.00pm on Saturday 22 October 2022. More than a concert, but not quite a service, this will be an hour of exquisite music performed by HeartEdge – an ensemble of talented choral scholars drawn from across the diocese, many of them being current students at the Royal Northern College of Music … More Lord of all Hopefulness
One of the themes that runs throughout the Old Testament is belonging to a particular place. Adam and Eve live in the Garden of Eden, but after eating the forbidden fruit they are expelled and no longer allowed to live there. By the time of Abraham the stories are about a nomadic people and their flocks, who become enslaved in Egypt and then set out across the desert to find the promised land … More Belonging and Becoming
One of the most thought-provoking statements about church I have come across is:
“The Church exists primarily for the sake of those who are still outside it.”
It was said by William Temple over 75 years ago and has been much quoted since. One might argue that he goes too far, that a church where the care of faithful members is not a priority has lost its way, but nevertheless we are challenged by it. The church is most definitely not a club for likeminded people. … More All Are Welcome
One of the things I ask churches when I’m visiting to take a service is to be very clear about which bits I am leading, and which fall to somebody else. Readings, prayers, welcomes, notices, setting up the altar. It can all get very complicated and confusing, so I like to know who’s doing what … More Confirmation Service September 2019
Modern leprosy, or, Hansen’s disease is a terrible skin disease that leads to numbness in the affected area and can cause paralysis or blindness … More Healing the Ten Lepers
In the blazing heat and sunshine of July 2018 I was treated to a short stay in Paris. When asked what I particularly wanted to visit whilst there, I replied without hesitation, Sacré-Cœur The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris is situated at the top of a big hill in the Monmatre district. There … More Sacré-Cœur, Paris
St Margaret's Church Prestwich 