This week’s Worship
Sunday 10th January 2021 Epiphany (2nd of the month)
9:15 am Praise & Prayer – Croston
11 am Family Communion – Bretherton.
Wednesday 10:00 am Holy Communion, Croston
11:30 am Funeral of Mildred Duff, Croston
** Friday 9am Morning Prayer at Mawdesley **
** cancelled until further notice **
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
A week is a long time in the midst of a Covid-19 pandemic! It began with Primary Schools returning after the Christmas holidays and we now end with the nation in almost a full lockdown once again, and with a state of emergency being declared in London. Whilst we have cancelled some of our services we are continuing to offer Public Worship within the3churches during the latest lockdown restrictions as we are permitted to do. We have followed the guidance of the Government, Church of England and Diocese throughout the Covid-19 outbreak and will continue to do so.
The Christmas/Epiphany season continues, but suddenly we now jump 30 years on to the Baptism of Christ, which is depicted in this painting by Piero della Francesca which seeks to help us realise that in this event heaven and earth come together and in a way unite the divine and the human! This event reveals the full identity of Christ and his authority and is of huge cosmic significance – the heavens are torn apart, just as the Temple curtain is torn in two when Jesus dies.
The voice from heaven assures Jesus of who he is and of how the Father sees him, Mark’s Gospel will go on to tell us how Jesus lived out this identity. Then almost at the end of this Gospel (15:39), as Jesus dies on the cross, a centurion echoes those words he heard first at his baptism: “Truly this man was God’s Son!” The life of Jesus confirms the truth of his baptism.
Baptism is also important for us as it reveals just who we are, children of God, not because of our good works, but because of God’s grace.
The baptism of Jesus’ is not simply an interesting biblical fact – it is also about our own lives in the here and now. We are children of God, because that’s who God says we are, that’s the power of baptism.
In the painting, Jesus stands still to receive all that God the Father gives him, as God’s children, caught up in the chaos and confusion of this pandemic may we take time to stand still, to receive all the grace God pours into our lives. Confident of that grace, may our lives be strengthened by the assurance of God’s love which is always for us.
May you all remain a safe and well.
With love & prayers. Michael (Rector)
Tel: 01772 600548 mobile:07960309005, email: revmwoods@gmail.com
Please pray for the families and friends of the recently departed:
Vera Ayre, Eva Disley, Mildred Duff,
Barbara Hughes, James Hughes and Michel Paillusson.
Rest eternal grant unto them O Lord may light perpetual shine upon them, may they rest in peace and rise in glory.
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Resources – Baptism of Christ
1) The 3 bible readings set for this week.
2) Prayer and worship at home for the Baptism of Christ
3) Young Church Mag activity and colouring sheets
Sunday 17th January 2021 2nd of Epiphany (3rd of the month)
9:15 am Holy Communion – Croston
11 am Holy Communion – Mawdesley
What does Tier 4 mean for us?
- Public worship can continue – but you must not socialise with people not from your household or bubble.
- It is not an obligation to attend its ok to worship from home.
- PCCs cannot meet physical they must be carried out by on an online conferencing platform such as Zoom.
- People should stay at home as much as possible
- All non-essential shops, Gyms, hairdressers, etc. must close
- You cannot meet other people indoors or in your garden, unless you live with them or they are part of your support bubble.
- You can meet with one person not in your household or support bubble in a public space for exercise.
- People should not leave tier four areas or travel abroad, except for limited reasons (including work and education)
Coronavirus Village support groups
Croston COVID-19 Croston Village Support Group
Mawdesley Mawdesley – Coronavirus help each other out.
Bretherton Via Bretherton WI (01772 601495)
email bethertoonwi@btinternett.com
Please do continue to support the Food Banks
All the food brought into the3Chuches is taken to the ecumenical food bank in Skemersdale, supported by the Trussell Trust.
In Croston – You can leave donations in St. Michael’s Parish Church on Wednesdays & Sundays from 10 to 4pm, bring them to 32, Westhead Road or to 19, Highfield Road.
In Bretherton – You can leave donations in St. John the Baptist Church on Wednesdays & Sundays from 9:30 to 3:30 pm or in the box at the gate at 154 South Road.
In Mawdesley – You can leave donations in St. Peters Church on Wednesdays & Sundays from 10:30 to 4:30 pm or monetary gifts in sealed envelopes please to Robin Hood Cottage, Blue Stone Lane (Opposite Nook Lane).
Thank you to everyone who has been supporting our local food banks and all the other good causes at this time.
Facebook & YouTube Online Worship
This week’s Diocesan worship celebrates the Baptism of Christ and is led by Fr Shaun Baldwin from St Aidan’s Bamber Bridge and St Leonard’s Walton-le-Dale and can be accessed from 9 am via:
https://www.youtube.com/user/blackburndiocese
This weeks Church of England worship comes from The Octagon Parish
and can be accessed from 9 am via:
You can find the order of service at cofe.io/PloughSundayService.
Could you make a donation to support Church?
All our churches rely upon the generous donations of our parishioners to provide the financial support that both maintain our buildings and provide care and support to all those in the local community. Although some use standing orders or other methods of online giving, many donors use cash, either on the plate or in weekly planned giving envelopes.
As our Churches once again close this will affect us greatly at what is traditionally a busy couple of months in the build up to Christmas.
Any donations you could make will be greatly received and one off donations or regular giving can be made by using ‘Online banking’ facilities, the bank details you will require to do this for each church are:
Bretherton – St. John the Baptist
St. Johns Bretherton PCC Account,
No: 10031333, Sort code: 16 17 41
Croston – St. Michael & All Angels
St. Michaels PCC Account,
No. 11215462, Sort Code 16-17-41
Also if you have no facility to pay electronically, envelopes can be dropped off with our Treasurer Derek Alty, 12 Lostock Road, Croston.
Mawdesley w Bispham St. Peter
Mawdesley PCC Account,
No 87032805, Sort code 60 24 02.
If you decide to make a donation electronically you may be given the opportunity to set up a standing order, which greatly help support our regular income.
This resource may be helpful for those who are unable to return to church services at the moment, or for anyone who is feeling isolated or lonely and who doesn’t have access to the internet.
There are also the daily prayer resources on the Church of England Website where you can download apps at:
Christingle – support for Childrens society
We hope you enjoyed our Virtual Christingle service from Croston over Christmas and we look forward to hopefully returning to the real thing this year in all our Parishes.
We normally raise over £700 to support the work of the work of the Childrens society.
This year we have set up a local fundraising page at:
Please do support the important work that they do fighting for the hope and happiness of young people when it’s threatened by abuse, exploitation and neglect. If you would like a collection box to support them throughout the year please contact Diane Marston (Croston) or Rosemary Leigh (Mawdesley).
Young Church Mag: colouring sheet
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