Weekly Email w/b 22nd May 2023

A few weeks ago the door to The Meet Place, where we run most of our ministries on the Meole Estate, was knocked down by youths. Three times in a week! My initial feelings were of anger and annoyance, but as I thought about it, I realised two things. Firstly that we had seen a significant decline in prayer on and for the estate, and secondly that there was a lack of engagement with these same young people on a regular basis.

For those of us at the APCM on Sunday evening, we shared a time of being encouraged and celebrating what God has been doing this past year across the parish through His amazing family at Trinity Churches. There was also a stirring up, and an excitement of what God was going to do next.

So, we are going from knocking down one door to knocking on another. We will be starting a monthly prayer meeting at the Meet Place to ask God to flood the estate with His love and presence, to seek His leading, guiding, and equipping, and to knock and see which opportunities to love and serve the community open to us. If you would be interested to be part of this do contact me.

Many blessings,

Keith Moore (Pioneer Community Minister)

PS A huge ‘thanks’ to everyone who has worked so hard over these last few days with REVS, APCMs, Dementia-friends events etc. It is so much appreciated!

 

Feedback from our APCM and read Review of the Year

This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday, with celebrations taking place at 9am. 11am and 6.30pm at Holy Trinity as well as 10.30am at Radbrook Green and at Holy Trinity Belle Vue. Fi Iddon will be speaking at the three morning congregations in the parish here, whilst Keith Moore is speaking at Belle Vue and Kevin Roberts will be our speaker at the evening Pentecost service. This prayer – and expectation – of “Come Holy Spirit” is so important in the life of the Church. Come and help us live it and pray it this weekend.

At Christ the King we’ll be trialling the new arrangements for how we share communion together, in the same way that we did this last weekend at the 11am. For those who wish to do so there will be opportunity to receive communion with bread and the ‘common cup’ of wine. Alongside that there remain opportunities to receive communion in the way that we have been doing for the last three years by the person who is administering communion intincting the wafer into the wine. So everyone will come forward together in the usual way, with different ‘stations’ at the front of church allowing us to receive in different ways and in the way that feels most appropriate for us.

We had a really good time at our APCM last Sunday evening. We worshipped together, had opportunities to share encouragements and questions, heard about different aspects of our life as a parish, and elected those who are going to be serving us across our life at Trinity as wardens, PCC members etc. A particular thanks to our new churchwardens, Jenny Surl, Anne Hasnip and Erica Staples.

You’ll find details of the elections, questions, encouragements and a video recording of the meeting on our APCM website. Click below for more information.

APCM Website

Read our 2022-23 Annual Review

Update on encouragements raised and questions shared

On Sunday 4^th June, after both the 9am and 11am services, we’ll have the return of our fabulous Sunday morning sellers. Illuminate will have a stall, alongside Windfall, Palestinian goods, Fair Trade, some handmade cards, Gareth Evans with his book, and other things. If you’d like to support these fantastic projects there will be the opportunity to pay with cash, or with cards for some of these stalls.

 

A big thank you to those who contributed plants for the HT Belle Vue sale and to those who came to buy. A total of £894 was raised on the day, of which our Meole Brace table contributed £181. This will go towards ongoing work to be done on the roof of Belle Vue church!

We were reminded at the APCM about the importance of best safeguarding practice, and how every child, young person and adults has the right to be safe when engaging with God’s church. This is all our responsibility, and if you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to speak up. You can contact the Parish Safeguarding Team at safeguarding@trinitychurches.org , speak to a member of the clergy and ministry team, or phone the Church Office on 01743 362399.If you are a child or young person and have any concerns about your wellbeing and safety, you can also go to the NSPCC website at www.nspcc.org.uk, or phone Childline on 0800 1111.

Our Parish Safeguarding Policy