St Nicholas

Happy New Year!

It is not an unusual occurrence to feel that the turn of the year makes very little difference in our daily lives, and that it is essentially, “just another day”. For me though, the turn of this new year has given me new sparks of hope.

Perhaps it is the ever so slightly lengthening days that make all the difference, or perhaps the knowledge that I am no long in strange place of being within six months of changing post, as I was last year – for half the year I was the curate coming to the end of curacy, and the second half I had only just begun as Priest in Charge.

Perhaps it is also the renewed encouragement that Christmas brings, sharing the Good News of the Incarnation with all people that God truly is with and for us in all of the mess and challenges that our earthly human lives bring.

For our shared lives together, 2022 marks an opportunity to shape the future of our church communities, to envision together the path before us. I am enthusiastic to see what God has in store for us and where the Spirit will lead us, and I am keen to see each of our communities flourish. With the knowledge that God is with and for us, leading us into flourishing and bringing us through the refining fire, I have faith that we will prevail. As we say during the baptismal commission: “ With the help of God, we will.”

Services Diary

With it being a new year, please see below the diary for the next month:

Date

Time

Church

Service / Event

11 th

9.30am

Kirkburton

Little Lights toddler group

7pm

Kirkburton

PCC meeting

(Parish of Kirkburton)

12 th

10am

Shepley

Holy Communion

7.30pm

Denby Dale

(Zion Chapel)

Churches Together in Denby Dale meeting

16 th

9am

Denby

Holy Communion

11am

Shepley

Informal Worship

11am

Kirkburton

Holy Communion

4pm

Cumberworth

Kids Praise

19 th

10am

Shepley

Holy Communion

7.30pm

Cumberworth

PCC Meeting

(Parish of Cumberworth, Denby & Denby Dale)

23 rd

10.30am

Denby

Churches Together in Denby Dale Christian Unity Service

11am

Shepley

Holy Communion

11am

Kirkburton

Holy Communion

3pm

Shepley

(70 Jenkyn Lane)

Worship planning meeting

26 th

10am

Shepley

Holy Communion

30 th

10.30am

Denby

Joint Worship on the Feast of Candlemas

1 st Feb

9.30am

Shepley

(Church Hall)

Two by Two Baby and Toddler Group

2 nd

10am

Shepley

Holy Communion

3 rd

6pm

Shepley

PCC Meeting

(Parish of Shepley)

6 th

9am

Kirkburton

Holy Communion

11am

Kirkburton

Worship for All with Highburton First School

11am

Cumberworth

Holy Communion

I have been hoping to set up a monthly communion service somewhere in Denby Dale, but I haven’t yet confirmed a venue, so please bear with me in this. My proposed time is on the Second Sunday of the Month at 9am.

Throughout each month the aim is to provide family/child friendly worship every week across the churches. I hope that eventually we will have a regular rota of services at different times, including a 9am and 11am every week, except when we have joint services. Holy Communion will be available every week somewhere, even if it is not in your local church. My sincere hope is that I will be able to worship with each parish every month. If it helps, the pattern I am working towards is as follows:

Sundays

Cumberworth

Denby

Denby Dale

Shepley

Kirkburton

First

11am Holy Communion

9am Holy Communion

11am Worship for All

Second

11am Family All Age Service

6pm Contemplative Service

9am Holy Communion (tbc)

11am Holy Communion

Third

4pm Kids Praise

9am Holy Communion

11am Informal Worship

11am Holy Communion

6pm Encounter Service

Fourth

9am All Age Worship

11am Holy Communion

In addition to the above worship on Sundays, we continue with our weekly Wednesday 10am communion service in St Paul’s Shepley, which is open to all who appreciate a small, low-key said service, or for those who struggle on Sundays. If you feel unable to come to church in person for any reason and you would like to receive communion at home, please get in touch with myself or Rev’d Janet Craven (01484 604107); equally, if you have any pastoral concern for yourself, or someone close to you, please let us know. I would also be delighted to accept an invitation for a cuppa and a chat for any reason at all!

Festivals and Holy Days

There are certain days in the church calendar that all Christians are heartly encouraged to attend church, and those who have been admitted to Communion should receive the sacrament. It is the tradition within the Church of England to receive Communion a minimum of 3 times a year – at Easter, Pentecost, and Christmas. The principal holy days are highlighted in bold and are as follows:

9 th January The Baptism of Christ

16 th -25 th January Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

25 th January The Conversion of St Paul

30 th January / 2 nd February Candlemas (The Presentation of Christ in the Temple)

21 st February-6 th March Fairtrade Fortnight

2 nd March Ash Wednesday

4 th March World Day of Prayer

27 th March Mothering Sunday

10 th April Palm Sunday

10 th -16 th April Holy Week

14 th April Maundy Thursday

15 th April Good Friday

17 TH APRIL EASTER SUNDAY

10 th -16 th May Christian Aid Week

26 th May Ascension Day

5 TH JUNE PENTECOST (WHIT SUNDAY)

12 th June Trinity Sunday

29 th June St Peter and St Paul

25 th September-2 nd October Generosity Week

30 th October All Saints’ Sunday / 1 st November All Saints’ Day

13 th November Remembrance Sunday

20 th November Christ the King

27 th November Advent Sunday

6 th December St Nicholas

25 TH DECEMBER CHRISTMAS DAY

27 th December St John the Evangelist

Although there are numerous more feasts and saints’ days, the above dates are of the days that we, in our local churches, are in the practice of keeping, or have special significance for one of our churches. I also include a traditional proclamation of the principal feasts – the inspiration behind me sending you this list – and a little bit of a novelty!

Plans for the year ahead

To help us to plan for the future, I am planning an away day for each of our parishes to be held at the Community of the Resurrection at some point this year. I don’t have any dates yet for them, but I will make sure those dates are circulated in plenty of time. They will each be on a Saturday.

It may be good to organise some church family socials, such as some trips or events that we can come together. If anyone feels particularly called to organise a social event, please let me know so we can get it in the church diaries.

With every blessing,

Rev’d Stephanie L Hunter

Interim Priest in Charge

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Rev'd Steph's New Year Letter

St Nicholas

St Nicholas

Help support your local church!

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Holy Communion

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Rev'd Steph's New Year Letter