2023

News from churches across the area and brief notes and links from CTSD council meetings; see also our Facebook page for Hope4Spalding - collating and reposting many church online or livestream services, news, events and more throughout the year. Italics = awaiting confirmation; apologies for errors or omissions

Christmas 2023: listing through Advent and Christmas Day commenced June 2023; includes 🎄Christmas Tree Festivals and services through Advent.
Advent and Christmas resources from the Methodist Church 'Out of the Ordinary' available (June 2023)

Sutton St Edmund Free Methodist Church (FB) (Sutton St Edmund Village Life FB) moves to the Village Hall from 10 December 2023

Last edition of 'Tidings' - St Mary & St Nicolas (FB) parish magazine - published December 2023

Pinchbeck Baptist have a new website (https://pinchbeckbaptist.wixsite.com/pinchbeckbaptist)

The Lighthouse Project has a new website (https://thelighthouseprojectspalding.com)

All Souls services in loving memory in October and November

Light Parties in October and November

National Baby Loss Awareness Week services in October

Harvest Festivals and Craft/Flower Festivals in August, September and October

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, 18-25 January 2024 - 'Go and Do Likewise' (CTBI) prepared by the Ecumenical Team in Berkina Faso with the local Chemin Neuf Community; WPCU CTBI resources available from 19 September 2023

St John the Baptist, (FB): new service times from 24 September: 9:15am Informal Contemporary service and 10:45am Traditional Communion with choir

Mondays from 4 September, 10:30am: 'I'm Listening' - Pastor in the Pub at The Ivy Wall; more info via Spalding Baptist (FB)

Holy Trinity telephone: please call St Norbert's (20/8); more info via The Immaculate Conception & St Norbert (FB) (20/8)

Holiday Clubs and Family events in July and August

Bourne Abbey: new website https://bourneabbey.uk

Sutton St Edmund Free Methodist Church; new service times from 30 July: 9:00am Freedom Kids, 10:00am Freedom Worship (Sutton St Edmund Village Life FB)

Holeach Community Larder: new website https://holbeachcommunitylarder.org (FB) (August 2023)

Bible Studies, June: the Methodist Circuit is taking the Book of Revelation around four of the village chapels in June - and Bible Space continues at Broad Street

Refugee Week 19- 25 June and Sanctuary Sunday; CTBI resources

Archdeacon's Visitations and Local Mission Partnership Inauguration services in June and July; more info via Lincoln Diocese . See also St John the Baptist, (FB), (FB - public; FB - private group), St Mary & St Nicolas (FB), St Paul's (FB), All Saints, Holbeach (FB, FB public group) ACNY or The Ness Group (FB) ACNY; see also the Welland Mission Partnership (FB) (9 July 2023)

Local Mission Partnership changes
Ringstone in Aveland Group (FB) gains four parishes in August 2023 as well as Dunsby, Haconby (FB), Kirkby Underwood, Morton (FB) & Rippingale (FB)

Thy Kingdom Come, 18-28 May: Praying and Living the Kingdom empowered by the Holy Spirit

Forward Diary for 2024 commenced (May 2023)

Monday 22 May, 7:30pm: Alpha starts at the Tonic Centre, Broadgate House, off Westlode Street, PE11 2AF; more info via Harvest Church (FB)

CAP Money Courses at Spalding Baptist (FB), 4, 11 & 18 May and at St John the Baptist, (FB), 8 weeks starting 21 June

Flower Festivals, Snowdrop Walks, Spalding Flower Parade and Coronation events; a brochure was made available in many churches mid-March 2023

Warm Spaces and Welcome Spaces: some churches are continuing to open their doors into April and beyond, including Broad Street Methodist (FB), 11-3 on Mondays as a 'Welcome Space'. Warm Spaces listing below

Holy Week: Palm Sunday, 2/4; Good Friday, 7/4; Easter Day, Resurrection Sunday, 9/4

Mothering Sunday services - 19 March

Lent groups: a list of lunches, events and courses across the area during Lent via our February and March Diary pages

World Day of Prayer (WWDP) - 'I have heard about your faith', Taiwan; local services listing on Friday 3 March; preparation day Friday 3 February, 9:45am at Spalding Baptist (FB)

Pancake Parties and Ash Wednesday services: February Diary page

Clergy & Staff Moves

Fr Charlie Robertson retires from St Swithun's Bicker (FB group), St Mary & the Holy Rood, Donington ACNY (Private group FB), Swineshead and Sutterton, St Mary's (FB) ACNY, 8 October

Rev Angy Long: Welcome service as Chair of the Lincolnshire Methodist District (FB, FB group), Saturday 26 August, 3:00pm at Side Door Methodist, Grimsby (FB); live streaming also at Broad Street Methodist (FB) (Circuit website)

Fr Dany Abraham has succeeded Fr Jinu looking after the Syro-Malabar community; more info via The Immaculate Conception & St Norbert (FB) (20/8)

Rev Sue Hensby: Ordination service, Saturday 19 August, 2:00pm, Sutton St James Baptist (FB) PE12 0EE

Andrew Mitchell, Children's and Youth Worker, St Guthlac's, Market Deeping (FB) (17/9)

Fr Chris Atkinson: farewell service 10:00am Sunday 30 July, Bourne Abbey ACNY; Rural Dean, Beltisloe Deanery

Rev Richard Knowles: ordination 25 June in Lincoln; more info via St John the Baptist, (FB) or St George's Stamford (FB)

Sally Gale, Administrator for the South Holland Methodist Circuit based at Holbeach Methodist (FB)

Rev Paul Carey-Slater (St Matthew's Sutton Bridge, FB; June 2021) also serving the Mid Elloe group (St Mary Magdalene, Fleet, Gedney, Holbeach Hurn, Holbeach Marsh) from May 2023; his wife Micki becomes Lincoln Diocese Children, Youth and Families Enabler (10/9) and continues as Elloe East Deanery Youth and Children's worker (FB)

Rev Bruce Thompson: leaving service, Saturday 15 July, 3:00pm, Louth Methodist (FB)

Rt Rev Stephen Conway last service at Ely Cathedral (Sunday 16 July, 4:30pm) straight after the annual children's party in the Bishop's garden, becoming Bishop of Lincoln on 20 July 2023 and to be enthroned in Lincoln Cathedral on 11 November 2023; see also Lincoln Diocese

Sister Helena and Sister Olive farewell to Holy Trinity Holbeach, Thursday 22 June (see also St Norbert's FB) (18/6)

Rev Frances Ballantyne: Welcome service, 27 August, 6:00pm, Wigston Magna Methodist, LE18 2HE (see also News, August 2021)

Vacancies

Youth and Community Worker, 35 hours pw; closing date 15 January 2024; more info from Broad Street Methodist (FB) (Circuit website) (21/12)

Administrator/Secretary for St Norbert's; more info via The Immaculate Conception & St Norbert (FB) (20/8)

Children and Families worker, St John the Baptist, (FB); more info via New Wine (2/8)

Church Administrator, St John the Baptist, (FB) (19/9)

Church Cleaner, St John the Baptist, (FB) (19/9)

Administrator for the South Holland Methodist Circuit based at Holbeach Methodist (FB) (9/6)

Administrator/Secretary for St Norbert's and occassionally Holy Trinity, closing date 23/3/2023; more info via The Immaculate Conception & St Norbert (FB) (11/3)

Renew SSJ Lead person, closing date 31/1/2023; more info and application forms from Sutton St James Baptist (FB) (3/1/2023)

Parish Office assistant and church volunteer co-ordinator at St Mary & St Nicolas (FB) (10/1/2023)

Admin Assistant at St John's, closing date 8/1/2023; more info via St John the Baptist, (FB) or New Wine (8/12/2022)

Alpha course starts 17 January tbc; more info via St John the Baptist, (FB)

Hope Explored course runs on 7, 14 & 21 February; more info via All Saints, Moulton (FB) ACNY

Christianity Explored: Tuesdays 12, 19 & 26 September and 3, 10, 17 & 24 October, 7:00pm: Christianity Explored in the Heraldic Suite, St Mary's, Whaplode (FB)

Reavealing Jesus Thursdays, September & October, 12:15pm: soup & bread lunch, explore the Bible together, Sutton St James Baptist (FB)

Virtual Tours South Holland Life (also Chain Bridge Forge et alia) includes virtual tours of several historic churches across the area

Racial Justice Sunday, 12 February; Ash Wednesday 22/2; Ecumenical Lent [home] groups (tbc)

Monday 6 February: Hub In Hub Out Holbeach (FB) launches today at Holy Trinity Holbeach

Saturday 4 February, 2:00pm: Memorial service for Rev David and Jane Hill at St Mary & St Nicolas (FB) (YouTube); Saturday 7 October, 12:00pm: Rev David and Jane Hill interment at St Mary's, Pinchbeck (FB) ACNY

All Saints, Moulton have launched a new Facebook page, 28/1/2023 (FB)

Candlemas services listed on our Diary page for February 2023 as well as Christmas 2022

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, 18-25 January - 'Be-Longing: Praying for Unity amongst Injustice' (CTBI) prepared by the churches of Minneapolis; WPCU services listed on the Diary page for January; CTSD AGM; Preacher Exchange

From our Diary pages: services for Epiphany and Plough Sunday

Ecumenical prayer meetings are now on the first Thursday of each month at 6:00pm for an hour, hosted by Broad Street Methodist

Warm Spaces; various churches open during the winter months - some extending through March:

Mondays from 7/11: 10 - 4 at Broad Street until the end of [February] [March] ongoing as a 'Welcome Space'

Tuesdays: [Coffee Morning at Broad Street]

Wednesdays: 9:30 - 12:30 and 3-6 at Lighthouse Pentecostal

Thursdays from 3/11: 12 - 5:30 at St John's

Fridays from 18/11: 9:30am - 2:30pm at Spalding Baptist

Sundays: 12 - 2:30pm at St Norbert's FB (Project St Thomas); see also Hub In Hub Out (FB)

Warm Spaces; neighbouring churches open including:

Monday and Friday, 10:00am - 1:00pm: Pinchbeck Baptist (FB)
Monday - Friday, 10 - 12: Sutton St James - Baptist (FB)
Mondays and Thursdays until 30 January: Market Deeping - St Guthlac's (FB) ACNY
Mondays, 2 - 4: St John's, Baston (FB) - The Ness Group (FB) to the end of March
Mondays, 12-2: Hub In Hub Out Holbeach (FB) at Holy Trinity Holbeach (see also St Norbert's FB and HIHO Spalding (FB))
Third Wednesdays from 18 January, 3 - 6 at St Matthew's, Sutton Bridge (FB) ACNY
Thursdays in Whaplode, 10-1 at St Mary's, Whaplode (FB) ACNY; also other days around Whaplode