Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Sunday, October 20, 2013
"A Manchester Boy": Davy Jones & Lees Street
We recently welcomed visitors to Lees Street who were interested in finding out about the childhood of Davy Jones from The Monkees, who died in February 2012. They were on a convention, touring some of the sites associated with his early years and family life.
A private memorial service to remember him was held in our church, back in March 2012, due to his connection with the church and Musical Society from many years ago. He and his sisters had all been a part of our church's life, taking part in the Musical and Dramatic Society's productions, and several of our members still remember them all well and have kept in touch at least with one or other of his sisters. He was proud of his Manchester roots, often returning to catch up with family and friends.
A private memorial service to remember him was held in our church, back in March 2012, due to his connection with the church and Musical Society from many years ago. He and his sisters had all been a part of our church's life, taking part in the Musical and Dramatic Society's productions, and several of our members still remember them all well and have kept in touch at least with one or other of his sisters. He was proud of his Manchester roots, often returning to catch up with family and friends.
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| Lees Street pantomime, about 1956. David: 4th row, 5th on the right. |
Sunday, September 01, 2013
A typical diary of events:
Our latest regular events are: -
Sunday 11am Worship, with Insight Group for children and young people
(with Communion on the first Sunday of the month)
Monday/Thursday 7.45pm Amateur Musical and Dramatic Society
Tuesday 7.45pm Chat and Craft (a small group gets creative over a cup of tea, on the 3rd Tuesday)
Wednesday 1.30pm Women’s Guild - open to all women, with speakers (alternate Weds)
Saturdays Messy Church, usually 3rd Saturday of the month
11.30 Church Fayres (one in the summer, one in the winter), open to everyone
Every February, members and friends of the church perform a Pantomime involving people of all ages.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
The Bigger Picture
We started with Hope - the hope that we could finish the project ... To help us, we remembered our Faith, which had kept the church going in the past and continues to sustain us ... As the work progressed, we were expressing our longing for Peace, as we pieced together broken fragments of mosaic and built a bigger picture ... And now it is done, we celebrate with Joy!
On Sunday 2nd October we marked this moment with celebration - and the community artist who helped to start us off returned and was very impressed by the quality of the work. So we give thanks that we stuck with it, and made the mosaics say something about us: though each of us is small, rough-edged, and shaded differently, we contribute to a bigger picture.
We hope this says something too about our actions in the world and our welcome for all people, of all shapes and sizes - help us be a bigger picture!
For more about the Mosaic Project - see recent article here in The Congregationalist
On Sunday 2nd October we marked this moment with celebration - and the community artist who helped to start us off returned and was very impressed by the quality of the work. So we give thanks that we stuck with it, and made the mosaics say something about us: though each of us is small, rough-edged, and shaded differently, we contribute to a bigger picture.
We hope this says something too about our actions in the world and our welcome for all people, of all shapes and sizes - help us be a bigger picture!
For more about the Mosaic Project - see recent article here in The Congregationalist
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Fairtrade Fortnight 2011 - Show off your label
Lees Street tries buy fair trade to support producers around the world.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Christmas - Don't be Afraid! It's only a baby!
It's easy to say, but not so easy to put into practice ... but this Christmas at Lees Street, one of the things we valued was the angel's word of encouragement to Joseph: "Do not be afraid" - and we said it to each other. It's something we need to hear in today's world; that we are here for each other, to help comfort one another in our fear, to help bring God's peace. Do not be afraid ...
In our Christingle service, I said that the angel had said this, and Sofia (aged 4) added, "It's only a baby!" Don't be afraid - it's only a baby! She thought it was funny that Joseph should be scared at all - why worry? It's only a baby! And on the one hand, it was certainly a funny moment - and it helped put the whole Christmas story and stress into perspective - don't worry; don't worry about getting everything just so; don't worry about all the wrapping, all the lists of things that 'need' doing, because it's only a baby - and a baby doesn't worry about all those things ... all the baby worries about is some love ... (as well as some food, and warmth, and security, of course) ... not a bad thing to focus on - love.
But on the other hand, the story tells us that some people were fearful of this baby - represented by the King Herod. The powers-that-be feared that this baby represented a new kind of start, as prophets and wise men foresaw. And this is something to give us hope - Joseph needn't worry, because God isn't afraid of scandal; but the powers-that-be, the vested interests in our world ought to be worried, because this birth represents a new beginning ... so take heart, dream wide awake, be ready to join with God in this new thing, do not be afraid, because it's only a baby - a baby who will shake the world and turn things upside-down.
In our Christingle service, I said that the angel had said this, and Sofia (aged 4) added, "It's only a baby!" Don't be afraid - it's only a baby! She thought it was funny that Joseph should be scared at all - why worry? It's only a baby! And on the one hand, it was certainly a funny moment - and it helped put the whole Christmas story and stress into perspective - don't worry; don't worry about getting everything just so; don't worry about all the wrapping, all the lists of things that 'need' doing, because it's only a baby - and a baby doesn't worry about all those things ... all the baby worries about is some love ... (as well as some food, and warmth, and security, of course) ... not a bad thing to focus on - love.
But on the other hand, the story tells us that some people were fearful of this baby - represented by the King Herod. The powers-that-be feared that this baby represented a new kind of start, as prophets and wise men foresaw. And this is something to give us hope - Joseph needn't worry, because God isn't afraid of scandal; but the powers-that-be, the vested interests in our world ought to be worried, because this birth represents a new beginning ... so take heart, dream wide awake, be ready to join with God in this new thing, do not be afraid, because it's only a baby - a baby who will shake the world and turn things upside-down.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Easter 2010
This Easter has seen many signs of new life at Lees Street.
It has been a busy, messy, reflective time, as we have tried to explore the Easter story in different ways. Through our Maundy Thursday Agape meal, Good Friday and Easter Sunday services, we recalled the events of Easter, being free to ask questions and see the story in new ways.
We also shared the Easter Story through our new groups at Lees Street.
Our new group Inspiration reflected on the events of the Easter story by thinking about endings and beginnings. We shared our own stories of endings and beginnings and discussed our thoughts and questions about the Easter story.
We were pleased to welcome new children and adults to our Messy Church Easter celebration. We enjoyed painting eggs, making chocolate nests and egg puppets, decorating Easter magnets, and creating a New Life banner. We also explored the different feelings in the Easter story - from happiness to anger, from despair to hope.
You can see photos of what we got up to by clicking on the Flickr photos. We are trying out Messy Church on Saturdays. The next dates are 15th May , 19th June.
It has been a busy, messy, reflective time, as we have tried to explore the Easter story in different ways. Through our Maundy Thursday Agape meal, Good Friday and Easter Sunday services, we recalled the events of Easter, being free to ask questions and see the story in new ways.
We also shared the Easter Story through our new groups at Lees Street.
Our new group Inspiration reflected on the events of the Easter story by thinking about endings and beginnings. We shared our own stories of endings and beginnings and discussed our thoughts and questions about the Easter story.
We were pleased to welcome new children and adults to our Messy Church Easter celebration. We enjoyed painting eggs, making chocolate nests and egg puppets, decorating Easter magnets, and creating a New Life banner. We also explored the different feelings in the Easter story - from happiness to anger, from despair to hope.
You can see photos of what we got up to by clicking on the Flickr photos. We are trying out Messy Church on Saturdays. The next dates are 15th May , 19th June.
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