Eco tip
If you have a lawn, this is the month to help promote its eco-diversity, as it is officially “No-mow May”. Why not have a month off mowing? It is recommended and good for the grass.
Celebrating Ascension to Pentecost
On Ascension Day (Thursday 9th May) there will be a special Communion Service at St Michael’s at 10.15am, and then at 7.30pm our Mission Community is gathering for a united service at St Mary’s Davyhulme – with a joint choir to lead the singing. Please put these dates in your diaries and join the worship on this very sacred day.
After that there is a cycle of prayer through to Pentecost Sunday at different churches in our Mission Community under the banner of the worldwide “Thy Kingdom Come” project, including:
l Tuesday 14th May (midday to midnight, come for as little or as long as you like): Prayer Vigil at All Saints, Stretford
l Wednesday 15th May, 9am: Prayer meeting at Christ Church, Davyhulme
l Thursday 16th May, 6.30pm: Thy Kingdom Come service at St Matthew’s Stretford
l Pentecost Sunday (19th May), 3pm: United family service at St Matthew’s Stretford
These are all open to everyone.
The church annual meeting
We held the church’s annual meeting on Sunday 14th April, and these are the results of the elections:
Churchwardens 2024-25: Neil Barnes and Carol Cosham were elected.
Our Parochial Church Council members 2024-25: Gill Hampson, Jan Smith, Robert Beale, Stuart Johnson, Geoff Andreassen, Angela Easdon, Dian Maclennan, Carol Hatton and Brian Kay were elected (they join our churchwardens, clergy, readers and Deanery Synod representatives, who are members ex officio).
Deputy churchwardens 2024-25: Geoff Andreassen, Graham Dey, Andrea Lester, Stuart Johnson and Robert Beale are deputy wardens, working with Carol and Neil.
The PCC has also appointed our sidespeople and our church officers for 2024-25, including Angela Easdon as secretary, Gill Hampson as treasurer, Janice Mortimer as Gift Aid secretary and Andrea Lester as Safeguarding Officer.
Spring into action …
It’s time for spring cleaning and outdoor work again. We’ll gather on Saturday 11th May from 10am for gardening if the weather permits, and other cleaning and tidying jobs around the church.
That rings a bell!
Sunday 12th May has been designated “Bell Sunday” – a day to celebrate the use of bells in worship and for calling people to worship. At St John’s we have a growing all-age handbell ringing team, and they will be in attendance to ring us into our service and play for us. Also our very own Big Bell will be on display in the church area. Do come along and join in this very special day.
Community Fun Day
We are holding a community fun afternoon at St John’s on Saturday July 6th from 2pm to 4pm, organised in conjunction with Flixton Fellowship. Please look out for more information as the time draws near.
Please note . . .
Thursday Holy Communion services are to be held at St. John’s at 10.30am on 2nd, 16th and 30th May and 6th June, and at St Michael’s Flixton at 10.15am on 9th and 23rd May.
This month our Coffee, Tea and Chat afternoon is on Tuesday 7th May, from 2pm to 3.30pm. Do come along, and bring a friend or neighbour.
On Saturday 18th May, from 2.30pm, Urmston Choral Society hosts “A Night at the Opera” at St John’s. Tickets priced £10 (£2 for students or children) are available from Maxine Summers, text 07961 121 637 (or tel. 0161 748 0903). Please book in advance if possible, although you can also pay at the door.
The next united prayer meeting for our Mission Community is on Wednesday 22nd May, 7.30pm, at Christ Church Davyhulme.
The Confirmation service is on June 16th at 6.30pm at St Mary’s Church Davyhulme. Please come along to support our candidate.
NEW FACEBOOK PAGE
St. John’s in Flixton now has a new Facebook page – search St. John’s Flixton for regular Facebook updates on events and activities taking place in church. Please “like” the page and encourage neighbours, family and friends to do the same to help us grow our followers.
Licensing of Rev Debra Blair as Incumbent of St John's
The Rev Debra Blair was licensed as the Incumbent of St John's Flixton on Sunday 23rd October 2022, in a service at St John's led by the Bishop of Middleton, the Rt. Rev. Mark Davies, and the Archdeacon of Manchester, the Ven. Karen Lund. Guests were welcomed from both our parish and the wider church in our area for this special celebration of a new phase of ministry.
St John’s Football Project
Our football coaching club with a Christian message, supported by Ambassadors Football (ambassadorsfootball.org), is at 2pm on Sunday afternoons at St John’s. It's for boys and girls age 6 to 11.
Join the JC Squad!
'The J C Squad' is the new name for our Sunday School, and it runs at 10.30am during morning service. Children rejoin their parents in church at the end of the main service and often share with the whole congregation something of what they've been doing that day.
The Annual Parochial Church Meeting 2024 was held on Sunday 16th April. The Annual Report and Financial Statements for 2023 are available here. The Churchwardens' Report is available here. The Deanery Synod Report is available here.