For enquiries regarding our printed parish magazine, please contact Paul Outhwaite (parishmagazine@freckletonparishchurch.org.uk).

For enquiries regarding our online communications, please contact Craig Eckersley (webmaster@freckletonparishchurch.org.uk).

If you would like us to publish your photographs from baptisms or weddings at Holy Trinity, or if you have anything else that you would like us to consider publishing, please send it to Craig Eckersley.
(By submitting or posting photographs or articles, you are deemed to have consented to their publication on behalf of everyone depicted or mentioned therein.)

St Paul's Warton newssheet

This is accessible via the 'News Sheet' link at www.achurchnearyou.com/warton-st-paul.

Freckleton C of E School newsletters

www.freckleton.lancs.sch.uk/parents/letters-1/newsletters-1.

Blackburn Diocesan magazine - The See

www.blackburn.anglican.org/diocesan-magazine-the-see

October 2018: A message from Christine Gould

Dear friends

One day last week, I decided to trim some of the plants back in the garden. With my secateurs at the ready; I think every plant in the garden were holding their breath waiting to see which of them would be the unlucky ones!

As I started to tidy them up they started to look more alive again, all the straggly ends were taken of and they all looked more presentable. Just as we do when we have been to the hairdressers. All smartened up.

It made me  think of the passage in the bible where Jesus refers  to Himself  as the true vine and His  father as the gardener; we are all the branches. It talks of us all having to be routed in the vine and therefore routed in Jesus; and also how God prunes us just like the plants in the garden.

We are coming into the harvest season now and lots - or hopefully most - of the fields have been gathered in. As we know from our own garden, the planning starts straightaway for the next year.

I wonder what we have planned at Holy Trinity and St Paul's for our next year. These are very exciting times: we have our new vicar, Jane, and this should hopefully motivate us all to look forward to some new ideas from us.

I do hope you all feel it's an exciting time for all of us to look forward, and hopefully we can, either together or individually, learn more about our faith. We can then e better equipped to help others in their walk of faith.

Sometimes, just as the plants need a little pruning, maybe God feels that we need a little pruning as well. Not literally, but maybe in other ways so we can grow more into the way we are meant to be.

As we go about our everyday lives this month, let us see if we notice the changes in our own garden. We should see the plants change colour, some even die back and look as though that is the end. But next spring we see lots of the plants coming through with little shoots and they should all bloom more strongly. Hopefully, with help from our church family and our faith in God, we can also grow and bloom even better than this year .

With love and prayers

From Rev. Christine

October 2018: Yurch news

We started our autumn meetings with our now traditional "chippy tea" at St Anne's beach. Our sandcastle competition had more of a political theme this year, Luke winning the event with a sand sculpture commemorating the centenary of the ending of the First World War (at least, that is what he said it was!).

We began our regular meetings by agreeing on the group's expectations of everyone in terms of behaviour. We are calling it our YURCH CHARTER. This is what we are going to try to do:

• Listen to each other and remember that only one person can talk at a time.
• Help each other.
• Enjoy ourselves.
• Be open-minded.
• Respect each other's views and opinions.
• What is discussed at our meetings stays there.
• If somebody gets it wrong, don't laugh.
• Only use our 'phones at appropriate times.
• Not easy, we are sure you will agree, so we hope you will pray that we are successful.

Best wishes from everyone at Yurch.

22 September 2018: Coffee and toasties

We thank everyone who supported our morning of coffee and toasties in September. We raised £220, of which we decided to give half to Macmillan Cancer Support.

1 September 2018: Bowling competition

We thank Freckleton Bowling Club for very kindly hosting our first crown green bowling competition, and we thank everyone who supported us. We were pleased to welcome 34 people, of all ages.

August 2018: From the Vicarage

So, my first article in the parishes' magazines! What to write? As we're very much in the "getting to know each other" phase, it seems sensible for me to tell you some of my background... it'll save me saying it a thousand times!
I was born and grew up in Bolton, where I attended St Bede's Church from about nine months before I was born until I left to go to university. St Bede's was a fairly traditional C of E church and I was in the choir (including a stint as Head Choirgirl) and acted as crucifer on occasion. At university in Sheffield, I attended St Thomas', which was a joint Anglican and Baptist church, which catered for students. And it was through the teaching at this church and in the Christian Union that I grew from someone who went to church to someone with a deep personal relationship with Jesus.

I was involved in a Christian drama group at this time - writing, producing and performing in sketches at Holiday Club and, on one memorable occasion, in Sunday morning worship I played the "prodigal daughter" with my hair spiked into a Mohican and spray-dyed red and blue, wearing only a bin liner as my costume! St Tom's was quite a relaxed church!

After university, not knowing what I wanted to do as a career, I went to London to volunteer for a year at a homeless day centre, which was part of Westminster Cathedral. Working alongside the nuns and other volunteers, I found my first calling - to work with vulnerable homeless people. I spent 30 years working in day centres and special needs housing associations, initially in London and then across the North of England after I moved back to Bolton in 2000. I've worked with some of the most challenging client groups you could imagine, but always as part of organisations that were set up with a Christian ethos; and I felt for many years that this was the call God had placed in my life...

... which is probably why I was a bit slow on the uptake when God decided to call me to ministry. I spent three years, initially telling God why I couldn't be a vicar, and then telling Him why I couldn't be a vicar at that time! Fortunately, God is patient and knows me well and He persisted in the call.

I started training in 2008 (part-time while still working full-time as a director of special needs housing). I was ordained in 2011 and licensed as a Self-Supporting Minister in the parish I had worshipped at since returning to Bolton - Seven Saints in Farnworth (a parish with four very different churches, each with their own traditions and styles). Alongside being involved in Sunday worship, my primary role for the next three years was mission, outreach and community involvement...

... oh, and arguing with God again because He was starting to call me on to the next phase of my ministry - full-time stipendiary ministry. After going through the selection process again, I was given permission to transfer to stipendiary ministry and was licensed as the Team Vicar / Associate Rector in Seven Saints in 2015. And it was around that time that I first discovered St Paul's Warton and God started to prepare me for the next stage of my ministry.

I am really excited to be here in Freckleton and Warton... and I am looking forward to all that God has in store for us. And I pray that, as we listen to God's calling, that He blesses all we do as we step out together in faith.

August 2018: Yurch news

We would like to thank everyone who supported us on our sponsored Fun Run. The total money we raised was £240, which will be donated to the RNLI and Microbubble Cancer Research.

July and August is our leaders' rest time. We are all away at different times during the school holidays, making it difficult to make arrangements for meetings. We hope everyone has a very enjoyable summer and you will hear from us again in the autumn.

Best wishes for a lovely summer from everyone at Yurch.

29 July 2018: Coffee, toasties and pizzas

We thank everyone who supported our morning of coffee, toasties and pizzas, along with pictures by Excelsior Arts, yesterday. There were 59 people present, and we raised £210.37.

22 July 2018: Welcome to Jane!

We were pleased to enjoy our first service with Rev. Jane Greenhalgh today, following her installation last week as Vicar of Holy Trinity Freckleton and Warton St Paul.

5 July 2018: School Bibles

The PCC recently agreed to finance the replacement of the Bibles used by the three lower classes at school. We have now received a great big envelope, in which are beautiful handmade 'Thankyou' cards, addressed  to the PCC from all three classes, including the tiny tots in Reception, who have all signed their names and written thank-you messages. There is also a very nice letter from Mrs Eaves, the head of RE, thanking us and describing what Bibles they have chosen for each age group.

These letters are a lovely reminder of the close and loving bond that now exists between our school and our church. Well done to everyone who contributes to this relationship.

Blessings, Terry

July 2018: Yurch news

We hope that everyone enjoyed Club Day weekend. It was a particularly important one for us.

We were proud to be asked to make a major contribution to the main Club Day church service. Evie, our new Rose Queen, read the Lesson, we had all written the prayers together and Alex, Evie, Lauren and Bethan helped to deliver a talk about the charities that we are supporting for the year.

Ten of us took part in the Club Day weekend Fun Run and we would like to thank everyone who sponsored us.

We will let you know the total amount of money collected for our charities next month.

On 12 June, we all enjoyed our summer barbecue and we were pleased that all of our newly confirmed friends were able to join us. This event was attended by 17 people, a record number for us.

We finished our summer meetings by enjoying a games night and will resume our meetings in September.

Best wishes for a lovely summer from everyone at Yurch.

July 2018: Sunday School news

As you can imagine, June was all about Club Day. The craft fairies had been busy at work, scrunching tissue paper, gluing, sticking and generally getting themselves covered in lots of shiny paper. And then once again, our craft fairy godmothers, Ruth and Irene, put it all together, and our theme, Fishers of men, looked amazing.

Then onto the big day itself. We're sure you'll all agree that our Rose Queens, Lauren and Evie, and their retinues, looked fabulous. We're so very proud that our children take such pleasure in representing their Sunday School and church in our village. A special big thank-you must go to their families for all their hard work in the weeks and months leading up to Club Day Weekend.

It was a shame about the weather, but it didn't dampen our spirits and the children's smiles shone through.

It was also a proud moment to see Isabella, Olivia and Gracie, all members of Sunday School, represent Freckleton C of E School at the Club Day Songs of Praise service at Holy Trinity on the Sunday evening. They must have been small on numbers, but they certainly made up for it with their voices and hearts.

So the next question was, how on earth do we follow such an eventful weekend? Well we decided to do it by taking the children ten-pin bowling. We're not sure who enjoyed it most, the children or the adults.

We must end our news for June once again with a huge thank-you to everyone involved in keeping Holy Trinity Sunday School a place where our children can shine.

The Sunday School leaders.

16 June 2018: Freckleton Club Day

Thank you to everyone who supported our attendance in the Club Day procession, our Rose Queen crowning, our coffee and toasties (which raised £200) and our songs of praise service.

(Photos by Edith, Nicola, Anita and Freckleton Methodist Church.)

13 June 2018: Mothers' Union

Our Mothers' Union enjoyed a visit to Liverpool today, to see the Terracotta Warriors. Thanks to Anne Kay, Kath Broadhurst and Grace Edmondson for arranging the trip and hosting the group, and thanks to the Mothers' Union for inviting the congregation of Holy Trinity to join them.

12 June 2018: Yurch barbecue

Our annual barbecue last night was a big success. Seventeen young people attended and we welcomed our six newly confirmed friends.

3 June 2018: Confirmation

We thank the Rt Revd Bishop Philip North, Bishop of Burnley, our six proud confirmation candidates and their families, our dedicated team of Confirmation Group leaders, and everyone else who helped with our very successful confirmation service this year.

June 2018: Confirmation

We ask for God's blessing on Amy, Tyrese, Katelynn, Zachary, Jasmine and Kelby as they are confirmed on 3 June at Holy Trinity at 18:00. It has been a pleasure to prepare these young people for Confirmation and, as usual, their ideas have been an inspiration to us. We particularly think that if we followed their rules for living, the world would be so much better. They are:

• Help anyone in need.
• Show respect and tolerance to all.
• Keep the world a beautiful, peaceful and safe place for everyone.
• Be tolerant to those with different beliefs.
• Treat others as you would like to be treated.
• Be happy and satisfied with what you have got.

In one of the sessions, we focused on writing prayers and then shared them with the congregation in the service on 13 May. The prayers are now displayed on our notice board in church and we hope you will spend some time reading them, when you next visit church.

The Confirmation Group leaders

June 2018: Yurch news

It has been a busy month for many of us, with end-of-year school examinations. However, some of us have continued to meet on a Tuesday. We have spent some meeting time making cards for our Confirmation candidates, asking for God's blessing on their Confirmation day and inviting them to our annual barbecue in June.

We enjoyed a games night on the park, although the wet and cold weather restricted our plans. Examinations finished, twelve of us enjoyed a night out on 15 May at Lakeside Bowling Alley in Preston. A good time was had by all. A big thank you to Brian Gould and Sue Scholz, who joined us and helped with the transportation. In between all this, we managed to find time to write prayers for the intercessions on 6 May; we were very grateful that William was able to read them for us.

As you know, our charities for this year are RNLI and Cancer Research, and on 17 June (Club Day weekend), we are going to give a talk to the congregation about these charities and how we are trying to help them. We hope you will be able to support us by coming to the 11:00 service.

We are looking forward to Club Day and wish Evie and her retinue good luck as she begins her year as Rose Queen.

Best wishes from all at Yurch.

June 2018: Sunday School news

May is always a lovely month, as it is when Sunday School holds one of its most important events of the year, our Rose Queen Social. This is when Sunday School and church have the opportunity to show our appreciation to our Rose Queen for all the hard work she has done over the past year. I'm glad to say that we had a fabulous turnout this year, and I hope Lauren knows how truly proud we all are of here. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to making the evening a success, from the donations of tombola and raffle prizes and cakes, to Freckleton CE School, who supported Sunday School in providing the entertainment, and to the many people who helped behind the scenes.

And so into June and Club Day....

The Sunday School leaders

A message from the Rose Queen

As I said at the Rose Queen social, I have had an amazing year and I would like to say a final "thank-you" to everyone who has helped and supported me over the last 12 months, especially my family, Sunday School leaders, my retinue and, indeed, everyone from Holy Trinity.

I hope Evie and her retinue have as "amazing" a year as I have had!

Lauren Lefevre

11 May 2018: Sunday School Rose Queen social

A great evening to celebrate the end of Lauren's Rose Queen year.

Thank you to all who came along and supported the evening.

Thank you to the school for hosting the event.

Thank you to Sunday School

And church for making it happen.

Finally a huge thanks to all the families involved in the retinue.

As a gift to Lauren from Sunday School and church, she was given a Pandora ring and from the family, we had her lovely photo made into canvas.

Nicola Lefevre

4 May 2018: Freckleton Junior Brass Band

Thanks to the juniors of Freckleton Band for another evening of fantastic entertainment, an d thanks to everyone who supported the concert.

May 2018: Confirmation

Our Confirmation preparation classes started on 19 April and will continue every Thursday until 24 May. The Confirmation service is on 3 June at 18:00 in Holy Trinity and will be led by Bishop Phillip, the Bishop of Burnley.

We have six young people who have decided they would like to be confirmed: Jasmine Caffrey, Zachery Dutton, Amy Fare, Kelby Knowles, Tyrese Moyo and Katelynn Stewart, and we are sure you will want to pray for them, as they take this important step on their journey of faith.

Gwen and Lynn

May 2018: Yurch news

We hope everyone had a very peaceful and joyful Easter.

We spent most of our meeting time before our break making Easter-themed craft items. We are delighted that donations for these items have totalled £117. A big thank-you to everyone who supported us. All money we raise this year will be divided between Cancer Research (in particular research using microbubbles) and the RNLI.

We have had preliminary discussions about what to do next and many of us would like to join the Fun Run on Club Day weekend and make it a sponsored event for our charities. During the summer months we are planning to do more outdoor activities, weather permitting!

We are looking forward to getting to know our new Confirmation candidates and hopefully some of us will be able to help support them during their preparation classes.

We would also like to congratulate the Rev. Jane on her appointment and we look forward to getting to know her.

Best wishes from everyone at Yurch.

May 2018: Sunday School news

May's here and there's yet another busy month ahead. The children are looking at the Parables told by Jesus.

The first Parable we are learning about is in Luke Chapter 14, the Parable of the great feast, and we are discussing the relevance this Parable still has today.

We are also getting our voices in tune and are hard at rehearsals for the Rose Queen social on Friday 11 May at Freckleton CE School from 19:00. Admission is £1 for adults, free for children under 16, and includes entertainment, a tombola and a raffle. The special evening gives us a great opportunity to show our thanks for all the hard work our Rose Queen, Lauren Lefevre, has put in over the past year as she comes to the end of her reign. We hope to see you there.

The Sunday School leaders

28 April 2018: Coffee and toasties

Thanks to everyone who supported our coffee and toasties morning: 40 people attended, and we raised £185.16. The next one will be on Club Day.

27 April 2018: Fylde Coast Theatre comes to Freckleton

The Kirkham-based Fylde Coast Youth Theatre group visited Freckleton Village Hall on 27 April and made a repeat performance of I am... let's talk, which the youngsters had researched and written themselves. This was Fylde Coast Theatre's first visit to Freckleton, and we hope there will many more to come!

1 April 2018: Happy Easter from Holy Trinity!

25 March 2018: Please support our Yurch Palm Sunday and Easter crafts stall

Please support our Yurch Easter crafts stall and help them to raise money for the RNLI and Cancer Research UK.

25 March 2018: Palm Sunday sunrise

Thanks to Julian Thompson for this spectacular photo of Holy Trinity Church at dawn on Palm Sunday.

24 March 2018: Coffee and toasties

Thanks to everyone who supported our coffee and toasties morning. We raised £166.52 and had 40 people present. The next one will be on 28 April.

23 March 2018: Notice of Institution

Please note that the Bishop of Burnley will institute and the Assistant Archdeacon of Lancaster will induct the Revd Jane Greenhalgh as Vicar of Freckleton Holy Trinity & Warton St Paul on 18 July 2018 at 19:30 at Warton St Paul's.

21 March April 2018: Passover celebration

Another successful joint Passover celebration with St Paul's.

11 March 2018: Appointment of new Vicar for Freckleton and Warton

We are delighted to announce that, subject to the usual clearances, the Rev’d Jane Greenhalgh, currently Associate Rector in the Seven Saints Team New Bury with Great Lever, will be appointed as Vicar of Freckleton Holy Trinity and Warton St Paul. A date for her induction service will be announced soon.

Thank you all for your ongoing prayers and support!

March 2018: Prayer visiting

Please would you consider becoming part of Holy Trinity's prayer visiting initiative?

Prayer visiting is all about asking people in our parish (generally non-church people) whether there is anything they would like us (as a parish) to pray about on their behalf. All requests would be collated and the prayers offered once a month during the main Sunday service (usually a non-Eucharistic one, as the people are invited to come along and listen to their prayer requests).

This initiative was taken up by St Paul's, Warton, last year and elicited a good response from those visited (20%) and has resulted in fresh members among the congregation.

Prayer visiting is not demanding on time - an hour a month per team of two. Each visiting team consists of two people. A letter inviting the householder to participate is delivered in week 1. No contact is required as the letter is simply posted through the letterbox. The team returns in week 2. This time, the doorbell is rung and the householder is asked if there are any requests for prayer. This visit may elicit a conversation, which may or may not require returning at a later date. If the householder is not at home, a second letter is posted through the letterbox, informing that a return call has been made and asking that any requests for prayer should be sent to a given address or delivered by hand to the church.

Each team will visit 25 homes in a month. Addresses are prior nominated. The visit to deliver the initial letter can be made at any time of day and obviously anyone can make this delivery. Consideration should be given as to whether the second visit (a week later) should be made during the late afternoon or early evening.

Prayer visiting is part of the Church's mission in the world. Full training and preparation will be given before anyone is sent out. If you are interested in becoming part of Holy Trinity's team, please have a word with me.

Blessings,

Fiona

March 2018: Yurch news

We had a break from meetings in February as our leaders have been sunning themselves in the Caribbean. OK for some! They saw they need a break after dealing with us all. We really don't know what they mean.

We have chosen our charities for the year. The vote was split between the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and Cancer Research, so we have decided to support both.

An amazing thing happened, which we think is God speaking to us. On the day after we voted, two letters came through Andrew and Lynn's letterbox: one advertising the RNLI and the other from Leeds University, about a form of cancer research using micro bubbles. This convinced us that this is where our money should go in 2018.

Once again, thank you to everybody who supported our Church Urban Fund appeal. The final total we raised was £333.

Best wishes from everyone at Yurch.

March 2018: Sunday School news

With March upon us, we can begin to put winter behind us and look forward to spring and all that this wonderful season has to offer: lighter nights and the early spring blooms, poking their colourful heads through the gloom.

Sunday School, too, have been looking ahead and planning for the next few months: Mothering Sunday, Easter and Club Day.

The children are hard at work making a gift for their mums to show their appreciation for everything she does for them throughout the year. They will also be singing during the 11:00 service on Mothering Sunday, 11 March.

And so to Club Day: Holy Trinity Sunday School Retinue Committee take great pleasure in announcing the Rose Queen and Retinue for 2018-19. Selection has been made on the grounds of age, suitability and attendance at Sunday School and church.

• Little child - Teeiree Moyo
• Rose Queen - Evie Knowles
• Attendants - Bethan Palmer and Samantha Rawlinson
• Bower - Emma Fare and Kelby Knowles
• Train bearers - Alisha Law, Gracie Palmer and Grace Wallbank

The Sunday School leaders

February 2018: Invitation to join Friends of Holy Trinity Church

4 February 2018: Notice of annual parochial church meeting, Sunday 4 March

The annual election of the churchwardens will take place after the 11:00 Parish Communion service on Sunday 4 March, at approximately 12:15. The annual parochial church meeting will then follow. This will include the annual elections for the Parochial Church Council and the sidespersons. We also have vacancies for Secretary, Treasurer and Deanery Synod representatives. Please note that you need to reapply if you wish to retain any of the above appointments.

You may obtain application forms for enrolment on the electoral roll in church or download the form in Word format. If you wish to return the form by e-mail, please send it to electoralrollofficer@freckletonparishchurch.org.uk.

3 February 2018: Coffee and toasties

Thanks to everyone who supported our coffee and toasties morning. We enjoyed the company of 43 people and raised £170.85. We'll be back with more coffee and toasties on Saturday 24 March.

February 2018: A message from Terry

Dear Friends

At a recent meeting with the Bishop of Burnley and the Archdeacon of Lancaster in connection with our impending search for a new vicar, he asked the PCC (tongue in cheek) to put aside their natural modesty and tell him all the good things about Holy Trinity Church: things that would attract potential applicants for the vacant position.

After a slowish start, we warmed to our theme and there emerged a long list of triumphs and successes, which made us all realize just how special and precious is our Parish Church. It is all the more astonishing when one considers that almost all the achievements have come without the leadership of a vicar. What a great tribute to the small band of faithful Christians who have not just "kept body and soul" together for more than three years, but have actually moved the church forward.

I am sure that the 200 or so people who came to the Christingle service on Christmas Eve are very grateful to those whose hard work and commitment meant that there was a warm, beautifully decorated church for them to attend and a lovely Christmassy service by candlelight. Similarly the 30 or so families who brought their babies to church last year to be baptised were presumably pleased the church was there for them when they needed it.

To all of them I post the same question: "Do you never feel guilty that you are standing back and letting a couple of dozen, mainly pensioners, do all this for you?" How long do you suppose the church will be there for you if you continue to give it no support and take no interest in it except when you want to use it?

God is good to us not just at Christmas or in the joy of weddings and baptisms, but every day of our lives, and taking just an hour or so out of our busy schedules each week, or even each month, to go to church to give Him thanks and praise, which is so rightly His, is just a small thing. It may be that you don't care for the style of our services, or the times may be inconvenient; if that is the case, then join the club and get the rules changed.

But that is a weak excuse in any case. I know people who go to the gym every week even though they don't enjoy it and really don't want to leave their comfy sofas - and they moan about the fees. Going to church should be a doddle compared to that, even if you have to listen to one of my sermons. (No sermon at our 8.30 am serivce, however, and it lasts half an hour.)

So why not stop relying on others, and start supporting your church in the way it is always there to support you? Or, in modern parlance: "Use it or lose it."

Unlike gym users, I've never come across anyone who regretted starting to attend church regularly.

With love and blessings

Terry

February 2018: Yurch news

Like many of you, in our first meeting of the New Year we had a discussion about making changes in 2018. In previous years when we have discussed this topic, we have thought about our hopes for the world and our community, but this year we focused on ourselves.

These are some of the things we decided we would try to do in order to make life for ourselves, our friends and our family better in 2018. We will try:

• to be more caring
• not to tell lies
• to remember to help walking the dog
• to be more organized, so that our homework is completed on time
• not to argue with our parents
• to help train our pets
• to be more polite to our siblings
• to respond quickly to requests
• not to fight with our brothers and sisters
• to talk less and listen more
• to own up to things
• to stop teasing people

No small task, we are sure you will agree; so we would very much value your support and prayers in order to achieve our resolutions for 2018.

Best wishes from everyone at Yurch.

February 2018: Sunday School news

So, here we are, back at Sunday School, and looking forward to another very busy year ahead.

This half-term, Sunday School have been looking at the story of Noah and his ark, a rather appropriate topic in light of the recent weather.

The children have been getting crafty. They've made Noah's Ark light switch surrounds and animal masks for our Two by two game.

We have then tried to understand why God was so angry with what was happening in the world that He brought the floods. But more importantly, the love God showed Noah and his family by sparing them because of their obedience, and entrusting his creatures into their care.

We then talked about how we, like Noah, don't always find it easy to obey God, but when we do, God is pleased with us.

The Sunday School leaders

January 2018: Yurch news

December was a very busy month for us. Thank you to everybody who donated money for our Christmas crafts. This will be added to the money we sent to the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) earlier in the year. We will be deciding on a new charity for 2018 when we resume meetings in January.

Five of us contributed to the Advent Sunday Evensong service at St Paul's, with a meditation called Waiting for God. We were very pleased with the compliments we received for our performance.

Our Advent sleepout challenge on 9 December was a great success. Thirteen of us slept in church and also lay for a while on the path outside, on a very cold night. We have collected well over £300 in sponsor money. The money is going to the Church Urban Fund. Thank you to all who helped, either by sponsoring or by joining us (five brave adults slept on the church floor with us). Our notice board in church will give you a flavour of the event.

Six of us spent a lot of meeting time rehearsing our sketch, A very PC Christmas, for the Christmas social. We hope you enjoyed it.

Everyone at Yurch would like to wish you a very happy and peaceful 2018.

January 2018: Sunday School news

Well, what a month December has been. It's certainly flown by for Holy Trinity Sunday School.

The children have been busy rehearsing for their Nativity in church. This year's presentation, Hey ewe, was performed during the 11:00 family service on 17 December and the children were fabulous; they really did themselves and the Sunday School leaders proud. A special mention must go to Ruth Willis and Irene Cardwell for making the costumes and props. We'd be lost without them.

Some of the children even managed to do an encore at the church social in the evening.

It hasn't all been hard work, though, as Sunday School enjoyed their Christmas party and a visit from a very special person who should now be enjoying a well-earned rest after his Christmas deliveries.

And so we now look to the New Year and the exciting next 12 months ahead.

Wishing you all a very happy New Year.

The Sunday School Leaders

24 December 2017: Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year from Holy Trinity Church.

24 December 2017: Flower shelves

Thanks to Steven R. Baxendale for supplying and fitting these Cumbrian oak shelves for our flower ladies.

9 December 2017: Coffee and toasties

We thank everyone who helped us on this wintry day with yet another very successful morning gathering, with tea and coffee, toasted sandwiches and cakes, this time including turkey and stuffing toasties, mince pies, 'pigs in blankets' (rushed in from Flapjacks Café) and other seasonal treats. We brought 60 people together, including several new visitors, and raised £186. We'll be back again with more coffee and toasties early next year.

3 December 2017: Please support our Yurch Christmas crafts stall

The young people's church group have made a selection of Christmas gifts, which are on offer for donations at the back of church. Donations will go to Yurch's charity for this year, the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA). Your support is much appreciated.

December 2017: Serious elf warning!

Instead of holding a toy service this year, Holy Trinity Church and Sunday School are selling Christmas elf toys. The proceeds will go to Derian House Children's Hospice, Chorley.

December 2017: Advertising in the Holy Trinity Church monthly parish magazine

December 2017: A message from Terry

Dear Friends

Here we are again, at the start of Advent - four weeks that should be a time of penitence and spiritual preparation for Christmas. Four weeks which, in practice, are usually a hectic whirl of parties rather than penitence, and a very different sort of preparation - writing cards, buying presents, getting the food organized, planning travel, and so on. As we approach one of the greatest feasts of the Christian year, Christians are caught between the religious festival and the secular celebration, trying to juggle the two - especially through Advent.

Too often all the practical tasks and anxieties (whether for church or at home) can overwhelm us, leaving no room for the spiritual, so that our Christmas worship takes us almost by surprise - organized on the outside, unprepared in the inside. So what do we do?

One solution would be for the Church to accept the changing times, and abandon the old idea of Advent; to fully adopt the secular season of Christmas instead, with December as a month-long celebration as we get into the mood with carol and crib services, tinsel and trees. It would be easy to do - after all, we're already well on the way there. But then, when we came with our hearts and minds full only of fun and feasting, cute children in nativity plays, and maybe getting a bit tired of it all, we would risk losing sight of the reality of Christmas. Just a sentimental response to a chocolate box vision of the baby in a manger.

So should we go for the ascetic, puritan approach? To reject the secular festivities altogether, to opt out of shopping and partying, and to focus only on the coming of Christ. That may be the right way for some - for those called to the dedicated religious life, a monk or nun. But for most of us it would be neither practical, nor what Christ really expects of us. The puritan life is not practical for most of us, because we don't live in isolation - we have families, friends and colleagues, many of whom are not "religious". We can't just cut them off, ignore their needs and wishes. But even more, theologically, separating ourselves from the world would be a strange way to celebrate the incarnation, Christ coming into the world. The Jesus who celebrated the wedding at Cana, who would dine with anyone, would surely not want that.

So, in the best tradition of Anglican compromise, I think that somehow we need to hold together both sides of Advent, the spiritual and the secular, the preparation and the celebration. But to do that successfully, we need to work on a better balance! On the one hand, calming down a bit on all the scurrying and worrying about the shopping, cards, presents, wrapping, cooking, etc. - because even in its secular version, the important thing about Christmas is the sharing with family and friends. And on the other hand, consciously and deliberately, making more time for ourselves and more time for God, in the coming month. Maybe making the effort to get to church on Sunday, however long the list of jobs awaiting us. Maybe making a quiet space each day, as we open the Advent calendar, to remember the needs of the world around us, the world Christ came to share in and to die for. Caring for others, through our prayers, actions or gifts, is a great way to prepare ourselves for our Christmas celebrations and will enhance our enjoyment of Christmastide even more.

However you prepare for it and however you celebrate it, I hope Christmas will be a very happy time for you all and I wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Love and blessings
Terry

December 2017: Yurch news

Christmas is nearly upon us and we are getting busy with a number of special events.

Firstly, we are working hard making our Christmas crafts, which will be available from Advent Sunday (3 December). Any donations you are able to give will be gratefully received and will be given to our charity for this year, the local branch of the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA).

Advent Sunday will be a big day for us, as we are also helping to contribute to a sketch in the Evensong service at St Paul's at 18:00. We hope you will be able to join us at that service.

On 9 December, we are having an Advent sleepover challenge in church. This is a national sponsored event and all proceeds are being donated to the Church Urban Fund, to help people less fortunate than ourselves, in particular homeless people in our towns and cities. The idea is that, by sleeping on the floor in church, we get a small idea about what it is like for so many people who have to sleep rough every day. If you are able to sponsor us, we would be delighted. A sponsor form will be left at the back of church until Christmas.

Finally, as usual, we hope to contribute to the Christmas social after the nine lessons and carols service on 17 December and we look forward to seeing you all there.

Happy Christmas from everyone at Yurch.

December 2017: Sunday School news

With Remembrance Day in our minds, the children have been learning about the Poppy Appeal and the famous poem In Flanders Fields by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae. He wrote the poem in early May 1915, following the death of his friend in Ypres. This now oft-recited poem went on to inspire an American academic, Moina Michael, to make and sell red silk poppies, which were brought to England by Anna Guérin. The Royal British Legion, formed in 1921, ordered nine million of them and sold them on 11 November that year. The poppies sold out almost immediately and that first Poppy Appeal raised over £106,000. (Information courtesy of the British Legion website.)

We also talked about the importance of remembering those brave men and women who died while serving their country. The children then went on to make their own remembrance poppy gardens. It was therefore with great pride that we, as leaders, watched a number of the Sunday School children take an active role in the Remembrance Sunday service in Holy Trinity Church and later represent the uniformed organizations in the Act of Remembrance at the War Memorial.

The Sunday School Leaders

November 2017: Prize bingo

Thanks to the great generosity of many people, our annual prize bingo raised a splendid £528.18. We are most grateful to all who donated prizes and provided the venue and, of course, to all who supported the event on the night, despite the wintry weather.

November 2017: Freckleton in Bloom video

The Freckleton in Bloom team achieved a gold award from Britain in Bloom North West this year. Their three and a half-minute Facebook video shows some bright and beautiful scenes of the village, including some marvellous views of Holy Trinity Church.

www.facebook.com/freckletonbloom/videos/703751479819457

4 November 2017: Coffee and toasties

We thank everyone who helped us with yet another very successful morning gathering with tea and coffee, toasted sandwiches and cakes. We brought 40 people together, including several new visitors, and raised £156.36. We'll be back again with some seasonal treats on Saturday 9 December.

November 2017: Yurch news

The news at the moment often seems very sad and quite negative. We had a discussion about what we would like to happen to make the world a better place and these are some of our ideas.

William

Stop using war as a threat. Focus on happiness and joy by helping others; exercise, live, play and have fun.

Luke

We should all drive electric cars because they will help the environment.

Lauren

We should care for the community and visit elderly people who are lonely.

Evie

To make the world a better place we could become more friendly, so that everyone is happier; we should help each other out in difficult situations.

Aaron

Equality for all.

Bradley

Stop war around the world.

Emma

Help homeless people. Give them food and take them to a shelter.

Bethan

I wish that the world would become more friendly' that countries could agree as this would save people's lives. I also wish for better medication and water for the countries and children that don't have it.

Max

Help other people.

Nathan

SMILE. Smiles make people happy so smile at each other.

Holly

We could give more money to local government and with that money they can make the place better.

Matthew

Equality for all races, gender, etc. This will make the world a better place.

Alex

I think we should stop littering and stop using so much energy.

We are sure you will agree that our thoughtful young people give us all hope for the future!

Gwen, Lynn and Andy

November 2017: Sunday School news

This half-term, Sunday School have been looking at The Creation. The children have enjoyed listening to the story and making their own Creation hangers. But they loved getting messy making the Seasons display for our notice board in church; there was a lot of glue and cotton wool used for our winter snowmen.

The church looked lovely for the Harvest Festival, and it was Sunday School's pleasure to take part in the service. Luckily, the children didn't get stage fright while a slight technical hitch with the music was sorted out, and they all sang beautifully.

The Sunday School Leaders

30 October 2017: Nellie Mason

We regret to announce the death of one of our long-serving friends, Mrs Nellie Mason, who would have been 103 years old this coming February.

A picture from February 2006 of Nellie and some of her friends (left to right): Lilly Robinson (deceased), Marion Bell, Nellie Mason (deceased), Rev. Terry Scholz, Hilda Astin, Shirley Wood (deceased) and Maureen Crocker (deceased).

29 October 2017: Memorial service

We thank everyone who attended and supported this year's memorial service. We hold this service each year on the Sunday closest to All Saints Day to remember those whose funeral has taken place in the past year, to give thanks for their lives, and to bring together those who grieve for them. This service is open to everyone who wishes to join us in prayer and reflection over the loss of a loved one, no matter how long ago.

Order of service:

History of Freckleton Church of England Primary School

Copies of the History of Freckleton Church of England Primary School, by local historian Peter Shakeshaft, are available in church at the reduced price of £8.

History of Holy Trinity Freckleton

Copies of the History of Holy Trinity Freckleton, by local historian Peter Shakeshaft, are available in church at £4.50.

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Sundays:

Holy Communion, 08:30

1st and 3rd Sunday every month
(2nd, 4th and 5th Sunday at St Paul's, Warton)

Parish Communion, 11:00

(non-Eucharistic Service of the Word every 3rd Sunday)

Evensong, 18:00

2nd and 4th Sunday every month
(1st and 3rd Sunday at St Paul's, Warton; 5th Sunday - see Events)

Thursdays:

Holy Communion, 10:00

Holy days:

As announced - see Events page

Please check the Events page for any variations.

Lytham Road, Freckleton, PRESTON,
Lancashire, PR4 1AA