Welcome to the #Meltham Parish Magazine first edition of 2025! Hope you enjoy this one! We have all the usual information that you expect to find as well as some new. Turn to page 8&9 to hear how wonderful Christmas 2024 was and see the pictures on the inside cover too. The centre pages will help keep you up to date with all the changes in services due to sharing more to save heating costs at all four churches every week. On the inside back cover Mike, Rev Judy and Kim were all given a spotlight, see if you can spot them!

Finally the return of my personal favourite, the Pancake Party, on 4th March. I enjoy seeing the exciting creations the children come up with.

Thank you for those who continue to support me and the magazine by sending submissions in. The deadline of the April / May magazine will be Thursday 20th March 2025. Please send submissions via email to:
melthamparishmagazine@gmail.com
or
via the vicarage letterbox.
(150 Huddersfield Rd, HD9 4AL)

God Bless,
Fiona.

Thursday 13th February

Sunday 26th January

6.30pm (for about 1 hour)

St. Bartholomew’s Church

You are invited to spend time in prayer for the Parish.

The plan is for this to take place on the last Sunday of every month. Please put February 23rd and March 30th in your diaries.

10.30am

St. James’ Church

The service of Holy Communion will be followed by a light lunch to which everyone is invited.

There are no other services in the Parish on this Sunday.

Come along to the joint Covenant Service, an annual Methodist tradition which has become a favourite with all the Meltham Churches worshipping together.  This is a service at which we can celebrate together all that God has done for us and affirm that we give our lives and choices to God. A great opportunity for us to worship together and keep warm together.

Sunday 19th January – 10:30am – Meltham Methodist Church – Mill Moor Road – ALL WELCOME – Do join us!

The Methodist Covenant Prayer

A covenant with God

I am no longer my own but yours.
Put me to what you will,
rank me with whom you will;
put me to doing,
put me to suffering;
let me be employed for you,
or laid aside for you,
exalted for you,
or brought low for you;
let me be full,
let me be empty,
let me have all things,
let me have nothing:
I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things
to your pleasure and disposal.
And now, glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
you are mine and I am yours. So be it.
And the covenant now made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven.’

More info can be found here:

https://www.methodist.org.uk/about-us/the-methodist-church/what-is-distinctive-about-methodism/a-covenant-with-god/the-covenant-service/

Please note that there will be no services at the other churches in the Parish except for a service at Wilshaw at 11:15am which can be joined online or using this zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86419029753?pwd=dEE4eXIrd3FiRFlvbnFjOVpkVjBIUT09

 Meeting ID: 864 1902 9753, Passcode: 638750

Toddler Church is back on Tuesday 14th January.

On Thursday 16th January you are invited to a cheese and wine evening at St. James’ Church (the one by the park).

Starting at 6.30pm.

Family, including children, are all invited.

The Toddler Church is restarting this week on Tuesday 7th January at St Bartholomew’s Church in the centre of #Meltham. Toddler Church welcomes pre school aged children with their carers every Tuesday, 9am – 11am (during term-time only). Regarding bad weather during the winter, if the C of E school is open, then we shall also be.

If you’ve not been before or are not sure, then why not come along and give it a go? We are a friendly group and you will receive a very warm welcome.

Look forward to seeing you all – The St Bart’s Tots Team.

Similar to last year, primarily due to the continued high energy prices and in order to reduce heating costs, services will NOT take place in all four churches each Sunday during January, February and March 2025:

Everyone is encouraged to join together at one of the other churches if there is not a service at the one you would usually attend. Let’s stick together (and worship together) during these winter months and keep warm.

Services will be as follows for January:

SUN 5th JAN
St James’ (ALL AGE SERVICE) 9:30am
St Mary’s Wilshaw (HOLY COMMUNION) 11:15am

SUN 12th JAN
St Bartholomew’s (HOLY COMUNION) 9:30am
St Mary’s Wilshaw (SERVICE of the WORD) 11:15am

SUN 19th JAN
Methodist Covenant Service 10:30am – Joint service at Meltham Methodist Church.
St Mary’s Wilshaw (HOLY COMMUNION) at 11:15am

SUN 26th JAN
Parish Communion Service 10:30am, St James’ Meltham Mills.

Please Note:

– We are all encouraged to join together on 19th Jan for a Churches together Covenant Service at the Meltham Methodist Church.
– The first Sunday in the month (9:30am) will be a service suitable for ALL ages and all members of the family – young, old and all those inbetween!
– There will be no services taking place at Helme Church due to the lack of heating.
– The mid-week Wednesday service of Holy Communion at St Bartholomew’s will continue as normal each week at 10:30am.
– Toddler Church at St Bartholomew’s will continue as normal on Tuesday mornings each week 9am to 11am.

Christmas ain’t over yet!
Join us for a still very festive ALL AGE service as we sing, share and celebrate the New Year and the feast of the Epiphany. Suitable for young, old and all those inbetween! Bring along the whole family!

New Year – New Life Journey!
We’re reflecting on the gifts that changed you!

If you’ve mince pies or Christmas cake left over, bring them along! If you enjoyed our other services in the build up to Christmas, then you’ll also enjoy this one too!

St James’ Church
Huddersfield Rd Meltham
(the Church next to the Park)
9.30am • Sunday 5th January 2025

If you’re a facebook user, please visit the event link below and share it to help us make people aware, or invite your friends and family to join us: https://fb.me/e/5KT09FerU