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CHRISTMAS CHURCH SERVICES in the Parish of Meltham – 2023


COME TO CHURCH THIS CHRISTMAS – JOIN WITH US TO CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF JESUS! – THERE’S LOTS OF FUN FOR EVERYONE!

Saturday 9th December, Carols in the pub, at 7:30pm – The Waggon and Horses, #Meltham.

Sunday 10th December, Carol service, at 6:00pm – St Mary’s Church Wilshaw.

Sunday 17th December, Community Pop-up Nativity with carols, at 4:00pm – St Bartholomew’s Church, Meltham.
(Everyone can dress up and join in as the story unfolds – singers also needed to help sing the carols!)

Saturday 23rd December, Forest Church Christingle, at 4:00pm Christ Church, Helme.
(Please dress warmly and bring your boots and torch!)

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES
Crib service, at 4:00pm – St James Church, Meltham Mills.
Midnight Communion, at 11:30pm – St Bartholomew’s Church, Meltham.

CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICES
9:30am St James, Meltham Mills.
11:15am St Marys, Wilshaw.

Christmas Jumper Sunday!
We’ve all got ‘em! Those fabulous, loud, cheesey Christmas jumpers. Wear yours to church on Sunday 17th December!

Carols in the Pub – Sat 9th December 2023 at the Waggon & Horses, Meltham

Come and sing carols from your heart!
The next highlight of Meltham’s Christmas – we’ve had Carols in the Park in the slightly Christmassy cold, come and join us around the piano in the warmth at the Waggon and Horses in #Meltham for our popular annual evening of festive song and cheer………..and beer! (other drinks are available, including mulled wine!)

Saturday 9th December 2023 from 7:30pm onwards.

Parish Magazine – December 2023 / January 2024 – double issue

Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year!

A very warm welcome to those who may be reading this for the first time. We hope you like it and find
something that interests you in it. The magazine is available in our Churches or on the Church website:
melthamparish.co.uk

Thank you to all who have contributed this month and throughout the last year. I really couldn’t make the magazine it is without you. This month is a great Christmas edition and you can find all about what is happening in our Churches this Christmas on the centre pages. Also there are ideas on how to make it a more greener Christmas on page 9 , and a lovely remake of 1 Corinthians 13 on page 13. There is BIG NEWS on page 11 on how this magazine is changing so do check that out.

The deadline of the February magazine will be Monday 22nd January 2024. Please send submissions via:
melthamparishmagazine@gmail.com or via the vicarage letterbox (150 Huddersfield Rd, HD9 4AL).

God Bless,
Fiona.

CAROLS IN THE PARK – SUNDAY 3RD DECEMBER 2023 – 4PM

Carols in the Park with Meltham & Meltham Mills Band.

Sunday 3rd December – 4pm at the Robert Ashton Memorial Park.

Celebrating Real Love at Christmas – Jesus born in Bethlehem, the Light shining in the Darkness!

Don’t forget your torch!

There will be hot chocolate and mince pies in St James’ Church afterwards along with some Christmas activities.

Please, if you’re able to offer help with stewarding or setting up etc. please contact Mike on 07867 951512 for further details, or to let him know you can help. Thank you!

Christmas Market & Santa’s Grotto – Saturday 2nd December 2023 @ Meltham Church Hall

St Bartholomew’s Church Christmas Market and Santa’s Grotto – Saturday 2nd December – 10am – 3pm.
Put on your Christmas Jumpers and join us at Meltham Church Hall to celebrate the beginning of the festive season and find something truly special whilst supporting our local traders. We ho-ho-hope to see you there! 

Glass & Ceramics
Christmas Angels
Soaps & Candles
Wooden Gifts
Peg dolls
Jewellery
Pickles
Cakes & Sweets
Cards & Tags
Knitwits
Socks
Wreaths
& Lots More!

£2 entry (includes a tea/coffee or mulled wine!)

For the kids, there’s face painting and Santa can also be visited in his Grotto from 11am– courtesy of Meltham Stage Company.

The Meltham Christmas lights switch-on will start with carols around the tree at 4pm followed by the BIG SWITCH ON at 4:30pm.

‘CRISIS’ – Coffee Morning and more! – Sat 25th Nov – 10am to 12 noon

Supporting the CRISIS homeless charity, our popular annual Coffee Morning is back!
Featuring the usual array of fab craft and gift stalls, the brilliant silent auction and much more!

Sat 25th Nov – 10am to 12 noon at St James’ Church – Meltham Mills (the one by the park). Come along and catch up with friends over a cuppa.

https://www.crisis.org.uk/

Please support us – together we will end homelessness.
FREE ENTRY! – oh, and there’s CAKE

https://www.facebook.com/events/714315224093471/

Royal British Legion – Service of Remembrance – Meltham – Sun 12th Nov 2023

LEST WE FORGET

The Royal British Legion service of Remembrance in Meltham will take place outdoors around the War Memorial at St Bartholomew’s Church. Sunday 12th November 2023.

The parade led by Meltham & Meltham Mills band will leave the Carlile Institute at 10:30am and arrive at the church shortly afterwards. Please gather in the vicinity of the church yard. For those who feel unable to stay outside, it will still be possible to sit inside the church and take part in the service which will be shown on the tv screen.

Please note that Green End Road will be closed to traffic from 10:35am to approx. 11:10am. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/

Meltham Parish Magazine – November 2023

It’s here! The November edition of the Meltham Parish Magazine.
Thank you so much once again to all who have contributed this month, this would really be boring if you hadn’t!
Please accept my apologies once again for not changing the date on last month’s paper edition and for this month’s being so delayed. I hadn’t intended it to be, it just happened with half term etc. Sorry!

However on a happier note, there is lots to read about and catch up on like the Meltham mustard seed, (pg10). Toddler church moving (pg 25) and how to be more ‘greener’ this Christmas (pg9).

As always I am very grateful for your submissions so please continue to send them in.
The deadline of the December magazine will be Monday 20th November 2023. Please send them via:
melthamparishmagazine@gmail.com or via the vicarage letterbox (150 Huddersfield Rd, HD9 4AL)

God Bless,
Fiona.

The Toddler Church is moving to St Bartholomew’s from November 2023

Starting from Tuesday 7th November, the Toddler Church will take place 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).

We have been based at Helme Church for over a year but, as a team, we feel that the time has come for Toddler Church to leave Helme Church and set up our new base at St Bartholomew’s Church.

We are very grateful for the support that we have received from the Helme congregation but there are certain realities we have to face……

Due to the increased cost of heating, we had to reduce our meetings in the first quarter of 2023 to just once a month (similar to the weekly church services). This meant that any continuity was lost resulting in us losing some of our families who did not return after we resumed meeting weekly.

We would prefer to be able to run our weekly Toddler Church throughout the year (term time only). Heating costs continue to be high, and we are unable to make the church floor warmer. We cannot expect babies and toddlers to play on the cold draughty floor through the winter months.

Therefore we will be moving, after the October Half-Term break, to St Bart’s, and also changing the day to a Tuesday. This will enable us to slot into the current provision of work with toddlers, that currently takes place at the Methodist Church on Monday and Thursday mornings. Also, with the growing number of people worshipping at the Wednesday morning HC Service, then that also influenced us to holding Toddler Church on Tuesday mornings.

We firmly believe that it was the right thing for us to begin the Toddler Church at Helme. We have engaged with a few families in the area and hope they will continue to join us as much as they are able. We have grown as a team, as we work together, the morning sessions now run in a seamless way.

The team are looking forward to this next chapter in the life of Toddler Church, we would be grateful for your prayerful support as we seek to reach out to the young families in our village with the Good News of Jesus.

Chris Dronsfield