The Parish Church of
HOLY TRINITY, TARLETON
Parish "Webzine" May 2005

From the Rectory

Dear people of Tarleton,
What can I say! Wednesday night’s licensing was such a wonderful occasion and, for me, a most memorable way to spend my birthday. You really did make me feel so very welcome and I look forward to getting to know you all over the next few weeks and months. It was clearly evident that much careful thought and preparation had gone into the evening, and although it has already been said by many, may I say again a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to all those who have worked so hard. The church looked beautiful and the reception was quite magnificent – even my hungry clergy friends couldn’t polish it all off!

From what I have seen so far, the Church here in Tarleton is blessed in having a central and valued place in the local community and I hope and pray that, guided by the Holy Spirit, we may continue to develop and strengthen the marvellous work that God has already begun in this parish.

I hope it won’t be long before I become a familiar face round the village. Please do stop me if you spot me and say hello, and feel free to ring me or call round for a cuppa (not all at once though, I only have the one teapot!). No doubt I’ll be learning names for weeks, and I apologise in advance if I match the wrong name to the wrong face, but with time I hope that you get to know me, not just as your priest and pastor, but as your friend and brother in Christ.

Please remember me in you prayers, as I will pray for you, so that in these early days of my priestly ministry here we may discern how God wills us to grow and work together.

With love and prayers,
Fr Nicholas

OUT AND ABOUT – FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

FROM THE PARISH REGISTERS 2005
Funerals “Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord”
James Sephton 31 January 2005 (correction)
Trudy Elizabeth Ball 6 April 2005

Joint Confirmation Service
Wednesday 4th May at 7.30 pm sees our first Confirmation service held jointly with Hesketh Bank and Rufford. The presiding Bishop is Bishop John, Bishop of Burnley. The service is confirmation only, so that the newly confirmed can make their first communions in their mown parishes. Fellowship and refreshment will follow it as our turn to be hosts to the cluster.

Parish Visiting Group
If you know of anybody who would welcome a visit, either because they are in hospital, because they are confined to their home for whatever reason, or because they are new to the parish, would you please fill in one of the slips at the back of the church and place it in the box or contact Pat Heap on 812991

APCM Elections
Keith and Brian were returned unopposed as Wardens.
After an election, Les Abernethy, Ian Wells and Gail Sutton emerged as our three Deanery Synod representatives, who also serve on the PCC.
Again after an election, Dorothy Turner, Jim Aldridge, Colin Pye and Haydn Lathom filled the four annual vacancies on the Parochial Church Council.

Thanks
Brian and Keith thanked many people for their work during the clerical vacancy and reminded us not to just stop once the licensing is over!
In turn, we all owe a lot to their detailed and dedicated work and thank them for keeping things not just ticking over but moving smoothly forward.

Help wanted.
During the reports session, the following needs were highlighted:
• Sunday School teachers for the middle age groups
• Help with the coffee rota after the 10.30 am Service
• Male voices for the choir
All volunteers welcomed.

PCC Officers:
At the short PCC meeting after the 10.30m service on Sunday 10th April, both Beryl Baldwin and Ann Sutton were unanimously re-elected as Secretary and Treasurer respectively. Haydn Lathom and John Heap were also re-elected as deputy wardens.

Confused about PCC elections? You are not alone.
At the annual meeting, several church members raised the point that they had expected the “four off each year” election pattern for the PCC to include a bar on retiring members seeking re-election for at least one year.
Indeed when this was discussed at the APCM two years ago, that idea was put forward from the chair. However, the actual motion put to and passed by the meeting did not include any reference to it. Under the rules governing PCCs and Annual Meetings, if we wanted that we needed to include it as a specific matter to be voted on – but we did not. The Standing Committee and the PCC itself looked at the situation carefully and accepted that no such rule had been approved. The PCC therefore arranged elections with one-third coming off the PCC each year without any limitation on who can stand or re-stand.
Because there had been comment and queries in the last few months, there was a statement to this effect printed in the Sunday bulletin during the run-up to the elections.
To bring such a rule in, someone would have to make a formal request for a change of rules in a proposition to the Annual Meeting. The request would have to be properly phrased, proposed and seconded, and submitted in advance in writing so it could be placed on the published agenda. If passed, it would then take effect from the following Annual Meeting a year later.

Rolling Bible Study continues on Thursday evenings, 7.45 for 8 at either 14 The Chimes or 8 Willow Hey. New members welcome.

An invitation to coffee
Coffee will be served in the Parish Room with an opportunity for chat following the 10 am Holy Communion service on the first Wednesday in the month, beginning Wednesday May 4th. Everyone is invited to stay.

MOTHERS’ UNION: May
The Prayer meeting will be held on TUESDAY May 3rd at 2.00 pm in the Parish Room.
On Wednesday May 11th the Deanery festival will be held at St Aidan’s, Bamber Bridge, at 7.30 pm.
We are holding an Afternoon Tea and Bring & Buy Sale on Wednesday 25th May at 2.00 pm in the Parish room.
We will serve coffee on the first Wednesday of the month in the Parish Room after the 10.00 am Holy Communion Service beginning Wednesday May 4th to which everybody is invited.
Pat Heap

Lent Study Group
Pat has been too modest to say how well the Wednesday morning Lent Study group went. One of its outcomes is the monthly Wednesday coffee and chat session. Thanks to all those who led the study sessions. Ed

Christian Aid Week, 15-21 May 2005
We believe in life before death

What?
A week of fundraising, prayer and action for the world’s poorest people.

Why?
Because poverty is a scandal, and because we believe in life before death.

Who?
A movement of 4,000 local organisers, 20,000 supporting churches and 300,000 dedicated collectors.

How?
Through the UK’s biggest house-to-house collection, millions taking action for trade justice, a national advertising campaign, and thousands of special events and church services.

Can you help?
We believe in life before death. We have a vision of how the world can be without poverty. By giving and by taking action for trade justice, you can help make that vision a reality this Christian Aid Week.

Will you help? Here’s how - Look out for the poster and sign-up list in church from 1st May. Collect your envelopes from the Parish Room between 7 and 7.30 on Monday 9th May or after Choir practice (c8.15 pm on) Tuesday 10th.

Informal Walking Group – Easter Monday
This was the best weather we’ve ever had on Easter Monday, and, perhaps in part because of that, the most walkers we’ve ever had on an Easter Monday. The twenty-four out – and twenty five back – included people of each of the three cluster parishes. We also had a family from Burscough and three separate groups from Longton, all of whom had picked us up from the local papers.
After reaching the Red Bridge from Sollom, we walked the banks in turn of the Douglas, the Yarrow, the Lostock and the Wymott Brook, the extra height of the canalised banks giving us surprisingly distant views and letting us play ‘spot the church.’ A final footpath sequence brought us to Bretherton Cricket field and the welcome sight of the Blue Anchor, where chat continued.
We were actually early for lunch – another first – the pace having been kept up by one of our Longton visitors who was running in his second new hip! The staff there dealt happily with our party and we all enjoyed the food.
Returning by footpaths to Back Lane, we then took the route along Broad Meadow Lane – a deeply rutted track – to follow the strange zigzags of the path across the meadow back to Eyes Lane, putting up the lapwings and just one hare. The first time we did this route, we couldn’t use this section as it was in full corn and the path hadn’t been re-instated but this time it was unploughed from the previous year’s cereal crop and was good walking.
Back at Red Bridge we found the tide fully in, and those of us who paused there in conversation suddenly realised we had actually watched it turn – from the last piece of flotsam drifting up river to it starting to return.
The final enjoyment came from watching the canal boats creep through the old lock chamber at Sollom, including one full sized barge easing through: “It’s our first trip out!”
With touches of sun, almost no wind, and no real rain it had been almost perfect walking weather.
Ian

INFORMAL WALKING GROUP: May Bank Holiday Walks
May Day Walk Monday 2nd May.
Meet at the Old Church to leave at 10.30 am. We will walk down the line of the Douglas to Rufford – and the tide is right to make it under the railway bridge! – and back up the canal past the rear of Rufford Old Hall to lunch at the Rufford Arms – hopefully by 12.30 but by 1 pm for sure. Return down the canal towpath. Almost entirely flat, a few stiles. 4 miles out, 2+ back.
Queries? Ring Ian on 01772 813267 or 07767 638 996 on the day.

Late Spring Bank Holiday Walk Monday 30th May
The route is still to be finalised, but we will almost certainly meet at the first loop of the old road towards Preston past the Bretherton turn. The proposed route is across bits of Hoole with lunch at the Black Horse and return along the Douglas. Queries – Ian as above.

BISHOPS and FULL CHURCHES in the cluster.
Two occasions, with two bishops, have seen two “full houses” last month.

Bishop Nicholas preached and celebrated at The Annunciation joint Eucharist at Rufford on the 4th of April. He had said he wanted to see our ‘cluster’ in action and we did him proud with joint choirs and a huge turn-out (in spite of competition from Rufford WI, who appear to have lost out this time.)

Bishop John led the Licensing of the Rev. Nicholas Davis as Priest in Charge here at Tarleton on the 13th of April. For the very few house bound or with conflicting commitments who didn’t squeeze in on the night and hear him, Bishop John preached powerfully. First, on our good points as a parish. Then he pointed us to a number of ways forward that we as parishioners and priest will be considering together in the years ahead. He strongly commended both our relationships in the ‘cluster’ and with our Methodist and other Christian friends in the parish.
It was good to see so many from Darwen come to say farewell to Nicholas and wish him well with us, and for the generous welcomes from the other churches, schools, youth organisations, and the civil parish.
In the excellent session in the school afterwards – many thanks to the Social team, MU and all the others who set up this feast – we presented Nicholas with a birthday cake, to celebrate the fact that he was also 30 that day.

Next cluster service with a bishop!
As Bishop John reminded us in his sermon, our next Cluster Group joint service is the Confirmation, the first one to be arranged as a joint cluster activity. On Wednesday 4th May at 7.30, Bishop John will confirm the young people who have been training with Rev Richard Plant and Hilary Bromilow and also those more mature people who have been learning more about their faith with the Rev Tom Taylor. Please come and support them.

TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH
I would like to thank everyone in church for their help, prayers and support I have received over the past few months. A big thank you goes to close family and friends who have given so freely of their time and helped me through a difficult period.
With love from Sue Chicken

The Mission Action Plan Prayer
God of new beginnings, we pray that you will transform your church as you renew us by your love.
Give us vision for the journey that we may travel light, and live increasingly by faith.
Inspire, enliven and empower us, so that along the Way we may be sustained by the life of Christ in ourselves, in one another, and in the world. Amen

PARISH DIARY for May
NORMAL SUNDAY SERVICES
8.00 am Holy Communion, 10.15 am Sunday School and Crèche 10.30 am SUNG EUCHARIST
(3rd Sunday, FAMILY PARISH COMMUNION)
DAILY OFFICE Monday to Friday, Daily Offices in Church.
Morning Prayer 8.30 am (Wednesday 9.30 am)
Evening Prayer - see notice on board at rear of church
Please feel free to join the Rector at any of these services
MAY
Sunday 1st Sixth Sunday of Easter
8.00 am Holy Communion
10.15 am Sunday School
10.30 am PARISH EUCHARIST
Monday 2nd Bank Holiday Monday
Informal Walking Group see above
Tuesday 3rd 2.00 pm MU Prayer Group: Parish Room
Wednesday 4th 10.00 am Holy Communion: (BCP)
followed by coffee and a chat see above
7.30 pm Joint Confirmation with Bishop John
Thursday 5th ASCENSION DAY
7.30 pm SUNG EUCHARIST
Sunday 8th May Seventh Sunday of Easter
8.00 am Holy Communion
10.15 am Sunday School
10.30 am PARISH EUCHARIST
Monday 9th 7.00 –7.30 Christian Aid pick-up; Parish Room
7.30 pm Annual Visitation: Bishop Nicholas
Penwortham St Mary; for all PCC members.
Tuesday 10th 6.30 pm Choir Practice (adults 6.50)
Wednesday 11th 10.00 am Holy Communion: (BCP)
7.30 pm MU Deanery Festival,
St Aidan’s, Bamber Bridge
Thursday 12th 7.45 for 8.00 pm Rolling Bible Study
Sunday 15th PENTECOST
8.00 am Holy Communion
10.3 0 am CHURCH FAMILY EUCHARIST
Start of CHRISTIAN AID WEEK
Tuesday 17th 6.30 pm Choir Practice (adults 6.50)
Wednesday 18th 10.00 am Holy Communion: (BCP)
Thursday 19th 7.45 for 8.00 pm Rolling Bible Study
Sunday 22nd TRINITY SUNDAY
8.00 am Holy Communion
10.15 am Sunday School
10.30 am PARISH EUCHARIST
Tuesday 24th 6.30 pm Choir Practice (adults 6.50)
Wednesday 25th 10.00 am Holy Communion: (BCP)
Thursday 26th 7.45 for 8.00 pm Rolling Bible Study
2.00 pm MU: Afternoon Tea & Bring & Buy Sale: Parish Room
Sunday 29th First Sunday after Trinity
8.00 am Holy Communion
10.15 am Sunday School
10.30 am PARISH EUCHARIST
Monday 30th Bank Holiday Monday
10.30 am Informal Walking Group see above
Tuesday 31st 6.30 pm Choir Practice (adults 6.50)
JUNE
Wednesday 1st 10.00 am Holy Communion: (BCP)
followed by coffee and a chat see above
Thursday 2nd 7.45 for 8.00 pm Rolling Bible Study
Sunday 5th Second Sunday after Trinity
8.00 am Holy Communion
10.15 am Sunday School
10.30 am PARISH EUCHARIST
Tuesday 7th 6.30 pm Choir Practice (adults 6.50)
Wednesday 8th 10.00 am Holy Communion: (BCP)
Thursday 9th 7.45 for 8.00 pm Rolling Bible Study
Saturday 11th ECUMENICAL WALK OF WITNESS
Combined walk for both Hesketh Bank & Tarleton

Looking forward
Saturday 25th ROSE QUEEN CROWNING & FIELD DAY