The Parish Church of
HOLY TRINITY, TARLETON
Parish "Webzine" January 2007

EPIPHANY
WEEK OF PRAYER for CHRISTIAN UNITY
THE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST

From the Rectory

Dear Friends,
I do hope that you have all enjoyed a very happy and blessed Christmas and may I say a big ‘thank you’ for the many cards and gifts which I have received.

Those of you who have been into church over the last few weeks cannot have failed to notice the work which has transformed the reredos behind the high altar. The late Gerry Hogg generously left money in his will and asked that it might be used for just such a project. The P.C.C. also agreed to use part of some other funds which were given to Holy Trinity in recent bequests to complete the work. I realise that in this day and age the financial pressures facing this and many parishes is high but bequests should not be used to pay for everyday running costs. Paying a gas or electric bill in somebody’s memory is hardly appropriate. Instead we have a lasting gift which all can enjoy.

Many of you will have met the artist who did the restoration. Laurentiu Nechita is a specialist iconographer, fresco painter and art restorer. For most of the year he lives with his wife and daughter in his native Romania where he is employed by the Archbishop of Iasi (pronounced Yash) to restore and decorate churches. As well as heading a team of nine trained artists Laurentiu is himself a very devout Christian and three of his brothers are priests in the Romanian Orthodox Church. Some of the commissions which Laurentiu has undertaken have involved painting frescos covering up to 400m².

In the winter months it is too cold and damp in Romania to paint frescos, an ancient technique which involves applying the paint to the plaster whilst it is still wet. And so for the last six years Laurentiu has spent a few months each year working in England and Greece.

His work and finances are managed in England by a proper Trust which is headed by the Archdeacon of Pontefract and the Vicar of St John’s, Tuebrook, Liverpool.

When Laurentiu first came to see our reredos he was impressed by the quality of the paintings and of the stone carving. His careful work has brought out the beauty and detail which went largely unnoticed before. He has given me several photographs which I will display in church so that you can see the marked difference the cleaning and gilding have made. I must also thank John Heap who has so carefully crafted four new pinnacles to replace the originals which were damaged and removed many years ago. Once the missing curtains either side of the altar are re-hung in the next few weeks, then the sanctuary will once again appear more or less as William Bassett-Smith, the architect originally intended.

Many thanks to all who offered hospitality and help during Laurentiu’s stay. I hope you will all enjoy the reredos for many years to come and that we may glimpse in our worship on earth something of the beauty of heaven.

With my prayers and best wishes for the New Year,

Fr Nicholas

PARISH NOTICE BOARD

EPIPHANY SPECIAL
We will celebrate Epiphany on Sunday 7th of January and this will be special in two ways.

First, our diocesan Bishop, the Rt Rev Nicholas Reade is visiting us to celebrate and preach at the 10.30 Parish Eucharist.

Second, we will follow this service with the Parish Lunch, to which Bp Nicholas and his wife are staying. Tickets £6 from members of the Social Committee.

WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
Our joint service will be here at Trinity at 6.30 pm on Sunday 21st January. This will be held jointly with our friends from the Methodist, Roman Catholic, and independent churches here in Tarleton. See below for theme

St Mary’s Graveyard: Christmas wreaths
If you have put out special Christmas wreaths or decorations on your relatives' graves, please be sure to remove them by Candlemas (February 2nd) when the Christmas-Epiphany season comes to an end. Thank you.

FROM THE PARISH REGISTERS 2006

Baptisms “Inheritors with us of the Kingdom of God”
10 December 2006 Seth Baxter

The Social Committee
We will be holding a Feast for Epiphany on Sunday 7th January in the School Hall instead of the Pre Lenten lunch. Tickets will be available at £6.00 each.

Mothers’ Union January
As the first Monday of the month is New Year’s Day there will not be a Prayer Meeting in January.

Our first meeting of the New Year will be on Wednesday January 10th at 7.30 pm when we will have a DIY evening.

Our afternoon meeting on January 24th will begin to lunch in the Parish Room at 1.00 pm followed by our AGM at 2.00 pm.

We invite friends to join us on any of these occasions, and we wish everybody peace and happiness in the coming year.
Pat Heap

News from Holy Trinity School
A very Happy New Year to you all.
As I write this it is a cold, wet December day and Christmas has not yet arrived! However the infants have produced a very successful Nativity play and there are parties planned for the whole school. The children have been asked this year to reflect on the Advent journey and the Good News of Christmas and in the new year we will all be reflecting on our personal goals through the SEAL project and our relationship with God through our worship and R.E.

Looking back at the past term we have been successful in our bid for a Supergrounds Award with the help of the NatWest and one of its employees. The Eco-Committee are on the brink of collecting the Green Flag award and the Governors have continued in their work to encourage, monitor and support the school in every aspect of its life.

Looking forward, it is important to remember that all we do in school and in our lives is to the glory of God and that what is achieved is through his love and guidance. Thanks be to God.

Did you put an advert in the papers?
That’s what I was asked towards the end of a recent parish event. And the answer was "No." I never spend our church money on advertising in the local papers (that just alerts dealers looking for cheap bargains for car boot sales.) Press releases, yes, and they always get the printed version of the magazine.

What I didn’t say - and perhaps I should have done - was “But who did you ask to come?” That event was meant mostly for people already associated with the church, regulars or occasionals, and the occasionals might need a little friendly prompting.

That’s true of our worship as well. Here in the dark days of January, some people may need a bit of encouragement to turn out. Just ask them to come with you. And think of your neighbours or friends who might be a little nervous about turning up on their own and are (perhaps unwittingly) just waiting to be asked.

Make that an additional New Year resolution - Ask a neighbour or friend to come to church with you. And even if they don’t say ‘Yes’, they may start to talk about why they don’t - and you’ll have a real opportunity to ‘gossip the gospel.’ Don’t believe me? Then read on:-

From a recent book on how people came to Christ:‡
“This co-worker just invites you, a life-long Buddhist, to go to church and you agree? Is that right?” “Yes” she replied.
“Has anyone invited you to go to church before?” I asked. “No,” she said.
“So you went to church the first time you were ever invited?” “That’s right.”
Who is waiting for you to ask them?
Ian, Parish Reader
‡ The Unexpected Journey Thom S Rainer, Zondervan 2005

The Leprosy Mission Sue Wells
Thank you to everyone who has been giving me the L-boxes back to empty and count. I will be happy to have any more boxes back between now and Leprosy Sunday (28th January 2007) to spread out the counting up! We will offer our parish donations, whether counted or just in, at the 10.30 service that day, when there will be a special sermon about the work of TLM. New Boxes are available.

Ian and I have decided to mark our 40th wedding anniversary (which is earlier in January) by holding an Open Afternoon and Evening on Sunday 28th, World Leprosy Day. Everyone is welcome to drop in to 62 Sidney Avenue from 4 to 6 pm or after 8 pm. Donations for TLM will be very welcome.

Coming soon with TLM
Derek Hartley, our area organiser, has been working hard to set up interesting events again. Alas, two of them clash with parish events in June, but the first one is entirely possible.
Sing Out Saturday 31st March at Blackburn Cathedral
Come and sing Stainer’s Crucifixion.
Cathedral organist Richard Tanner will lead the rehearsal from 4.30 pm to 6.00 pm. After a break for a snack (bring your own - hot and cold drinks available - or nip into the town centre) the performance will run from 7.30 pm.
Tickets: to sing £8, to come and listen, £5. Several of us will definitely be going. Book through me on 813267.
Venture Out Pilgrimage to Whithorn is on Saturday 9th June. This clashes both with the Ecumenical Walk of Witness and a diocesan event. I will be going with someone from a neighbouring parish. Price £30/adult, family ticket (2 adult, max 3 children) £65. Splash Out Morecambe Bay Walk is 23rd of June (Rose Queen / Field Day!) and is £7. More details available for both events (813267).

Thank you for all the stamps and postcards: please keep them coming.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2007
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity a worldwide movement of Christians of many denominations, languages, and great diversity of race and culture, who are engaged in praying and working for the unity of Christians in the service of the wider redemption, unity and peace of all peoples. Every year the dates are the same, 18 to 25 January, regardless of the days of the week. Praying for unity does not involve prayer for any specific schemes for unity. It is about being faithful to the prayer of Jesus Christ, as seen in John 17, 'that they may be one'.
The theme for 2007 is 'He even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak,' based on Mark 7.31 - 37. The theme was chosen by the Churches of South Africa.
Background to the service theme:- Saturday is ‘funeral day’ in South Africa when communities, devastated by HIV/AIDS, bury their dead. Week after week, they cope with mourning and carrying on with life. Their experience –of despair, resilience and hope – forms the backdrop for the worship in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2007.

Prayers from Africa and striking posters and pamphlets with vibrantly coloured designs of hands reflect the wish from the Churches in South Africa to speak out for those whose suffering is overlooked. The design of hands was inspired by the British Sign Language (BSL) sign for ’speak out’.

Christians in South Africa find their faith in Christ gives them the courage to speak out, to break their silence, to overcome the shame of victims and to overcome ignorance about preventing the disease. The Revd Bob Fyffe, General Secretary of CTBI, said: For the writers of the worship material, to listen to the Churches in Africa became ‘an exercise of the heart and into the heart of God’.
Lent Course - coming soon

CAN WE BUILD A BETTER WORLD?
learning from William Wilberforce
The YORK COURSE BOOKLET - which includes questions for groups - is written by Canon John Young.
Participants on the CD/audio tape are:

Archbishop John Sentamu
Leslie Griffiths (of Wesley's Chapel)
Wendy Craig
Introduced by Dr David Hope
Poor Clares from BBC TV’s The Convent - closing reflections

In this course we celebrate the life, work and faith of a great Yorkshireman. We pay tribute to his work in combating slavery 200 years ago.

But it is not a history lesson. Like William Wilberforce, we live in a divided and hurting world and with a burning question. As Christians in the 21st century, can we – together with others of good will – build a better world?

The five sessions are: -
1. Slavery: then and now
2. Friendship & Prayer: then and now
3. Change & Struggle: then and now
4. The Bible: then and now
5. Redemption & Restitution: then and now

Time and date to be announced soon - all welcome to attend.

From previous magazines:
Parish Jottings for February, 1902 (Archdeacon Fletcher)

On New Year’s Day evening the members of the Choir and their friends enjoyed the pleasant relaxation of a dance, in the New School, which they had decorated very prettily for the purpose. The profits, after payment of expenses, have been placed to the credit of the Choir Fund.
On the 19th January, the congregation, after many weeks of services in the School, had the satisfaction of assembling again in Church; the new boiler having been fixed and the additional piping in the Chancel having been completed. The improvement in the warmth of the Chancel was so great as to warrant the removal of two old coils containing some 90 feet of piping, during the following week, from the Chancel to the West end of the Nave Seats, and it is now found that the Church is fairly warm in all parts. The extension of the piping through the Vestries is also a great improvement, and will save the trouble and expense of vestry fires. The collections for these improvements upon the re-opening Sunday realised the handsome amount of £15 12s 9d., and subscriptions from the Bible Class and a few other persons realised a further £4 11s 7d., and a collection on the 26th – a very cold and unfavourable day – produced another £3 10s 8d., to which must be added the proceeds of the Christmas Tree Party, £18 3s 8d. The exact amount of the expense incurred is not yet known, as all the bills have not yet been received; but roughly speaking some £30 may yet be required, and towards this the Archdeacon and Churchwardens will be glad to receive any subscriptions that may be offered.

Parish Visiting Team
If you know of anybody who would welcome a visit, either because they are in hospital, or because they are confined to the 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 Fr Nicholas on 812614 or Pat Heap on 812991

DID YOU SEE?
Radio 4 Listings, Thursday 14 December 2006
2.15 Afternoon Play: Heart Transplant.
3.00 Check Up

Notice spotted at the West Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Open
Summer until 5pm
Winter until 4pm
Livestock please close gates

Well, Yorkshire sheep are really very clever.

DID YOU SEE?
Guardian Corrections column (Sat 21 Oct 06)
“We apologise for the rare appearance of ‘Angus Dei’ in a liturgical context in Friday’s classical music reviews.”

PARISH DIARY for January
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)

DECEMBER
Sunday 31st First Sunday of Christmas
8.00 am Eucharist
10.30 am PARISH EUCHARIST
6.30 pm NINE LESSONS AND CAROLS

JANUARY 2007
Monday 1st January The Naming & Circumision of Jesus
11.00 am Eucharist
Tuesday 2nd 10.00 am Eucharist Oakgate Close
6.50 pm Choir practice
Wednesday 3rd 10.00 am Holy Communion (BCP) + coffee
Thursday 4th 7.30 pm Eucharist
Friday 5th 12.15 pm Eucharist
Sunday 7th EPIPHANY
8.00 am Eucharist
10.15 am Sunday School
10.30 am PARISH EUCHARIST
with the Rt Rev Nicholas Reade, Bishop of Blackburn
followed by Parish Lunch
Tuesday 9th 6.50 pm Choir practice
Wednesday 10th 10.00 am Holy Communion (BCP)
7.30 pm MU: Parish Room: DIY meeting
Thursday 11th 7.30 pm Eucharist
Friday 12th 12.15 pm Eucharist
Sunday 14th Second Sunday of Epiphany
8.00 am Eucharist
10.15 am Sunday School
10.30 am PARISH EUCHARIST
Tuesday 16th 6.50 pm Choir practice
Wednesday 17th 10.00 am Holy Communion (BCP)
Thursday 18th Start of Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
7.30 pm Eucharist
Friday 19th 12.15 pm Eucharist
Sunday 21st Third Sunday of Epiphany
8.00 am Eucharist
10.30 am CHURCH FAMILY EUCHARIST
6.30 pm COMBINED SERVICE for the WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
at Holy Trinity
Tuesday 23rd 6.50 pm Choir practice
Wednesday 24th 10.00 am Holy Communion (BCP)
Thursday 25th Conversion of St Paul
7.30 pm Eucharist
Friday 26th 12.15 pm Eucharist
Sunday 28th Fourth Sunday of Epiphany
International Leprosy Sunday
8.00 am Eucharist
10.15 am Sunday School
10.30 am PARISH EUCHARIST
4.00-6.00 pm 8.00 pm on Open House for TLM at 62 Sidney Avenue
Tuesday 30th 6.50 pm Choir practice
Wednesday 31st 10.00 am Holy Communion (BCP)

FEBRUARY
Thursday 1st 7.30 pm Eucharist
Friday 2nd Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Candlemas)
12.15 pm Eucharist
7.30 pm Sung Eucharist
Sunday 4th Third Sunday before Lent
8.00 am Eucharist
10.15 am Sunday School
10.30 am PARISH EUCHARIST
Monday 5th 2.00 pm MU Prayer Group:
Blessed Sacrament Chapel
7.00 pm Eucharist
7.30 pm PCC: Parish Room