Individual Groups:
Striving to Grow in Faith & Love
"Seeks to identify and put into practice appropriate ways in which all members of the congregation might get to know each other better; explore aspects of the faith together, and share aspects of their Christian journey".
| Bible
Study Bible Reading Notes: To assist with regular and intelligent reading and understanding of the Bible a variety of schemes and notes are regularly ordered and distributed for those who wish to make use of them. |
| Book Stall A book stall is situated at the back of the church. Its stock of books and cards is regularly updated and includes many new and seasonal titles. Books may also be ordered and obtained on your behalf. The church benefits from a share in the sale of all books. |
| Christian
Stewardship As a Christian community we seek to be good stewards of God's gifts to us of our time, our skills and talents, and of our possessions. As a direct response to God's gifts and his love for us, we have adopted a scheme of regular pledged giving, through which we support the Church's work in the parish and the diocese and beyond, and provide for all our 'household' needs. We encourage people to give realistically and proportionately and under the Gift Aid scheme whenever possible. |
| Churchyard
Maintenance Help with churchyard maintenance is always welcome!! |
| Confirmation Preparation |
| Creche There is a crèche available at the 9.45am service on Sundays for children too young for Sunday School, and parents may leave their children there for the whole or any part of the service or, if they wish, parents are welcome to take their children into the crèche themselves for a break. There is a crèche available at the 9.45am service on Sundays for children too young for Sunday School. Parents may leave their children there for the whole or any part of the service or, if they wish, parents are welcome to take their children into the crèche themselves for a break. Two adult members of the congregation look after the crèche on a rota basis and books and toys are available. The creche is situated in the colourful children’s room at the back of the church reached from within the porch. (ask one of the wardens if you are not sure where it is). |
| Ecumenical Activity St. Mary's is represented on the Churches Together Committee in the village. The Group seeks to co-ordinate joint initiatives of all denominations in the village, as well as providing a forum for the sharing of information and ideas. It is this Group that organises the annual Lent Lectures. |
| Explorers Explorers meets every Sunday, during the Morning Service, in the Church Lounge (next to the church). The children usually come into Explorers when they are 3-4 years, and leave to join the Proclaimers at 10 years of age. We have many different and interesting projects throughout the year. New members are always very welcome. |
| Getting
to know Each Other A series of 'get-togethers' is under way providing opportunities for members of the congregation to meet in groups of around 25 for a social occasion. This is by invitation to ensure a cross-section of our church family each time, and will eventually have offered an opportunity for everyone to join in. A variety of other social events is being planned. |
| Housegroups,
Study, and Discussion Groups From time to time housegroups meet for a set number of meetings to study and discuss a particular topic. From time to time the clergy lead a series of teaching and discussion sessions on a particular subject. |
|
Housegroups Who goes to them? - people of all ages, men and women, from all walks of life. Why do they go? - mainly because they want to explore further the faith we profess. So, what happens in a house group? - Well the house group that has been meeting since May has been following two books, one in which the Spiritual Gifts were explored, and the other that encouraged us to see ourselves as God sees us. At a time of change and uncertainty within our church life, these proved to be very challenging and instructive themes. The message that has remained with me, is that we are all valuable as part of the Body of Christ in His Church, that we all have a part to play in the life of the Church. Some may be called to be 'prophets' or 'teachers' or 'evangelists' but Christ has a job for each of us, however unimportant we may feel it to be, and He will equip us for that task. How relevant we found this teaching in a time of interregnum. Alongside exploring Spiritual Gifts, we also tried to see ourselves as God sees us. At times we struggled, often not wanting to look at ourselves in this way but again we were led back to the spiritual gifts that God gives us, once gain re-discovering the truth that each one of us is precious in God's eyes and however bad we might feel ourselves to be, we can, if we truly repent, know the peace that God's forgiveness gives. A house group is not a solemn occasion. We have digressed, we have laughed, we have shared our experiences, our doubts, our hopes and our thoughts. Hopefully we have grown together as members of the Body of Christ. Roland Young If you are interested in joining a House Group please talk to Karen Haymes (tel 862413) and state a preference for which night you would like. Or put your name on a list at the back of Church. |
| Proclaimers Are a group of young people (ages 10+) who meet at church every Sunday morning to join in the worship and to have a session of their own. They also meet once a month on Open House Sundays in the evening, at a leader’s house, to have a time for fun, food and fellowship, with greater depth of discussion. All kinds of other events take place throughout the year - visits, drama, discos, etc. Working for Christian Aid is high on their list of priorities. All young people are very welcome to join. |
| Retreats In recent years it has become our practice to arrange a Parish Weekend Away. Watch out for details. |
| Social Committee The Social Committee exists to arrange a few 'jolly' events each year which help bring the whole church family to grow together in faith and love. The events vary and there is no fixed pattern but Parish parties and concerts have proved popular. We often celebrate Shrove Tuesday or Harvest or Christmas with some type of merry-making. The only criteria is that everyone is welcome. |
If you would like any further information on any of our Groups please contact the Parish Office Team, at:
43 Station Road, Burley-in-Wharfedale
Tel: 01943-864405
Email: parish.office@stmaryspc.co.uk
or if you
prefer:........
Back to the Full List...