Church Newsletter Issue #87 1st February
Lent and Easter: Walking the Way Together
From 18 February to Easter Day, we are all invited into a shared journey — marking the key moments of Lent, Holy Week, and Easter as we walk the story of Jesus together across our congregations.
We begin on Ash Wednesday, 18 February, with a joint service at St Edmund’s at 6pm, marking the start of Lent with prayer, reflection, and the option of receiving ashes. On Sunday 22 March at 4pm, Grace Community will gather for a creative Sham-E-Calvary service, exploring the road to the cross through worship and storytelling.
Palm Sunday (29th March) will be celebrated at 10.30am in each church, with Grace Community at 3pm, including a joyful palm procession as we remember Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. On Maundy Thursday (2nd April), we gather at St James' at 6pm for Communion, with the optional act of foot-washing, reflecting Jesus’ call to love and serve.
On Good Friday, we will join a Churches Together Walk of Witness (details to be confirmed), while Grace Community reflects on the Seven Sayings of Jesus on the Cross from 1pm. On Holy Saturday, Revd Kausar will open St Edmund’s for prayer from 2–5pm, offering quiet space to wait with God.
We then rejoice together on Easter Day, celebrating the resurrection at 10.30am in both churches, and again at 4pm with Grace Community — proclaiming hope, life, and new beginnings. Our 9.30am service at St Edmund's will as normal providing a short 20-30min service 'Drawing Near' to God.
We warmly invite you to journey with us this Lent — whether in person or online — as we draw nearer to God together.
See below for details of our Zoom Lent group, and come and be part of the conversation, prayer, and discovery.
Revd Tom
Draw Near: A Shared Lent Journey - Wednesday Zoom Group
“Draw Near” is the official Lent 2026 theme from the Church of England, inviting us to shape daily life around prayer, Scripture, and loving service. Supported by Church House Publishing, the resources offer gentle daily reflections, with children’s materials rooted in 40acts, encouraging generosity and kindness throughout Lent.
To help us draw near together, we will be hosting a weekly Zoom Lent group each Wednesday evening at 7pm. The group will run from 25 February through to Wednesday of Holy Week, 1 April. These gatherings will offer space to reflect, pray, and listen together, helping us keep Lent as a shared, attentive journey with God and one another. Bring your reflections each week on the Draw Near material available on the Everyday faith App (see cofe.io/DrawNear). We hope this will be an intergenerational group rich in prayer and testimony noting how God is drawing us all closer to Himself through Lent.
Thank You, Gani and an Invitation to Step Forward
We want to say a huge thank you to Gani, our outstanding and now retiring Safeguarding Officer, for the care, diligence, and commitment she has shown in this vital role. Through her time, patience, and hard work, she has helped bring us into a really strong place as a benefice, ensuring good practice, clarity, and confidence in our safeguarding life. We are deeply grateful for all she has given.
As Gani steps back from the role, we now need someone to step up and take on this important responsibility. Why not start by talking to Gani or Revd Tom and step up to help us with this key role. If you are wondering whether this might be for you, the Diocese offers excellent support, including monthly Safeguarding Dashboard Drop-Ins led by Kathryn Ford. The online Dashboard is the tool to support the role. These friendly Zoom sessions help you grow in confidence, ask questions, and learn together. The sessions are at 10am on the first Friday of every month, with the next one taking place on Friday, 6th February. This is a place to share tips, ask questions, and learn more about the dashboard. The Zoom link for this session is here.
Reflections for Racial Justice Sunday
As we look ahead to Racial Justice Sunday on 8 February, we’re being invited to pause and reflect on why this day matters for our life of faith and community. In this week’s diocesan news, Daniel Ramble, Area Dean of Oldham and Ashton, shares a thoughtful reflection on how our faith gathers us — and how God’s work among us can transform strangers into kin.
It’s a timely and prayerful invitation to reflect on belonging, justice, and what it means to live as the people of God in diverse communities. We encourage you to read the full set of reflections via the diocesan article (click here) and take time to pray, listen, and consider how we are called to embody racial justice together.
Register on Our Website
Please could everyone complete the registration form on our new church website CLICK HERE so that we can refresh our church database. This will allow you to share your details and give us permission to hold your information, helping us to keep our GDPR records up to date.
We want to make sure everyone is correctly listed on our new church data management system, Church Hub, which is part of the tools provided through our new website. Keeping our records accurate will help us communicate better, care well for one another, and support the life and mission of our church.
Thank you for taking a few moments to help us with this.
Explore Your Calling at Our Next Vocations Day
Is God calling you to something new? Come along to our Vocations Day, designed to help you explore your vocation, calling and gifts. Meet the Vocations Team, speak with lay and ordained ministers, and take part in interactive workshops to help you better understand your options.
When: 10am - 2:30pm on Saturday, 7th February 2026
Where: St Bride's, Old Trafford, M16 9NW
Book your place: Eventbrite - Vocations Day 2026
What's on at a Glance
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9.30am - Short Service of the Word at St Edmund's
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10.30am - Communion at St Edmund's and Service of the Word at St James'
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4pm Grace - Community Eucharist (our Urdu speaking congregation - all welcome) Urdu
Monday
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9.30am Prayers at St Edmund's
Tuesday
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Morning Prayer 9.30am at St James'
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Place of Welcome 10am at St James' followed by a new creativity session with Revd Tom and Lorraine (a creative local collaboration)
Wednesday
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Coffee Morning 10.30am at St Edmund's
Thursday
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Grieving Together Cafe 11.30am at St James' - Memory Pebbles Craft
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The Chosen Bible Study - Join us on Thurs 5th Feb 7.30pm at St Ed's for Season 2, Episode 2 of The Chosen exploring Nathanael’s encounter with Jesus, Matthew’s struggle to belong, and Philip’s quiet guidance. The episode invites us into the “come and see” moment, revealing how Jesus meets doubt, longing, and outsider identities within God’s surprising Kingdom.
Genesis 1.1-23, Psalm 136.1-9, 23-end and Matthew 6.25-end
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9.30am - Short Communion Service at St Edmund's
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10.30am - Morning Worship at St Edmund's and Communion at St James'
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4pm - Grace Community Urdu Church
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Cafe Church is PAUSED and not happening in February and March. Join Revd Tom to pray at St James', and prepare for our Cafe Church relaunch at 4.30pm on 8th March
Advance Notices
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The next Mothers’ Union meeting will be on Tuesday 10 February, 6.00pm – 7.30pm at St Edmund’s. You are welcome to come along if you’re interested in becoming a member or if you just want to come to a meeting as a guest – please call Deborah on 07855 181941 if you would like to join us.
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Preaching Workshop — Feb 22nd - with lunch provided.
Keep up to date at any time by checking our calendar - click here>>
Prayer Pointers for this Week
10 prayer points shaped by Malachi 3:1–5, Psalm 24, and Luke 2:22–40:
Pray for hearts made ready to receive the Lord who comes among us — refining, restoring, and renewing us in love.
Ask God to cleanse what needs refining in our lives, that our worship may be offered with honesty and faithfulness.
Pray that we may lift up our hearts and lives, opening the gates for the King of Glory to enter afresh.
Give thanks that the earth and all who dwell in it belong to God — and pray for reverence in how we live within God’s world.
Pray for purity of heart and integrity of action, that we may seek the face of God with humility.
Thank God for Simeon and Anna — for faithful waiting, deep listening, and hope sustained over many years.
Pray for those who are waiting — for answers, healing, justice, or peace — that they may know God’s nearness.
Ask for eyes to recognise Christ when he comes quietly, unexpectedly, and in ordinary places.
Pray for children, families, and elders in our community, that each generation may know its place in God’s story.
Give thanks that Christ is revealed as light for the nations and glory for God’s people — and pray that we may bear that light into the week ahead.