Church Newsletter Issue #92 8th March

  

Supplication - The Language of the Soul

As I have been reading the Lent book Draw Near, one word has stood out to me: supplication. It reminds me that prayer is about coming humbly before God, bringing our needs and the needs of others to him. In this season of Lent, it invites us to draw nearer to God with honest and trusting hearts.

‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.’ — Matthew 7:7

Supplication is about asking, seeking, and knocking, but at a deeper level it is about relationship. It is the language of a soul that knows its need of God. To ask is to admit I do not have all the answers. To seek is to desire not just blessings, but God Himself. To knock is to persist, trusting that even silence can be holy preparation. Supplication strips away self-reliance and invites surrender.

How do I feel about this? I feel both vulnerable and hopeful. Vulnerable, because true supplication requires honesty about my weaknesses, sins, and fears. Hopeful, because God’s invitation to ask means He is attentive and compassionate. Supplication challenges me to move beyond routine prayers into heartfelt conversation.

How do I pray? I pray with openness, allowing God to search my motives. I sit in stillness, letting His Spirit reveal where pride, impatience, or resentment linger. I name these before Him.

What are my supplications in Lent? In this season, I ask for inner transformation — a purified heart, renewed priorities, and deeper love. I seek freedom from distractions that dull my faith. I knock for courage to live differently, so that repentance becomes renewal and prayer becomes action.

Revd Kausar

The Colour of Our Souls

I'm currently working with Year 5 at St Margaret's exploring a searching question from Brianna Wiest’s essay, If We Saw Souls Instead of Bodies: what if we learned to see one another’s souls before appearances? This is a deeply Christian theme reflected in 1 Samuel 16:7. When God looks at the heart, He is examining the soul—the true, innermost nature of a person. It is the place where thoughts, motives, and desires reside. The curious question opened up rich discussion about how our culture, faith, family, experiences and stories shape the person we are becoming.

In an earlier lesson the children created “identity pebbles” using Mod Roc plaster bandage. First, they wrote statements about themselves — faith, family, hopes, strengths, dreams and parts of their story — on dissolvable paper. That paper was then dissolved into the water solution used to wet the Mod Roc. As the plaster bandage absorbed that solution and was wrapped by hand to form each pebble, those identity statements became part of the making process itself. Each pebble became a small symbol of their soul, the essence of who they are. 

This week the children began colouring the pebbles, expressing outwardly the colours of their soul. Colours chosen to resonate and communicate who they are on the inside, their inner selves that God sees and loves. The activity connects beautifully with Revd Kausar’s reflection on supplication as the language of the soul, nurturing curiosity, compassion, and deeper understanding of one another.

Revd Tom 

Lent and Easter: Walking the Way Together

Click here to view all our Lent and Easter services 

Grace Community Sham-E-Calvary – A Creative Journey to the Cross

Sunday 22 March, 4pm

You are warmly invited to a special Grace Community Sham-E-Calvary service as we begin to turn our hearts toward Holy Week together.

Through vibrant worship, storytelling, music, and reflection, we will explore the road that leads to the cross and the love of Christ revealed there. This service is designed to be interactive, thoughtful, and accessible for all ages, creating space to listen, reflect, and encounter the story of Jesus in fresh ways.

This is not just for Grace Community. Members of St Edmund’s and St James’ congregations are warmly encouraged to join us at 4pm as we gather as one church family during this Lenten season.

Come and walk the road to the cross together.

Good Friday Walk of Witness 

Churches Together in Whalley Range, Moss Side and Hulme warmly invites you and all your church congregation to join our Good Friday Walk of Witness in Alexandra Park.
We will begin inside the Claremont Road – Alexandra Road South gate entrance and walk together through the park. Along the way we will stop at several points to hear the Passion story, pray, and sing together. The stopping points are shown on the event poster map (download here>>).
This route is different from previous years, designed to make the walk safe and accessible for everyone and to add variety to our traditions. Please do come and join us as we walk, reflect on the cross, and enjoy fellowship together this Good Friday. We aim to gather back at St Edmunds, Whalley Range for a short concluding service at 11am ish.

Life Giving Fellowship

Our Tuesday morning Place of Welcome at St James continues to be a simple but powerful reminder that gathering together is life-giving. For many in our church family, especially some of our older members like Doreen, it offers the joy of getting out of the house, sharing conversation, and enjoying one another’s company.

Life can feel fragile at times. Hospital visits and health concerns can appear unexpectedly, so it is good to cherish the moments when we are able to gather, laugh, and support one another.

As we journey through Lent together—searching deeply and growing in faith—let’s keep nurturing life-giving habits of prayer, fellowship, and community.

You are warmly invited to join our Lent reflection on Zoom this Wednesday at 7pm.
Download the CoE Everyday Faith App to use the material and audio for free- CLICK HERE>> 
Bring whatever Lent resource you are using.
Make the space.
Notice what God is doing.
Draw near — together.

Zoom link - click here - starts 7pm 25th Feb 2026

A Creative Opportunity alligning with the Heart of our Approach

I’m sharing this email with you as it struck me how our intergenerational approach at church is so central to community health and wellbeing. I commend this opportunity to you as a way of learning more about how we can be intergenerational and a blessing to all. Revd Tom
 

Celebrating 30 Years of Christina Relief Uganda

You’re warmly invited to celebrate 30 years of Christian Relief Uganda (CRU) this March.

From Maria Maw’s courageous step of faith in Uganda in 1991, to the founding of CRU in 1996, thousands of lives have been changed through Maria’s Care School in Kamuli — now educating over 300 children. What began with compassion became a movement of hope.

Come and celebrate God’s faithfulness over three decades!

📅 Saturday 28th March
⏰ 6.30–9.00pm
📍 St Edmund’s Church, Whalley Range

Enjoy authentic Ugandan food, a Manchester Ugandan choir and drummers, powerful stories, and heartfelt thanksgiving.

Make it a date in your diary now — and bring a friend!

Please book with Julie Parker
📧 julie@mwfnorthwest.org.uk
📱 07732 556381

Let’s celebrate 30 years of hope together!

Have you registered on our website yet to update our contact records?

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.

What's on at a Glance

This Sunday - 8th March - The Third Sunday of Lent
Exodus 17.1-7, Psalm 95 and John 4.5-42

• 9.30am - Short Communion Service at St Edmund's
• 10.30am - Intergenerational Service at St Edmund's and Communion at St James'
• 4pm - Grace Community Urdu Church

Monday

• 9.30am Prayers at St Edmund's

Tuesday 

• Morning Prayer 9.30am at St James'
• Place of Welcome 10am at St James' extending to a creative arty and crafty session from 11am
• New 'Chatty Cafe' at Bembe Cafe in Alexandra Park facilitated by Joy (St Edmunds congregation) and the cafe team. Join in and tackle loneliness: Tuesdays 11am-12.30pm.

Wednesday

• Coffee Morning on Wednesday 4th March will be at the Limelight Cafe on Shrewsbury Street from 10.30-12.00 and NOT at St Edmund's. Please speak to Janet, Jackie or Chris for more information.
• 'Draw Near' lent Group Zoom 7pm - Zoom Link here

Thursday

• Grieving Together Cafe 11.30am at St James'
• The Chosen Bible Study - Join us on Thursday 5th March 7.30pm at St Ed's for Season 2, Episode 6:  "Unlawful". Mary Magdalene reverts to her old habits. Simon and Matthew bring her home. Jesus heals a withered hand and His disciples pluck wheat on the Sabbath. Pharisees accuse them and Jesus pronounces that He is Lord of Sabbath.

Next Sunday - 15th March - The Fourth Sunday of Lent
Mothering Sunday
1 Samuel 16.1–13, Psalm 23 and John 9.1–41

• 9.30am - Short Service at St Edmund's
• 10.30am - Communion St Edmund's and Service of the Word at St James'
• 4pm - Grace Community Urdu Church

Advance Notices

• For JPCC members: The next meeting will be held on Monday 9th March at 7.30pm at St James, Moss Side. 
• Manchester South & Stretford Deanery Celebration
  Join Revd Tom and team on Thursday 23 April, 6.45–8.45pm at St Bride's Church, for a deanery-wide celebration hosted by the Diocese of Manchester.
  An evening of worship, stories, vision, and encouragement as we explore Parish Renewal, Growing Younger, Church Planting, and Missional Leadership — and discern our next steps together.
• Sound and Spirit – Saturday 25th April at St James' @ 7pm
  In partnership with Nelson Street Worship Ministry Team, this evening is being intentionally sown into the life of our churches.
  Sound and Spirit is designed to strengthen our worshipping community, deepen spiritual life, and encourage creative engagement in worship. Nelson Street’s role is not to replace what we already have, but to invest in, support and revitalise our existing teams — sharing skills, encouragement and fresh energy.
  This is about growing what God is already doing among us.
• 30th Birthday Party of Christian Relief Uganda and Maria's Care School.
  You are invited on Sat 28 March 6.30 to 9pm. Do join us to celebrate in songs and testimonies with good food, crafts and more!
• Iona's last Sunday with us 19th April - join us at St James after the 10.30am service for a celebration and Cafe Church until 4pm. More details coming soon. 

Keep up to date at any time by checking our calendar - click here>>

 

Prayer Pointers for this Week

Prayer Pointers shaped by Exodus 17.1–7 | Psalm 95 | John 4.5–42

1. Thirst for God – Pray for a deeper longing for God’s presence.
2. Trust in the Desert – Ask God to help us trust him in difficult times.
3. Listening Hearts – Pray we hear God’s voice and do not harden our hearts.
4. Living Water – Give thanks for Jesus who refreshes and renews our lives.
5. Sharing Faith – Pray for courage to invite others to “come and see.”
6. Breaking Barriers – Ask God to unite people across cultures and differences.
7. True Worship – Pray we worship God in spirit and truth each day.

Prayer Request: Enter the name of the person you would like us to pray for in our weekly prayers. Make sure the person is happy you share their name.