Its not easy saying “goodbye” but it happens all through life.

There are sad goodbyes when we lose someone close to us and there are the goodbyes when people move on in life. Of course, I am talking about the retirement of our three clergy and by the time you read this Reverends Philip and Patricia will be concentrating on refurbishing their new home near Leek.

Reverend Trish, on the other hand, will have retired from her role as Associate Priest and will step back from her duties at St. John’s. Trish will still be around as a Priest and will have the title of P.T.O which means Permission to Officiate. We will be able to ask her to come and take the occasional service whilst we await the appointment of a new clergy.

Over the last six years St. John’s has been part of a United Benefice with Rostherne with Little Bollington and Over Tabley. We would like to thank our clergy for ministering to us during this period and especially over the last two years, when we have been in and out of lockdowns due to the Covid pandemic. They have all embraced technology to make sure we have held a service every week.

We also wish Trish and John a long and happy retirement doing all those things they would have liked to have done but never had the time.

“The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you. The Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace.”
Numbers 6.24-26

Stewart -Church Warden & Pastoral Worker

High Legh Primary School, along with three Lymm schools, attended this event held on 3rd December at Lymm Methodist Church. Chris, Trish and Stewart helped with the event which is organised through Churches Together in Lymm and District. All the children followed a journey around several rooms to meet the Angels, shepherds, innkeeper & donkey, wise men and – of course – Joseph, Mary and a real live baby!
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Here is Stewart as “Seth” the shepherd! Roger is “David” – the other shepherd on duty that night.

The support shown to the Hope Centre and its work with the people of Partington has been tremendous. Goods have continued to be donated and we have sent several boxes at various times to them. The Tree of Hope has been really well supported and over £300 has been donated so far to support the special work of the Hope Centre and the Hideaway in providing Christmas gifts and dinners along with assistance for heating and other Christmas essentials. Along with the money, tens of Christmas wishes were also sent on our Christmas stars.

​Supporting the Hope Centre has enabled members of our congregation who are unable to attend church at the moment to continue to feel part of the church by participating in the mission of this church to show our care for those who are in need.

We will continue to collect the following items in 2022:

Tinned items: vegetables, beans/spaghetti, fruit, tomatoes, meat.
Snacks: biscuits, cereal bars, crisps.
Drinks: tea, coffee, juice, long-life milk.
Other: rice, condiments, baby food/milk, cat and dog food.
Non-food items: Nappies, baby wipes, toiletries

Little Acorns Christmas Party Little Acorns held their Christmas Party on 14th December.

All the usual expectations of games and singing, party food and of course a visit from Santa Claus himself with gifts for the children.

Here he is with the little ones and their mums, dads, grans and grandpas.

A huge “Thank you” to everyone who helped to decorate the church in readiness for the Harvest Festival on 3rd October. It looked absolutely stunning with both formal arrangements and informal displays reflecting the theme of thankfulness and the harvest of nature.

Over the last few weeks we have been collecting goods for The Hope Centre who provide food support for those most in need in Partington. They also provide “pre-loved” school uniforms and other guidance for financial, housing, employment and health etc.

We were fortunate to have Phil Savage (from Lymm Baptist Church) who is the manager speak to us during our Harvest festival. He explained the work of the Hope Centre as a community hub - a place for people, community and services to come together; a place to find friends, a place to find support, a place to be heard and a starting point for improving life. Phil, Janice and Trish collected the food and other items that we had collected. 

The Hope Centre is a Christian organisation and we shall continue to support them by contributing to their Community Pantry in the coming months. Our next special project will be to help them provide for a better Christmas for those in most need in Partington. Please look out for:
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St John’s Tree of Hope
It will provide you with the chance to offer someone in Partington Christmas food or presents (via the Hope Centre) and so spread the Good News of our Christmas celebration.

Thank you  for your generosity. 
 
Rev’d Trish

​I always think February is a rather odd month.  After the Christmas rush, Epiphany story and settlement into the normal pace of life, I find February a bit dismal.  Yes the days are lengthening but winter still holds its sting and the burst of Spring has not quite reached us – or has it??
The most significant focus and interest tends to be St Valentine’s Day.  Although it has become lost in time in terms of its origins, it is recognised as a significant cultural, religious and commercial celebration of romance and romantic love.
St Valentine did exist.  He was a Priest in Rome in the third century AD.  There is some evidence that shows more than one Priest was tortured and executed around this time for advocating Christian marriage and became martyred for their faith.  Emperor Claudius II had banned marriage because he thought married men were poor soldiers. St Valentine was beaten with clubs and beheaded on February 14 AD 270.   He would not renounce his faith or compromise that he believed in.
During Medieval times a common belief in England and France was that birds began to pair on 14 February as Chaucer wrote in his “Parliament of Fowles”.  For this reason the day was dedicated to “lovers”.
 Although thought to be a secular day, there is a Christian message that should be remembered.  The love of our Lord is a sacrificial, selfless and unconditional love.  We are all called to express this in our own lives, for God and for neighbour.  Quite often this can be a challenge, especially for those who have loved and lost, have been disappointed or continue to search for something they don’t understand.  Love can be a hard option.
On this Valentine’s Day 2019 dedicate your love to the Lord, for only by doing so can we properly love those who are entrusted to his care.  Jesus said “this is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you.  There is no greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”  John 15: 12-13. St Valentine fulfilled this command, and may we do the same, by understanding love comes in many forms, love is the foundation of relationships and family life, love is something many search for and never find, love can be lost but never forgotten.  Love makes the world go round, but nothing can be greater than the love God has for all who come to him with a willing heart, an open mind, and a call that is special, cherished and valued.  Share your love daily.  A kind word,  a prayer, a note or a Valentine’s card.  At no point is your love ever wasted.
 
Margaret Kitchen
Pastoral Worker

​Café Church on Sunday 14 October

This month we continued our harvest theme with further discussion about the work of RABI (Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institute) and their support to farmers in distress.  We decided to look to the bible to see where there is support and guidance for people working on the land, sea and with herds of animals, growing grain, fruit and vegetables to feed families.  Do we in High Legh offer our discipleship to the families farming the land which surrounds our village? We can learn patience from those waiting for the seed to grow, the work that is put in at the beginning (ploughing and preparing), with faith acting as a stabiliser, the crop ripening at different times as individual plants.  The field eventually ripens as a whole.    It is much like our Christian faith journey. 
We assume farming is a healthy job, working outside with a crop to be proud of but this is not always the case.  Many farmers suffer loss through death and disease, work long hours at the mercy of the climate and have long hours alone leading to loneliness. Many suffer financial loss leading to depression and suicide.    Let us remember what the bible says:
“ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. “ 2 Corinthians 9:10
Next time you see someone working in a field or sitting on a tractor, say hello and be grateful for all that they do to provide us with our daily bread.
Revd Trish, Stewart, Christine, Mags and Karen