HELSBY

Helsby Methodist Church stands in the centre of the village of Helsby in Cheshire.

We believe in reflecting God in all areas of our lives and we look to play an active part in our community.

Come and join us at the Helsby Site

 

KINGSLEY HURST

Link to Kingsley site

The life and activities at The Hurst have a real diversity involving some hard work by many people. We seek to be a caring Church and this is reflected in our Mission Statement

Worship.  Every Sunday at 10.00 am.   Early Communion service on the second Sunday of each month at 8.15 am.  Evening worship is shared with friends at the Blakelees chapel.

Home Communion.  By request, the Sacrament can be administered at home for the housebound and others.

Café Church
Every third Wednesday of the month.   Can worship of God be shaped by popular culture? Come along to this new style of church to find out. The service includes modern songs led by a live band, teaching through film and video and very good quality coffee and cakes. If traditional church is too staid and doesn’t stimulate you then come along to this alternative. You will be made welcome in a very relaxed atmosphere.

"Messy Church".  takes place on the first Thursday in the month at 4.30 pm-6.30 pm.  It is an event for all the family, including food, crafts, fun, songs - and Barney the Bear may appear.

Discipleship
Our ecumenical Bible Study happens on Monday evenings and our Prayer Meeting is a daytime event at 9.15 am on Friday mornings.   Both are held in members' homes.

Outreach
Each year we decide on a charitable cause to support, raising both awareness and money.  We favour Cinderella charities out of the media spotlight where one or two thousand pounds can make a real difference. Last year we raised £3000 for Halton Haven Hospice.
This year we are supporting 'Phakamisa' (in the Xhosa language it means 'Uplift and Support') at two sites in South Africa. They aim to empower and support impoverished communities within a radius of up to 30 miles of their bases. They provide much needed buildings and teacher training for primary schools in poor rural communities; also adult training in tasks such as gardening, cooking, sewing and bead work to help families improve their living standards.

"Tea at 2:30"
Held at The Wyches, The Hurst, Kingsley, each fourth Thursday of the month, unless notified as being different. This is a social gathering for everyone. FREE tea / cake / bingo / chat.  From time to time we have an outing to a Garden Centre for lunch.

Crèche
The Thursday crèche continues to be popular (9.30 – 11.30 am) We have about 14 children a week, from babies up to four year olds. Together with Church members we also have a rota so that each week a mum helps.  We are flexible as to whether mums stay with children or leave them for some or all of the 2 hours. Once the children settle at Crèche, most mothers leave them for the full time.  There is no charge.

Barney's Buddies is a group for pregnant Mums, for babies, pre-schoolers and their carers (Mums, Dads, Grandparents etc). We meet every Tuesday between 9.30 and 11.30am at the Hurst chapel. There are toys and craft activities for children and tea, coffee and snacks in a friendly atmosphere. The morning finishes with a simple Christian story, action songs and a short prayer. A good opportunity for children and adults to meet and make friends. There is no charge.

Blakelees Methodist Church

 

We are one of the two Methodist Churches in the village. We meet at the Church at the top of the hill going out of Kingsley, on the way to Frodsham. We are a friendly group with a reputation for looking after people in the area and also for our work with local, national and international charities. This means we always have a busy and interesting diary of events!

 

Last December we went carol singing in aid of Halton Haven Hospice enjoying the time and fellowship together.

In January we were moved by the plight of the people of Haiti and raised over £600 for the Methodist Relief and Development Fund (MRDF Haiti appeal).

In March we had an evening with Adam Partridge of BBC's 'Flog It' fame. About 50 people came along, bringing with them items to be valued and discussed. Adam was able to banter with the audience and enjoy our refreshments.

 

For our Easter Services we followed the Lenten Cross Liturgy; adding various items to the cross each week. We found this to be very moving, with different members of the congregation taking part. During April we had a Safari Supper, in aid of Christian Farmers together in Cheshire and Reach 4 Romania. People flocked from all over Cheshire and we raised £1635. Joanne Oultram has visited Romania to see the work being done in schools and with families at first hand. At the end of April we had our Chapel Anniversary and our Church Fellowship weekend came in July. We began with a Faith Supper on the Saturday night, continuing with the special service taken by Rev'd John Santry on the Sunday. The church singing group took part in the celebrations. In September there was the Kingsley Farm Harvest with  over 120 in attendance to enjoy the service in the wonderful surroundings of a real farm with panoramic views across Cheshire. For our own Harvest weekend we had a Supper in Kingswood in aid of Christian Farmers in Cheshire and Sight Savers. Over 40 sat down to excellent fayre managing to raise £264 for the two charities. Our Harvest Service was taken by Mr Keith Ineson; Cheshire Agricultural Chaplain.

 

We have had the church decorated inside and out this year. The heating has been upgraded and the electricity brought up to date to keep the church warm and welcoming. We thank those who have supported us to make these many improvements possible.

If you are able to come to Blakelees at 6.30pm any Sunday evening, we would give you a really warm welcome. We look forward to seeing you!

 

Link to Kingsley site