News

Flower Festival The Martha Group is staging a Workshop for budding flower arrangers – Men, Women, or Children – so that’s for YOU. The event begins at 2.00pm at St Matthew’s Church on Wednesday (19). Here is the chance you always wanted to find out how it is done and learn the “tricks of the trade”. If you can’t make this one, it is to be repeated on Wednesday 3 July…
…this is linked with the Flower Festival, at St Matthew’s Church, over the week-end of 12 - 15 July. The theme is “A few of our Favourite Things. This promises to be a really big event…

Messy Church met on Saturday (15) in St Matthew’s Church. Harry Potter, the Queen of Hearts and Andy Pandy all made an appearance! We made a scrap book of our favourite things to use in our display in the Flower Festival – look out for it! We enjoyed reading stories together and making bookmarks to use in our favourite books. Our next event will be on 13 July during the Flower Festival. Come along, bring the family, and find out what we do!

The Photographic Competition is for you to take part in as part of the community response to the SO Festival. Original images (minimum size 1MB) are to be submitted by 11am on Wednesday 26 June to competition@skglincs2.eu. Judging will be on Thursday 27 June and the winners announced at 7pm at the opening of the Exhibition of Photographs in the new community gateway at St Matthew’s Church. The Mayor of Skegness, Jim Carpenter will open the event and act as a judge, alongside John Byford.

The Ministry Team of the Skegness Group of Churches (comprising Churchwardens, Clergy, Readers, Servers, Accredited Ministers, and Messy Church Organisers meet for Fellowship on Monday 24 June in St Matthew’s Church at 7pm.

Songs of Praise is just around the corner. There are two opportunities…
…first at 3pm on Sunday 30 June at St Peter & Paul, Ingoldmells we will celebrate the Patronal Festival, with. refreshments and warm welcome guaranteed …
…then on Sunday 14 July at St Matthew, Skegness, when we will celebrate the Flower Festival. Skegness Singers will lead our singing and refreshments will be served….
…if you have a favourite hymn, or reading, (biblical or otherwise) that you would like to suggest for either event please mention to your Churchwarden or to Gwen in the parish office.

At the Pop in at St Matthews on Tuesday (18) we will welcome PCSO Michelle Collins and Councillor Carl Macey for a drop in surgery. Come and meet your local Police and Council representatives.

Your giving through Gift Aid has led to a further £974 for Church Funds given by the Inland Revenue. If you are a taxpayer, please sign a gift aid form…
…New from 1 April 2013 - church treasurers can now claim Gift Aid tax back on loose cash in the collection plate up to a total of £1,250 every three months for each Church.

As part of ministry training Reverend Julie Donn is going back to school from Monday (17) for a week – at Ingoldmells Primary Academy – where she will be shadowing the staff in all aspects of their work, in the office,, classroom and playground (hope the weather stays fine!) to get a better understanding of primary school life today
Frank Forster, one of the team at St Clements, has published another book, “A short walk on a Bike” and copies are available priced at £7.99. These can be purchased at the Parish Office and £2.66 will go to church funds for every book sold. Thanks Frank!

On Saturday 8 June, St Matthew’s Church welcomed Martin Manby and seven friends who had all completed a 100 mile cycle ride from St David’s Church Broomleys Coalville, where Martin is on the PCC. Between them £1,500 was raised for Leicester Children’s Hospital & Diabetes Research.











   
   

 

Parish Chaplaincy

The work of the Church in our community is divided into four Chaplaincies: we work with Children and Schools, with people in Hospital, with people at work and with people who are bereaved. For details of how you may help with the work in any of the Chaplaincies please contact the Parish Office

Workplace Chaplaincy, meeting people at work. We continued with a pilot project at Butlins Resort. We held a lunch for some owners of businesses in the town at which the Bishop of Grimsby shared ideas. We began fundraising to cover the cost of a third member of the clergy team to lead this project. The Rector met the Archbishop of Canterbury who showed a great interest in the project.

Childrens Chaplaincy, meeting people at school and those in the uniformed organisations. We gave regular talks at school assemblies, hold schools events in Church, hosted schools at harvest festivals, carol services, and Christingle services. We are developing alternative opportunities for worship by way of Messy Church which meets monthly on a Saturday afternoon.

Hospital Chaplaincy, meeting people at the Hospital. We have a support group made up from members of the staff at the hospital. We have provided information leaflets to go in the patient's bedside folders. We provide information leaflets for the staff. We hold information events for local ministers who are encouraged to be part of the chaplaincy service.

Bereavement Chaplaincy, meeting people who have lost loved ones. We have widened our base of volunteers to include members from the Skegness Fellowship of Churches. We run a training courses. We take funeral services, make follow up calls, provide memorial services, make our churches available so that people can spend a quiet moment and light a candle in memory, and try to be as supportive as possible.

Work on developing the Workplace Chaplaincy continues.

What is confirmation?

Confirmation is part of the process of admission to Holy Communion and valuing our Christian life. It starts with your Baptism. In this group of parishes we baptise about 60 children each year. Parents and Godparents encourage their children to learn to know God in public worship, follow Jesus in the life of faith, and serve their neighbour after the example of Christ. Sometimes it takes a lifetime to find the benefits of the Christian life. Being confirmed is a public statement of something you have decided; sharing Holy Communion with fellow Christians is one of the greatest outward symbols of your inward desire to life a fulfilled Christian life. If you, or someone you know, would like to be confirmed, please let us know.

Our Legacy to the Church

Through the centuries our Churches have been cared for and maintained by the hard work and generosity of countless generations of people. And it is thanks to them that our Churches are available to us today to use and enjoy. It is our responsibility to ensure that future generations of people will be able to look back in gratitude for what we have done to keep the buildings in good order.

One of the ways in which we can do this is to leave a gift to our church in our Will. If this is something that you would like to do then please pick up a leaflet from the literature table in your Church and take a look at what is involved.

Legacies

Leaving money in our Will is a splendid way of ensuring that the work of the Church that we supported in our lifetime can continue after our death.

Age Concern Age Concern operates a Well-being telephone call service. A telephone call is made to the older person providing a weekday social contact. This is to ensure all is well; if there is no reply action is taken to check things out. Volunteer callers are also needed. For how to access the service and on volunteering, please contact Emma Maltby on 768693

HOP
Stands for: Healthier Older People.  There are two types of classes - one for over sixties and one for fitter under fifty fives. Sessions are held on Tuesday mornings, 10.30am at Ingoldmells in St Peters Hall, and Tuesday & Friday mornings at 11.00am at Skegness in St Clements Community Hall.  Contact from Doreen (820274)

Day Centre
St Barnabas Hospice runs a day therapy unit on Fridays at Skegness Hospital. Volunteers are needed for making drinks and chatting with patients. If you could spend a few hours a week to help with this excellent servicve then please call in to the unit any Friday between 10am and 4pm.

Can you support the Community Larder?
This is a scheme to provide emergency food rations in times of crisis and is there to help people when there is a delay in the receipt of benefit cheque or in a sudden family crisis. All the local churches are supporting the scheme.

Something as simple as having a collection box in your church. You asked to donate a tin, jar or packet now and again. Items that are asked for include tinned vegetables, meats, spaghetti, or beans (all with ring-pulls); also: jams, cereals, teabags, powdered milk, instant coffee, pasta, pasta sauces, and soups.

Items collected will be taken to the community larder at the Salvation Army in High Street. They operate a voucher scheme so that anyone who approaches us for help can be given a voucher and present it at the Larder to get the help they need. (Note for Churchwardens: please contact the parish office for further details).

Your Churches are Open

St Matthew, Skegness: Monday to Friday:   9.00am - 12noon

St Clement, Skegness: Tuesday 10.00am until 11.30am

St Peter & Paul, Ingoldmells Wednesday - 10.00am - 12noon Saturday 10.00am - 12noon