Church at The Centre Tonge Moor United Reformed Church Starkie Road, Tonge Moor, Bolton BL2 2ED A member of the Vision Pastorate (with Rose Hill URC and St Andrew & St George URC) and Churches Together in Tonge Moor Sunday 10:45am Family Service - All welcome (Communion - 1st Sunday of Month) Saturday 9.45 10.00am Informal Prayer time All welcome 10:30-12:00 noon Saturday Morning Café All welcome Church Life December/January 2019
Contact details Minister: Revd Mark Bates Home: 01204 653477 (Monday is Mark s day off) Mobile: 07712 440362 Email: rev.markbates@hotmail.co.uk Alison Dalton CRCW (Building Bridges) Mobile: 07908110121 (Thursday is Alison s day off) mail: alison.dalton@bolton.gov.uk Alison is usually in the Centre each Monday and Friday so available for a chat Church Secretary Margaret McGreavy 01204 387905 Children s Centre Reception 01204 336745 Church Life Editor Maureen Harrison 01204 698873 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Week: Sunday Family Service 10:45am (Communion 1 st Sunday of month) Saturday Informal Prayer time 9.45am 10.15 am Morning Café 10:30am to 12.00 noon Generation Reunited will re-start in February 2018 watch out for details ~~~~~ ALL ARE WELCOME ~~~~~ Church at The Centre.sharing the love of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ with the people of Tonge Moor through fellowship, worship and caring action.. a partner in Tonge Children s Centre leading the Building Bridges Community project supporting Tonge Lunch and Leisure Club - every Friday lunchtime (with Age UK and Tonge Children s Centre). For details of Tonge Lunch and Leisure Club, please ask at the Centre Reception or call Gill Marshall (Age UK) on 01204 336471 Front cover: Front cover: www.clipartkid.com
Toy Service The toy service will be held on the 9th December. A member of the Bolton Lions will attend to receive our gifts. Toys for all ages are welcome especially the ones for older children. They must be new toys and please leave them unwrapped. Thank you. CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE AT THE CHURCH AT THE CENTRE 10.30 AM - LED BY REV D MARK BATES EVERYONE WELCOME The MacMillan Coffee morning raised 134.51. Thank you to everyone who contributed and purchased the goods. Thank you to everyone who brought in Harvest items for Winterwatch. Money collected for Doctors without Borders amounted to 155.30 Thank you to everyone who donated a Christmas pudding (for 4 people) for Christmas Dinner on Jesus. Margaret McGreavy
From the Archives: Back at the start of the 21 st century, United Reformed Churches were gathered into Districts with each church sending a representative to the District Council. Tonge Moor URC belonged to the North West Manchester District, along with all the other churches in Bolton and Salford. (Sound familiar?) Each church in turn hosted the quarterly District Council Meeting and the host church would make a presentation to the Council to introduce itself and describe the life of the Church its hopes and fears for the future. This would happen around once every five years for each church, and over subsequent weeks or months two Visitors from the District Council would assist the church in taking stock of its situation and in planning for the future. This is an extract from this church s presentation to the District Council meeting held at Tonge Moor back in July 2003: The needs of this community are as great as ever, and so the opportunity for Christian Service is as great as it was 110 years ago. We look at our dwindling, ageing congregation, our dwindling finances. our ageing building suffering vandalism and lacking suitable facilities. our lack of resources and our failure to effectively share the church and the faith with others. Whether these are threats to our continuing as we are, or opportunities for change for the better is a matter for prayer. It seems that this Church is on the verge of a major change; faith says this will be for the better, whatever it is. Exciting, isn t it? Shortly after this, Bolton Council responded to previous overtures from the Church and invited the Church to become a Partner in the Children s Centre. So we were relieved of our ageing building - and our dwindling finances received a boost - but that involved stepping out in faith and letting go of many familiar things that made up church at that time. Once again we seem to be on the verge of major change. Exciting, isn t it? John Evans
Church at The Centre supporting others at Christmas Once again, you are invited to send one card to all friends in the fellowship and to make a donation (from the money you ve saved!) As usual, cards will be displayed on the notice board and a collection box will be available in the café. This year your donations are requested for The Bethany Project is a children s home and school in Magu District of the Mwanza region of Tanzania, East Africa. The project is led by a small team of Christians and helps some 250 vulnerable children and people in a rural area of Tanzania. For more information ask Mark or Gill Bates or visit: http://www.bethanyfamily.net On Christmas Day, the retiring collection will be in aid of: Dedicated to ending homelessness by delivering life-changing services and by campaigning for change, Hope 4 Homeless works across Bolton and Greater Manchester providing food, clothing and toiletries to those on the streets. The premises on Tonge Moor Road serve as a drop off point and care of address, and offer shower facilities, internet access and a safe haven. In addition to donations, Home for Homeless is in need of Men s Clothing Toiletries Rucksacks Sleeping Bags Pop-up Tents Non-perishable Food For more information visit: http://hope4homeless.co.uk or call in at 131 Tonge Moor Road.
St. Nicholas St Nicholas was a Christian bishop who provided for the poor and sick, and is the basis for the popular character of Santa Claus. Who Was St. Nicholas? Born in Patara, a land that is part of present-day Turkey, circa 280, St. Nicholas was a Christian bishop who helped the needy. After his death, the legend of his gift-giving grew. St. Nicholas transformed into the legendary character called Santa Claus, who brings Christmas presents to children around the world. Early Life St. Nicholas was born circa 280 in Patara, Lycia, an area that is part of present-day Turkey. He lost both of his parents as a young man and reportedly used his inheritance to help the poor and sick. A devout Christian, he later served as bishop of Myra, a city that is now called Demre. Reputation There are many legends about St. Nicholas of Myra. One story tells how he helped three poor sisters. Their father did not have enough money to pay their dowries and thought of selling them into servitude. Three times, St. Nicholas secretly went to their house at night and put a bag of money inside. The man used the money so that one of his daughters could marry. On the third visit, the man saw St. Nicholas and thanked him for his kindness. He also reportedly saved three men who were falsely imprisoned and sentenced to death. T Death and Legacy Several sources state St. Nicholas is believed to have died on December 6, 343. Over the years, stories of his miracles and work for the poor spread to other parts of the world. He became known as the protector of children and sailors and was associated with gift-giving. He was a popular saint in Europe until the time of the Reformation in the
1500s, a religious movement that led to the creation of Protestantism, which turned away from the practice of honoring saints. St. Nicholas, however, remained an important figure in Holland. The Dutch continued to celebrate the feast day of St. Nicholas, December 6. It was a common practice for children to put out their shoes the night before. In the morning, they would discover the gifts that St. Nicholas had left there for them. Dutch immigrants brought the legend of St. Nicholas, known to them as Sint Nikolaas or by his nickname, Sinterklaas, to America in the 1700s. St. Nicholas went through many transformations in America: Sinterklaas became Santa Claus, and instead of giving gifts on December 6, he became a part of the Christmas holiday. In the 1820 poem "An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement Clarke Moore, he is described as a jolly, heavy man who comes down the chimney to leave presents for deserving children and drives a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer. The cartoonist Thomas Nast added to the St. Nicholas legend with an 1881 drawing of Santa as wearing a red suit with white fur trim. Once a kind, charitable bishop, St. Nicholas had become the Santa Claus we know today. www.biography.com/people/st-nicholas-204635oday. Thank you to everyone who gave flowers over the last year. A new flower list is now on the notice board. If you have something to celebrate or wish to remember a loved one by giving flowers on Sunday please put your name on the list beside the date you want. Many thanks Margaret
Family News On Sunday 5 th August Jasmine Duker was baptised at the Church at the Centre and also made a Church Member. On the 9 th September Edward Stanley and Henry Walter Orchard were baptised twin boys to Claire and David. Pictured here with the Rev d Mark Bates is Jong-Su Joseph, Arabek, Mingala. He is the son of Zhanyl Dzhumalieva. He was baptised on Sunday 21st October 2018.
Congratulations to James and Katie Cooke who got married on the 18 th September in Banff Canada. Son of Christine Cooke ADVENT TEA FRIDAY 7 TH DECEMBER 2018 5.00 PM Please get your ticket from Margaret McGreavy
Church at The Centre Diary Dates for December 2018 Every Week during December at The Centre: (unless shown otherwise) Sunday 10:45am Family Worship Friday 12:00pm Tonge Lunch & Leisure (not 21 st & 28 th December) Saturday 9:45am 10:00am Saturday Prayers (not 22 nd & 29 th December) 10:30am 12:00pm Saturday Café (not 22 nd and 29 th December) Sun 2 10:45am Family Worship led by Leo Roberts with Holy Communion 6:00pm Advent Service at St. Andrew s Church for Churches Together in Tonge Moor Fri 5:00pm Advent Tea Sun 9 10:45am Toy Service led by Revd Mark Bates Please bring a toy to donate to the Bolton Lions Christmas Appeal. Toys should not be wrapped - to help Lions find a suitable recipient. Sun 16 10:45am Family Worship led by Alison Dalton CRCW Wed 19 10:30am Elders meeting Sun 23 10:45am Carol Service led by the Worship Group Tue 25 10:30am Christmas Day Service led by Revd Mark Bates Sun 30 10:45am Family Worship led by Alan Nuttall Bible readings for December Dec 2 nd Isaiah 9: 2-7 Dec 9 th Luke 3: 1-6 Dec 16 th Luke 3: 7-18 Dec 30 th Luke 2: 41-52 Note: Sometimes, the worship leader may select a different reading, and sometimes readings are shortened for the benefit of younger worshippers.
Church at The Centre Diary Dates for January 2019 Every Week during January at The Centre: (unless shown otherwise) Sunday 10:45am Family Worship Monday 3:30pm 5:00pm Generation Reunited (from 14 th January) Friday 12:00pm Tonge Lunch & Leisure Saturday 9:45am 10:00am Saturday Prayers 10:30am 12:00pm Saturday Cafe Fri 4 7:15pm Come and Sing at The Centre Sun 6 10:45am Sun 13 10:45am Wed 16 10:30am Family Worship Rededication and Holy Communion led by Revd Mark Bates Family Worship Elders meeting (date subject to change) 18 th 25 th January : Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Details of ecumenical service to be announced Sun 20 10:30am Tues 22 7:15pm Sun 27 10:45am Family Worship Worship Group Meeting Family Worship led by George Grime Bible readings for January 2019 Jan 6 th Matthew 2: 1-12 Jan 13 th Luke 3: 15-22 Jan 20 th 1 Corinthians 12: 12-27 Jan 27 th 1 Corinthians 27-31 February Fri 1 7:15pm Come and Sing at Rose Hill URC Sun 3 10:45am Family Worship led by Alma Fritchley