News and views from your district

Mar 30 2009 By Express and hronicle

BROCKHOLES

The Wesley Singers, who are based in the Leeds Methodist District, gave a concert of Music, Mirth and Song, at Brockholes Methodist Church.

Sunday worship at the Methodist Church was led by Mrs Marina Woodhead, Lessons were read by Kath and John Gaukroger. The third symbol was laid on the Lenten Cross. The pianist was Mrs Eileen Littlewood. Mothering Sunday flowers were distributed to the congregation.

Family communion for Mothering Sunday at St George's Church was celebrated by the Rev David Barnes. Members of the congregation helped the vicar illustrate his address by discovering how much mothers and children or husbands and wives know about each other. Sue Clay read the lesson and Elizabeth Mosley was the server. Verena Wood was the organist. Daffodils were donated by Judi Gibbons and distributed to ladies present. Coffee and buns were served afterwards.

HADE EDGE

Hade Edge Methodist Chapel will host a special service on Sunday April 5 at 2.30pm. For this service the musical accompaniment will be provided from a different source. Three boys from the area who go to Holmfirth High School are going on an exciting expedition project to trek and also help at junior schools in Uganda in 2010. £3,000 each has to be raised for the three-week trip which is all part of the projects initiative and Simon Truly, Callum Girdwood and Joshua Garlick came up with the idea to offer their musical expertise. The chapel has given a donation and is organising a raffle to help start off their coffers as this is the first of many money raising activities which will have to take place. Help will also be provided by Stuart MacDonald a professional saxaphonist. The service will be led by Robert Booth followed by tea. Please come along and support the chapel and the three boys as an enjoyable afternoon is assured.

HEPWORTH

Last Friday, a Chocolate Bingo evening was held in the village hall. A light supper was served by Christine Kelsey and Lorraine Pollitt, and with bar facilities, a fun evening was enjoyed by everyone.

On Sunday, there was a larger than usual congregation at Hepworth Church for the Mothering Sunday service.The Rev Keith Griffin led the service, the reader was Lorraine Pollitt and prayers were led by Jane Selkirk.At the close of the service, the children distributed flowers to all the ladies in the congregation. The organist was Jane Robertson. Refreshments were served after the service.

The Mothers' Union held its Centenary Service in conjunction with the Deanery Lady Day Service in Hepworth church on Wednesday evening. MU Diocesan President, Margaret Stears, joined the congregation of over eighty people for the service which was led by the Rev Keith Griffin. The readers were Joan Warrender and Cheryl Roberts, prayers were led by Sheila Scholefield and the organist was Lizzie Hayward. The choir of Holmfirth Church sang the anthem Magnificat to a setting by Margaret Rizza. After the service, refreshments were served by the ladies of Hepworth Mothers' Union.

HOLMBRIDGE

Members of the Camera Club viewed ‘enhanced images’ at their recent meeting.

Midweek communion at St David’s Church was conducted by the Rev Geoff Banks when Ian Gold read the lesson. Friday evening prayers were led by the Rev Geoff Bamford. During the week, members of the Tumble Tots, Monkey Business and Over 60s groups held their meetings.

Parish Eucharist for Mothering Sunday at St David’s Church was conducted by the Rev Roger Nelson when Helen Woods read the lesson and Ian Gold led intercessions. The chalice was administered by Dorothy Parker and the creche and junior church were led by Judith Roberts and Anne Littlewood. The organist was Eddie Purcell. Daffodils were distributed to members of the congregation.

A meeting of The Gathering, a group for nine to 14-year-olds, was led by Mike Smithers and Carolyn Burley.

HOLMFIRTH

Mothering Sunday was celebrated at Holy Trinity Church with 8am Holy Communion and a 10.30am Mothering Sunday Service with Baptism. The friends and family of Charlie Poulain were welcomed to the church to celebrate Charlie’s baptism. Linda Whitaker read from Matthew and also led the Intercessions with the help of Maddison Poulain. The Rev Keith Griffin spoke of the special relationship between a mother and a child and the many cords of love and human kindness between our own families – through this God makes his relationship with us. Joyce Knight and Alison Kitch served refreshments after the service.

Holme Valley Civic Society welcomed Edmund Spavin of Holmfirth Camera Club to its March meeting to present another audio-visual show based on his photography. Furness Abbey in Cumbria, founded in 1127 AD by Savignac monks and soon to become a Cistercian monastery, featured in the first film sequence. A tour of the extensive red sandstone ruin of what had become one of the richest abbeys in England by the time of Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries in the late 1530s was accompanied by a modern piece of music based on Handel’s Sarabande. Blaenavon in South Wales was the subject of another film. The once thriving ironworks with its furnaces, water balance tower and workers’ cottages now lies silent and the Big Pit nearby, where coal for the inronworks was dug, has become a colliery museum. Elgar’s Sospiro accompanied photographs taken on a walk around Ullswater and, still in the Lake District, a cello piece by Faure provided musical accompaniment to a wide variety of views from both the valleys and the fells from where climbers were rewarded with a grandstand view of Langdale Pikes. Holme Valley Through The Seasons was very familiar. Using photographs chosen to appear in the camera club’s calendars in recent years, Mr Spavin transported his audience from Holme down to Honley in every season of the year. He was thanked by committee member Brian Hinchliffe forn the quality of phtographs and his choice of music. The next meeting of the Civic Society will take place at 7.30pm on Tuesday April 16 in Holmfirth Civic Hall when Trevor Moody’s talk will be In The Footsteps Of The Brontes.

Holmfirth Christian Centre's praise and worship was led by Elyjoy and the team. Ian Sharland read from Deuteronomy and Pastor Ian Gooch spoke on Lessons for Life, speaking on honour and respect and how the church needs to be the example that the world can follow in honouring one another, authority figures and God. As it was Mothers Day, he then honoured the ladies by leading prayers for them. Becky Gooch led the children's group, Explorers, talking to them about their mums and practicing songs and dance routines for Sunday. The children decorated buns and gave them out to all ladies in the church. Wednesday was ‘power house prayer’ evening, when Paul Jackson led praise and worship. Individual groups organised prayers, with smaller groups praying for each other before tea and coffee were served.

The Mothering Sunday morning service at Holmfirth Methodist Church was led by the Rev Charlotte Lorimer asisted by the Junior Church staff. The congregation, including children and young people, were asked to see how many words they could make from the two words Mothering Sunday. Communion was shared during the service and flowers were given by the childen and young people to their mothers, and then flowers were given to everyone in the congregation. After the service coffee and biscuits were served.