BROCKHOLES

Easter services at Brockholes Methodist Church began on Good Friday when the Rev Laura Hardy led worship. Mr Robert Booth was the organist. On Easter Sunday the Rev John Hardy led worship and administered the sacrament. The cross was transformed with spring flowers. The readers were John and Kath Gaukroger. The organ was played by Mr Keith Garside.

During Holt Week, St George's Church choir joined with that of St Mary's Church, Honley, for services on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. On Good Friday the Rev David Barnes led a service of meditation on the Stations of the Cross. Rosalind Watt assisted with the readings and Verena Wood was the pianist.

Parish communion for Easter was celebrated at St George's Church by the Rev David Barnes, who spoke about Change with the assistance of a group of young volunteers. John Roberts read the lesson. Roger Kenworthy was the server and Verena Wood played the organ. At the end of the service, the vicar thanked all who had decorated the church and gave Easter eggs to the children.

HEPWORTH

Visitors helped swell the congregation at Holy Trinity Church on Sunday morning for the Easter Day parish Eucharist. The service was led by the Rev Keith Griffin, the reader was Stella Southam and prayers were led by Lorraine Pollitt. The organist was Jane Robertson and, while the Rev Val Clarke gave the sermon, Mr Griffin took the children out into the churchyard for an Easter Egg Hunt. After the service, coffee was served and the children shared some of their Easter eggs with members of the congregation.

During the reading of the notices, the congregation were reminded about the Charity Coffee Morning next Wednesday April 14, being held in the village hall between 10am and noon. The chosen charity is Yorkshire Kidney Research and is being organised by Diane Lindley.

HOLMBRIDGE

Members of the Camera Club held a monochrome digital competition, which was won by Arlo Brophy.

During the week. Hilary's Keep Fit Class was held along with meetings of the Monkey Business club, Tumble Tots and the Free Lunch and Over 60s group. Holmbridge pre-school held an Easter Lunch in the parish hall. Midweek holy communion was led by the Rev Geoff Bamford when Ian Gold read the lessons.

Sunday parish Eucharist for Easter at St David's Church Holmbridge included the baptisms of Martha Puttick and Isabelle Turner. The service was led by the Rev Geoff Bamford and lessons were read by Ian Macdonald. The chalice was administered by Dorothy Parker and the crèche and junior church was led by Dale and Helen Woods. The organist was Jean Chadwick.

Evensong at St David's Church was conducted by the Rev Geoff Bamford when the pianist was Audrey Brook.

HOLMFIRTH

Easter Day was celebrated at Holy Trinity with 10.30am Parish Eucharist. The Rev Keith Griffin led the service and the Rev Val Clarke led the communion. Keith Griffin and Sue Winter assisted with the chalice. Keith led the intercessions and Carlton Tinsdeall read from Acts 10 v 34-43. Raymond and Susan Steel were sidesmen and Alan and Vicki Winpenny served coffee after the service. Noel Clark was the organist.

Good Friday Easter worship in Holmfirth Methodist Church took place at the foot of the cross and was led by the Rev Charlotte Lorimer. Bible readings told the story of the Passion of Christ and then the nails – the final Lent symbol – were hammered into the cross.

On Good Friday afternoon, members of the church joined others from the parish church and the Christian Fellowship on a walk of witness around Holmfirth, following the cross and stopping at several places in the town to sing, pray and hear verses of scripture. Scenes from the last days of Jesus’ earthly life were also enacted. Jesus washed the feet of his followers and broke and shared bread as at the Last Supper. Pilate symbolically washed his hands of Jesus’ death and Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume.

On Easter Sunday morning Barbara Rochester led a short period of praise and worship before the main service, led by the Rev Charlotte Lorimer. During the service all the symbols of Lent were removed from the cross and replaced by spring flowers brought by members of the congregation. Several Guides then enacted the story of the women going to Jesus’ tomb and finding it empty. Alison Denton, Shirley Backhouse and Jonathan Woodward were made members of the church and Alison was also baptised by the Rev Charlotte. The service ended with the Sacrament of Holy Communion and as the final hymn was sung, the cross was carried outside and placed in the church garden.

HONLEY

Easter services at St Mary's Church Honley included a celebration of holy Eucharist on the evening of Maundy Thursday, when the Rev David Barnes led the service. A joint open air service was held on Good Friday on the village green when members from St Mary's were joined by worshippers from Trinity and Elim churches.

A drama, One Week in Jerusalem, was performed in church by members of the congregation accompanied by the choirs of St Mary's and St George's churches.

A vigil service for Easter Eve was held on Saturday and on Easter Day family communion was celebrated by Dean Henry Stapleton. The address was given by the Rev David Barnes. Andrew Dean read the lesson and Diana and Huw Griffiths led intercessions. Music was provided by the choir and the music group. The organist was Vernon Briggs.

On Thursdays during Lent, the women of St Mary's and Trinity churches served soup lunches in the parish room. Proceeds from the lunches are going to the Honley Aid in Sickness charity.

MELTHAM

On Palm Sunday, Common Worship Sung Eucharist was held at St Bartholomew's Church. The Rev Maureen Read led the service and was the celebrant. The reading was by Sylvia Tancock. The gospel and sermon were replaced by a dramatised rendition of the Passion Story and featured several members of the congregation – the rest played the part of the crowd who demanded that Jesus be crucified. Refreshments were served afterwards in the church hall.

Throughout Holy Week, several special services took place across the parish, including a daily meditation, stations of the Cross, and a Taize service. On Wednesday evening, an Agape meal was served to the people by the clergy of the parish. The meal consisted of three courses and readings and songs were also sung. The meal ended with each person giving the bread and wine to each other.

On Good Friday, St Bartholomew’s choir and friends performed Olivet to Calvary along with soloists Raymond Ellis and Jonathan Wilby. The chorus contained 28 voices and Simon Ball accompanied on the organ.

Things got off to an early start on Easter Sunday with a Welcoming the Dawn service held at the Cock Crowing Stone at West Nab. Over 45 people from all the churches across Meltham attended this wonderful Easter dawn service which started at 5.45am and saw the transition from darkness to light. The service ended with the hearty singing of Jesus Christ is Risen Today - Alleluia! and with it, a beautiful sunrise. An Easter breakfast, consisting of bacon and sausage butties, was served back at the church hall afterwards. Easter Sung Eucharist then followed at St Bartholomew's led by the Rev John Radcliffe and the choir wore their new robes for the first time. The Rev Maureen blessed and dedicated them. The choir sang the anthem Out Of The Stillness and Easter eggs were given to all the children. A special Songs of Praise service was held in the evening featuring popular Easter hymns. The choir sang the spiritual I Got A Robe to mark the arrival of their new robes.

UPPERTHONG

The weekly prayer breakfast was held at the home of Sue and Graham Dawson.

Holy communion on Maundy Thursday at St John's Church Upperthong was led by the Rev Di Ellerton, who was also the celebrant. Hilary Broadbent was the reader and Les Hopkins led prayers. Val Shuttleworth assisted with the chalice and Philip Broadbent was the pianist. A Lent Lunch followed in the meeting room. In the evening a church service was led by the Rev Di Ellerton.

On Good Friday, a children's workshop was held culminating in a short service of worship. In the afternoon, a meditation on Jesus' last hour on the Cross took place.

On Easter Day, early communion was conducted by the Rev Di Ellerton, who also led family communion, when the readers were Rachel Haslam and Les Hopkins, who also led prayers. Philip Broadbent assisted with the chalice and the organist was Adam Greenhalgh. Coffee and simnel cake was served afterwards.

During Holy Week, St John's Church took part in the Upper Holme Valley Trail when the church's theme was I Am The Gate. A number of visitors looked at the display while the church was open.

WOOLDALE

The service for Easter Sunday at Wooldale Methodist Free Church was led by David Brooke, who gave the Easter reading about Jesus being raised from the grave . He gave an illustration of how the cries of ‘Crucify Him’ on Good Friday 2,000 years ago turned into the rejoicing of Easter Day. The organist was Robert Bray.