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Mothers' Union 

 

Mothers’ Union is a global Christian movement working with people of all faiths and none to develop communities, strengthen families and advocate for change. Why not put your faith into action by joining us as we work together for a better world?

January 2025 News

Dear Members,
 
I hope you all had a good, peaceful and joyful Christmas.
 
We now find ourselves at the beginning of a New Year, a year which I hope will see us continue to support, work for, and enjoy being part of the World Wide MU as the 'Branch' here at St. James, Silsden.
 
Our first opportunity to continue this support presents itself on the 10th January at 4pm when we will gather together for the MU Wave of Prayer which connects us, and reminds us, that we are part of something much bigger than our small 'Branch' here as we pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world. Please do come along if it is at all possible for you to attend - 3.50pm for a 4.00pm start.
 
Our first Monthly Meeting is on the 16th January at 7.30pm: This will be our AGM and Faith Supper. May I remind you that Annual Subs will be due at this meeting and should be in before the end of January. NO INCREASE IN SUBS SO ONLY £33 to pay (by cash to Deborah; by cheque payable to
 
Our February Meeting is on the 17th February at 3.45pm (Afternoon Meeting). We hope to see as many of you as possible as we once again try out these afternoon meetings on alternate months.
 
A day NOT to forget, get it in your diaries NOW, is our 'VALENTINE' COFFEE MORNING on the 15th FEBRUARY - more about that at the AGM in January.
 
We are working hard to put a programme together to hand out to all members a.s.a.p. Please bear with us if we don't have it ready for the AGM.
 
A BIG THANK YOU to all our members, and A BIG THANK YOU to the wonderful congregation here at St. James, who supported our hats, scarves and gloves collection for the 'Homeless not Helpless' Charity. BRILLIANT!
 
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
 
Love and Prayers to all
 
Rev. Pat and the M.U. Committee

 

 


 

 

Glenys
Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello 

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

We meet at the Church Building (details here) for our Sunday Services with one at 9:30am and another at 11:00am.  When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team who will be wearing a Welcome lanyard.

We serve tea, coffee and biscuits in the hall between the services.  It is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to find your bearings. We ask for a small contribution towards the refreshments. If you are coming to the 11.00 service, refreshments will be available from about 10.15 onwards.

The first Sunday in the month we hold a "Gathering" service. This is an informal service held in the Church Hall. It is preceded by a light breakfast at 9.15, and then the service begins at 10am. Following this is a short spoken Holy Communion Service in the church to which you are welcome to stay.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access through the Community Hall, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There is a disabled toilet at the back of church as well as in the hall.

Our Services

The 9.30 service is a formal Holy Communion led by a visiting cleric or Rev Bob, or Rev Pat. The service is projected on screens, and hymns accompanied by Chris, our organist. The service lasts about 50 minutes. The service is also streamed. It is uploaded to Youtube.

The 11.00 service is a less formal gathering and will be different every week. Music is provided by videos on the screen, or by our small worship group. There will be readings, a talk, sometimes there is congregational participation. We try to have members of the congregation involved as much as possible. The services are put together by various lay people or groups of people - for example one of the home groups.

The first Sunday in the month we hold a cafe-style service - The Gathering. We meet in the hall at 9.15 for breakfast, and then start an informal service at 10 am, sat around the same tables, which ends just before 11.00. This is then followed by a short spoken Communion Service held in the church. You are welcome to come to just The Gathering, just the Communion, or both!

At the end of all services we share news and notices, usually about what’s going on in the life of the church.at  - plus at The Gathering,  a Birthday slot with chocolate for the birthday person!

images: Services

What about my kids?

Unfortunately at the moment we do not have enough children attending the services to make Children's Work during the service viable, although we would love this to change.
We have a child-friendly area with a box of toys and activities available. There are also bags for younger children containing a toy, some crayons and paper, and a couple of books.
Childrens area

Pizza Praise is a new initiative (January 2024) on a Sunday at 4pm. A time of singing, games and stories aimed at families primarily with children aged 5-8

 

Getting Connected


Small Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have several groups that meet throughout the week. Check out Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team. 

Other Ministries
Get in touch with us to plan your visit
If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.
 
Name:
Telephone:
Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.
 

Leadership 

We are in a period of Vacancy at present - the churchwardens Neil Whitaker and Jayne Robinson are in charge.
 
We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.