Dear friends,

As I write this, I am remembering the Pie, Pea & and Quiz evening we just had in church. The excitement, joy, and activity of Christmas seems a distant memory during the cold days and dark nights of January & February. I had the feeling that something was needed to lift our spirits and the Pie & Peas Supper was born!

What could be more comforting than hot Pies, Peas, (for those who like them!) and jacket potatoes smothered in butter? - To forget the calories and come together for good food, good company, and lots of laughter? To make it even better, we had a musical quiz created & hosted by Jonathan & Becky to get everyone thinking and sharing ideas!

Meals are one of the pleasures of life, time shared with friends and family, and this started me thinking - I often regret that there is so little information about Jesus and his daily life before he began his ministry. However, when he and his disciples began to travel together, there must have been many occasions when they would have sat together at the end of the day and shared a meal, talking, laughing, exchanging ideas, experiences, and generally having a relaxing time after a hard day. What a contrast to the last meal he shared with his disciples on Maundy Thursday - no laughter, just difficult ideas of betrayal and death, his friends fearful and disbelieving. The introduction of a new meal of bread and wine to be shared in Remembrance, a meal we share today with Gratitude and Joy in its promise.

But even that isn’t the last mealm, because Jesus cooked breakfast for his friends by the Sea of Galilee after his Resurrection, and we can only imagine what laughter and celebration there must have been by the lakeside that morning! So, friends, I pray that you continue to enjoy meals with friends and family but also remember the promise in the meal Jesus gave on that fateful Thursday night.

With every blessing,
Brenda

What’s On This Week
Sunday 3rd March
9:15am - Holy Communion
11am - All-Age Communion
1-3pm - Intro to Communion Course

Monday 4th March
9:30am-12pm - Bumblekids in The Barn
6:30pm - Pilates in The Barn

Tuesday 5th March
11am-2pm - T.A.G in The Barn
6:30-8pm - Lent Course - ‘Moving On’ in The Barn

Wednesday 6th March
3:30-5pm - Youth Drop-In
6:45-8:45pm - Calverley Choir Practice in The Barn

Thursday 7th March
6:15-8:45pm - Belly Dancing Classes in the Barn

Friday 8th March
9-11:30am - Coffee Shop

Moving On Course
As the follow up to the Start Course, The “Moving On” Course will run through Lent in the Barn, beginning on Tuesday 20th February at 6:30-8pm.
If you enjoyed the Start Course, you might find this particularly useful, but the course describes itself as “perfect for people who want to grow in their relationship with God, going deeper into prayer and the Bible. In fact, it’s for anyone who just wants to move on!”. Please contact [email protected] if would like to join this.

Introduction to Communion Course
If are over 7 and you would like to start taking Holy Communion we're running a short course over two sessions on Sunday 3rd & 17th March from 1-3pm in Church to explore what Holy Communion is all about. Please contact [email protected] and [email protected] if you have any questions or would like to attend.

Go Deeper – Live! 24th March 6:30-8pm
During the next Go Deeper Live evening service we'll be welcoming Rev’d Jo Jones - Deputy Head of Chaplaincy at NHS Leeds Teaching Hospitals.
Jo will be speaking about her work as a chaplain, her calling, and her faith in Jesus. Do come along and hear what she has to say – bring a friend!

Pet Service
On Sunday 21st April we'll be hosting a Pet Service! Please contact [email protected] if you would like to help with this.

Wine Tasting Event
There will be a special Wine Tasting Evening on Friday 26th April, with food and a variety of wines to sample. Tickets will be available shortly.

Choral Evensong for Eastertide
On Sunday 28th April at 6:30pm we'll be holding a special service of Choral Evensong in Eastertide, with beautiful hymns and refreshments available afterwards. Come along and invite any friends or family who might appreciate the reflective and anticipatory atmosphere of a traditional service.

Bradford North Foodbank
A Message from Franco Biancardo - Bradford North Foodbank Manager:
Dear all,
The year has only just begun and sadly we have again seen an increase in the number of referrals for food parcels to our foodbank than all the previous.
I have been reflecting on Lent, and on the privilege it is to be able to choose to give up something from a place of sufficiency and plenty.
It’s this ‘choice’ I keep returning to as so many people, supported every day in your food banks, are facing impossible decisions about which essential items they must do without to make ends meet. And wrestling with what that means for their families, for their health, for their wellbeing.
So, as we all give something up at this time, I would also like to ask you to also give something back to those who are less fortunate than ourselves and have nothing to give up as they have already been deprived of so much.
I know so many of you already do so much and for this we are extremely grateful. Please visit our website here to view all the ways anyone can help.
Thank You for your continued and additional support.
God bless you and keep you,
Franco

Time & Talents 2024
Over the next few weeks, we'll be looking at how we can offer our Time and Talents to God and the church. If you feel you have something to offer, please print and complete our Time & Talent 2024 form online here.
Is there are something you would like to do at St. Wilfrid’s to support the life of the Church? Such as helping make worship work by being on one of the rotas for reading or intercessions? Helping with our Young people at Messy Church or Youth Drop In? Making the Church community work by serving on the PCC or by inviting folk to church? Being part of what we do to offer pastoral care by visiting people at home or giving them a lift to church? Or by just praying for others. What is God inviting you to join in doing? Where will you find Joy?
You don’t have to sign up forever! If you would like to try something, just do it for a short while, or just occasionally, that’s also fine!
We will be offering our Time & Talents to God (and handing the forms in!) over the next three weeks.
Please click here to download, print, and complete the form.

ChurchSuite
Here at Calverley Parish Church we use a secure online database called ChurchSuite to safely store your contact details instead of paper copies. If you haven’t yet provided your information to us via ChurchSuite, it makes it very hard for us to get in touch with you, so please do sign up!
We’ll also be looking to use ChurchSuite to manage rotas in the future.
It will make organising and managing serving rotas far easier for all.
It has the ability to send reminders, allow for easier swapping, and gives visibility of any gaps that need filling. Anyone who regularly supports on a ministry or serving team, please consider signing up to ChurchSuite if not done so already. For more information and to sign up, please click here, and help us be the strong connected community we're called to be.

Weekly Family News Introductory Pieces
Do you have something you’d like to share? How you came to God?
An experience that might interest others? Something about the history of Calverley and its relationship with St. Wilfrid’s that might not be common knowledge? Your own history and relationship with St. Wilfrid’s?
We’re looking to build up a library of articles that could be used as the introductory piece for our weekly Family News Newsletter Email.
It doesn’t have to be a long piece, just something you’d like to share.
If you have a piece in mind that would fit a particular week, please let us know and we can save it for then. All you need to do is put the words together, give it a title, and if you have a suitable picture to go with it you'd like to share send us that too or we will find something appropriate to complement your words. Please send your submissions including Title & Picture to the [email protected]

Job Vacancies – Leeds Diocese
There are currently several vacancies within the Diocese that we have been asked to share:
- School Adviser: Leadership (Primary)
- Receptionist
Please contact Sara lo Polito ([email protected]) with any questions.

The Patronage Scheme
What is the Patronage Scheme? It's an opportunity for everybody in Calverley Parish and beyond to help St. Wilfrid’s Church serve the community of Calverley. Our church is an important and beautiful landmark which holds a great deal of the history of our Parish. St. Wilfrid’s has always been at the heart of the community, there for Family Occasions, Baptisms, Weddings, and Funerals, as well as Coffee Shop, Beer Festivals, Concerts and Christmas Carols. Your patronage will support the practical, ongoing costs of running and maintaining this beautiful building – preserving St. Wilfrid’s Church for future generations. Our Church costs an average of £105 per day to heat and maintain. There are also occasional larger repairs beyond these day-to-day expenses. You can choose a particular date, special to you, to support the running costs of St. Wilfrid’s. In ‘sponsoring’ that date your donation will help to cover the costs for your special day. If you would like to buy the same date every year, that would be fantastic! Please click here to access the Patronage Scheme form online.

Generosity
If you would like to give to the work and ministry of our church, which includes missional giving such as Parish Share, please do get in touch with Margaret Roundhill ([email protected]) to talk about The Parish Giving Scheme, a wonderfully simple and tax efficient way to donate regularly, or see the link at the bottom of this email.
Yours with gratitude, Rob.

Please send any items to be included in our Weekly Family Newsletter to:
[email protected]

The work & ministry of Calverley Parish Church is supported by the generous giving of the community, and we receive no outside funding.
You can make a donation or sign up to regular giving, including Gift Aid, via our Parish Giving page online here.
Thank You for your support.