Reports from the Activity Groups

Our core values are fundamental to the health and growth of the church. They are the focus of what we seek in both Cell Groups and all church activities.

All Involved
God gives gifts to every person to be used in the service of others and for building up the church.

Becoming Disciples
We are always becoming and developing our full potential - we need to be open to God’s word and spirit - encouraging one another to grow into the likeness of Christ.

Creating Community
Jesus commands us to love - this must be worked out in practice on a day to day basis - Cell Groups are the training ground for love.

Doing Evangelism
Jesus told us to GO and make disciples of all people. Our focus must be outward on mission not just inward on maintenance. Our concern is for others not just ourselves.

Encountering God
We are committed to providing opportunities for everyone to encounter God especially through Sunday worship, Cell Groups and Training Courses. We value prayer and recognise unless God builds the house we labour in vain.

Worship

“Worship lies at the heart of what and who we are as Christians: it shows God to us and us to God”. We have begun to consider our worship at our 9 am and 6.30 pm services and will soon be thinking about our 11 am service. As we seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness (Mt 6:33), worship connects us with the God who through Jesus transforms us and the world. How can we best honour God in our worship and allow it to transform us as individuals and as a community? Any suggestions welcome………!
Jan Matthews

Growth & Care

Cell Groups
Cell Groups give people an opportunity to get to know God and each other at a deeper level. Cell groups have developed their own identity using a variety of materials and approaches. With the formation of the Shared Ministry Team towards the end of 2007, I have taken on responsibility for co-ordinating this area of the church’s life. A key challenge is how to help cells become more effective in modelling the cell values:
• All involved
• Becoming disciples
• Creating community
• Doing evangelism
• Encountering God
Steve Matthews

Prayer Ministry/Healing & Wholeness
When Linda and I started working with the prayer ministry team, our vision was that every person coming into St. Luke’s would feel welcomed, accepted, loved and significant. Those who had need of healing, whether physical, emotional, mental or spiritual would have an opportunity to receive specific prayer. God did not teach healing, he taught the Kingdom of God, and healing flows from that, as he directs. It has been exciting and encouraging to see the way in which God works in people’s lives, often progressively, and systematically unravelling the complexities of our lives, but sometimes instantly bringing release where someone might have been bound for 50 or more years. Prayer is offered after every service with the laying on of hands for healing and wholeness once a month at each service and private prayer appointments through the week for deeper needs. We believe that to heal the sick we need the authority and the power of God that comes to us from Jesus through the Holy Spirit, and unless we deal with issues in our own lives, then we will not be effective channels for God to use. There is an opportunity to do this on the current healing course which covers eight sessions. The group members will then join the prayer ministry team.
There are so many different ways to pray and I would like to thank those who take the prayer diary each month. The object of the diary is to encourage daily prayer for all aspects of our church life—children, youth, cell groups, women’s groups, leadership, mission etc. The prayer of agreement is very powerful and it’s good to all be praying about the same things each day. There is nothing that can prevent us from praying and I would again like to thank those members of St Luke’s who are housebound and although might not be able to be physically with us, we are one in the spirit.
Shirley Wallin

Visiting and Bereavement Care
Visiting those who are ill, bereaved or housebound is a very practical way of sharing our Christian faith with others. We do not need to say anything but just “showing up” at someone’s door and being prepared to listen to them is telling them we care. We still have people who seem to “slip through the net”, so if you know of anyone who needs a visit please could you let me or the office know. Visits are always well received and our thanks go to those people who can take time to do this valuable work. If you find that you have some time available to help us please have a word with me. Please would you also let us know if there has been a family bereavement in which the church has not been involved. This enables us to include you when we send cards and invitations to the Memorial Service at the appropriate time. Thank you to everyone who has visited someone this year.
Barbara Chambers

Children’s Groups
Pram Club (0—3 yrs) Nicky Fell & Bev Seel
Scramblers (pre-school) Nicky Fell & Bev Seel
Climbers (5—7 yrs) Sylvia Brown & Bev Gilroy
Explorers (7—10 yrs) Sue Kenyon, Dianne Kerr, Kim Sonne & Julie Roberts
God Squad (10—13 yrs) Paul & Jane Fell
Over the past year the children have thoroughly enjoyed experiencing God’s love through songs, stories, games, drama, crafts, quizzes, Bible readings and prayer. The pram club have been busy raising funds for Claire House and Alder Hospital through summer sales and raffle, and a Christmas raffle, raising the fantastic sum of £360. They have planted seeds in the church grounds and have enjoyed seeing them grow throughout the year. The Rev Collette Thornborough from St Nicholas’ Church joined them for four weeks, including Christmas. She also helped welcome families, offered friendship and fun and added a little bit of church on a Tuesday.
The Scramblers and their carers continue to enjoy meeting on a Sunday morning, and have an average 6 children attending. They share news in their own very popular ‘Good News Spot’ which allows them to support and encourage each other in their daily lives. They have also had the much appreciated help of Colin Watts, who has been striving towards his Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
The Climbers leaders have been focussed on teaching children to be aware of each others needs and that God knows all that goes on in their lives. They aim to encourage the children to want to know and learn more about Jesus and His love for them. The numbers attending have averaged 6—8 children. They would like to offer a big thank you to Matthew Thompson who has helped throughout the year and has now returned to the TAG group. They are looking forward to welcoming Colin Watts who is continuing his work for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
Over the past year, the Explorers have had the opportunity to share God’s love with each other on the first and third Sunday each month. They have enjoyed meeting and learning together in a very informal and relaxed atmosphere including the ever popular family picnic.
The God Squad (formerly Pathfinders) has had a great year averaging around 13 young people per week and sometimes as many as 18.
Paul is thrilled to have been joined by his wife, Jane, and continues to receive help from Donna and older teenagers from TAG. The name change was the overwhelming result of a vote by the group. They spend some of their time watching videos that raise children’s issues, and follow on in discussion relating the issues to the Bible, which encourages them to think about their faith.
Throughout 2008 all the children’s groups will be working hard to attain the ‘Child Friendly Church Award’ which will be a great achievement. Finally, I would like to say thank you to the children’s leaders for all the commitment and dedication to their work. If you would like to be a part of this wonderful ministry, in whatever way you can, please speak to any of the leaders mentioned above or to myself.
Ali Dobson, Children’s Co-ordinator

Mothers Union
We have a total of 18 members of which 3 have just been enrolled as full members. Unfortunately we lost two of our oldest serving members they passed away during 2007, both sadly missed. We had some very interesting speakers during the year, and excellent outing to the Lake District. We hope to celebrate another good year during 2008.
Audrey Hull, Branch Leader

Mission

Rainbows, Brownies and Guides
All our Rainbows, Brownies and Guides worked hard last year to enjoy a varied and adventurous programme supported by their leaders to whom many thanks are due. This included discovering more about God’s world and creativity, about other countries and their foods and cultures, about helping others by the many badges that they do an raising money for those less fortunate than themselves. They also enjoyed many days out and weekends away learning new things and having new experiences whilst also having fun and making new friends. Please do ask our Rainbow, Brownie and Guide leaders what they do and encourage them in their work. Thanks to all the leaders for all their hard work and their commitment week by week it is appreciated.
Barbara Chambers

St Luke’s Players ADS
St Luke’s Players is an amateur drama group staging an annual pantomime in January/February with the aim of entertaining an audience of varying ages, raising money for charities and providing the opportunity for drama, dance and music within a Christian environment. Although our core members are parishioners of St. Luke’s Church, as part of our outreach we welcome newcomers from further a field.
This year the group performed their interpretation of Babes in the Wood in front of approximately 1100 people over six performances. The royal children were saved from the evil Sheriff of Nottingham by Robin Hood and his band of merry ‘men in tights’. But, not before the Sheriff pulled off the coup of the year be getting the Spicey Girls to appear as guests at his wedding ceremony. Or so he thought!
Once again we were blessed with young students whose enthusiasm blended well with the experience of older members. Along with our excellent dancers and support staff the group produced a show enjoyed by the audience, raising £4000 divided between our chosen charities, SWACA and Cancer Research UK (in memory of David Winsor)
Graeme Kenyon, Secretary

World Mission

It has been another busy year for World Mission, which has seen the departure of YMCA and the addition of SWACA (Sefton Women and Children’s Aid). We welcomed its link person Pam Stubbs; Audrey Hull retired as link for The Children’s Society, replaced by Mary Porter.
On 24th February World Mission was highlighted with special prayers in all three services and this is something to build on next year. Included was news from SAMS that Alejandro and Doris Mesco would be moving into newly-built San Felipe Mission Centre. In Malawi the dedication of Liz and Malcolm Molyneux continued to be supported through prayers, fund-raising and gifts. CMS has bid farewell to the Kimbers and St Luke’s has adopted Father Simeon as our new link partner in Romania.
Many World Mission events were well attended, proving the congregation’s support and willingness to participate in the work we do—an example was the Salsa night for Toybox.
The PCC has allocated World Mission a £2,000 annual budget which is being used to support visits by and to our link partners in order for further cement understanding, friendship and bonds of our linked communities.
Karen Hignett

Evangelism

Breathing Places—Church Grounds Project
Highlights from 2007
• Pupils from St Luke’s and Crosby High, and friends from Mencap, planting shrubs along the boundaries of the graveyard in January.
• Making bird boxes and planting a butterfly garden in March.
• Hearing we had received nearly £10,000 Lottery funding in May.
• ‘Every time I see those flowers, they bring a smile to my face’ - just one of many positive comments.
• Sefton Council nurseries providing bedding plants and bulbs—a continuing partnership towards Crosby in Bloom.
• Harvest weekend at the end of September—planting a wildflower meadow and 4,000 bulbs and a Sunday service on the theme of climate change.
• Winning the £1,000 Unilever Dragonfly Award as ‘best new environmental volunteers’.
The late Rob Frost said: ‘People will take the Gospel seriously when Christians take the environment seriously’. In 2007 we’ve already begun to see how the way we look after the grounds is able to communicate God’s love.
Steve Matthews

Knitting Group
The Knitting Group has grown from strength to strength and we seem to be known far and wide from the amount of wool we are given, for which we are always grateful. We have a number of regular knitters who turn up every Friday afternoon and also quite a lot of ‘out’ knitters who work from home. We appreciate each and every item which is knitted. We regularly share our faith with the group in our conversations and our need for prayer and the answers we receive. We have great fellowship and refreshments. Last year we knitted items for the Christmas Shoe Box Appeal, knitted red squares towards the Children’s Society successful attempt to knit the biggest Christmas Stocking and knitted many hats, scarves and mitts for the seafarers. Pupils from Year 3 also joined us to learn to knit. If you would like to come and join us on a Friday between 1.15 and 3.15 pm in the Webster Room you will be most welcome.
Barbara Chambers

St Luke’s Church Hall
The church hall continues to be a hive of social activity with both regular and occasional users. Ann Somers can always be relied upon to check for anything in need of repair and the cleanliness of the hall and often sorts the problem out herself. Thank you to Ann and the maintenance team.
Sue Kenyon

St Luke's Halsall School

It has been a very busy but successful year for the school. In September, school was inspected by OFSTED and the DIOCESE and found to be outstanding in all areas which is a great testimony to the pupils, staff and parents. Much of our success is down to our Christian ethos which values everyone in St. Luke’s for their unique qualities. We value our links to the PCC and other organisations attached to St. Luke’s church such as the Knitting Club.
We continue to be oversubscribed in Nursery and Reception and a number of pupils have joined us mid year due to our impressive reputation, one family coming from South Africa.
We are looking forward too. The new Nursery, Reception and year 1 classes will be completed in July and the infant department will be completely transformed. In September 2008 we celebrate 250 years since our school was founded and we will be holding a large number of events to make such a momentous occasion. All parishioners of St. Luke’s will be very welcome and these events will be advertised through the Church bulletin and the school website.
Sue Kerwin

Deanery Synod

Sefton Deanery Synod met three times in 2007 for a presentation on St Michael’s High School, a bible study and a talk on assisted suicide. The Synod also received reports from its members on General Synod, Diocesan Synod and various diocesan committees and boards. It also asked parishes to discuss the future of the deanery. The first meeting in 2008 was a presentation on Lambeth and the Anglican Communion.
Peter Owen

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
1 Corinthians 12 : 27

this page was last modified on 11 April 2008