St Michael and All Angels Houghton-le-Spring

We were delighted to welcome the Bishop of Jarrow, The Rt Revd Mark Bryant as our celebrant and preacher on Ash Wednesday.  The Bishop reminded us in his sermon that “We are but dust and to dust we shall return” and therefore to take ourselves a little less seriously.  The Ash Wednesday Eucharist is a beautiful, moving and solemn service and this year’s was enhanced by some wonderful organ playing, by George Peebles.  It was a special night to remember. Not least because, as well as leading our worship Bishop Mark came to license Peter Stannard as an Associate Minister.

Peter has been with us since last Easter on attachment, but Wednesday saw him become “legal and above board” as Bishop Mark described it!  It was a great pleasure to welcome Peter, formally, to St Michael’s Houghton, even though he has already become a valued member of the clergy team.

Dear Friends

The Rector’s letter for January is always written before Christmas, so it is in the February Signpost that I can tell you about some of the exciting events taking place at St Michael’s in 2012.  Don’t forget to put them in your diary now!

The first weekend in March sees our second Bernard Gilpin weekend. On Saturday 3 March we will be holding a Fun Day in Church discovering more about Bernard Gilpin and life in Tudor England. The day will include cookery demonstrations, story telling, music,  dance and thinks to make.

The day will end with a special concert of music and readings organised by the Royal School of Church Music to celebrate Bernard Gilpin.

On Sunday 4 March we welcome the Vicar of Kentmere (Gilpin’s home parish in Cumbria) as our guest preacher at our Bernard Gilpin Service, this will be followed by lunch in the Kepier Hall.

On Passion Sunday 25 March at 6pm the Choir and soloists will be singing exerts from Handel’s Messiah.  If you fancy having a go at singing this well known piece of music, please speak to George Peebles or check the Weekly Sheets for rehearsal details. Everyone is welcome to come and sing!

Good Friday 6 April brings one of our most exciting events this year: The Houghton le Spring Passion.  This is a musical adaption of the Stations of the Cross by Stuart Clappison and Andy Slater, which will be familiar to many of you as it is usually performed in Church most Good Fridays. But this year we are going BIG and performing it out of doors up at The Old Cemetery at 11am.  This performance will include performers from Zazz Drama academy, Houghton Kepier School, St Michael’s Easington Lane and from St Michael’s Houghton.  We hope that this will be an exciting opportunity to share the Passion story with the people of the area in an accessible and innovative way.  This will be a free event and no tickets will be needed, just come along and walk with Christ on his last journey.
We are looking for lots of volunteers to be involved with the production including driving the mini bus shuttle (to get people up to the Old Cemetery), stewards, prop team, technical team and publicity team.  So if you would like to be involved please contact me 584 3487 as soon as possible. I hope everyone will want to contribute in some way.

On Saturday 12 May the RSCM will be holding its annual Festival at Hexham Abbey so we are proposing to have a coach trip to Hexham finishing with enjoying the Festival Service in the Abbey. It will be a lovely opportunity to enjoy Hexham and support our choir as they sing at the Festival.

The first weekend in June is the main celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and we shall be joining in with a Special Service on Sunday 3 June followed by a 1950’s style Garden Party including traditional games for young and old.

On Saturday 7 July we will be having a Parish Pilgrimage to Lindisfarne. We will go by coach up to Holy Island when you can either walk across the sands to the island or continue by coach, followed by a Eucharist and free time, returning home via fish and chips in Seahouses.  Book early to avoid disappointment.

I am delighted to tell you that the preacher on Houghton Feast Sunday will be the new Bishop of Durham The Rt Rev Justin Welby.  Details nearer the time.

Other regular events will be going on as usual, please keep an eye on the Signpost and Weekly Sheets.

On a less exciting but. No less important note we will be having work done to replace the boiler and improve the heating in church.  We are still at the planning stage and will keep you informed of developments.  As I write this the cost is likely to be around £40,000 with some coming from reserves, the Boiler Fund and fundraising.

Helping you to keep an eye on all that is happening at St Michael’s will be our new website which we hope will “go live” in February.  We are keeping the same address www.stmichaels-hls.org.uk but will have a new look.  Our old site badly needed up dating so we enter a new year with a new look.  My thanks to Dave Fulton for all his hard work with the old site.  All articles, photos etc for the new website should be sent to the Parish Office or to me.

So 2012 is going to be another busy year at St Michael’s!  I believe our desire to engage with the community, proclaim the faith in ways new and old and have fun are signs of a vibrant and witnessing church.

May God bless us in all that we do in His Name in 2012.

The Rector

Once again we are celebrating the life of our most famous Rector Bernard Gilpin by having a weekend of special events.

Saturday 3 March.

10.30-2pm Exploring the Tudors: A Family Fun Day in Church including Tudor cookery, music, story telling and things to make and do.

5pm The Music of Gilpin’s Time. A free concert of music and readings given by The Royal School of Church Music.

Sunday 4 March

10am Bernard Gilpin Service in Church

12.15pm Gilpin Lunch in the Kepier Hall.  Tickets £5 from Next 900 Team or Church Office 512 1769

Dear Friends

Hope for 2012

‘For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’ (Isaiah 9:6)

As the start of this New Year we are all aware of the uncertainties, which we face, especially in terms of our finances, jobs and economic prospects. We have to face the big questions of life: what shall I do?; who can help me?; who cares for me? and what do I say?

The familiar words of the prophet Isaiah, were also given by God in a time of political and economic uncertainty. The Assyrians had just conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, fulfilling Isaiah’s warnings to the people, who had turned their back on God and his ways. However, Isaiah also brings a word of hope, ‘The people walking in darkness have seen a great light’ . For Isaiah, it felt as if the future had already arrived! However, after 700 years the promised child was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus Christ. For us, facing a New Year, he continues to be an answer to both our needs and questions:

Wonderful Counsellor: he will give us the wisdom we need, when we have difficult decisions to make at work or home, or in dealing with our finances or future direction.

Mighty God: he will provide the help and strength to face the difficult diagnosis, the family crisis or relationships breakdown, as we trust his plan and purpose for our lives.

Everlasting Father: he cares for us as a father cares for his children, so we can come to him when we feel alone or we are really struggling, knowing that he hears and will answer our prayers.

Prince of Peace: he has secured peace by his cross and resurrection, and so we can find in him true acceptance, forgiveness and peace for our lives, relationships and future.

Therefore at the start of 2012, may ‘our joy be increased’ as for the people in Isaiah’s day. For only Christ can truly turn our sorrow into joy and save us from the vicious spiral of sin and death. Whatever the mess and mistakes we have made over the past year, he can deal with them. With him both our present and future are secure. This is no pipe-dream, for ‘the zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.’

With every good wish for a peaceful and Happy New Year

Canon Sue Pinnington