Holy Trinity Stalybridge

Some of you may have noticed that the website has changed slightly. You can now listen to the weekly sermons straight from our website and even listen to the latest sermon straight from the home page; as well as see the latest news sheet.

These changes have been possible because quite a lot of the background to the website structure has been updated. This makes it possible for those of us who work on the website to make changes much easier and quicker. It will also allow us to add new features in the future.

One of the other outcomes of this change is that those of you who have subscribed through iTunes or other podcast programmes to receive the sermons automatically as they are added to the website will have to re-subscribe. Please now use the following address: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=388607809 or just click on the iTunes image above.

We hope you like the changes but if you would like to make any comments then please just email the office at admin@holytrinity.stalybridge.org or talk to Matthew Laver.

This last week was New Wine 2010 North and East and around 16 of us from the church went along for the week. It was a great time of meeting with God, living together with thousands of other christians and generally having a good time.

There was a packed timetable with something for everyone almost all the time including evening concerts, entertainment, and some amazing groups and activities for the children. Most evenings were then finished off by sitting together with a warming drink and chatting into the night.

It was a fantastic time and we would encourage everyone to come next year.

Here is a short slideshow to give you a flavour of the week:

If there’s one thing Dads like, it’s breakfast. And we’re not talking your gluten-free, wheatgerm-on-rye, ooooh-that’s-enough-banana-for-me stuff either. We’re talking proper breakfast. The sort that fills you up all day. Ideally, the sort that could fill your entire family up for the day.

And if you combine this with a nice place to eat it, a splash of healthy fresh orange washed down by gallons of freshly ground coffee and your morning paper of choice, how could you possibly get your morning off to a better start?

The answer came in the shape of our Father’s Day service 2010. Before the church service proper, Dads including yours truly were invited over to the St. Matthews building (nice place: tick) to eat large quantities of Full English Breakfast (food: tick) over coffee and a paper (essential luxuries: tick). But the food was lovingly made – and washed up – by the fantastic kitchen team - and brought to the table by none other than our own children!

Quite what carrot/stick arrangements were in place to cajole said children into doing this I don’t know – but it did take a special morning and sprinkle some extra magic onto it.

Thanks to all who cooked, washed, served – and got the papers – from all the Dads who attended. Fantastic day!

Heads up for the dads: Best not forget 03 April 2011 – Mother’s Day!

Bank Holiday Monday 31 May 2010 saw another successful Stalybridge Splash event, organised by Tameside Council. The annual Splash event really adds a bit of life into our town centre: a funfair, fast food, street entertainers and thousands of people filling the streets. It’s a great atmosphere – a real community feeling.

Holy Trinity Stalybridge added their particular bit of sparkle to the event this year by having a fun open day at church, and opening up the St. Matthews building round the corner to provide rest and refreshments for event officials. We opened the entire Splash event by ringing our bells.

The open day kicked off to a great start outside with performances by the Hope Tameside Gospel choir. Inside, crafts for kids, a fully waited cafe and our puppet show kept the crowds in fine spirits.

Splash 2010 News Report from Holy Trinity Stalybridge on Vimeo.

What struck me most about the day was the fun and the work. All the events were very well received, and, as ever, it was a pleasure to be serving our community. But the sheer behind the scenes effort to make the open day run smoothly is amazing. Baking buns, staffing and stocking the cafe, rehearsing puppets, recording choir backing tracks, running the projection systems, recording the welcome video, turning the church round into a theatre/cafe and putting it back together again, preparing slideshows … and of course – clearing this lot up! Dozens of volunteers not only worked selflessly on the day, but in the weeks before to make sure the event was top quality for all who visited.

I was impressed on the day; but it’s even more impressive to see such a fantastic behind-the-scenes team work so well together.

See you at next year’s Splash – and don’t forget – make sure you book a visit to Trinity’s Open Door in your iPhone calendar!

see the welcome video featuring our very own Charlie and Heather! http://vimeo.com/12142303

We are really excited about the upcoming Jazz night at Holy Trinity. It looks like it’s going to be a fantastic night and the perfect thing to invite a friend to.

See the advert below for more info.

To find out more about the Wellspring music group visit their website.

Next Sunday, the 20th June, we are putting on a special treat for fathers. Have a look at this flyer to find out more.

Go on, did you get them all right?

If you caught our Valentine’s Day special service you’ll know just what we’re talking about: the slideshow of wedding day photos past and present where Tom said there would be a prize if anybody could identify all the couples. Some people haven’t changed a bit over the years … but it’s the rest of us that proved to be the stumbling blocks.

A big thank you to all our vistors who called by, and to all the church teams who made the day so special: building decorating, media, wedding cake making (yes, really), music, and the people who patiently made up all those fab little bags of heart shaped chocolates. It was a great day – and hopefully brought back those fond memories for those of you who were married at Holy Trinity.

If you sent a wedding picture, here’s your chance to see yourself again in our slideshow.

All you need is … from Holy Trinity Stalybridge on Vimeo.

You can find out what people first thought of when asked ‘love is…’ here http://www.vimeo.com/9364534

Also, if you sent paper copies of your wedding photos, and still haven’t had them back, please call in at the church office and ask Cris.

Hope to see you at our next special for Mother’s Day – Sunday 14th March.

If you haven’t done so recently please check out our PicasaWeb Gallery as there are three more albums from recent events.

From Simply Christmas

Due to popular demand (!), here is the not-entirely-camera-shy crowd of Holy Trinity reading Luke 2:1-20 in their own inimitable way. See your name flash by in the end credits; better still, see your friends in the blooper reel 

Christmas Reading 2009 from Holy Trinity Stalybridge on Vimeo.

Do feel free to email or Facebook a link to this story to all your friends and work colleagues!

The mad rush to Christmas is already underway again and it’s so easy to get lost in the stampede. So we’d like to invite you to take some time out, to relax and chill, and to get back to the heart of what it’s all about.

Come and have a simple soup and fresh baked roll in the church lounge at lunchtime for just £1.00, sit and relax and, if you’d like to afterwards, take a stroll around the displays in church which will remind you of the simple Christmas story. There will also be a short meditation at 12.45pm each day. It will refresh your soul.

Church open …

Tuesday to Saturday 15th to 19th December 9.30am – 2.00pm

Tuesday to Thursday 15th and 17th December 7.00pm – 9.00pm

Soup and roll served …

Tuesday to Saturday 15th to 19th December 12noon – 2.00pm

Even More

Further to this we also have:

Carol service (with Gospel Choir) - Sunday 13th Dec 6.30pm

Nativity From Scratch for all the family, where adults and children come dressed up as characters from the Christmas Story - Sunday 20th Dec 10.30am

Midnight Communion - Thursday 24th Dec 11.30pm

Christmas Family Service - Friday 25th Dec 10.30am

So with so much going on we can’t wait to see you!