Harvest Festivals 2025
Our family friendly, all age 2025 🌾Harvest Festival Service 🌾 was lovely. St Mary’s was specially decorated and looking good! Uniformed organisations joined us as we said thank you to God.
As well as giving thanks to God for all we have, we were also thinking of those who don’t have enough and there was a collection of food for Wirral Food Bank at both St Mary’s and St Peter’s Churches.
Schools’ Harvest Celebrations 2025
In early October, Rev’d Beth, Nikki Matthews and Diane Green were invited to talk to children and parents about harvest in Heygarth Primary School.
We’ve also had children from Millfields School coming to St Mary’s for their harvest celebration, as well as having a special tots and childminders’ harvest event with puppets and Paddington Bear. Rev’d Beth has also had the opportunity to share the message of harvest with children at Brookhurst School.
7th October 5th Bebbington Beavers’ Harvest Visit
We were delighted to welcome 5th Bebbington Beavers who were learning that harvest is all about caring and sharing. Rev’d Beth, Paddington Bear, the puppets and crafts were all features of the evening, as well as general beavering about, and a chance to try new vegetables and consume cake!
Thanks to the Beavers’ parents and carers for their contributions to the food bank and thanks to volunteer leaders and helpers for bringing the brilliant, boisterous Beavers to St Mary’s
Organ Demonstration 4th & 11th October 10.00 am to 12 noon.
Malcolm Perry, the organist of St Mary’s, gave free organ demonstrations and learning opportunities to encourage others to learn to play what Mozart called, “the king of instruments.”
Those present enjoyed a demonstration of the workings of our pipe organ and had chance to “have a go.” The events were organised in response to 2025 being designated as the year of the organ.
25th September Coffee Morning ☕️ 🧁🍰in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support at the Church Centre (The Chapel of the Holy Spirit in Eastham Rake)
Nikki Matthews, one of our pastoral workers, organised this successful event. There were delicious home-made cakes 🧁🍰to eat and to buy as well as tea 🫖 and coffee☕️. Over £400 was raised at the coffee morning.
Nikki has also been baking for church folk and others for all of September. Over £1,100 in total will be sent to the charity. Big thanks to everyone who has generously supported this fundraiser.
Heritage Weekend 12th – 14th September
As part of the Wirral History and Heritage Association weekend, St Mary’s Church was open for this special event which celebrated the history and the heritage of our beautiful, ancient church.
It was lovely to welcome many interested visitors: some had family associations with the church; some had been married St Mary’s; some had associations with the old church school and others were just interested in our church which has been a central part of Eastham’s community for so long.
Thanks to our Church Warden, Sue Abraham, all who co-ordinated the event and to all who helped to welcome visitors.
Sunday 31st August Back to School Service 📚✏️
We had a busy, informal service aimed at children and families marking the occasion of children going back to school and starting new classes in 2025. The service included a story, craft, worship and lively praise.
We were thinking about sharing God’s love.
Friday 22nd August 🌳 Children’s Creation Celebration
To celebrate God’s beautiful creation, St Mary’s Church team of family workers arranged a wonderful event in Eastham Woods for children and families.
Local families booked slots through Eventbrite and children took part in activities, including: a scavenger hunt🔍, face painting, bark rubbing , leaf rubbing🍁☘️, making bird 🐦feeders and 🦔hedgehog craft.
For the last hour ‘A – Z Zoo’ presented a wonderful range of animals for children and families to see and enjoy. There were goodie bags to take home with Christian activities and crafts.
A jolly good time was had by all!
Saturday 16th August 🙏World Peace Day Prayer Event🙏
In the week when our nation and our community remembered VJ Day and the end of the Second World War, St Mary’s focused on prayers for world peace. 🕊️
There were prayers for peace on the screen and contemplative music. Focal points were set up in the Stanley Chapel and coloured ribbons (representing world flags) were tied to the yew tree railings outside.
Colouring and craft activities related to peace were available, including a Japanese origami activity, making crane birds with paper. (Cranes are a Japanese symbol of peace.)
People dropped in to pray and look around the church.
Sunday 3rd August
Choral Communion and Choral Evensong with Guest Choir. 🎵 Led by Malcolm Perry, our guest chamber choir and guest organist, Glyn Mon Hughes, featured in these very special services.
Singers from Ellesmere Port Music Society, St Mary’s Church Choir and friends treated us to some high quality choral music as part of our worship. Many thanks to our guest musicians and to Malcolm for making these services so special.
17th July 2025 Millfields C of E Primary School Leavers’ Service
Rev’d Beth led a service of prayer and worship for Millfields Year Six leavers as they embarked on their journey towards secondary school.
Rev’d Beth shared her special memories and pupils were invited to share their own memorable moments.
All Year Six pupils were all presented with special ‘Youth Bibles.’
Sunday 6th July
Choral Evensong: Our accomplished church choir were joined by some friends for this lovely, traditional service of Evensong. We were delighted that our young choristers took a full part in the service too.
Rev’d Beth Glover led the service which was dedicated to the people in the Parish Circle of Prayer.
30th June Beavers’ Visit
The 12th Bebbington Beavers visited St Mary’s Church and the church yard on 30th June as they were working on their Explorers Badge. Rev’d Beth and Chris shared lots of fascinating facts about the graveyard. Beavers tied prayer ribbons on the railings and learned about prayers for peace. They also found out about the oldest graves, the old yew tree and lots more!
12th June Ascension and Pentecost for Tots
On 12th June 2025, a group of toddlers and their childminders came to St Mary’s. They saw a puppet show with music all about Ascension and Pentecost. Rev’d Beth had helium balloons for them and there were bubbles too!
8th June – The Big Sing 🎵
We had a lovely evening service for Pentecost and Music Sunday, led by St Mary’s Church Choir and friends, and featuring our talented organist, Malcolm Perry.
Gail Davies, our choir leader, organised and led the event. There were poems and lots of our favourite hymns as well as delicious refreshments.
School Visit 3rd June
We were delighted to welcome children from Year 2 of Heygarth Primary School to learn about church.
They learned about Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals with Vicar Beth.
The children loved looking around church with our treasure hunt/ bingo sheets and they had a chance to hear our church organ being played.
Rev’d Beth was delighted to receive, thank you letters afterwards from the children – a selection of them are below.
Wirral South Deanery Synod Open Meeting 7.00 pm Wednesday 28th May 2025 Eco Church and Net Zero ♻️
Members of our parish attended this meeting for people from local churches, which explored the ongoing challenge we face with issues related to the environment .
Reasons for churches to be involved in environmental projects are outlined in the video below.
There is also an organisation called “Arocha” which helps and encourages churches to get involved in environmental projects and apply for eco-Church awards. Click on the “Arocha” link to find out more.
🇬🇧 Saturday 10th 10.00am – 3.00 pm May VE Day 80th Anniversary Celebrations 🎉🇬🇧
There was a community get together inside and outside St Mary’s Church with memories of the VE day and VJ Day celebrations in 1945.
Thanks to Tracey Fisher for her hard work in leading and organising the event.
Easter Decorations 2025
There were beautiful flower arrangements and displays both inside and outside our church to help us to celebrate the resurrection of the saviour
Easter Day 20th April 2025
We had a joyful and very busy celebration of the resurrection of our Lord on Easter Sunday with lots of lovely singing and choral music. The 🔔🔔 bells were ringing out before the service.
Good Friday 18th April 2025
On the afternoon of Good Friday, Rev’d Beth led a service of meditation considering the sounds of the crucifixion, and meditating on the love and forgiveness shown by Jesus in his final hours in his earthly body.
On the morning of Good Friday, we held a family service. Children and adults were invited to decorate crosses and pictures with buttons, as we thought about ways in which the love of Jesus, shown on the cross ✝️, draws us together.
Our big palm cross was also decorated with ribbons.
7.00 pm on Thursday 17th April Maundy Thursday
On Maundy Thursday, we had a solemn communion service with stripping of the altar to remind us of Jesus’ isolation on the night before his crucifixion.
7.00 pm Tuesday 15th April at St Peter’s Chapel Brookhurst Close
Rev’d Beth celebrated a special Holy Communion
During the service we remembered our bothers and sisters in Ukraine 🇺🇦.
7.00 pm Monday 14th April at St Mary’s Parish Church 🙏
Journeying with Jesus with food for the journey. A reflective service with a focus on Jesus for the beginning of Holy Week. The service included prayer stations with the themes of food, gardening and nature. It was a beautiful time of prayer and reflection.
Palm Sunday 13th April
We had a special morning communion service with a liturgy specific for Palm Sunday.
In the evening, there was a very moving service called Last Words of Love – A Passiontide Devotion.
The service was focused on Jesus’ seven last words from the cross with readings, prayers, and beautiful choral music. It also included extracts from the poem The Last Words by Michael Symmons Roberts, based on text messages sent from the doomed aircraft on 9/11. They were all words of love, last words of love that were to be a lasting legacy of hope for a hurting world.
Thursday 10th April Easter Egg Hunt 🐣✝️ – in St Mary’s Parish Church.
180 children and their families were welcomed into St Mary’s for an Easter Egg Hunt. Children moved around the church following clues and finding stickers. There was also an opportunity for children to complete Easter crafts.
All of the children went home with an Easter egg, an adult Bible society magazine about peoples’ Easter experiences and some Christian crafts.
There was fun laughter and bridge building in abundance. Thank you to everyone who organised and helped with this event. Comments from people who attended included “phenomenal” “sensational” “what a fabulous and deeply spiritual experience.” and “mind blowing”
School Visits Easter April 2025
Millfields C of E and Heygarth Primary Schools visited St Mary’s for their Easter services in the last week of their spring term. The pupils sang beautifully and joined in with prayers.
Vicar Beth told the real story of Easter and the Easter Bunny was evicted from the story until Easter Day!
The children also enjoyed drinks and hot cross buns and they all went home with a palm cross.
Puppets and Palm Crosses 2025
On 3rd April 2025, 25 toddlers and their childminders came to St Mary’s. They saw a puppet show with music all about the real Easter Story. Everyone left with a palm cross from our big palm cross in church.
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 19th January – 26th January
We began the week of prayer with a special joint service with other local churches in the Churches Together in Bromborough and Eastham (CTBE) ⛪️💒 ✝️ group. This group involves the local Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic and United Reformed Churches.
Snowy Day January 5th 2025
We are grateful to Rob Pitt for photos of St Mary’s in the snow
Christmastide Decorations at St Mary’s
Midnight Mass
There was a lovely late night service on 24th December
Cracking Crib Service on Christmas Eve.
Our very popular Crib Service featuring a real sheep 🐏; and a real donkey 🐴 and a real baby 👶 was very well attended. There was a chance for some of the children to dress up as characters from the nativity story. The church bells 🔔🔔 rang merrily as we left.
22nd December Nine Lessons and Carols
This beautiful traditional service retold the story of Christ’s birth with lessons and carols.
21st December – St Mary’s featured in the Diocese of Chester Advent Calendar
19th December Childminders and Tots Visited St Mary’s
Lots of tots came to hear the Christmas story!
Christingle
Our all age Christingle Communion service reminded us that Jesus is the light of the world.
Thursday 12th December – Squirrels Christingle
5th Bebbington Squirrels and their families were in St Mary’s Church for Christmas activities and carols. Rev’d Beth told them all about Christingles and they helped with decorating the outdoor Christmas tree afterwards.🌲🎄
Heygarth School held a busy and popular Christingle service. 🍊🕯
Friday 6th December: Christmas Carols by the church lychgate 🎵with the 🎺 Salvation Army.
This was a fabulous festive event. The Salvation Army Brass Band played and people sang with great enthusiasm. Children enjoyed adding baubles to the outdoor Christmas Tree. Afterwards, mulled wine and mince pies were served in church 😋🍷🥧
Advent Carol Service – 1st December
Our Advent Carol Service and Angel Festival was very well attended and the music was beautiful.
Sunday 1st December Advent Sunday 2024 Angels flew in 😇👼🏻
St Mary’s was decorated with angels everywhere and the Christmas tree 🌲 arrived.
1st December The Church Centre (Chapel of the Holy Spirit in Eastham Rake) was also adorned for Advent.
Remembrance Sunday 10th November 2024
Our church and the area outside were beautifully decorated as we remembered those who lost their lives in wars and prayed for peace.
On Remembrance Sunday 2024, there was a parade from the Sanctuary to the Church. The bells rang out as hundreds of people, including uniformed organisations, attended the church service. Others joined outdoors for the laying of wreaths and the Act of Remembrance.
Following the salute, the ATC led the parade back to The Sanctuary Military Veterans G.B. for a buffet.
Many young children and teenagers who are members of uniformed organisations attended the parade and the church service – their respectful conduct was exemplary and they were a credit to their leaders and parents.
Many thanks to Sgt Graeme Gibbons of the police force for his help in making the arrangements which allowed the service and parade to go ahead.
3rd November 6.00 pm All Souls’ Memorial Service at St Mary’s🕯
This special service was an opportunity for people to remember loved ones who have passed away, to pray, light a candle and receive God’s comfort.
31st October Light and Bright
35 children and their families were welcomed at St Mary’s for Light and Bright – our children’s event which was an alternative to Halloween 🎃, celebrating the light of Jesus ✝️ shining in us.
There were games, gifts and goody bags as well as crafts, creativity, music 🎶 and excellent refreshments 🍩! Thanks to all who came, and all who helped. It was a light 💡 and lovely afternoon .
Merseybeats October 2024
A musical event with lunch which was held in church for local musicians and their friends.