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 about all 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 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.
Reader Licensing Service Saturday 12th October in Chester Cathedral
Our newest reader, Diane Green, who transferred from the Diocese of Blackburn was officially admitted to the Diocese of Chester during this service.
Harvest 2024
Our family friendly, all age 2024 🌾Harvest Festival Service 🌾 was lovely. The church 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.
We have since received a letter of thanks from Wirral Foodbank for over 300 kgs of donated food and a cash donation. Many thanks everyone for their their contributions to our harvest appeal.
Wednesday 9th October Harvest Puppets for Toddlers
We were delighted to welcome local childminders and their charges to church. Diane and her puppet friends retold the story of creation for under 5s – our theme was saying thank you to God.
15th September 2024 Drone Video
Big thanks to Barry Brown from DroneBiz who took a lovely aerial video of our church and has allowed us to use it.
Heritage Weekend 7th & 8th September
Our heritage weekend involved delving into our parish history. For children, we had a treasure trail quiz with prizes. There were refreshments too, and lots of other activities.
A renovated black and white wattle and daub church by Peter Carson should visitors what the original St Mary’s would have looked like.
There was also a graveyard trail linked to the memorials and the windows in church.
6th September 2024 Parish Day Out
Valmai Bonnard organised a wonderful day out for our church and community to Blists Hill Victorian Town near Ironbridge. It is a great place with some fascinating exhibits and amazing industrial heritage. It was good to be together having fun.
1st September 2024 Back to School Service
On 1st September we held a special Back to School Service where we welcomed children and their families for lively service and we and prayed for our local schools and colleges as they start the new school year. Our theme was, “Be loved. Be kind. Be you.”
August 2024 – Art on Loan
John Elcock, an artist who works with the Williamson Art Gallery in Birkenhead, has loaned an art-work to St Mary’s for six weeks. The exhibit is a stone engraved with a phrase in Middle English which can be seen next to Yew Tree in the Graveyard.
4th August 2024 – Guest Choir
On Sunday 4th August St Mary’s Church welcomed an excellent guest chamber choir, for special services of Holy Communion and Evensong. Singers from Ellesmere Port Music Society and members of Saint Mary’s Church Choir and friends combined under the baton of Malcolm Perry to bring sublime sacred sounds to both of our Sunday services and enhance our worship with some heavenly harmonies.
We also welcomed a talented guest organist, Stephen Hargreaves for evensong. Big thanks to Malcolm for organising the events and running the rehearsals.
Our New Noticeboard – July 2024
We are delighted to have a new and up-to-date noticeboard with the strap-line Ancient Jewel Living Church which is such a great way to describe St Mary’s.
July 2024 Millfields C of E Primary School Leavers’ Service
Nikki Matthews, Rev’d Beth and Paddington Bear led a service of prayer and worship for year six leavers as they embarked on their journey to secondary school. Year six pupils were presented with youth Bibles.
Saturday 1st June Eastham Seaside Picnic in Torr Park .
This event was a lovely celebration of community, culture and creativity, organised by Eastham Churches and sponsored by Wirral Borough Council . It was a great day with a seaside theme.
Easter 2024
On Thursday 4th April we held a Free Easter Egg Hunt in church
We welcomed around 200 children and their families for our popular Easter Egg hunt. Children had fun searching for eggs and had the chance to enjoy some lovely refreshments. Every child took away a goodie bag which included a chocolate egg and Easter activities.
Easter Decorations 2024
There were beautiful flower arrangements and displays both inside and outside our church as we celebrated the resurrection of the saviour.
Holy Week 2024
Holy Week 2024 has involved movement, music, reflection, prayer, craft and creativity as we have explored the theme of God’s healing touch and journeyed with Jesus towards the cross.
On Maundy Thursday the church was stripped of the church of all its ‘trappings’ to reflect on Jesus’ isolation as he faced the cross.
Our Good Friday many children helped to create Easter ornaments for our willow tree and adults added feathers to the tree of life below as we reflected on Christ’s healing love for us shown at the cross.
School Visits Easter 2024
Both Millfields C of E Primary School and Heygarth Primary School visited St Mary’s for their Easter services. The children learned about the real story of Easter and Freddie, The Easter Bunny, was evicted from the story!
Puppets and Palm Crosses
On 20th March 2024, 19 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.
Children’s Afternoon on the theme of Love Wednesday 21st February ❤️💒
Games, singing🎶, drama🎭, stories📕, craft, film🎥 cakes🍰 drinks 🧃and goodies to take home were enjoyed by over 40 children and their families who joined us for this lively special event.
