Sunday School

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Grant for new Friends group

The new Friends of Heptonstall Chapel and Sunday School has received a grant of £3,000 towards a feasibility study of conversion of the Sunday School from Calderdale Council, plus a further £1,000 from Heptonstall Parish Council.

Although this is not sufficient for a full feasibility study, it is a very good starting point towards the kind of level of detail that would be required for a large Heritage Lottery Grant application. A full study would cost about £6,000, and the group is looking at additional sources of funding.

The Friends group will be spending part of this money on financial projections for a holiday let on the lower floor and public hall upstairs in the Sunday School, and on architect’s sketches for creating this with disabled access to both floors. When these are available they will be made public for comment.

The Friends group is also looking at ways of forging stronger links between the Chapel and community. To this end, with the Church Council’s support, three local textile artists will display their work as part of the Hebden Bridge Open Studios event in July.If the Chapel renovations are not completed by then, they will use the Sunday School.

The group is also hoping to organise a Gala production of an unusual version of Handel’s Messiah to be performed in the Chapel in Spring 2018.  This will incorporate Easter sections of the piece not often performed and use young local soloists for a brighter sound than the traditional Christmas version.

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Sunday School

St Thomas’ Church has a new Sunday School run by retired teacher Val Perry, who organised a successful crib service before Christmas.

Children aged four to 11 are welcome to attend the class, which starts at 9.15am. They hear stories and take part in activities at the back of the church, before joining the rest of the congregation for a blessing at the end of the service.

This week, the children heard about Jesus healing the lepers, then drew pictures about being thankful for our blessings.

The class will be held every Sunday except the first Sunday in each month, which is an all-age service suitable for children.

If anyone would like to get involved in helping to run the class, they are welcome to get in touch with vicar Howard Pask.

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Chapel newsletter including jokes

Mr Jones had recently become the father of triplets. The minister stopped him in the street to congratulate him.

“Well Mr Jones,” he said, “I hear the Lord has smiled on you.”

“Smiled on me!” repeated Mr Jones, “He laughed out loud.”

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Harassed woman to very deaf husband: “Oh I do wish you would wear your hearing aid!”

“But I do lass,” he replied, “I wear it many a time when I’m by myself.”

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And now to the news items:

Thanks for things past: the sponsored walk and tea in May raised £1,480, and the Sunday School Anniversary in June, led by Mrs Susan Watson and her puppets, raised £975. A coffee morning at the home of Mrs Jessie Breeze raised £150, of which half went to the Forget-me-not Trust, the rest being used for chapel funds. Many thanks to everyone who supported these events.

Looking ahead: The new Methodist minister, Mrs Christine Perry, will be leading the Chapel Anniversary and Gift Day on Sunday, 13 October, at 10.45am.

On Monday, 14 October, at 2.30pm, there will be a Ladies’ Evening in the Sunday School, with speaker Leah Coneron on her visit to China. Gifts for the stall should begin with E or F.

Sunday 10 November will be the Village Rememberance Service at the Methodist Chapel with superintendent minister Rev Alistair Newton.

Monday, 12 November, 2.30pm, Ladies Evening in the Sunday School. Gifts for the stall should being with G.

Saturday, 23 November, 11.30pm. Kick off the Christmas fun at the Fair in the Sunday School, many things for children, various stalls, lunch served from 12.30pm.

Sunday, 15 December, 3pm, Christingle Service at St Thomas’.

Sunday, 22 December, 10.45am, Nativity Service in the Methodist Chapel. Children from the village and school are invited to take part in this enjoyable event. We also need a baby to play Jesus – contact Margaret Coupe on 01422 842550 if you want to put your baby on the road to stardom.

Sunday 22 December 6.30pm, Village Carol Service at St Thomas.

Wednesday, 25 December, 9.30am, Joint Christmas Day Service at the Methodist Chapel.

Sunday, 5 January, 10.45am, Covenant Service at the Methodist Chapel.

Looking even further ahead: It is the chapel’s 250th birthday next year and we are hoping to have a number of events to celebrate this.