Groups and ministries
Community groups in the parish
Our Community Ministries
In the Old Testament, God told the prophet Jeremiah to “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you” (Jeremiah 29: 7, English Standard Version). God loves people. He’s interested in their lives and he cares about them passionately; and because of that, he commands his followers to do all they can to demonstrate God’s love to the community in which they live, in action and not just in word. So in Kirkheaton Parish, we have a number of ministries that seek to bless and improve the lives of people across all ages, but particularly the youngest and oldest in our parish. Below are descriptions and photos of our community ministries:
Tea at 2:30
Tea at 2:30 meets every Thursday from 2.30pm to 4.30pm at Kirkheaton Parish Church. It provides an opportunity for anyone to come into church, have a cup of tea or coffee (and usually a slice of cake!), and enjoy a chat or simply a look around church. Dogs are also welcome and water is of course provided for them!
Lunch Club
Lunch Club is a group of retired people and senior citizens who meet between 12 noon and 2.15pm on the third Thursday of every month for a cooked lunch, enjoyable company and good conversation. All are welcome to join the group (the cost of the lunch is £5), and it may be possible to arrange transport to the group and home again if you need it. If you’re interested in coming, please ring the Parish Office on 01484 531449.
Care & Nursing Home Team
We a have team that visit our local Care Home Tolson Grange on the first Tuesday of each month. We sing some hymns and chat with residents. Some residents join a Communion Service or receive Holy Communion in their rooms from time to time.
Walking Group
The Walking Group meets every Thursday afternoon at 1:30 at the Parish Centre opposite the Church. The group walks for about and hour and a half (about 3 miles) then back to the Church for Tea@2:30 to enjoy a cuppa cake and more chat. The group is very sociable and is suitable for most walkers – we wait for slower walkers if necessary. For more info contact Cathy Howarth the Parish Administrator on 01484 531449.
Firm Roots Cancer Support
FFirm Roots offers a warm welcome and prayerful support to anyone whose life has been touched by cancer. You may be living with cancer, having treatment, adjusting to life after cancer, supporting someone close to you, grieving someone who has died, or working in cancer care. Whatever your connection, you are welcome.The group offers a safe, supportive place to talk, listen and be alongside others who understand something of the impact of cancer. You are welcome to share your experiences, hopes, concerns or fears, but there is never any pressure to speak—you can share as much or as little as feels right for you. Everything shared within the group is treated as confidential.
Each session starts informally with tea, coffee, cake and time to chat. We then share a short talk or reflection on a different theme each month, such as peace or living with fear.
We meet on the first Thursday of every month, from 6.30pm to 8pm, at Kirkheaton Parish Centre on Church Lane. Firm Roots is a Christian-based group; everyone is welcome, whether you follow a different faith or have no faith.
We also keep a monthly prayer list for people affected by cancer. If you would like us to pray for you, please email firmrootskirkheaton@yahoo.com. You are also welcome to ask for someone else to be included, provided you have their permission. We use first names only.
The Bell-Ringing Team
Bell-ringing attracts people of all ages and backgrounds from both within and beyond the church membership. It uniquely combines physical and mental skills and exercise, membership of a small friendly team, and being part of a special piece of cultural heritage. To become a bell-ringer calls for patience and application rather than physical strength, large amounts of time or expense.
The ringing of the bells has long been a distinctive part of Kirkheaton Parish Church’s life, witness and worship, and its relationship with the local community. The present eight bells were installed in the 1980s, replacing a much older peal now in use elsewhere. They are rung as a call-to-worship for Sunday services, as well as a weekly practice night, and for weddings and other special occasions.
Bell-ringing has much to offer to anyone drawn to exploring its special stimulus and attractiveness. We do need a small number of people interested in learning to ring, as our team has only just enough numbers at present, and expressions of interest, however tentative, would be very welcome. If you’d like to give bell-ringing a try, please call the Parish Office on 01484 531449.
The Social Team
Kirkheaton Parish has a social team that meets every couple of months to plan social and community events throughout the year. These include annual events such as the bonfire and fireworks display every November and the Christmas Tree festival in December. The church is also open each year in September as part of the National Heritage week.Other events include Quiz nights and ‘Meals on the Move’ which is an event where people visit each other’s houses to share a meal.
Kintsugi Hope – Finding Treasure in Life Scars
Each week a different topic is covered in detail with lots of great information shared. Topics include Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Shame, Perfectionism and Forgiveness and the small group discussions allow attendees to listen to other peoples’ opinions and experiences. The group provides a safe place to share and learn together with a lot of practical suggestions for self-help and a booklet to make notes in that had lots of information in already.
Kirkheaton Church is a partner to the Kintsugi Hope charity and this means we will be running courses for church and non-church people to attend. If you are interested, please contact our Parish Office and put your name down, it is such a practical and helpful course. Keeping mentally well is just as important as keeping physically well for all of us and we would love to have as many people as possible attend in the coming months and years.