A joyful occasion with the BISHOP OF BOLTON: HARVEST SERVICE/PARADE/185 CELEBRATION/PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION

How brilliant it was to welcome the Bishop of Bolton, the Right Reverend Dr. Matthew Porter,  for our SPECIAL PARISH 185 CELEBRATION + JOINT HARVEST FAMILY SERVICE & PARADE at Christ Church Walmsley On Sunday 6 October.
The church was full and the atmosphere joyful, with the uniformed organisations processing their flags during the first hymn …and harvest gifts for Urban Outreach Bolton brought up to the altar.
The prayers were read beautifully by members of Brownies and Cubs  …and the children’s percussion accompaniment during the second hymn was impressive!!
🙏🏼🎶🎉
Fellowship was enjoyed after the service with conversation flowing over cuppas and cake …
Special thanks to Bishop Matthew for leading the service this morning and for dedicating the stunning new ‘185 banner’, designed and created by members of our congregation.
And thank you to everyone who came along to be part of the service, or who contributed in any way to such a wonderful act of worship.
❤️🥰
   
         
Our church looked beautiful with her autumnal floral arrangements ready for our HARVEST SUNDAY. Thank you to our amazing flower arranging team: Edna W, Jo W, Wendy B, Anne McC, Marlene H & Zoe P. Everywhere looked stunning!!
🥰🙏🏼❤️ 🤩

   

The entries received for the photography competition were so very professional; real skill was shown in capturing some amazing scenes and wildlife. Thank you to everyone who entered, and thank you to Ken Holt for organising this to highlight the amazing beauty and diverse ecology we have across the Turton Moorland Team.

FOOTNOTE FROM DAWN HITCHEN (Parish Website editor, Parish Social media sharer, Parish E-news creator/editor + Authorised Pastoral Lay Minister):
I’d just like to take this opportunity to say a very BIG THANK YOU to everyone who was able to be part of – or help in any way for/at – our joint Harvest Family Service & Parade with celebration of our 185 anniversary, including blessing and installation of the beautiful new banner.
It was a truly joyful and uplifting service, and so good to have the Bishop of Bolton with us; what a lovely, cheery man is the Right Reverend Dr. Matthew Porter, who introduced himself to EVERYone as he walked into church. It was wonderful to see so many friends from both congregations worshipping together.
And so lovely to have a ‘joint music worship group’ of River of Life; thank you.
Extra thanks to Ken H for adding to the ‘specialness’ of the occasion: the photos on display from the competition were stunning – so professional – and it was good to talk to some of the photographers about them !! They would grace any wall in our homes!
And the designs received from entrants for the 185 banner were so beautifully executed by Joanne Clark-Coote; absolutely incredible!!!
Well done, Sacristan Derek Bailey, for your deftness in hanging the new banner so quickly! Derek also featured on Matthew Porter’s private post, holding the 175 ‘history’ of our church.
Of course, not forgetting the fabulous FLOWER TEAM for all the floral arrangements throughout church – just wow!! You are amazing!!
A final thank you to Gemma Gardiner, Communications Officer for Manchester Diocesan for taking some lovely photos of the occasion; so glad you worship at Christ Church!!! It would have been a shame not to have some pics…
And to Joanne Brockbank, who sent some fab photos of the parade and percussion!
Write-ups on our Walmsley Parish Facebook page have been ‘liked’  and ‘shared’, including by Manchester Diocese and also posted by Bishop Matthew Porter himself on Twitter / X.
Love and blessings
Dawn x