The Two Valleys Team

Services and Events

Thursday 9th - 9.30am Holy Communion at St. Mary’s, Crosthwaite
                      2.00-3.00pm Light Touch Bible Study at the Vicarage,
                      Crosthwaite. Looking at Mark 1:29-45... anyone is welcome.
                      4.00pm Crosthwaite Church Choir practice

Saturday 11th February at St Martin's Church, Bowness on Windermere ‘Reviewing Your Visitor Welcome'. This course encourages participants to think about the welcome their church gives to tourists, visitors and pilgrims, and offers practical advice and examples of good practice to improve your visitor welcome. This course is led by Joanna Booth, English Heritage and has been well received by past participants. To book your place, please phone 07501 469373.
For a long time we have been meaning to begin a monthly Prayer Meeting when we can gather together for a short time to pray and to make time to pray for our parishes; for all the things that happen in our parishes. We are mindful of the words of Christ himself who tells us that “when two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”. Our first meeting will be at 2.00pm on Tuesday 14th February in the Vicarage, Crosthwaite. This Prayer Meeting is open to members of all the village parishes in the Two Valleys team and our desire is to pray for each parish, not just one.  During the summer months we may meet in different churches in rotation, but in the warmth of someone’s home during the winter. Do make a note of this date today.

Thursday 16th February Space and Silence Day for Lent ….time for reflection and prayer at Rydal Hall. Cameron Butland will lead a day at Rydal Hall on the writing of the Desert Fathers on prayer in preparation for the season of Lent.  It will include two short talks, time so of prayer and structured silence, as well as the option of a simple Eucharist at midday.  The day is the first in a series of four days throughout the year reflecting the Christian seasons.  They offer individuals a brief oasis of space in busy lives to reflect upon the spiritual life and to pray in the peace and beauty of Rydal. The day will commence with coffee at 9.30am and
conclude with tea at 4.00pm. The cost per person, including a simple lunch and refreshments, is £20.00. For further information and bookings please contact Rydal Hall, Tel: 015394 32050  Email: mail@rydalhall.org

EASTER LILIES in Crosthwaite church
In recent years we have invited parishioners to make a donation for an Easter Lily in church in memory of specific loved ones who are no longer with us on earth. Eileen Alston has kindly overseen this task for a long time, but now wishes to hand this on to someone else. Is there someone who would be willing to be the coordinator who would collect the donations and type up the List of Names in whose memory the Easter Lilies in church have been given? If so, we need to know from you AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. If no-one comes forward then the suggestion is that we are happy to purchase Easter Lilies if we still receive general donations to cover costs, but that we will no longer have a List of Names on display from this year. 
Please get in contact with Eileen Alston a.s.a.p. (015395 68565) if you are offering to help take this particular task on. If we do not hear from anyone, then we will revert to this simpler option of having some lilies in church, but with no published names. We are extremely grateful to Eileen Alston, Vonnie Sharp and Rodney Sale who have ministered in this way over many years.

‘Awake to God’ Retrieving  the  mystical life today - Led by Canon Melvyn Matthews Saturday April  21st St Thomas’ Church    Kendal 10am – 3.30 pm
Melvyn Matthews  is a leading author on spirituality in Britain today. He writes..  ‘The mystical way has largely been lost as an option within the mainstream life of the Church. We have turned the focus of our attention away from the immense reality of God. We have settled, perhaps, for something rather more comfortable..’
Melvyn shows that our ancient spiritual tradition is for all believers and one in which they will find themselves awakened to a greater realization of the presence of God within them. Cost £10 Please bring your own lunch. Drinks provided on arrival and for lunch. Booking: Please reply to help us know numbers to Chris Wood:    :  or   28 Helme Drive  Kendal  Cumbria  LA9 7JB

Services next Sunday (12th February): 
9.30am Cartmel Fell    Holy Communion (BCP)           Rev. Michael Woodcock
9.30am Helsington      Holy Communion (CW)           Rev. Tim Harmer                                  
9.30am Witherslack     Family Service                       Rev. Michelle Woodcock
9.30am Underbarrow   Holy Communion (CW)          Rev. Bob Dew           
10.00am Crook           Morning Worship                  Rev. B. Crowe & Mr. R. Bradby
11.00am Winster        Holy Communion (BCP)          Rev. Tim Harmer 
11.00am Crosthwaite  Holy Communion (CW)           Rev. Michael Woodcock

Lent Course for 2012
... to help us mature in our faith... something a bit different...

This year we have a slightly different style of Lent course on offer. We propose to hold simultaneous events on Tuesdays in four different churches in the Two Valleys through Lent. Each week will cover a different theme and at each church there will be on offer a different style of approach to each theme (loosely based on the book of Habakkuk). The first session begins on Tuesday 28th February with the theme of “Confusion ” and the whole course will continue on the subsequent five Tuesdays 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th March, 3rd April. The session at Helsington will be at 1.30pm each week to gain maximum use of the daylight, the remaining three sessions will all be held simultaneously at 7.30pm in the evening.  Here is the outline for the course with a description of the different approaches to be followed in each church.

• Tuesday 28th February       Theme “Confusion ” (Habakkuk 1:1-11)

1.30-3.00pm St. John’s, Helsington:...visual and practical response inspired by our natural surroundings.
7.30-9.00pm St. Anthony’s, Cartmel Fell:...a quiet, reflective exploration ending with Compline.
7.30-9.00pm St. Catherine’s, Crook:....a more Word-based approach.
7.30-9.00pm St. Mary’s, Crosthwaite:....creative worship; writing psalms and liturgy.

....and in subsequent weeks the same churches will explore these themes:

• Tuesday 6th March              “Lament”     (Habakkuk 1:12-17)
• Tuesday 13th March            “Listening”  (Habakkuk 2:1-4)
• Tuesday 20th March            “Silence”      (Habakkuk 2:5-20)
• Tuesday 27th March            “Praise”        (Habakkuk 3:1-19)
• Tuesday 3rd April  7.30pm  A final gathering together of everyone in Crosthwaite.

You will get most out of the course if you choose a different venue each week for the first four Tuesdays and then perhaps your favourite style again on the fifth Tuesday. (The final session at 7.30pm on Tuesday 3rd April will be for everyone to gather together for a concluding session in St. Mary’s, Crosthwaite).

This will mean that everyone has a chance to explore different approaches as the course unfolds. (However, if only one or two styles really appeal to you, we would rather you came to those ones each week than not enjoy the Course at all).  Being mostly in the evenings, we are conscious that many of you do not like driving in the dark, so we hope that there will be lots of car-sharing going on and every encouragement so that no-one need be left out.

A great deal of work and preparation goes into courses such as these so we do hope that you will enjoy supporting them as we take a little time to learn and grow together, seeking a greater maturity of faith.

Description of differing approaches in each Lent Course venue

At St. John’s, Helsington
At the Helsington location we will focus on a visual and practical response to the weekly theme from Habakkuk inspired by our natural surroundings and this could take the form of a collage, a painting, a sketch, a 3D display utilising natural materials, flower display, or according to the individual’s inclinations - i.e. song, dance etc. Within the session there will be a broad structure of:
- Welcome & Opening Prayer
- Reading from Habakkuk
- Response
- Reflection
- Discussion
- Creative Activity – as individuals or in groups.
- Closing act of worship & Refreshments

At St. Anthony’s, Cartmel Fell
This will take the form of a quieter, more reflective approach to each theme. We may begin with some refreshments and then gently move into a time of exploring the week’s theme through initial discussion, then guided meditation, time for quiet prayer and reflection and ending with the service of Compline.

At St Catherine’s, Crook
After beginning with coffee, we will examine the reading from Habakkuk and draw out the particular weekly theme in brief sections of teaching, interspersed with discussion of what generates similar reactions in ourselves in our world today, and whether it is appropriate for us to respond to them like Habakkuk. We will each have the opportunity to respond to the teaching and discussion, which may be drawn together with a simple liturgy to offer our responses to God in worship.

At St. Mary’s, Crosthwaite

At St. Mary’s, Crosthwaite we will be using liturgy, psalms and worship as the focus for our response to the weekly theme from Habakkuk. There will be a practical element to the sessions and we will aim to create some of our own psalms and liturgy together. You don’t need to be at all musical or creative as there will be lots of practical help on hand! If you are musical and play an instrument then feel free to bring it with you when you attend this session if you would like to. The overall structure of each session will be similar to that taking place at St. John’s, Helsington.

“We seek to enrich the lives of our neighbours by embracing God
both individually and together.”

Prayer for Healing and Wholeness is always available if you ask one of the ministers
at the end of a service, or simply contact us during the week
and ask us to come and pray for you.

These eight parishes are part of an evolving and experimental team of Parishes known provisionally as the Two Valleys Team. We consist of St. Anthony’s, Cartmel Fell; St. Catherine’s, Crook; St. Mary’s, Crosthwaite; St. John’s, Helsington; St. Thomas’s, Kendal; All Saints, Underbarrow; Holy Trinity, Winster; and St. Paul’s, Witherslack.

Clergy team:

Revs. Michael and Michelle Woodcock 015395 68276 
Rev. Tim Harmer 015395 68865 
Canon Tim Montgomery 015397 30683
Rev. Brian Crowe 015395 68959
Rev. Matt Allen 07739465073