© 2013 Trinity United Reformed Church - Milton Grove, Wigan, WN1 2PG
Jesus’ Ministry & Teaching
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Love the Lord and follow his plan for your lives. Cling to him and serve him enthusiastically.” Joshua 22/5 Living
Our Church is a group of friends whose lives have been changed by meeting Jesus - Come along and make some new friends and discover Jesus for yourself. Jesus loves us all. He is Alive! Come and see.
Sunday morning family services, start at 10:45am. We are all together in church for the first part of our worship and then, any young people go to their room for their own activities. Parents of toddlers are welcome to go with them if they wish. Tea, coffee and squash are served after the services. You are very welcome.
Our Mission
We seek to offer and extend the love of God in Jesus Christ, spiritually, emotionally, supportively and caringly to all people and by doing so to make a positive difference to our neighbourhood and the wider world.
Daily Devotions - Want to spend a structured quiet time with the Lord each day?
The United Reformed Church has a helpful archive you can link to here.
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Recycled Goods Help save the planet
Are you planning a wedding or celebration and/or looking for a regular venue? Can we help?
"Our church building is registered for marriage services, both for marriages between a man and a woman and for marriages of same sex couples."
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WHAT IS THE GOOD NEWS? - We need now more than ever to return to our loving merciful God, to Jesus! Please watch the slide show below:
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Happy 10th Anniversary to Our Minister, Chris! WELCOME BACK AS THE CHURCH OPENS
Many restrictions lifted after 19th July - Letter to the Congregation July 2021
Volunteers needed to Serve drinks after Sunday Services
News FROM OUR SAFEGUARDING OFFICER Little Fishes Play and Picnic 9 August 2021
The Second Marathon - Rev Chris Parker Youth Club Thank You to Chris & Gill
Family Worker News 'Ta Dah' List - From Ruth
Thank You from Commitment for Life Messy Church - From Trish What Will 2021 Bring? - By Judith
Cross Stitch - From Isabel Are we Alone in the Universe? The Christ of Prophecy
Favourite Lockdown Activities - From Gill & Chris My Journey by Herdy the Herdwick
The Second Wave Challenges, Courage & Kindness - From Trish
Newsletter - From Rev Chris Parker Notice Board Stepping Out Webinar ~ Youth Work - From Ruth
How God Has Changed - From ‘Wigan Bred’ by David Lythgoe PANTOMIME - Announcement
Project Hope - From Trish The Day The Birds Sang Who in the URC is hijacking Commitment for Life?
Neighbourhood Watch - By Chris Mangham Lockdown in Wiganese Lockdown Musings - From Judith
Does God Exist? - Professor John Lennox Let’s Celebrate: Children and Young People in the URC
Prayer Partner The Building is Empty But The Church Is Alive Endangered Species
Covid-19 Cartoons - By Ros Footnotes of Life - Lauren Parker Diary Of Events Page
Jesus Teaches in the Synagogue and Trains His Disciples
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Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, “Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?” Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.
Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honoured everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.” And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Disciples
Then Jesus went from village to village, teaching the people. And he called his twelve disciples together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evil spirits. He told them to take nothing for their journey except a walking stick - no food, no traveller's bag, no money. He allowed them to wear sandals but not to take a change of clothes. “Wherever you go,” he said, “stay in the same house until you leave town. But if any place refuses to welcome you or listen to you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.” So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God. And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil. Mark 6/1-13 N.L.T.
By now, many of you will have read from Ruth’s Family Worker’s reports that the idea of beginning a Messy Church journey for our families has been very much in our minds and our prayers. Embarking on this journey has involved Chris, Ruth and I joining with others to increase our understanding of the Messy Church format. Firstly, we met with members of Wigan Baptist Church, who have successfully held Messy Church for a number of years. Their knowledge, advice and enthusiasm was infectious and so plans began to formulate.
On March 17th, Chris, Ruth and I signed up by Zoom for a training course, organised by the Bible Reading Fellowship (BRF), which was entitled: “Messy Master Class Reimagining” and was led by Jane Leadbetter, based in Liverpool and Dawn Savidge in Halifax, both part of the BRF team.
The aim was to help teams and leaders of Messy Church feel confident and equipped to be or reimagine Messy Church in a Covid-secure way that is appropriate for their own context.
A video was shown where three Messy Church leaders described how they had continued to hold sessions by Facebook, Zoom, Activity bags and Trails- all with a focus on Jesus- providing accessible fun within Covid guidelines. This I found very heartening and recognised that, here at Trinity, through the hard work and vision of our Family Worker, many of the ideas had already been put into practice.
A further discussion centred around meeting the needs of families NOW in a post- Covid era. Connecting with families who have not been Church members, but who are seeking something different from screen time, seems a very good place to start with sharing Jesus. Messy Church would meet the social needs of families; create and build new friendships and, through activities allowing opportunities to express feelings and lead to conversations about God’s love. Initially, it might have to be outdoors, but it will be purposefully faith based.
Being with others who are experiencing the joys, and difficulties, in reaching out to families was enlightening and reaffirming. I, personally, felt that both meeting with our Baptist friends and the BRF team has provided not only a host of practical ideas and suggestions, but the necessary enthusiasm to move forward in providing Messy Church hospitality here at Trinity.
Here is the link, should you want to find out more: www.messychurch.org.uk
Trish Reilly
Trinity & Tunley United Reformed Churches
Sunday Services
We are pleased to announce that Trinity United Reformed Church will be open each Sunday for a shorter covid secure service usually starting at 11.15am. However, please read the July letter to the congregation and check the ‘Diary of Events’ and for more details and times of these and other activities.
Please note, our Minister is no longer publishing an on-line Sunday service.
I came across this blog on Facebook and while it is aimed at Pastors and Ministers it seemed that we are all in this together. The message certainly resonated with me. Read, reflect and if you would like to talk about this then feel free to contact me. The writer is Jenny Smith, a Pastor, writer and freedom seeker. She is an Ordained Minister in the United Methodist Church in the USA.
The Second Marathon: A Thought for Pastors on Walking the New Normal
I'm hearing this refrain in every corner of my pastor world.
Today felt like a day to name it out loud.
Pastors are tired. On a soul level.
It's tempting to think we can solve it with a few days off. But we know we can't.
This is bigger than individuals.
This is systemic. 
The oppressive thing about capitalism and consumerism (and white supremacy culture, for that matter), is our utter inability to listen to our need to rest. More on that in a moment.
But first, my brother runs marathons. It's amazing to see the training and preparation that goes into this accomplishment. I ran 20 minutes without stopping a year or two ago and it felt like I crossed the finish line at the Olympics! I cannot even imagine what it feels like to run for 26.2 miles and feel absolutely depleted at the end.
Well, maybe my soul does know that feeling. Maybe yours does too. We just ran a marathon.
We closed our doors to in-person worship. We figured out online worship. Maybe. Kind of.
We received email after email from frustrated congregants.
We felt the brunt of unprocessed grief in our communities.
We tried to continue as many ministries as we could sustain.
We dreamed up new ones.
We crashed and burned.
We wondered if giving would continue.
We became video chat professionals.
We spent hours looking at blank screens summoning sermons to write themselves.
We ached with isolation.
We spoke hope and grace and possibility.
We questioned our call to ministry.
We agonized over the safest ways to return to in-person gatherings.
We took a few days off here and there, trying to find solid ground to rest on.
We smiled on camera as if we could stir our hearts to life with our own pleading.
We received grace and stunning kindness from people in our communities.
We watched colleagues look like they had it together. But we guessed they didn't
e
ither.
Then we opened our doors to in-person worship again.
We crossed the finish line! We made it! We did a hard thing! Then...
Instead of collapsing at the finish line in a heap.
Instead of drinking water.
Instead of resting our aching bodies.
Something else happened.
An official-looking race organizer slapped another number on our back
and pushed us toward another starting line that mysteriously appeared.
Wait. What?
A second marathon? Right now?
We look down at our blistered aching feet, our hopeful but exhausted heart, our overwhelmed but determined mind, and we take a step forward into life as a gathered community once again.
Why? Because our world doesn't know how to stop. (Unless a global virus shuts down the world.) White supremacy pushes and coerces and manipulates into productivity and results.
Consumerism causes people to demand their preferences and tired pastors oblige.
Capitalism relies on resisting rest and driving our bodies for the bottom line.
These forces celebrate when we ignore what our souls whisper.
I don't have a magic next step for my community of pastor-friends today.
Six-month sabbaticals for all would be a good place to start.
But I do know this.
As the gears come to life in our faith communities, we have the opportunity to tell the truth, to slow the pace, and question everything as we enter the new normal.
Yes, our second marathon has begun. Ready or not.
Problem is, our bodies are still recovering from the first marathon.
Maybe the answer is to stop running the second race.
What if we looked at each other and gently nodded.
Slowed our forced jog.
And started walking.
Together.
What if we walked our second marathon?
Side by side. No racing. No competing with anything or anyone.
Resting when it's time to rest.
Saying yes to a new idea when it glistens with possibility.
Saying no when something feels too heavy.
Asking new questions in places we assumed the old answer.
Giving others permission to rest because we choose rest.
Questioning the speed at which we live and move.
Loving our people with beautiful boundaries in place.
Taking a nap.
Going to therapy and spiritual direction because we're humans too.
Breathing deeply of God's grace and love and restoration.
Maybe this is how we disrupt the deeply engrained oppressive realities of our world. We choose to walk.
Together.
Here's to the second marathon. I'm with you, friends.
I'll be over in the slow walkers crew that laughs and takes a lot of breaks.
Want to join me?
I imagine Love will surprise us again.
Grace upon grace.
Let me know how this feels to you as we walk together. Chris