News

For coming Events at St Matthew's in 2024 see our Facebook Page (or consult the Calendar)

Latest News:

12 December 2024

United Benefice of St Matthews &

St John the Divine Rastrick

Advent & Christmas Services December 2024

Advent reflections– 7.00 pm

Thursday 19 December @ St Johns

SUNDAY 22nd

3:00pm – Christingle & Nativity @ St Matthews

7:00pm – Nine Lessons & Carols @ St Johns

CHRISTMAS EVE – Sunday 24^th

3pm & 5pm – Christingle @ St Johns

7.00 pm – Nine lessons and Carols @ St Matthews

11:30pm – Midnight Communion @ St Johns

CHRISTMAS DAY

9.15 am All Age Holy Communion @ St Matthews

11:00 am - All Age Holy Communion @ St Johns

29^th December 10:30 - Joint Benefice Communion at St Johns

Regular Sunday Services

9.15 am at St Matthews ; 11.00 am at St Johns

21st Anniversary of Anglican - Methodist Covenant celebrated on the 4th November reports Churches Together in England. See https://cte.org.uk/anglican-methodist-covenant-21st-anniversary/?utm_source=Churches+Together+in+England&utm_campaign=c4d4b28f95-CTe-News_Nov2024&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c8ee12602e-c4d4b28f95-592522162

A copy of the Covenant can be found in Appendix α of the History of St Matthew's

Group celebrating 21st Covenant Anniversary

9th May 2023

Photographs of the Coronation Concert by the Sundown Swing Band and of the Celebration tea following are available in the Photo Gallery. Please note you need to subscribe - see the Photo Gallery page. Alternatively you can find some of the photos on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/stmatthewsrastrick

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News from St Matthew's :

We are now on Facebook

Our Weekly Newsletter

See sub-webpage Newsletter

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Ecumenical News

Sadly, the West Yorkshire Ecumenical Council has been disbanded as from the 31st December 2016. Meetings of Senior Church leaders and Ecumenical Officers will in the future be convened under the title of 'West Yorkshire Churches Together". Watch this space for developments.

West Yorkshire Churches Together website.

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Leeds Diocesan News

Diocesan News January 2017

Subscribe to Diocesan e-news

Go direct to Diocesan E-News 9 January 2025 , for the latest Diocesan News

Here is a link to Diocesan ENews Plus for the 13th January 2025. It is usually published on the first Monday of every month and aimed primarily at Clergy, Churchwardens, Treasurers and PCC Secretaries.

Bishop Nick Baines Musings of a Restless Bishop is the name of Bishop Nick's blog

Follow the musings of a restless Bishop here

Bishop Nicholas Baines' Letter to the Laity 10 July 2020

Environment News

Diocesan Environment e-news November 2024 - Issue 58

A later edition is available by subscribing to Gods Green Fingers

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Methodist News

Calderdale Methodist Circuit News

Yorkshire West Methodist District Latest News

Yorkshire West District Newsletter November 2024

Follow Yorkshire West District on Twitter

Yorkshire West Methodist District E-News December 2024

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From Testimony Faith Homes, Eldoret, Kenya - John Green's blog Daryl, Esther and John Green

and the Testimony Faith Homes

Testimony School Anthem July 2023

Christmas Greetings from John and Esther

September 2022 Update Page 1. September 2022 Update Page 2

Jan-April 2022 update and Family News March 2022

May 2021 update and Message 'If it had not been the Lord who was on our side..'

Christmas Card 2020 from Testimony Faith Homes

November 2020 Update and November 2020 Thanks

October 2020 Update

July 2020 update. and John's 80th Birthday Newsletter June 2020

January 2020 Update and January 2020 Thanks

December 2019 Newsletter. Christmas Card 2019

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The Church of England newspaper - The Church Times

The Church of England Newspaper

The Methodist Church Newspaper - The Methodist Recorder (not available on-line) except on Twitter

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Read Archdeacon Anne's article on the February 2020 Flooding in Calderdale.

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On the 31st August 2019, we held our Annual AwayDay.

For the first time we held the AwayDay at 'The Space', Field Lane with St John's Church, Rastrick.

The Theme of the AwayDay was 'Growing with Challenge'. We took time out to build on the 'Cake and Conversation' afternoons held at the Vicarages during August. The question which we faced was 'How do we adapt our patterns of worship within the Benefice of Rastrick, to meet the needs of the community whilst retaining all the elements that we value, and all in a sustainable way ?'

As an introduction to the activities, John Hearson (St John's) and Richard Kay (St Matthew's) shared their Experiences of Worship :

John's Adventures in Worship

Richard's Worship Experiences

We all went home feeling that the day had been a great success, and the food we had brought went further than we expected!

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25 Bishops including Bishop Nick Baines write open letter calling for reconciliation in the light of events at Westminster surrounding Brexit and exchanges in parliament

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Watch the Video 'A Fathers Love' as part of 'Thy Kingdom Come'

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Download the Conference Business Digest - A Report for local churches about the business of the 2018 Methodist Conference. You can also download the Readers Guide to Mission and Ministry in Covenant. The guide summarises the proposals that have been welcomed by the Church of England's General Synod in February 2018. Conference directed further work be undertaken on the proposals for bringing the Methodist Church and the Church of England into closer communion with one another.

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Miriam Knowles CMS From CMS Neema Crafts, Tanzania - Miriam Knowles' blog and