This photo was taken a few years ago when our church family went to Abbot Hall, Grange Over Sands, and last weekend many headed back there for our latest Family Weekend away. As always, we've heard only positive remarks about what a super time they had, and, of course, the hat game was just one of the highlights.
On the afternoon they left, we welcomed a new group, Bump to Babies, run by Baildon Children's Centre.
Inevitably, we were low in numbers but in high spirit for last week's service when we welcomed Sarah Jemison; it was the first time Sarah had preached at Thackley since we joined the Bradford North Circuit. Continuing the theme of Team TMC we explored what it is to be an inclusive church through Mark 7 vv 24-35 and a modern version of James 2:1-17 and thinking of times when we went into an unfamiliar setting and felt welcome and included or felt unwelcome and left out.
We saw Sarah again on Tuesday as she chaired our Church Council. Our church is run by volunteers and this is the meeting where we come together to consider all areas of church life: how we manage our funds and maintain our property; how we care for one another; how we nurture our youngsters in the Christian faith, how we plan our worship and how we share the love of Jesus with others.
On Friday afternoon our furniture shifters were hard at work setting out tables ready for our Table Top Sale on Saturday. We see this as a way of helping our community; tables are free and available for local folk to sell their goods. We've seen stalls selling cakes, jewellery, crystals, books, baby clothes, bric-a-brac and lots more. As our other rooms are being used on Saturdays, we hold the Table Top Sales in the church and many have commented on the calm and friendly environment. There's also chance for a cuppa and chat (and bacon butties!) in the lounge. Yesterday, we raised £96 for church funds from our own stall and the sale of refreshments. Many thanks to all who supported us and the many helping hands that made it possible.
This morning's service was led by Robert Morton, a former minister at Thackley and the Woodhouse Grove Circuit. It is 20 years this month since Robert came to the circuit and he was recalling how on first being asked, he had declined; this was not a place that the Scot wanted to be! Twenty years later he was counting how blessed he had been, and how we need to be willing to be placed where God wants us to be. It was Robert's last service at Thackley before he retires back to his homeland of Scotland and it was lovely to see those who he had married and touched the lives of at the service. Robert gave a heartfelt message that we must centre our lives on Jesus. If we truly believe in His love for us and how He can turn our darkest moments into times of blessing, then given the unrest in the world, we're obviously not witnessing to this love in the way we need to be. He spoke of his time in the Bahamas and the witness of an 85 year old woman who walked 8 miles over difficult terrain to church every Sunday to play the organ and walked the 8 miles back again whatever the weather; Jesus was her all. A very challenging and extremely moving service. We wish Robert a long and healthy retirement and praise God for the blessings he has brought on those he has met over the past two decades.