On Wednesday 28 November, St Columba’s Church building was lit up in red to mark #RedWednesday.
A short service was held before our evening Church Meeting in support of a movement to protect, defend and restore freedom of religion and belief throughout the world, remembering those who suffer persecution. We also saw a short video from Christian Solidarity Worldwide and Aid to the Church in Need. Many church members wore red too, and prayers were said.
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Churches Together in North Shields once again organised joint evening services in August this year, with a variety of inspiring themes.
It was good to meet up with friends from other churches, to swell our numbers, and give our preachers a break over the summer.
On 2 August, we were at North Shields Methodist Church, where Revd Jona Sewell encouraged us to offer both our best efforts and our failures to God, to recognise our weaknesses and our need of God’s help in serving God.
On 9 August, at North Shields Salvation Army Citadel, Major Eric Pearce led a service of praise and testimonies about Jesus and our faith stories.
On 16 August, we met at Christ Church, where curate Yvonne Greener and reader Margaret Brockbank spoke of the hospitality of God, and our own attitudes to welcoming strangers.
On 23 August, at St Columba’s United Reformed Church, Revd Liz Blair urged us to make visible our unity in Christ, and by living in love to bring glory to God, and Christian witness to our community.
On 30 August, we came together at North Shields Baptist Church, where Revd Lis Edwards took us on a virtual tour of the town, as we prayed for our community, and recognised its need to hear the good news of Jesus. We also acknowledged the difficulties we sometimes find in meeting tangible needs.
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Churches Together in North Shields were faced with a rare wet Good Friday this year, but did not let the weather beat us.
A huge crowd of worshippers packed into St Columba’s Church for the service that would have been held in the open air of Northumberland Square. The highlight was the presentation of a Passion drama Voices from the Crowd. This was followed by a walk of witness around the town centre, with umbrellas and banners, led by the band of the Salvation Army. We paused in Bedford Street for a reading and a hymn, before returning to the square, after which many continued to church services or Messy Church.
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On Sunday 3 August 2014, we marked the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War.
In our morning service at St Columba’s, members shared stories and memorabilia of uncles and grandfathers who had served in the Northumberland Fusiliers, the Durham Light Infantry and the King’s Own Scottish Borderers. Some had survived the war, and some lay in graves on the Western Front. Letters home showed that they had no expected not to return.
Our Minister, Revd Liz Blair, reflected on the spirit of community and helping your neighbours, forged in war time, but still evident in her childhood.
A small exhibition had been organised in the war memorial corner of the church. There were poppies, photographs, medals, postcards, stories, and pages of information about the soldiers from our church. Some of their letters were displayed, giving a flavour of life on the Western Front, mixed with humour. Notable was the soldiers’ gratitude for parcels of cigarettes and razors. One told of being sent to dig a grave for a dead comrade during a lull in fighting, only to have to dive in for cover when shelling started up again.
A local community group, Tynemouth World War One Commemoration Project, had done a huge amount of research into nearly 2,000 men from the then County Borough of Tynemouth who had died in the war. In addition to a map and an extensive online database, they had also published a booklet of information about the war as it affected the borough. St Columba’s was one of many organisations that had sponsored the booklet so that it could be distributed for free to all school and college pupils in North Tyneside.
At 2pm, a public commemoration took place in Northumberland Square, organised by the Project in conjunction with North Tyneside Council. Local soldiers and veterans marched there from the Linskill Centre about half a mile away. Scouts and local faith leaders were also present. The event was hosted by Adrian Pitches of BBC Look North, and was addressed by Cllr Tommy Mulvenna, Chair of North Tyneside Council, Sir Nigel Sherlock, HM Lord Lieutenant for Tyne & Wear, and the Project’s Bill Griffiths. Revd Liz Blair led the service, which included traditional hymns, prayers of thanks and protection, a bugler and piper, two minutes’ silence and 2,000 sweet peas laid by the Scouts in memory of the dead. The service ended with the National Anthem. Fortunately, the weather, although windy, held off to enable the event to take place in the open air.
St Cuthbert's Church
Over one hundred Christians from all over North Shields came together for a united service on Sunday 23 January.
Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists, Salvationists and United Reformed Church folk met for joint worship at St Cuthbert’s Roman Catholic Church on the Sunday evening. (The modern building on Albion Road West was built in 1975 to replace an earlier St Cuthbert’s in Upper Bedford Street.)
Churches Together in North Shields joined in the ecumenical service for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity that had been prepared for the world by the churches of Jerusalem. In his homily, Father Peter Stott reflected on his own visit to Jerusalem two years earlier, where Christian disunity was sadly evident between the different congregations that shared the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. He also reflected on the Christian unity shown during Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Britain in 2010. Fr Stott urged the churches of North Shields to continue their work and witness together, for the benefit of the town and the advancement of God’s purposes, acknowledging our differences whilst building on all that we held in common.
During the service, leaders of all the churches represented came to the altar and lit candles. Members of various congregations took part in the worship by giving readings and leading responsive prayers and litanies. Worshippers were invited to add incense to four censors burning at the front of the church, which was filled with fragrances unfamiliar to many. Towards the end of the service, the peace was shared, as those in the congregation greeted each other.
Warm fellowship continued after the service of worship, over coffee and biscuits in the parish hall.
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