Photo by Mike Pettitt
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Wickhambrook Methodist Church is in the
Newmarket Methodist Circuit and part of the East Anglian District.
The Minister for Wickhambrook is Reverend
Alan Ashton. Our Senior Steward is Ivan Peacock who lives
in Wickhambrook. The Minister organises local preachers to take most
of our services and we have a rota system where every other month
or so, all the churches within our circuit can all join together for
worship. Rev. Ashton visits Wickhambrook to take services on a regular
basis and always attends for weddings, christenings and other special
events in our calendar.
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| The Methodist Church has a main Church
with a foyer and gallery. Adjacent is the school room which in days
gone by was use for Sunday School - unfortunately this is no longer
operating. The school room is available as a function room should
anyone wish to use it. It has a kitchen facility and toilets. |
We have services every Sunday at 10.30am. Family
Worship is on the last Sunday in each month, followed by a coffee
and a chat. A meeting for ladies of all ages “Harmony Hour”
meets on alternate Tuesdays at 2.30pm.
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| Our services usually have four to five
hymns, Bible readings, prayers and a sermon. We always have, once
a month after family service, tea and coffee and time for a chat afterwards.
Our services are warm and friendly and the social gatherings afterwards
are an important time for us. At special times during the Christian
calendar we have services where we join together with the Wickhambrook
United Reformed Church. We also have 'get together' evenings where
we meet up with others from the surrounding villages within our own
Methodist Church circuit and have a 5pm service followed by a 6pm
tea. We are also a member of the Churches Together in Wickhambrook
and District. |
| 7th October |
Harvest Festival |
10.30am service led by our new minister Rev. Sheila Macinally.
6.30pm service led by Rev. Va. Spencer from Trinity Bury St Edmunds. Come and join us. |
| 9th October |
Harvest Supper |
In the MSC - 7 for 7.30pm. Tickets £6.50 from B. Peacok 01440 820833 or J. Turner 01440 820346 |
| 16th October |
Harmony Hour's 26th Anniversary |
at 2.30pm. Speaker Rev. Jan Morley followed by tea. Everyone is welcome. |
| 4th November |
Anniversary Service |
Methodist Church Anniversary - 10.30am. Service led by Rev. Sheila Macinally.
5pm service led by Rev. Graham Locking followed by a tea. Everyone is welcome. |
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| SPECIAL SERVICES |
| Wickhambrook
Primary School use the Church at Easter for a service
and their own play. For this service and during Harvest Festival the
children, with their parents come to us for the afternoon. |
| We have a Family
Service once a month which we hope encourages people with children
to join us. The service is a shortened version and has a special mention
for the children. |
Harmony Hour
This is a very successful meeting group which started over 20 years ago. There
are currently over 20 members and it is historically for ladies to get together
every other Tuesday at 2.30pm for a time of fellowship and praise with a vairied
programme at each meeting followed by tea and biscuits and a time to socialise.
All are welcome whether you be a church goer or not and of any denomination.
In October they hold a special service in recognition of their anniversary
followed by tea. They also have a Christmas Tea in December. If you are interested
in joining this then please speak to Beryl Peacock who is the leader and organiser. |
2006 - 25th ANNIVERSARY -
The Harmony Hour ladies met in Wickhambrook Methodist Church to celebrate their 25th Anniversary.
They had a news desk covering
reports of their opening meeting and others with photos from over
the past years. There was a list detailing all their Birthday Speakers
and organisations the group has had and helped over the last 25 years.
There were beautiful displays depicting their “special afternoons” their
first was the Queen’s Golden Jubilee following this was a floral
extravaganza and then a Teddy Bear’s Picnic. The most recent
were a nautical afternoon and this special anniversary event. All
the ladies helped to stage the displays by bringing their treasures
and memorabilia including items of silverware and glass.
There was
a stand of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee and another of their
own silver weddings with a wide variety of different objects from
cards, tea towels, jewellery, beautiful silver teapots, candlesticks
and candelabras through to commemorative stamps, dishes and even
silver wedding shoes. Many floral arrangements were in place around
the church to enhance the displays adding to the overall stunning
effect.
All the ladies are thanked for helping to decorate the church
and producing such a wonderful display on this very special occasion.
Mrs Sylvia Tickner had made a beautiful card, which all signed as
a keepsake of the day. Mrs Jenny Turner had made a luxury sponge
cake and had iced it and decorated it with her own silver wedding
ornament and Mrs Beryl Peacock had made a fruit cake iced and inscribed
with “Harmony Hour 25” on it. Both of these went down
very well at the end of the meeting with their usual cup of tea.
The ladies Birthday Rally will be held on October 10th 2006 at 2.30pm
when their guest speaker will be the Rev Alan Ashton from Newmarket.
They look forward to the future continuing to meet together and any
ladies are very welcome to join them at any future meetings. |
| Church Steward |
Ivan Peacock |
01440 820833
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Treasurer |
David Turner |
01440 820346 |
Minister |
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01638 662837 |
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| Our Church has many gatherings and special
occasions throughout the year. Our main events listed below are open
for everyone and we hope you will be able to join us. |
Anniversary
On the first Sunday in November of every year we hold two special
services to celebrate our anniversary, morning service at 10.30am
and evening service at 5pm followed by a tea at 6pm. Please join us
for this special occasion. |
Christian Aid Week
This is always held during May and all Churches throughout the country
follow a printed service which is provided by Christian Aid. The Churches
Together of Wickhambrook and District join in this service with us
which is based on a third world country and tells us about people
that the organisation have helped and what they have done with their
lives since receiving aid. The service is on a Thursday and we have
a coffee evening and a bring and buy to help raise money to support
this worthy cause. More details will be provided nearer to the date.
The event was very successful in 2003 raising £650
for Christian Aid. |
Harvest Festival
On the first Sunday in October we will be holding our Harvest Festival.
This is a wonderful time to visit the Church with the produce from
local gardens together with other goods on display. Members from the
other Church communities often join us for this service and on the
following Tuesday we hold a Harvest Supper at the
MSC where the produce can be enjoyed by all. This supper is an open
invitation for you all to join us and tickets will be on sale closer
to the time. All proceeds go towards the upkeep of the Church.
2004 Harvest Festival
On the first Sunday in October we once again came twice to Church
to thank God for his goodness to us for another years harvest of all
things gathered in all year round.
Two good Services were held. In the morning Ken Brown from Soham brought
with him the Soham Rose as remembrance of the lives of Holly and Jessica.
To remind us that from out of this awful evil act there sprung this
pure and beautiful English Rose. A symbol that God is in control.
As Ken said He still sends all forms of weather over which we have
no control. We should be thankful. The evening service taken by Brian
Ellicott from Haverhill was also good. He reminded us of the free
harvest from the hedgerows. The United Reformed Church closed and
joined us for both services. The church was beautifully decorated
with flowers, fruit, vegetables and corn.
On the following Tuesday our Harvest Supper was held in the Memorial
Social Centre, when sixty-one sat down to a lovely meal, followed
by a quiz organised by Stan Bates.
We are very grateful to all that gave and helped in any way on both
occasions. Too many to name. Also all of you who came to support us.
Thank you.
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Christmas Carol
Service
This is usually around mid December at 10.30am. We usually have the
Christmas Tree and other festive flower arrangements in place and
we have carols and readings followed by coffee and mince pies. |
Christmas
Eve - Candlelight Service
This service which starts at 11.30pm has a very special atmosphere
and is well attended in the village. We have a special advent candle
holder which is in the shape of a cross with candles on it being lit
throughout advent. The service takes us past midnight so that we can
welcome Christmas Day by lighting the white candle in the middle which
has come to us from Bethlehem. At this time of year people especially
find it in their hearts to give generously to those less fortunate
and the proceeds from the evening are sent to the National Children's
Home. Please join us.
Photo
by Mike Pettitt |
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Wickhambrook Methodist
Church |
celebrated 150
years of witness in the year 2000 |
Wickhambrook Methodist Church, the church with a great history and
an even greater future working in co-operation with other local Christians.
Compared to the other churches of the village we are the youngsters
in the race although almost 150 years old this youngster is getting
a bit long in the tooth.
Methodism first began in Wickhambrook when Mr Billy Durrant from Bury
St Edmunds held services on the various Greens in 1840. He then held
fellowship meetings in a cottage and eventually a Primitive Methodist
Society was formed as part of the Saffron Walden Primitive Circuit.
The present building was constructed in 1850, a Manse (was purchases
and a minister) appointed. Wickhambrook became the head of a Primitive
Methodist Circuit that included Haverhill, Barrow and Newmarket. The
Wickhambrook Society became an important part of the Newmarket Methodist
Union in 1932. Between December 1856 and July 1857 the membership
grew from sixty-one to one hundred and forty.
It is almost inevitable that when celebrating 150 years of work and
witness we should think about the past but Christians must never dwell
on the past, we are grateful for the past but we must also be alive
to the present. The Gospel truths are unchanging and while we at Wickhambrook
believe this we are still prepared to embrace the new ways to witness
and worship. Our Church may be old but we are not “Old Fashioned”.
We at the Methodist Church have faith in the future. The God of yesterday
is also the God of today and the God of tomorrow and as he has led
in the past we at Wickhambrook Methodist believe that he will lead
us all into an ever brighter future. |
