Church Groups
Cluster Groups
Our Cluster Groups focus on particular aspects of the work of the parish and are made up of a minimum of 1 Parochial Church Council (Management Group) member plus other members of St Mary's with an interest or expertise in that particular area. The Cluster groups are : Music and Worship; Community, Mission and Charities; Children and Young People; Communications; Buildings and Environment; Finance; Centre Management'
Lay Weeders Group
The Lay Weeders Group look after the grounds and gardens and are headed up by Alison McLellan
Luncheon Club:
Meets on Wednesdays at St Mary's Handbridge Centre at 12 noon for lunch at 12:30pm. A freshly prepared two-course hot lunch, plus a cup of tea, is provided by our volunteers for £4. Members also enjoy a raffle and a game of bingo. We currently have a waiting list for new members, so please contact the Parish Office (T: 01244 671202) if you wish to be added.
Bell Ringing
St Mary’s Tower has 8 bells gifted by Hugh Lupus, first Duke of Westminster. They were cast in 1887 by Mears & Stainbank at the Whitechapel Foundry, London (tenor 19-3-12 (approx. 1 tonne)).
We have an enthusiastic band of bell ringers who ring every Sunday for the morning service, meeting at 9.45am. We also meet for practice every Wednesday 7.30-9.00pm with an earlier start for tuition. New starters and visitors are always welcome. We are part of the Chester Diocesan Guild and actively participate in Branch events. Contact the Tower Captain for more information.
Choir
The choir sings at the 10.30am Communion service on Sunday morning, at Choral Evensong at 6.30pm on the 2nd Sunday of the month. The choir is available to sing at weddings and funerals.
Servers Team
Our teams of servers assist the Clergy during services with the preparation of the bread and wine for the Eucharist.
Flower Arrangers.
We have 5 teams of flower arrangers who are, in their own words, enthusiastic amateurs. They decorate the church with floral arrangements throughout the year, each team looking after the arrangements for one month, twice a year, on a rota basis.
Meditation Group
When God seems distant'. This ecumenical group takes place on the 4th Tuesday each month, 7:30-9:00pm. Currently we meet on zoom or share the silence, doing the meditation in our own homes. Contact Jackie Hirst (jgshirst@talktalk.net) for further details.
Julian Meetings
This is another ecumenical group, a part of the international network of Julian Meetings. We meet on the 1st Monday of each month in different member’s homes. We support the practice of contemplative prayer in the Christian tradition: a time of quiet reflection and calm in the presence of God.
St Mary's Church Cleaning Group
Our church cleaning group meets every Tuesday morning in the beautiful surroundings of St Mary's church around 10:00am to do a little light dusting, hoovering and emptying of bins, tidying of chairs and sorting the toys in the children's corner, with a welcome coffee break and good conversation afterwards. Please contact the Parish Office (01244 671202) if you would like to join our group.
For our younger members we also have:
St Mary’s Baby and Toddler Group
We’re a friendly, informal group for all children up to school age, together with their parent or carer. We meet on Fridays, in term time, from 10am to 11.30am in St Mary's Handbridge Centre. Each week we run a craft activity and there’s a range of games, toys and books, plus a singalong. We run a number of annual events including a Teddy Bear’s picnic, Easter Egg hunt, Christmas party with a visit from Santa and a summer party.
Rainbows is for girls aged 5 to 7
We enjoy a range of fun activities, including craft projects, singing, dancing and games
Brownies is for girls aged 7 to 10
We meet on Wednesdays from 6pm to 7.30pm to enjoy a wide range of activities, including arts and crafts, trying out recipes, playing energetic games and taking part in community action projects.
Guides is for girls aged 10 to 14
Our activities include everything from taking part in adventure sports to playing fun games, to taking part in community action projects, to the performing arts. Guides work together in small groups or ‘Patrols’ and, with the support of an adult leader, choose and run some of the activities themselves using ‘Go For It’ resource packs.
Beavers, Cubs and Scouts of the 18th Chester (St Mary’s) Scout Group
We meet regularly in their purpose built HQ in Westminster Park. The Beaver colony is for 6 to 8 year olds, there are two Cub Packs for 8 to 10 year olds and two Scout troops for 10 to 14 year olds.
----
There are many other groups not directly linked with St Mary’s, but part of the local community, who meet regularly in the Parish Centre. Amongst others these are Music and Dance classes for Children of all ages, Sensory classes for Babies, Weight Loss Counselling, Exercise classes, Pilates, Yoga, Community Choirs, Social Groups for the elderly, Art class, Women's Institute, and an NHS information session.
If you would like contact details for any of the above, please ring the Doris Keen in the Parish Office on 01244 671202 or look in the Parish Magazine.