St John's logo

News and updates

Online Service!

Our online service is now available: click here. See our blog page for previous weeks services.

Dial-a-Sermon!

We have a number for those without internet access to dial and hear St John's sermon recordings. The number is 01946 550259.
Do you know someone who might appreciate it? If so, please spread the word, we hope that this means more people will be able to listen to God's Word being preached.

The number is charged at normal call charges from your provider. So, to take an example, if a person has free evening and weekend calls from a land line, it will be free to them at that time. Contact your phone provider if you are unsure about charges.

Annual General Meeting

16 May 2021

St John's Annual General meeting is on Monday in church at 7.30pm. Amongst other things, like appointing wardens and PCC members, Si will speak to us about his hopes for the year to come. Everyone is most welcome to join us.

NB: if you would like to come to the AGM please send your name to Alison at office@stjohnshensingham.org.uk for the track and trace list.

The church accounts and energy audit are available here so you can have a look before the AGM. I suggest you either print off the accounts and bring them with you, or have them ready on your phone so that you can refer to them in the meeting. Our projector is still not repaired, so we won't be able to see the figures on the screens in church.

Also, the church annual reports from the groups are in these links below. You might like to have a look before the meeting. There will be a few booklets in church, but only for those who don't use the internet (we should be giving out minimal amounts of paperwork).
There are three versions of the same document:

View this on a phone
View this on a tablet, laptop or computer
Print this (formatted to be printed as an A5 booklet)

Next Sunday and Wednesday: booking in for services in church

3 April 2021

To book for Sunday 10.30am or Wednesday 10.30am, send an email to Matthew Last at bookchurch@stjohnshensingham.org.uk or phone or send a message to Alison Marsland on the church booking number: 07563 473 620.

When you email (or phone, or message), please say:

  • Your name
  • Which service you would like to attend—Sunday (and say the date) or Wednesday (and say the date)
  • How many people will be in your group, i.e. how many seats you would like to book
  • If you need to use the HEARING LOOP

If you've emailed, messaged, or left a phone message, we will let you know and confirm your place.

Don't forget, when you come to church on the Sunday or the Wednesday:

  • Come in good time
  • Bring a Bible
  • Wait until all your party has arrived before you come into the building
  • Wear a face covering
  • Once seated, don't move to another seat

Feel free to use the NHS Test and Trace app. The QR Code is displayed as you arrive at church. More information can found at https://www.covid19.nhs.uk/

St John's Church Reopening

13 March 2021

I'm sure you'll all be pleased that we are going to begin our re-opening of church on Easter Sunday. We will keep you posted about details as the time approaches, but our plan is that we will have two services on Easter Day to make sure that everyone who wants to come to church at Easter can be there.

As you will be aware, restrictions on things like singing and talking to each other in church will still be in place. But we hope that, in not too many more weeks after we open, these restrictions will be lifted and we will be able to sing our praise to God in loud voices, and talk to each other in and out of the building to our hearts content.

Families with young children

We would like to welcome families and children back as soon as we re-open on Easter Sunday. We know that for some there will be questions, and we want to try and make it as positive an experience as possible.

What will be available for children?

On 4th April (Easter) we will have a 45 minute All Age Service, with worksheets (or similar) in pews.

When will children's groups re-start?

From Sunday 18th April we can have Sunday School Unscripted (onsite) in the hall available for a limited number of children on a first-come first-served basis. We don't yet know how children's work will operate during services in the longer term, but information will follow.

What happens if my child leaves the pew during the service?

We know a number of parents have expressed concern about their young child wandering out of the pew during the service. While we want to encourage children to stay in pews during social distancing, we fully understand that children may need to move about on occasions. We are just pleased they are there. We also welcome noise from children, as a sign of life in our congregation!

Keep an eye out for our Ready, Steady, Grow! packs to welcome you and your little ones back to church. They will also contain more information about the Easter period for our families of young children. If you have any more questions, please do speak to Si or Fergus. Can't wait to see you soon!

Rev'd Fergus Pearson
Vicar, St John's Church, Hensingham

9 May 2020 (Updated 23 January 2021)

Pre-church live worship 9.30am

Join our zoom session and sing with us in praise to God, with prayer also. Anyone can join; please place your mic on mute though! Because of sound delay you will only hear the leader sing and play but hopefully it will create a sense of singing together. Please feel free to join at 9.20am to say hello to others, hope to see you.

Meeting ID: 844 1633 8648
Passcode: sing
Click here to join zoom session

Urgent Prayer Request

31 March 2020

Thelma Toman has asked us all to pray for Mike. He needs an urgent operation to have his gallbladder removed, which is scheduled for today. But a scan has shown that a large gallstone may have fused with the stomach, making the operation bigger and more complicated. Please pray that it is not fused with the stomach, and that the operation can be a success.

Rev'd Fergus Pearson
Vicar, St John's Church, Hensingham

21 December 2020

Yusef's Story

An imaginative story of a boy caught up in the Christmas events of the nativity, as he looks back from his old age.
By Neil Smalley, a member of St John's and read by his grandson.
https://youtu.be/xvwO6TZTRAk

15 October 2020

Christianity Explored

What's the best news you've ever heard?

At this time when COVID-19 has brought the world to its knees Christianity Explored is your chance to find answers.

For more information click here.

Prayer letter from Eloise Marsland

12 September 2020 (Updated 11 October 2020)

A prayer letter from Eloise Marsland. Pray for her as she settles into being a ministry trainee in Sheffield, especially with the added complications of rising infection levels.

Prayer Letter October 2020
Prayer Letter September 2020

6 August 2020

We would like to recruit a female leader for CYFA, our 14-18s work. Could you serve in this way?

We are in great need of a female leader in order to keep running the group in September. We would like someone to join us who is a committed Christian and could help with leading the group, along with Si Walker and the two other team members. Responsibilities include: helping to organise sessions, contributing to some of the teaching (for which we can provide assistance if needed) and helping with pastoral care for the young people.

We meet on Sunday evenings, 6.30-8.30pm (although there may be more online meetings in the future, initially).

We would like to emphasise that there is no age requirement, and we would welcome interest from those who may not have done youth work for some years. Or you may not have done youth work before, but feel up for a new challenge.

For an informal conversation, please get in touch with Si Walker (contact details). The role is voluntary and subject to our safe recruitment policy and DBS, as laid out in our Safeguarding Policy.

24 March 2020. Updated 4 April

Prayer Meeting

In times of uncertainty, especially now that we have been told to stay at home, we have to draw strength from our heavenly Father. The best way to do this is to continue to meet up remotely and pray with one another. To this end, we are going to see if we can hold a prayer meeting via the online platform, Zoom. Everyone is welcome to join in, all you need is access to the zoom app (smartphone, iPad or laptop) and pray with us in the comfort of your own home. We plan to have a a prayer session every Sunday at 8:30 pm. If you are interested in joining us, please contact Fergus, Si or Nigel.

25 May 2018

Data protection privacy notice

The processing of personal data is governed by the General Data Protection Regulation, (the “GDPR”). This new data protection regulation is effective from 25th May 2018.

You can access our Privacy Notice from the Contact Us page.