Bishop Confirms Five at Upton Parish Church

On 23 June we were delighted to welcome Bishop Anthony Priddis, former Bishop of Hereford to Upton Parish Church for a confirmation service.

Being confirmed that day were five candidates from Upton, along with two candidates from elsewhere in the Diocese.

In a video shown during the service, the candidates spoke movingly  about their faith journeys and of what Jesus meant to them. And afterwards Bishop Anthony enjoyed meeting all the candidates over a special meal of lasagne and cake!

The candidates from Upton were Lois Unwin, Martin Joliffe, Georgia and Katrina Raynor-Smith and Victoria Taylor. All of them are involved in our Deep End youth group, which has been a great chance for our younger people to explore the Christian Faith in greater depth, whilst also having loads of fun, sweets, and occasionally getting to wear a very odd mask!

The Deep End term ended last week with a fabulous trip to the Aztec Aquaventure at Upton Warren, but will be back in September.  For more details of the Deep End, click here.

Birmingham Community Gospel Choir to play Upton Church!

On Sunday July 20th, as part of a special Blues Festival Service, The Birmingham Community Gospel Choir will be performing at St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Upton.

Founded in 2005, the choir won the BBC Songs of Praise Gospel Choir of the Year award in 2015, have appeared on the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Songs of Praise, The One Show and most recently in this year’s Britain’s Got Talent.

Bringing together singers of all ages and background from across the Birmingham area, and lead by experienced singer and song-writer Maxine Brooks, we can expect a fun and fabulous morning of joyous gospel music.

The event begins at 10:30am, but get there early to make sure you get a seat, and like all events at the Blues Festival, entry is completely free.

10:30am, Sunday July 20th, St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Upton.

 

Palm Sunday 2019 – you’re invited

An invitation to lunch in Palm Sunday

This Sunday is Palm Sunday, the time we begin our Easter anticipation by remembering Jesus’s arrival in Jerusalem on a donkey,as the crowds joyously shouted hosanna, and waved palm fronds.

To help us celebrate in style all our churches are gathering together on Sunday morning in Upton for a special “benefice” service. We’ll start at 10:45am at the Pepperpot, followed by a march of witness through the centre of Upton to the parish church where we’ll have our Palm Sunday service at 11am (with a special drama supplied by the Open the Book Team). There’ll also be Sunday School for the children, communion, and then afterwards a “bring and share meal” in church.

By its very nature, a Bring and Share meal is a step of faith – we may all bring quiche – which is great if you like quiche! But rather than over-organise or tell you what to bring – let’s simply trust that the Lord will guide us as to what to make and bring and help us enjoy sharing it with one another! It would be lovely if visitors felt they could join us, so why not consider making sufficient food for yourself and another person?

To give us plenty of space to eat and mingle, we’re going to eat in Church rather than the Parish Rooms. The downside of this is that we won’t be able to reheat food, so please plan what you’re bringing in the light of that. There will however be hot drinks available.

If you are joining us at the Pepperpot but don’t want to carry food up the street, you can leave it on the tables we’ll provide in the parish church beforehand.

I hope to see you on Sunday, and if not, then perhaps at one of our Easter Services. If you want to know more about what’s going on in a church in your community over Easter, visit the Easter page on our website.

Rev’d Barry Unwin

A new look to the church office

Decorating isn’t something I normally get excited about, but I’m going to make an exception for last week’s decorating work in the Church Office in Upton Parish Church. 

Ever since Upton Parish Church opened in 1879, people have been wondering whether the dull pink plaster that makes the interior so gloomy was really what the architect intended. Other churches by the same architect were painted, often in white, but not Upton Parish Church.

Last year to accommodate our Benefice Administrator Helen, we began transforming the office space established back in 2013. First we replaced the drab carpet, bought some new furniture, and added secondary glazing to the windows. Then we installed an electric radiator, and to help us get the most out of the heating, we fitted a suspended ceiling with new LED lighting.

However, the walls continued to make the room drab. So earlier this year we asked the Diocesan Advisory Committee if we could paint them, and with permission given and a special paint bought, a decorator arrived last week to transform the office. And we think the results are quite remarkable!

 

 

Big thanks then to Church Wardens Tim Toman and Roger Davies for helping write the faculty application , as well as handling the arrangements for the decorating process!

If you’d like to see the new, brighter, church office, do call in and see Helen during office hours (9:30am-1pm, Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri).

Next, the PCC wants to begin to transform the side (or “Lady”) chapel. Once again they’ll paint the walls a shade of white, as well as replacing the carpet, lighting, heating and furniture, with the ultimate aim of creating a small contemporary, comfortable and user-friendly worship and meeting space that can accommodate choir rehearsals, prayer meetings, small services and could even be hired out to external groups.

 

Barry Unwin
3 March 2019

Easter Services