Welcome to the Gornal and Sedgley Team Ministry website. Our parish includes All Saints' Church in Sedgley, St Andrew's in The Straits and St Peter's in Upper Gornal.
For a brief overview of our churches and some of our parish activities, please have a look at our pdf presentation: (clicking on image below):
Note: If you don't already have it, you will need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader free to view it.
We've been a team ministry since 2005: team working allows us to provide spiritual and pastoral care to a wide geographic area including Upper Gornal, the Straits and Sedgley. Within the team we are able to accommodate most tastes in church services, from the traditional Book of Common Prayer service to All-Age Worship. From time to time we also offer alternative forms of worship such as 'Taize', and Kindle, a service aimed at young people. We look forward to meeting you at one of the churches in our parish soon.
Revd Stephen Buckley, Revd Andy Stand, Revd Rob Parker-McGee and Jan Humphries (Reader).
Gornal and Sedgley Team Ministry
Arranging a wedding or baptism? - click here
May 2012 Parish Magazine - The Beacon
A very important issue
The issue of whether baptized children should be permitted to receive Communion before they are confirmed is one that compels a return to the heart of our faith to re-examine our understanding of the origins, meanings and functions of the fundamental building blocks of Christianity: Baptism, Confirmation and Communion.
It's up to us as a parish to decide whether we wish to apply to the Bishop of Worcester for permission to allow children to receive Communion before they are confirmed, which we're able to do under a Synod Regulation issued in June 2006. The PCC has the responsibility of making this decision on our behalf.
Father Rob has kindly replied to the article Martin wrote in early May, which was presented and advertised as a personal opinion on this issue. Using Martin's article as the departure point, Rob has provided much helpful historical and theological detail and set out a very full exposition of the rationale for the proposed changes. To read Father Rob's article please click here.
Please note that Father Rob has already produced a very detailed paper on this issue, which has already been presented to DCCs and is enormously helpful.
Father Rob's article has been placed in a brand new 'Current issues' section of the website, which has been created especially for members of the Team Ministry to explain issues that affect us as a parish. Martin's original article remains in the 'Discussion Topics' section, which is effectively a 'blog' section for parishioners to record their opinions.
The purpose of these changes in the structure of the website is to endeavour to separate out the presentation of issues to the parish from personal opinion about those issues.
Parishioners who would like to add their opinions on this and any other matter in the Discussion Topics section are very welcome to do so: Please contact us
The final decision on children's admission to Communion before confirmation rests with the voting members of the PCC, but we have added a poll on the website to get an idea of the state of opinion among users of the parish website - see the right hand column.
Ascension Day 2012: Going up!
Another wonderful, memorable morning - thanks to everyone who made it possible. We ascended the tower at 8.00am...
Singing the Ascension Day hymn
From the platform we sang the Ascension Day hymn 'Hail the day that sees him rise' by Charles Wesley, written in 1739.
Charles Wesley
A view of Vicar Street and Sedgley Library/Ladies Walk Health Centre from 100ft up, at 8.20am!
A panoramic view from All Saints' Tower
A small group of die-hard early risers ascended the narrow ladders up the tower, past the bell ringers' floor, up through the bell gantry and out onto the parapet overlooking the village and the surrounding countryside and conurbation.
Alas the weather was overcast and it began to drizzle, thus restricting our view of the hills and features on the far horizon. Certain changes were noted in the village, eg Aspect Lighting in Gospel End Street is now Signature Aromas; and Greggs now occupies the old Lloyds Chemists shop in Dudley Street.
At 8.30am there was Holy Communion in church, followed by breakfast in the Social Club at 9.00am - which was a five star 'German-style' affair with loads of nice breads, sausage, ham, cheese, toast, coffee and tea.
Thanks so much to the brilliant catering team who worked so hard to provide a great celebration meal. It was lovely to share the whole experience with friends.
Christian Aid Week 13-19 May 2012
A packed, very informative united service for Christian Aid Week was held at St Andrew's URC Bilston Street on Sunday 13th May, addressed by Revd Ernest Crutchley from Halesowen. He delivered a Powerpoint presentation about Christian Aid, with particular reference to their current work in Sierra Leone. We were encouraged to send off a postcard to David Cameron urging him to push for action at the Mexico G20 Summit in Los Cabos on 18-19 June 2012 to stop the tax dodges that deprive developing countries of their due tax revenues; and to lead the UK and EU in action on climate change. Plenty of literature was on display about Christian Aid initiatives worldwide.
Please go the Christian Aid Week website to find out about the work of Christian Aid and how you can donate online.
What is Christian Aid? Wikipedia entry
Call for volunteer staff at Sedgley's Diamond 60
We need lots of volunteers to staff the exhibition in the Parish Hall over the Diamond Jubilee weekend at the following times:
Saturday morning 10-12:
Roy and Linda - Thanks!
Saturday lunchtime 12-2
Jane Hartshorne - Thanks!
Saturday afternoon 2-4
Sunday morning 10-12
Sunday lunchtime 12-2
Sunday afternoon 2-4
Monday morning 10-12
Monday lunchtime 12-2
Monday afternoon 2-4:
Jenny and Rob - Thanks!
Tuesday morning 10-12
Tuesday lunchtime 12-2
Tuesday afternoon 2-4
If you're willing to help at one or more of these times, please
Sedgley's Diamond 60: when Bill refereed George Best
All Saints' parishioner Bill Castle was a top class referee in the 1960s and officiated at many matches in the old First Division, taking charge at matches featuring Man Utd greats such as Best, Law, Charlton and Stiles.
He was regularly on Match of the Day and something of a local celebrity as a result. To encourage more stories for the Sedgley's Diamond 60 exhibition from 2-5 June at the Parish Hall, we're featuring his story on the website. Alas there are still plenty of years for which we have no story so please send your contribution to Martin, consisting of around 300 words and pictures if you have them.
Please click: Bill's story
Send your exhibition story to Martin
Revd Charles Girdlestone's vicarage garden party for All Saints' Sunday Schools
This intriguing image of All Saints', in the William Salt Collection at Stafford, shows a mass gathering, probably Rev C. Girdlestone's Annual Entertainments to the National Sunday and Infants Schools in front of the old vicarage, dated 1837. Possibly a reenactment of 'Feeding the 5000', as there doesn't appear to be much food on show apart from the few baskets in the foreground! The etching is initialled, possibly by Revd Charles Girdlestone's wife. Sedgley Local History Society website has an article about these annual celebrations.
Revd Charles Girdlestone (1797-1881) whose portrait (above), a lithograph by Richard James Lane is in the National Portrait Gallery, was a biblical scholar. He was vicar of All Saints' from 1826 and oversaw the building of the new church, which was completed at the Earl of Dudley's expense in 1829.