Dig out your walking boots!

‘Men Alive’ will be welcoming Canon Michael Smout to our meeting this month. He is probably known to most people in Aughton as Rector of St. Michael’s from 1979 to 2002; he was also Area Dean of Ormskirk from 1989 until he retired in 2002.

Michael is a keen rambler and has written a number of books of walks in the area. He has agreed to speak to us on this subject – hopefully he will inspire us to get our walking boots out again!

We meet on Tuesday 24 February in the Ministry Centre at 7.30pm. Please come and join us, you'll be made very welcome.

The March men's breakfast is on Saturday, 3 March, from 8:30 to 10.00am in the Ministry Centre. As well as enjoying a full English breakfast, we will be hearing from Rev Tom Watts, curate at Christ Church Winsford in Cheshire.

Tom is married to Sue and they have two children, Elianah and Zachary. Tom was brought up in London in a non-Christian family, but became a Christian after starting to go to a local church youth group when he was 17.

He worked briefly as a maths teacher in a comprehensive school in North London before starting his training for ordained ministry. In his spare time Tom plays the trombone and the piano, likes real coffee and real ale, and enjoys swimming.

We look forward to hearing from Tom on Saturday, 3 March, and men of all ages are welcome to attend.

This year’s Lent course

The New Testament is full of teaching about hospitality and welcome. ‘I was a stranger and you invited me in’, from Jesus’ story of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25. ‘Go to the street corners and invite anyone you can find’, from the wedding banquet Matthew 22.

The whole of Luke 15 is comprised of parables about lost things and lost people, ending with the father’s words to his elder son, ‘We had to celebrate and be glad’.

John’s gospel presents Jesus as one who offers divine hospitality, through the feeding of the 5,000, and in its portrayal of Jesus as bread for life, a good shepherd and an open gate.

This Lent we are following a weekly course on what it means to experience and share God’s welcome, both in our Sunday services and in our different house groups.

The course will be launched on Ash Wednesday, 22 February at 8.00pm in the Ministry Centre with an informal service of Holy Communion as part of our Monthly All Together Praise and Prayer meeting.

There will be an opportunity for people to sign up for one of the house groups; for more details contact Geoff Fallows (424 518) or the clergy.