Display of poppies in church
Last year's Remembrance Sunday was a fitting time to look back on the 100 years since the end of WW1. This year at St John's Church we are looking forward, whilst still reflecting on the past, and to do this we have invited the schools in our parish to make poppies which we have used to decorate the church. We hope that, as you take time to look at these beautiful poppies, they will help you to reflect on the individual lives each one represents - a child whose life, freedom and future has been enabled through the sacrifices that were made in the past.
We are very grateful to the pupils of the following schools who have taken the time to make these poppies; Kids Count Nursery, Hartford Manor Primary School, Hartford Primary School, St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School, The Grange Junior School, the primary classes of Cloughwood Academy and St Nicholas Catholic High School.
Facilities Assistant/Cleaner roles at St John’s
We are looking for a new team member or members to join St John’s. This is a combined Facilities Assistant and Cleaner role. The successful candidate(s) will keep our facilities clean and tidy, open and secure the buildings, and ensure a good welcome to all the people who use the church and Church Centre every day. You will be an efficient cleaner, enjoy meeting people and will work closely with the Facilities Manager and volunteers.
The role is 12.5 hours per week with 2 shifts per day, with Sundays and one other day off. We are happy to split the job between two people, one to work the early shift (5 hours per week) and one to work the later shift (7.5 hours per week).
Both shifts involve cleaning and facilities assistance work; the early shift will involve more cleaning and the later shift more welcoming, unlocking and securing the buildings. Flexibility is required because the buildings are available for use day times and evenings.
The successful candidate(s) will be in sympathy with the work and aims of Hartford Parish Church.
If this is for you, please apply via a covering letter, explaining your suitability for the role, to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
For more information or for a general discussion please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone the Church Office on 01606 872255.
Church Holiday 27th - 29th March 2020
Please can we encourage you to book for next year’s Church Holiday, 27th - 29th March, at The Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick? A weekend away with the church family is a great opportunity to deepen our relationships – both with the Lord and with one another.
Mark Pickles, director of the North West Gospel Partnership and a former curate at St John’s, will be speaking at the weekend. Please do consider joining us for what we pray will be a fantastic weekend.
If you have lost your booking form, there are some available in the Church Extension.
The Fisherman's Tale
We are delighted to confirm that we will be hosting Peter and Julie Fraser, from Bible Encounter Trust, in June 2020, for their new story trail, 'The Fisherman's Tale'. As with their previous story trails, this will be a fully immersive experience for our local schools, telling the story of Peter the Disciple.
We will, of course, need a considerable volunteer work force for this event to run smoothly, so we would like to give you some dates for your diary now. Set-up will be on 13th, 14th, 15th & 16th June. Schools and other groups will be visiting in the daytime and evenings from Wednesday 17th until Friday 26th June. We will also be open to the public on Saturday 20th June. Take-down will be on the afternoon and evening of Friday 26th June, and during the day on Saturday 27th June.
Please pray for Teresa as she sends out invitations to the schools in September and keep a look out in the notices for more information about how you can help nearer the time. Thank you.
Churchyard Grass Cutting
Many people have commented on the state of St John's churchyard, in particular the very long grass. The church is acutely aware of this problem: it has an impact on the appearance of our village and causes distress to families visiting graves.
However, the churchyard is the responsibility of Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC), not the church.
If you are unhappy with the current condition of the churchyard, please contact both Clare Barlow (01244 977376 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Neil Bowdler (0151 356 6581 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) at CWAC. The more people who get in touch, the better.
You may also like to contact your local councillor.
