Pew News - last updated on 17th APRIL 2025
THIS PAGE IS UPDATED EVERY WEEK WITH THE LATEST CHURCH NEWS
To read the Pew News for the Week beginning SATURDAY 19th APRIL 2025 click HERE
For the latest Diocesan Announcements and updates on 'Time To Change Together' + pastoral letters from the Bishops + Deanery Synod Reports please go to the bottom of this page. Latest updates were added on:
29th Feb 2025 Bishop Stephen's letter about a season of prayer
Letter from Archbishop of York (8th January 2025)
Announcement that Bishop David (Grimsby) is retiring in July 2025
Invitation to bring parties of parish pilgrims to Lincoln Cathedral (13th Feb 2025)
For Safeguarding newsletters please see the Safeguarding page.
Letter from Bishop Stephen regards the Makin review (26th Feb 2025)
Letter from Bishop Stephen regards Clergy time off (21st March 2025)
Announcement that Archdeacon of Boston is moving to take up a new role (25th March 2025)
SUNDAY & MID-WEEK SERVICES:
ASGARBY next service TBA
BURTON - next service will be Holy Communion on Sunday 2nd February at 9.30am
GREAT HALE have a service of Holy Communion on 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month at 9.30am.
'Wild Church' at Great Hale is on the 2nd Saturday of each month at 4pm.
There is also a Celtic service on the fourth Sunday of the month at 4pm called 'Food for the Journey' the next one will be on 27th April.
HECKINGTON have a service every Sunday at 11am. The service is either Holy Communion or Morning Prayer. On the last Sunday of each month it is a Family Service (sometimes with a baptism) followed by a Bring & Share Lunch.
There is also a midweek service of Holy Communion each Wednesday morning at 11am followed by a time of prayer.
HELPRINGHAM church is currently closed for roof repairs until further notice.
HOWELL next service TBA
SCREDINGTON next service is on 6th April at 9.30am.
SWATON now have two services each month. An informal service led by the Living Stones team on the second Sunday at 9.30am and a service of Holy Communion on the fourth Sunday at 9.30am led by Rev Chris. On Palm Sunday there will be a donkey procession at 10am
SPECIAL EVENTS COMING UP
SEE PEW NEWS FOR AGM DATES & EASTER SERVICES
Easter activities at Scredington Church on Saturday 19th April from 2pm to 3pm
Easter Bunny Drive (like a Beetle Drive) at Scredington Community Centre on Sunday 27th April at 2pm
DISCIPLESHIP/STUDY GROUPS
The next JULIAN MEETING will be at Great Hale Church on 8th May 2025 at 10.30am.
The Great Hale Bible Study Group meets in church on Wednesday evenings at 7.30pm led by Rev Stephen with a series on the the prophet Ezekiel.
There are a number of home groups meeting at various venues. Contact Rev Chris if interested in joining one.
REGULAR GROUPS
There are various HOME GROUPS & READING GROUPS in our group of parishes. Contact Rev Chris for more details.
Various Art & Craft Groups meet in our group of parishes - All are welcome whether skilled or beginners. Refreshments are available at all groups. There is usually a weekly subs to cover costs of heating etc. See below:
Swaton Craft Group meets in the Hut from 9.30am to 12noon every Tuesday
Heckington 'Stitching Together' meets at the Wesleyan Chapel on Eastgate from 10.30am to 12noon every Tuesday
Heckington Art Group meets in Heckington Church on Friday afternoons 2pm till 4pm
Helpringham Community Cafe meets on Tuesdays in Helpringham Memorial Hall from 10.30am to 1.30pm
Great Hale Breakfast Cafe meets in church on Tuesday mornings 10am to 11.30am
Great Hale New U group meets in church on Wednesday mornings at 10am.
Heckington Church - Forget Me Not Teas on the 1st Monday of the month 2pm to 4pm
Heckington Church - Poetry reading group meets on 1st Wednesday of the month at 2pm in church.
SERVICES AVAILABLE ON HECKINGTON LIVING COMMUNITY RADIO
Our Sunday morning Radio broadcast continues each week on 'Heckington Living Community Radio' at or just after 11am. To listen to this service, just do a Google search for 'Heckington Living Community Radio' on Sunday at 11am and click on the play icon. If music is playing please do wait, the service will eventually start. It lasts for between 45mins and an hour. You can always listen afterwards (after 12noon that Sunday) by going to the Worship from the Rectory page of this website and clicking on the link.
Audio PODCASTS of ALL our services since March 2020 are still available on this website. To down load go to the 'Worship from the Rectory' page of this website and click on the service you want to hear. Previous sermons and service sheets are also available to read.
MUSIC
SOUNDS FROM THE SUNNYSIDE
See the Sounds from the Sunnyside page for the weekly playlist of rock & pop records Rev Chris will be playing on his weekly radio show 'Sounds from the Sunnyside' which is broadcast on Heckington Living Community Radio (HLR) straight after the Sunday service broadcast (starts around 12noon) and repeated on Tuesday mornings at 9am and Saturday mornings at 10.30am and Thursday afternoon at 2pm. Search for Heckington Radio which will take you to HLR 365 an internet radio station produced from Heckington. At present Rev Chris is doing a series on the Hits from the Sixties taking a different year each week and play records released that year. A real trip down memory lane.
DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE
At Easter 2024 Rev Chris started a new music show on HLR called 'Down by the Riverside'. It's a hour long show that begins at 5pm on Sunday afternoons playing purely Gospel music, Negro spirituals, new Christian music and songs with a spiritual message. Come and be refreshed Down by the Riverside. The playlists are on the Down by the Riverside page on this website. To listen search for Heckington Radio which will take you to HLR 365. Enjoy. It is now being repeated on Wednesday mornings at 9am
CD BY ELAINE HUCKLE
Elaine Huckle, who is a semi professional singer, has released a new album in her operatic style called 'Timeless Favourites'. Watching the beautiful dragon flies at Flag Fen Peterborough gave Elaine strength before her own cancer operation, hence the picture on the cover of the CD. All the profits from the sale of the album are going to MacMillan Cancer charity. Copies are available from Elaine (01529 461704) priced £10.
DIOCESAN NEWS
Bishop Stephen
Letter from Bishop Stephen Conway to the people of the Diocese. To read it click HERE
A new Bishop of Lincoln will be appointed in time, but in the interim period the Archbishop of Canterbury has announced that Rt Rev Stephen Conway, Bishop of Ely will be our temporary Diocesan Bishop. To read the Archbishop's letter click HERE.
To read the profile of Bishop Stephen Conway click HERE.
To read a letter from Bishop Stephen Conway re Ukraine Refugees 16th March 2022 click HERE
Bishop Stephen has now been made the permanent Bishop of Lincoln. To read the announcement (24th May 2023) click HERE
Bishop Stephen announces that Simon Jones is to be the New Dean of Lincoln Cathedral. Click HERE
Bishop Stephen announces that Canon David Dadswell the Diocesan Secretary is retiring at the end of 2024. To read the announcement click HERE
Bishop Stephen's response to the Makin report on the John Smyth abuse scandal (16th Nov 2024). Click HERE
Bishop Stephen's letter calling for a season of prayer (28th Feb 2025). Click HERE
Letter from Bishop Stephen & the Dean of the Cathedral inviting parishes to come on pilgrimage to the cathedral HERE
Letter from Bishop Stephen regards the result of the safeguarding review following the Makin report. Click HERE
Letter from Bishop Stephen regards Clergy time off. Click HERE As a result Rev Chris' time off will usually be from Friday lunchtime through to Sunday morning.
Time To Change Together (TTCT).
If you want to read the vision document for the changes to the way mission and ministry happens in the Diocese of Lincoln it is now called 'Time to Change - Together' please click HERE to download a copy (Note the full report is over 60 pages long). It has been voted through by Diocesan Synod and is gradually starting to come into effect. To accompany the report is a letter from the Bishops - click HERE to read.
A shorter two page summary of TTCT is now available, to read that click HERE.
To read the update (April 2022) about TTCT on the question of how many stipendiary posts there may be in the future and how that could be decided please click HERE.
Letter from Bishop Stephen (June 2022) regards the new roles of the Bishops Staff and other senior leaders at Lincoln - click HERE
The first North Kesteven Deanery Partnership Newsletter from our Area Dean can be read by clicking HERE
The latest TTCT report given at Diocesan Synod in Nov 2022 (18 pages) is available to read by clicking HERE
The latest TTCT newsletter from Archdeacon Ali Buxton (Feb 2023). The read click HERE
The latest NK Deanery Partnership Newsletter from the Partnership Dean (Sept 2023). To read click HERE
Letter from Bishop Stephen - a reminder about the Bishops Guidelines and Regulations for leading worship at the different categories of church under TTCT. To read the letter & guidelines click HERE
Guidance from the Diocese re - choosing Deanery Synod Reps for 2023 elections. Click HERE
Guidance from the Diocese re - Annual Parochial Church Meetings & Election of Church Wardens for 2023. Click HERE
Notice (17th April 2024) regards Assistant Archdeacons in Gavin's Absence. To read click HERE
Letter regards a season of prayer 'Lord show us the way' from Bishop Stephen. To read click HERE
Deanery Synod Reports
Minutes from Lafford Deanery Synod (22nd April 2024). To read click HERE
Deanery Synod Report from Rev Al Jenkins regards the clergy conference in Feb 2024. To read click HERE
Pastoral Letters to the people of Lincoln Diocese from our Bishops
Letter from Bishops Stephen, David & Nicholas with a response to the latest decisions by the CofE House of Bishops on the issues of Identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage (Jan 2023) click HERE
Letter from the CofE House of Bishops (Jan 2023) on the issues of Identity, Sexuality, Relationships & Marriage click HERE
Letter from the Bishops at Lincoln (17th Oct 2023) on the recent events in Israel + reports in the press about the prayers regards 'Living in Love and Faith'. Click HERE
We welcome Bishop Stephen Conway as the 73rd Bishop of Lincoln. His enthronement in the cathedral on Saturday 11th Nov was a lovely occasion. If you want to read his sermon click HERE
Letter from the three Bishops at Lincoln (17th Feb 2024). Click HERE to read.
Letter from the 3 Bishops + Dean of the Cathedral on the Assisted Dying Bill (29th Oct 2024). Click HERE to read
Bishop Stephen's response to the Makin report on the John Smyth abuse case (16th Nov 2024). Click HERE to read
The Christmas Letter from the Bishops (21st Dec 2024). Click HERE to read
Announcement (3rd Feb 2025) that Bishop David (+Grimsby) is retiring in July 2025. Click HERE to read.
Announcement (25th March 2025) that Archdeacon of Boston is leaving to take up a new role. Click HERE to read
Reports from General Synod
To read the report from the Feb 2023 meeting of General Synod by Lincoln Reps click HERE
Letters from Archbishops
To read the letter from the Archbishop of York (8th Jan 2025) click HERE
FACULTY NOTICES
None at present.