West Kirby Methodist Church
Welcome to Worship
15th & 22nd FEBRUARY 2026
Church website: www.westkirbymethodist.org.uk
Community & Church Development Lay Worker:
Sam Hepworth Tel: 0151 625 3224
Room Bookings: Sam Hepworth Tel: 0151 625 3224
Email: westkirbymc@yahoo.com
15th FEBRUARY SERVICE
10.30 a.m. Own Arrangement
Leader: Elaine Phillips
Steward: Sally Brimble
Welcome: John Turner & Martin Eva
Reader: John Turner
The flowers this week are kindly donated by Di Sleight
In memory of her dad.
22nd FEBRUARY SERVICE
1st of Lent
10.30 a.m. Sam Hepworth
Steward: Elaine Phillips
Welcome: Veronica Wilkinson & Di Sleight
Reader: Veronica Wilkinson
NOTICES
PLAN OF SERVICES AT WEST KIRBY
Copies of the new Plan of Services covering the three months commencing 1st March are now available. Pick up your copy from the table in the foyer.
A FOCUS ON PRAYER
Most of you now know that there is a prayer suggestion box on the table in the foyer. Please use this to post ideas that are on your heart, which you feel the church could be praying for. This is not for individual prayer for people, more for general issues in our church and local area (or more globally) which need prayer. We will then use these ideas to include a “What to Pray for this Week” section in our Notices (to help focus our prayer at home) as well as including them in prayers during services.
LENT SERIES WITH DEACON ELLIE
Deacon Ellie will be holding a series of sessions over the course of four weeks during Lent, focussing on “Living, Sharing, Telling the Good News”. There will be three possible options to attends the sessions – a Monday morning in-person at Moreton, a Tuesday evening on Zoom, plus one other in-person option at either St. Luke’s or West Kirby. Sessions start week commencing 23rd February and further details will be emailed out next week, to help those interested in participating to decide which option suits you best.
BIBLE STUDY GROUP
I committed to restarting the Bible Study Group earlier this year in the light of us sadly losing Eleanor, who had hosted this Group in recent times. I have been speaking with Cate at St. Luke’s as there has also been recent demand there for a daytime Bible Study Group. So, we ill do a joint Group, alternating venues. West Kirby will host once a month, and St. Luke’s also once a month, so the Group will meet fortnightly, with Cate and I alternating facilitating. We have decided to launch the new Group after the Lent Sessions finish, so people may wish to do the Lent Series then naturally flow into the Bible Study Group. More information to follow nearer the time.
Sam Hepworth
GIFT AID SMALL DONATION SCHEME (GASDS)
We are currently £700 short in hitting our £8,000 target to maximise our GASDS claim. Effectively for every £1 cash donation given either in the church collection on a Sunday or Friday/Sunday coffee mornings the church will receive £1.25. This needs to happen before the end of the tax year on 5th April. Donations should be in cash not cheque and individual amounts should not exceed £30 but multiple donations are allowed.
WIRRAL FOOD BANK
Help support the food bank with donations this Lent. In the six weeks of Lent the food bank will provide emergency food parcels for local people and families facing hardship.
The amount of help needed is outstripping the donations they are receiving. Please donate an item or two from the following list:
Tinned custard, Tinned fruit, Tinned rice pudding
Tinned vegetables, Tinned potatoes,
Tinned meat, Tinned spaghetti
Toothbrushes, Shampoo, Sanitary towels
(Items may be left in the box in the foyer)
BEREAVEMENT JOURNEY COURSE
This seven-week course began on Wednesday, 28th January 2026 and will be hosted each week by us at West Kirby Methodist Church.
A couple of volunteers each week are needed as we will be offering refreshments upon arrival (1.45 p.m.-2.15 p.m.) during the interval (approx. 3 p.m.) and to wash up afterwards. Please let Sam know if you can volunteer for any of the remaining dates which are:
25th February. 4th, 11th & 18th March
MORE GOOD NEWS FROM 2025 (this time on the environmental front)
French Polynesia created the world’s largest marine protected area, covering nearly five million square kilometres. Samoa protected 30% of its ocean territory. Spain, Greece, Portugal, Colombia and Tanzania all designated new reserves. In the United States new figures showed that overfishing has been almost entirely stopped in territorial waters, with 50 stocks rebuilt since 2002.
In 2025 we learned that India’s tiger population has doubled in a decade. Iberian lynx went from 100 at the turn of the century to over 2,500 and Green Turtles were removed from the endangered list. Humpback whales in Eastern Australia now exceed pre-whaling numbers.
(Thanks for Polly Spencer for this good news item)
Items for inclusion in the notices should be sent to the Editor, Elaine Phillips,
Flat 3 Lyndhurst, 82 Meols Drive, West Kirby, CH48 5DD (Tel: 07733 057 315) or emailed to elaine5649.ep@gmail.com by 11.59 p.m. on the Tuesday preceding the Sunday of publication. Any additional notices may be handed to the Steward on duty to be read out to the congregation.