Bradford North Circuit

At Allerton, having not met together for over 12 months, we decided to hold a short, outdoor service on Easter Sunday.  Virtually all our members and their families attended; all socially distanced & wearing face coverings. Flowers were brought to decorate the CROSS and luckily the weather was kind to us. I led us in prayer and reflection, whilst Margaret read the lesson. We finished with a rousing rendition of 'Thine be the Glory' before we filtered away home feeling uplifted, joyous and thankful to have had the opportunity to see each other again and worship together.  Helen H PS We gave all our Junior Church members an Easter Egg to take home with them!

Allerton’s Community Play & Learn Hub In October we were approached by the Bradford Community Play Partnership to ask if they could use the church premises for their Allerton & Lower Grange Community Learning Hub. They had been running this from Ladyhill Park since 1st April but needed somewhere more suitable for the winter months. Supporting local families and linking with 5 local primary schools, 7 volunteers, including 3 of our own congregation, are working together to provide ‘Bags of Creativity’ during the pandemic. The group have provided over 5,000 packs to children, signed up over 700 children to a Summer Reading Challenge, engaged with 1,500 children in the Light Project with a physical literacy music lesson in the car park, with pallet Christmas trees, a grotto, forest school activities including making Bird Cake and incorporating: Exercise Counting, Measuring, Weighing Investigating natural materials Growing Sunflowers Reading Music The Hub will continue until Februa...

In March last year, we started a conversation with the young people at Allerton about whether they wanted a chance to meet up together during the week, and what sort of group they might like. They had a think and came up with some suggestions, and so in June we launched the ‘First Friday Fellowship’, a group which meets monthly on the first Friday evening of the month. We had a month off in August, but otherwise have met every month since. The young people come together for a mixture of food, fellowship, fun and games and faith conversations. The young people involved are regular attenders and there is a good atmosphere amongst the group. As we go into the new year, we are looking at different activities to get involved with, including encouraging links with other groups in the local area and across the circuit. If you have any young people in your churches, who might like to get involved, in either this group or the Thursday evening gro...

On the 3 rd Wednesday of the month at 12pm – 2pm, a group of unique and wonderful people meet for ‘ Tea & Talk ’ . Both men and women. We enjoy a home cooked meal and tea (or coffee), followed by a speaker. There is lots of chatting, fun and laughter and meeting good friends. The premises are now as warm as the fellowship. Lately numbers have shrunk. We are looking to see if there are any people in your church congregations or groups, who might enjoy a very sociable lunchtime of companionship? If you have anyone, then we would ask your church to provide transport for that person to be taken to Allerton and then taken home. If you would like any further information, please contact me. Thank you from Tea & Talk. John W, Bradford North Circuit Pastoral Co-ordinator 

Through our links to the Roots syllabus, the children and young people of Allerton celebrate the light of the world, our Lord Jesus, as he calls us all as modern disciples to follow him as our Lord and Saviour. We are indeed truly blessed here at Allerton, with an average of 15 young people meeting every Sunday Morning. Helen H, Allerton

Tea and Talk on 16 th April was very special for us all.  We were delighted to celebrate with our dear friend Edna, her 100 th birthday – a truly wonderful achievement. The hall was superbly decorated and tables beautifully set for a birthday party.  We all enjoyed an afternoon tea, as well as chatting to our friends.  Edna got chance to go round and talk to all her friends. Edna was surprised to receive a visit from the then Lord Mayor, Councillor Joanne Dodds and her consort, Robert Dodds.  The Lord Mayor gave Edna a present and card on behalf of Bradford Council. A photographer from the Telegraph & Argus came and we were delighted to see Edna’s photograph in the paper a couple of days later. Edna brought with her the card that she had received from HM the Queen.  This took pride of place on a table with a birthday cake and a basket of flowers from her friends at Allerton Church. The Lord Mayor chatted to Edna for a while, before we were en...

Our Sunday School goes from strength to strength under the leadership of Elaine.   Each week she prepares a lively and entertaining programme for our young people. In the corridor outside Sunday School, we now have a ‘Spotlight area’, where members of the congregation can see what the children have been working on each week. On 17 th April, they were talking about sheep!  After the service there were delicious woolly buns for the congregation to enjoy, which had been made by the children. Sarah R, Allerton

The storytelling workshop at Allerton Methodist Church on Saturday 16 April was brilliant.   Sue Allonby is a gifted storyteller who told stories, had us tell stories, and gave us the confidence to try our own storytelling.   We discussed the key skills of words, memory, visualisation, concentration, and geography and gesture - and then practised them!   We played the Yorkshire Cat game to encourage us to think of words quickly; were told a story and then had to tell it to someone else; discussed visualisation which would help fix a story firmly in our heads; played games of concentration to feel how it is to keep a subject in our minds; discussed the geography of a story and the gestures that we would use.  And then used all of these in the reading of a poem.   Subjects covered included repeating words and actions, facial expression, speed of delivery, pauses, eye contact, getting the audience on your side; so much covered in so short a tim...

My pet dog Millie has been a big part of my life for the last 10 years.  She was instrumental in getting me back on my feet when I was really down, after the first eye surgery in 2008 when I was convinced that I would never leave the house again. With Millie getting older and having increasing health problems, I decided to ask to adopt a retired or withdrawn  guide dog. I was persuaded to take a working guide dog. In September last year, I heard from Guide Dogs about a possible match. We had to be sure that Colin and I would get along, Millie and Colin get along and that he is ok around my grandchildren.  We passed with flying colours and so Colin came to live with me on 15th October.  Colin is very bright and has a brilliant memory.  We go to a place once and...

It was wonderful to see our church full of families at our Carol and Gift Service.  Everyone gave generously of toys and food for those less fortunate than ourselves in our community.  Our young people, including cubs, scouts and their families, joined in a very different nativity led by Dave. This lovely family service topped off what was a fantastic weekend at Allerton.  Our annual Coffee and Carols event in aid of Action for Children was really well supported.  Lots of new faces and a whopping £367 raised for the charity.  Thank you to all who helped in any way.  Special thanks to Ley Top Singing Stars and Claire Pipe.

We have had a very successful year, with members telling us how much they enjoy the chance to get together with friends and enjoy good food and good company. We ended the year with a Christmas Meal and a sing song led by Helen and Margaret.  A brilliant time was had by all. Sarah R, Allerton

Dear Friends, Have you noticed how the world is full of ‘them’?   It seems that everywhere you look ‘they’ are there, whether it’s on the TV or in the newspapers, at the clinic or in the hospital, at school or college, at work or in the club, you can’t get away from ‘them’.   Even in church, amongst the neighbours, at home sometimes, ‘they’ appear.             (Now, before you read on, perhaps you might take a moment to be aware of yourself, to ask who has come to mind as ‘them’, who ‘they’ are, and what you are thinking and feeling.  What tone did you hear as you read that first paragraph?  Were we talking ethnicity, religion, sexuality, age……?             I wonder what criteria of difference came to mind.   We all carry the potential for prejudice and discrimination within us.)           ...