We were excited this week to be contacted by Big Local Thurnscoe to ask if local churches would take part in the Spring Event which is being planned. Just as at Christmas we were approached by the Goldthorpe Development Team to help at the Christmas Market, an event which was a great community success, we have been asked to take part in a Palm Sunday procession on Sunday 20th March at Phoenix Park (the former pit site which links Thurnscoe and Goldthorpe which was redeveloped by Groundwork Dearne Valley and local residents in the 1990s and which is now owned and managed by the Forestry Commission.)
Local churches will meet for prayer at Houghton Road Centre in Thurnscoe (where Thurnscoe Pentecostal Church meets, opposite Asda) at 10.15 a.m. and will then move to Phoenix Park car park for 10.50 a.m. to lead a procession with donkeys and palm branches (made of cardboard, in case you were getting excited about that!) We will sing a few songs and Kevin Watts (pastor of Thurnscoe Pentecostal Church) will explain the meaning of Palm Sunday. The event itself will run from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. and will include a variety of stalls, activities (including a treasure hunt and donkey rides) and we will be giving out Easter goody bags containing leaflets and chocolate eggs. It’s a great opportunity for us to meet local residents and see what is happening in our community – there are loads of other community groups working tirelessly in Thurnscoe and Goldthorpe, but so often, we’re not aware of what is happening. Come along and find out more!
Because of this, there will be no morning service at Market Street on 20th March, but the evening service will be at 6 p.m. as usual.
Services over the Easter weekend will also be slightly different:
- There will be a short Good Friday service at our church at 6 p.m. on Friday 25th March when we will celebrate Christ’s death and remember His crucifixion. This will last about an hour.
- There will be a ‘Churches Together’ March of Hope around Goldthorpe on Saturday 26th March, leaving our church at 10.15 a.m. and returning there for a light lunch
- Services on Easter Sunday (27th March) will be at 10.30 a.m. and 6 p.m.