Contact Us
The first point of contact will be the Parish Office, however if you need urgent clergy support, the details are:
Nick Parker 07890 720240 or
Simon Marshall 0121 704 4730 or
Sue Chandler 07970 791288.
Contact details for the Parish office are now here: Solihull Parish Office page
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Towards a More Inclusive Church
At our recent church council meeting we warmly welcomed the decision by the General Synod of the Church of England to allow pastoral use of Prayers of Love and Faith. Prayers of Love and Faith As society has come to recognise the diversity of human identity around issues of gender, sexuality and relationships, it becomes increasingly clear that this diversity echoes the richness of God’s creation and that we have a duty to celebrate all that reflects the breadth of God’s goodness and love. Whilst further national agreement is needed before we are able to hold stand-alone marriage blessings for same-sex couples, we look forward to that possibility, and in the meantime are pleased to discuss what we can offer – in the light of a resource that is designed for a wide-range of situations, and which allows for a good degree of creativity in worship. To find out more please contact the parish office who will put you in touch with a member of our ministry team.
And a note on the Rainbow
It is curious that the LGBT movement has adopted the rainbow as its symbol. This dates back to 1978 when the pride flag was created by artist Gilbert Baker who gave each of the eight stripes its own meaning. To him this ‘flag in the sky’ was a natural place to turn when thinking about the spectrum of human sexuality and relationships. More recently we may have noticed a variation most often called the pride ‘diversity flag’ which seeks to recognise the often-overlooked role of people of colour in fighting for justice and equality – the triangular shape indicating a sense of movement or progress. Of course, for Jewish, Christian, and Muslim peoples, the rainbow is something we equate with Noah and God’s promise of mercy. We may see the two coming together in Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s ‘Rainbow People of God’ – a vision celebrating both our diversity and essential unity as God’s children – each one of us dependent on God’s mercy and grace. We may also wish to note that, scientifically speaking, the whole spectrum is an essential part of what we simply know as light – the universal symbol of truth, hope, and love.
Revd Nick Parker, Priest-in-Charge (Rector Designate)
What’s Happening
This week in the Parish:
Wednesday lunchtime recitals: return after the school Easter holidays on Wednesday 10 April with piano duets performed by Elizabeth Khoo and Chi-Hang Chang. A full listing of upcoming performers can be found here.
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Weekdays – Morning Prayer. Beginning each day with God:
PLEASE NOTE: w/c April 1st, no Morning Prayer will be held across the Parish.
Monday, Thursday, Friday – 9.00am at St Alphege Church.
We will enter by the choir vestry door and ordinarily will meet in the Chantry Chapel. If you would like to come but would find the stairs difficult, please contact the Parish Office so that we can arrange for the service to be held in the choir stalls. All are very welcome.
Tuesday – 9.00am at St Helen’s Church, 6 St Helen’s Road, Solihull, B91 2DA
Wednesday – 9.30am at St Michael’s, Oak Cottage, Bryanston Road, Solihull, B91 1BS
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Holy Week and Easter at St Alphege
Thursday 28th March 7.30 pm – Maundy Thursday Eucharist followed by The Watch, ending at 10.00pm
Good Friday – 9.45 am – Exploring the Easter Story – an interactive service for all ages
11.00am – Walk of Witness (starts at St Augustine’s church, with refreshments afterwards in the Oliver Bird Hall)
2.00pm – Devotions at the Foot of the Cross
Saturday 30th March – 8.00pm – Easter Vigil
Sunday 31st March – Easter Sunday
St. Alphege:
8.00am – Eucharist – President & Preacher: Canon Revd Andrew Hutchinson
9.15am – All Age Holy Communion – President & Preacher: Revd Nick Parker
11.00am – Choral Eucharist – President: Revd Roy Murray & Preacher: Suzette Maguire
5.00pm – St. Alphege – PLEASE NOTE – No Evensong
St Helen’s – 10.00am – Holy Communion followed by decoration of the cross
St Michael’s:
6.30am Easter Day Dawn Service in the Oak Cottage Chapel and Garden
10.30am – Holy Eucharist at Sharman’s Cross School
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Holy Week and Easter service information
For more details of services across our Parish please view our flyer, copies of which can be found in all churches, or view by clicking on the image at the top of the page or by following the link below to download.
Noticeboard
Job/volunteer vacancies: Parish Treasurer, – for details click here
Part time Children’s and Families Worker – for details click here
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Alpha Course begins on Wednesday April 10th: click on icon below for more details.
SMBC Support – beginning on Tuesday 5th March and every first Tuesday of the month thereafter, Kerrie and Natalia from the Community Development Team will be sitting in the foyer of the OBH from 12noon till 3.00pm. For more information please click on the link here: SMBC Support
Useful Documents to download
Join Us Online
Link to join Good Friday Devotions at the Foot of the Cross
Link to join All Age Holy Communion on Easter Day