On a cold December night, a few years ago, an unemployed Scouser answered the door to a group of kids having a go at a Christmas carol.

“Sorry kids, I’ve got nothing for you. I lost my job and I’ve spent everything I’ve got left on presents for the grandkids… I haven’t even got any money left for food just now”.

The carol singers went away.

A few hours later, more singing outside the same door, it’s even more out of tune than before. Another knock at the door.

It’s the same group of carol singers.

StBrides Liverpool15 December 2015Comment

What is the point of church?

Blog post by Warren Hartley

In September at St Bride’s, for the third year, in a row we celebrated Inclusive Church Sunday. Not heard of it before? Don’t worry, many won’t have! St Bride’s is part of Inclusive Church, a national network which seeks to raise awareness about the ways that people feel excluded by the church. It is so much more than just a single issue organisation and is committed to working for a church that is welcoming and open to all. So each year, on the third Sunday of September, we hold a special service which celebrates our membership of this network and to recommit ourselves to making inclusion a hallmark of our community

StBrides Liverpool3 November 2015Open TableComment

Some principles for making prayerful decisions

THIS WEEK, the community at St Bride's church faced a huge decision – whether to commit to at least ten years of major fundraising and building work, or to walk away and start afresh somewhere else. A question this big was hard to answer – the community was divided, with strong feelings on both sides. We needed to do something to help us see past our doubts and fears and hear what (and where) God is calling us to be.

Kieran Bohan24 October 2015Comment

Migrations

On Sunday 11th October The Well, our Celtic Worship community gathered to reflect on migrations. Here is a snippet from this moving service or download the full thing here.

StBrides Liverpool13 October 2015Comment

What is a Shared Conversation?

Our LGBT Ministry Facilitator Warren Hartley shares his experience of being invited to take part in the Church of England’s Shared Conversations on Scripture, Mission and Human Sexuality.

Kieran Bohan5 October 2015Open TableComment

Creating our Future Together: Re-imagining St Bride's

For the past three months, we have been engaged in a reflective listening process to help us develop a vision for the next seven years of the St Bride’s community.

StBrides Liverpool29 September 2015Comment

Retreats as Sacred Space

As part of our series examining the idea of Sacred Space, Sara shared her thoughts on how retreats can be a sacred space on Sunday 23/8/15.

Isaiah 55 Verse 3 “Give Ear and Come to Me, that your soul may live.

StBrides Liverpool27 August 2015Comment

Pilgrimage as Sacred Space

In the Sunday morning service on 16th August we continued our reflection on sacred spaces by looking at the tradition of pilgrimage, with prayers, poems, chants and images from the St Bride’s Pilgrimage to Lindisfarne in June

StBrides Liverpool19 August 2015Comment

Fathomless Depths of Compassion

A prayer by Brother Roger, founder of the Taizé Community

StBrides Liverpool12 August 2015Comment

Liverpool Pride 2015: Love is no Crime

Blog by Kieran Bohan, co-facilitator of Open Table, our monthly LGBT-inclusive communion service.

Liverpool Pride this year took the theme ‘Love Is No Crime’, in recognition of legislative change in the UK and the need to support our brothers and sisters around the world where LGBT people are marginalised, punished, attacked and killed, either by the state or people’s own communities.

StBrides Liverpool7 August 2015Open TableComment

Melody of Life

- adapted from Tess Ward, used at our Wednesday morning prayer

StBrides Liverpool4 August 2015Comment

Thank you Pleasant Street Primary

Thank you to the young people at Pleasant Street Primary School who raised over £200 from their Enterprise Projects and have donated the money to Hope+ Food Bank.

StBrides Liverpool22 July 2015Comment

Mouse questions

This is a story written by Hannah, a member of our Open Table community, who has dedicated it to the community at St Bride's in appreciation for the hospitality she has found here:

Once upon a time there was a little church, and in this little church there lived a family of mice. Every Sunday they would gather at the back of the church where no one would spot them and they would listen to what the preacher had to say.

Kieran Bohan20 July 2015Comment

Bishop shares ‘absolute welcome’ with LGBT Christians at anniversary celebration

StBrides Liverpool20 July 2015Open TableComment

Power to the Young People

A few weeks ago we were exploring the topic of POWER in our young people’s Sunday group which we call FISH. Who is powerful, who is powerless? What makes us powerful? That kind of thing. A little girl from Pakistan joined us, she was two and a half. She and her family were seeking asylum. She quickly made friends with the children in the group, communicating in gestures and drawings.

StBrides Liverpool14 July 2015Comment

Celtic Chant, Poetry and Stories

Posted by Jackie O’Carroll

Celtic Chant, Poetry and Stories Posted by Jackie O’Carroll On Monday June 29th we welcomed Stefan Waligur to Liverpool, to St Bride’s and to our hearts! This was the first joint event of St Bride’s and Make Space – a community of people, based in Liverpool, seeking more joy and fulfilment in their lives.

StBrides Liverpool5 July 2015Comment

Dare to Imagine

Imagine this: even with our doubts and weaknesses our mistakes and our suffering, we are held in God's relentless love.

StBrides Liverpool5 July 2015Comment

Pilgrim Journey Along St Cuthbert's Way

Twenty one members of St Bride’s (including friends) have recently returned from walking as pilgrims together along part of St Cuthbert’s Way in Northumberland, ending on the island of Lindisfarne. This was a wonderful experience!

StBrides Liverpool2 July 2015Comment

Love, protest & resistance

A guest post by Chris Allen, who lectures in sociology at Liverpool John Moores University.

Another five years of Conservative austerity will bring a lot of injustice and a lot of protest and resistance. As I write the Love Activists are occupying the Bank of England building in Liverpool. It is a protest. It is resistance. Their protest and resistance are being expressed through acts of love towards homeless people.

StBrides Liverpool14 May 2015Comment

A Coward with Courage – Challenging the Church, Changing Our Image of God

Report by Kieran Bohan (includes audio of Colin’s reflections).

LAST WEEKEND, director of Changing Attitude Colin Coward came to our church to give a series of reflections inspired by twenty years working towards a more inclusive church around the world.

StBrides Liverpool25 April 2015Open Table

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