Parish Church of St Thomas
Proclaiming the love of
Jesus in our community
Jesus in our community
Parish Church of St Thomas, St Thomas's Road, St Anne's-on-the-Sea, Lancashire, England, FY8 1JL.
Parish Church of St Thomas, St Thomas's Road, St Anne's-on-the-Sea, Lancashire, England, FY8 1JL.
MAIN
ORGANISATIONS
LINKS
CALENDAR
| Sunday 7th March 2010: The Third Sunday of Lent | |
| 8.00 am | Holy Communion |
| 10.00 am | Parish Communion |
| 3.30 pm | Evening Prayer (Book of Common Prayer) |
| Thursday 11th March 2010 | |
| 10.30 am | Holy Communion |
| Sunday 14th March 2010: Mothering Sunday | |
| 8.00 am | Holy Communion |
| 10.00 am | Parish Communion |
| 3.30 pm | Evening Prayer (Book of Common Prayer) |
| Thursday 18th March 2010 | |
| 10.30 am | Holy Communion |
| Sunday 21st March 2010: The Fifth Sunday of Lent | |
| 8.00 am | Holy Communion |
| 10.00 am | Parish Communion |
| 3.30 pm | Evening Prayer (Book of Common Prayer) |
| Thursday 25th March 2010: Annunciation of Our Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary | |
| 10.30 am | Holy Communion |
| Sunday 28th March 2010: Palm Sunday | |
| 8.00 am | Holy Communion |
| 10.00 am | Parish Communion |
| 6.30 pm | Evening Prayer (Book of Common Prayer) |
| Thursday 1st April 2010: Maundy Thursday | |
| 10.30 am | Holy Communion |
| Friday 2nd April 2010: Good Friday | |
| 9.30 am | Morning Prayer |
| 11.00 am | Joint Service at the Drive Methodist Church |
| 12.00 pm | noon Three Hours Service and Liturgy of the Passion |
| Saturday 3rd April 2010: Holy Saturday | |
| 8.00 pm | Easter Vigil and First Communion of Easter |
| Sunday 4th April 2010: Easter Day | |
| 8.00 am | Holy Communion |
| 10.00 am | Parish Communion |
| 6.30 pm | Evening Prayer (Book of Common Prayer) |
EVENTS
WELCOME
The Revd Peter Law-Jones,
Vicar of St Thomas's Parish,
Area Dean of Kirkham
It is a pleasure and a privilege to live and work in St Anne's as the vicar of St Thomas's and to welcome you to our parish website. We believe it offers a snapshot of a welcoming community, that takes seriously its calling to worship the living God and to live out that worship in the parish and town to which we belong. It is this understanding that lies behind our desire to continue proclaiming the love of Jesus in our community: our love for the living Lord encourages us to reach out to you, while our belief in his love for us is so transforming that we don't want to keep it to ourselves.
It may be that you have come to live in the area and want to join our community life. It may be that you are planning to visit for rest or business. It may be that you just happened across this website. Whichever applies to you, we hope you will have the opportunity to enjoy the life behind the snapshot, so that we may welcome you in the name of the Lord!
Peter.
The Sanctuary
SUNDAY SERVICE TIMES
| 8.00 am | Holy Communion |
| 10.00 am | Parish Communion |
| 3.30 pm | Evening Prayer |
See the Calendar section for further details.
VERSE OF THE DAY
THE CHURCH INTERIOR
Pictures courtesy of Tom Williamson.
The Bishop's Chair
The Chancel
The Font
The Lady Chapel
The Lectern
The Nave
The Warden's Chair
EASTER FLOWERS
Pictures courtesy of Tom Williamson.
THE JUNIOR CHURCH
Pictures courtesy of Victoria Eaves.
THE KNITTERS GROUP
Pictures courtesy of Rhoda Lowe.
THE CHRISTIAN FAITH
What is Christianity all about?
The heart of the Christian message is love. The 'Good News' is that God has shown his love for us all through Jesus. He has made it possible for us to become God's friends. Jesus particularly showed God's love for us by his death upon the cross. Jesus calls us to turn away from selfishness and accept God's forgiveness. He calls us to love God and to love other people and tell them about him. We all have to decide whether to say 'yes' to God. Millions of people throughout the ages have found that friendship with God is what gives meaning and purpose to their lives. If you have not already done so we ask you to join us and begin getting to know God and experience his presence in your life.
What is the purpose of the Church?
The Church exists to encourage us to know God and express our love for him through worship. We need to support and encourage each other in our journey of faith and through the difficulties of everyday life. Church people are disciples of Jesus and seek with God's help to grow more like Jesus. We try to work together to express our love for other people by serving them and telling them about Jesus.
We believe it is God's will that his people worship together and proclaim God's love together. Whenever we meet together to break the bread and proclaim the 'Good News' we are strengthened and encouraged by the presence of Jesus.
Who is God?
We believe that God has shown himself to us as:
The idea of the one God being a Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit is not something we can fully understand. God would not be God if we could fully understand him. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity witnesses to the abiding majesty and mystery of love revealed to us in Jesus Christ and made known to each generation by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
What is prayer?
Prayer is being aware of God's presence with us. It can involve speaking to him or just meditating upon him. Some of us use the acronym ACTS to guide us in our prayers:
Adoration - We praise God for who he is.
Confession - We say we are sorry for not always living as he wants us to.
Thanksgiving - We say thank you to God for all he has given to us.
Supplication - We ask God to help other people and to help us.
We believe God calls us to work with him and the communication we experience with him in prayer is vital to being disciples of Jesus.
What is the Bible?
The Bible is a collection of Jewish and early Christian writings. The most important parts of the Bible for Christians are the four Gospels which tell us about the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus.
We take the Bible seriously at St Thomas's by reflecting together on its meaning for contemporary life. We believe we need to look for the important principles of the Bible rather than taking each individual detail and applying it literally.
As we read the Bible together and as individuals God is able to speak to us through what we read. Many of us read the Bible every day and some of us find help from the daily Bible study notes produced by the Bible Reading Fellowship or Scripture Union.
MISSION ACTION PLAN
Proclaiming the love of Jesus in our community
The people of St Thomas', in order to give greater glory to God,
offer ourselves to Jesus Christ and to the world with love, prayer and care.
The Diocese's Mission Action Plan Prayer
God of new beginnings
we pray that you
will transform your Church
and renew us by your love.
Give us vision for the journey
that we may travel light
and live increasingly by faith.
Inspire, enliven and empower us,
so that along the way
we may be sustained by the life of Christ
in ourselves
in one another
and in the world.
Amen.
REVIEW 2008
THE PLAN
In the coming year we will:
We believe the mission of this parish will benefit from continuing work on the following:
THE REVIEW PROCESS
The Mission Action Planning Group will monitor the progress of the plan on behalf of the PCC and congregation.
This progress will be communicated by means of the parish magazine and notices.
The plan will be reviewed each year, at the PCC meeting nearest the anniversary of its adoption.
SERVICES
Communion Sunday 8.00 am
An infant baptism at the font
This short said service usually lasts about 30 minutes and takes place in the Lady Chapel. There are no hymns or sermon. The Communion Service from the Book of Common Prayer is used once a month.
Parish Communion Sunday 10.00 am
This is a traditional Anglican Communion Service with hymns and a sermon. The service usually lasts just over an hour. Coffee is served afterwards in the Parish Centre.
All those who have been confirmed in the Church of England or who normally receive the bread and wine in their own church, of whatever denomination, are welcome to receive Communion. All others are welcome to come to the communion rail for a blessing. Those who are infirm may have Communion brought to them in their pews.
Evening Prayer Sunday 6.30 pm (summer) / 3.30 pm (winter)
(The time changes when the clocks move in the spring and autumn.)
The service is from the Book of Common Prayer and takes place in the Choir. There are hymns and a sermon. The service usually lasts almost an hour.
Communion Thursday 10.30 am
This is celebrated using the same order as on Sunday mornings, but is a quiet said service, usually followed by coffee and a Bible study at the Vicarage.
Causeway Service
On the third Sunday of the month (except August) we meet with members of other churches in St Anne's for an ecumenical act of worship called Afternoon Praise. The worship is offered with and for people with learning disabilities and other vulnerable adults. It begins at 3.30 pm and lasts until 5.00 pm, during which we sing, make things, and praise God.
Fresh Expressions of Worship
A group at St Thomas's are putting together some ideas for a new additional service. The intention is to offer something which will attract those people who do not see the relevance of a traditional Anglican service. For further information contact Peter Watson (01253) 729725.
THE PARISH CENTRE
The facilities consist of:
The Centre is accessed by steps and ramps and there is a large car park.
Regular users of the Centre include an after school club, several dance groups, parent and toddler group, Mothers' Union, church organisations and social events.
The running and maintenance of the Centre is the responsibility of a management committee, the chairman of which is Maurice Unsworth (01253) 711335.
The premises are available for letting by contacting the Booking Officer, David Bennett (01253) 778878 or 07976 329 355. Alternatively, here is an online version of the booking form.
HAMPTON COURT HOUSE GROUP
The House Group at 5 Hampton Court, St Anne's was formed over twenty years ago for prayer, study and fellowship.
A dozen or so members meet regularly on Thursday evenings at monthly intervals and weekly throughout Lent.
We use various study booklets and in recent years have used material supplied by York Courses. York Courses started in 1997 and include audio contributions from church leaders, theologians and lay people from various denominations and this format works well.
This year's Lent Course will take place on five consecutive Thursday evenings commencing on 5th March 2009 and we will use the York Courses materials based on Faith, Hope and Love, the three great qualities celebrated in 1 Corinthians 13.
The meetings are free and very friendly. The meeting dates are given in the Events section.
For further details contact Maurice and Christine Unsworth (01253) 711335. We look forward to seeing you.
ROSSALL ROAD HOUSE GROUP
Do you ever wish you were a more effective Christian? Do you want to know Jesus better? Do you feel the need for encouragement to be a better disciple of Jesus? Do you want the Church to develop and grow? If the answer to any of these questions is 'yes' then please come and join the house group at 39 Rossall Road, Ansdell.
It is our aim to grow together in worship, fellowship, discipleship, service and mission. I hope we will not only pray, study, share and discuss together but also undertake some projects in the life of the Church.
Meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month, apart from seasonal breaks. They start at 7.30 pm and finish at 9.30 pm. See the Events section for dates. All those who are interested please give me a phone call. Do seriously consider whether this could be your next step in your journey of faith.
For meeting dates, see the Events section.
Peter Watson (01253) 729725.
BIBLE READING FELLOWSHIP
In the wilderness, Jesus meditated on the Hebrew Scriptures which he had learned from childhood. The devil attacked where Jesus was strong, quoting the scriptures and applying them falsely. Jesus drew deeply on his memory and countered with other passages which kept his faith from failing.
There is a lesson here for us. Knowledge of the Bible is a good and holy thing. But knowledge of the scriptures must go hand in hand with a sensitive interpretation and an obedient heart.
The Bible Reading Fellowship offers a fresh devotional approach to Bible reading. The regular team of contributors is drawn from a wide range of backgrounds. New Daylight contains a Bible passage, a comment and a short prayer or reflection for each day. New Daylight notes the Sundays and special festivals from the Church Calendar to help readers appreciate the riches of the Christian year. Also included is the BRF magazine, with articles and book extracts reflecting BRF's core ministries: prayer and spirituality, discipleship and exploring the Bible.
If you would like to join and become a subscriber or sample the reading material, contact our representative here at St Thomas's - Maurice Unsworth (01253) 711335.
You can visit the BRF website here.
The BRF Prayer
Almighty God,
You have taught us that your word is a lamp for our feet
And a light for our path. Help us, and all who prayerfully
Read your word, to deepen our fellowship with each other
Through your love. And in so doing, may we come to know you
More fully, love you more truly, and follow more faithfully in
The steps of your son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with
You and the Holy Spirit, one God for evermore. Amen.
MEN'S ASSOCIATION
The Association was formed nearly twenty years ago and holds monthly meetings throughout the year.
Various activities include ten-pin bowling, crown green bowling and miniature golf.
Guest speakers in recent years have included officers of the Gideons, Samaritans and H.M. Coastguard.
Visits to various places of interest have included St Anne's Synagogue, Fleetwood Trawler Museum, wildlife locations and Preston Football Club.
The Association also holds a Music Evening for members to choose their favourite pieces. There is also a Quiz Night for intellectual members!
An evening dinner date is held once a year; recent venues have included the Chadwick Hotel, Don Alfredo's and the Hole in One.
Finally, the year ends with a communion and Jacob's Join Supper in December.
Committee
David Burton, Chairman
Michael Notman, Secretary
Findlay Denver, Treasurer
Subscriptions: £2 per annum
COFFEE SHOP
The Coffee Shop is open from 10.30 am to 12.00 noon on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. We aim to provide a friendly and relaxed atmosphere in which to enjoy a good cup of coffee, freshly baked scones and homemade cakes as well as the opportunity to meet up with old friends and to make new ones - the charge is 50p.
Mary Davidson
DANCE ACADEMY
The Dance Academy holds classes in St Thomas's Parish Centre throughout the day on Saturdays and on Monday evenings. Classes are available in Ballet, Tap, Modern, Street Dance, and Cheerleading. Private Singing lessons are also available on request.
Visit the Dance Academy website for further information.
Michelle Hughes, Principal.
FRESH EXPRESSIONS
Easter is a time of new life and growth. "Going for Growth" is the title of the Blackburn Diocese Mission Action Plan. (Do pick up one of the Growth "green" booklets from the back of church.) So this is an appropriate time to be thinking about starting an additional new service that we hope will lead to growth in our Church.
The diocesan Growth Priorities are 1) Prayer and Holiness, 2) Young Families and 3) Nurture Courses. We hope that that our Fresh Expression of Worship will lead to spiritual growth, introduce your families to the Church and lead people on to the nurture courses and commitment to follow Jesus.
At the Christingle service we gave out a questionnaire about the Fresh Expressions to people who do not regularly attend our services. We had about 35 replies. Most who answered said they would consider coming to a new, non-traditional worship service, which would be suitable for all ages and aimed at making Christianity relevant to the 21st century. The most popular time for such a service would seem to be 12 o'clock on a Sunday. Many replies said they would like children's activities and perhaps this service will be where our children's work will take place in the future.
We hope to start early in the summer and at first have the service just once a month. The service needs to be accessible to people with no church background. I think some people who have never been to church might find our huge, dark building rather daunting so perhaps we will use the Small Hall and move into the Large Hall when we grow in numbers.
As the Rossall Road Housegroup has shown interest in the Fresh Expressions idea, Peter Law-Jones has asked us to lead the introduction of this new service. However, I must stress that we want lots of other people to be involved. So if you are interested do come along to our meeting on Tuesday, 14th April starting at 7.30pm which meets at 39 Rossall Road, Ansdell, when we will be praying for this exciting venture and putting together some more detailed plans.
Please pray for us and for the people we hope to reach through the Fresh Expression of Worship. You might also like to see if you can come up with a title for the service which is less of a mouthful!
Peter Watson
MOTHERS' UNION
The Mothers Union meet at 2.00 pm on the second Tuesday of each month in the Small Hall of the Parish Centre.
Besides supporting Christian marriage and family life, members are involved with local projects and needs.
We also support the Mothers' Union abroad, having links with Rwanda and Bloemfontein.
Anyone can attend our meetings - you do not need to be a Mothers' Union member.
We are a small but happy group, all with one aim: to help others. Do come and join us!
Shirley Shipston, (01253) 721878
Visit the Mothers' Union website.
Part of the knitters' group
More images in the Gallery
WEDNESDAY CLUB
The Wednesday Club is an association for ladies and meets once a month. We have different speakers and try to have either serious or amusing talks. We usually go out for a meal in December and July. Once a year we try to have a fund raising event, half the proceeds going to a charity and half to the Church. We have a small committee to organise the events and to make the cakes to have with our coffee after the meeting. We are always happy to welcome new members, who do not have to be members of St Thomas's Church.
Wendy Mutton, (01253) 720666
JUNIOR CHURCH
Creative activities
Junior Church is run during the 10 am Parish Communion Service. We leave the service when the readings start and go into the Church Hall to complete our activities. We return to the service in time for communion and the final hymn. In this way, children are involved in the service, but do not have to sit quietly for a long period of time.
Children aged 3 upwards are welcome to attend our sessions. We normally have a theme, either based on the season of the Church's year, an aspect of the Christian faith or stories from the Bible. Most of our work is based on art and craft activities. We also participate in some Church services by reading prayers and making small presentations.
Sessions are led by Victoria Eaves, a qualified Primary School Teacher. Sessions are held only during school term times. Please see the current newsletter for the dates of sessions this term. Please contact Victoria Eaves for further information.
The following is adapted from a presentation done by members of Junior Church on Education Sunday.
E is for enjoyment and making learning fun.
At Junior Church, our lessons are very informal and the activities are designed to be fun, so the children don't feel like they are still at school!
D is for drawing and art.
Most Junior Church activities involve art and craft work so this can be accessed by all children of any age. Drawing, painting, collage and sewing are some of the activities we regularly enjoy.
U is for unity and bringing people together.
Children from any nursery or school are welcome to attend our Junior Church; they will meet new people and make friends with others.
C is for children, who are welcome to attend.
All children are welcome to attend Junior Church from age 3 upwards, whether you come every week, or only once a term, it doesn't matter.
A is for anywhere because learning also takes place at Church.
Education is not just something that takes place at school. Learning happens everyday of our lives and can take place at home, in the supermarket, at the park and also at Church.
T is for teaching and teachers.
At Junior Church you will learn about different aspects of the Christian faith and its practice, including stories from the Bible, celebrating festivals and special events in the Churches year.
I is for involvement in Church services.
We recognise that a Church service can be a very long time for a child to sit through quietly, so Junior Church meets at the front of Church at the 10 am Parish Communion service, but then leaves the service when the readings start. We return in time for communion as we feel that children should receive a blessing and have some experience of the service.
O is for only during term time.
Junior Church only runs during the school term time and the session dates for the rest of this school year are available on a leaflet which you can collect on your way out.
N is for news and being kept up to date.
We have a termly newsletter which is sent to parents with the dates of all Junior Church sessions and information about what children have been doing at Junior Church. This is distributed at the beginning of each new school term.
Here are a few recent Junior Church activities, described by some of its members.
Christopher - We have been learning about stories that Jesus told. We listened to the story of The Lost Sheep.
Rebecca - The story of the lost sheep teaches us that God is like a shepherd and we are his sheep. Even if we lose our path and wander away from him, he will continue to search and find us again.
Sam - We heard the story of the Lost Coin, about which we drew some pictures.
Rachael - The story of a lost coin is about a woman who loses a coin from her head-dress and she searches her house from top to bottom to find it, because it is very precious to her.
Adam - this teaches us that we are also precious to God and he will always look after us.
Catriona - Thank you for looking at this page. We hope you learnt a lot about Junior Church and might come and join us sometime soon.
More pictures in the gallery.
TABLE TENNIS CLUB
The Table Tennis club aims to provide a church social group available to people of all ages and both sexes. It encourages parents and children to come and join in together, have fun and enjoy a chat. Coaching is also available. We meet in the Parish Centre, on Thursdays 7.30 - 9.00 pm.
For further details, contact David Bennett (01253) 778878 or 07976 329 355.
BROWNIES
St Anne's Brownies (St Thomas's) is one section of Girl Guiding UK, with an aim to provide activities for girls aged 7-10 and have fun with games, crafts and community projects. Any girl 7 - 10 years can join with no restriction of faith culture or nationality. Trained volunteers are cleared by Criminal Records Bureau checks.
Brownies meet in the Parish Centre, Thursdays, term time only, 6.00 - 7.30 pm. For further details, contact Sue Allen (01253) 789718 or (01253) 720195.
GUIDES
4th St Anne's Guides (St Thomas's) is for girls aged 10 - 14 and is part of Girl Guiding UK - one of 600,000 members worldwide. There are activities indoors and outdoors which challenge Guides and often planned and delivered by the girls. These activities include games, crafts, cooking, challenges and community projects. Guides will also have opportunities to attend residential events both in the UK and abroad. Trained volunteers are cleared by Criminal Records Bureau checks.
Guides meet in the Parish Centre, on Fridays during school term time 7.30 - 9.00 pm. For further details, contact Sue Allen (01253) 789718 or (01253) 720195.
CHOIR
At St Thomas's, the choir aims to encourage singing in church, to learn new material and enhance and liven worship. We meet to rehearse the hymns, anthems and occasional new material in the Parish Centre weekly on Thursdays 7.30 - 8.30 pm and for Sunday worship at 10.00 am.
The choir consists of a dedicated group of people who enjoy singing. One does not have to read music although it helps to do so. New recruits are very welcome, as are extra singers to form an augmented choir on special occasions and festivals. Please come and join us! For further details, contact Kate Law-Jones, Organist and Music Leader, St Thomas's Vicarage (01253) 723750.
TODDLER GROUP
We are a pre-school play group with the aim of providing a meeting place for children, parents and carers. We meet in the Parish Centre each week, term time only. There is a small charge of £1.50 per family which helps us to provide tea, coffee, juice, toast, fruit and biscuits.
For further details, contact Kerry Williams (01253) 640782.
AFTER SCHOOL CLUB
At the After School Club we provide facilities for children to play pool, engage in art and craft activities, role-play, construction or watch DVDs. We meet in the Parish Centre, Monday - Friday 3.20 - 5.20 pm. For further details, contact Bridget Sayer 07891 205 340.
PARISH HISTORY
Based on "A History and Description of St. Thomas's Church, St. Anne's-on-the-Sea," by A.J. Cave (Assistant Priest 1965 to 1968). Additional material by Peter Watson.
Painting of St Thomas's Church by Tom Eccles, 2000
The Town
St Anne's-on-the-Sea is a 19th century planned town, officially founded on 31st March 1875. It was one of the first English towns to be built on a grid pattern. St Anne's absorbed the village of Kilgrimol, which is believed to have been founded by Vikings in around 900AD.
The Parish of St Thomas is the southern part of St Anne's and stretches from the sea front right back to Lytham Moss.
The Formation of the Parish
The Mission Church
The history of St. Thomas Parish began in 1893. In that year, a Mission Church was built to serve as a "Chapel-of-ease" within the Parish of Heyhouses-on-the-Sea. That parish, in its turn had been formed out of the ancient Parish of Lytham in 1875 and from the dedication of its Parish Church to St. Anne, the modern town of St. Anne's takes its name.
The Mission Church was constructed of corrugated iron and wood and stood in Orchard Road, on the site now occupied by St. Anne's Synagogue.
At Easter 1898 the Revd. C.H. Ellison became Curate-in-charge and the present church was begun in 1900. Two years later, on 12th August, 1902, the Parish of St. Thomas was formed and on 21st November in that year, the Revd. C.H. Ellison was instituted and inducted as the first vicar.
The Building of the Church
Under construction
Plans were prepared by Messrs. Austin and Paley of Lancaster and a site was given by John Talbot Clifton, the Squire of Lytham.
The whole of the immediate area of the site was in those days covered by sand dunes, none of the houses in St. Thomas's Road having been built. Work was begun in clearing and levelling the sand in 1898 and on 5th April, 1899 the foundation stone was laid.
It had been decided to build only part of the church consisting of chancel, vestries and as much of the nave as would accommodate about 400 people. So successful were the efforts to raise money for the Building Fund that it was decided to build rather more of the nave and increase the accommodation from 400 to 670. As the building now stands, this represents the first four bays of the nave. A careful observer will be able to detect marks on the top of the pillars of the fourth arches from the front of the church where a metal "stay" was fixed across these arches to take the strain during the time that a temporary west wall ran across the church at this point.
Before the tower was added
This part of the building was consecrated by the Rt Revd James Moorhouse, Bishop of Manchester, in whose diocese St. Anne's then was, on June 22nd, 1900.
In October 1904 the completion of the rest of the building was undertaken. The two westward bays were added to the nave and the present west-end and the tower were built. These additions were dedicated a year later, in November 1905, by the Rt Revd E.A. Knox, Bishop of Manchester.
A Description of the Church
The church is built of red stock brick with window stonework in cream Yorkshire stone. The major arches, arcades and pillars are in red sandstone.
The main internal fittings are in oak whilst the pews are made from an unusually attractive brown pine.
Externally the noble tower provides a landmark to be seen for a considerable distance in this generally flat area. The tower is also unusually placed, being set away from the main building of the church to which it is joined by a short covered arcade.
The stone font was presented by the children of the parish in 1905. The fine carved oak and counter-balanced cover was added in 1930. The font stands in a noble setting with the great west window behind it, and is backed by a series of carved oak panels. On either side will be observed the Wardens' stalls, also in carved oak.
The Chancel and Sanctuary
The Sanctuary
The chancel is divided from the nave by a wrought-iron screen erected in 1903 in the memory of Jean Watson Bagley. The floor of both the chancel and the sanctuary is covered by a very fine marble pavement laid out in 1930 in memory of Margaret Ada Mather. The furniture of the choir and the reredos are carved in oak. In the reredos which in 1911 replaced the curtain which formerly hung behind the High Altar are figures of eight of the northern saints. In the centre is a canopy containing angels. The whole is set upon an alabaster base.
The eight carved saints may be identified in the following order:
| St. Kentigern | St. Cuthbert | St. Columba | St. Chad |
| St. Hilda | St. Etheldreda | St. Oswald | St. Aidan |
The great east window was dedicated in July, 1920 in memory of the men of the parish who fell in the Great War of 1914-1918. Their names are recorded on a tablet in the south aisle. The theme of the window is the Benedicite and study of the many features in it will reveal the symbols of earth and heaven, sea and sky, which that canticle calls upon to praise, and magnify the Lord. It is sometimes thought that the upper pinnacles of the reredos obscure the lower part of the window. That the designers of the window Messrs. James Powell and Sons allowed for this, will be seen during a walk round to the outside of the east end of the church, where a panel of plain glass moulded to the shape of the top of the reredos will be observed.
Other furniture in the sanctuary includes the Bishop's chair and also two oak standard candlesticks which were given in 1967 in memory of James John Upton, priest.
The Lady Chapel
The Lady Chapel
The small chapel at the east-end of the south aisle is dedicated in honour of Our Lady and is used for week-day services, prayer groups and other acts of worship when only a small number of people are present.
The chapel was originally dedicated in 1906, but was extended eastwards in 1911.
Near this chapel stands an oak case containing the Book of Remembrance. In this book the names of those whose ashes are interred in the Garden of Remembrance on the south side of the church are recorded.
Also near here stands a splendid model of the church, constructed by the first Vicar, Canon C.H. Ellison. It is an accurate portrayal in every detail, both externally and internally of the church as it was before 1911.
The Organ
Built in the year 1905 by Hill and Sons, the instrument in St. Thomas's church is a product of a period when this firm were producing instruments of unsurpassed tonal design, blend and balance. It is a well balanced three manual organ with an attractive oak case and possesses thirty-one stops and couplers and is equally satisfactory for service accompaniment and for recital purposes. The tonal resources available to the player make this a really outstanding instrument.
The Windows
In addition to the east window mentioned in an earlier paragraph, the church contains a great wealth of modern stained glass. The great west window has as its theme "The Creation." It will be observed that in each of the six lower panels is an angel supporting a circle containing a symbol for each of the six days of God's creative work. This window comes aflame with brilliant colours as the sun is setting on a summer's evening. These colours are repeated in the two smaller windows which flank it on either side. The west window itself was given in memory of Robert Slater Boddington, a founder of St. Thomas's Church and Churchwarden from 1900 to 1919 and of his wife Maud who died in 1931, whilst the two flanking windows commemorate members of the Neild family.
The remaining windows form part of a unified scheme and depict scenes from our Lord's life. Several of these windows have been given in memory of former parishioners, including the first window on the south side which commemorates those who gave their lives in the first World War and the window immediately to the right of the tower entrance on the north side which is in memory of the first Vicar, Canon C.H. Ellison.
One other small window remains to be noted. This is the "Music Window" which can be found tucked away high up beside the organ loft. Among other musical symbols in this little window will be seen St. Cecilia holding her organ.
The Parish Centre
The foundation stone of the Parish Centre was laid on 3rd July 1984 and it was officially opened on 17th March 1985. It replaced a wooden Church Hall which had been burnt down. Although in a modern style its brick construction and tiled pitched roof blend in with the Church building to which it is attached. The architect who designed the Parish Centre was the late Derek Buckler, who was a Licensed Reader at St Thomas's and a member of the Parochial Church Council for nearly 50 years. As part of the ceremonies connected with the opening of the Centre each of the Sunday School children put something into a time capsule which was buried outside the main entrance.
Saint Thomas
Icon of St Thomas
Thomas, also called Judas Thomas Didymus or Jude Thomas Didymus, was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. The Gospels and Acts list this "twin" (Thomas means twin in Aramaic, as does Didymus in Greek) among the apostles. He is often known as "Doubting Thomas" because at first he refused to believe when the other apostles told him about the resurrection of Jesus. However, when Jesus appeared to Thomas he declared "My Lord and my God" and on this account, he is called Thomas the Believer. Thomas in St John's Gospel is portrayed as a loyal and thoughtful apostle. There is a tradition that he later founded a Christian church in India.
CONTACTS
Vicar
The Revd Peter Law-Jones M.A., B.Th. (01253) 723750
The Vicarage
St Thomas's Road
St Anne's-on-the-Sea
Lancashire
FY8 1JL
Curate
The Revd Nancy Goodrich M.A. (01253) 781119
4 The Boulevard
St Anne's-on-the-Sea
Lancashire
FY8 1EH
Licensed Readers
Elizabeth O'Connor
Peter Watson (01253) 729725
Verger
Vacancy
Organist
Kate Law-Jones (01253) 723750
Churchwardens
Michael Notman (01253) 727924
Kath Asquith (01253) 734055
Junior Church
Vacancy
Website
Peter Watson (01253) 729725
John M. Turner
PASTORAL CARE
The Pastoral Care Co-ordinator is the vicar who should be contacted about any Church members who are in need of visiting or home communion due to illness, hospitalisation or infirmity. (01253) 723750. Shirley Shipston and Rhoda Lowe provide Pastoral Care for members of the Mothers' Union. The Pastoral Care Team meet every three or four months have produced our Pastoral Care Policy.
SEASONS
Advent
Advent is a time of preparation for Christmas.
Advent Sunday, usually the first Sunday in December, marks the beginning of the church year. The Christingle service is held on an afternoon in this season with oranges decorated by our primary school children.
Christmas and Epiphany
At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus when God entered our world to be born as a human being. Epiphany follows Christmas when we remember the Wise Men coming to worship the baby Jesus.
The Carol Service, followed by wine and mince pies, takes place about a week before Christmas, but the Christmas festival itself begins on Christmas Eve afternoon with the Crib Service, originally planned for the children but who are now heavily outnumbered by adults! Later that evening we celebrate the first Eucharist of Christmas, at midnight. The Christmas tree is lit and the church decorated.
There are two morning services on Christmas Day and after Epiphany, the tree is dismantled and kept to form the crucifixion cross at Easter.
Education Sunday takes place in February, when the school plays a major part, including the school choir which assist our own choir on special occasions.
Lent
Lent is a time of preparation for Easter. It is traditionally a time of prayer and fasting.
Shrove Tuesday leads into the beginning of Lent, accompanied by pancakes cooked by the Vicar, a contrast to the sombre Ash Wednesday service when parishioners' foreheads are marked by ashes as a sign of repentance.
On Mothering Sunday, bunches of daffodils put together by the Mothers' Union are distributed by the children and the Vicar to members of the congregation.
On Passion Sunday, nails are given out as a commemoration of the those used to crucify Jesus.
Holy Week
Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday when we remember Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey. It is the time when we remember the events leading up to the crucifixion death of Jesus on the Cross on Good Friday.
On Palm Sunday, palm crosses are given out as a reminder of the Lord's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Services are held daily during Holy Week with the Stripping of the Altars and Vigil at the Altar of Repose on Maundy Thursday and the Three Hours Service and Liturgy of the Passion on Good Friday.
Easter
At Easter we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus when he returned to life and appeared to his followers. Ascension Day celebrates his last appearance to the disciples.
On Holy Saturday we hold the Easter Vigil with the church in darkness until we proclaim "Alleluia. Christ is risen." The building is decorated with lilies, donated by parishioners and is open for viewing that weekend.
Pentecost
Pentecost (or as it used to be called, Whitsun) is when we celebrate the coming of God's Holy Spirit and the birth of the Christian Church.
The Feast of Pentecost comes forty days after Easter. In summer we have Dedication Sunday and our Patronal Festival when we remember St Thomas and the building of our church.
Harvest
At Harvest we give thanks to God for our food and think of those who are in need. Also in the autumn there are several days when we think about people who have died.
Harvest Sunday is usually the last weekend in September when the school children have their own service and bring food, which is later distributed to local charities. Our hard working flower arrangers beautifully decorate the church. September also sees Battle of Britain Sunday and in November, Remembrance Sunday. On both of these occasions, wreaths are laid before our Roll of Honour.
All Saints day, November 1st and All Souls day, November 2nd leads us on into Advent again.
