The Fellside Team of parishes is celebrating 20 years of service to their communities.

Those communities are Barton, Bilsborrow, Bleasdale, Goosnargh and Whitechapel. 

Rev. Tim Wilby was the first to be licensed as the Team Rector back in 2001 along with Rev. Jeff Finch as Team Vicar; while Rev. Steve Cooper is the current Team Rector alongside Rev. Garry Whittaker and Rev. Dr Susan Salt.

To celebrate the occasion the Team has produced a video reflection service (complete with birthday cake). Click on the embedded video above to watch it. The Lancashire Post (and associated weekly newspapers) also followed up on the video, with a feature on the work of the Fellside Team. 

The article, by Fiona Finch, appeared as a two page feature in the February 13 edition of the Post and it is also available online here (alongside the video). 

There is also a prayer, prepared by Susan, you can pray after watching the video and reading about the work of the Team ... 

Lord God, we thank you for 20 years of the Fellside Team Ministry, and we thank you for those who, with vision and integrity, helped to establish it.

Help us to continue to build on those foundations and enable your love to flourish in the congregations and communities that we represent.

As we work together, help us to embrace the rich diversity of human experience and the gifts we all bring, and enable us to nurture  a spirit of mutual respect and love.

Help us to have the courage and compassion to speak out against injustice and the misuse of power wherever we encounter it.

Help us too, Lord, to fulfill our calling to care for one another, for the environment and the natural world, and to serve those in need.

So, on this 20th anniversary of the Fellside Team we pray for a deepening of faith in our congregations and communities, and a growing and enriching experience of your love guiding and inspiring us day by day, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

Ronnie Semley, January 2020