Welcome to St Martin's United Reformed Church,

West Moors

2, Moorlands Road, (On the corner of Station Road)   BH22 0JW

email: stmartins@urc-eastdorset.org.uk

                                              

Click here to read the latest newsletter Click here to read the URC Daily Devotion

St Martin's, West Moors A warm, welcoming church

Open for friendship and prayer every Saturday from 11am - 12 noon

Open for Worship Sundays at 10.30am. All are welcome to join us.

 

 

Located in the centre of the village of West Moors, close to the Public Library and the shops, St Martin's extends a warm welcome to all who want  to share or experience the love and care of  Christian fellowship.

This small and comfortable church has been at the heart of West Moors for over 115 years and in 2013 underwent alterations and installed a new entrance to make it more open and accessible to the people of West Moors and the surrounding area.

Do pay us a visit, we really look forward to meeting you.

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  Covid-19

Now in the third month of 'Coronavirus Lockdown', albeit in a 'slightly relaxed' phase, what seemed a temporary change a few weeks ago, is now feeling much more permanent.  With this 'permanence', comes a sense of uncertainly about how things will be for our life as a local church for the foreseeable future.  It is clear that there is not going to be a rapid return to our 'pre-Covid' worship and activities, at least not for many months.  Though we, like many churches, have tried to adapt and adopt technology and communications to keep in contact, to join in worship and to offer help and hope to the community, this does not yet feel 'normal'.

In the pastorate there are some amazing pieces of work being sustained by churches.  Here in West Moors, we have linked up with  Forest FM (92.3 FM) which run a short Community Sing-a-long item every Tuesday and Thursday around 11.30 am. Words will be on their Facebook page.

 Hope FM (90.1 FM) are doing a Community Sing-a-long every Monday and Tuesday around 9.15am.  Words are online at http://hopefm.com/singalong/ you can listen on the internet as the FM signal is not good in West Moors.

 

May you keep safe and well through these days and know the presence and love of God in Jesus Christ is with you.

James R Whately

 

 

Lord, when we feel lost, remind us of those who have lost everything;

when we know pain, take us to those who are hurting unbearably;

and when we struggle to stay connected, sit alongside those who have nowhere to call home.

Be with us all, Lord God, in your mercy and grace.

Amen

(c) Stephen Best - URC Prayer Handbook 2020)  

 

 

Lord God,

In the course of these uncertain days we turn to you,

for we are navigating unfailiar waters.

Be close to us, that we may make, by your directing,

safe passage through the rapids and shallows of life

and enter the harbour of your realm and in the company of all creation,

berth alongside in the haven of your Kingdom.

 

(c) James Whately

 

 

 

Our regular Sunday Worship in the church building is at present not taking place due to the 'Coronavirus Lockdown', but you can join us and other United Reformed Churches as we worship together on Sundays at 10am online. Visit http://devotions.urc.org.uk/ to sign up to receive the Sunday services and daily devotions.

You can also visit our YouTube channel that we share with Verwood URC for short video services at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwktitwNBnsYpYXzJG4k4lg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

List of services and events Sunday Worship is held every Sunday at 10.30am.  The church is open  every Saturday from 11am until Noon for quiet contemplation, prayer or a chat with a church member or elder Communion is celebrated on the 1st Sunday in every month. A coffee morning is held, usually on the second Saturday of each month (excepting January), between 10am and 12 noon The St Martin's Discovery Group meets various months  (See below) Community Sing-a-long is an hour or so of singing (or just listening) for fun and fellowship.  Join in your favourite songs from yesteryear and the shows.		List of Contacts email: stmartins@urc-eastdorset.org.uk Church Secretary:  Mrs Muriel Moore 01202  872045 email: murielmoore12@yahoo.co.uk Treasurer:  Christopher Legrand  01202 873344 email: stmartins@urc-eastdorset.org.uk Hall/Church Lettings: Mrs Maggie Larkin 07837 691296 Minister: Revd James Whately  tel. 01202 813908;  mob.  07936902554;     email:  revjames.w8@gmail.com		The Story of St Martin’s St Martin’s, as it known today, was first built in 1903 and used as a Protestant Evangelical Church to serve the needs of the growing population of what had been the very small village of West Moors, which was then part of the parish of West Parley. In 1925 it became the West Moors Congregational Church and was known by this name until the union of the Presbyterian and Congregational Churches in 1972. The church underwent a variety of extensions and alterations over the years, the most recent of which is the provision of a new entrance facing Station Road, to make the church more visible and accessible to the West Moors and surrounding community.  With these latest changes, there will be increased use of the sanctuary of the church as a multi-functional meeting space. The church provides pastoral support at one of the local nursing homes and maintains links with the community at Sturts Farm. The church celebrated it's 110th anniversary in May 2013 with a Flower Festival, a visit from the URC Wessex Synod Moderator, the Reverend Clare Downing and two musical concerts. The church hall is available to rent by local community groups and for children's parties etc.

St Martin's Discovery Group

If local, national or world history and geography and culture interest you, then you are cordially invited to this Discovery Group where we engage knowledgeable speakers to give illustrated lectures and presentations. Meetings are planned usually in the afternoon and occasionally in the evening most months to cater for those who prefer one or the other.  The afternoon meetings are held monthly usually on a Monday at 2.30pm.    The group was established at the end of 2013 and the first presentation was 'Around the World in Music and Pictures' to whet the appetite for future talks, which have included 'Exploring New Zealand',  Vietnam and the Far East, and Ethiopia.  For more information go to 'St Martin's Discovery Group'

Community Sing-a-long

 

 

This popular event, held on the first and third Thursday of each month (except August) provides an opportunity for everyone to remember and sing along with popular songs from yesteryear as well as providing fun and friendship.   Singing or just listening is known to provide excellent stimulation of the memory

To give comfort to those who are self-isolating, both Forest FM and the Christian radio station in Bourenemouth, Hope FM are kindly hosting our Community Sing-a-long.  Forest FM do this on Tuesday and Thursdays at 11.30am on 92.3FM and Hope FM (90.1FM) do it at 9.15am on Monday and Tuesday (You are best to access Hope FM.com on the internet as their signal is not strong in West Moors).  At Forest FM the words for the sing-a-long are on their Facebook page, at Hope FM the words are on HopeFM.com/singalong.  Both stations have listeners around the world so do not think you are singing on your own.

 

For more information go to 'Community Sing-a-long'

 

Pop in and see us, you will always find a warm welcome at St Martin's.