Here we highlight one or two special events that have been held at Portholme Church recently.
After several years in the planning, Portholme Church has finally got its new roof.
We have lots more insulation to keep the church cosy & warm but, most importantly,
we don’t have any leaks! The photographs show some of the key moments …
Portholme Church’s "Open Gardens" Event
THANK YOU to the four members who opened their gardens on Saturday 14 August.
Although the weather could have been a bit better, it didn’t rain! Visitors included people from
church and also some interested passers by. Everyone enjoyed looking round — as well as flowers
and plants to see, there was also time for reflection with some prayers dotted about in one of the
gardens and, of course, refreshments were served!
Thank you, too, to everyone who visited — over £450 was raised for our Roof Fund.
If you would like to donate towards the cost of the work,
please see our
"Giving" page
or email our Church Treasurer by
clicking here.
Lenten Cross 2021
As a result of the Covid pandemic and the restrictions imposed on regular worship by the government,
our observance of the season of Lent this year has forced to be different.
During Lent, our Lenten Cross would normally be in the Sanctuary but this year it was
placed in the foyer so that it could be seen by passers-by. The cross was "dressed" each week to show
the symbols of Christ’s suffering & death. A printed explanation of each week’s new
addition was placed so that it could be read through the window. The photograph below shows the Lenten
Cross as appeared on Good Friday.
On Easter Day, after the symbols of Christ’s suffering and death had been removed, everyone was
invited to share in transforming the cross into a symbol of resurrection by placing flowers on it.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
Churches Together in Selby
Carol Singing
We weren’t sure if our annual
CTIS carol singing would take
place this year but at the eleventh hour we got the go ahead and a small group of 5 singers as well as the family
music group came together on Saturday morning to bring some festive cheer to the townsfolk
We were able to keep the queue of people outside Wilko entertained as well as the shoppers inside — the assistant
said we sounded lovely — as well as other bystanders and lots of children who joined in the singing
There were so many people saying thank you to us and offering donations (we weren’t collecting) and the
smiles we got made it all worthwhile
Operation Christmas Child
2020 Shoebox Appeal
What a response to the 2020 Shoebox Appeal!
With the uncertainty as to whether the appeal could go ahead earlier in the year with the pandemic and
after the national collection week was put back due to lockdown #2, we were finally able to be that
"church collection centre" that we had put ourselves forward for and Portholme opened its
doors for a week in December.
A willing band of volunteers turned up every morning to receive any shoeboxes from the general public
which seemed to mean that the last 15 minutes were always the busiest with big donations being brought
in on two of the days.
A particular highlight was two little sisters coming in with their shoeboxes on Saturday morning and
jumping up and down with excitement when they got a certificate — their Mum was so proud of them.
We also had another Mum say "what a lovely church, I always forget that you’re here"
The final count is a whopping 203 shoeboxes which were packed into 20 large boxes and collected by the
charity on 16 December.
To put this into perspective we collected about 40 boxes last year — massive thanks to everyone who
helped out and also to all of you who either donated boxes or donated money to Operation Christmas Child
The Snow Dancer
This was another brilliant production from the BadApple touring theatre company. The audience,
which included quite a number of children, enjoyed this winter tale with an eco twist.
Anastasia Benham and Danny Mellor were remarkably talented actors who could also sing and dance.
They each played three main characters and brought to life a number of woodland creatures.
It was uncanny, the way that they could switch in an instant from one character to another,
each being completely believable.
The story is set in The Great Wood where the animals are desperate for a long sleep. But, with
the onset of global warming, it is just too warm. Everyone is going around in circles and sick
of nuts before Christmas is even in sight. They seek out the mysterious Snow Dancer and have
their own ideas for improving the environment and bringing back the seasons as they should be.
This was an evening full of fun, good songs and terrific acting. We’re looking forward to
welcoming BadApple back with another production in 2020.

Photograph kindly provided by BadApple – see their website for details of current productions
www.badappletheatre.co.uk
PYC Reunion
The Portholme Church Parents and Young Children Group ("PYC") celebrated 25 years of happy Friday mornings in
June this year. It was great to have a reunion of past and present children, parents, and helpers who have
enjoyed PYC over the years.
Sharing light refreshments and a chance to meet up with old friends, so many people came along on Saturday
29 June 2019 to re-kindle old memories. All the present PYC team were there and even a couple of the
original helpers from when PYC started in 1994 were there, too.
The format on Fridays has not changed greatly over the years and, judging by past photos, some of the original
toys are still in use!
"The Frozen Roman"

The Badapple Theatre Company came to Portholme Church on Friday 24 May 2019 when they filled
the church hall with music & laughter with their production of ‘The Frozen Roman’.
With their own stage, sets, scenery, lighting and sound they transformed the hall into a "theatre".

The "The Frozen Roman" was a brand new comedy written by Kate Bramley with music & songs by Jez Lowe.
The plot centred around a clandestine meeting at the Phoenix pub where the discussion got heated as the
villagers racked their brains to find a way to prevent developers building a large housing development
that would threaten village life as they knew it.

When you throw a ghostly "Ancient Roman" and 21st century Syrian refugee into the mix, you’ve got a recipe
for fun and chaos! The young cast of professional actors took on multiple roles with lightning fast
quick changes. It was an evening that the 100+ folk who attended will never forget.

We look forward to welcoming The Badapple Theatre Company back with a new show some time soon.
John Barker in Concert

We were delighted to have John Barker perform for us at Portholme Church on Saturday 23 March 2019. John is one of
Britain’s finest trumpet players and he easily justified this epithet with his playing on the evening. John
performed a wide range of music from his vast repertoire – songs from the shows, pop hits, old-time favourites,
classical pieces, hymn tunes and brass band items.
In between the music, John regaled us with us stories about his career as a solo artist. He was told many times over
that it was impossible to make a living as a full time musician but he has certainly proved his critics wrong! His story
is one of hard work, a strong determination to succeed and lots of practice. John plays the trumpet at least 4 hours
every day in order to keep at the top of his game.
After a wonderful evening of varied music, John concluded the evening with an amazing rendition of "Jerusalem" –
the audience were enthusiastic in their singing along and, incredibly, everyone seemed to know the words from memory!
Thinking Into Dementia

Thought provoking, informative, moving, funny, inspiring were all words that came to
mind as we reflected on the training on Dementia led by Rev Pat Malham.
Pat is a Methodist minister in the Ripon and Lower Dales circuit but has previously
been a psychiatric registrar and a GP. She talked about the different forms of dementia
and the many varied ways in which it manifests itself – everyone who was there will
have learned something new.

Pat talked about the importance of focusing on the person and what they are able to
do and working to maintain that and encouraging as much independence as possible. As a
minister, Pat went on to help us think about the church’s role and if we believe that God
loves all people and the gospel is for all people, it includes people with dementia.
We were urged to adopt a positive attitude and to encourage supportive relationships.
We were told that people with dementia may not remember what we said to them but they may,
and often do, remember how we made them feel.
Pat gave some very practical suggestions of things we can do to make an accessible environment
as well as to encourage creativity and participation. As the church, we can do these things
in fellowship, in worship and in walking alongside them on their continuing journey of life.
Pat included in her presentation art work, sculptures, poetry and prose created by people
living with dementia.
An Evening with Dan Holmes
This memorable event was held on Tuesday 12th June 2018.

From the comments afterwards, it seemed that everyone had appreciated Dan’s friendly,
unassuming manner and melodic singing. Dan interspersed his gentle songs of a simple faith
with stories and anecdotes. We learnt that Dan was a high school theatre teacher until May
of 2016. After 31 years in the classroom, he retired and began working, once again, as a
full-time musician! In addition to his two tours of the UK, he has performed at over 150
churches in the USA.

He certainly demonstrated his mission:
"Through the sharing of music, we can celebrate
what God is doing in us, for us and through us! I am an old school singer/songwriter bringing
a gentle Christian message of hope! I pray that our paths will cross and we can celebrate together!"

As an interlude in the middle of Dan’s concert, a short video was shown appealing for
donations to Hope School Beit Jala, which provides education and boarding for disadvantaged
children aged 3-6 and 11yrs-18yrs from the West Bank area of Palestine. The children come
from the neediest of families, and Christian and Muslim alike are brought up in a loving,
Christian environment. The images were accompanied by voice-overs read by our members.
After the concert we were treated to a fine buffet of savoury and sweet delights together
with tea and coffee. During this time there were collection buckets ready for our donations
to Hope School and a further bucket for contributions for the buffet which, like the concert
itself, was not charged.
There was also the opportunity to chat to Dan and his wife and to purchase from his selection of CDs.
And the outcome:
£385.50 raised for Hope School
Donations for refreshments raised £71.48 for church funds
WE HOPE TO MEET DAN AGAIN IN 2020 ON HIS NEXT UK TOUR!
Visit Dan’s website at
danholmesmusic.com
Good Friday Walk of Witness
Portholme Church is proud to be an active member of "Churches Together in Selby", an umbrella organisation
uniting all Christian denominations who are active in the town. This year’s annual "Walk of Witness"
on Good Friday was very well supported.
Portholme Church was packed for the pre-walk service which was led by our own minister, Rev David Coote. Following the
service inside Portholme Church, the congregation walked together through the Market Cross shopping precinct to the
town’s market place in front of Selby Abbey where an open-air service was led by members of King&rsquos Church.
The congregation were warmed with refreshments inside the Abbey after the open-air service.
"Good Friday" is the bleakest moment in the Gospel story. When we read the story of Jesus’ arrest,
trial, and crucifixion today, we have the benefit of knowing that it&rsquos all leading up to the triumph of Easter.
But to the Jesus-followers present at the scene, it must have seemed that the world as they knew it was falling apart.
Refurbishment of the Sanctuary

We have recently made some significant progress in creating a new and more colourful worship area.
From the very beginning, our aim has been to ensure that Portholme Church is not just given a facelift
but is renewed and ready for worship in the 21st century.
All the chairs were re-upholstered early in the autumn and the upgrades to our audio visual equipment
were completed just before Christmas.
This year, the sanctuary cross has been given its new wooden surround. The cross is now much more prominent
and, pleasingly, the feedback has all been positive.
New wall banners have been produced and are now in place on the walls. Copies of the new “Portholme Church” banner,
which was made for us by Yvonne Bell
*, are available as bookmarks.
Visitors to Portholme Church cannot miss the new artwork that is on display in the foyer. We hope the
pictures will prove spiritually uplifting and inspirational – we’re looking forward to
hearing people’s reactions.
The installation of our new LED lighting has now been completed. Besides giving a brighter light in
the Sanctuary, the new units will give us savings of over 80% on electricity
This is the full list of work that has already been completed or is still being undertaken:
- Re-upholster all the sanctuary chairs ✓
- Build a new removable communion rail ✓
- Highlight the sanctuary cross with a bold wood surround ✓
- Craft new furniture – communion table, book stand, lecterns and flower stands ✓
- Upgrade the existing audio visual system ✓
- Install energy-efficient LED lighting ✓
- Replace the sanctuary and foyer carpets ✓
- Install wall banners and artwork to proclaim our faith in a dramatic way ✓
The WORDLE

At a local arrangement service in September, we thought about journeys in a number of different ways.
We looked at the journeys some of us took across the UK and further afield before settling in Selby.
We were then challenged to think about our spiritual journey - not only as individuals but collectively
as Portholme Church - how we can see God at work now and where He may be leading us in the future.
Throughout the service we made a note of some key words that came through the bible readings, the thoughts
that were shared and also from the congregation. After the service people added to the list those words
that were important to them when thinking about Portholme Church. We promised that we would use all of
the words and make them into a "Wordle".
The following week everyone was given a copy of the Wordle and were encouraged to think about any other
words that should be added before we produce a final (for now) version that we hope we can make into welcome
cards for anyone visiting or wanting to know more about Portholme Church. We have also updated the large
version and put it on the notice board in the foyer so that people can see at a glance what is important
to us as a church family.
People will use the Wordle in different ways. For some, it is really useful as a focus for reflection and
prayer, picking out different words and those relating to activities that are part of our church life or
that we support, helping us pray for them and the individuals that lead or benefit from them. Other words
lead us to ponder on what God may be saying to us as individuals or as a church and what He may be saying
about where He may want us to go over the coming months and years.
It will be interesting to produce another Wordle in a year or two and see how much has changed. Some of
the things that are fundamental to our faith will remain but it would be good to see new words appearing
as we continue to move forward together as a church.
Charity Coffee Mornings

We hold a coffee morning every Monday at Portholme Church to raise the funds necessary to keep the
church open but, once a month, we dedicate the funds raised to a charity that has been nominated by
one of our members. We aim to support a wide range of charities who are working to help others locally,
nationally and internationally.
In July, we raised a record amount of £151.25 to go to the Grenfell Tower Fire Relief Fund. In August,
a more usual amount of £44.96 went to the Peter Pan Nursery in nearby Sherburn-in-Elmet and in September
people responded again with great generosity to give a total of £102.45 to Macmillan Cancer Care.
The Coffee Morning is "open" every Monday from 10am to 12 noon. Everyone is welcome and it’s a
wonderful opportunity to meet up and chat with friends. Do join us!
Holiday Club 2017
The theme for our annual HOLIDAY CLUB this year was "The Guardians of Ancora".
The Holiday Club was open every morning from Monday 14th August to Friday 18th August.
Portholme Church was transformed into the Guild and Hall of Memory for the city of Ancora
and we played host to 30 keen and eager young Apprentice Guardians.
The Guardians of Ancora is a fantastic, week long, programme of activities (developed by
the Scripture Union) which is crammed full of exciting activities, great Bible teaching
and introduces children to Jesus and tells of the amazing things he did. During the week,
the world of Ancora, the City of Hope, is introduced. At the summit of Ancora stands the
Spire of Light which lights up the whole city. The stories of the Saga (the Bible) are
told there every day, and the power of storytelling fuels the light of the Spire.
Each story of the Saga is represented by a story-treasure (some sort of object or artefact):
these are stored in the Hall of Memory. Once, the Hall of Memory in the city of Ancora was
filled with wonderful story-treasures, but now, many of these objects have been lost. The
people of Ancora are determined to recover the lost story-treasures so they can, once again,
tell the stories. The existing Guardians have recovered some of these but others still need
to be found and so they have sent out an appeal for new recruits and this is where the
Apprentice Guardians join the story. Each day the Apprentice Guardians set out – with the
help of the Keeper of the Keys and Kal the Aquaneer – on a quest to find a story-treasure,
return it to the Hall of Memory and explore the story it represents.
What happens during the Holiday Club? Well, there’s laughing, learning, singing, dancing,
praying, talking, listening, thinking, laughing (yes we did a lot of that!) and let’s
not forget this is a way of reaching out to some of the estimated 95% of children and young
people in England and Wales who aren’t in church and providing a way in for children to find
faith, grow in faith and reach out to their friends in faith.