An All Saints Church Marlpool publication
Have you managed to get to a Carol Service this Christmas? Or maybe listed to or watched Kings College traditional Nine Lessons and Carols?
If not or even if you have, check out All Saints Church Marlpool’s online Carols by Candlelight
King’s college it isn’t! As you’ll see, it’s a home spun collection of recordings of members of All Saint’s church involving a cross section of our church family.
Click on the link below and sit back and enjoy
We know that Christmas can be a tough time for a lot of people. If you are one of them, you’re not on your own.
But it can feel like it! Everywhere seems to be closed down and no one is answering the phone.
Well not everyone. Maybe ringing one of the numbers below might help?
NHS 111 Service: Non-emergency medical help and advice. Open 24/7, including all holidays.
Age UK – 0800 678 1602 (8am to 7pm)
NHS Mental Health Crisis – 111, ( 24 hours a day)
Ability – 0121 630 2015 (9.30am to 11pm) Ability’s Life Opportunity support line will be open throughout Christmas Day for anyone with a disability.
Papyrus – 0800 068 41 41 (24 hours a day) The Papyrus suicide prevention helpline is another number that can be called any time on Christmas day for young people who need it.
Refuge – 0808 2000 247 ( 24 hours a day) The helpline for women who experience domestic violence will be open for the entirety of Christmas day.
Beat – 0808 801 0677 ( 4pm to 8pm) Problems with eating disorders can be exacerbated by Christmas Day, with roast dinner being a central part of festivities for millions of families. Beat’s Eating Disorder helpline will be open in the evening for anyone who needs support.
Shout – 85258 (24 hours a day) Not everyone feels comfortable talking over the phone with someone. If you would prefer to text, the confidential service Shout can be reached by texting the number anytime over Christmas.
National Domestic Abuse Helpline 0808 2000247 for free and in confidence.
Galopruns the national domestic abuse helpline 0800 999 5428 for members of the LGBT+ community.
Men’s Aid 0333 5670556 provides advice and support to men who have been abused.
Childline0800 1111 You can contact Childline about anything. There website offers lots of different ways to access support.
Hourglass 0808 808 8141 a confidential helpline providing information and support to anyone concerned about harm, abuse or exploitation of an older person.
The Samaritans You can call the Samaritans to talk about anything that’s bothering you on 116 123 They will listen without judging or pressure to help you work through it.
The Silver Line: 08004708090 Offers support and friendship for older people. Open 24/7, including all holidays.
All Saints is a numerically small church with big ideas!
Back in 2002 our building was significantly reordered in order to realise our vision of a space where every area and activity was accessible to anyone and everyone no matter what their limitations is disabilities might be. And we pretty well achieved this!
Unfortunately we now have a problem. The disability platform (lift) giving universal access to our first floor hall is broken beyond repair and needs replacing. Without this a number of groups and individuals can no longer access this area, own main space for community activities.
To replace the lift will cost around £30,000. We are well n our way to achieving this target but we are still £5,000.
Please watch the short video below to give you an idea of the problem and the solution.
If you are able to help us at all please make a donation using this link;
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/steve-rogers
The UK is the sixth richest nation in the world UK so you’d think that poverty, particularly child poverty, had long ago been banished; something that we only read about in Victorian novels?
Wrong! Today!! 4.5 million children are living in poverty in this country and things are expected to get worse. Difficult to believe?
Don’t take my word for it – Just read the article below; it makes uncomfortable reading.
So what can we do about it?
Clearly the root causes of child poverty can only be addressed by our Government. But we can; raise this issue with our local MPs, start a petition or support an existing one – there are a number of online platforms which facilitate individual raising petitions, write directly to the Prime Minister, the Home Secretary, the Health Minister, write to local or national newspapers.
Locally we can support; food banks, clothing banks, charity shops to name but a few.
At All Saints, working with other churches under the umbrella of ‘Heanor Cornerstone’ we are planning to offer meals to all families in the Heanor area that have a child eligible for free school meals, during the February 2026 half term. That might not seem like much but this could take the pressure off as many of 1,000 families at a miserable time of year and when other costs are often at their greatest.
Can you help? – if you’d like to make a financial contribution towards this initiative or would be able to help in preparation and distribution during the February half term week please contact us for more details.
Heanor Cornerstone have produced an online Carol Service involving members of churches across Heanor.
To watch this go to the All Saint Facebook Page (you can reach this via the the link on the front page) or go to Heanor Cornerstone Facebook page
The run up to Christmas is pretty packed at All Saints
Saturday 7th December
Sunday 15th December 2:30pm
‘The Shepherd’s Play‘
A unique re-enactment of the Christmas story in word and song by past staff and students of Michael House School.
It was a tradition going back many years that the students and staff of Michael House School would perform this play at the end of term. The school has closed but the tradition continues in its new home at All Saints.
Wednesday 18th December 6:00pm
Carols by Candlelight
The clue’s in the name! This is a very atmospheric traditional service of carols and Christmas readings led by an orchestra, no less, and including songs by ‘Rainbows’ (Junior Brownies)
Not to be missed! But if you really can’t make it, it is being recorded and will be available to watch on our Facebook page
Tuesday 24th December 3:00pm
Crafts and Christingle
Why not bring your children for a break from Christmas mayhem? Join in Christmas themed crafts and make a traditional Christingle. Top things off by a short service with well known carols.
Grief is something we are all likely to encounter and experience at some point in our
lives.
Grieving is natural and normal. It’s not an illness, although it can make you feel ill and it does not last forever. There’s no ‘right’ way to grieve and we each react in our own way as we are unique individuals and our relationships with the deceased are personal to each one of us.
There’s no time limit on grief. It varies hugely from person to person. It may depend on the type of relationship we had with the person who died, how close you were and how they died. It could also be affected by previous experiences of loss or grief.
It is possible to experience any range of emotion when we experience loss. We may feel lots of different emotions at the same time, or our feelings may change quickly. At times those emotions can be confusing. It is important to remember that there’s no right or wrong way to feel.
Feelings of grief can also happen because of other types of loss or changes in circumstances. For example:
People who have experienced loss have described some common feelings after a bereavement. One of these is shock and numbness. When we first hear the news of our loss we might feel like we are in shock. People can feel numb or carry on as if nothing has changed. This is because it can take a long time to process what has happened. Disorientation as though we lost your place in your world can also happen. All of these feelings are normal.
The death of someone close to us is the most devastating experience that will ever happen to us. It can be very painful. People describe it as being cut in two or losing a part of themselves. These feelings can be very frightening and upsetting and feel physically painful. Again this is normal
It’s normal to feel angry when someone dies. Death can seem cruel and unfair. This is particularly true when we feel someone has died too young or if we had plans for the future together. We may find we are angry with the person who died, angry at others, or even angry at ourselves for things that we did or didn’t do while they were alive. Angry is normal and finding ways of expressing this well can help.
Guilt is another common reaction to grief. We might feel directly or indirectly to blame for the person’s death. Or we might feel guilty if we had a difficult relationship with the person who has died. We can find ourselves saying if only statements such as, ‘if I had taken him to the doctors sooner.’ We need to try being kind to ourselves, it’s very unlikely we could have done anything to prevent the death from happening.
Feeling depressed and sad after the death of someone close is normal. It can feel overwhelming. It takes time and space and there are things that can help such as talking to others or speaking to your GP. Don’t struggle alone. We as a church can help as can other organisations. We will provide a list at the end of this article. People sometimes think they can hear or see the person who has died. “Seeing” the person who has died and hearing their voice can happen because our brain is trying to process the death and accept that it’s final. It’s important to know this is normal.
Physical feelings are common after bereavement. The pain of grief can be felt as a real pain. Every part of your health can be affected. It can also reduce your ability to fight off minor infections. Normally, feelings of physical pain will ease with time. But try to get as much rest as possible and we need to listen to what our body needs. If you find pain persists for several weeks, speak with your GP.
Our Appetite can change and we may not feel like eating in the early days after someone dies. It may feel difficult to swallow and food can taste strange. Some people find they are eating a lot more than usual or only eating foods that are comforting. This is very normal and we need to try and not to be too hard on ourselves if our diet looks different at these times We also need to try not to panic if you notice these changes. Our sleep patterns can change too when we grieve. We might be frightened to go to sleep because of bad nightmares or find it difficult to get to sleep because our mind is racing.
Grief can make us feel anxious. Sometimes this can result in feeling breathless, having heart palpitations or even a panic attack. Someone once described the feeling as like having an elephant sat on your chest. it’s a good idea to contact the doctor if this happens regularly.
People often ask how long the grief will last. The truth is that healing comes slowly, but it does come. Nothing can replace the person who has died. But gradually most people find they are able to continue with life, and start to feel happy at times, while remembering those who have died. It can take time to understand your feelings and adjust to what has happened. But there are things you can do to help yourself cope.
It’s important to do what works for you. You might have good and bad days. So take things one step at a time – if the first step feels too hard, try to break it up into smaller steps. It might also help to try different things at different times.
Connect with others can be helpful as they can help with the feelings of Isolation and loneliness. It is ok let others know what we need. Tell people what helps and what you find difficult. It’s ok to be clear about what we need from them. It’s also ok if this changes.
Seeking support from agencies and professionals. There is a list of bereavement support organisations for ideas about who might be able to help on this website.
It may also help to talk with others who are currently coping with a loss or have walked the journey of grief in the past. Talking with a trained professional can help us understand and cope with the thoughts and feelings we experience following a loss.
There are things we can do to help with the physical effects of grief.
If our appetite is affected then try to find a relationship with food that works. When we have no appetite try serving small, manageable portions. If cooking is too much and overwhelming, try a ready-meal or something that takes little preparation. But most importantly, remember to be kind to ourselves. It’s okay not eat as we normally would, but slowly getting back to a routine of eating at the same times can help. If this pattern persists after several weeks, it might be time to speak to a doctor.
If sleep is an issue try to slowly get back into a night-time routine. Things like taking a bath or showering before bed are great ways to help you relax into the evening. Exercise can also be really helpful to tire your body out. It doesn’t have to be vigorous exercise, walking or swimming can be gentle ways to get moving, Try not getting into bed until you feel really ready to sleep and try listening to relaxing music or sleep podcasts. Prayer can also help, especially by telling God the difficult feelings bereavement brings.
Exercise is a useful way for our body to reduce tension, and it uses up the adrenalin that it’s producing that’s making us feel anxious. It is not a good idea to start an extreme new gym class when a gentle walk is all we can manage. Talking to someone about what’s making us anxious can also really help.
We might feel like using drugs or alcohol to cope with any difficult feelings. But in the long run they can make us feel worse.
It’s normal for certain things to trigger difficult feelings or painful memories about our loss for instance a specific food or place. Try taking note of what might affect our mood. This can help us gradually learn how to cope with triggers when they happen. Using a pen and paper,or find a free online diary can help us identify these triggers.
As time passes, we may feel an expectation to move on from our grief, This pressure can come from families and ourselves. Moving on however may not feel like something you want or be able to do. Some people find it more helpful to think about moving forward with their grief, rather than moving on from it.
Remember that there’s no time limit on grief. There isn’t a point where we are supposed to ‘complete’ our grief and move on. Grief may always be a part of us and may be something we always struggle with at times for instance on anniversaries.
These are some ideas could help, although remember that different things may work at different times:
Remember Grief is personal to everyone but we are not alone and of we can help as church do let us know.
You can contact us in a number of ways:
Phone the vicar on 01773 712097
Phone or text the church office on 07756 555101
Email the vicar: padleykaren@gmailcom
Email the church office: allsaintschurchmarlpool@gmail.com
Use ‘Contact us’
From the outside, All Saints church may look like any number of other churches. But inside it is Tardis like!
Let’s begin on the first floor. Up one flight of stairs is the hall. This is an ideal space for any number of activities and, depending on the usage, can accommodate up to around 60 people. Although it can’t compete with the Blackpool Tower Ballroom, the hall does have a slightly sprung floor so is ideal for dance classes, tea dances, barn dances and the like as well as keep fit, Zumba and similar. Attached to the hall is a fully fitted kitchen so catering for parties and group meals is not a problem. There is also a disability access toilet on the same floor. Need space for a formal meeting? The hall has good acoustics for speech and there are tables and chairs available. Is it warm enough? – The hall is in effect a ‘pod’ within the main building. It has a well insulated ceiling and a central heating system independent of the rest of the building.
On the ground floor, there are four rooms of various sizes; the smallest is the ‘Tower Room’. This is a cosy room set out with sofas and chairs and is ideal for small meetings or one-to-one sessions. Next is the ‘Meeting Room’ which is approximately 4.5 m x 4.5m and will comfortably hold around twelve people. There is a piano in this room so it could be used for a rehearsal space for a small choir or music ensemble.
Then there is the ‘Narthex’ (yes I know – what does that mean? It’s a churchy word meaning a space separate from the main church area – blame the architect!). This is a long thin area but is actually bigger than it looks. it is connected to a small kitchenette and has an adjacent disability access toilet. There is also a piano in this space.
And finally, there is the main body of the church. This will hold 150+ people and has superb musical acoustics so is ideal for performance by choirs, orchestras, bands and other forms of performance as well as large meetings (there is a sound reinforcement and loop system). There is a third toilet in the entrance hall. Oh, and there is yet another piano in the area as well as a very good pipe organ.
If you think that you could make use of any of these spaces then please get in touch. There is a set range of charges depending on the space required but we also want to make the building available as a community facility as far as possible. To this end, we are prepared to discount room charges for non-profit activates and for start-up initiatives.
If you are interested in using any of our rooms please get in touch with Janice by email: janicearogers7@gmail.com, ring the church office on: 07756 555101 or messages us on Facebook (you’ll find the link on the home page).
Sunday Services
Sunday 4th – 10:30am – Communion
Sunday 8th – 10;30am -All Age Worship
Sunday 15th – 10:30am – Communion
Sunday 22nd – 4:00pm – 4:04 (a cafe style service)
Sunday 28th 10:30am Communion
All Saints is open from 9:30am every weekday. Anyone is welcome to come in to pray, just to take a break or simply to use the toilet
Mondays – 7:00pm – Faith Explorers (a group for young people)
Tuesdays – 2:00pm – Story Swappers (an informal social group)
Tuesdays – 3:45pm – Fun Hub (a children’s group)
Wednesdays – 6:00pm Rainbows (the youngest girls only group of the Girl Guides organisation
Fridays – 7:30pm (1st Friday of each month) Men’s Group at Queens Head
Saturdays (alternate weeks) – 10:00am Family Choir
Derby Refugee Solidarity – As a church we are committed to support refugees in Derbyshire. We have regular contact with DRS and collect and deliver donations of whatever is required (this varies from time to time). Donated items can be left in the entrance area at any time the church is open.
Clothing collection – there is a collection point at the end of the drive for any unwanted clothing.
All Saints church was build on the current site in 1907 and remained pretty well unchanged until 1949 unchanged until 1947 when all but the tower was burnt to the ground due to an electrical fault. The church was rebuilt in 1950 in what was for the time quite a revolutionary style. In 1995 the building was again set on fire—this time by vandals. Although there was a lot of smoke damage and some destruction, the main structure and, somewhat remarkably, the organ, were largely undamaged. In 2001? It was decided that the building needed updating, and so an extensive reordering was embarked on. This included the installation of a 1st floor mezzanine hall and the making of all parts of the building fully accessible.
Marlpool is a suburb of the town of Heanor which is equidistant between Nottingham and Derby and close to the boundary between the two counties.
The community of Marlpool is distributed either side of the A6007 with ‘Old Marlpool’ to the left leaving Heanor and ‘New Marlpool’ (not actually that new) to the right. This part was originally built as a council house estate but is now very much a mixture of privately owned and rented properties.
All Saints is between the two situated on the main road between Heanor and Ilkeston. As well as Marlpool itself the parish of All Saints also includes Shipley, originally a small village but now including a ribbon development along the main road.
To find out more about All Saints click on the dropdown menu at the top of the front page
