St Bridget's Parish Church serves the small town of West Kirby, on the Dee estuary.
The Church was founded by Christian Vikings from Ireland, so we have a thousand years of experience of bringing people the good news of the love of God revealed in Jesus Christ. People who come into St Bridget's today still encounter God's love in the beautiful, holy building and in reflective worship and stimulating preaching. We are trying to represent the Church of England at its best.
COVID-19
Throughout the pandemic we have been serving our community and providing worship and pastoral care.
Please help us to keep in touch – if you know of any parishioners who might need support because of illness, or bereavement, or any other reason, please let us know via the Parish Office on tel. 0151 625 2739 or email office@stbridgetschurch.org.uk
The Churchwardens at our churches can be contacted in an emergency by telephoning 0151 625 2389 or 0151 625 1636 (St Bridget's) or 0151 342 0141 or 0151 625 8510 (Caldy)
Our website contains details of how to join others online for prayer, worship, study, and community life.
Facebook: @StBridgetsChurchWestKirby
Twitter: @StBandCaldy
From Sunday 23rd August we will have Communion at our services in church instead of Morning Prayer, at 8am in St Bridget's and at 10am in St Bridget's and Caldy Church.
We have been looking at all the safety measures we will need to take. We won't be able to offer wine. Communion will be 'in one kind' - but that will not make it less 'valid'! When it comes to the distribution of Communion, we will be invited to come up to the altar one at a time and receive an individual wafer.
The service will be provided on Zoom at 10am as 'Spiritual Communion'. As the priest receives the bread and wine, we will all join in with a prayer that makes the celebration our own Communion. This is an authorised practice of the Church of England. See the current news sheet (link below) for details of how to join.
If you come to church, you’ll be asked to observe social distancing, sanitise your hands and give your contact details as you come in. National guidance strongly advises us to wear face coverings.
St Bridget’s church is open for private prayer 2.30pm - 3.30pm Tuesdays and Fridays
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? click to see topics in discussion
Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31st December 2019
Review 2019
click here. to download the upcoming Sermon. click here for previous sermon. click here for Worship/Service sheet click here for A service of Holy Communion click here for the News Sheet Click here for 'Thought for the Week' click here for Caldy Sermon click here for J.Bowers thoughts
Click here to receive our weekly newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dna4j1
Ray tells the story of 'Hopeful the Frog' click: https://youtu.be/MmiEXErzDo8
"Heart to Heart Meditation for the COVID Crisis No1" https://youtu.be/oTYEkruI2t0
"Heart to Heart Meditation for the COVID Crisis No2" https://youtu.be/mBkavq6ZYy8
"Heart to Heart Meditation for the COVID Crisis No3". https://youtu.be/ZPKFh_g7C0U
Click here for a message from our new Rector Revd Alex Williams
Barnabas Fund click here for information and to support
St Bridget's, West Kirby and Caldy Church take the safety of everyone within our churches very seriously, and expects that everyone will work within the safeguarding policy of the Parish, a copy of which can be found on our noticeboards.
In particular, the Parish expects anyone who becomes aware of a safeguarding risk with children or vulnerable adults, or an actual abuse, to raise this immediately with the person(s) with responsibility for safeguarding within the Parish.
The Safeguarding Co-ordinator for the Parish is Bethan Halpenny, contacted on 07837 755214 bethanhc@live.co.uk
Alternatively, contact Pauline Butterfield (the Diocesan Safeguarding Officer) on 01928-718834 Ext 221
Click here to view the Past Cases Review procedure
In May 2012 we opened the new St Bridget's Centre, which in normal times is available for bookings. However, the Centre is closed at the moment.
There are strong links with the excellent Church Primary School next door.
We have many weddings, baptisms and funerals each year - click here for contact details if you wish to enquire.
Caldy Church is the daughter Church of St Bridget's, and has served Caldy Village in the name of Jesus Christ for a hundred years.
We are an Inclusive Church, a Fair Trade Parish and an Eco-Congregation.
Click here to view our Data Privacy statement
Lord God, defend your Church from all false teaching and give to your people knowledge of your truth, that we may enjoy eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20: 1-16) Parables have often suffered from over-interpretation rather than from being under interpreted. Often each verse is expounded with the same intensity as is used when interpreting the detailed teaching of Jesus such as that presented in the Sermon on the Mount. But parables were spoken to the multitudes, not so that they could be pressured into yielding a multitude of different teachings where each character and object in a parable finds a profound meaning, but rather that the hearers would understand the important principle that was being expounded. The parable of the prodigal son is, for instance, one such parable that has suffered over-interpretation over the years. The emphasis in today’s church is usually placed on the treatment of the returning son, whereas at the time the main focus of the parable was to show how the scribes and Pharisees were a personification of the ungracious elder son. The danger is similar when we come to the parable we are examining today, which concerns labourers in the vineyard. Jesus did not tell the parable to show what economic principles should be employed by owners of agricultural land and neither what sort of care should be laid upon employers when it came to the wages and conditions of work. The whole point of the parable is that salvation is not a reward system so that those who’ve worked longer and harder might receive more, but that it’s a free gift given by God who shows mercy to all men and women. His mercy does not vary in an arbitrary manner from one person to the next. In short God does not have favourites and all are welcome in his Kingdom. David Chester
