Hockley Pentecostal Church

Some people think that Halloween is just a bit of harmless fun. However, it only takes a couple of minutes thought to realise that we’re joking about some pretty serious stuff. Some Christians respond to this by moaning and complaining but we’re going to have some fun of our own.

The Hallelujah Party is on October 31st from 6-7.30pm. It’s going to be a fantastic evening of fun, games, music and prizes.

Our cosmically fantastic 3-day playscheme is back again!  Activities include bouncy castle, crafts, computer games, songs and much much more.  To get some idea of what it’s like, visit our YouTube channel for video of a previous year.  At only £1 per child per day you will not find better value anywhere.  To book, bring your completed forms and payment to the church.  You do need to book in advance, places are filling up fast and it’s first-come, first-served.  You can get a booking form by clicking here Flyer & booking form for Above & Beyond Activity Days 2009.  This year children also need to bring their own packed lunch. 

• 10am – 3pm Thursday 23rd July 
• 10am – 3pm Friday 24th July
• 10am – 2pm Saturday 25th July

The 5th July was a really exciting day for Treasure Kids as the West Midlands Police came to tell us about their work and how we can stay safe. There were talks about traffic police including the demonstration of a stinger and a breathalyser test (don’t worry, Pastor John passed) . The children had the chance to have their finger prints taken and dress up with various pieces of equipment. We also learned the right way to cross roads and how to stay safe on the internet. One of the highlights was the visit of a police dog who showed his ability to hunt for property and stop offenders from running away. He was also happy to sit still while the children stroked him. Everyone had a great day and the time flashed by as we were having so much fun.

We would like to say a huge thank you to the West Midlands police for taking the time to visit us and make it such a special day. As well as the photos below you can also see more about what happened by watching the video on YouTube.

On Sunday the 28th June at 6.30pm we have another remarkable guest at the church. During the evening service Carl Finnan will be telling us about his story. Carl had decided that life was not worth living and had made plans to end it all. Then something happened that radically changed his mind. Why not come and find out what it was?

There is a free finger buffet following the meeting.

Fathers day was Sunday 21st of June and here at Hockley Pentecostal Church we had our usual celebration topped off with free gifts. Every man had his choice from a large selection of free tools. It wasn’t just those with children either, every male over the age of 18 was invited to take their pick (or screwdriver, or hammer…).

This year’s family funday was the best ever! Around seven hundred people came to enjoy the fun including songs, puppets, games, music, bouncy castle and face painting. There were bargains galore at our charity shop and a new attraction was the very popular glitter tattoo. Children and adults alike were delighted by TK the dog, who took part in everything and helped to teach the youngsters about the right people to listen to.

Our annual family funday continues to be a highlight for the local community and once again everything, including a packed lunch for everyone, was completely free.

Every now and then you come across a truly remarkable story. A story in which the love and power of God are revealed in all their awesome glory. Barry Woodward’s life tells one of those stories and he’ll be sharing it with us on Sunday 3rd May. To give you an idea of what it’s about, here’s an extract from the back cover of his book “Once an Addict”.

Barry Woodward was a drug dealer and heroin addict who once lived on the notorious Bull Rings in the centre of Manchester. This book describes Barry’s descent into the murky underworld of drug dealing, addiction, crime and imprisonment, and gives first hand insight into the city’s nightlife and music scene. Along the way we are introduced to some of the most extraordinary characters, and we see the extreme lengths to which some of them will go to get their next ‘fix’.

Illegal drug use claimed the lives of many such people, and it seemed inevitable that Barry would also succumb to the drastic consequences of his addiction. With devastating amphetamine-induced mental health issues, a fourteen-year heroin addiction, a string of broken relationships, and the threat of HIV looming, the outlook for Barry appeared very bleak. Then three extraordinary encounters changed his life forever….

Here is a pdf of the flyer about Barry’s visit. You can also get information from his website.

Jesus is the light and soul of Christmas as our musical clearly demonstrated in December. Playing to a packed house on both nights everyone agreed it was a great night’s entertainment, full of fun and with a message of hope for the world. It was too long to put the whole video of the performance on You Tube but a DVD can be bought from the church price £5.

Loads of things are happening at HPC over the next few weeks as we celebrate the birth of Jesus!  Some special events and some changes to our usual programme to make way for Christmas.  More details are on the Special Events page, but here’s a run-down:

Thursday welcome evenings are closed until 8th January.

Tuesday 2nd December at 7pm sees the return of the ever popular Esther Generation BEad Creative Jewellery Party.

Wednesday 10th December - Bright Hour Christmas meal out.

Tuesday 16th December from 11am-2pm - Friendship Plus Christmas Meal

Wednesday 17th December from 1-2.45pm – Bright Hour Carol service

Saturday 20th December at 7pm & Sunday 21st December at 5.30pm is our Christmas Musical - Jesus the light & Soul of Christmas – the whole family will love this theatrical nativity.

Tuesday 23rd December at 11am – Queen Elizabeth Court Carol Service 

Tuesday 23rd December – Friendship Plus is closed

Wednesday 24th December – Bright Hour & the prayer meeting are closed 

Thursday 25th December from 11am-12noon – Christmas Day Service

Sunday 28th December – Treasure Kids is closed & there will be no evening service

30th December - Friendship Plus is closed

31st December – Bright Hour & the prayer meeting are closed 

Come down on New Year’s Eve at 7.30pm for party games & food as we see out 2008 together & then welcome in 2009 with a Watchnight Service from 11pm-midnight.

Sunday 4th January – Lunch after the morning service, followed by our vision afternoon (Treasure Kids is closed and there will be no evening service)

Thursday 8th January – Welcome Evenings start again, yippee!

Sunday 11th January – Treasure Kids is closed.  Those workers need a rest now & then!

Sunday 18th January – Treasure Kids re-opens for 2009, hurray!

Friday 30th (evening) & Saturday 31st January – our annual Prayer Conference

We always like to do something a bit special at Christmas and this year is no exception. We’ve written our own musical and rehearsals are in full swing ready to provide you with a great evening’s entertainment. The show’s entitled “Jesus the light and soul of Christmas” and there are two performances; Saturday 20th December at 7pm and Sunday 21st December at 5.30pm. Come and be reminded what Christmas is all about. Admission is free.