Ainsworth Unitarians
 
 

Ainsworth Presbyterian
(Unitarian) Chapel



K
nowsley Road, Ainsworth, Bolton BL2 5QA
Services: 10.00am Sunday

Minister:
The Rev Jeffrey Lane Gould MA

Tel : 0161 764 4925

Email:
jeffreylanegould@btinternet.com

The present building dates from 1715, and was enlarged in 1773, it is one of the oldest buildings in the village, and a very beautiful one, inside (with lovely box pews) and outside with its gracious Queen Anne style. Listed Grade 2*
Charity no: 501049
 
It's Spring at last
   

Jim Rothwell 1920 - 2008
Unitarian stalwart Jim Rothwell (L) sadly passed away, aged 88, while walking to Sunday Service

Spring daffs



Flower Secretary Dorothy Roberts

Beautiful old box pews

 
This Chapel is in joint ministry with Bury Unitarian Church.
Our chapel is open to all who wish to worship with an open mind and a spirit of free inquiry. It has its roots in Liberal Christianity. Our worship is simple, includes praise to God, a celebration of life and its wonders, and a sharing of concerns and ideals for human life and its dignity. As well as weekly worship on Sunday at 10.00am, there are social activities throughout the year. Special services, such as baptisms, weddings and funerals are also held, by arrangement with the Minister. We welcome new members and visitors. 


The Rev. Jeff Gould




A Celebration Lunch
12.30 / 1 pm
Saturday, 13 June
A special buffet lunch, jointly organized by Bury and Ainsworth, to celebrate our minister’s 20 years in the ministry. It will be a substantial buffet lunch, please bring your own wine. It will be held in the schoolroom at Ainsworth - Tickets £10 from Harry. Book early for this special event.
Tickets limited.

Strawberry Fayre 2.30 pm Saturday 18 July
Get your ticket for this popular annual strawberry feast.
Tickets £4 from members of the Efforts Committee.

HERE COMES SUMMER!
Most of our sister churches and chapels across the country “take things a bit easier” through the summer months, but at Bury and Ainsworth we tend to hold a healthy volume of special events in the warmer (and drier?) season. This is a healthy form of optimism in the weather forecast, and also a determination to keep our communities alive throughout the traditional holiday period.

It will be particularly festive and special to welcome this year’s President of the General Assembly, the Reverend Bob Wightman, to lead our worship at both Ainsworth and Bury, on Sunday, 21 June. It is when we traditionally mark the arrival of the Summer Solstice, and share a generous meal immediately after the service at the Bury Church. What will make this Presidential visit even more noteworthy will be the presence and participation of Bob’s wife, Mary, who is also the President of the national Women’s League.

This summer is something of a landmark season for me, personally, in that I will celebrate my 50th birthday and honour the 20th anniversary of my ordination to the professional ministry. Whilst I am not planning to have a “mid-life crisis,” I am aware that my thoughts have been particularly ruminative of late, as I weigh the accomplishments, failures and experiences of my life to date. A huge benefit to this exercise in self-assessment will be a holiday I will enjoy in Bangkok with friends who live and work there. It is the second trip I will have made there, and I am eagerly looking forward to some “religious tourism,” as there is a good number of wats, shrines, temples, gurdwaras, mosques, churches, chapels and synagogues to visit in that city of seven million people.

I hope that the coming season will be a productive one for our two communities, and that we can celebrate our many planned events in a spirit of hopefulness and gratitude.

JEFF

 

 

 


EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT UNITARIANISM (but were afraid to ask!)
In response to requests from church and chapel members and friends, a series of discussion evenings for newcomers, enquirers and those who are interested in learning more about our dissenting tradition will take place in the Bury Unitarian Church coffee lounge on the following Thursday evenings, beginning at 7.30 p.m.: 21 May; 18 June; 16 July; 13 August. These evenings will be informal and social in nature, with light refreshments shared. It will be possible to attend as many or as few of the sessions as desired. If you have any questions about the series, please speak with Jeff Gould (telephone 0161 764 4925)