Ministry

We are currently reviewing St Clement's Vision Groups. The information below is now out of date but does give a flavour of what we do and have done.

This is a new Vision area, encompassing and building on the work of the Worship and Pastoral Vision Groups, and of the Music and Vocations Groups.

As a growing community, we must ensure that the pastoral needs of our own, and that of the wider, community are met. Establishing new cell-groups and strengthening existing ones such as Choir, Fellowship and social groups will require a new focus and energy. The success of past retreats warrants scheduling of regular retreats, and introducing visits to Holy places and Parish family holidays. Joined-up thinking with the Education Vision Group will take music and worship into schools and care homes.

The Ministry Vision umbrella is quite large; involving teams of existing and new members who will generate new ideas to expand our pastoral work, musical opportunities, and links with other Vision Groups.

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Music

Music is an essential aspect of our worshipping life. It also plays an important part in the mission of our church and enables us to engage with the local community. We aim to:

* Enhance worship through the use of a range of music, suitable for the occasion

*Encourage and enable everybody to use and develop their musical talents

*Make music accessible to all

*Continue and develop the performance of high quality music within the contexts of both worship and concerts

*Develop St Clement’s as a venue for music in Chorlton

Choir

We are privileged to have a choir to lead our worship. The repertoire of the choir includes a great deal of challenging music that is sung to a high standard.  

The Choir rehearses once a week (Friday evenings) and sings at the main Sunday morning Eucharist, Choral Evensong once a month and occasional services throughout the year. 

Interested in joining?

Whilst we are an inclusive choir, we are particularly keen to welcome new members who have some experience of choral singing and who can read music.  We have a particular need for basses but would welcome singers of all parts.  We recognise that people have other weekend commitments  and so are flexible about how much time you can offer.  You may wish to join us for Choral Evensong once a month, plus occasional services, rather than committing to every Sunday morning.

Children (aged 7+) are welcome to join the choir for the Sunday morning services.  They meet to practice before the service.  We also try to offer social opportunities for the children, such as our recent trip to The Crocky Trail!

 Concerts

We organise two main concerts per year; performances of choral works with either organ or orchestral accompaniment. They involve musicians from our surrounding communities and have a liturgical link, for example, a concert for Holy Week or Remembrance. Past performances include Handel’s Messiah and Requiems by Mozart, Faure and Durufle.

Our church building is also used to host other concerts organised by local musicians. Concerts organised by Chorlton Arts Festival often take place at St Clement’s and we are currently hosting a series of piano recitals by students from the RNCM.

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Education

Activities for children and young people:

Stepping Stones
This is the name given toour Sunday School. After a brief act of worship at the beginning of each session, children split into two groups, those aged 3 to 7, and those 8 and above. There are always two trained adult leaders with each group.

Admission to Communion
Classes are specially designed to support people of all ages in their journey toward Communion. Classes focus on areas of Christianity such as the life of Jesus, prayer, and the Trinity, and are a mixture of discussion and practical activity.

Adult Education and Schools Liaison:

Faith Matters
Is a basic introduction to Christianity. Check the website for infornation about the next course or contact Ken Flood.

Work with Schools
St Clement’s works with many local  schools, providing an education programme that supports the National Curriculum in a number of areas such as Science, Environment, Citizenship, and Religious Education. We can offer tailor-made packages to meet specific requirements across both primary and secondary education and can deliver this in school or church.

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Social Justice

St Clement's has a strong commitment tgo Social Justice and the Social Justice Group works on projects which support the congregation and friends of St Clement to engage in the wider community in a positive way, as an expression of Christian purpose. Highlights of the last few years include hosting the Dreaming Peace exhibition of artwork by Israeli and Palestinian children, attending the World HIV/AIDS Day vigil in Manchester, raising £2000 to send an entire farmyard, training and infrastructure to an African community, hosting an evening of music and speakers during the Festival of Faith, raising more than £1500 for Barnardos and Plantlife International via Sound of Music and Grease party nights, and £1000 for Bhopal survivors with a dance night, including live music from Deeper Soul.

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Finance & General Purposes

As we continue the ministries of a thriving church community, the financial situation of St Clement’s must remain strong. . As a community, we need to support our ministries with the wealth that God bestows upon us. Each of us needs to consider our financial contribution to St Clement’s so that we can continue our growth and give back to God. By re-evaluating our commitment to St Clement’s, we can increase our contributions in order to ensure a positive bank balance and to maintain the fabric of the buildings. 

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