St Andrew’s, Dearnley

Photo: Peter Shrigley

Revd. Sharon Jones, St Andrew’s Church

This Sunday, 28 February at 9.30am is our Sung Eucharist.

Our Lent groups are now up and running, held every Thursday evening in the parish room, starting at 7.30pm. This year, we are calling these group get-togethers ‘Art and Inspiration’ -- an hour of reflection and quietness as we journey towards Easter.

Holy Week starts with Palm Sunday on March 20, but full details of our services on that day and then throughout the week, culminating with our 9.30am Sung Eucharist on Easter Sunday, will be given later.

Our musical evening last Saturday, 20 February, with the Little Jazz Funk Orchestra, was a huge success, attended by around 150 people, a large number of whom were regular supporters of the band.

The night raised more than £800 for church funds so a big thank-you to everyone who attended and to everyone who helped on the night.

We require volunteers please to help out with ‘Experience Easter’, our initiative in which children from three primary schools, St Andrew’s, Smithy Bridge and St James, Wardle, will be in Church on either Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, March 14, 15, 16.

They will be with us to discover the Easter story and if past experience is anything to go by it will be a very useful and rewarding experience for children and volunteers alike.

Anyone willing to help is asked to put their name on the list in the parish room and indicate which day or day’s suits best.

The financial fillip was a timely boost for church finances, given that at the next morning’s service, our vicar, the Rev Sharon, and our PCC treasurer, Chris Longhurst, did a stewardship presentation at which they pointed out the need for additional and regular income, for example on the collection plate on Sundays.

An additional 50p a week from everyone who donated regularly would make a vast difference and would go a long way to meeting the shortfall.

This Sunday, 28 February 9.30am Sung Eucharist, the parish rota is as follows: lay assistants, J Mills, H Walker; readers, K Jones, S or C Giles; Intercessions, R Polley; sidespersons, J Barker, C Phillips; refreshments, Ada, June, Thelma.

Anyone who wishes to go on the church electoral roll for the first time is asked to contact Caroline Phillips, our electoral roll officer.