Easter at St Andrew’s, Dearnley

St Andrew's, Dearnley and Smithy Bridge

Holy Week at St Andrew’ starts on Sunday, 20 March 20, Palm Sunday, with our 9.30am Sung Eucharist and procession with palms, followed at 11.30am and 12.30pm by Holy Baptism.

At 6.00pm that evening we will be taking part in Holy Week worship at St Mary’s RC Church, Littleborough as part of the Littleborough Churches Together programme.

Services at St Andrew’s for the rest of next week are as follows:

Monday: 6.00pm, Stations of the Cross

Maundy Thursday: 9.30am, Eucharist; 7pm, Last Supper (shared meal) and Washing of Feet; 9.00pm to midnight, Gethsemane Watch.

Good Friday: 11.00am, Liturgy; noon to 3.00pm, Meditations on Jesus’s final words from the cross with a short address every half hour.

Holy Saturday: 9.00am, Morning Prayer; 8.00pm, Lighting of Easter Fire and Vigil.

Easter Day: 9.30am Family Eucharist.

Holy Week cards will be available in Church on Sunday so please plan next week around our time together with God.

We are delighted to confirm that Diane Newton, who has been on placement at St Andrew’s since last October while training for ordination, will be staying with us following her ordination in June.

She will be joining Sharon, Mike and Wendy as a member of the ministry team within the Benefice of Dearnley (and Smithy Bridge), Wardle and Smallbridge.

Diane has specific gifts with children and young people and she will be supporting and developing our Sunday School provision and exploring other ways of sharing the faith of Jesus with those of school age.

On the last Saturday of each month we meet with families whose children we are baptizing the following month. It is an opportunity to meet them, their children and Godparents to explain the promises they will be making and the symbolism of the water, the oil and the candle.

As part of this initiative we are looking for members of the congregation to welcome the baptism families both at the meetings and at subsequent Holy Baptisms when they can help to put the families at ease.

If you would like to be a ‘baptism buddy’ please speak to Mike or Sharon,

Parish rota on Sunday: lay assistants, S Moore, S Walker; readers, S Knight, D Knight; Intercessions, C Longhurst; sidespersons, M Howarth, S Harper; refreshments, Dennis, Pam, Judith.