St Andrew's, Dearnley

St Andrew's, Dearnley and Smithy Bridge

This Saturday morning (September 15) at St Andrew's, the parish church of Dearnley and Smithy Bridge, we are holding a coffee morning in the parish room, starting at 10.00am and running through to noon. Admission is £2.

It's an opportunity for people to come along for a chat over a coffee and a bacon butty, while at the same time helping to raise funds at a time when fund-raising is high on the church agenda.

Another significant event to be held at St Andrew's this weekend is the Deanery's Songs of Praise, which will take place in Church on Sunday, starting at 3pm. For some time past, regular churchgoers have been jotting down their favourite hymns, on a list in the parish room, for inclusion in the programme, which promises to be a splendid afternoon of hymn signing, hopefully attended by many of our friends from churches across the Deanery.

Also on Sunday we have our usual services, Eucharist at 8am and Sung Eucharist at 10.00am.

The parish rota is: lay assistants, J Paterson, B Kelly; readers, Sarah Moore, Sheila Moore; Intercessions, J Mills; sidespersons, V Lucy, P Webster; refreshments, Elizabeth, Gillian J, Sheila.

Looking a little further ahead, tickets are now on sale, and available from Sheila (07946269840), for our musical evening on Saturday, September 29 when we welcome our friends from the Wigan-based band Gifted who will present us with an evening of 'Songs from the Shows'.

Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7.00pm start and tickets are on sale at £8 adults and £4 children, which includes a chilli-con-carne supper.

This will be Gifted's second visit to St Andrew's and if last year's event is anything to go by, tickets will be in hot demand so please be advised to see Sheila as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Also for your diary --- Back-to-Church Sunday on September 30 when regulars are invited to bring along a friend, neighbour, work mate or family member who, for whatever reason, might have lapsed. The service will include a puppet show, followed by brunch in the parish room.

On a similar theme we have set up a small group of people who are happy to go out into the community and visit anyone who might be in need of a friend or somebody to talk to over a cup of tea.

We believe there is a need locally for this sort of community socialising so we would like to make contact, directly or indirectly, with anyone in the area who may be feeling unwell, lonely, out of sorts or merely seeking somebody to talk to and somebody with whom to share life's ups and downs.

If that person is you, or you know somebody who is, ring Ada on (01706) 378283 and we will make the necessary arrangements for a visit.

Last year, to celebrate Harvest, we operated to the theme, 'Give Poverty the Boot', but this year we plan to follow the Christian Aid theme which focuses on bees and honey and the huge benefits to be derived from training farmers in developing countries in the skills of bee keeping.

Last year we turned up at Church for the Harvest Festival wearing wellies (to give poverty the boot), but this year, on Sunday, October 7, we will be asking people to attend in yellow and black, preferably in stripes, to follow the bee theme.

There will be a retiring collection for the work of Christian Aid and we would ask that people also bring along non-perishable food with a long shelf-life so that we can donate it to the Rochdale Foodbank.

St Andrew's primary school will also be following the bees-and-honey theme when they come into Church the next day, on Monday, October 8.

Most of you will know by now that our vicar, the Rev Sharon, has started a well-earned Sabbatical which will take her out of the parish for the next three months.

Last Sunday's Sung Eucharist was celebrated by the Rev Canon David Sharples and this Sunday we will welcome the Rev Andrew Howell from Wardle Village Church and formerly of St John's, Smallbridge.

Finally, and for the benefit of those who like to make plans well in advance, our Christmas dates are as follows: December 23 (6pm), Carol Service; Christmas Eve (4pm), Crib and Christingles; 11pm, Midnight Eucharist; Christmas Day (10am), Said Eucharist with carols.

Further ahead still, we are planning a parish weekend on Holy Island in Northumbria (Lindisfarne) over the 2013 Bank Holiday weekend of May 3 to May 6.

Suggested donation is £35 per night, staying at Marygate House on the island.

Please sign the list in the parish room to indicate initial interest.