St Andrew's, Dearnley Opening Weekend

The Reverend Canon Sharon Jones and Church Warden Susan Knight starting work on the new community centre

Details of our Wider Welcome Official Opening weekend are now to hand.

Appropriately, it will take place on Saturday, November 30 (St Andrew's Day) and on Sunday, December 1, which coincidentally is Advent Sunday.

On the Saturday, the grand opening will be performed at 10am by the Bishop of Middleton, Bishop Mark Davies and at 6.30pm we will have in church an evening with a Maranatha Gospel Choir, definitely one not to be missed.

On the Sunday, a celebration Eucharist, starting at 9.30am, will be followed by brunch and at 6pm we will have Choral Evensong, the first for a long time, which will be led by Archdeacon Cherry Vann.

Other diary dates:

October 23: Wardle Village Church (7.30pm), the licensing by Bishop Mark of our vicar, the Rev Sharon Jones, who will also become the vicar of Wardle. Our curate, Rev Mike, will also be licensed as assistant curate of Wardle.

October 27: Bible Sunday, with the focus on China where attendance at Christian worship is experiencing almost explosive growth.

November 1: All Saints' Day

November 2: All Souls' Day, said Eucharist in the Lady Chapel at 10am.

November 9: Autumn Fair, which will be held this year in St Andrew's School (11am to 1pm) because of the Wider Welcome work taking place in church.

Bottles, chocolate and other non-perishable goodies for the Fair should be brought to church please or taken to the vicarage on Wednesday evenings between 6pm and 7pm.

This coming Sunday, October 13, we have Sung Euharist at 9.30am and Holy Baptism at noon.

The parish rota is: lay assistants, J Paterson, J Coomer; readers, P Shrigley, J Mills; Intercessions, W Foote; sidespersons, C Giles, R Fuller.