St Andrew's, Dearnley and Smithy Bridge

St Andrew's, Dearnley and Smithy Bridge

We look forward to a busy and exciting December, highlighted in the middle of the month by the official opening of our new Wider Welcome community facility which will see the completion of a £100,000-plus project representing the biggest change to the interior fabric of St Andrew's Church since it was built in 1895.

The grand opening will be celebrated by the Bishop of Middleton, the Rt. Rev Mark Davies, at 10.30am on Saturday, December 14.

Littleborough Training Brass Band will be in attendance and we anticipate a large gathering of parishioners and friends to celebrate the completion of a project which has been three years in the making and which, hopefully, will enable St Andrew's to offer a Wider Welcome to the community of Dearnley and Smithy Bridge.

While structural work is taking place in church various events have been switched to alternative venues, such as our weekly Thursday morning Eucharist which, for the last few weeks, has been held at Dearnley Methodist Church.

The Friendship Club on Tuesdays has been switched to the vicarage, as has the monthly meeting of the Mothers' Union, which has recently been given a talk by Peter Hyde on the work of the Oldham Mountain Rescue Team. The MU, on another occasion, spent an enjoyable evening in which members talked of their wartime memories.

The Autumn Fair, this year held in St Andrew's Primary School, was a huge success, attracting record numbers and raising a sum well in excess of £1,000.

In addition to the usual Sung Eucharist at 9.30am every Sunday, the diary for December is as follows:

Sunday, December 1: Choral Evensong, starting at 6pm, will be led by Archdeacon Cherry Vann as part of our St Andrew's Day celebrations.

Saturday, December 7: Advent Quiet Day in church, led by Canon Roger Hill from 2pm to 5pm.

Saturday, December 14: Grand opening of the Wider Welcome facility by Bishop Mark Davies at 10.30am, followed at 6pm by a Gospel Choir concert.

Sunday, December 15: A Celebration Eucharist with Bishop Mark at 9.30am, followed by parish brunch.

Sunday, December 22: Carol Service at 6pm.

Christmas Eve: Crib and Christingle at 4pm; Midnight Eucharist at 11pm.

Christmas Day: Family Eucharist at 9.30am.

Sunday, December 29: Said Eucharist at 9am; Joint Service with Wardle at Dearnley Methodist Church at 10am.

The parish rota this coming Sunday, November 17, (Sung Eucharist at 9.30am; Holy Baptism at noon) is: lay assistants, J Mills, H Walker; readers, K Jones, S Jones; Intercessions, C Longhurst; sidespersons, V Lucy, P Webster.