‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age’ (Matthew 28: 19-end NRSVA)· Leading Intercessions in our Sunday services· Leading prayers for small groups· Reading the Scripture in our Sunday services.· Working in a small team to plan and help host mission and outreach activities in our churches in the communities they serve.· Joining our choir – choirs in both churches need new members.Come and enjoy fellowship and music. If you sense God is calling / prompting you to serve in any of these ways, please chat to me, Reverend Lesley.
God is at work in our communities and our Diocese is commited to sustain and increase clergy numbers, unlike many other Dioceses where parishes are frequently lay- led and clergy ‘manage’ multiple parishes. Please pray for the people who will be ordained this Petertide 2025 See the Ember list by clicking the link. If you are sensing God calling you to serve Him in ministry, Lay or Ordained, please speak to Reverend Lesley
We did various activities exploring our understanding of The Lord’s Prayer. This included making pizza dough initials to show how much they are individually loved by God. Everyone ate their initials (He dwells with in us!). Thank you to Ruby and Ethan who read the Scripture for us with little (no) notice – well done!Please click the link for more pictures.
At present, for various reasons, both of our churches are experiencing a decline in financial giving. This is partly due to a decline in attendance and new people coming to faith. It is imperative and our priority that we follow Jesus’ command (The Great Commission –Matthew 28: 18-20) and reach out to those in our communities and invite them to know the love of Jesus and how His love is transforming and peace giving. We can do this through social events and by offering new worship activities. We need money to do these things.Both churches have lost significant regular givers, and we thank God for their life of faith. The day- to-day running costs of our churches have increased. Just as in our homes, our fuel bills, water costs have risen. As public buildings we are bound by Health and Safety Regulations for PAT tests, lightening conductor tests, fire extinguisher tests and so much more to keep our buildings safe. We rely heavily on fundraising to support our running costs.We are grateful for all financial gifts and understand we each give what we can. May I take this opportunity to ask if it is possible for any of us to make a one-off donation to your church on Sunday? Please pop your gift into an envelope and place it on the offertory plate.If you are a regular giver, by Standing Order, may I ask how long it is since you reviewed your giving? Can I ask you to consider joining the Parish Giving Scheme? This scheme is similar to Standing Orders, but it gives a monthly Gift Aid return to our churches, saving much time for our Treasurers, who are volunteers with their time. You can find out much more information by clicking the link below. Please do have a read.Home - Parish Giving SchemeAnd finally, are you one of the 6 out of 10 people who has not made a Will, or did you make it several years ago and your circumstances have changed? For nearly 500 years the Church of England has encouraged people to make a Will. Without a Will, your loved ones could face a lot of trouble, work and expense after your death. Without a Will, a court could decide how to distribute your goods and who should look after your children or dependents.When writing your Will, you also have the opportunity to include a gift in your will to your local church. This type of gift can be given for a specific item, such as a stained glass window, internal decorations, new pew Bibles, or more generally to specify that your gift is used for outreach and mission (and NOT to pay bills!). For more information, please contact Simon Parker (St Anne’s) or Carol Jackson (St John’s) or visit the Church of England Legacy website Church Legacy | The Church of EnglandPlease get in touch with me either on Sundays or via email if you would like to discuss further areadean.Pendle@Blackburn.anglican.orgThe Church of EnglandFind a Church Near YouSafeguardingAccessibilityChurch of England FacebookChurch of England InstagramChurch of England TwitterChurch of England YouTubeChurch of England LinkedIn© 2025 The Archbishops’ CouncilPrivacy Policy
