Friends of St. Mary's Church, Newchurch in Pendle

10/12/2024

Happy Christmas!
And hello from Rev’d Nick (the new vicar for St Thomas’ and St Mary’s Churches)
Joy and I have three children. I’ve always loved their enjoyment of the stories around their individual births. Even now as young adults the subject of their birth will bring out some new detail or facet, something they didn’t know about, and their parents had either omitted until they were older... or had forgotten to tell them before. Their sense of discovery is always a delight.
Our origin stories are important. They tell us who we are our place in the world. They confirm something deep about us and our identity.
As we explore the Christmas Story again, we will hear familiar things. We will be reminded of angels, miraculous conceptions, and shepherds lost in wonder at what they saw, but I hope that you’ll hear something fresh, a facet of the story you hadn’t seen before or a detail that was waiting for you to discover all along, and that these discoveries will confirm something deep about who we are, and who God is.
As I begin as your new Vicar, I hope to see you at some of the events we are hosting this year and that we can enjoy and delight together as we hear again the story about the One who can meet our deepest need.
“Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” (St Luke 2:15)

10/12/2024

First of all, an apology to all our readers. Whilst we have been without a vicar life has been a little hectic. Now we have Revd Nick Murray, inducted and installed on Sunday 8th, and to show what a difference he has made already, here is some updated information, some already in the past, but your writer thought you might be interested.

Tues 3rd Dec 6pm - Cruck Barn Carol Service, Christmas fun for the family Pendle Heritage Centre,

Sun 8th Dec 11am - Christingle Service A joint celebration with Barley Methodist
6pm - Induction Service A service to welcome our new Vicar Nick Murray at St Thomas' Church

Sat 14th Dec 7pm - Toy Event tickets £10, children free Widdass’ home. Message the fb page if you would like tickets

Sun 15th Dec 9:30am - Holy Communion Our new Vicar’s (Nick) first Holy Communion with us at St Mary's
5pm - Barley to Bethlehem Carols and readings for Christmas meet at Barley Car Park

Fri 20th Dec 7pm - Carols at St Thomas’ Come and sing your favourite carols and hear the Christmas story. Followed by mulled wine and mince pies.

Sun 22nd Dec Sun 9:30am - Preparing for Christmas: Holy Communion Service at St Mary's Church

6pm - Carols by Candlelight at Barley Methodist Church service shared with St Mary's Church

Mon 23rd Dec 4pm - Crib Service The Christmas story and fun for the whole family St Mary’s Church

Christmas Eve 10pm - “Midnight” service An opportunity to pause before the day. St Mary’s Church

Christmas Day 9:30am - Christmas Day Holy Communion St Mary’s Church

Sun 29th Dec 10am - Holy Communion St Thomas’ Church. No service at St Mary's Come and celebrate Christmas with us in the coming weeks and see what God makes known to us. We’d love to see you..

29/06/2024

12/03/2024

A Passion Play for Pendle

26/02/2024

Chris and Val Widdas are holding their Coffee Morning on Saturday 2nd March, 10.00 to 12.00 midday in Spen Brook, Newchurch. Quiz results will be revealed and there will be cake and tombola. Just turn up!

Claire found the quiz very tricky. This is her telling Val so!

22/02/2024

Here are a few more pictures of our building alterations at St. Mary’s Church. Come and see for yourself!

22/02/2024

St Mary’s Church March 2024 – Lent, Holy Week and Easter Services & Events

All services are Holy Communion at 9.30am unless indicated otherwise…

• Sunday 3rd March – Lent 3
• Sunday 10th March – Lent 4 Mothering Sunday
7:00pm – Benefice Occasional Singers Rehearsal (hosted by Gin Crewe)
• Saturday 16th March – 10:00am – Quiet Morning (at Shekinah)
• Sunday 17th March – Lent 5 Passiontide
7:00pm – Benefice Occasional Singers Rehearsal (hosted by Gin Crewe)
• Sunday 24th March – Palm Sunday
7:00pm – Benefice Occasional Singers Rehearsal (hosted by Gin Crewe)
• Tuesday 26th March – 6.30pm Passion Play for Pendleside at St Thomas’
• Friday 29th March – 10.00am Good Friday Children’s Workshop at St Thomas’
1:30pm – Newchurch Walk of Witness and Word (meet at St Mary’s)
• Saturday 30th March – 7.00pm Quiet, Compline and Tenebrae at St Thomas’
• Sunday 31st March – 6:00am – Easter Day Sunrise Service and Bucks Fizz Breakfast
9:30am – Easter Day Holy Communion and Easter Egg Hunt

Contact Fr Paul Payton for more details on 07866 696 891 or email [email protected]

18/02/2024

https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/11532/ has details of some of our Lent and Holy Week events.

St Mary's Church is a beautiful, small, old church in the tiny village of Newchurch. It welcomes visitors, whether local residents or people travelling through, to all services and event, or just to sit and enjoy the peace of the church. Call in and see us!

31/01/2024

Services at St. Mary's Church will take place on the following dates:

· Sunday 4th February – 9:30am – Holy Communion with Bishop of Blackburn, Rt Revd Philip North
· Sunday 11th February – 9:30am – Morning Prayer
· Sunday 18th February – 9:30am – Lent Holy Communion
· Sunday 25th February – 9:30am – Lent Holy Communion

Contact Fr Paul Payton for more details on 07866 696 891 or email [email protected]

31/01/2024

Good evening,
Rev Julie Smith has left us to return to a parish in the Northeast. It seems a good idea to update you with news about St. Mary’s Church. We are now working together as part of the Benefice of Barrowford St Thomas and Newchurch St. Mary.
Fr Paul Payton is our Interim Vicar until October this year and he will help us find a new vicar. We have a brand-new Narthex, kitchen and toilet and are enjoying meeting after services and having refreshments and a chat. Do come and see the changes to the building if you haven’t done so already.
There are some exciting events taking place at St Mary’s. For example we are sharing a Maundy Meal on Thursday, 28th March followed by Stripping of the Altar, and we are presenting a Passion Play at St. Thomas, on Tuesday 26th March at 6.30. On Easter Sunday we shall take part in a dawn service (well, 6.00am) followed by a buck’s fizz breakfast, as well as the usual 9.30am service with an egg hunt for children at the end. We also plan a Lambing Service at a local farm on 11th or 18th May- watch out for final details.

Other events include
• “Cherish Your Churchyard” week, 10th-16th June with ecological events based in the churchyard
• “Nibbles in the Narthex” concert celebrating the opening of our new Narthex, on Saturday 25th June
• Crowning of the Rush-bearing Queen on Saturday 13th July at 2.30pm, with a special Rush-bearing Service on Sunday 14th July at 9.30am
• John Garrett and Friends in Concert on September 7th at 7.30pm.

There are also some concerts and special events being run in conjunction with St Thomas’ Church, including:
• The Keighley Vocal Union presenting “All on an April Evening,” on April 20th at 7.30pm,
• An Eco day, “Beacons not Bystanders,” on Saturday,4th May, with workshops all day and an ecology-based service on Sunday 5th
• Pendle Ladies’ Choir, 7.30pm on May 11th,
• “Songs of Praise” June 9th at 6.30pm
• Barrowford Community Choir, June 23rd at 7.30pm
• A Confirmation Service with Bishop Jill at St Thomas’ on 24th June 6.30pm
• East Lancashire Band concert on July 6th at 7.30
There is a St Mary’s Churchyard Gardening Club, The Flower Fairies and a Benefice Men’s Fellowship, all meeting regularly.

We publicise events on our page https://www.facebook.com/stthomasandstmarys and on the Parish Newsletter, published once a month online current issue https://www.parishnews.org/202402/. Do feel free to email back if you have any questions. It would be lovely to see you at St. Mary’s Church.

Welcome to the Benefice of St Thomas’ and St Mary’s! Find info on services, events, and church life here. Like our page to learn more and keep up with what’s happening in our churches! Everyone is welcome—come just as you are!

20/10/2023

All Souls Commemoration Service
4pm 5th November
St. Mary’s Church, Newchurch in Pendle

If you would like a loved one who has died to be remembered at this service please PRINT their name on the list at the back of church or send a fb message.