Churches in the Rochdale area are preparing for a busy and meaningful Advent and Christmas season, with a wide array of services, community gatherings, and special events announced for the coming weeks.
Weekly Worship and Community Gatherings
St Luke’s Church in Deeplish will hold a service of Holy Communion on Sunday, December 7 at 10am, led by Revd Sylvia Barron. The congregation is invited to stay afterwards for refreshments and fellowship. The church will also host a Bible Study session at 10am on Wednesday, December 10, continuing its Advent course in a friendly setting. This will be followed by a Morning Praise service at 11am, officiated by Revd Natty Gray.
St Mary's Church in Balderstone welcomes all ages to its weekly Sunday gathering at 10.30am, with doors opening from 10am. Children's groups are provided. This week, the sermon will focus on Romans chapter three, verses twenty-one to twenty-six. The Sunday evening prayer gathering is cancelled on December 7 as members travel to support the Greenfield family. The popular SMuRFs (St Mary's Under Fives) group meets every Tuesday at 1.30pm, featuring songs and play for a small fee.
Midweek, St Mary's hosts small groups: a daytime group exploring the Book of Ruth at 10am in the church lounge, and an evening group meeting via Zoom at 7.30pm to follow the 'God's Big Picture' course.
Special Advent and Christmas Events
The festive calendar at St Mary's, Balderstone, includes several key services: a Family Friendly Nativity on Sunday, December 14 at 10.30am; Carols by Candlelight on Saturday, December 21 at 6.30pm; a Christingle with All-Age Carols on Christmas Eve at 4pm; and a Christmas Day Service of Celebration at 9am.
St Chad's and St Mary in the Baum in Rochdale town centre are also hosting numerous events. A Christmas Fair takes place at St Chad's on Saturday, December 6 from 11am to 1.30pm, featuring stalls and raffles to raise funds. On Sunday, December 7 (the Second Sunday in Advent), services are at 9.15am at St Mary's and 11.15am at St Chad's, both led by Rev Pamela Parr. The Asian Christian Fellowship holds its 'White Gift Sunday' at St Chad's from 2pm to 4pm.
Notable upcoming services include the Mayor's Civic Carol Service at St Chad's on Thursday, December 11 at 6.30pm, led by Rev Anne Gilbert. On the Third Sunday of Advent (December 14), the Rt Rev Mark Davies, Bishop of Middleton, will lead a 9.15am Eucharist at St Mary's. The highlight, a Candlelit Carol Service at St Chad's, is scheduled for Sunday, December 21 at 3pm, also led by Bishop Davies.
Support, Music, and Charity
The churches also run regular community support initiatives. Every Monday, the Red Cross provides help for refugees at St Mary's from 10am until 2pm. The Friends Together Support Group meets at St Chad's on Wednesday, December 10, from 10am until noon.
For music lovers, St Mary's hosts the Toad Lane Lunchtime Concert on Wednesday, December 10 from 12.30pm to 1.30pm, featuring Voci Voices. Admission is £6.
St Andrew's Church in Dearnley is running an Advent course on Thursdays after its 10.30am Eucharist, starting December 4. The church held a Christingle making session on December 6 ahead of its Christmas Story and Christingle service on Sunday, December 7 at 11am. Throughout December, the congregation is collecting for its chosen charity, The Children’s Society.
All churches extend a warm welcome to newcomers, regular members, and the wider community to join them in worship, study, and festive celebration during this special time of year.
