St Brandon’s is the parish church serving Brancepeth village and the surrounding area. (See map.)
Our purpose as a church is both to worship God and to share the love of God that we celebrate here, through our activities as a church and as individual Christians. Church members meet to worship God each week and at special times throughout the
Christian year, and all are always welcome.
We are currently waiting for a new Priest-in-charge to be appointed. If you need to contact us about anything to do with the church, please see the details on our Key Contacts page
You are also welcome to come and see what we are doing
on our Facebook page!
This includes live streams and recordings of many of our services.
Upcoming Events
March Prayer Space
Paradox –
a ‘seemingly absurd or contradictory statement,
which may prove to be true’
March feels like a month of paradox: Spring brings more light and winter weather stays gloomy; Lent suggests cutting down and nature bursts with growth; Easter is coming, with failure and death and life and hope.
Bible example: Most biblical imagery has light and dark as opposites, with light clearly ‘good’. But the Old Testament prophet Isaiah sees a paradox here, and has God saying, ‘I form the light and create darkness’ (Is 45:7)
And St Paul writes about living with paradox, he was ‘treated as . . . sorrowful yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich’; as having nothing and yet possessing everything’
(2 Cor 6: 10)
Questions: What are the contradictions, or paradoxes, in your life and the lives of those you care about?
Can we be open to the truths held in the paradoxes?
Can we trust God with these?
Home Eucharist Services
Youth Club
Brancepeth Youth Club
February – March 2026
The Youth Club is an Open Club run by the Church, and all young people in the Village (and beyond, and their friends) are warmly welcome. The age range is from 11 to 17 years inclusive.
We meet fortnightly in the Village Hall on Sundays at 6.00-7.30pm, The dates for this term are:
February 8, 22
March 8, 22
Mothering Sunday
Messy Church Sunday 29 March
Lent Group
Lent 2026 ‘Draw near’
Step aside and reflect during Lent
A time of quiet and talk, prayer and discussion, music and reading . . . with coffee or tea of course.
Wednesday afternoons: Feb 25, March 4, 11, 18, 25.
2 – 3.30 pm
Brancepeth Castle
Come to any or all – sessions are stand alone. No need to book.
Everyone is welcome.
Community of the Well Quiet Days 2026
Creative Quiet Day Saturday 21 March
Churchyard Tidy Up Saturday 11 April
It’s that time again to bring out your ploughshares and pruning hooks. I plan a churchyard tidy day on Saturday 11th April and would welcome volunteers to spend an hour or three from 09.30 that morning. No experience necessary – turn up and I’ll find you a job. Please bring general gardening equipment if you have it but, most importantly, bring yourselves. Refreshments will be provided at 11.00.
Edward Staines
Services and Opening Times
Our Sunday morning services take place in the church building, and are also livestreamed on our church Facebook page.
St Brandon’s church building remains open for individual private prayer. We are open every day from 9.30 am until dusk. Please do visit us, take photos to remind you of the space, or simply sit calmly in the stillness.
You can also see a recent brief video of the church on YouTube.
The clergy and other members of the St Brandon’s congregation continue to pray for our community, with a particular focus on praying for those who are self-isolating or ill. If you have a prayer request, please email it to Alison Moore.
Visits, Prayer and Care
If you are new to the area or the church, and would like a visit from a church member, please let us know, by contacting Alison Moore on 0191 373 5674.
Please also do let us know if you are ever unwell or troubled, and would value a visit from a church member, or home communion. To arrange this, please contact Alison Moore.
Safeguarding
At St Brandon’s, we are committed to creating and maintaining a safe and nurturing environment for everyone: children, young people and adults. We have adopted and approved the Church of England policy for promoting a safer church, and have our own Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO). The Diocese of Durham’s safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor (DSA) who advises our PSO. A full text of the parish safeguarding policy and other safeguarding information can be found under the ‘Safeguarding’ link in the main menu above.
If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the DSA. If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority Children or Adults Services.
The Church of England offers a simple online tutorial promoting basic awareness of safeguarding issues. St Brandon’s Parochial Church Council recommend that all members of the congregation take this tutorial.
Giving
St Brandon’s runs on generosity.
Everything we do together is possible only because people are generous with their time, their energy, and their skills.
We also depend upon people being generous with their money.
- It costs more than £1,000 a week to keep St Brandon’s open, and to sustain our life together.
- We depend entirely upon donations, and on the money we raise ourselves.
- We don’t get any financial support from the diocese or the national church.
Please consider setting up a regular gift, or making a one-off donation.