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.
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
Messy Church
Sunday School
Youth Group
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 rest of the dates for this term are:
Oct 18
Nov 1, 15, 29
Dec 13
Shoebox Sunday 11th October
Today is Shoebox Sunday and also Messy Church.
Please fill a shoebox using the guide in the leaflet in the newsletter or and bring it or just bring your gifts to 10.15 Eucharist
Or come along to Messy Church at 3pm where we will be packing shoeboxes with the gifts donated at the morning service. Please do bring your own donations as well, such as packaged toys, sweets, new scarves, socks and gloves.
Brass Band Concert Saturday 17 October
Church Action on Poverty Sunday 18th October
Today is Church Action on Poverty Sunday.
Find out more about how we as a church an as individuals can work towards identifying and overcoming the causes of poverty.
Bible Sunday, Sunday 25th October
Today is Bible Sunday.
Join us alongside hundreds of other churches and celebrate Bible Sunday as we celebrate the gift of God’s word and hear how it is changing lives today.
This year we are also celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Tyndale Bible. William Tyndale (1494–1536) was a pioneering translator of the Bible whose work continues to shape the way it is read today. Tyndale was the first to translate the New Testament into English directly from the original Greek, producing a Tyndale New Testament that influenced every major Bible translation that followed. His clear and memorable English style became the foundation for subsequent English translations.
Tyndale’s work came at great personal cost. At a time when translating the Bible into the language of the ordinary people was forbidden, he was forced to live in exile. Eventually, he was betrayed, imprisoned, and executed in 1536.
Tyndale’s legacy is one of faithfulness to Scripture. He stands as a unifying figure for Christians worldwide who value access to the Bible in their own language.
The Archives Group is generously setting up their exhibition about Tyndale in Church over that weekend, so do take the opportunity to look at it.into
All Souls Monday 2nd November
Choral Evensong Sunday 8th November
The Chapel Choir of St John’s College will be making their annual visit to St Brandon’s for a Choral Evensong this evening. There will be light refreshments after the service.
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.