THE PARISH OF NELSON
LITTLE MARSDEN
The Parish tries to meet the modern day challenges of the 21st century in
worship, prayer and fellowship and by bringing God’s love to its community
THE LOCAL GEOGRAPHY, PEOPLE AND PLACES
The Parish of Nelson Little Marsden in East Lancashire, lies just off Junction 12
of the M65 with easy access to the M65. Nelson is situated between Burnley,
famous for its football club in the west, and Colne in the east, well known for
the Hartley Family and the Titanic. Lancashire features some of the most
beautiful countryside in England with Pendle Hill dominating the scenery around
the Parish with the Leeds and Liverpool Canal nearby.
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The “Gateway” to the Yorkshire Dales, the market town of Skipton, is only 30
minutes’ drive away as are Bronte Country, the Ribble Valley and the Trough of
Bowland, whilst the stunning scenery of the South Lakes is within an hour’s
drive. The popular Fylde coast, the shopping cities of Manchester, Liverpool and
Leeds with their airports, and the Trafford Centre are also within an hour’s drive.
The local area has shopping outlets, markets and plenty of quality eating places
and also provides a wide range of venues for cinema, theatre, music and sport
(football and cricket).
The Parish has a close link with a Church Aided Primary School, St Paul’s C of E
School, which has recently moved into new premises some 100 yards from St
Paul’s Church. There are three County Primary Schools and a Roman Catholic
Primary School in the area with several nurseries and pre-schools to suit every
one’s needs.
Our Mission
A Christian community in Nelson, which is welcoming and witnesses to the
boundless love of God; which worships and celebrates His sacraments with
reverence and joy; which is equipped to meet the challenges placed upon it by
the world and is ready to respond to need; which values its wealth of history and
tradition, but is able to exist within the culture of today and respond creatively
to it. The benefice, whilst remaining faithful to Anglican Tradition and the Law
of the Church of England, must seek to support other Christians (especially those
within the area covered by the benefice) in every possible way.
OUR CHURCHES
Our Parish has two Parish Churches, St Bede the Venerable and St Paul, and a
Worship Centre, St Mary, each serving the local community that consists of
mainly terraced streets with a number of larger modern housing estates.
Generally the congregations are of mixed ages but with more elderly people
mainly at St Bede’s and St Mary’s with the younger generation attending St
Paul’s.
Unfortunately, St Bede’s Church is currently going through the process of
closure and formal consultation ends in early December.
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ST PAUL’S CHURCH
The earliest record of St Paul’s
Church (then known as Little
Marsden Chapel) dates from 1296
although it is thought that a chantry
chapel must have existed at Little
Marsden before that date.
Cistercian monks from Stanlow
Abbey near Chester established
Whalley Abbey in 1296. Colne Church
was one of the Churches in their care
and Little Marsden Chapel, being
then a Chapel of Ease under Colne,
would have received the services of a
priest provided by the Abbot of
Whalley.
The Parish of Little Marsden was
established around 1700 and once
again, it came under Colne. The Parish Vestry (the committee which
governedthe religious affairs of the religious affairs of the whole parish) decided
that “…….the old bell ropes to be kept in the Church (at Colne) except one which
is for the use of Marsden Chapel.
The present Church was built in 1809 and, in
practice, St Paul’s became the Parish Church of
Little Marsden in 1811, although not legally
recognised as such until 1877. Over the years,
many alterations have been made including the
building of the bell tower, shortening of the
balcony and the installation of the East window,
but more recently the moving forward of the altar
and the removal of the pulpit. The present organ
was built by Messrs. Conacher of Huddersfield and
it was completed in August 1900 at a cost of £470.
Today the Church has a choir with approximately
12 members.
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ST BEDE’S CHURCH
During 1912 the Church of
England Men’s Society
branch at St Paul’s Church
considered the provision of
a mission in the Clover Hill
area of the parish. The sum
of £11 was collected but
the
project
was
abandoned. During 1914
the matter of a new Church
or mission was considered
by the local Rural Deanery
of the Church of England
and a committee was
appointed at the request of the Rural Dean, the Bishop of Burnley, Bishop Henn.
The committee came to the conclusion that additional Church accommodation
was urgently required in the area and eventually a vacant site in Railway Street
was identified as the most suitable for the new venture.
Unfortunately the recommendations of the Rural Deanery Committee were
ignored. A small group of
parishioners,
amongst
them Mr John Proctor, still
felt that a Mission in the
Clover Hill area was
required and they privately
approached Mr Edward
Russell of Russell Brothers,
building contractors, who
had a joiners’ shop in a
temporary wooden building
in Railway Street. Over the
years the congregation kept growing and the Church had to move several times
to new premises to accommodate the growth. Finally, they had the present
Church built and was officially opened on May 25th 1929. The font came as a gift
from St. Wilfrid’s Church of Harrogate.
Regrettably, the decision has been taken to close St Bede’s mainly due to the
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cost of maintaining the building, a declining congregation and the changing
demographics of the local community. The Pastoral Division of the Church
Commissioners has recently issued formal proposals for the closure and the
consultation ends in early December.
ST MARY’S
In the mid-nineteenth century the villages of Great Marsden and Little Marsden
were expanding rapidly with the growth of the cotton industry. The increased
population of the area was putting pressure on the resources of St Paul's Church
(Little Marsden) and at a meeting in 1872 it was decided to open a mission in
Railway Street in a former Wesleyan
chapel.
In 1879 the new Church was built on
Manchester Road and consecrated
on March 25th 1879, which was to
be the ‘Parish Church’ of Nelson and
is still a significant landmark. The
first vicar was the Revd. Hari
Edwards, who had previously been
the curate at St Paul's Church.
The St Mary’s Day School (now the Beacon Centre and Worship Centre) was
opened in 1884. The last service in the old Church took place on the 30th August
1987 and services were then transferred to a chapel in the school.
From 1996 St Mary's and St
Paul's became a united
benefice,
sharing
the
services of the vicar, the
Revd. John Hall, and in 1998
the two parishes were once
more united. In 2007 the
Parish of St Bede, Nelson
was added to form the new
Parish of Nelson, Little
Marsden. The Church is
now sold and owned by a
conservation charity.
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The Worship Chapel is within the adjacent old school building known as the
Beacon Centre, which is on lease to Sure Start.
A Sung Eucharist is held every Wednesday morning at 10.00am, with an average
congregation of approximately 15.
WORSHIP AND OUTREACH IN OUR PARISH
St Bede’s and St Paul’s both have a Sunday morning Sung Eucharist Service, the
first at 9.30am at St Bede’s and the second at 10.45am at St Paul’s, with a Said
Service at St Paul’s on Tuesday evening at 7pm and at St Bede’s at 4.30pm on
Thursday. St Mary’s service, which is a Sung Eucharist, is held on Wednesday
morning at 10am. The three Churches come together for special occasions.
We welcome a number of children, young people and adults into the life of the
Church, especially through baptism, confirmation and Trinity Club, and support
them throughout their lives with weddings and funeral services. Baptisms are
held during the Eucharistic Service at St Paul’s and St Bede’s or after the service
at 12.30pm, if preferred by the parents or candidates. An annual service is held
for those wishing to be confirmed and is usually held at St Paul’s, and can include
candidates from other Churches and, on occasion, our Parish have joined with
another Church.
Trinity Club is open to children of all ages, from birth to teenagers and is held in
the Parish Centre whilst the service is being held in St Paul’s Church. The
children learn about God and Jesus by listening to Bible readings, doing
craftwork and colouring. They also learn how to talk to God in prayer and
express themselves with music and songs.
The Parish has two Parish Wardens, at present five Deputy Church Wardens and
a Pastoral Assistant, with many willing helpers from the congregation, all of
whom take the life and growth of the Church seriously. The congregations are
open to new ideas and are willing to try new things to involve the diverse
community of the Parish.
St Bede’s and St Paul’s both have their own Mother’s Union Branch who support
the priest and children’s work and they also provide cotton bags filled with
various items for the younger children to play with whilst in Church. The
Mother’s Union established a branch at St Paul’s Church in 1915 and celebrated
their 100th anniversary earlier this year. Some members of the St Paul’s MU are
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willing to help with Baptism preparation and rehearsal for the service and they
also visit the Indoor Members of the Branch. The altar rail was presented to St
Paul’s Church by the Mother’s Union in 1928.
The Flower Guild keep the Church in “full bloom” with their talent for flower
arranging, with fresh flowers every fortnight. They provide spectacular
arrangements on special occasions and for weddings.
Many years ago a number of men formed the St Paul’s Men’s Group who
organise and set up the coffee bar, which serves the congregation with
refreshments in the Parish Centre following the Sunday morning service at St
Paul’s. At the men’s AGM a diary of events is suggested and the Group tries to
have one event per month. These vary from a men’s quiet day away from the
Parish where one has time to think, reflect and pray, a crown green bowling
night, also a visit to a Church in another parish, which includes Evening Prayer,
a history tour of the Church followed by a meal at the local pub. This latter event
is open to everyone. The men thought that they were an endangered species
but have learned that there are other groups within the diocese, one or two
groups being local, and they are trying to arrange some joint events in the near
future. One event, that has been organised, is the invitation of a group of men
from Fleetwood and the Bishop of Burnley to join us for a Christmas Dinner in
the Parish Centre at the beginning of December.
After the main service on Palm Sunday a group of parishioners and young adults
carry a large cross to the top of Pendle Hill. Whilst on top of the hill a hymn is
sung followed by prayers. On Easter Sunday the group go back up the Hill to
bring the Cross back to Church.
The parish interacts with Nelson Churches in Covenant by participating in the
Stations of the Cross at Easter, singing in the Nelson Shopping Centre at
Christmas and attending various activities at Christ Church, Nelson including the
Toddler Group, Friday Club and Messy Church for the children and the “Take
away Meal” on a Friday evening for the whole family.
The Parish also travels further afield and visits Walsingham once a year, usually
over the August Bank Holiday Weekend, with St Catherine’s Church, Burnley.
This is very well supported and “enjoyed” by all who make the trip. Whilst in
Walsingham there are many and different types of services that one can attend
and also trips to local attractions.
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The Isle of Iona has been visited several times where the Pilgrims capture the
tranquillity and deep spiritual feel of the island. The accommodation at Bishop’s
House, a short walk away from the Abbey, is basic but comfortable, with good
wholesome home cooked food. In the centre of Bishop’s House there is a small
Chapel which seats about 40 people and is used by the Pilgrims and islanders.
Whilst on the island trips can be arranged, for example to Staff, island cruises or
local walks.
THE PARISH CENTRE
When St Paul’s School moved to new premises in September 2014, the Parish
opened the Parish Centre on the old school site. This was a very difficult decision,
but the PCC and the Parishioners gave their full support to this project.
A business plan for the Centre was drawn up and during the first 12 months of
operation the Centre has exceeded all expectation and its use is growing. The
PCC and incumbent set up a working group, reporting to the PCC, to oversee the
daily running of the centre and its maintenance.
The Parish/Parish Centre employs a part-time administrator who has a wide and
varied role. Main responsibilities are to support the vicar in the day to day
running of the parish, including the arrangement of baptisms, weddings and
funerals, taking bookings for use of the Parish Centre, ordering consumables for
Church and being responsible for Church/Parish Centre correspondence. The
working hours are at present 12 hours per week.
The Centre is very active with several groups hiring rooms regularly, for example
Slimming World, Trinity Club, Rainbows and Brownies, Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs,
Toddler Group, Family Tree and Karate Club. The Parish Hall is also hired out for
the use of private parties such as birthdays, baptisms, funerals etc.
Various functions are held for fund raising events, for example games nights,
music nights, Summer and Christmas Fairs,
There is also a weekly coffee morning and when this is taking place, and at other
times, a Charity Shop has been opened to serve both the local and wider
community. In order to support those in the greatest need items are not priced,
but are sold for donations, whilst those in the most desperate need are given
items that they need.
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Smartypants Nursery, which has been situated near to the Parish Centre for a
number of years, now leases two rooms and an outside play area and now
wishes to lease a further room in the new year.
THE SCHOOL
St Paul’s Church is closely linked to St Paul’s Church of England Primary School
situated close to the Church. The Head, Stephen Crook, is an ordained Baptist
Minister and is very enthusiastic about working more closely with the Church in
order to promote the Gospel both throughout school and also in the local
community. Amongst the staff team, this commitment to the Gospel and
furtherance of the Christian message is well supported and growing.
The vicar will be welcome to spend time in school, joining with the staff for
Morning Prayer on Monday mornings, talking to parents in the yard, visiting
classrooms and being part of the governance of the school and together with
the Headteacher providing a “united front” as the school and Church community
continue to seek God’s will and guidance for the future.
We don’t want perfection and can offer a great deal of support – spiritual,
practical and emotional, for a Vicar who may be new to serving a school
community as well as a Parish.
Stephen Crook
Headteacher
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THE VICARAGE
The vicarage is a five bedroomed house built about 45 years ago, with full central
heating and double glazed windows, and is surrounded by a walled garden. The
vicarage is within walking distance of the Church and the Parish Centre.
WHAT WE CAN OFFER OUR NEW VICAR
The incumbent will be supported by the PCC and a strong and loyal
congregation, who take the growth of the Church seriously, and are open to new
ideas and willing to do new things to help promote the Church.
Members of the congregation take part in weekly services and are responsible
for the Bible readings and, on most occasions, the intercessions. Children from
Trinity Club take an active part in services on occasion and come into church
every week.
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We have two Parish Wardens, a Pastoral Assistant and many groups within the
Parish who have many different roles in helping in the life of the Church, rotas
for readings, intercessions, sidespersons, visiting the housebound and sick for
home communions etc. We don’t expect our Vicar to do everything himself as
there is support from these groups and individuals in the Parish. People are
willing to take on tasks/roles if they are asked and often volunteer for new
initiatives such as our recently opened Charity Shop and the weekly Coffee
mornings.
The PCC also employ a Parish administrator whose role is to assist the vicar in
the day to day running of the Parish as well as having responsibility for
administration of the Parish Centre.
The PCC is happy to pay reasonable clergy expenses and will support and
encourage the vicar to take regular holidays as well as taking time out for
retreats, training and quiet times, as these are considered a necessity to
recharge one’s faith and batteries.
The Sunday School, known as the “Trinity Club”, has helped in the Church being
awarded the “Child Friendly Award”.
The Parish has a strong Liturgical tradition with a diverse and friendly
community, which will provide opportunities for community and interfaith
mission.
The Parish Share has always been paid in full and this year’s share is currently
being paid in instalments and is up to date.
OUR NEW VICAR
The incumbent will be supported by the PCC and a strong and loyal
congregation, to guide us in Christian service and witness, and lead and inspire
us in worship.
Our Parish would like our new vicar to be a person who would accept our core
tradition, but also be willing to accept challenges to promote and sustain growth
in the Parish.
We would like someone to guide and encourage us in actions to achieve the
aims of Vision 2026 whilst we will do all we can to support our vicar as he works
towards these goals.
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Our new vicar needs to have excellent people skills and to continue the
traditions of pastoral care that exists within the Parish.
He should have the ability to engage with all age groups, especially the children
of the Church, to be enthusiastic about Christian based education and to be keen
to be involved with our Church School.
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