Upper Weardale Benefice Newsletter

28^th September 2025

Trinity 15

Collect for Trinity 15                    

Lord God,

defend  your Church

from all false teaching

and give to your people knowledge of your truth,

that we may enjoy eternal life

in Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen

What’s On This Week

For Your Prayers

We keep in ourprayers all in our community who are sick or bereaved, or in any kind of need.   Prayers are asked in particular for Joe Deimel, seriously ill in hospital.

We pray that God will bring the advertisement for an interim priest in charge for our benefice to the eyes of the right person.

Coming up this Week…

Churchyard Tidy-Up St John’s Chapel

Followed by soup lunch in the Barrington Hall

Harvest Family Service Stanhope

St Thomas’ Stanhope will be holding a Harvest Family Service this Sunday 28^th September at 4pm.

There will be :

• Active bulb planting ready for the spring
• Various fruit and veg to take away after the service
• Home-made soup, bread and a pudding will follow the service!
• All welcome. Please come along, and please invite others!

News

2026 Calendar

The St Thomas Stanhope 2026 calendar is now available!  A snip at £5 per copy – perfect Christmas presents for all the family. 

Photos are by 1st Stanhope cubs and scouts 

Available from Rowells , Woodhalls , The Hub Stanhope or from Anne Hodgson

Dawn Walk for the Samaritans

Richard Walsh – and others – are doing the Dawn Walk to raise money for the Samaritans, and to raise awareness of suicide.  We’re starting at 06:30 (yes, in the morning) on Friday 10th October, at the South car park of the Burnhope Reservoir (so the one near the lodge: grid reference NY845392, W3WBlasted.Waddled.Zapped). 

We’ll walk to the head of the reservoir, where the Reverend Philip Greenhalgh will lead anyone who wishes to join him in prayer, and then we’ll walk back.  In part this expresses folk who, with the aid of The Samaritans, walk from the darkness of depression into the dawn of new hope.

Richard is not asking for sponsorship; a far better idea is to join the walk yourself, and get lots of people to sponsor you!  However, if (for whatever reason) you cannot join the walk, Richard’s JustGiving page is Donate to Upper Weardale Dawn Walk?.

Please do either join us or offer generous sponsorship to one of the walkers.

General Information

To add any items of news to this newsletter please contact Sandie Barton at . Photos of church events etc. would be lovely (but do make sure any people in the photos have given their permission!)

The deadline is 3pm on Thursday for issue by email on Friday. Sandie is also happy to add people to the circulation list, on request.

Durham e-News: a regular email from the Diocese for worshippers and people with an interest in the diocese. It contains the latest news and features from the Diocese, and can be delivered directly to your inbox. To sign up simply fill in your details via this link: Diocesan newsletter.

Contacts

Priest-in-charge: The Benefice is currently in an interregnum. Please contact Rev. Heather or Rev Michael if needed.

Associate Priest: The Rev. Heather Ross

01388 537439, 07713 388106,

Assistant Curate: The Rev. Michael Baldwin

Tel 07716065012 

Parish Safeguarding Officers:
Liz Curry 07921 176012
Jan Wright 07415 046392 

To arrange a baptism, marriage or funeral please contact Rev Heather Ross as above.

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Basic information on all churches is available at www.achurchnearyou.com