The PCC of Christ Church, Sowerby Bridge has received £1668 from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, to help mark the Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.Christ Church has received the funding from The National Lottery Community Fund’s Awards for All Programme, which provides almost £80 million of National Lottery funding to local projects across the UK every year. Christ Church’s Grade II listed building is a well-known landmark, providing a calm oasis at the centre of the Sowerby Bridge conservation area. Through the faith and witness of its members it aims to be a welcoming space on the high street for anyone to visit. It holds information on the history of the town, and provides opportunities to explore the Christian faith. It seeks to serve all those who live or work in the parish, enjoys good links with local schools and community groups, including being an active member of the Sowerby Bridge Heritage Action Zone Cultural Network. This new grant from the National Lottery Community Fund will help us mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, and our own bi-centennial year, with a “Flower Festival of Hope”. The displays will reflect the Queen’s reign and her links to groups and events in Sowerby Bridge’s past, featuring art work from our local schools. It will showcase the talent in our community, using flowers, art and sculpture, at a time of restoration while new opportunities are being created in the action zone. Visit us at Wharf Street Sowerby Bridge. Admission is free, with a café offering cream teas and home baking available throughout the Bank Holiday weekend. Thursday 2nd June – Monday 6th JuneThur-Sat 10:00-15:00 Sun 12:00-15:00 Mon 10:00-12:00Rev Canon Angela Dick says “In the Bible, a Jubilee is an occasion to remind us that God created everything. This is why we have chosen a flower theme for our exhibition. Children from our local schools already visit the building with their teachers as part of enriching the basic curriculum. This grant will be used to explore what a Jubilee is, through free artist-led workshops, and we’d like to thank National Lottery players for their contributions to the cost of materials. We hope this event will encourage more people to visit their local parish church and be inspired by our community’s creativity.” June Harvey, Co-ordinator of Memory Lane Café Calderdale, congratulated Christ Church on receiving the grant, saying “Christ Church has helped several of our members improve their skills at their Digital Café, allowing them to keep in contact on line during lockdown. Technology is useful, but now we can meet in person again, everyone is looking forward to visiting the church to see the displays. A flower festival is a feast for the senses which you can’t experience on line, and the prospect of a cream tea and home baking is too good to miss!”
Today, Sunday 1st May 2022, Canon Angela announced her retirement. Ordained Deacon, in 1996 by the Bishop of Wakefield, and Priest in 1997 Angela served as curate at Holy Nativity, Mixenden and Christ Church, Pellon before becoming Vicar at St. John’s Bradshaw and St. Andrew’s Holmfield. Prior to leaving Bradshaw and Holmfield Angela was made an Honorary canon of Wakefield Cathedral Angela was installed as Priest-in-charge of Christ Church, Sowerby Bridge by Bishop Tony Robinson in July 2010 and became Vicar a year later. Over the years Angela has served as chaplain to the Mothers’ Union, a member of the Diocesan Synod and Assistant Diocesan Director of Ordinands.Speaking of her retirement Angela has said “I have been privileged to serve in Calderdale for 26 years and have met some wonderful people along the way. It will be a real wrench to lay down parish ministry but I look forward to what the Lord has in store for me in the next stage of my journey.”Angela and her sister Susan will be moving into the Huddersfield area and we at Christ Church will miss them dearly. Details of her final service will be announced in due course.As a parish we will continue to pray for Angela and Susan.
On Sunday 20th March 2022 Rev Canon Angela Dick and church members welcomed the Archbishop of York, the Most Reverend & Right Honourable Stephen Cottrell, to Christ Church Sowerby Bridge. They were joined by the newly appointed Archdeacon of Halifax, The Venerable Bill Braviner in only his third week in the role, and representatives from churches in the “Halifax and Calder Valley” deanery. Also attending were representatives from community groups, and the head teachers and two pupils from the primary schools who as part of the curriculum regularly visit our church. Each of these schools Christ Church Juniors, Tuel Lane Infants and Bolton Brow Academy has a history dating back to the late 19th century when the town’s population boomed in the Industrial Revolution. The first mention of our current building is in the diary of Ann Lister, and the actual opening date of the new church was under a special licence on 24th May 1821. It is ironic that the original consecration by the then Archbishop of York, was delayed until 1824 as he was so busy across what was a huge diocese. COVID restrictions have delayed this anniversary re-dedication too: this time by only 10 months. Archbishop Stephen reminded everyone that the building plays a spiritual and physical presence in the town, as do we. He said this poses a contradiction. The stone walls on Wharf Street are not the church: the church is in fact its people. We collectively as “the church” should be living out what may seem an invisible faith, with hands and hearts seven days a week in the course of daily life. However, “Matter matters!” and in the physical presence of things like bread and wine; stone and bells; our building makes a visible statement that God’s people are here on the main street for the whole community. Canon Angela commented “It is a very special day for us. We welcome Archbishop Stephen as an old friend who knows our church from his days as the ‘Diocesan Missioner’ of the then Diocese of Wakefield, some twenty plus years ago. We’re also excited that people from across the Deanery could greet our new Archdeacon Bill, and give him a warm Calderdale welcome.” Also pictured are the Church Wardens, Peter Henry and Dave Gill, who played a key part in the event. On a daily basis they support the vicar and share the responsibility of leading the administration of the PCC. In particular, they care for and maintain the Grade II listed church, its contents, and the churchyard or grounds, supported by a team of willing volunteers. In practice Dave collaborates with Calderdale’s Bereavement Services and Green Team to maintain the graveyard so it is a calm and pleasant place to sit, or to research family history. Peter has been heavily involved in recent years in applying for permission to undertake major repairs. In 2019 we introduced a new lighting scheme with emergency and LED lighting and in 2021, a “live-streaming” system with digital hearing loop that meant our service could be watched live from home during self isolation. Peter adds “I’d like to thank the many individuals, businesses and grant giving bodies, which have generously supported us over the years: particularly the Community Foundation for Calderdale. Our building may be 200 years old but we have recently made big improvements in the fabric, facilities and events we can offer. We’re now equipped to stage concerts, exhibitions and lower key events. One such is our weekly Digital Café for those wanting to get to grips with a Smartphone , or improve their skills learning how to use the NHS app, or try on-line shopping”.After a delayed start our anniversary celebrations will continue until the end of the year with a much looked forward to visit of our Diocesan Bishop Rt. Revd. Nick Baines on May 15th 2022, a Flower festival on the Platinum Jubilee weekend, and other fundraising events to maintain and fund further improvements. For more information visit the church website at www.christchurchsb.org.uk
On 24th May 1821, the congregation met at the Old Brig chapel, and walked down Wharf Street to the new church. Christ Church was built on land purchased from Timothy Bates. Due to the commitments of the Archbishop of York the church opened for public worship under licence, it was a further two years before Archbishop Edward Venables Vernon could make it to Sowerby Bridge to dedicate the building to the worship of God.As part of our celebrations marking 200 years of Christ Church the Archbishop of York, the Most Revd. and Rt Hon. Stephen Cottrell will be preaching in church on Sunday March 20th. He will be joined by the Ven. Bill Braviner, the newly appointed Archdeacon of Halifax.Our service of Parish Communion starts at 10:30 and lasts about 90 minutes.Our service will be live steamed via our YouTube channel
