God is for all moments of the week, and for all ages. As such, at Padiham Parish, we take the on-going call to grow in our love of Christ seriously, not just for children, but also for adults. Whilst each of us is called as an individual to love God, God has designed us to grow in community, and it is as we meet together than our faith flourishes. Here are some of the ways we meet together during the week:
Bible Study
Our conviction is that it is in the Scriptures that we come to know who God is and what he is like, and therefore we have regular bible studies where we study passages of the Old Testament and New Testament. Currently there are five bible studies happening in Padiham and one at St. Margaret’s Church, Hapton.
Men’s Meeting
Once a month we hold a men’s meeting at Molly Rigby’s Social Club, opposite St Leonard’s Church, which is open to all men (whether they attend church or not). We cover a range of topics, including history, theology, and sport as we explore the Christian faith over a pint and a chip butty.
Women’s Meeting
Monthly we hold a meeting for ladies at one of the houses in our parish. This meeting is a chance to get to know one another better, encourage one another in our faith through discussion based around a short Christian book which the ladies will have read in the preceding month. Conversation is helped along by good coffee, nicely-brewed tea, and maybe even homemade cake.
Christian Basics Course
We love people who ask questions, because it is only in asking questions that we begin to find answers. In Padiham parish we regularly run courses whose aim is to explain the Christian faith as simply as possible. Many of the members of our church family have come to faith through this course, and there are plenty of people who use it as a refresher course when they want to get back to basics. Whatever your background, whether you know lots about Jesus, or nothing at all, this course is a chase to explore the Christian faith and find out what Jesus is all about.
Confirmation
Once a year we have the opportunity for those who have been baptised to confirm their faith in front of one of our bishops. This is a great opportunity for those who were baptised as a child to publicly declare their faith and become full members of our church family.
If you would like to know more about any of these meetings, then please contact one of the clergy by going to the ‘Staff’ section under ‘Church Life’
Bell Ringing
Bell ringing is a team activity that stimulates the brain and helps keep you fit plus it also makes a glorious sound. Ringers come from all walks of life and range in age from ten to those in their eighties, and is well within the capabilities of most people. Many consider ringing to be one of their contributions to church life, whilst others do it for pure pleasure and the company it brings. The initial training takes several weeks, after which you can begin to ring with the rest of the band. Why not come along on Monday evenings at 7.30pm to St. Leonard’s or contact the Vicar for more information.