THE PARISH OF HODDER VALLEY
Diocese of Blackburn
The Parish Churches of Saint Andrew, Slaidburn and
Saint Michael, Whitewell, with the chapels-of-ease at
Saint Bartholomew, Tosside and Saint James, Dalehead.
Rector: Revd Karen Herschell
Parish News
June and July 2026
The Parish of Hodder Valley
Church Officers
Rector:
Revd Karen Herschell
01200 871254
07891 915671
Churchwardens:
Stuart Beattie (Whitewell) 01200 446630
John Cowking (Slaidburn) 01200 423855
William Leeming (Whitewell) 01200 448100
(plus a vacancy for Slaidburn)
Deanery Synod:
Wendy Leeming
Helen Owen
Vice-Chairman: Secretary:
John Cowking Janet Haigh
Treasurer: Electoral Roll:
David Taylor Eileen Joy
Safeguarding: Wedding Co-Ordinator:
Margaret Brenchley Wendy Leeming
01200 448100
Additional Members of the
Parochial Church Council:
Mary Beattie Allan Carr
David Mehers Marjorie Pinder
Helen Wallbank John Whitaker
Rector’s Reflections
Our Rector’s Reflection for this edition is her annual report presented to the
Annual Parochial Church Meeting in May.
Dear friends,
It is a privilege and a pleasure to write this short report of the past year since I became Rector of Hodder Valley in February 2025 to serve these wonderful communities and churches as one united Parish after what was a long interregnum and a considerable time of change.
I hope you agree that it has been an amazing year and there is much to celebrate and give thanks to God for. At my interview for this role and my other role as Diocesan Rural Renewal Officer I said that one of my priorities was to raise the ‘spiritual temperature’. By doing this, by growing in our love for God through prayer, Bible reading and service we will begin to see growth and renewal. We are now starting to see the fruits of all these, especially as we continue working on the Leading Your Church into Growth principles as part of the Diocesan Renewal Programme. There is not enough space to write about all that God is doing but I will share three key highlights…
We have seen a revitalization in our prayer life as we pray the prayer for Growth and Renewal every week corporately and individually and also through the introduction of the HV Prayer Warriors WhatsApp group who have been praying during the 40 days between Ascension and Pentecost for Revival. We will now be praying especially through the Lord’s prayer that foundational prayer that Jesus gave to His disciples…please do let me know if you wish to join in! There is now a steady half a dozen or so people who meet every Monday morning at 9am at St Andrew’s for Morning Prayer. Our discipleship has been strengthened by Home Group meeting on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at 2pm at The Rectory as we read the Bible and discuss what God’s word means to our faith, we have also followed the Diocese Lent and Advent group resources and will now beginning the Prayer Course by Pete Grieg. This is open to anyone, just pop along, you will be very warmly welcomed and there are usually fresh home-made biscuits!
Another highlight has been working with Brennand’s School in my role not only as Rector but also of a Governor. Getting to know the wonderful children has been such fun, leading Collective Worship in church as we have learned together the Lord’s Prayer, not just words but also in Makaton sign language. Each week we often take a Bible Story that is currently relevant to the church calendar and the children have shared many times in ‘acting it out’. They are simply a delight and we look forward to a greater collaboration with the school and families in our church services from the new school year, watch this space!
And thirdly, it has been so encouraging to see overall attendance at our Sunday worship slowly grow, with old faces and new joining us, we pray for more of God’s abundance and generosity. The ‘Life Events’' of baptisms, weddings and sadly funerals have kept me busy but it is also a wonderful way to get to know couples and families in those important times of both joy and sorrow and to journey along with them. This is a huge privilege and one I do not take lightly.
There is much more to share, but I simply just want to say a huge thank you to each and every one of you. You all do so much and work so hard and it has been wonderful getting to know you. I promise that I will continue to serve you to the best of my abilities and always in the power of the Spirit which gives us strength.
And finally, at the beginning of the year I felt God saying the words “Take Courage…” as His message to us as a Parish, I believe this is our verse for the year, in the words from Joshua 1:9 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
And as I have been praying for the APCM and the next 12 months, I felt the Lord say these words…”He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him.” (Psalm 40:3) My prayer is that we will continue to sing a new song in praise of God and all He has done and expectantly for all He will do and that many in our villages will come to know Him and His great love for them as we grow in faith and as followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Revd Karen
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From the Registers:
Internment of Ashes:
7th May – Jim Potter
at Saint Michael’s Church, Whitewell
Burial:
15th May – Deidre Robinson
at Saint James’ Church, Dalehead
Wedding:
30th May – Daniel Alpe and Nicole Welch
at Saint Michael’s Church, Whitewell
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If you or someone you know would like a visit from Rev’d Karen
please let her know by telephoning 01200 871254
or email: revdkarenherschell@gmail.com
Please note that Rev’d Karen’s rest day is Saturday
and her usual Parish Days are Sunday to Tuesday.
The Parish Home Group will meet on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month at the Rectory from 2.00 pm for approximately an hour to an hour and a half. The aim is that we can come together in fellowship, to grow in faith through prayer, studying the Bible and exploring different aspects of the Christian faith so that we can deepen our love for God and for one another. You are all warmly invited. Please let Rev Karen know if you are interested in coming along.
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A service of Morning Prayer takes place each Monday morning in Saint Andrew’s Church at Slaidburn, commencing at 9.00 am and lasting for about half-an-hour. You are most welcome to join us.
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On behalf of Saint Andrew’s Church can we thank all those who have contributed time, labour and materials to make our churchyard paths so neat and tidy. It is much appreciated and admired by parishioners and visitors. Thank You!
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“The lawful disposal of cremated remains…..”
The Church of England provides for the burial of bodies or cremated remains in its churchyards and the method by which this is carried out is governed by strict regulations from both church and government authorities.
One of our churchwardens was recently informed that ashes had been scattered in one of our churchyards without any consultation with the Rector or parish officers. We had no way of knowing who (or what) the ashes were and no coroner’s certificates for our records. It was necessary to consult with diocesan legal officers to determine what should be done and their advice was carried out.
May we politely point out that the scattering of ashes is not allowed in any C of E churchyard. Cremated remains must be buried, either in a casket, or poured into the ground, and at the same time a service of committal is conducted by a member of the clergy. Under no circumstances can members of the public carry out this task themselves, and the scattering of pet or other animal ashes is not permitted either.
Should anyone require any further information or need to organise the lawful disposal of cremated remains then please contact our Rector or a churchwarden.
Services in the Parish of Hodder Valley during June and July
Sunday 7th June – Trinity 1
Saint Andrew’s Church, Slaidburn – 9.45 am
A service of Holy Communion
Saint Bartholmew’s, Tosside – 7.00 pm
A service of Holy Communion
Sunday 14th June – Trinity 2
Saint Andrew’s Church, Slaidburn – 9.45 am
A service of Morning Prayer
Saint Michael’s Church, Whitewell – 11.15 am
A service of the Eucharist and Baptism
Sunday 21st June – Trinity 3
Saint Andrew’s Church, Slaidburn – 9.45 am
A service of Holy Communion
Sunday 28th June – Trinity 4
Saint Andrew’s Church, Slaidburn – 9.45 am
A service of Morning Prayer
Saint Michael’s Church, Whitewell – 11.15 am
A service of the Eucharist
Sunday 5th July – Trinity 5
Saint Andrew’s Church, Slaidburn – 9.45 am
A service of Holy Communion
Saint Bartholomew’s Church, Tosside – 7.00 pm
A service of Evening Prayer
Sunday 12th July – Trinity 6
Saint Andrew’s Church, Slaidburn – 9.45 am
A service of Morning Prayer
Saint Michael’s Church, Whitewell – 11.15 am
A service of the Eucharist
Sunday 19th July – Trinity 7
Saint Andrew’s Church, Slaidburn – 9.45 am
A service of Holy Communion
Sunday 26th July – Trinity 8
Saint Michael’s Church, Whitewell – 11.15 am
A service of the Eucharist
Saint James’ Church, Dalehead – 2.00 pm
A service of Holy Communion for St James’ Day
Some Dates For Your Diaries!
Besides our usual pattern of services, we have some additional dates for events taking place in the parish:
Sunday 21st June – the parish is on duty at Dunsop Bridge Village Hall providing refreshments for parishioners and visitors plus raising funds for the parish.
Saturday 27th June to Sunday 5th July – Saint Bartholomew’s Church at Tosside is holding a Flower Show and Arts & Crafts Festival to showcase local skills and talents during these nine days. Everyone is welcome to come along to view the displays and support the church. (Why not visit the church on Sunday 28th June and then go along to Slaidburn Band’s concert in the Community Hall at 2.30 pm?)
Sunday 16th August – the second Ribble Valley Music Festival concert at Slaidburn Village Hall when the singing group “Trovatori” will provide entertainment. More details about this event will be published nearer the time.
Finance and Fabric
At our recent Annual Parochial Church Meeting we reviewed the state of our parish finances, looking at our day-to-day income and expenditure and our reserves in investment accounts.
Our income from church collections, donations, gift aid tax refunds, and church fees amounted to £29,585.58 for which we are incredibly grateful to everyone who contributes. Our expenditure totaled £30,972.22 which included: buildings insurance, heating oil, electricity, water rates, building repairs and maintenance – all essential items to keep our four church buildings in good order. This shows that our expenditure was greater than our income by £1,386.64.
What is not included in the above figures however is the “Parish Share” which is the contribution to the Diocese of Blackburn from the Parish of Hodder Valley towards the clergy and diocesan staff salaries, pension funds, and administration costs in the Church of England. In order to pay towards our Parish Share target of approximately £30,000.00 in 2025 we had to draw £25,000.00 from our reserves to help fund this. We have to contribute as much as we are able to this fund, otherwise, to put it quite simply, the long-term prospects for our parish could be in doubt.
Drawing on our reserves is not an easy decision. These funds are set aside for “a rainy day” when major expenditure on our buildings is needed and we have finances to call upon to assist our work. Those rainy days are coming, and we want to appeal to parishioners and friends to ask if you would consider contributing to our fabric funds to help secure the future of our four churches.
If you would like to contribute directly to our account the details are as follows: sort code: 40-52-40, account: 00037406, name: Hodder Valley PCC, and mark your contribution “Fabric.” We will shortly be encouraging the use of the Parish Giving Scheme, which is a secure, easy-to-use on-line system that enables donors to give regular donations to their local parish and with an option of getting an extra 20% on your gift through Gift Aid. (We are trying to handle less cash as the banks are now taking a percentage of our cash deposits as a “banking fee.”)
May we thank you for your prayerful consideration of our situation and if you need any more information then please speak to one of our churchwardens or our treasurer who will be glad to help you.
On how to run a church council meeting
The Rectory
St James the Least of All
My dear Nephew John
Clearly, the sight of your vicar running out of the room halfway through your last church council meeting, saying he should have stayed as a traffic warden, where he was universally liked, has unnerved you. It would have unnerved me too, since a universally popular traffic warden is an exceptional creature.
But perhaps it is necessary to give you some advice for the day when you do have to chair your first church council meeting.
1. Consider every agenda issue carefully beforehand and decide what you would like to do. Then, at the meeting, consult widely, listen to every opinion, weigh all the arguments, and then do precisely what you had decided before the meeting ever took place.
2. Never, ever, let council members discuss hymns, which avoids getting blood on the carpets.
3. Arrange the seating in rows, all facing the front, so that everyone must respond directly to you. The last thing you want is for council members to be able to discuss matters freely with one another.
4. Start smoking a pipe. At those times when you are faced with an issue when you really are unsure of how to respond, taking out your pipe, dismantling it, searching for a pipe cleaner, squinting down the stem to see if it is clean, mopping out the goo in the bowl, searching for your tobacco pouch, filling the pipe, tamping it down, asking if you can borrow matches and attempting to light it several times over, will give you more than sufficient time to formulate a reply. Once you have perfected the routine, the silence will have been so protracted, that most of the committee will have long forgotten what the question was anyway.
5. If someone is talking too long, consult your diary, noisily and obsessively, about next month’s appointments, or write a note to a committee member who is at the back of the room and get it passed to him. The speaker should soon get the message.
These are the simpler techniques of committee management. The advanced procedures must wait until you are strong enough to bear them.
Your loving uncle,
Eustace
(In the interests of clarity, we must point out that the meetings of the Hodder Valley PCC do not resemble the description above and Revd Karen has not taken up pipe smoking!)
Our Meeting to elect Churchwardens
and Annual Parochial Church Meeting
The Hodder Valley Parish held its annual meetings on Pentecost Sunday, 24th May, in Whitewell Social Hall following a service of the Eucharist in Saint Michael’s Church.
The results of the election of officers to serve in the parish can be seen on the inside front cover of this edition and you will probably note some changes to those elected.
First of all, Allan Carr retired as Churchwarden for Slaidburn Parish Church, having served his 5-year period of office. We would like to thank Allan for his loyal service during that time. He has now been elected to serve on the Parochial Church Council (PCC). Our other three Churchwardens were re-elected and there is at present a vacancy for a Churchwarden to serve for Slaidburn Parish Church.
Margaret Brenchley has retired as one of the Deanery Synod representatives for the parish, having served her three-year term of office.
She continues as our Safeguarding Officer. Her replacement as Deanery Synod representative is Helen Owen who we welcome to our team. Wendy Leeming was re-elected for a further three-year term on the Synod.
John Alpe and Anthea Hodson announced that they wished to retire as PCC members, and we elected David Mehers to full membership of the PCC having been co-opted in 2025. Marjorie Pinder offered to continue on the PCC and was re-elected having served her three-year term of office.
We express our sincere thanks to those who have retired from the Parochial Church Council and to those who continue to serve.
It might be useful to quote the Church of England’s definition of a PCC:
“The principal purpose of the Parochial Church Council (PCC)
is to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to the doctrines
and practices of the Church of England. The PCC co-operates
with the Rector in promoting the mission of the Church, pastorally,
evangelistically, socially and ecumenically.”
The Times, Seasons and Colours are Changing
By the time you receive this copy of the Parish News the Church of England will have moved into the season of Trinity. During the last six months we have celebrated Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, Ascension and Pentecost. Our liturgical colours have ranged through purple, red and white, changing for the different seasons, and now we adopt green for the Trinity season.
For the next five months there are no major festivals in the liturgical calendar, so the Gospel readings focus on the writings in Saint Matthew’s Gospel with an accompanying reading from either the Old or New Testament chosen for its relationship to the Gospel reading.
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Smile Lines
The new vicar was taking his first service and was determined to make a good impression. The congregation sat spellbound throughout the eloquent sermon and the extended prayers, which seemed to cover the whole category of human wants.
After the service one church member asked another in awe, “Don’t you think our new vicar prays well?”
“I most certainly do,” came the answer. “Why that man asked the good Lord for things that our old vicar didn’t even know He had!”
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The little boy was saying his go-to-bed prayers in a very low voice.
“I can’t hear you, dear,” his mother whispered.
“I wasn’t talking to you,” replied the small boy firmly.