The Pendle Deanery Festival of Health and Wellbeing is an ambitious project that has united the Deanery and churches together as they seek to transform community through healing and wellbeing.

Over the past year the churches of the Pendle area have gathered together to discern how they could draw the community together and change the lives of people.  The people of Pendle, like many other areas, are often confronted with challenges that affect health whether they be physical, nutritional, mental, emotional, or spiritual. This led to the strong feeling that a festival of healing and wellbeing could help to address these needs and that the parishes could offer a smorgasbord of activities and events that people could engage with.

Beginning with services in each of the churches in the Deanery on Sunday 8 September, the rest of the week was stocked full of activities and events of all kinds that people can take part in, including herbology quizzes, pilgrimage walks, board games afternoons, cycle rides and much more. The week culminated with a service and local walk on Sunday 15 September.

The Area Dean, Rev Lesley Hinchcliffe, has been a lead coordinator of the event with active involvement of the priests and congregation of each of the churches in the Deanery.

Rt Rev. Dr Joe Kennedy, the new Bishop of Burnley, said: "I was delighted one of my first engagements as Bishop of Burnley was to support this wonderful mission week being held by the 13 churches of Pendle Deanery.

"The 'Worship and Praise' evening at Holy Trinity in Colne was a delight to be a part of". 

"As Christians we care for all aspects of people's lives and that includes general health and wellbeing. So, I was delighted to hear how Area Dean, Rev. Lesley Hinchcliffe, and her team have brought together their whole Deanery for this amazing festival. 

"I look forward to hearing many reports of lives impacted in different ways as people learn more about how to care for themselves, at the same time as hearing about the saving grace of Jesus Christ." 

Events of the week included

Sunday 8 September 

• Herbs for Health and Wellbeing at St John's church followed by an Afternoon tea with Healthy Baking. People enjoyed doing the Herbology Quiz and the hands-on guess the herbs.
• Follow the footsteps of George Fox Reverend Lorelli braved the ‘mist over Pendle’ to lead a pilgrimage to the top of Pendle Hill. Readings and prayers were said at various points, and the famous George Fox Well was visited.

Monday 9 September 

• Organ Praise St John's Higham was well attended with 8 pieces of music played, by Robert, 30 years as RSCM organist.
• Pennine Lancs Stroke Association Choir singing as part of the Deanery Health and Wellbeing week at St Thomas ' Church, Barrowford. Singing can make you feel so much happier! Thank you, Choir!
• Worship and Praise Pendle Deanery last night welcomed our new Bishop of Burnley, Rev Dr Joe Kennedy, in a fantastic night of praise and celebration at Holy Trinity, Colne. We were inspired by Bishop Joe’s sermon on the signs and wonders as related in John’s Gospel which reveal Jesus, as the Son of God.

Tuesday 10 September 

• Pendleside Mother's Union ‘The power of touch’- ‘The Power of Touch’ – exploring the healing stories of Jesus and giving and receiving a hand and arm aromatherapy massage. Reverend Lesley is qualified in holistic massage and demonstrated first. The Refectory St Anne's Fence.
•  God's Sacred Acre. A fantastic morning at St Mary's church in Newchurch-In-Pendle. We started the morning with some gentle exercise and inner breathing techniques inspired from Japanese version of Tai Chi in the churchyard. We then went inside to create some beautiful autumnal wreaths.  To round up the morning we took a tour around the Eco installations that were within the church. 

Festival of Health and Wellbeing Leaflet Download

Prayer for Festival of Health and Wellbeing.  

Heavenly Father,
We pray that our Festival of Health and Wellbeing
will help to spread physical, emotional and spiritual healing
across Pendle Deanery.
Lead us towards inner peace and calm;
reduce pain, worry and anxiety in all.
Give us the strength to overcome adversity
and to move ever towards the love and happiness you offer to all.
We ask this in the name of your son,
our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Amen.