Baildon, Yorkshire - June 2026

The arrival of spring brought renewed activity to Baildon. We celebrated Mothering Sunday with an uplifting service led by our minister Sr Patsy Holdsworth who also gave all the sisters a pot of tete-a-tete daffodils in memory of her own mother plus a hand painted card of a Moravian Sister in traditional dress.

Thanks to ‘Baildon in Bloom’ along with members and friends for giving our God’s Acre its biannual make-over on the Saturday before Palm Sunday.

On Palm Sunday itself Sr Patsy gave us all a Palm cross to which she had added a beautiful handmade Palm sunflower to remember those in war torn areas this Easter. Later that evening, Baildon hosted the Yorkshire District Palm Sunday readings and music service led by Sr Diane Thornton and the Moravian Singers. It was a really enjoyable occasion with beautiful music and poetry. Thanks to Srs Cath Snowden, Jenny Baldwin and Allyson Lewis for supplying us with refreshments and hot cross buns afterwards!

We kept the Passion Week readings, Maundy Thursday Communion and Good Friday liturgy led by Sr Patsy and Sr Sylvia Bentley.

Our Easter Day service was very well attended in a beautiful flower filled church but troubled by Storm Dave! The congregation only managed one verse of the first set hymn in part three of the Easter Liturgy in God’s Acre, before rain stopped play and everyone hurried back into the dry! Spirits weren’t dampened by the weather though and back in church we celebrated Holy Communion and after the service, the children enjoyed an indoor egg hunt!

It is said that no-one is indispensable, but we are thinking that may not be the case when it comes to Beer Festivals! After over a quarter of a century, we have had to ‘call time’ on our Festival due to the ill health of our organiser, Bill Arnold. Without him we just can’t carry on, and we thank him so much for his hard work and enthusiasm in the past.

And finally. we have recently completed the second part of the NCD surveys and results show some positive changes in our congregation’s attitude so that’s good news!

Sr Ruth France