About Us
Our place in the Diocese
St Mary Magdalene is the parish church of Gilsland which forms part of the United Benefice of Lanercost, Walton, Gilsland and Nether Denton.
The benefice forms part of the Brampton Deanery in the Diocese of Carlisle
* we have had increasing links with Gilsland Spa hotel www.gilslandspa.co.uk and are often joined by 'regulars' from the NE and even Norfolk who visit the Spa regularly. Joining us for worship is part of their holiday. We have at least 2 Parish Lunches at the Spa each year, enjoying their very reasonably priced carvery and our fellowship with each other.
The average attendance at funerals (3/4 a year) is around 150 (in a church which seats 90) and can be over 250. This is because the local long-standing community is very close and many families have intermarried over the generations and stayed in the area creating a large network of relations.
We share our Vicar, Rod Allon-Smith with the people of Lanercost, Nether Denton and Walton and are forging strong new links between us.
Finally, the root of all our life together:-
Our worship aims to be relaxed, reverent and relevant. During last winter we decanted to the village hall for over a month as it was warmer and more accessible. As well as the usual Christian festivals, we celebrate Education Sunday, Lambing Sunday, Mothers and Fathers Days, and, of course, St Mary Magdalene's day. We also remember those who have died in a Memorial Service - usually around All Souls' Day.
If you are in the area, we can guarantee you a warm welcome at 11a.m. on Sundays. The church is also open daily and many find it a place of peace and tranquility. We invite you to add your prayer requests to the board at the back of church. These become part of each Sundays intercessions.
We may be 'Living on the edge’ - but we are far from being a sleepy backwater!
So what
about the 325 handshakes? Well when you come to our services you will find that, when we offer the sign of peace, every-one shakes hands with everyone else - on an average, ordinary Sunday that’s 325 shakes!
Gilsland is a village which is very much 'on-the-edge'. One thing visitors will notice is that there is a county sign on the bridge in the middle of the village where the Cumbria meets Northumbria. Though the church building is in Cumbria, the vast majority of parishioners live in Northumbria and many of us tend to 'look east' to Haltwhistle, Hexham and Newcastle rather than west to Brampton and Carlisle.
The last few years have seen a number of developments in Gilsland church:-
* people who lived locally but were worshipping in Hexham or Carlisle have now become active members of their village church.