Supporting Our Community

There is so much more to St Silas Church than just services, but 'service' is at the very heart of what we are as a local parish church, We want to bless our community and be a blessing to it. Here you can find out about what your church is doing in the area and who we are working with.

Community Arts Ministry

We work with our schools and local community to produce works of art that represent the lives, concerns and cultural diversity of the parish. Our home page banner displays the Advent Banners we have produce with our schools. In 2023 -2024 our Artist-in-resident, Alastair, will be working with groups to produce a 'garden of light' using recycled plastic. The window artwork will be produced by local school children, youth groups and residents. We are grateful to Blackburn CVS for funding this project which cross the cultural boundaries on the common theme of creation.

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Schools

Located in the parish we have two Church of England primary schools - St Silas Primary School and Wensley Fold Primary Academy. There is a strong relationship with these schools, with regular assemblies and school visits to the church for major services and activities.

The Church also supports Westholme School and Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School with visits and seasonal services. Other schools in the parish are Sacred Heart RC and Witton Park Academy.

Working with other Faiths

The Church is a member of the West Blackburn Interfaith Group ,which is part of the Blackburn Interfaith Forum. Our vicar meets regularly with local faith leaders to develop initiatives such as Faith Days in Schools and informal events for local Christians and Muslims to meet and to share fellowship and work together for greater understanding in our community.

Pastoral Care & Support

There may be times when you would like to meet and talk with someone about what is challenging you, or maybe you would like support through prayer or have somewhere quiet to go. Whatever the need, we can offer you support in the following ways:

Prayer - We have a prayer request book in Church near the entrance, where you are welcome to write down your request. All prayers are offered during our Sunday and Tuesday Services.

Quiet Time - Outside of services the church is frequently open and available for anyone to come to pray or have a time of reflection.

Visiting - Our pastoral visitors go into the Residential Care Homes in the parish. If you feel you would like to talk to someone they can arrange to meet with you to discuss in private what’s on your mind. They are not trained counsellors but individuals who can offer informal support.

We also conduct funerals and provide home communion upon request. Please contact the Vicar – see contact page for details.