two churches,
one
community
Welcome to our website. We hope you find what you’re looking for as you navigate it. Whether you want information on baptisms, weddings or funerals, information on our special seasonal services, on our various regular activities, or if you want to join a church and are here to check us out.
The parish churches of St Matthew's, Darley Abbey, and St Edmund's, Allestree work together under the leadership of Rev Rachael Brooks to grow God's kingdom in our community. Our two congregations share links with the parishes of St Nicholas, Allestree, and St Paul's, Quarndon, which are led by Rev Sarah Watson. We are part of the Church of England and have links with other churches across the city of Derby. We enjoy our links with local schools and uniformed groups.
We’d love you to join us as we come together to grow as Christians in God’s family, young and old, as we think about what following Jesus means if we’re going to do what he says and love God and love our neighbours as ourselves. It’s not always easy! But my prayer is that we encounter God and grow closer to him day by day and week by week.
events
On 22 November at St Matthew's and 6 December at St Edmund's we will have our All Age services starting at 10 am.
The services will be informal, interactive and suitable for all ages.
The theme will be
Advent.
diary
On Sunday 15 November we will have Service of the Word at St Edmund's and Choral Holy Communion at St Matthew's. Both will start at 10 am.
At 6 pm, St Matthew's will have Choral Evensong.
You are all very welcome.
The normal pattern of Sunday services across a month is:
St Matthew’s
1st Holy Communion & Evensong
2nd Morning Prayer
3rd Holy Communion & Choral Evensong
4th All Age Worship
5th Joint
St Edmund’s
1st All Age Worship
2nd Holy Communion & Choral Evensong
3rd Morning Prayer
4th Holy Communion & Choral Evensong
5th Joint
NOVEMBER
Sunday 1 November - All Saints' Day
10 am - St Edmund's - All Age service, led by Rachael Brooks and the team
10 am - St Matthew's - Choral Holy Communion, led by David Anderson
3 pm - St Edmund's - All Souls' service
6 pm - St Matthew's - Evensong, led by Melonie Hambly
Monday 2 November
2.30 pm - St Matthew's Standing Committee Meeting
7.30 pm - St Edmund's Choir Vestry - Handbells
Tuesday 3 November
2-3.30 pm - St Matthew's Fellowship Room - FoSM - 'My Life as a Magistrate', by David Loydall
Wednesday 4 November
10.30 am - St Edmund's - Holy Communion - led by David Anderson
Thursday 5 November
10 am – St Edmund's Church Hall - Baby & Toddler Group
Saturday 7 November
9.30 am – St Edmund’s - Groundforce
Sunday 8 November - Remembrance Sunday (3rd Sunday before Advent)
Today is Food Bank Sunday. Please leave your donations in St Edmund's Church or St Matthew's Fellowship Room by Tuesday 10 November. Thank you.
10 am - St Edmund's – Service of the Word, led by Rachael Brooks
10 am - St Matthew's - Service of the Word, led by Susie Curtis
6 pm - St Edmund's - Choral Evensong, led by Diana Mellor
Monday 9 November
2 pm - St Edmund's Choir Vestry - Bookworms: Still Life, by Sarah Winman
7.30 pm - Community Room at Catherine McAuley House - Ascension Prayer Group
7.30 pm - St Edmund's Choir Vestry - Handbells
Tuesday 10 November
12 noon - St Edmund's Church Hall - Luncheon Club
7.30 pm - Zoom - St Edmund's Standing Committee Meeting
Wednesday 11 November
10.30 am - St Edmund's - Holy Communion - led by Rachael Brooks
Thursday 12 November
10 am – Allestree Park - Nature Tots
Sunday 15 November - 2nd Sunday before Advent
10 am - St Edmund's – Service of the Word, led by Diana Mellor
10 am - St Matthew's – Choral Holy Communion, led by Rachael Brooks
6 pm - St Matthew's – Choral Evensong, led by Rachael Brooks
Monday 16 November
7 pm - St Matthew's Fellowship Room - PCC Meeting
7.30 pm - St Edmund's Choir Vestry - Handbells
Tuesday 17 November
7.30 pm - St Edmund's Church Hall - PCC Meeting
Wednesday 18 November
10.30 am - St Edmund's - Holy Communion, led by David Anderson
Thursday 19 November
10 am – St Edmund's Church Hall - Baby & Toddler Group
Friday 20 November
8.30 am - St Matthew's Fellowship Room - Community Café
Saturday 21 November
7.30-10 pm - St Matthew's Church - Derwent Singers concert
Sunday 22 November - Christ the King (Sunday next before Advent)
10 am - St Edmund's – Choral Holy Communion, led by Adrian Thorp
10 am - St Matthew's – All Age service, led by Rachael Brooks and the team
6 pm - St Edmund's – Choral Evensong, led by Rachael Brooks
Monday 23 November
1 pm - St Edmund's - Funeral of Alan Ussher
7.30 pm - St Edmund's Choir Vestry - Handbells
Tuesday 24 November
12 noon - St Edmund's Church Hall - Luncheon Club
Wednesday 25 November
10.30 am - St Edmund's - Holy Communion, led by Rachael Brooks & Diana Mellor preaching
Thursday 26 November
10 am – St Edmund's Church Hall - Baby & Toddler Group
Friday 27 November
12 noon - St Matthew's - Funeral of Michael Cadman
Saturday 28 November
9.30am – St Matthew’s – Churchyard Working Party
10 am - St Edmund's - Brass Cleaning
1.30-5 pm - St Matthew's Church - New Opera Company Derby concert
3-4.30 pm - St Edmund's Church Hall - Messy 'Advent' Church
Sunday 29 November - Advent Sunday (Advent 1)
10 am - St Edmund's – Joint Choral Holy Communion, led by Rachael Brooks & John Rice preaching
6 pm - St Matthew's – Advent Procession, led by Rachael Brooks
Monday 30 November
7.30 pm - St Edmund's Choir Vestry - Handbells
DECEMBER
Tuesday 1 December
2-3.30 pm - St Matthew's Fellowship Room - FoSM Christmas Party - £2 entrance fee to go to charity – entertainment by Peter Taylor
Wednesday 2 December
10.30 am - St Edmund's - Holy Communion - led by Rachael Brooks
Thursday 3 December
10 am – St Edmund's Church Hall - Baby & Toddler Group
Saturday 5 December
9.30 am – St Edmund’s - Groundforce
Sunday 6 December – 2nd Sunday of Advent
10 am - St Edmund's – All Age service and baptism of Raegan Brindley and Phoebe Banton,
led by Rachael Brooks and the team
10 am - St Matthew's – Choral Holy Communion, led by Phyllis Bainbridge
6 pm - St Edmund's - Evensong, led by Melonie Hambly
Monday 7 December
2.30 pm - Markeaton Crematorium - Funeral of Muriel Davis
7.30 pm - St Edmund's Choir Vestry - Handbells
Tuesday 8 December
12 noon - St Edmund's Church Hall - Luncheon Club
Wednesday 9 December
10.30 am - St Edmund's - Holy Communion - led by David Anderson
6 pm – St Edmund’s – Carols in the Churchyard
Thursday 10 December
10 am – Allestree Park - Nature Tots
Saturday 12 December
4 pm – St Matthew’s Concert
Sunday 13 December – 3rd Sunday of Advent
Today is Food Bank Sunday. Please leave your donations in St Edmund's Church or St Matthew's Fellowship Room by Tuesday 15 December. Thank you.
10 am - St Edmund's – Holy Communion, led by David Anderson
10 am - St Matthew's – Nine Lessons & Carols, led by Rachael Brooks
4 pm - St Edmund’s – Christingle service, led by Rachael Brooks
Sunday 13 December
5 pm – St Matthew’s carpark – Darley Abbey Community Tree Trail and Christmas songs
Monday 14 December
2 pm - St Edmund's Choir Vestry - Bookworms: Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop,
by Jenny Colgan
7.30 pm - Community Room at Catherine McAuley House - Ascension Prayer Group
7.30 pm - St Edmund's Choir Vestry - Handbells
Tuesday 15 December
12 noon - St Edmund's Church Hall - Luncheon Club
Wednesday 16 December
10.30 am - St Edmund's - Holy Communion, led by David Anderson
10.45 am – Stanley House – Holy Communion
11.20 am – Abbeydale – Holy Communion
Thursday 17 December
10 am – St Edmund's Church – Pre-school & Baby & Toddler Group Christmas service
Friday 18 December
8.30 am - St Matthew's Fellowship Room - Community Café
Sunday 20 December – 4th Sunday of Advent
10 am - St Edmund's – Service of the Word, led by Diana Mellor
10 am - St Matthew's – Choral Holy Communion, led by Rachael Brooks
4 pm - St Edmund's – Nine Lessons and Carols, led by Rachael Brooks
6 pm – St Matthew’s – Choral Evensong, led by Clive Lemmon
Wednesday 23 December
10.30 am - St Edmund's - Holy Communion, led by Phyllis Bainbridge
Thursday 24 December
2 pm – St Edmund’s – Crib service, led by Rachael Brooks & the team
4pm – St Edmund’s – Crib service, led by Rachael Brooks & the team
5.30 pm – St Matthew’s – Crib service, led by Rachael Brooks & the team
11.15 pm – St Matthew’s – Midnight Mass, led by David Anderson
Friday 25 December – Christmas Day
10 am – St Edmund’s – Choral Holy Communion, led by Phyllis Bainbridge
10 am – St Matthew’s – Choral Holy Communion, led by Rachael Brooks
Sunday 27 December – 1st Sunday of Christmas
10 am - St Paul’s – Joint Holy Communion (said)
There will be no services at St Edmund’s or St Matthew’s
Wednesday 30 December
There will be no 10.30 am Holy Communion service at St Edmund’s
JANUARY
Saturday 2 January
9.30 am – St Edmund’s - Groundforce
Sunday 3 January - Epiphany
10 am - St Edmund's – All Age service, led by Rachael Brooks and the team
10 am - St Matthew's – Choral Holy Communion, led by David Anderson
6 pm - St Edmund's – Evening Prayer, led by Melonie Hambly
Tuesday 5 January
12 noon - St Edmund's Church Hall - Luncheon Club
2-3.30 pm - St Matthew's Fellowship Room - FoSM – Helipads & Air Ambulance
by Martin Rowley
Wednesday 6 January
10.30 am - St Edmund's - Holy Communion - led by David Anderson
Thursday 7 January
10 am – St Edmund’s Church Hall – Baby & Toddler Group
Sunday 10 January – Baptism of Christ
Today is Food Bank Sunday. Please leave your donations in St Edmund's Church or St Matthew's Fellowship Room by Tuesday 12 January. Thank you.
10 am - St Edmund's – Choral Holy Communion, led by John Rice
10 am - St Matthew's – Service of the Word, led by Melonie Hambly
6 pm – St Edmund’s – Choral Evensong, led by Clive Lemmon
Monday 11 January
2 pm - St Edmund's Choir Vestry - Bookworms: The Carer, by Deborah Moggach
7.30 pm - Community Room at Catherine McAuley House - Ascension Prayer Group
Wednesday 13 January
10.30 am - St Edmund's - Holy Communion, led by John Rice
Thursday 14 January
10 am – Allestree Park – Nature Tots
Friday 15 January
8.30 am - St Matthew's Fellowship Room - Community Café
Sunday 17 January – 2nd Sunday of Epiphany
10 am - St Edmund's – Choral Matins, led by Paul Smith
10 am - St Matthew's – Choral Holy Communion, led by Rachael Brooks
6 pm – St Matthew’s – Choral Evensong, led by Clive Lemmon
Monday 18 January
7 pm – St Matthew’s Fellowship Room – PCC Meeting
Tuesday 19 January
12 noon - St Edmund's Church Hall - Luncheon Club
Wednesday 20 January
10.30 am - St Edmund's - Holy Communion, led by Rachael Brooks
Thursday 21 January
10 am – St Edmund’s Church Hall – Baby & Toddler Group
Sunday 24 January – 3rd Sunday of Epiphany
10 am – St Edmund’s – Choral Holy Communion, led by Adrian Thorp
10 am – St Matthew’s – All Age service & the baptism of Florence Fograscher,
led by Rachael Brooks & the team
6 pm – St Edmund’s – Choral Evensong, led by Rachael Brooks
Wednesday 27 January
10. 30 am – St Edmund’s – Holy Communion, led by David Anderson
Thursday 28 January
10 am – St Edmund’s Church Hall – Baby & Toddler Group
Saturday 30 January
9.30am – St Matthew’s – Churchyard Working Party
Sunday 31 January - Candlemas
10 am – St Matthew’s – Joint 4 church service, led by Rachael Brooks
12.30 pm – St Edmund’s Church Hall – Arctic Event
daily prayer
We value daily prayer as a way to develop and deepen our faith. We encourage you to join us in using a daily prayer and reflection app. We are promoting the Church of England Everyday Faith app. Other apps are also available!
safeguarding
The Church of England has developed a training programme for leaders at all levels in the national and local church. We follow the recommended safeguarding policy and take our responsibility to love, welcome, and cherish, everyone who has contact with our community.
We take safeguarding extremely seriously in our churches. Diane Whittaker is the Parish Safeguarding Officer for St Matthew’s and Louise Whittaker for St Edmund’s (with the aid of Madeleine Fullerton). All our PCC members and anyone who works with children and vulnerable adults will have had the required checks and will have done the appropriate training.
If you’re worried that a child or vulnerable adult in this church might be suffering from some kind of abuse:
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DO NOT try to diagnose, investigate or sort it out yourself
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THINK HARD about what it is about the appearance or behaviour of the child or vulnerable adult that is making you worried or suspicious
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DO NOT promise confidentiality if someone talks to you about what might be abuse
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DECIDE who you should talk to, and
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TALK TO THEM – within 24 hours
Diane Whittaker (St Matthew's)
07968237457
Louise Whittaker (St Edmund's)
01332 556455
Madeleine Fullerton (St Edmund's)
01332 554762
Caroline Audley (Church Administrator) 01332 552031
The Diocesan Safeguarding Team
01332 388678