Address: Otley Road, Undercliffe, BRADFORD, BD2 4QP [map]
Email: standrews@bradfordnorth.org.uk
Link Minister: Rev Phil Drake
Membership: 86
Sunday Services:
- 10.30 am Sunday Morning Worship.
- 6.00 pm Sunday Evening Worship.
Midweek Worship:
- Tuesdays between 10.00 am and 11.00 am the church is open for prayer.
- Wednesday 7.30 pm weekly – the first Wednesday of the month includes The Feast, and the last Wednesday of the month includes Holy Communion.
St Andrew’s is a friendly, caring and open church located in Undercliffe, North Bradford, West Yorkshire, on the junction of the A6177 Ring Road (Killinghall Road) and the A658 (Otley Road). We worship on Sundays and Wednesdays and the church is open for prayer from 9.30 am on Tuesday mornings. There is a whole range of other activities and events taking place throughout the week. The church is made up of a wide age range of people and we are sure there will be something to interest you!
St Andrew’s Methodist Church is a fellowship of Christian disciples called by Jesus to share in God’s mission to His world, directed in this by His Spirit. We aim to follow this call in four main areas:
Our Worship:
- will be given high priority;
- will be such as to promote Spiritual growth;
- will be appropriate for a varied worshipping community, including newcomers;
- will take place in accommodation that has been prayerfully planned to meet present and future needs.
Our Fellowship:
- will be Spirit-led, with emphasis on loving support;
- will provide opportunities for spiritual growth through appropriate groups;
- will value the contribution of everyone;
- will be open to all, including those of other faiths, and not inward-looking.
Our Witness:
- will proclaim the Christian message and seek a positive response;
- will be shared task with other Christians;
- will enable newcomers to learn about the Christian faith;
- will look for different opportunities to present the Gospel.
Our Service:
- will be alert to the needs of our neighbourhood;
- will be open to other avenues of service as part of the world-wide Church;
- will be in co-operation with others.
Where Do We Come From? Methodism In Undercliffe; How It All Began …
In 1822 there was erected on Idle Road a building which was to be a Sunday School and Weekday School “for ever.” It cost £260-15s-1.25d.
The money was raised by Public Subscription and the building still stands today, but has long since ceased to meet the requirements of Religion or Secondary Education.
The first Methodist chapel was built in 1850, (although some records show the date as 1835), on waste land obtained from the Lord of the Manor for 999 years at an annual rent of sixpence, to be paid, each year, at the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel. The cost was £760.
At a meeting of the Chapel Trust held on 8 October 1881, it was decided to pull down the old Chapel, which was already too small for the growing needs of the Society, and build a new one on the same site.
The stone-laying for this new Chapel took place on 4 February 1882, and the Chapel was completed and opened on 15th. September 1882. It cost £2,140 to build and would seat 650 worshippers.
Six years later a new organ was installed at a cost of £320.
This Chapel served the needs of the Community at Undercliffe until 1940, when it was found that dry-rot had seriously affected the building.
Plans were then drawn up to re-construct the Chapel as a one-storied building – but when permission to build was available it was too late – the building was condemned as unsafe.
For the next ten years the Sunday School was to serve as School and Church, but on a memorable occasion in June 1952, it was unanimously decided by a meeting of the Society to build a new Church.
Messrs Wm Illingworth & Son were engaged as Architects, and plans for a Church to accommodate 300 people were finally approved.
The Foundation Stone was laid on 6 June 1953 by Mr Christopher Pratt in memory of his brother Mr Leonard Pratt, who for many years was Secretary of Undercliffe Sunday School.
To the Glory of God and to the Praise of His Holy Name the Church was opened by Mrs Wm Rawson and Dedicated on 16 October 1954.
The Church, the third to be built on this site, was erected during the Ministry of Reverend David Pike, who was minister from 1950 to 1955.
On 1 September 1968 the Societies of Otley Road and Undercliffe Methodist Churches united to form St. Andrew’s Methodist Church, to worship and witness, in and from, the premises of the former Undercliffe Society.
The Cross, formerly part of the Sanctuary fittings of the Otley Road Church, positioned behind the pulpit commemorates this union.
Mission …
is God’s not ours … we seek to join in with what God is doing.
is the reason we exist … we are here for others before ourselves.
is what we do when we’re apart … as well as when we’re together.
is everyone’s responsibility … not just a special few.
is to everyone, regardless of class, ethnicity, creed … it isn’t limited to “people like us”.
is about introducing people to Jesus … not getting them into church
is working for the kingdom of God … seeking justice, wholeness, integrity in all things.
is about walking the walk … and talking the talk
is about talking the talk … and walking the walk.
we seek to walk the walk with generous giving, genuine care and unconditional welcome.
we try to talk the talk by sharing our faith clearly, appropriately, sensitively, honestly.
Pastoral Care
St Andrew’s aims to be a welcoming, friendly and caring church where every person is valued. Everyone on the church’s Pastoral Role is allocated to one of the Pastoral Carers who have the responsibility of caring for the people assigned to him or her. They deliver the monthly church magazine and report back to the Minister or Pastoral Coordinator any illness, need, or indeed cause for celebration.
Housebound people are visited and Holy Communion, if requested, taken on a regular basis. Flowers are taken to those ill at home or in hospital, visits made and cards sent. Transport to church services is provided for the infirm wherever possible.
A loop system is installed for those who are hard of hearing, and large print Hymn Books etc. for those with eyesight problems.
Our premises have recently been refurbished providing level access, widened doorways and accessible facilities for all.
Our intention is to show God’s love and concern to all who worship at St. Andrew’s. To weep with those who weep and to rejoice with those who rejoice, offering mutual support and friendship in Jesus’ name.
Junior Church
Junior Church meets on a Sunday morning for worship at 10.30am.
We have a crèche, and activities for 4-11 year olds. We have a group of young people (11 – 16) who share activities on Sunday mornings.
See and Know” is our Parents, Carers and Toddlers Group, which meets at 9.30am on Friday mornings.
We have uniformed organisations – currently Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Rainbows and Brownies.
Here’s what the children say:
“It’s really good–you can be with your friends and make new ones…and we share too”
“The grown ups are really cool…..good fun and fair. They don’t make you do all the washing up when we go away for weekends.”
“We like coming!”
“You learn about Jesus”
“We sometimes sing …and make food…..and help other people”
“When we went away for the weekend, we had a smashing time. Why can’t we stay longer?”
