The Worshipping Community

Sunday Services

Over an average month, the Sunday mornings consist of Holy Communion or Morning Worship

Attendance is generally between 10 and 16 (most often it is 12).

Most services will have the hymn/song words projected onto a screen via ‘Easy Worship’ software.

All services, except one, have a mix of traditional and modern hymns/songs from Mission Praise, Worship Today and others, being accompanied with organ or electric keyboard. One of the Morning worship service has songs/hymns from CDs .

There is a rota for  Bible readings and intercessions in the services.

There is generally one evening Holy Communion service per month, taken from the Book of Common Prayer, but sometimes there is an Evensong as a substitute. Often there is no musical accompaniment. Attendance is between 3 and 8.

Holy Communion is the only service where the minister robes up but not always.

The congregation would see itself as being Bible based with little formality, the evening congregation like a more traditional service.  

There is an annual Bible Society combined service with St Helen, Colne and Bluntisham Baptist Church. The venue is rotated. The same churches meet up for Holiday Bible Club in the summer

In the lead up to Christmas we have a Nativity Service, a Carols by Candlelight and a Christmas Eve Communion. On New Year’s Eve we have a supper followed by a short service and then some bell ringing!

When a family requests a baptism, one of our congregation visits with the Rector and becomes the point of contact and a welcoming face on the day of the baptism!  We keep a list of the families and contact them for special events. The families are also invited back to a service near the anniversary of the baptism, when we light a candle and say a prayer for them.

Mid-week meetings

There are evening Fellowship house groups, averaging 9 people in total. They consist of Bible study, fellowship and prayer.

Ministry Team / Organisation

Members of the team:

Rector

Rev Sheila Anthony

Curate (Pioneer Minister)

Susan Bowden-Pickstock

Lead services on first and third sundays,  baptisms

Licensed Lay Minister (LLM): Tim Berry (Colne) (4th Sunday service)

Churchwardens: Mike Bateman and Phil Marshall

St Mary’s PCC

The PCC  meets about four times a year. Members are:

          Vice chairman: Mike Bateman

          Treasurer: Neil Cross

          Secretary: Debbie Rudwick (Takes Church Room bookings, etc., etc.)

          Mike Bateman (Electoral Roll officer)

          Adrian Wood (Church fabric)

          Sue Maxwell

          Peter Reason

Organist/Keyboard Player: Cecily Marshall

Deanery Synod Representative: M Bateman

Baptism Visiting/Care  Leaders: Debbie Rudwick

Children’s and Youth work:  Julie  and Adrian Wood

Pew leaflet: Julie Wood

Sidespersons: Adrian & Julie Wood, Debbie Rudwick, Sue Maxwell

Tower Captain (bell ringers) Mike Bateman