All events Calendar

Taize service

for 1 hour
St John the Baptist, Cockayne Hatley
Cockayne Hatley near Sandy Bedfordshire, SG19 2EA, United Kingdom

For 2025 we offer a regular programme of Taizé services on the third Sunday of the month; dates for the remainder of the year are 17 August, 21 September and 19 October. All services start at 5:30pm.

Taizé Prayer is evening prayer for all Christian faiths. It is a simple, meditative form of worship, calling us to dwell deeply on Christ's presence. Mantra songs, prayerful silence, and short readings guide the focus of the prayer. The peaceful setting of St John the Baptist offers an ideal environment for the service.

Evening Prayer in Traditional Language

Monthly. Every Fourth Sunday at for 45 mins
St John the Baptist, Cockayne Hatley
Cockayne Hatley near Sandy Bedfordshire, SG19 2EA, United Kingdom

This service is much loved in the Church of England. It’s a service that began its development in the 16th century but actually has ties to much earlier forms of worship in monasteries. It uses traditional language and through its regular rhythm is a time of prayer and reflection.

The next service of Evening Prayer will be on Sunday 24 August 2025 at 4 pm.

Red Kite concert

for 1 hour
St John the Baptist, Cockayne Hatley
Cockayne Hatley near Sandy Bedfordshire, SG19 2EA, United Kingdom

On Sunday 7 September, we have the fourth concert of the year given by Red Kite Concerts. The music is different each time but always of very high standard, with performers who enjoy an international reputation. For this latest concert we welcome back The Marais Ensemble, a quintet of wind players presenting a delightful and dazzling programme of music, perfect for a late Summer Sunday.

All the concerts this year begin at 5 pm and last for about one hour. The last concert of this year will be held on 2 November. Tickets cost £18 (there is no charge for under-18s) and can be obtained at www.RedKiteConcerts.com (follow the link in More Info, below).

More info

Heritage Open Day

for 7 hours, 30 mins
St John the Baptist, Cockayne Hatley
Cockayne Hatley near Sandy Bedfordshire, SG19 2EA, United Kingdom

As part of the national programme of Heritage Open Days, the church will be open from 9 am until 4:30 pm. We shall be offering tours of the church and light refreshments. There is an excellent display with details of the history of the church and of some of those who have been associated with it.

See the link below for more details of Heritage Open Days.

More info

Bike n'Hike 2025

for 7 hours, 30 mins
St John the Baptist, Cockayne Hatley
Cockayne Hatley near Sandy Bedfordshire, SG19 2EA, United Kingdom

Organised by the Beds and Herts Historic Churches Trust, this is a fund-raising event which involves making sponsored visits to local churches. The Trust makes grants to support churches. We at St John the Baptist received a major award towards the cost of masonry repairs carried out in 2023.

Your local church organiser who can provide sponsorship forms is Pat Foulkes (see Home Page for contact details).

This coincides with our second day's participation in the Heritage Open Days (see separate event) so we shall be offering light refreshments and tours of the church as well as welcoming bikers and hikers.

See also "More Info" below.

More info

Holy Communion in Traditional Language

Monthly. Every Second Sunday at for 45 mins
St John the Baptist, Cockayne Hatley
Cockayne Hatley near Sandy Bedfordshire, SG19 2EA, United Kingdom

On the second Sunday we have a service of Holy Communion. This is also sometimes called a Eucharist. Here we share bread and wine to both remember Jesus’s saving actions and in a deep and mysterious way be attached to him as well as connected to each other. The service includes readings from the Bible, times of prayer, a reflection or sermon. Its done in traditional language and it is in fact an older form of service first developed in the 16th century called the Book of Common Prayer. People value it for its connection to our past and particularly for its beautiful language. We love this service with its reverence and holiness, but also as an opportunity to be together with God.

The next service of Holy Communion will be on Sunday 10 August 2025 at 9 am.