Family Services

A Busy Church Community From the Bartholomew Bear Club through to Flower Festivals, from Choral Evensong to Play & Praise there is something to do for everyone at All Saints. Here the community get together to worship God and provide events and services that will bring people together and share talents and skills. We’ve had festivals commemorating our nation’s history or the wonder of weddings. We celebrate Harvest with a beautifully decorated church. There’s a bar-b-que on the Saturday evening with a quiz just for fun, and then, on Sunday, a riotous family service followed by lunch in the hall and then a Harvest Songs of Praise with readings and favourite hymns in the evening, followed by wine and nibbles.

Then one Sunday you might come in to find an elephant in the pew, several dogs greeting each other in the aisles, and the odd giraffe, rabbit or bear lounging in a pew – yes, it’s the Pet Service and that includes all those much-loved mice and monkeys, lambs, and kittens that the children know are just as real as the pets that others bring. And all of them receive a blessing.

At the end of November, we look forward to Christmas with our Advent Candle Calendar table decoration for families to take home and light each day as a count down to Christmas. There are Nativity Plays and Carol Services during the Christmas season as well as the wonderful and moving midnight service on Christmas Eve. To lighten the darkness of winter, at the very end of January, we have a special Christingle Service to celebrate the feast of Candlemas – remembering Jesus is the light of the world. After Candlemas the evenings grow lighter and we can look forward to Pancake Day – and the Great Big Pancake Service on the Sunday after Shrove Tuesday rapidly followed by Mothering Sunday, as we travel through Lent on our way to Easter. 

Palm Sunday – the triumphal ride of Jesus into Jerusalem is echoed in our procession from Elwood Equestrian Centre to the Church followed by a Palm Sunday Play & Praise. Holy Week, which follows Palm Sunday, leads us through to Easter with services including morning prayer, communion, and compline to the Good Friday Reflection. Easter Sunday is the greatest celebration of the year with the church transformed into a garden of flowers