Church of St James the Less, Sulgrave, Spring update Jan 2020.

PCC member Ingram Lloyd leaves the Church after the Christmas Carol Service 2019

The Parochial Church Council writes as follows:

Dear All

There are some major changes which will affect our Parish and hopefully this will bring all up to date. 

Brian Fairbank will be leaving our Parish at the end of January, his last service with us as our Vicar will be on Sunday February 2nd at 10.00.  We do hope that as many of you can attend to say “thank you” for his ministry during the seven years he has been with us and to wish him and Catherine well for the future.  He is not retiring until November and will continue to be Vicar of the remaining four churches. Brian and Nick Leggett, our new Vicar, will lead this service. 

Sulgrave will be leaving the Culworth group of six churches along with Thorpe Mandeville.  Both Sulgrave and Thorpe are joining the Chenderit benefice, which consists of Middleton Cheney, Chacombe, Greatworth, Marston St Lawrence, Thenford and Warkworth.  Thenford and Warkworth’s services are infrequent and are mainly during the lighter warmer summer months, all the other churches have regular services. https://allsaints-mc.church/benefice

While there are more churches in the group the team is larger.  The Rev Nick Leggett is our new Vicar.  Rev Carolyn Oley is our Associate priest.  Paul Franklin and Philip Ball are lay readers.  Chris Bazely is the Family Service Leader for Chacombe and Middleton Cheney.   https://allsaints-mc.church/our-team

Events

The Chenderit Benefice would like to welcome us and invite us all to attend a “meet and greet” on Shrove Tuesday at 7.30pm at Middleton Church.  Pancakes may be involved!  Please contact any of the PCC if you would like a lift.

Service times are posted in the Church and on the South entrance.  Listed below are just two services of note.

Wednesday 26th February 7.30pm is the Imposition of Ashes service.  This will be a short service and Nick Leggett will be leading this.

Sunday 22nd March at 10.00am is the Mothering Sunday service.  Shrimp Christy will be leading this and it would be lovely to see as many families as possible attending this service.  

Volunteering

We are always seeking ways to increase the footfall in our beautiful country church.  If you would like to help in any way, as a one off, or on a regular basis we would love to hear from you.

In particular we are needing to increase our numbers of Readers for services and also help with flowers, cleaning and the Remembrance Garden. 

Parish Giving

We launched a Parish Giving Scheme in the Autumn.  This has been successful but we still need more people to contribute financially on a regular basis.  If you would like to donate but don’t want to give on a regular basis, we would able to fit in with your wishes.  All money given through this scheme is gift aided where possible.  The annual cost of keeping the church going is not less than £15,000. This is a considerable sum of money which is raised totally within Sulgrave.

If you can help or would like to know more about any of the points within this letter please contact any of the names below.

With many thanks from all Sulgrave PCC:

Jean Bates, Shrimp Christy, Andrew Dixon, Anne Dyde, Richard Fonge, Linda Harrison, Ingram Lloyd, Susie Mason, Julie Metcalfe, Kate Miles, John Stimpson, Margaret Watts.

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2 Responses to “Church of St James the Less, Sulgrave, Spring update Jan 2020.”

  1. Ingram Lloyd says:

    thanks Colin. The Church is an integral building in the vilage and also part of our way of life. We welcome all.

  2. Mike Constable says:

    Interested to read of the changes to the Church grouping. I am sure Chris will be getting onto Middleton’s website now I have pointed it out to him but the Family Service Leader is actually Chris Bazeley, (not Bazley) Chris knew Sulgrave very well nearly 60 years ago as he regularly cycled over to Helmdon Road to our bungalow and he still keeps me informed of anything about Sulgrave which appears in the Banbury Guardian. He was my Best Man 49 years ago.

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