What sort of church is St. Benedict's?
Whatever drew you to visit this website, welcome!
Let me mention here three aspects of how we aim to order our life at St Benedict's. Between them, they should give you a flavour of what sort of church we are trying to be.
First, St Benedict prioritised hospitality, and we seek to do the same. He and his followers aimed to always offer the warmest of welcomes to any visitor - in fact, their hope was to treat each visitor as they would treat Jesus Christ himself. Whatever you are looking for, or even if you're not quite sure what you're looking for, we hope you will find a warm welcome and a hospitable space at St Benedict's.
Second, we believe in God's gracious presence in our lives at all times. Many people get in touch with us at particularly important moments in their lives, or the lives of their families. For some they are times of celebration: for instance, a new birth, a forthcoming wedding. For others they are times of sadness or transition. We believe that God cares deeply about all that happens to us and to you, and we're very happy to meet with you, at whatever point in your life.
Third, you may want to explore Christianity, or you may be considering joining a local church. If you're familiar with the terms, St Benedict's is a Central but broad Anglican Church, with congregation members drawn from most strands of the Christian tradition. We seek to help each other discover for ourselves what Jesus taught: that life is best lived with God at its centre.
St Benedict’s offers a range of church services, offering teaching and worship accessible to a wide range of people. We seek and expect to meet with God in Scripture, in the sacrament of Holy Communion, and in our corporate life together. Our worship draws on a rich blend of both contemporary and older hymns and songs. This is not a church that encourages blind faith, but one where questions are welcome and thinking is encouraged.
As well as services, we also have a diverse range of groups and courses, some explicitly about faith, and others more social in nature.
At this church you will find a healthy combination of those who have been Christians for quite some time, those who have recently come to faith, and those just dipping their toes in the water of belief. We're not just for grown-ups: St Benedict’s is for children too (see for instance Junior Church and Thirty Minute Church).
Overall, we're not perfect, but we do our best to be welcoming! If you think this might possibly be the church for you, but you're not sure yet, please don't worry: without any obligation at all, either come along to a service or two, or get in touch for a chat or an e-mail conversation to find out more.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy exploring the website, which should give you a good idea what's going on at St Benedict's. If I, or any of the ministry team, might be able to help at all, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Jonathan Kimber
Vicar