Church
ST MARY OUR LADY
Church Lane, Sidlesham, West Sussex. PO20 7RE
Visiting Priest during Vacancy: Rev Roger Pullen, 6 Chichester Way, Selsey, W.Sussex. PO20 0PJ. (01243 601684 or 07909954772)
Churchwardens: Mr Christopher Hubbard (01243 641447) and Mrs Janet Jupp (01243 641318).
Church Hall Booking Secretary: Mrs Shirley Donato (01243 641637)
Sunday School Co-ordinator: Mrs Chris Field (01243 641493)
St Mary’s has disabled access and a hearing loop system. Parking is available by the Church Lane gate to the churchyard ( disabled access is from this gate) and also by the ‘back gate’ from Church Farm Lane (no disabled access). (Church Lane is a left turn off the B2145 Chichester to Selsey Road down the side of The Anchor public house and Church Farm Lane is the next left turn with Florence Pond on the corner).
‘St Mary’s was built in the early 13th century, almost certainly on the site of a Saxon church. ….The church is to us, the villagers, a source of pride and a place of comfort, in both good and bad times. It is not only a House of God but a history, in wood and stone, of centuries and a monument to the many hundreds of parishioners who, over the years, have demonstrated their faith not only in spiritual but in financial terms and in many other ways. St Mary’s is a living building not a museum.’ Extracts from ‘The Parish Church of St Mary Our Lady, Sidlesham – a brief history’ available in Church.
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SERVICES
- Every Sunday: 8 a.m. Eucharist (said)
- 1st Sundays: 10 a.m. Family Service - mostly a Eucharist but suitable for children and young people
- 2nd Sundays: 10 a.m. Sung Eucharist
- 3rd Sundays: 10 a.m. Sung Matins (BCP)
- 4th Sundays: 10 a.m. Sung Eucharist (followed by coffee/refreshments in Church)
- 5th Sundays: 10 a.m. Sung Eucharist
(Common Worship is used for all Eucharists)
Sunday School is held in the Church Hall, Church Farm Lane from 10 to 11 a.m. (except on Family Service Sundays and school holidays)
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WHAT IS ON: Diary Dates
- Sunday School. Church Hall. 10-11am term time except 1st Sunday in the month
- 4th Sunday. Coffee in Church. Following 10am Service
- Tuesday. Parent and Toddlers Group. Church Hall 9.30-11.30
- 3rd Thursday. Village Lunch Club. Church Hall 12.30 for 1pm
- Friday. Choir Rehearsal. Church
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THINKING AHEAD
- 9 November Music in the Church 6.30pm
- 6 December Christmas Fayre. Football Club 2pm
- 11 January 2009 Music in the Church 6.30pm
- 8 March 2009 Music in the Church 6.30pm
- 10 May 2009 Music in the Church 6.30pm
- 12 July 2009 Music in the Church 6.30pm
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ABOUT SUNDAY SCHOOL
SUNDAY SCHOOL meets in the Church Hall at 10am on every 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Sunday during term time. Weekly attendance is usually between 15 & 25. We currently fairly evenly balanced between boys and girls.
A TYPICAL SUNDAY will start with a short service which introduces the theme for the week and this includes prayers and some singing. The children then take part in a practical activity linked to the theme. The activity may include craft work, drama, investigative activities, games, quizzes etc. Each month we prepare a display of the children’s work to be shown in Church.
THE CHILDREN GET INVOLVED IN CHURCH SERVICES, especially Harvest, Christmas morning, Christingle, Palm Sunday and Mothering Sunday. They also prepare the crib at Christmas and the Easter Garden. At the monthly Family Service volunteers from the Sunday School lead the prayers and take the collection.
LAST YEAR THE CHILDREN SPONSORED CHILDREN in a Goodwill Village in India, together with The Snowdrop Trust and the Teenage Cancer Trust. At Christmas they made home made sweets which were sold at a coffee morning to raise funds for these charities.
THE TWO MAIN SOCIAL EVENTS OF THE YEAR are the summer outing at the end of the summer term, and the New Year party which starts off the spring term although we also have Sunday School Breakfasts, go on walks and just have Games Sundays.
PEOPLE OFTEN ASK AT WHAT AGE SUNDAY SCHOOL STARTS. That’s a difficult question to answer as it depends on the child. We expect him/her to be out of nappies, and there’s little point in the child coming before he/she can join in with activities and games at some level. If you are not sure if your child is ready, why not come along and stay with them for a few sessions to see for yourself?
AT WHAT AGE DO THEY LEAVE? Probably an even harder question to answer. We do not have a leaving age, and many have stayed with us into their teens, gradually changing their role and becoming a junior helper. Again, if you are an ‘older’ young person, why not come along and see if you find this an enjoyable way of joining the Church community? IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE, please contact Mrs Chris Field on 01243 641493
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MUSIC IN THE CHURCH 6.30pm in the Church Tickets £8
- 14 September 2008. The Hammig String Quartet with John Nightingale (piano). Mozart, Shostakovich and Brahms.
- 9 November 2008. Robert Bridge (piano) and two members of the LSO wind section to include Poulenc’s Trio.
- 11 January 2009. Courtlye Musick. Cornetto, crumhorn, lute, recorders, sackbut, shawm, viol and voices.
- 8 March 2009. Kristen Homdrom (piano). Bach, Beethoven, Brahm, Glazunov and Rachmaninoff.
- 10 May 2009. Caspian String Quartet
- 12 July 2009. Summerhayes Piano Trio
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WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT ST MARY’S ?
Go to -
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=41747
http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Sussex/Sidlesham.html
http://www.chichesterweb.co.uk/frameset.htm?07churches.htm~main
http://www.sussex-opc.org/Kelly1938/SidleshamKellys1938.htm
http://sidleshamwi.org/stm.html
www.chichester.gov.uk/media.cfm?mediaid=3471
http://www.sparshott.org.uk/sidlesham.pdf
http://www.qype.co.uk/place/70394-Church-of-St-Mary-the-Virgin-Chichester
http://www.informatics.sussex.ac.uk/research/groups/vision/census/browseImages.html
http://www.finneganswake.info/wakepics/Sidlesham.html
Copies of ‘The Parish Church of St. Mary Our Lady, Sidlesham – a brief history’ and the Parish magazine are available in church.