Little Gaddesden Parish Church
St Peter and St Paul’s –
Church of England
We are lucky enough to be the custodians of a beautiful, ancient church, tucked away in the Hertfordshire countryside, in an idyllic setting – the quintessential English Village Parish Church.
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Notices
Війна в Україні – The War in Ukraine
Thank you for your generous donations to support those affected by the situation in Ukraine. By 20th March £5,725 (excluding Gift Aid) had been donated through collections in church and Charities Aid Foundation payments to the DEC (Disasters Emergency Committee) Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal though Christian Aid. In addition, collections for British Humanitarian Aid raised £128. No doubt there will be additional donations that have been made directly to the charities.
The DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal raised over £200 million in its first two weeks, including £25 million in matched funding payments from the Government. On reaching the £200 million milestone, the DEC Chair of Trustees commented: “This amazing total shows what’s possible when we all come together as charities, as communities, as a country, to help people who are facing unimaginable hardships”. “Thank you so much to everyone who has leant their support to this appeal.”
The DEC brings together 15 leading UK aid charities to raise funds quickly and efficiently at times of crisis overseas. It then distributes the funds raised to its member charities who specialise in different areas of disaster response. Christian Aid has now established its own Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal to raise further funds as the situation evolves. It is working with partner organisations in the ACT Alliance (a global faith-based coalition) to offer assistance to Ukraine refugees fleeing deadly violence. Christian Aid was founded in 1945 by British and Irish churches to help refugees after the Second World War. Back then, the organisation worked with partner churches to alleviate suffering by raising the equivalent of more than £3 million in today’s money. They supported, equipped and enabled partner churches in mainland Europe to provide what people needed. Nearly 80 years later, they are doing the same.
We will be making collection buckets for Christian Aid’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal available in church in the coming weeks for those who have not yet made a donation and wish to do so, or for those who wish to make a further donation. We can take donations by cash or cheque in church. If you wish to make a contactless card donation please see Annabelle Grassini. You can also donate online at: https://www.christianaid.org.uk/appeals/emergencies/ukraine-crisis-appeal.
If you wish to make a donation to British Humanitarian Aid, cheques can be made out to British Humanitarian Aid and sent to BHA, 11 Devon Road, Canterbury, Kent CT1 1RP or bank transfers can be made to:
- Sort Code: 23 05 80
- Account: 37221139 (Metro Bank)
- Name: British Humanitarian Aid
Don’t worry if, when making a bank transfer, your bank tells you that there’s a mismatch between the sort code/account numbers and the account name. BHA tell us that it’s because they bank with Metro Bank, and other banks can’t confirm that the details match.
Christian Aid Week: 15-22 May 2022
Christian Aid Week takes place from 15 to 21 May 2022, this year assisting with the Climate Crisis in Zimbabwe and Ukraine and other areas facing crisis.
Instead of a house to house collection in Little Gaddesden, an ‘e-envelope’ has been set up to allow donations to be made online. Please support the week by going to the Little Gaddesden Christian Aid fundraising page and clicking on the ‘Donate’ button.
Last year Little Gaddesden’s e-envelope raised over £1,400. We are very much hoping to exceed that figure in 2022.
Strawberry Cream Tea for Christian Aid
Save the Date: Strawberry Cream Tea for Christian Aid will take place on Saturday 28th May, 3pm- 5pm in the Thomas Field Hall.
The Ethics Forum – Ukraine and the Morality of War
The second meeting of The Ethics Forum on the subject of Ukraine and the Morality of War will be held in the Thomas Field Hall on Tuesday, 17 May at 8pm (wine, tea, coffee, refreshments served from 7.30pm).
The evening will be chaired by Roger Bolton, BBC Radio Presenter, and he will be joined by:
- Major General Timothy Cross CBE, Latterly General Officer Commanding, Theatre Troops, Iraq and Reader, Diocese of Guildford;
- Possibly another speaker, and
- Anthony Archer, Reader, Berkhamsted Team Ministry
This is not a ticketed event but as space is limited, please RSVP to Anthony Archer on 07721 504125 or aw.archer@btinternet.com.
Sunday School
Sunday School is held during Parish Communion at 9:30am on most Sundays.
See ‘Sunday School’ on the Youth and Children page for more details. The Services Calendar shows specific dates.
St Peter’s, Berkhamsted 800th Anniversary Celebrations
800-Plgrimage-Programme-21March22The Thomas Field Hall
The Thomas Field Hall is now open and in use. Further detals, including a booking enquiries email address, are on The Thomas Field Hall page.
From the Archives: Parish Magazine, July 1900
A somewhat age-specked copy of the July 1900 edition of Little Gaddesden Parish Magazine recently came to light and is reproduced on the Parish News Magazine page.
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The church of St Peter and St Paul, Little Gaddesden, has stood here for centuries and, just as it has always done, represents a beacon of hope and light in a world which isn’t always as we would like.
The congregation and community are thriving and full of life, so whether you’re a visitor or a new resident, you will always be welcome to our services. Our style of worship combines, we hope, the formal (delivered in a relaxed and friendly way) with opportunities for teaching and reflection.
Our principal Sunday service is Sung Holy Communion at 9:30 am most weeks – although on the second Sunday of the month we have an informal ‘Café Church’ service.
Children are always welcome. During school term time, there are Sunday School activities for younger children, for part of the morning service. On the second Sunday, during Café Church, there is sometimes a separate teaching activity for the younger children.
On the first Sunday of the month at 6:00pm there is an Evening Service. Occasionally there are alternative evening services. Please see the Services page for details.
The church is open daily for private prayer and to light candles, should you so wish, and on most Thursday mornings there is quiet service of Holy Communion at 10:00 am.
On most Tuesdays from 10.30 till noon, coffee and delicious cake are offered, together with lively conversation, in The Thomas Field Hall.
The Churchyard is very important to our community. It is a place of respite for walkers and visitors to the church, who discover it to be very peaceful and tranquil. Not only is it a beautiful setting for just sitting and admiring the view, but it also provides the perfect place for people to come to remember their loved ones who are buried here, or whose ashes are interred here. For details about funerals, please first look here.
We welcome all those who would like to receive the sacrament of Holy Baptism, (Christening), and many couples are married here or have their marriage blessed. If you would like to know more about Holy Baptism (discussed briefly here), please contact the Vicar. For more details on weddings, in the first instance please go to the Weddings page.
Ministry at Little Gaddesden is shared with the adjoining parishes of Great Gaddesden and Nettleden.
The Revd. John Russell
Vicar
Little Gaddesden Church
Church Road
Little Gaddesden
Hertfordshire
HP4 1NZ
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Photo credits: Barbara Sheard, Lyn Hyde, Andrew Sheard
Sunday School is taking place during the morning 9.30am service this week. All children under 11 years old are welcome to attend and those under 5 should be accompanied by a parent please. There will be crafts and fun in the Thomas Field Hall whilst the service is going on in church. For more details or to see how you could help, please contact Claire Beard on 
