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.
Coronavirus
Worship in our Churches
- Since Sunday 12 July 2020, services to which congregations may come are generally held at 9.30am in Little Gaddesden, but sometimes in Great Gaddesden or Nettleden. See the Services Calendar for more information.
- Spaces will be limited, to approximately 35, due to the need to maintain social distancing.
- Please understand, that once the designated number of places are filled, we won’t be able to allow any more people to enter the church.
- Please arrive at least 10 minutes beforehand and be aware that there will a ‘one way’ system in operation. The wearing of a face mask is obligatory for those not exempted. Once seated we ask you to remain in your seat for the duration of the service. Recorded hymns will be played, but you are asked not to join in.
- If the service is one of Holy Communion, for the time being the sacrament is administered in one kind only.
- We will continue to monitor the situation over the coming weeks and will change arrangements as necessary, but the aim is to enable you to worship and keep you as safe as possible.
- Sunday services will be Joint Services for all three churches for the time being and will continue to be at 9.30am irrespective of the church used.
- If you are shielding you will need to consider very carefully whether you should attend, but be assured, we shall continue to record the services which we will try to make available on the websites by 12 noon on the given day, to ensure that participation on some level will be possible.
- We will take a register of those attending worship.
- There are no toilet facilities at Little Gaddesden Church.
- From time to time the church may have to be closed for 72 hours, for everyone’s protection, to avoid contamination and a lot of cleaning.
- These measures will remain under constant review.
The Revd. John Russell, Vicar
Updated 14-09-2020
Little Gaddesden Church is now open daily between 10:00am and 4:00pm
- Please use hand sanitiser on entry to and exit from the church.
- No more than five visitors are to be in the church at one time.
- Facemasks should be worn.
- Social distancing is to be observed.
- Opening times are subject to change.
- The building works for the Thomas Field Hall are underway, but should not significantly interfere with permitted church access.
- There are no toilet facilities and no running water because of the building works.
Video/Audio Recordings: Sunday Morning Services and Wednesday 10:00am Podcasts
Video recordings of Sunday services, and pre-recorded midweek podcasts on Wednesdays, are made available on the Services page. See Coming Up… or the Calendar on the Services page for details of these and any other live or recorded services. Read on for mode details about our…
Wednesday Podcasts
Tired of Woman’s Hour? Fed up with The Archers? Do you find yourself shouting at The Today Programme? Then you need the Berkhamsted Team Worship Wednesday Podcast!
Every Wednesday a ‘podcast’ is published on the Services page. It’s simply a radio programme on the internet, it’s no more difficult to tune in to than switching on your kitchen radio! The advantage is that you can listen at any time from 10am on Wednesday. After a few days it will then be accessible on the Services Archive page.
The programme is usually 15 to 20 minutes in length. The theme of each programme is centred on festivals and saints’ days in the church calendar. So far, we’ve heard about St Swithun, Mary Magdalene, and lately, Florence Nightingale. The Collect for the day, and the appointed Psalm are always included, along with a Bible reading, before a short homily or contemplation by the Vicar, or one of our Readers. We always begin and end with music.
Don’t be scared of ‘podcasts’… they are your friend! POD = ‘programme on demand’… it’s just like catching up with your favourite programme on the BBC iPlayer. If you want to comment or complain about the content, just add your thoughts to the comments section on the Services page of the website.
Jonathan Kempster
Messy Church At Home – Autumn Activity Sheets Now Available
Messy Church at Home has new resources on the Youth and Children’s page. You’ll find activity sheets there for September, October and November 2020.
Heather Tisbury, Reader
Coronavirus Precautions
Updated 14 September 2020:
- Little Gaddesden Church has a limited schedule of services and is usually open daily (see above).
- Everyone is urged to follow the Government’s current instructions in a national effort to limit the transmission of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
- The current practice of hand hygiene is to be rigorously maintained and physical contact of all kinds should be avoided.
- We should be vigilant in keeping a close eye on those around us for signs of illness.
Further official guidance and advice for churches is available on the Church of England’s website.
Please keep an eye out for further information on our News page or subscribe to receive news items (scroll down or click here for the sign-up form) .
Read on for our usual front page content, including our mailing list sign-up form…
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 9:00 am most weeks – although on the second Sunday of the month we have a Family Service, sometimes with communion, which offers a simplified form of worship and is aimed more especially at families and younger people. The Family Service takes the place of our recently introduced, informal ‘Café Church’ service during the coronavirus outbreak.
Children are very welcome: on Sundays other than the second of the month, a Sunday School is run during the morning service, and on the second Sunday there is a separate teaching activity for younger children during part of the service.
At least three times a month there is Sung Evensong (Book of Common Prayer) at 6:00pm, and 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.
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
