St Mary's Church opened in 1845 and was restored in 1907 - it dates back to 1746.
The building is made out of flint and bath stone dressing.
The church has a chancel, transepts and nave and has a western turret that contains a bell. St Mary's can be found, as the name suggests, in Church Street.
| Reverend - Ann Gurner
The Rectory, High Street, Cheveley Tel: 01638 730770 |
Church Warden - Mrs Margaret Jackson Mill Road, Ashley Tel: 730201 |
| Treasurer - Mr Steve Robinson Tel: 01638 730104 |
Lay Minister - Simon Windmill Tel: 01638 730339 |
Sunday Services
There is a service at St Marys most Sundays. There is a communion service at 8.00am on the 2nd Sunday of each month and twice a month (on the 1st and 3rd Sundays) friendly family services cater for the young at heart, with simple songs led by guitar, a bible story activities for children and a brief talk, followed by refreshments.
Songs of Praise is held at Silhaven Community Centre once a month for those who are no longer able to get to Church.
Reflective Service
Nearly every month at Ashley St Mary they have a reflective service. These are quite different from traditional church worship. They aim to provide a peaceful atmosphere which is undemanding, where you can draw nearer to God and 'charge your spiritual batteries'. there may be some gentle music, a meditation of some kind, often using visual images, and some quiet for personal prayer, and maybe to light a candle, if this sounds like something that would feed your soul at the end of a busy week, join them at 6pm on fourth Sundays.
St Marys Ashley has a prayer corner, candle stand and information display and a new walk around guide has been produced. There is an outside toilet, and a new ramp was installed last Autumn for wheelchair users and funerals. There are also large print hymn books for the partially sighted.
The Church building and it's minister are available for the whole village, and everyone resident in the village (or associated with it), is welcomed for baptisms, weddings and funerals (burials and cremations).
There is a lot going on in terms of worship - traditional and contemporary teaching, such as Sunday-schools, youth events and study schools for adults, and many social events.
The Church is closely involved with Cheveley Primary school which serves Ashley village. The Reverend Ann Gurner is a regular visitor there, leading assemblies and services, visiting classes, arranging church visits and trying to support the staff and children. The whole school attend services in St Marys Church twice a term.
In the wider church context, the Cheveley group of parishes belong to the Fordham and Quy Deanery, which includes twenty nine parishes.
Church Services
We aim to offer opportunities to worship, both contemporary and traditional which suit all ages.
Daily Prayer is a quiet said service of readings, psalms and prayers held at 8.30am on most weekday mornings at St Mary’s, Cheveley.
Holy Communion at 8.00am is a quiet said service using Book of Common Prayer – offered at Ashley on the 2nd Sunday of each month
The Parish Eucharist at 9.30am is usually a Common Worship Communion with hymns and a sermon offered at Cheveley on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month.
The All Age Service at Cheveley and Ashley is an informal and accessible service for children and adults to enjoy, followed by refreshments. Separate activities for children are provided during part of the service.
Do watch church notice boards, The Link, our monthly magazine or the website for details of special festival services and other worship activities.
Baptism
Baptism is the way that children (and adults) can become part ofthe church, and mark the beginning of their journey of faith withGod. Parents are welcome to contact Revd Ann, our minister, to discuss possible dates and to talk about what is involved. One of the clergy will visit the family to discuss the service and provide information for parents and God-parents. The baptism usually takes place during an All Age Service. Separate Family Baptisms can also be arranged, followed by a Welcome at an All Age Service later. We pray for all our baptism children and keep in touch with them with anniversary cards etc. Our Children’s Minister offers to visit all our baptism families when the children are 4-5 to discuss their faith development.
Communion and Confirmation
Children who are 8 and over, and come regularly to church (e.g. to All age Services) may be admitted to Holy Communion after a short series of preparatory meetings. Contact: Revd Ann (730770)
Young people may join a Confi rmation Preparation Group. They must be at least 10 (but may want to wait until later in their teens). In this group they can explore their understanding of the Christian faith, and prepare to make their own step of commitment at our Confirmation Service, this year on 25th April. Contact Revd Ann (730770)
Adult Confirmation
We also offer an opportunity for adults to explore their faith – whether a new faith, or a time to refresh belief, in a course of discussions called Growing Together, held in the evenings during the Spring. Afterwards there is an opportunity to make an Affirmation of Faith or be baptised and confirmed.
Weddings
We are always delighted when a couple want to be married in one of our churches, and happy to work with them to plan the service, and to think about the meaning of marriage.
Can anyone be married in church?
To be married in a church, the law says that either one of the couple should have a home (or ‘home address’) in the parish, or a family link there. The new marriage measure has relaxed these rules and now include grandparent residency and where people have been baptised or
confi rmed in one of our churches. If this is the case, and if neither partner has been divorced, then there should be no problem.
What if one of us has been married before, and divorced?
The Church of England has revised its response to this increasingly common situation at the moment, trying to balance what we believe about marriage being a commitment for life with the gospel message that God offers us all a new start. Revd Ann will meet with couples in this situation to work through whether their particular circumstances fit the guidelines given by the Bishop, and if so whether it is possible for them to be married in church. If we are unable to offer a full church wedding, we are very pleased to arrange a dedication or blessing of the marriage in a simple service.
How much does a church wedding cost?
It varies a little, but generally the cost is about £300 to £400. The ‘fees’ go towards the local church, the organist, bell ringers and verger, and the costs of having a paid minister.
What should we do if we want to get married in St. Mary’s?
Contact Revd Ann to discuss possible dates. She will ask you to meet her before you make fi rm arrangements, and will give you all the information you need. Nearer the time of the wedding, she or Revd Lynne will go through the service with you, and look at what it says about the meaning of marriage.
Just before the wedding, we will take those involved through a short rehearsal, so that you can really enjoy the day itself.
The Ark
The Ark is our twice monthly service for children aged 0 - 4 and their carers. It meets on 1st and 3rd Fridays, 2-2.45pm in St. Marys, Cheveley with songs, crafts, story, and prayer. (Contact Sarah Douglas 01638-730071)
Youth Group
We now have a group for teenagers which meets once a month, for discussions, etc. on Sunday mornings alternating between Cheveley and Woodditton. We hope it will give our young people their own time, to explore & encourage their faith, and hopefully encourage youth in the partnership who may not come to any of the services at present. Contact: Tracy Grimster for more details. (Tel: 01638 721150)
