The service paints many vivid pictures of what happens on the Christian way.
If you are engaged to be married and looking for a church to be married in, then congratulations! A wedding is one of life's great moments, a time of solemn commitment as well as good wishes, feasting and joy.
If someone you know and love has died, a funeral led by a Church of England minister can be held in church, in a churchyard, by a graveside, or at a crematorium. The minister will be there to support you every step of the way.
There is some variation across the five parishes, but our tradition is broadly towards the catholic end of the Anglican spectrum. The Eucharists in Kirby Underdale and Bugthorpe follow the Book of Common Prayer, while those in Bishop Wilton, Full Sutton and Skirpenbeck are according to Common Worship.
There is a distinctive inheritance at Bugthorpe and Kirby Underdale, with their close links to the Halifax family and the Anglican-Roman Catholic conversations of the 1920s led by Cardinal Mercier of Malines and the 2nd Viscount Halifax. These conversations are continuing today.
As we are a group of rural communities, Harvest Festivals are particularly important and greatly valued.
When there is a fifth Sunday in the month, there is a single Eucharist for the whole benefice, held in each church by rotation.
You can see our current service patterns by clicking the SERVICE ROTA button
There are a number of special seasonal services within the group including:
Advent/Christmas
Easter
Harvest
Remembrance Sunday
There is diversity in the group from a liberal catholic theology to an evangelical outlook with Biblical teaching interpreted for the modern day. It is usual for priests to wear vestments for services. The rural nature of our communities tends to lead to a very “hands on” kind of ministry. We are open to exploring new ways of doing things!
In the last three years the number of occasional offices in the group has been as follows:
Baptisms 8 per annum
Funerals 10 per annum
Weddings 7 per annum
Most funerals take place in the churches, the nearest crematoria being East Riding Crematorium, Octon and York Crematorium, Bishopthorpe Road, York.
Home communion and other pastoral visits are offered to those who are unable to attend church services. Bible Study and Lent Courses are offered and there is a ‘Meditation’ group.
The provision of services is regularly reviewed and adjustments made according to need and the Ministry resources available at any particular time. A typical monthly service rota is shown above.
