News & Events

Christmas Eve @ St Mary’s

Posted on by MarkSanderson

Our Crib Service takes place at 4.00 pm. A service for young children and their families. Come along and see the amazing crib the Messy Church team have built!

After that, stay (or come back) for Carols on the Green at 5.30 pm. It was a great success on Thursday evening, help us make this one even better!

Finally, Midnight Mass takes place in St Mary’s at 11.30 pm.

We look forward to seeing you – Happy Christmas!

Join us today (Saturday) for the big stable build

Posted on by MarkSanderson

Drop in to St Mary’s Church from 10.30am onwards to help us build and decorate our Big Messy Stable. At 12 don’t miss our Christmas story, carols and light switch on round the stable.

Come and make stars, angels, sheep, help build the stable, hang the lights, share the wonder! Be part of bringing St Mary’s alive for Christmas 2021! Share the light!

Watch this film to see the inspiration for our stable! Share The Light | CPO Christmas 2021 | #TogetherThisChristmas – YouTube

* Refreshments all morning for all ages. 
* There is no charge for this event.
* To help us all stay safe all adults please wear masks and follow all current guidelines on gathering
* If you have a battery screwdriver with a cross thread screwdriver bit, please bring it along to help screw the stable together!!

Christmas in the Ross Parishes

Posted on by MarkSanderson

Come and join us this Christmas at one of our churches for any part of our vibrant and varied programme. Happy Christmas and a warm welcome awaits you.

Wednesday 15th December

Saturday 18th December

Sunday 19th December

8.00 am – Holy Communion – Ross

9.30 am – Sung Eucharist- Ross

3.30 pm – Carol Service – Walford

4.00 pm – A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols by candlelight – Ross

This is the first of St Mary’s Christmas services. The structure of the service is the traditional service, 101 years old, from King’s College Cambridge. The choir features prominently in this service and there are plenty of well know carols to join in with.

The service takes place by candlelight and there is mulled wine and mince pies after the service. It’s usually standing room only by the time the service starts so come early. The service usually last for just over an hour.

Tuesday 21st December

2.30 – Blue Christmas? (Just B bereavement) – St Mary’s

Thursday 23rd December

5.30 pm – Carols on the Green

We’re organising refreshments for this family focussed Christmas based sing-song in the church yard, outside the main door. Wrap up warm and come and enjoy the fun.

Christmas Eve

4.00 pm – Crib Service – Ross

This service is for young children and their families and is another “standing room only” event. As the service progresses the nativity scene is built at the front of the church as the travelling crib figures, which have been out around the parish in people’s homes during Advent, are brought to the manger by the children. This service lasts about 45 minutes.

4.00 pm – Nativity Service – Walford

Another very popular service. A major feature of this is the scratch band that rehearses during the afternoon and leads the music. A very user friendly service for all, especially those with young children. The service will finish about 5.00 pm.

5.30 pm – Carols on the Green

We’re organising refreshments for this family focussed Christmas based sing-song in the church yard, outside the main door. Wrap up warm and come and enjoy the fun.

9.00 pm – Christmas Service – Brampton Abbotts Church

One of the very small number of services in the “closed” church at Brampton Abbotts each year. This is an early celebration of the service more commonly called “Midnight Mass.” The service will last about an hour.

11.30 pm – “Midnight Mass” – Ross

The first service at St Mary’s of the Christmas Season proper. Midnight usually strikes just about as we sing “Ye Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning” and there is a great atmosphere. As its name suggests this is a Communion service during which “full” members of the Church of England receive bread and wine at the altar.

The service is a great celebration with plenty of well known carols. The choir sings the sung parts of the service so there is no need to feel uncomfortable by being expected to sing tunes you might not know. This is a busy service which will last about an hour and a quarter.

Christmas Day

8.00 am – Holy Communion – Ross

A quiet service with no music, it lasts about 40 minutes

9.30 am – Live streamed Sung Eucharist – Ross

Another service with Communion. Music also features and is led by the choir. A strong feeling of celebration. The service will last about an hour.

9.30 am – Parish Communion- Walford

As above without a choir.

Sunday 26th December

8.00 am – Holy Communion – Ross

A quiet service with no music, it lasts about 40 minutes

9.30 am – Live streamed Benefice Eucharist – Ross

The service will last about an hour.https://www.youtube.com/embed/rhk1GK2CTlc?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

Come & Sing Christmas Tree Concert – Saturday 20th November

Posted on by MarkSanderson

There’s just a week to go now before the big event of the Christmas Tree Festival: The Come & Sing Concert with Ross Town Band. We’ve sold seven tickets so far and we’re getting worried (two years ago the church was packed). Please cheer us up!

If you fancy coming along and joining the choir, you need to sign up and come along at 5pm. If you just want to come along for the concert then tickets are just £6. Both can be found at https://rossparishes.uk/christmas-tree-festival. Either way, it’s the best way to enjoy the trees.

We look forward to seeing you.

Poetry and Music for Advent

Posted on by Caroline

Join us for an online Advent retreat with Esther de Waal, Gregory Cameron, Peter Graystone, Richard Carter, and Rachel Mann. In association with Canterbury Press. Book tickets below.

10.00   Opening worship
Richard Carter and singers from the St Martin’s Voices. Director of Music: Andrew Earis

10.30   ‘Earth grown old, yet still so green’: Poetry for Advent
Rachel Mann

11.00   The Winter of Your Soul: How William Shakespeare can ease it
Peter Graystone

11.30   Break

11.45   Putting Christmas Together
Gregory Cameron

12.15   Watching and Waiting: A reflection on Advent
Esther de Waal

12.45   Closing Worship
Richard Carter, Andrew Earis and the St Martin’s Voices

About the contributors

Richard Carter is a priest at St Martin in the Fields in London’s Trafalgar Square, and founder of its contemplative Nazareth Community. He is the author of The City is My Monastery and In Search of the Lost.

Rachel Mann is a poet, priest, theologian and writer based in Manchester. Her numerous publications include In The Bleak Midwinter: Advent and Christmas with Christina Rossetti and a volume of poetry, A Kingdom of Love.

Peter Graystone is a writer who has worked for Scripture Union, Christian Aid and the Church Army. He is the author of All’s Well That Ends Well: From Dust to Resurrection – 40 days with Shakespeare. He regularly contributes to the Church Times and to Reflections for Daily Prayer.

Gregory Cameron is the Bishop of St Asaph in the Church in Wales and is author of An Advent Book of Days, the Canterbury Press 2021 Advent book.

Esther de Waal is one of the most outstanding spiritual writers of our day, renowned for opening up the treasures of Benedictine and Celtic spirituality for countless readers. Her most recent book is The White Stone: The art of letting go.

Book tickets

Tickets are £10, or £5 for Church Times and magnet subscribers. 

Details of how to watch the event will be sent to ticket holders by email the day before.

Questions? Contact events@hymnsam.co.uk.