When are the services?

Our main service is at 10.30 every Sunday.  This is a sung Eucharist (also called Mass or Holy Communion), with Sunday school available for children during part of the service.  On the first Sunday of each month we have an all-age Eucharist.

There are also weekday Eucharists on Monday at 6.30 pm (repeating the readings from Sunday) and Wednesday at 10 am (with laying on of hands for healing).

 
Can my partner and I get married in St Thomas’ Church?

If you have not been married before and you live in the parish (between Stamford Hill, Cazenove Road and the River Lea), the answer is yes.

If you do not live in the parish, you can attend church for six months and apply to join the electoral roll, and then you can arrange a wedding.

If you have been married before (and you live in the parish or you are on the electoral roll), the answer depends on individual circumstances.  Speak to the Vicar.  It may be possible for you to be married in church.

The legal costs of a church wedding are set nationally. At the time this web site was last revised the cost was £247.  There is an extra fee of £22 for reading the banns, and if you book an organist or make a video there is an additional charge. 

Parish map

How can I get my child baptized (christened)?

Speak to the Vicar. If you live in the parish or you are on the electoral roll, we can arrange a baptism for your child following a couple of preparation sessions.  Baptisms normally take place during the Sunday morning service.  The godparents you choose for your child must all have been baptized themselves.  There is no charge for baptisms.

What activities are there for children?

The junior church leaders arrange some activities for children, including a Christmas party and a nativity play. When children are old enough (at around seven or eight) to learn to be servers in church, they can join the servers’ team and go on outings every few months. Recent events have included swimming, bowling, ice skating, and going to the cinema.  Every year there is a four-day camp in the summer half-term holiday for children from 8 to 14. Young people in secondary school organise their own social events from time to time, with adult supervision.

Can my child be confirmed?

If your child is ten years or older and regularly attends St Thomas’ Church, he or she can join the confirmation group that starts each January.  Confirmation takes place in the spring/summer.

What about adults?

Many adults ask about baptism and confirmation for themselves. Even if you were baptized and perhaps confirmed as a child, but you have not been involved in church since growing up, you may also want to find out more about the Christian faith. Groups for adults who wish to explore questions of faith also begin every January. If you wish to, you can be confirmed, or baptized and confirmed, at the service in the spring/summer after attending the course.

Does St Thomas’ Church have a hall for hire?

The crypt (the hall below the church) is sometimes available. The cost is negotiable, depending on the events and the length of hire. There is always a refundable deposit  to be paid before any hiring. Call at the church at noon on Sundays for more information.

Can St Thomas’ Church help my child get a place in a church secondary school?

We will do our best to help. As you probably know already, there is a lot of competition for places in church schools, because there are never enough places for the number of children who want them. The decision about offering a place is made by the school, not the church. A letter of support from a priest or minister is essential if you are applying to a Church of England school.  We can only tell the truth in these letters, and if you have not been attending church with your child on a regular basis for more than a year, you are unlikely to be offered a place.

You should also be aware that Roman Catholic schools will offer places to Catholic children first and will only have spare places available for Church of England applicants.