Churches Together in Spalding & District

2025

News from churches across the area and brief notes and links from CTSD council meetings; see also our Facebook page for Hope4Spalding - with further news, events and more throughout the year. Italics = awaiting confirmation; apologies for errors or omissions

Clergy & Staff News

Rev Rob Parker-McGee SR, welcome and licensing service 7:00pm, Tuesday 22 July with Rt Rev Stephen Conway, Bishop of Lincoln at St Mary & St Nicolas (FB) (FB 2025) ACNY (and to serve at St Paul's (FB) ACNY), moving from the Box River Benefice (ACNY) (FB) (19/1); more info via Lincoln Diocese; livestream via YouTube

Rev Luke Smith moves this September from the South Holland Methodist Circuit to the Tendring Methodist Circuit and Rev Vivienne Smith moves to the Ipswich Methodist Circuit (FB) (Jan 2025)

Funeral, Pope Francis, Saturday 26 April, 9:00am (10:00am Vatican Time); Book of Condolence at St Norbert's, The Parish of Our Lady of Walsingham, South Holland (FB) and virtual Book of Condolence on the Catholic Diocese of Nottingham's website

Rev Sherine Angus, moving from All Saints, Holbeach (FB) ACNY; farewell service 20 July. Welcome and installation service at St Stephen with St Julian, St Albans (FB) ACNY in the Diocese of St Albans (FB) on Sunday 14 September at 5:00pm

Rev Hayley Hobbs, St Matthew's, Eye (FB), Monday 17 March

Rev Jonathan Sibley, retiring from St Mary Long Sutton, (FB) ACNY with Lutton and Dawsmere on Sunday 23 March

Rev Dr Peter Stevenson: Farewell service at Stamford United Reformed Church, followed by buffet reception at the URC Hall, Sunday 23 March

Rev Clare Davison welcome service at Stamford United Reformed Church, Sunday 18 May; Resource Area includes Spalding United Reformed Church (FB) as well as St Andrew's, Peterborough

Rev Scott Gardiner farewell, All Saints, Stamford ACNY, Sunday 18 May, 10:00am; to be licensed as vicar in the Hampsthwaite benefice, 23 July

Rev Adrian Morton to be licenced as vicar, Holy Trinity, Boston (FB) ACNY, Tuesday 16 September (18/5) Lincoln Diocese News (previously St Mary's, Woolaston FB) livestream: https://www.youtube.com/c/HolyTrinityBoston

Rev Mark Williams to be licenced Priest in Charge of Crowland Abbey (FB) on 3 April, in addition to Deeping St James Priory Church (FB); more info: Lincoln Diocese News

Rt Rev David Court, Bishop of Grimsby to retire on 31 July 2025; thanksgiving service on Sunday 29 June; Lincoln Diocese News

Ven Justine Allain Chapman, Archdeacon of Boston to move to a new role, Director of Pastoral Studies and Tutor in Practical Theology for the Eastern Region Ministry Course (News) on 11 August 2025; more info via Lincoln Diocese News

Ven Alyson Buxton, Archdeacon of Stow and Lindsey, previously rector of St Botolph's, Boston (FB) ACNY, to retire at the end of 2025; more info via Lincoln Diocese News

Rev David Sweeting served as priest in The Glen Group (FB) ACNY from 26 March 2012 to 11 July 2025, funeral at 11:30am on Tuesday 29 July at St Bartholomew's, West Pinchbeck (FB); PE11 3QG https://what3words.com/forgiving.clap.tagging; see also the Diocese of Lincoln (FB)

Rev Neil Bullen, farewell on Sunday 29 December 2024, moving from the Ringstone in Aveland Group (FB) to the Four Spires benefice ACNY (FB) in Peterborough diocese, licensing at St Peter's, Raunds at 7:00pm on 30 January 2025

Vacancies

Operations Manager, St George's, Stamford (FB) ACNY, closing date 3 October

South Holland Methodist Circuit Support Worker; closing date 10 August

Neighbourhood worker; more info via Zion Methodist, Boston (FB) (Boston Methodist Circuit); closing date [6 June] Wednesday 23 July, interviews Thursday 7 August

Southern Lincolnshire Catholic Deanery administrator based in Boston; more info via Nottingham Diocese; closing date 7/7

Renew Café SSJ volunteer; more info from Sutton St James Baptist (FB) (6/6/25)

Advent and Christmas - listings page started in the summer

Lincoln Diocese; 'Set our Hearts on Fire' course for Advent and Lent; more details to follow (FB)

Church changes and Anniversaries

🎂All Saints, Holbeach (FB) celebrates 800 years - starting at 10:30am, Sunday 2 February with the Bishop of Grantham, Rt Rev Nicholas Chamberlain, and Transported (FB), followed by refreshments and art activities, All Saints, Holbeach (FB)

🎂St Firmin's, Thurlby (FB) in The Ness Group (FB) celebrates 1100 years in 2025

🎂St George's, Stamford (FB) celebrates 800 years in 2025

🎂St Mary's, Whaplode (FB) in the Elloe Stone Benefice, 900 Years; a weekend of events 5 - 7 September

🎂St John the Baptist, Hawthorn Bank, (FB) 150th anniversary celebrations 22 - 29 June

🎂New Life, Sleaford (FB) 70 years anniversary, 12 & 13 July

🎂Living Stones congregation (FB) 5 year anniversary Celebration service, 9:30am: 13 July at St Michael's, Swaton, Heckington Group

St John's, Holbeach Fen, St John , previously in the Elloe Stone Benefice, to be linked with All Saints, Holbeach (FB), expected 2026

Gipsey Bridge and Hospital Bridge Methodist new Facebook page (FB) (Boston Methodist Circuit) (May 2025)

St Norbert's, The Parish of Our Lady of Walsingham, South Holland (FB) has been nominated a Jubilee Church for the year of Jubilee, 2025

Fleet Baptist: Special thanksgiving service with Rev David Hughes and Rev Nick Ashton, church to close after 350 years on Easter Day, 20 April

Open Door Baptist, Deeping St James new website https://www.opendoordeepings.org.uk (9/3)

Corby Glen group / Link (Corby Glen ACNY) to combine with the Ringstone in Aveland Group (FB) (16/3), some changes from April 2025

Polish Mission moves from St Mary's RC to St Christopher's, Fenside, Boston (previously ACNY) (3/25)

Town Centre development by Lighthouse Pentecostal (FB) - April 2025

Elloe Stone Benefice new website https://www.elloestoneparishes.com

Stamford Methodist Circuit updated website https://stamfordmethodistcircuit.org

Ringstone in Aveland Group new website https://www.ringstonegroupchurches.info/ - August 2025

St Norbert's and Holy Trinity (Holbeach) new website https://olowsholland.org.uk - August 2025

St Mary & St Nicolas has created a new Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579363330164 - 20 August 2025

The Elloe Stone Benefice has a new website https://www.elloestoneparishes.com (2025)

A new Lincoln Diocese Evangelical Fellowship has been established (July 2024); more info via Lincoln Diocese (FB)

Thorney Abbey has new website and Facebook pages (2025 FB)

The Links page has an updated list of Denominations (29/5)

Diary news events

2026 brief diary page launched 11 July

🌷Snowdrops, Flower Festivals and the Spalding Flower Parade (weekend, 10 & 11 May); Flower Festivals 2026 page launched 31/8/25

Friday 31 January, 7:00pm: Christian Men's Fellowship, inaugural meeting at the Godsey Lane Café, 89 High Street, Market Deeping PE6 8ED (FB); more info via Open Door Baptist church, Deeping St James (FB) (WP); see also Churches Together in the Deepings (FB)

Thursday 9 January, 12:00pm: Lunches restart at St John's, Baston (FB) in The Ness Group (FB)

Thursday 13 February, 4:00pm: World Council of Churches webinar (FB) on this year's common date for Easter

Our Googlemap was updated to include Postcodes (18/9/24)

World Day of Prayer (Friday 7 March 2025) WWDP 'I made you', Cook Islands, "I made you wonderful" (I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made, Psalm 139:14)
World Day of Prayer 2026 Preparation Day day Thursday 26 November 2025 at Holy Trinity, Holbeach The Parish of Our Lady of Walsingham, South Holland(FB), PE11 2XX)

Pancakes - a select serving on our Diary page, Shrove Tuesday, 4 March

Ash Wednesday, 5 March - some services at the start of Lent

Lent

Resources from Churches Together in Britain and Ireland: Christian Unity in a Fragmenting World (FB)

Lent 'Teach us to Pray' from the Diocese of Lincoln (FB)

CAFOD Lent Walk and Prayers during Lent (FB)

Soul Food 'We do not live by bread alone' - Methodist church resources (FB)

Lent course on favourite Psalms; more details from St John the Baptist, Hawthorn Bank, (FB)

Lent course 'Teach us to pray', All Saints, Holbeach (FB), starting Wednesday 12 March, 2:00pm and Thursday 13 March, 7:00pm

Churches together in Bourne Lent Course 'What is the Church for?' and Lent Lunches from Monday 10 March, 11:00am

Elloe Fen Benefice Lent course and Soup lunches, Tuesdays from 11 March, 12:00pm

Tuesdays in Lent, 7:00pm: Compline, St Laurence, Surfleet (FB) ACNY (The Glen Group), starting 11 March

Lent Encounter 'Through the Wilderness' daily devotions from Bible Society (FB), starting Wednesday 5 March

Lent course 'Teach us to pray', Deeping St Nicholas, (FB) ACNY, starting Wednesday 12 March, 7:00pm

Lent lunches, Soup, bread roll, £6.50, St Michael and All Angels, Langtoft (FB) - The Ness Group (FB) ACNY, starting Wednesday 5 March

Lent lunches, Priory church hall, Deeping St James (FB), ACNY starting Thursday 6 March, 12:00pm, £5/£6, followed by Lent Group

Mass during Lent at 10:15am on Thursdays followed by discussion looking at the previous week's Gospel, concluding with soup, bread & cheese lunch supporting Christian Aid, St Andrew's, Witham on the Hill ACNY (FB)

Lent lunch, £6.50, St John's, Baston (FB) in The Ness Group (FB) Thursdays 6 & 20 March, 12:00pm

Lent course 'The Rest is Worship', Bourne Baptist (FB), Thursdays from 6 March, 7:30pm

Lent lunches of Soup, bread roll and cheese, served in the parish hall, St Mary & St Augustine, organised by Churches Together in Stamford (FB), starting Friday 7 March, 12:30pm

Lent course in the Rectory, Folkingham; more info via St Andrew's, South Lafford ACNY, from Thursday 6 March, 3:30pm

Lent devotions, the Beltisloe Deanery Lent Course, hosted by Edenham Retreat House ACNY (FB) from Thursday 6 March, 7:00pm

Lent lunches of Soup, bread roll and cheese, suggested donation £5 for local charity, Fraiser Room, St Laurence, Surfleet (FB) ACNY (The Glen Group), from Friday 14 March, 11:30am

Lent lunches, All Saints, Moulton (FB) ACNY starting Friday 14 March, 12:00pm

Lent lunch of Soup, bread and cake, donations to Stamford Foodbank, St Michael & All Angels, Uffington ACNY (FB) Group (FB), Friday 7 March, 12:00pm

Lent lunches organised by Churches Together in the Deepings (FB) starting Saturday 8 March, 12:00pm

Lent group on the theme 'Prayer', St Guthlac's, Market Deeping (FB) starting Sunday 16 March, 5:00pm

More services and events during Lent on our Diary page for March; apologies for errors or omissions

Some services for Mothering Sunday, Palm Sunday, Holy Week, Good Friday and Easter.

Thy Kingdom Come from Ascension Day 29 May to Pentecost Sunday 8 June; resources

🏖️Holiday Clubs in July and August and some summer service time changes

☕Macmillan Coffee Mornings in September

More coffee mornings via https://www.macmillan.org.uk/coffee-morning/events-near-you?pcode=

Heritage Open Days in September

Friday 1 November 2024, 10:00am: World Day of Prayer 2025 Preparation Day at St Norbert's in The Parish of Our Lady of Walsingham, South Holland (FB), PE11 2XX; more info and resources from WWDP

❓Alpha courses

❓St John the Baptist, Hawthorn Bank, (FB) - starting Tuesday 14 January, 7:30pm, also Tuesday 23 September

❓1 Cheyne Lane, Stamford PE9 2AX; more info via St George's, Stamford (FB) ACNY - starting Tuesday 21 January, 7:00pm

❓Deeping St James (FB), ACNY, 'Café Church does Alpha' on the fourth Sunday of the month - starting Sunday 26 January, 6:00pm

❓Lighthouse Pentecostal (FB) - starting Monday 3 February, 7:30pm

❓Spalding Baptist (FB) - starting Tuesday 18 March

❓Youth Alpha, Christ Church, Stamford (FB) (Youth Alpha FB) ACNY - starting Thursday 24 April, 6:30pm

❓The Junction, Kirton; more info via New Life Community Church, Kirton, Boston (FB) PE20 1QJ - starting Friday 25 April, 7:30pm

❓Freedom church (FB), Free Methodist Church South Lincs - introductory session Thursday 1 May, 7:30pm

❓South Lafford Group ACNY / Gilbertine Benefice ACNY Alpha Course begins Wednesday 28 May, 1:00pm and also October/November

❓St Matthew's, Eye (FB) PE6 7UU begins Tuesday 30 September, 7:00pm; see also Thorney Abbey (FB)

Christianity Explored

St Mary's, Whaplode (FB) starting 29 January, also 5, 12, 19 & 26 February and 5 March

A Life Worth Living and other courses

Tuesday 29 April, 7:30pm: Bible course, eight weeks at Lighthouse Pentecostal (FB)

Tuesdays, 2:00pm: Discovering Christianity course in the Unity Centre; more info via All Saints, Stamford ACNY

Tuesday 1 July, 7:30pm: The Holy Spirit course, five weeks at Lighthouse Pentecostal (FB)

First Mondays from 4 August: Bible Study and meal; more info via St Mary's, Pinchbeck (FB) ACNY in The Glen Group

Mondays fom 8 September to 13 October, 7:30pm: 'To Love and Serve the Lord' by Lincoln Diocese, led by Rev Mark Williams at The Green School, St Guthlac's, Market Deeping (FB)

Tuesdays from 2 September to 21 October, 7:30pm: Prayer Course, Lighthouse Pentecostal (FB)

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, 18-25 January - WPCU - 'Do you believe this?' WCC: "prepared by the brothers and sisters of the monastic community of Bose in northern Italy. 2025 marks the 1,700th anniversary of the first Christian Ecumenical Council, held in Nicaea, near Constantinople in 325 AD. The theme for the week, “Do you believe this?” (John 11:17-27 - v 26), takes its cue from the dialogue between Jesus and Martha when Jesus visited the home of Martha and Mary in Bethany following the death of their brother Lazarus" (World Council of Churches) see also CTBI

Local WPCU services in the Deepings, Bourne, Holbeach and Stamford on our January page

WCC Resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026 were published 10 July 2025 and CTBI Resources in September 2025

Ecumenical prayer meetings are hosted by Broad Street Methodist (FB) (Circuit website) on the first Thursday of each month at 6:00pm

Disability and Accessibility: CTSD churches weblisting being updated ♿ (9/9/24, ongoing - including pictures of Accessible parking spaces at churches in The Deepings (16/10/24), Bourne, Holbeach (20/12/24) and Spalding)

Spalding United Reformed Church Facebook page includes an image of their new Accessible space in the church (28/9/24)

St Paul's website includes an Accessibility page with photographs of the main door and ramp (18/9/24)

Warm/Welcome Spaces; various churches open during the winter months or longer; please check times and further details with each church:

Mondays: 10/11:00am - 3:00pm at Broad Street Methodist (FB) (Circuit website) as a 'Welcome Space'; reopens 8 September after the summer break; check for latest times

Tuesdays: [Coffee Morning at Broad Street]

Wednesdays: 10:00am - 1:00pm at Lighthouse (FB)

Thursdays: 12 - 5:30 at St John's (2023)

Fridays: 10:30am - 1:30pm at Spalding Baptist (FB) (Warm Welcome FB)

Second Saturdays: 11:00am: Calvary Cares, Calvary Baptist (FB) (non-CTSD)

Sundays: 12 - 2:30pm at St Norbert's FB (Project St Thomas); see also Hub In Hub Out (FB)