Alcester Minster Churches
Please click on a picture for details of each Church
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Alcester Churches Together
Welcome to Alcester, but more importantly,
welcome to the Alcester Minster Churches, which is a newly constituted
ecclesiastical grouping of villages around a market town in South West
Warwickshire. The word, “Minster” is well established in the English
Language as evidenced by a certain type of church building, but we have now
sailed out into uncharted waters and have commenced on a steep learning
curve!
I remember reading an article in the Church of England newspaper about three years ago which was titled, “Going backwards, to go forwards”! The article recalled that about 1000 years ago, there would be a Minster Church in a small town like Alcester, but there would not be any churches in the surrounding villages. These villages were serviced by priests/monks from the Minster Church who rode out to the villages and conducted services there in the open air; it was only in the next few centuries that village churches sprung up and now we have a situation where there are not enough clergy to cover all the churches full time. The number of worshippers has decreased dramatically, but the number of church buildings has remained virtually static!
The idea is to pool resources, to work together as a Team, and to be prepared to worship elsewhere within the Minster group if it is not possible to provide a service in a particular village on a particular Sunday. The Minster would not work without the dedicated ministry of a team of licensed readers and also a group of retired clergy who live in the area. Highlights of a Minster would be the celebration of Patronal Festivals as a Village Event and perhaps the coming together monthly as a worshipping body. Whichever Church was having a service at any particular time would be the Minster in that place. It is certainly not wrapped up in buildings or in the market town! The Minster breathes Mission and Ministry; it is not a Maintenance option!
So; Alcester St. Nicholas, Holy Trinity Arrow, St. James the Great Weethley, St. Mary the Virgin Kinwarton, St. Mary Magdalen Great Alne, St. Mary and All Saints Haselor, St. Peter Coughton and Sambourne Parish Church are now in it together and we shall stand or fall by our willingness to co-operate. Diverse we certainly are, but united we shall stand! The resurrected and gloriously ascended body of Jesus is our inspiration.
Best Wishes
David
Full details of the Minster services each week
Details of all the Alcester Minster Churches can be found by clicking on a picture above
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