St James Church, Gerrards Cross facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St James' Church, Gerrards Cross |
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St James' Church, Gerrards Cross
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| 51°34′52.5″N 0°33′24″W / 51.581250°N 0.55667°W | |
| Location | Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Evangelical |
| Website | saintjames.org.uk |
| History | |
| Dedication | James the Just |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* listed |
| Architect(s) | William Tite |
| Completed | 1859 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St. James, Gerrards Cross with St. James Fulmer |
| Deanery | Amersham |
| Archdeaconry | Buckingham |
| Diocese | Diocese of Oxford |
St James' Church is a special place of worship in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, England. It belongs to the Church of England. The church is known for its "evangelical" style, which means it focuses on the Bible and sharing the Christian faith.
The church is part of a larger area called the Parish of St. James. This parish includes both St James Gerrards Cross and St James Fulmer. These two churches started working together in 1984. They officially joined in 1986.
The main leader of the church is called the Rector. The current Rector is The Rev. Matt Beeby. A past Rector, Paul Gavin Williams, later became a Bishop. A Bishop is a senior leader in the Church of England.
St James' Church is also a very important building. It is listed as Grade II* listed on the National Heritage List for England. This means it is a historically important building.
What Happens at St James' Church?
St James' Church in Gerrards Cross holds regular services every Sunday. These services happen at 10:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. There are fun activities for children and young people during all services. Youth activities also take place after the evening service.
St James Fulmer also has services every Sunday at 11:15 a.m.
You can listen to talks and sermons from most Sunday services online. They are available through the St James podcast service.
The church also has other activities during the week. For example, there is a prayer gathering once a month. It happens on the first Wednesday of each month at 8:00 p.m.
The church also runs an Alpha course three times a year. This course helps people explore the Christian faith.
The Church's History
The church was officially opened on August 30, 1859. The Bishop of Oxford led the special ceremony.
The church was built by the sisters of General George Alexander Reid. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Windsor. They paid for the entire church themselves.
A new building called the St James Centre was opened in March 2006. It is a modern building located behind the church. George Carey, a former Archbishop of Canterbury, opened it.
The church celebrated its 150th birthday on August 31, 2009.
The Church Organ
St James' Church has a pipe organ. It might have been built by Henry Jones around the time the church first opened.
The organ was changed in 1910 by S.F. Dalladay. It was updated again in 1970 by Cedric Arnold, Williamson & Hyatt. You can find more details about this organ online.
