St John's Church, Ealing facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St John's, Ealing |
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| St. John with St. James PCC | |
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| Location | Mattock Lane, West Ealing, London, W13 9LA |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | http://www.stjohnsealing.org.uk/ |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Edwin Henry Horne |
| Years built | 1876, reconstructed (after the 1920 fire) in 1923 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St John With St James |
| Diocese | London |
St John's, Ealing, is a special church building in West Ealing, London, UK. It's an Anglican church, which means it's part of the Church of England. This church is so important that it's been named a Grade II listed building. This means it's protected because of its history and architecture.
A Look Back: St John's History
St John's Church was first built in 1876. The architect who designed it was Edwin Henry Horne. Sadly, the church building caught fire in 1920 and was badly damaged. But don't worry, it was rebuilt and opened again in 1923.
For the first 64 years of the church's life, it had a father and son as its main leaders, called vicars. Julius Summerhayes was the first vicar, and his son, Julius James Summerhayes, took over after him.
Church records show that in the late 1800s, St John's helped start a local hospital and a school called St John's School. In the early 1900s, more than 1000 people would come to services every Sunday, both in the morning and evening!
Important People at St John's
Some interesting people have worked at St John's Church. Around 1927, a person named Eric Nash (also known as "Bash") was a curate there. A curate is like an assistant to the main church leader. Eric Nash later started special camps called the Iwerne camps. These camps helped many young men from well-known schools become Christians and later work in Christian ministry.
More recently, Sally Hitchiner was a curate at St John's from 2009 to 2012. During her time there, she became well-known for talking about religious topics on television.
What Happens at St John's Today?
St John's is a busy place with lots of activities for different people.
On Sundays, there's a main service called STJOHNS@TEN. This is a modern Anglican worship service. There's also an early evening "Cafe Church." This is a different kind of church service that welcomes many people who have been homeless or needed housing help.
For younger people, "The Maze" is a youth group that meets on Sunday evenings. There's also a monthly "Messy Church" for young families. This happens on Sunday afternoons and is a fun way for kids and parents to learn about faith.
St John's also hosts two other church groups that speak different languages. The Living Waters Arabic Church meets on Sunday afternoons for people who speak Arabic. The Myanmar Christian Fellowship meets for people who speak Burmese.
During the week, there are many other groups and activities. For example, "Snips" is a playgroup, cafe, and shop for parents and caregivers with toddlers. It has been running at least twice a week since 1987!
St John's also has a "sister" church called St James, which is also in West Ealing. St James was founded in 1900. It was closed for a while but then started again with a new group of people in the late 1980s. Currently, St James is closed.
St John's Church is also the home of the Ealing Soup Kitchen. This kitchen has been providing meals every Saturday and Sunday since 1973, with help from many local churches.
