The United Benefice Communion service held at St James the Great Silsoe on Sunday 29 December 2019 was the last communion to be conducted by Rev. Ian Smith in the Benefice before his move to Renhold. Nearly 100 people attended this last service to share in thanking Ian for all he has done in the Benefice during the past two and a half years and to wish him well as he

Once again two Crib Services were held on 24th December at the Church. With the enthusiasm for this service it is not possible to accommodate everyone at once and this year nearly 280 children of all ages attended the services.This year the service was specifically designed by Reader Gillian Kern for both services, and she and Rev Ian Smith conducted the services. Gillian Kern (left) and Rev Ian Smith being helped

A full Church enjoyed a traditional service of carols and readings at the annual carol service on 15 December 2019. In a beautifully decorated Church, thanks to the hard work of the team of flower arrangers, and illuminated by candles the congregation were welcomed by Gillian Kern and Paul Biscoe.  Programme for the carol service as presented in the pew sheet                    

There was a full church for our annual Christingle service on Sunday 8th December. Prior to the service Rachel Barnes and Katie Shattock had been going to the school every week  during this half term to rehearse the two songs that the children sang at the service. There were 18 children from Silsoe Lower School who formed the Children’s Christingle Choir and the practising they had done with Rachel and Katie

This year’s Remembrance Day Service, on Sunday 10 November,  was very special because it included, for the first time for many years, a parade of scouts and beavers along the High Street to the Church. The scouts together with a large crowd gathered around the memorial for the service, led by Rev. Ian Smith, to remember the dead as the names were read out by Simon Stranks, to observe the two

This service, attended by about 80 people celebrated the lives of those dear family members  and friends who were no longer with us. The service was led by Gillian Kern and Simon Stranks and was a very simple but moving one with poignant readings from Julius of Norwich and Cardinal Basil Hume. The service began with a reading of the Song of Solomon (2: 10-17), a moving tribute to a loved

This charity , which is based at Wrest Park in Silsoe has become the largest children’s mental health provider in Bedfordshire. They are keen that we at St James Church are full aware of the services they offer and these are explained in a recent letter that has been received from Rianna Steer their communications assistant. Rather than paraphrase the letter it  is presented in full below.

The Bishop of St Alban’s harvest appeal this year was “Light up Tanzania” , which aims to provide solar panels as a source of electricity for rural homes in Tanzania. As usual the Church was beautifully decorated for the occasion by the flower arrangers, with this year some interesting “figures” attached to the end of the pews as well appearing in some of the arrangements. Unlike previous years it was decided