Melbourn & Meldreth C of E Churches

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All Saints' Church

Melbourn

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Holy Trinity

Church Meldreth

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A Message from Rev’d Andrew Birks

 

Arriving in November is never an easy time, although I’m not sure there is a ‘good’ time to arrive in a parish as there’s always something going on!  We seemed to race towards Christmas and then suddenly, we were in 2024!


Upon arrival, I made a commitment to all of you about my ministry here and what I envisaged it would look like.  I said that I would seek to be very much a strong presence in the community, taking mission and ministry both to the people in our pews, and also to the community outside our church buildings. I have a strong belief in putting the church at the heart of the community and the community at the heart of the church – something you will hear me say very often. We are all disciples, and we are all on a faith journey together.  I firmly believe that our church should be open and welcoming to all who wish to come and join us in prayer and praise of God; a place where all can feel comfortable being in fellowship with one another and can contribute to our mission where they feel able.


I will seek to offer your regular Sunday and weekday services as usual, but I am also very keen to offer you other things such as advent courses, bible study classes, group sessions, and lots, lots more – but that won’t happen overnight.  You might have to allow me some time to settle in first!

 

Some of these things have begun to take shape and we have seen a rise in our numbers in church attendance, and we have increased our services in both churches.  These services are always being reviewed to ensure that they meet the needs of the community in which I serve.  The PCC will review the services in May of this year.


However, we are now looking to the future, and I am keen to hear from the community about what they want from their parish church.  I will be holding some community meetings in the coming months to seek the views and opinions of all about what they would like to see from the church and from me as your Vicar.


The first meeting will be held on Friday 8th March at 7pm in All Saints Church, Melbourn.  Please do come and join us and help us to shape the mission and ministry of the parish for the years to come.  I will let you know when we have decided a date for the Parish of Meldreth.


We are entering an exciting time for our parishes; I look forward to working with you all.


With Prayers and Best Wishes
 
Andrew

 

All Saints' Church Melbourn

 

The Parish Church of All Saints is a Grade II listed building and comprises:


• central nave with parallel aisles
• south transept lady chapel
• south porch with Parvis room over,
• 15th Century tower to the West end.
• rood screen dating back to 1508
• font probably of 12th Century origin
• chancel with some medieval pews


All Saints’ Church is deeply embedded in the fabric of the village, dating back more than a thousand years. It remains not only an enduring reminder of collective history, but also holds great significance for many individuals and community groups today.

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Holy Trinity Church Meldreth

 

The initial layout of the existing church, consisting of a long chancel, aisleless nave and west tower belongs to the second half of the 12th century, the most impressive surviving part being the entrance arch to the tower.

 

The tower was completed in the 13th Century and the next major project was the insertion in the north wall of the nave of three fine 14th Century traceried windows, closely modelled on contemporary work at Ely cathedral.

 

In the 1370s a large traceried window was inserted into the east wall of the chancel, regrettably destroyed in 1871. In the latter part of the 15th Century, the church was transformed by the addition of a spacious south aisle and the addition of a nave clerestory with a fine king-post roof.

 

A substantial chancel screen with Rood was also built about this time, only part of which survives in later restored form.

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Our church mission is to ignite a passion to follow Jesus.

“The church is the body of Christ on earth, empowered by the Holy Spirit to continue the task of reaching the lost and discipling the saved, helping them become fully devoted followers of Christ“.

 

Ephesians 4:1-16

Churches Together

 

Churches Together in Melbourn and Meldreth is an active collaboration between local parishes and Baptist/URC congregations. Their goal is to strengthen spiritual connections within the community.

 

Through joint worship services, prayer gatherings, and community outreach programs, they create a vibrant and unified Christian community. By working together, they can better serve the needs of the community and foster spiritual growth and fellowship among individuals and families.