Welcome to the website for the Parish Church of All Saints, Sidley. We are the Church of England in Sidley. All Saints is the church for everyone who lives in our area. Everyone who lives in the parish has the right to have their children Baptised here (after proper preparation), to have their first wedding here, and when they come to the end of their days, to have their funeral. In between all those important moments, we are a community that is journeying through this life, trying to follow our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. We are a community of people who are like everyone, a bit lost, a bit broken, sinners in need of Salvation. We are called All Saints, as we remember all those who have gone before us who have followed Jesus and reflected God’s love in the world. We strive to become “all saints”, but know that it is God’s grace and His Holy Spirit that will transform our lives as we led God form us into the people He wants us to be.

Everyone is welcome at All Saints, and you will find a warm welcome here.  

Rooted in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of the C of E, our worship is liturgical (following a set pattern) and in it we engage and offer up all our senses to God on Sunday mornings. We celebrate the Holy Eucharist (which means “thanksgiving” in Greek) which we usually call the Mass. Sometimes it is known as Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper in other churches.

The Mass is the service that Christ instructed His Apostles to continue. On the night before He was betrayed and the day before He died, He took bread and wine and told the Apostles that they are his Body and Blood. After His Resurrection Christ appeared to two Disciples on the road and after explaining how the Scriptures (often called the Old Testament) speak of Him, they realised it was Jesus when He blessed and broke bread with them.  We continue this ancient tradition at All Saints Church to this day.

When you first visit us, please let one of the welcomers know that it’s your first visit so we can welcome you, and explain a bit of what we do. If there is time, Fr Ian or one of the other clergy can come and greet you before the Mass starts.  Please don’t be too concerned about following the service  - this isn’t school or work, and there certainly aren’t tests! Just feel comfortable to engage as much or as little as you’d like.

If you have been Baptised (as a child or an adult), Confirmed (where a Bishop lays hands on your head and prays that the Holy Spirit comes upon you) and/or are used to taking Holy Communion in your usual church – you are welcome to receive the Bread and Wine of the Eucharist, which is Christ’s Body and Blood.  If you haven’t yet been Baptised and Confirmed, please do join us, and when others are going up to receive Holy Communion, please feel most welcome to come up for a special blessing from the celebrating priest.

If you have questions about the Christian faith, please do be in touch with Fr Ian Edgar, the priest-in-charge – his contact details are at the bottom of the page.
We look forward to meeting you!