A warm welcome to
St Giles & St Matthew's Churches
Welcome to St Giles & St Matthew's Churches
“Love one another, as I have loved you...”
[John 13:34]
Hello and welcome to all wanting to find out more about our two churches: St Giles Parish Church in Killamarsh and St Matthew's Parish Church in Renishaw.
Our aim is to be friendly and open places of worship which welcome members of our community of all ages and to play an active role in the life of our villages. We strive to 'Be Christ in Church and Community" as Jesus taught us to "Love one another, as I have loved you."
Her Majesty The Queen
St. Giles Church opened from midday to 6pm and St Matthew's Church opened from 1pm-3pm on Friday 9th September, providing space for members of the community to reflect on the passing of Her Majesty The Queen.
St Giles will be open again on Saturday 10th September from 10am to 4pm and on Sunday 11th September from 12pm to 4pm where there will be a Book of Condolence available to sign. Candles will also be available to light in memory of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
May our beloved Queen rest in peace and rise in glory
Read our September Newsletter
Heritage Open Days at St Giles Church
After an absence of a couple of years due to Covid-19 restrictions, St Giles Church in Killamarsh will be taking part in the national Heritage Open Days festival in September. The festival is co-ordinated by the National Trust and encourages people to explore their local history and heritage.
Visitors will have the opportunity to see displays showing the history and heritage of St Giles Church, with leaflets highlighting areas of interest in and around the church. On entering the church, which dates from the 12th Century, they will be able to see beautiful stained glass windows, including one medieval window showing the Virgin Mary and infant Jesus and one which was the only war memorial in Killamarsh until the memorial on High Street at the end of Kirkcroft Lane was erected in 2011. Above the pulpit is a crucifix which came from the town of Oberammergau in Bavaria in 1900. The town is famous for its Passion Plays held every 10 years. There is a Norman font, which has an interesting history, and a Victorian font outside the church, which was used from the mid-19th Century until 1944. In the churchyard stands a Saxon preaching cross, near which, on the church wall, is a memorial to John Wright, a pauper. Further down the churchyard stand the village stocks, which remind us that the Lord of the Manor held court in church from time to time and the stocks were used to punish miscreants.
Copies of some old parish records and parish magazines will be on display and will be of interest to anyone wanting to find out about their families and life in Killamarsh in days gone by. There will also be displays from the Killamarsh Heritage Society showing life in Killamarsh in former times. Lots to see and do.
The church will be open on Saturday, 10 September from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm and on Sunday, 11 September from 12.00 noon to 4.00 pm and it’s all FREE. Refreshments will be available on both days and we look forward to welcoming visitors to our beautiful building.
Read the Introduction & Guide to St Giles Church
Churchyard wall repairs at St Giles
The churchyard wall at St Giles Church between the entrance to the churchyard and the adjoining property has been bowed and leaning inwards for some time. The matter has been taken up with North East Derbyshire District Council and the wall inspected by their Engineering Department. We have been advised that repairs are to be carried out involving taking the wall down and rebuilding it. Work is due to start on 30 August, all being well, and is expected to take 4 days. Fencing has been erected in the churchyard to prevent anyone going near the wall as a safety precaution. During the repairs it may be necessary to fence off an area of the pavement and the road next to the wall as well.
We are sorry for any disruption this may cause but our prime concern and that of the Council's contractors is the safety of visitors to the churchyard and those using the pavement outside.
Dedication of Statuette in memory of Christine Beach
In the morning service at St Giles Church on 3 July 2022 a special commemoration took place. It was the start of a poignant week, as we remembered Christine Beach.
Monday, 4 July would have been Chris’s birthday
Wednesday, 6 July marked the 1st anniversary of her death
Chris was Roger’s wife for over 40 years – almost 50, in fact.
She was a faithful member of the church throughout her life. Her Christian faith was very important to her and she showed it in many ways.
She was a Reader in the parishes of St Giles, Killamarsh, & St Matthew’s, Renishaw – a valued colleague in ministry in both parishes.
She served the church in many ways: she was a bellringer, flower arranger and chorister. She loved singing and was a member of other choirs in the area. She led a number of initiatives for children – working with children was a particular area of interest. Examples include
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Leader of Kids Club
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Messy Church
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Breakfast Club
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Envision
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St Giles School Christian book club
Chris was the Parish Safeguarding Officer, a member of the Deanery & Diocesan Synods and the Diocesan Advisory Committee, which considers applications for Faculties for alterations to church buildings.
In recent years she had become a tertiary in the Order of the Holy Paraclete, an order of nuns. Tertiaries don’t live in the Order’s community. They live in their own parishes but still follow the Rule of the Order
As mentioned, work with children was always important to Chris. The statuette of a guardian angel with children was chosen in consultation with Roger and was placed in St Giles church in commemoration of her life and work.
She looked for the best in others and gave the best she had
Her memory is a benediction
With thanks to John Hall for the commemoration above.
Our joint response to the ongoing situation in Ukraine
He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. Isaiah 2:4 NRSV
from
Killamarsh Methodist Church,
The Parish Church of St Giles, Killamarsh
Renishaw Methodist Church
The Parish Church of St Matthew, Renishaw.
Through the power of the television and social media each one of us continues to share in the daily punishing war in Ukraine where millions of people are being displaced and forced into refugee status whilst others remain in their beloved country either fighting to defend their cities or are too old or infirm to move.
What can we do to help this tragic situation?
We feel the best way we can respond is to follow Christian Aid’s 3 point plan
1.To pray—At Killamarsh Methodist Church we welcome all our community to use our garden for quiet reflection and will provide blue and yellow ribbon to tie to our tree as a symbol of our support to the Ukrainian people. St Giles Church will be holding a Day of Prayer on Saturday 19th March between 10am-4pm where different prayer stations will be in situ. Blue and yellow ribbon will be available.
2. To donate—We will provide the opportunity for those who can afford it to donate when using our buildings or attending our community events. Blue and yellow buckets will be available for your cash donations. We will forward your generous donations via Christian Aid as they are part of the DEC so our Govt will match all funds.
3. To petition—Please encourage people to sign the petition to persuade our Government to allow all those fleeing the conflict entry to the UK.
Your prayers, monetary donations and making your voice heard through signing a petition will all make a powerful difference.
Killamarsh Methodist Church makes regular contributions to Assist, the Sheffield charity supporting refugees and asylum seekers. We will liaise with them as to any additional need in the coming weeks. Our four churches will then work collaboratively to collect what is requested.
Please see link to the Christian Aid pledges below
https://www.christianaid.org.uk/appeals/emergencies/ukraine-crisis-appeal
COVID-19 - Church Update
St. Giles and St. Matthew’s Churches are open for public worship and for weddings, baptisms and funerals.
Anyone wishing to discuss arrangements for services should contact Revd Helen on tel: 0114 2482769 or via email at revshmguest@gmail.com
All are most welcome to join our worship.
Our church website contains details of how to join others online for prayer, worship, study, and community life (please see our Spirituality Resources page). You can also find prayer resources at www.churchofengland.org.
Revd Helen and Revd Michael are also available to receive calls between 9am and 11am weekdays and Saturday mornings, but please feel free to phone us at any time if we can be of any help whatsoever.
Statuette in memory of Christine Beach
Statuette in memory of Christine Beach
Christine's husband, Roger Beach
Statuette in memory of Christine Beach
Victorian Font relocated
As you approach the church, you will see a font erected near the memorial window. This font was installed in church in the 1840s by Revd E H Smith, the first Rector of Killamarsh who was Rector 1843-1887, to replace the original Norman font. The Norman font was found by his successor, Revd Francis Metcalfe, being used by a cobbler in Ashley Lane to soak his leather. It was bought back for 30 shillings (£1.50) and erected in the churchyard. It was subsequently re-installed in church in 1944 by Revd John Milner and the Victorian font stored in the church undercroft before being brought back during the incumbency of Revd Roy Bradshaw. In 2018 the Victorian font was removed from the church building during a refurbishment project and in 2021 we received permission to have it erected in the memorial garden adjacent to the memorial window. Tablets inside the memorial window list the names of all those who gave their lives in two World Wars, many of whom would probably have been baptised in the Victorian font. The font is a significant part of the history and heritage of St Giles Church and has been re-erected in memory of all those who were baptised in it for almost 100 years.
The font was installed in its new position by Daynes Monumental Ltd of Killamarsh, who are memorial masons, designing and installing new memorials, as well as refurbishing older ones. We are grateful to Gary Daynes for his generosity in making the arrangements for the installation
#Candle Of Hope at
the Rectory
"I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13)
Daily Prayer
The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and for evermore. Psalm 121 :8 NRSV
Holy God
As each one of us greets this new day none of us knows what lies ahead, of the opportunities that will come our way, of the people we shall meet or of circumstances which are beyond our control. Holy God, with each step that we take let us be ever mindful of your presence for whatever lies ahead within an unfolding day.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Revd Helen
Thursday, 8th September 2022
Father Georges in Madagascar
News from Fr Georges and Eveline, Madagascar
"Dear Reverend Canon Helen and Fr Michael.
All our friends at St Gile's church Killamarsh
All our friends at St Matthew's church Renishaw.
This is a very short note to let you know what is happened in
our country during this last week-end.The tropical cyclone BATSIRAI has crossed Madagascar from the East to the West during the 5th and 6th of February 2022.It was vey wide and very strong...!
It has provoked lots of damages all over the country .It was very severe.
Lots of church buildings ,schools,…rice fields are destroyed. There are 60,000 new displaced people.
Warmest Regards.
Fr Georges and Eveline.
Antananarivo MADAGASCAR"
If you wish to make a donation to our appeal for Fr Georges and his community following Cyclone Batsirai, please contact Revd Helen on 0114 2482769 or revshmguest@gmail.com
St Giles Patronage Scheme Year 9
has been launched. If you are interested in becoming a patron of St Giles Church, please click here for details.
Thank you for your help
Heritage Project
St Giles Church, Killamarsh, has completed a major project to carry out a programme of repairs and refurbishment to the church building. This has involved renovation and redecoration of the interior, new external drainage and stonework repairs. In addition, new toilet facilities have been installed, which are easily accessible to disabled visitors. The main refurbishment work received financial support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, without which the project could not have gone ahead. Further financial support was received from the Derby Diocese Raymond Ross Fund towards the cost of the new toilet facilities. Completion of the project means that the church will continue to be a central part of the community in the years ahead.
Upcoming Events
On hold
Messy Church - currently on hold due to Coronavirus Crisis
3:15 PM
St Giles Church Hall,
Sheepcote Rd, Killamarsh
On hold
Monthly Prayer Meeting - currently on hold
3:00 PM
St Matthew's Church, Renishaw