Types of Services in the Blyth Valley Churches
Here in the Blyth Valley have three types of services
Our defining act of worship is Holy Communion. This is a symbolic meal of bread (wafers) and wine, with Bible readings, a sermon and prayers, and hymns on a Sunday. It has layers of meaning to do with generosity and belonging derived from its Jewish roots in the Passover.
We also offer Morning and Evening Prayer which are services written for their particular time of day, helping us prepare for the day ahead or wind down afterwards. They include Bible readings, prayers and may have hymns too – especially when used on a Sunday.
Across our churches we have four styles of service:
Common Worship
This is our standard modern language set. It offers a formal version of these three types of service. It is what we use for our Baptisms, Marriages and Funerals too.
Book of Common Prayer
The three types of service are available in old English, in a more formal, appealing, living tradition dating back centuries. To avoid confusion, we call this style of the bread and wine service Traditional Communion. We call its opening and closing daily prayers Matins and Evensong for the same reason.
Family Services and Family Communion
New Patterns for Worship is a resource that gives us authorised prayers and other materials that are more contemporary for our least formal and most flexible examples of these two types of services.
Local Traditions
Some of our churches have their own service sheets. These may have come from other Christian organisations like the Iona Community, or another Diocese (county scale unit of the Church of England) like Wild Church. They may have been kept on having been written by previous clergy. They may have developed them themselves or asked current minsters to try something different like Pause for Thought. We sometimes share regular worship with other denominations like the Wenhaston Methodists, or take part in other initiatives like World Day of Prayer. When we do this we use their styles of service.
Revd Dominic Doble
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Services - Week Beginning 19.05.2025
Below are the services that are happening across the Blyth Valley Churches this week.

Holy Communion
St Mary's Church, Halesworth
21st May 2025 at 10 am
Everyone is welcome to our mid-week Holy Communion in St Mary's Church, Halesworth. Refreshments are available afterwards and there is always someone available to talk too.

Morning Worship
St Andrew's Church, Bramfield
22nd May 2025 at 9:30 am
Everyone is welcome to join us at our mid-week morning worship at St Andrew's Church in Bramfield.

Traditional Communion
St Mary's Church, Halesworth
25th May 2025 at 8 am
Everyone is welcome for Traditional Communion at St Mary's Church in Halesworth.

Holy Communion
St Mary's Church, Halesworth
25th May 2025 at 10 am
Everyone is welcome to attend Holy Communion at St Mary's Church in Halesworth. Followed by refreshments.

Evensong
St Mary's Church, Halesworth
25th May 2025 at 6 pm
Everyone is welcome to Evensong at St Mary's Church in Halesworth.

Holy Communion
St Peter's Church, Holton
25th May 2025 at 10 am
Everyone is welcome for Holy Communion at St Peter's Church in Holton.

Rogation Service
Meeting at St Peter's Church in Spexhall
25th May 2025 at 2:30 pm
On Sunday 25th May, we have our Rogation Service and Walk which we share with our friends and neighbours in Spexhall. We ask for God’s blessings for our land, crops, wildlife and people as we walk. The service starts at 2.30pm at Spexhall Church, led by Sally Gaze, Archdeacon for Rural Affairs, then progresses down to finish at Wissett, where teas will be served afterwards.

Pause for Thought
St Peter's Church, Wenhaston
25th May 2025 at 10 am
Everyone is welcome to attend Pause for Thought at St Peter's Church in Wenhaston. Followed by refreshments.

Morning Prayer
St Peter's Church, Thorington
25th May 2025 at 10 am
Everyone is welcome to Moring Prayer at St Peter's Church in Thorington.

Holy Communion
St Mary's Church, Walpole
25th May 2025 at 10 am
Everyone is welcome for Holy Communion at St Mary's Church in Walpole.
Services - Week Beginning 26.05.2025
Below are the services that are happening across the Blyth Valley Churches this week.

Holy Communion
St Mary's Church, Halesworth
28th May 2025 at 10 am
Everyone is welcome to our mid-week Holy Communion in St Mary's Church, Halesworth. Refreshments are available afterwards and there is always someone available to talk too.

Morning Worship
St Andrew's Church, Bramfield
29th May 2025 at 9:30 am
Everyone is welcome to join us at our mid-week morning worship at St Andrew's Church in Bramfield.

Traditional Communion
St Mary's Church, Halesworth
1st June 2025 at 8 am
Everyone is welcome for Traditional Communion at St Mary's Church in Halesworth.

Holy Communion
St Mary's Church, Halesworth
1st June 2025 at 10 am
Everyone is welcome to attend Holy Communion at St Mary's Church in Halesworth. Followed by refreshments.

Holy Communion
St Mary's Church, Chediston
1st June 2025 at 10 am
Everyone is welcome to Holy Communion at St Mary's Church in Chediston.

Matins
St Margaret's Church, Linstead
1st June 2025 at 10 am
Everyone is welcome for Matins at St Margaret's Church in Linstead.

Service for Fathers Day
St Andrew's Church, Bramfield
15th June 2025 at 10 am
Everyone is welcome to join us for an all-age family service at St Andrew's Church in Bramfield. We will be having a special service that celebrates Father's Day. There will be refreshments after the service.