Services

Our normal pattern of services

We  normally hold services each month in the two churches in our benefice, in Shipbourne or Plaxtol, as set out below . There are also special services for Christmas  and Easter and other festivals of the church: for details of these services, see below.

Every weekday at 8.30am Morning Prayer will be said at Plaxtol and every weekday evening (except Friday and Saturday) at 4.30pm Evening Prayer will be said at St Giles Shipbourne.

Our Christmas Services in the Benefice

Tuesday 19 December at 5pm – Open air Family Carols and Sketches at the Kentish Rifleman

Saturday 23 December – Carol service at 5.00pm in Plaxtol Church

Christmas Eve, Sunday 24 December

9.30am: Christmas Nativity Family Service at Shipbourne Church – including “Sheepsville” – 3 rather chatty wise men and sheep!

11.00am: Family Nativity Service at Plaxtol Church – this replaces “Bethlehem Live” this year – come in costume!

5.00pm: Carol Service at Shipbourne Church

11.30pm: Midnight Communion at Plaxtol Church – without a choir or congregational singing, but using the beautiful music of Enya to create a meditative or “immersive” telling of the Christmas mysteries

Christmas Day, Monday 25 December

9.30am: Family Communion at Shipbourne Church

11.00am: Family Communion at Plaxtol Church

Covid – 19: infection control

Following the end of the last period of lockdown, we kept our infection control restrictions under regular review and have gradually reduced the safety measures we had adopted. There is now no requirement to wear a face mask during services, but you may do so if you wish.  

We now receive communion at the altar rail, and there is an option to receive the bread and wine separately or to take the bread dipped in wine (“intinction”).

The clinically vulnerable may wish to come into church during the week when they can be safe on their own, or to our smaller ‘said’ services at 8am on Sundays at St Giles or Plaxtol Church or to morning prayer at Plaxtol Church at 8.30am on weekdays.

Our church is open for individual private prayer daily, except on Mondays, between 9am and 3.30pm

We continue to be the Church: a people of prayer and action. 

Christmas 2020

As well as our Christmas services in church, we recorded a special ‘Festival of Readings and Music’ so everyone can join in, to celebrate the birth of Christ. This can be found athttps://www.youtube.com/embed/5ZZOFPNsVpQ?feature=oembed

As well as our Christmas services in church, we recorded a special ‘Festival of Readings and Music’ so everyone can join in, to celebrate the birth of Christ. This can be found at