St. Peter's Church

Everyone is welcome at all our services, and the church is open daily for visitors

If you want to look around, or wish to sit somewhere quiet and peaceful do pop in. We get lots of comments in the Visitors’ Book about how lovely and peaceful it is.

It is well worth a visit to see it's hundreds of years of history! There is a heritage exhibition and also the Calwich Chapel has exhibits showing the links between the Church and the ancient Augustinian Priory of Calwich.

As the church is unattended most of the time we can’t allow candles to be lit (sorry!), but there is space for prayer or contemplation and the opportunity to place a willow cross in a bowl of sand placed on the small altar in the middle of the church to represent your intention.

Pop in!

October's Timetable

The Reverend Chamil Fernando has recently joined our Benefice group of five churches following the retirement of the Reverend Martin Soar last year.

Chamil and his wife come from Sri Lanka and live at Mayfield and Chamil takes the services at Ellastone most Sundays. They have three young children, the eldest, a daughter, is a pupil at Dove C of E Academy.

Contacts:

Rev Brian Leathers: 01538 702469

Rev Chamil Fernando: 07511117822

Ellastone Church Warden: Barbara Butler: 01335 324859

Ellastone Assistant Church Warden: Sue Lynch: 01335324742

Stanton Church Warden: Ken Elias 01335 324496

If you are new to the village do come along and join us!

Ellastone bell-ringers

A group of 6-8 locals have been learning to ring the church bells under expert tutelage via the North Staffordshire Association of Change Ringers. Perhaps you have heard them practising Monday afternoons 3pm? More ringers are always needed to insure cover. Interested?

Contact: Lou Parlett - 07876 573747 E-mail: louparlett@hotmail.com

Messy Church

There are always different craft activities to do and it is very informal, so do come along. All ages are welcome to join in the fun.

For more information visit the Mayfield, Ellastone and Stanton Messy Church Facebook page.

Saint Peter’s – an Eco Church

Most churches are now trying to be eco-friendly, and we are hoping to apply for a medal, one of three available. To do this, we need help from the people who use the churchyard by not using artificial flowers, plastic, memorabilia, vases or anything that is not compliant with the rules of Lichfield Diocese which are displayed in the church porch.

We are often complimented on how nice and tidy the churchyard looks, particularly with the daffodils and crocuses that have recently been in flower. Would you please help us by following the rules and also keeping the grass clear round the memorials as the mowing season has started again.

Maybe one day we may even get a Gold Medal!

Fund-raising for St. Peter's Church

St Peter’s Church is looking to raise funds to repair the roof over the Chancel and Chapel at the East end of the church. Thanks to a very generous legacy the Heritage Fund is in a position to cover half the cost, but we will need to raise the rest from donations and grants. We don’t yet know what the cost will be but our architect has indicated that it may be as much as £100,000 which means that we may have to find £50,000. Gulp!

We will start fund-raising in earnest when we know more about the costs and timescale but you can help a little now at no cost to yourselves. A scheme called Easy Fund Raising enables the commissions paid by online retailers to be paid to good causes and the roof appeal has been set up to benefit in this way.

All you have to do is visit the online retailer via the EasyFundRaising website or app where links to many retailers can be found. Going directly won’t help us so if you’re planning to buy something online then please consider painlessly supporting the roof appeal by using this system.

Using this web address to register and choose our appeal as your good cause: http://efraising.org/A61wZNWgDy. Note: you can swap your good cause at any time if you wish but can only support one at a time.

Church Banner

This lovely banner has been several years in the making having been started just before the first lockdown in 2020.

It has been designed and made in the village by villagers using fabric and material already to hand and is a lovely demonstration of community spirit.

The design represents the church and churchyard, the wider countryside around the village, Wootton, and St Peter.

The makers were coordinated by Hilary Dowson who was assisted by Lesley Plant, Hazel Henderson, Emma Lewsley, Lou Parlett, Rose & Ed Barker, Cindy Chapman and Margaret Taylor. Thanks too to Mark Bell of the Art Group who made the frame.

It is on display in church for all to see so do pop in and take a look.

Help is always needed

If you would like to help in any way – cleaning the church, helping with the upkeep of the churchyard, flower arranging, general help with special occasions then contact Barbara our church warden.

Church Flowers

The Church would welcome more volunteers to donate and/or display altar flowers – perhaps a particular date might be suitable to remember someone or a wedding anniversary?

Church Heritage Fund

This fund is specially restricted and any donations or legacies received can only be spent on Ellastone Church & Churchyard and cannot be used for any other purpose.

It is ideal for those who support the church without perhaps attending services regularly to make their contribution enabling restoration work that should be done (rather than has to be done) to be carried out (for example: work on two ancient trees and restoration of the Lych Gate).

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