Churn Benefice

02/06/2026

"Sing your heart out" and "Hymns and Pimms" at St Michael's Blewbury on June 14th. Hope to see you there!

27/05/2026

Next Saturday - email [email protected] to book your space on the tower tour. Ground level activities- just come along!

08/05/2026

Coffee & Kids toddler group
Monday 1st June 10-11.30am
Vale Room (Blewbury village hall)

27/04/2026

27/04/2026

You are warmly invited to a Service of Thanksgiving and Farewell for Bishop Steven and Ann at 5pm on 31 May at Christ Church Cathedral.

During this special service, Bishop Steven lays down his crozier, and we give thanks to God for his faithful and dedicated ministry as Bishop of Oxford over the past ten years.

We will bid him farewell with deep appreciation for all he has given, and offer our good wishes to both Bishop Steven and Ann.

Spaces are limited and we recommend booking to ensure your place: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/christchurchcathedral1/2108762

05/04/2026

Christ is risen, alleluia! Happy Easter from the Churn Benefice.

29/03/2026

Yes, the congregations pay regardless if it is Grade 1 listed!

Research shows that the public are largely unaware of who foots the bill for church repairs. A poll commissioned by Historic England, which was carried out by Savanta, interviewed 1763 adults in England in September 2025. The poll asked: which of the following do you believe is mainly responsible for the upkeep of historic churches?

• Over a third of people – 39% – believed it was the relevant church authorities, for example the Church of England or the Catholic Church.
• 15% thought it was the local District Council
• 12% did not know
• 12% said it was the National Churches Trust
• 12% believed it was Historic England or English Heritage
• 11% said it was a local committee including the vicar, churchwardens and ordinary people
• 1% believed it was another organisation

So, who does pay for church repairs to keep these buildings open and in use?

The responsibility for the upkeep, care and maintenance of historic churches falls on the shoulders of the local congregation, including any staff – but in almost all cases it is mainly volunteers – at each church, chapel, meeting house or cathedral.

One in every 20 churches in the UK needs a new roof in the next year. There are almost 1,000 churches, chapels, meeting houses and cathedrals on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register. We know from speaking to churches that they are putting off urgent repairs because they do not have the money. Grants are scarce and application forms take time and fundraising expertise – many churches do not have paid staff who can apply or are unaware of what help there is out there.

Towers are crumbling. Timbers are rotting. Roofs are leaking. We risk losing some of these buildings for good if action is not taken soon.

And the funding landscape is changing with the end of the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme - listed churches will now have to pay tax on their repairs. Keep up with the latest news on these changes at our website: https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/VAT

📸 © Michael Garlick, CC BY 2.0 (Toftree All Saints, Norfolk)

26/02/2026

Soup lunch every Saturday during Lent at St Andrew's Hagbourne

19/02/2026

First of our Lent Lunches this Saturday at St Andrew's Hagbourne.