Our faith and how we practise it

Our faith

to worship God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the beauty of holiness
to proclaim and teach the good news of Jesus Christ
to use the gifts God has given us to do His will and build his kingdom on earth
to enable each other to grow in faith, hope and love
to be a loving and inclusive church family
to be faithful to our calling

How we practise it

God-centred

God, who made us all, who in Jesus died and rose for us all and who fills us all, is at the centre of the lives of all the members of our church family. All that we have is from God; all that we are is for God; all that we do is with God. Through worship, prayer, service and mission we seek to do God’s will and to build His kingdom.

Eucharistic

Jesus is made known to us, and we receive him, in the breaking of bread and the drinking of wine. The heart of our life and fellowship together is the Holy Communion. We aim to be the Lord’s people around the Lord’s table on the Lord’s day on Sunday.
In the beauty of holiness of our dignified Prayer Book liturgy, we offer God thanks and worship, as we hear his word, receive forgiveness for our sins, offer ourselves to him and receive spiritual food for our journey and strength to do his work. At each Holy Communion service, we open ourselves to be transformed by the word we hear and the Sacrament we in faith receive.

Committed

We dedicate our lives to the love and praise of God and the love and service of our neighbour, seven whole days, not one in seven. We believe that God has given every one of us gifts and time to be used in his service, in this place to which he has called us and in all the circumstances of our daily lives. Through our baptism each of us has a ministry in the body of Christ and we encourage each other to find and exercise that ministry.

Inclusive, friendly and welcoming

God accepts each of us as we are and we in turn seek to accept each other and to welcome all who come to share our worship. We believe that in Christ we are all equal. With all our faults and weaknesses, we are a family and a home, offering friendship and support, open to all who form part of our community.

Serving

Jesus commands us to serve one another and to show his self-giving love. We are to be outward, not inward, looking people. We seek by our lives to proclaim the gospel both in word and deed to all whom we meet. Reconciliation, justice and peace and the care of God’s creation lie at the heart of our service to the world.

Giving

We believe that we have received freely from God and that we must give freely of our time, our gifts and our money. We give financially, not only for the work of our parish church, but also, through the church, to those in need and to the wider mission of the church. We aim to give sacrificially, and regularly, to uphold and further our life and witness in this place.

Nurturing

All of us need to grow in our faith, so that we may bear fruit for God. All of us sit at the feet of Jesus, learning to be his disciples, learning to pray, learning the richness of his word, becoming more fully the body of Christ in this place.

Growing

Jesus commissions us to make disciples and each of us seeks, by the witness of our lives, to bring people to God. We seek, through the love of God and neighbour shown in our worship and our welcome, to bring more people into our church family.

Hello and welcome to St Botolph's. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Visitors click here.

Planning your Visit

Welcome to St Botolph's

The following information is specifically for those planning a first visit, so that you know beforehand what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

Our services are at St Botolph's church in the centre of Cambridge (details below). On Sundays these always start at 11.00am. We suggest planning to arrive 10-15 minutes early, especially if driving as parking spaces are in short supply in central Cambridge, and to find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by a sides person who will help you find somewhere to sit and will give you a hymn book and a prayer book, or a service sheet.

We serve tea, coffee and biscuits after the service and we hope very much that you will stay for a chat. It is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to find your bearings. All refreshments are free.

Plan your journey:

Open Google Maps

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access. Please let the sides person know on your arrival and they will help you. Please note access to the toilet requires a step.

The service

Our Sunday service begins at 11am and follows the Book of Common Prayer. On the first, second, fourth and fifth Sundays we have a Sung Eucharist. On the third Sunday we have Choral Mattins with a said service of Holy Communion at 8am. There will be organ music before the service and the bell will ring for about five minutes before the service starts. All services will have a sermon from the Rector or a visiting preacher. These usually last for around 10-15 minutes. The choir plays a part in all services, leading hymns and sung elements of the service. The service ends with an organ voluntary. Many people sit and listen to this for five minutes or so. Others will start to congregate around the tea and coffee table for a chat.

What about children?

We welcome children of all ages and no one should be embarrassed if young ones cry or older ones wander around. We do not have a Sunday School so children remain in the service with their parents. There is a carpeted area in the side chapel which is available for parents and small children who want to step away from the main church for a while.

Getting in touch

Helping with services and the life of the church

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make our services run smoothly, please let us know. We are always looking for help with anything from flowers, to refreshments, to opening the church for visitors during the week and a hundred and one other tasks that keep the life of the community.

Get in touch with us to plan your visit

If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.

Name:

Telephone:

Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.

Leadership


The Rev'd Jonathan Collis, Rector		Sarah Eastwood, Churchwarden

We hope that you will feel at home at St Botolph's.

Best Wishes,
All at St Botolph's