Welcome from our Churchwardens
Joyce, Hash, Ian & Bryan
It's amazing how difficult it can be to step over the threshold of a church: 'I'm divorced, they'll all be judging me'; 'I'm gay, the church rejects me'; 'God is an old man in the sky, remote and uncaring'; 'Christians are fanatics and ignorant'. These are just some of the thoughts that might stop many of us from stepping into a church. Most of us however through the point of a year may go to church for a wedding, funeral or christening; if you come here I hope you will be pleasantly surprised. The 'Church' is varied and made up of people just like you; we aren't any different, we just happen to be out of step with the time in that we find coming together and drawing upon the wealth of the Christian tradition to be spiritually enriching and life enhancing.
But, church, isn't just about worship on Sunday. Here at St Andrew's our doors are open Monday-Sunday for Christians, atheists, agnostics and those of other faiths. People visit us for all sorts of different reasons, and whoever you are and why-ever you come, we welcome you to be part of our community. You are warmly invited to: visit our cafe, open through the week; attend a free Tuesday recital; bring your baby to a baby group; sit in our peaceful gardens, or to attend an evening concert, for example.
But, it's not just about coming to us, we are also engaged with and part of the local community. St Andrew's Benn is our church school, 'a wonderful, caring school that values each and every one of its children. We have a fantastic team of teachers, support staff, admin staff and lunchtime supervisors that contribute to our family environment'. St Andrew's supports the work of the Harris Church of England Academy and a member of our congregation is the Chair of Governors. Our Children and Family Minister visits schools in the parish and works in partnership with Barnardo's.
As the Civic Church of Rugby, we are host to the annual Civic Service, when we pray for and welcome the new Mayor. Our Rector leads the annual Remembrance Sunday at the Memorial Gates and prays for the civic life of the town.
Members of our congregation are involved in the life of the town in all sorts of ways, with charity work for Rotary and the Lions, involvement with local charities like the Benn Partnership Centre, Hope 4, the Bradby Club and many more. Christians live out their daily lives Monday-Saturday and we encourage whole-life discipleship.
We hope you will be surprised to find that our church is a welcoming and inclusive community, seeking the good of the town and all its people. What does it mean to live well? What does it mean to live in harmony with my neighbour? How do we build community? Where is truth to be found? We can explore these questions together: Come and See!
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Parish Safeguarding
We take the safeguarding of children, young people and the vulnerable very seriously. In the document immediately below you will find the contact details of our Parish Safeguarding Officers. The Diocesan 24 hour contact number is 024 7652 1345.
Safeguarding Statement with contact numbers.
Our Parish Safeguarding Policy