Lacey Green Church
From Lacey Green History
click Church Hallmark Reports for these
click Flower Festival in 1980s photos for all the photos.
click 2015 Exhibition of Wedding Dresses held in the church.
click 2015 Visitors to the Wedding Dresses Exhibition
click RAF Local Residents. Part of 2018 centenary exhibition in the church.
click Reverend Steward for report in the Parish magazine in November 1955
1980 Gift of £9,300 given by Mrs Waite (click Arthur & Joyce Waite for their life story) to re-roof the church in Arthur's memory.
Hallmark October 1990. Extract from the Editor's Diary - "The new vicar inaugurated a pram service on Tuesday mornings.
Hallmark November 1990. Church News by The Rev. Peter Hale
Most Tuesday mornings sees a growing number of prams wending their way into the churchyard and church with mothers and toddlers coming to share in a very informal activity of action songs and stories. As the weeks have passed since this was started it is obvious to us that this is filling a need and is much appreciated by the young mothers who come along. Every Thursday evening at 6.15 pm a group of older children meets in church, at the moment about 14 of them, called Explorers. Bible-based, this is meant to be fun and includes games, activity sheets and model-making and is thoroughly enjoyed by those who come along to it.
Each Sunday morning at 10 am Junior Church meets in the church at the same time as Parish Eucharist and children of all ages are welcome to come along and share in teaching at their own level, before joining their parents for a blessing at the altar.
More recently a group of teenagers – 11 – met after Evensong on Sunday evening in the Vicarage and they are to continue meeting on the first Sunday of every month in the Vicarage. Other teenagers would be welcome to come along and join them.
Such is the Outreach activity taking shape at St. John's, a Ministry of serving the community and we are encouraged by the response so far. Here is the facility – do use it!
Hallmark February 1994. Letter to the editor from Stuart King, Holly Tree Cottage, Kiln Lane :-
Dear Sir,
You asked in the last edition, "What became of Naka Rafju Swayamvarapu?" As Organist and Choir Director at St. John's Church I am probably the best qualified to give a reply to this question. When I took over the post in 1988 our sponsorship of Nuka Raju continued for a further 5 years. We received regular letters from him and the children and adults in the Choir followed his progress with interest. At the end of 1992 we were advised by The Save The Children Fund that as he was 18 years old and was seeking full time employment, we should end the relationship. In his place, however, the Church Choir now sponsors a young girl in Kenya called Jane Wambui Muthoka who is one of a family of eight. Our annual contribution helps her family pay towards the cost of her secondary education.
Incidentally, Lacey Green can be proud of the fact that unlike many villages of its size it has a flourishing Church Choir, a village tradition and institution I have been most honoured to be entrusted with. With a current membership of 20 we work hard week in week out come rain, snow or plagues of locusts assisting Sunday and Holy Day worship. Apart from singing which we love, we have been known to have the occasional party with silly games, the odd barbeque, outing and our carol singing round the pub at Christmas; 1993 raised over £300 for less fortunate children. Our doors are always open to new members. At present we would particularly welcome more youngsters (minimum age 7 with a good reading skill, some basic musical knowledge and an ability to submit to firm but fair discipline) and we require urgently an assistant choir director and organist.
Stuart king
Hallmark March 1995. VE Day Commemoration and Celebration By Peter Hale
There are probably many in our community who remember the day in 1945 – I recall it as a teenager in Lincolnshire. Fifty years is a long time and generations are now growing up which have no knowledge of the events which preceded that day. The horrors of the war in Europe, the bombing of our country, and the tremendous loss of life, both military and civilian. When we come to such an anniversary it is good that we pause to do two things – to celebrate and commemorate.
In our community, together with Speen, there will be a Thanksgiving & Commemoration Service in St. John's on Sunday May 7th at 10.00am. I hope that many in our community will come along that morning and share in that worship. I shall be sending out letters to various organisations but please take this as An Omnibus Invitation to say 'Thank You' to God for our deliverance on that day and the 50 years that have followed
This is our Commemoration so my wife and I would like very much to extend that to a Celebration on the next day which is going to be a Bank Holiday. We would like to have a Parash Picnic in the Vicarage grounds. Every one bring their own picnic, and drinks, and games for the children we will provide. No charge for admission to the ground. Come and celebrate and have fun. We would like to suggest that everyone coming wears or carries something in our national colours to make it all bright and jolly (I daren't say gay!)
Let us make good use of this Commemoration, for most of us will not see the Centenary!
Hallmark August 2020. Welcome Back to St Johns Church. Report by Pat Rushmere
We had our first service on Tuesday 14th July at 9:30am and the first Sunday service will be held on the 19th July at 10:00am.
We are operating under the Diocesan Covid guidelines and therefore there will only be these 2 services each week as the Church has to be sanitized between services or alternatively, we have to leave a 72 hours gap between services.
No singing is permitted and face masks should be worn. Social distancing is 2m and hand sanitizers will be available. A disposable service sheet will be handed out at each service as prayer books cannot be used. You can of course bring your own if you wish.
Holy Communion will take place in a different format but. advice will be given on the procedure on the day.
The Pewsheet will continue to be distributed by email and the Zoom service will continue for the foreseeable future, but at a later time of 11:00am.
Both Schools have had services in Church this week. St John’s School leavers had their service on the 16th July and Speen School on 17th July. There were approximately 45 leavers from St John’s School - as always, some sadness but many happy memories!
Hallmark February 2021. St. John's Church by Pat Rushmore. Like most others, we have had a very uncertain time since the last issue of Hallmark. Whilst the church was open, services continued as usual and in addition we had zoom services on Sundays at 11 am as many people felt safer, or indeed needed to shield. The Zoom service still has good numbers and we have seen some new faces, and some people who have returned to Church, during these services.
Christmas services were a challenge as the number of congregation were limited and the Church had to be sanitised between services. Nevertheless, on Christmas Eve we had a zoomed service which was led from the Church and other places (two live donkeys included), a zoomed Carol Service with lessons being read from different homes and all the services included the excellent singing from the Mole family. The music and singing were fantastic!
On Christmas morning a service was held in the Church and this service was zoomed to those who could not attend.
Now of course, as we are in lockdown once more, we are back to Zoom services only at 10am on Sundays and 9.30am on Tuesdays.
The Church is also open for Private Prayer on two days during the week (Tuesday morning from 10am to 10.30am and Thursday evening from 7pm to 7.30pm). If you would like to join in the Zoom services you can contact Canon Tony or one of the Churchwardens for details. You will be most welcome
The pictures were taken in the Church at Christmas - not our usual display but the important things were there! Here is hoping that in 2021 life will return to normal.
Hallmark June 2020. The Church of Saint John The Evangelist —A Brief History. By Tony Bundock Did you know that five years from now the Church of St. John the Evangelist which serves the Parish of Lacey Green, Loosley Row and Speen, will be 200 years old?
It was built during the period from May 1823 to May 1825, originally as a Chapel of Ease attached to the Parish Church of St. Mary’s, Princes Risborough, and constructed in traditional Chiltern flint. The Church was consecrated by the Right Reverend George Pelham, Bishop of Lincoln, at a morning service on 3rd July 1825 in the sixth year of the reign of the then young Queen Victoria.
The preacher was the Archdeacon of Bedford, the Venerable Henry Kay Bonney. There was also an evening service that day at which the preacher was the Reverend Richard London, Prebendary of St. Paul’s Cathedral; and a service at which 19 baptisms took place!
Victorian Anglicans, whether from the Evangelical or Catholic tradition, actively engaged in a campaign to restore the Church of England to the heart of national life. Something like a third of our Church buildings were constructed in the 19th Century and St. John’s can therefore be said to have been part of this major national initiative.
The Victorians, and notably the Church, also sought to promote education for the wider population with many church schools being built including St. John’s School in Lacey Green, dating from 1842, and Speen School dating back to 1874.
St. John’s Church was originally configured as a simple cruciform building consisting only of the present nave and two transepts. Extensive alterations took place in 1871 when the polygonal chancel was added with its very fine painted ceiling. Two galleries were removed as being considered to be “obstructing the architectural proportions of the church”, The pulpit was also added at this time.
In 1993, the floor was renewed with a time capsule being placed underneath; the floor tiles were made in Staffordshire. In 1994, the west gallery was converted into the Upper Room which is used for meetings, social gatherings, and children’s activities.
The south transept was first set up in 1927 as what is now the Lady Chapel, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, having previously contained inward facing pews. By 1980 “the chapel and its furnishings had fallen into some disrepair”. Since then the Lady Chapel has been completely redecorated and refurnished with chairs made locally in Stokenchurch.
The pipe organ at St. John’s is a 1792 example of the work of the well-known 18th Century organ builder Samuel Green, who was also responsible for the 1783 organ in High Wycombe Parish Church, and the 1790 organ in St. George’s Chapel, Windsor.
In 1944, a bequest was received from a Lacey Green resident, Mrs. Carter of “Gracefield”, and this provided the opportunity for major works to the organ which was at the time in poor condition. These works were Carried out by Kingsgate Davidson of London. The renovation works to the organ which have recently been proposed involve a degree of restoration of the organ partially to its original Georgian condition.
The original pews were of stained pine with raked backs and one of these pews remains in situ at the back of the church. The present light oak pews were acquired from a school chapel in London.
The pastoral area of the Parish of Lacey Green, Loosely Row & Speen was formed in August 1851, out of part of the Parish of Princes Risborough. St. John’s continued to be known as a Parochial Chapel until 1868 when it officially became a Parish Church under the direction of the Bishop of Oxford.
At the same time, the title of the minister-in-charge was changed from Perpetual Curate to Vicar. In 1998 the Risborough Team Ministry came into existence and comprises the Parishes of Princes Risborough, Monks Risborough, and Bledlow; together with St. John’s, Lacey Green, Loosley Row & Speen. The Team Ministry exists to promote across the wider benefice the following aims:
- Mutual support
- Collaboration in Christian training and development
- Joint ventures in worship and mission
- Clergy and other ministerial cover.
More detailed information about St. John’s Church can be found on our website: www.stjohnschurchlaceygreen.co.uk
Hallmark February 2024. Christmas Service at St Johns. Report by Tony Bundock
It was a very successful Christmas at Saint John’s, as it was for the Church of England as a whole. Each year the Dioceses of the Church of England collect attendance data from each Parish and our experience seems to match the national picture that weekly numbers suggest that we are gradually moving back to where we were before the Covid 19 pandemic lockdown.
In fact, the Bishop of Oxford has advised his clergy that attendances at Christmas services for 2023 were higher than they were in 2019.
So far as Saint John’s is concerned, our most popular Christmas services now seem to be the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols on the evening of the Sunday before Christmas and which follows the traditional King’s College Cambridge pattern; and our Crib Service on the afternoon of Christmas Eve which attracts a great number of younger families and children.
The Service of Nine Lessons and Carols featured our talented and enthusiastic choir, and a number of guest readers from the wider community including our two parish schools. The Crib Service for 2023 included the story “Little Old Donkey” which involved fifteen glove puppets held by children from the congregation, as well as four young lesson readers, and a moving performance of “Away in a Manger” with Makaton sign language.
Midnight Mass continues to have a distinctive appeal although the indications are that it is not as popular as was once the case, with adverse weather that night possibly a factor for 2023.
There was a good attendance at our Christmas morning service which felt very relaxing after the very busy period leading up to it: and we were pleased to mark saint John’s festival day on the 27th December with a special patronal service and cake and wine to follow.