Church groups

An informal group for babies and toddlers. Baby Barnacles begins at 2pm in Church with the ringing of a bell, followed by a simple service, then a time for play with a drink and a biscuit in the hall, ending at 3pm.

The group normally meets in Church during term time on alternate Wednesdays at 2pm, but please check the weekly newsletter.

A group for older children which meets during the 10am service during term time. From time to time Barnacles have days out.

There is a dedicated band of bellringers who practise on Tuesday evenings. The bellringers take part in competitions and have outings, and other groups of bellringers are welcome to visit St Barnabas.

We have a relatively light ring of eight bells, perfect for learning on. Ringing is a light exercise for all ages and abilities, and our teachers would happily give you a go at our traditional British pastime. Come up the tower and have a pull.

Visit the Linslade Ringing website for the latest tower news.

The Choir at St Barnabas now consists of approximately 14 choristers, and we are recruiting more members — particularly youngsters — to maintain a choir for St Barnabas for the future.

We attend two Sunday services per week (Parish Communion and Sung Evensong) and occasional weekday services as required. There are also weddings where we are requested to sing. An anthem is sung each week.

Every month we sing a Choral Evensong in an Anglican Book of Common Prayer style. We sing a setting to the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, and also an Anthem. Evensong has been sung weekly in our Church since its consecration. The choir supports the Royal School of Church Music and we attend Festivals.

Choir practice is normally held on Friday evenings at 7pm for one hour. Contact Richard Watts for more information, via the Parish Office.

This is a new group. Details can be found at friendsofstbarnabas.org.uk.

A loyal band of unpaid volunteers who look after the twelfth century church and grounds of St Mary's in Old Linslade.

The Friends organise many events to raise funds for the upkeep of St Mary's, including selling cream teas in the summer and Christmas concerts. Dates when St Mary's is open can be found in the weekly newsletter.

A Julian Meeting for silent prayer is held regularly, on the last Wednesday of the month. The meetings, which take place in the Lady Chapel at 4pm, are mainly a time for silent prayer and contemplation, with some direction by a member of the group.

The nearest active group is at All Saints, Leighton Buzzard, which meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 8pm.

We provide the music for All-age services each year including Christmas and Harvest. We play a variety of hymns and modern worship songs, using specially arranged parts. New members are always welcome.

Contact Richard Watts via the Parish Office.

Reaching out and providing assistance to those less fortunate than ourselves is very important. The Outreach group plans and coordinates our assistance, and organises a number of events to raise money for Outreach. Each year we choose a local, a national and an overseas charity to support.

This work is in addition to the valiant efforts of the congregation to make the annual house-to-house collection for Christian Aid. We aim to deliver envelopes to every house in Linslade.

The Sunday School is for children aged between 4 and 8 (there is a crèche for the very young at the back of the Church). It is held during the 10am service, with the exception of the monthly 10am All Age Eucharist, which is especially for the Sunday School and all young families.

The Theology Group meets monthly. The group chooses a theology book and works through it a chapter at a time.

Tuesday Toddlers is held in the hall during term time from 9.00 to 11.00. All children up to rising fives are invited along with their parents and carers.

There is a wide assortment of suitable toys where children can play, or dress up, draw or sit quietly in our warm, spacious hall. Tea, coffee and juices are available, usually with cake or biscuits for the adults, and juice, cake and biscuits for the children. All cakes and biscuits are nut free, and we do not use coffee or nuts in cake.

The adults all help clear away the toys whilst the children sit on the large mats and have ‘join in songs’ that are easy to learn.

For more information contact Pam Morris on 01525 851004 or TuesdayTodlersLinslade@gmail.com.

The Cell of Our Lady and St Joseph, Linslade, was formed in 1982 with ten members by one of our former incumbents — initially a pilgrimage to Walsingham was the spur to forming a Cell. Since then we have gone from strength to strength with a current membership of 24 members. Most of our members live locally, but there are several who live at a distance — North Yorkshire, Hampshire, Milton Keynes, Biggleswade, and New Zealand.

We induct members either at St Barnabas or at Walsingham whilst on pilgrimage. Our pilgrimage usually takes place in the autumn. Once a month our Walsingham Mass is celebrated with Walsingham as its intention, usually on the last Saturday of the month at 9.30am in St Barnabas. Every third Sunday Benediction is sung after Evensong at 7.00pm in St Barnabas.

We maintain a candle at Walsingham, and this is renewed each year.

As part of our membership of the Cell we recite the Angelus twice a day — at home, at work, or wherever — at 8.30am and 6.00pm, remembering each other and Walsingham in our prayers, bringing us closer with this devotion, a most important part of our Cell life.

The Wives' Fellowship meets regularly.