Parish News Magazine 

 

About

The Bishop’s Waltham & Upham Parish News is a very popular magazine, considered the go-to publication for local news, information and events.

We publish 10 full-colour issues per year with an average of 60 pages per issue.  These are made available at the start of each month, with two combined issues in August/September and December/January. Copies are made available in church, the local Co-Op, Post Office and Spar newsagent and posted directly through subscribers' letterboxes, with a monthly distribution of 1080 copies.  Each issue is A4 and in full colour throughout. 

Subscribe to receive every issue....

The current issue is available in Bishop's Waltham Post Office, Co Op and in the Spar Newsagent for just £1.50.
To subscribe to all 10 issues for just £15 per year (includes free delivery) please contact our Distribution Manager, Vanessa Emmerson by emailing VanessaEmmerson@hotmail.co.uk

View Recent Issues

Advertise with us!

The Parish News offers advertisers an opportunity to reach the community and promote your services, with advert options being in full colour or black and white and ranging from a 1 block ad (twelfth of a page) to a full-page ad.  
For an illustration of ad sizes, please click here.

To place an ad for the coming year (10 issues starting from February 2025 through to the December 2025-January 2026 issue) click here.

​We also offer a cost-effective ad design service – see pricing below.    

Advert Pricing

Ad sizes (in blocks)
For an illustration of ad sizes, please click here.
Full Colour Monochrome
(B & W)
Ad design fee
(if required)
1 (12th of an A4 page) 180 105 10
2 300 175 20
3 (quarter page) 415 245 20
4 535 315 30
6 (half page: A5 landscape) 770 450 40
12 (whole page: A4 portrait) 1260 735 50

To place an ad for the coming year (10 issues starting from February 2025 through to the December 2025-January 2026 issue), click the button below: Place an advert

If you have any queries please contact the Advertising Manager, Justine Greenfield:
Email: parishnews.ads@stpetersbw.org.uk 


Submit an article

If you would like to submit an article which is of local interest, we'd love to hear from you. 
Email your article to the editorial team at bwuparishnews@gmail.com 
 
Glenys
Hello and welcome to our church. 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.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello 

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect. The church is open every day during daylight hours and you are always welcome to come in to sit quietly or pray. We have lots of events and groups during the week, but the main times we all get together are on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

We meet at St Peter's main church building (details here) for our Sunday Services:

  • 8 - 8.45am Reflective communion (no songs)
  • 9 - 10.15am Traditional service (organ & choir)
  • 10.30 - 11:45am Informal service (band with children's groups)

When you arrive, you'll be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team who will be wearing a Welcome lanyard.

We serve tea, coffee and biscuits between the traditional and informal services - usually 10.15 - 10.35am. It is a great way to meet people and all refreshments are free.

Travel
There are seven parking spaces available in Maypole Green and some on-street parking on Free Street otherwise please park in the town centre car parks - or even better, walk or cycle if you are able!

Accessibility
There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There is a disabled toilet.

images: Services
 

Our Services


8am Reflective Communion

This is a quiet, said service, with no singing, using traditional words from the 1984 Church of England Book of Common Prayer (BCP). When you arrive you'll be greeted by the welcome team and given a song book and a service sheet that have all the words you'll need if you want to join in with the congregational parts, but you're welcome to just sit quietly. The services all follow the same format of wording each week, interspersed with prayers and a short talk, and finishing with shared communion.
 

9am Traditional Service

This service is a traditional Church of England service. When you arrive you'll be greeted by the welcome team and given a song book and a service sheet that have all the words you'll need if you want to join in with the congregational parts. There is a mix of spoken words and prayers (some by the vicar, some you can join in with) and traditional hymns played on the organ and usually accompanied by the robed choir. Free refreshments are served at the end of the service so do stay and chat over a coffee.
 

10:30am Sunday Central (informal service with kids work)

Join us for free refreshments from 10.15am. The service begins at 10:40am with a time of sung worship, led by our band or recorded music. We typically have 2 or 3 songs lasting approximately 20 minutes. All the words you need appear on the screen if you want to join in, but don't feel you have to! The service will usually include notices, prayers, a reading from the bible and some other songs. One of our leaders will give a sermon that is bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then finish with a final worship song.
 


Children

What about my kids?

There is a kids area at one side of the church that your children are always welcome to use during any service.

We run a dedicated kids programme alongside the 10.30am service for children aged 3-11. The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there's a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

Young people 12+ are encouraged to stay in the service and have their own separate group that meets on a Sunday evening.

For more information see the Children and Youth page.

Getting Connected

 

Small Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team. 

Other Ministries

We also run the following ministries:

  • Men's Ministries
  • Women's Ministries
  • Babies, toddlers & pre-schooler groups during the week

Leadership

 

James-Hunt-2021 (300x400)
James - Rector
James has been rector of St. Peter's (and Blessed Mary, Upham) since 2008. Married to Rebecca with three grown-up children, James is a keen golfer.
 


Get in touch

If you'd like to have a chat or have questions for me, or are thinking of joining us at St. Peter's please do send me an email or give me a call.

rector@stpetersbw.org.uk // 07570042916

We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.

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