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Please find below an introduction to our church leaders and members of staff.
We are in a period of Vacancy and hence do not have a vicar.

     
     
Neil-Whitaker-800   Jayne
Church Warden Neil Whitaker   Church Warden Jayne Robinson
Neil is originally from Halifax but has lived in Silsden since 1995, being a member of the congregation at St James, Silsden since 1998.  Neil has recently retired from the legal profession, in Leeds. He plays the keyboard for our 11.00 service and is a Home Group Leader.   Jayne was born in Keighley and grew up in Silsden where she was confirmed at St James at the age of 12. She has worked at Airedale Hospital most of her working life mainly as a medical secretary. She enjoys working with Churches Together in Silsden and Contact Club.
     
Brian Goddard   Alison
Deputy Church Warden Brian Goddard   Verger Alison Winstanley
Brian has been a member of St James since 2015. He is married to Val and has 2 grown up children and 5 grandchildren. He has led the fundraising campaign for Project 200+, is a Home Group leader and is particularly interested in Bible teaching and understanding the links between Old and New Testament.   Alison has worshipped at St James since she came to live in Silsden in 1997. She is the verger, helping the clergy at weddings and funerals. She also co-leads our lively Wednesday House Group on Zoom and the Bible Course, and has helped run numerous Alpha courses.
     
    Deborah Thorley
    Deborah Thorley
    Deborah was born in England’s smallest county Rutland and lived in Suffolk and Lancashire until she moved to Yorkshire to study in 1986. Deborah is a church bell ringer, and that is what brought her to St James’. She was asked to be the tower captain when the bells were rehung in 2001. Since coming to church at St James, Deborah has been confirmed, has been the PCC Treasurer since 2006 and the church administrator since 2013.
 

If you need to contact the Church then please visit the Contact Us page.

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 on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

We meet at the Church Building (details here) for our Sunday Services with one at 9:30am and another at 11:00am.  When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team who will be wearing a Welcome lanyard.

We serve tea, coffee and biscuits in the hall between the services.  It is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to find your bearings. We ask for a small contribution towards the refreshments. If you are coming to the 11.00 service, refreshments will be available from about 10.15 onwards.

The first Sunday in the month we hold a "Gathering" service. This is an informal service held in the Church Hall. It is preceded by a light breakfast at 9.15, and then the service begins at 10am. Following this is a short spoken Holy Communion Service in the church to which you are welcome to stay.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access through the Community Hall, 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 at the back of church as well as in the hall.

Our Services

The 9.30 service is a formal Holy Communion led by a visiting cleric or Rev Bob, or Rev Pat. The service is projected on screens, and hymns accompanied by Chris, our organist. The service lasts about 50 minutes. The service is also streamed. It is uploaded to Youtube.

The 11.00 service is a less formal gathering and will be different every week. Music is provided by videos on the screen, or by our small worship group. There will be readings, a talk, sometimes there is congregational participation. We try to have members of the congregation involved as much as possible. The services are put together by various lay people or groups of people - for example one of the home groups.

The first Sunday in the month we hold a cafe-style service - The Gathering. We meet in the hall at 9.15 for breakfast, and then start an informal service at 10 am, sat around the same tables, which ends just before 11.00. This is then followed by a short spoken Communion Service held in the church. You are welcome to come to just The Gathering, just the Communion, or both!

At the end of all services we share news and notices, usually about what’s going on in the life of the church.at  - plus at The Gathering,  a Birthday slot with chocolate for the birthday person!

images: Services

What about my kids?

Unfortunately at the moment we do not have enough children attending the services to make Children's Work during the service viable, although we would love this to change.
We have a child-friendly area with a box of toys and activities available. There are also bags for younger children containing a toy, some crayons and paper, and a couple of books.
Childrens area

Pizza Praise is a new initiative (January 2024) on a Sunday at 4pm. A time of singing, games and stories aimed at families primarily with children aged 5-8

 

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 several groups that meet throughout the week. 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
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 

We are in a period of Vacancy at present - the churchwardens Neil Whitaker and Jayne Robinson are in charge.
 
We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.