St James' Benwell
Welcome! St James’ is your Church of England church in the heart of Benwell. St James was built in 1833 and has been serving the West-end of Newcastle ever since. You are welcome here no matter what your background.
During the pandemic we will worship together as a team at the Venerable Bede West Road.
St James'
Benwell Lane
NE15 6RS
Who's who?
Team Rector:
The Revd David Kirkwood
0191 273 5356
David joined St James in April 2016, having previously been Team Rector at North Shields. Originally from Grimsby he has worked in parishes in Lincoln, London and Kent before moving to the North East originally to be nearer to family. He is married to Elspeth and they have four more or less grown up children. Their eldest lives in Japan with his wife Hiromi and after a visit in 2015 this has inspired a not very successful but on going attempt to learn Japanese.
David is a keen cyclist, so if you seem him riding around Benwell, give him a wave!
Assistant Curate:
The Revd Chris Minchin
07792267223
Chris grew up in Newcastle and found faith as a teenager when a friend first took him to Church. After living in lots of different cities he is very happy to be back in the North-East and working in the Benwell & Scotswood Team.
He trained for ministry at the College of the Resurrection, Mirfield, but before that Chris worked as an artist and trained in Sculpture at the Royal College of Art. Making art will always be a big part of his life. He also loves travelling and enjoys getting lost in other countries.
Church Wardens:
Pat Young
0191 273 3738
Pat was elected as Church Warden in May 2017, having recently retired from Atkinson Road Nursery School where she have worked for 43 years. Pat loves to play guitar and helps to lead the worship in church. She is also treasurer for the Good Neighbour Project in Pendower.
Christina Wilson
0191 272 7282
Christina was elected Church Warden in May 2018. She also joined St James in the 1980’s and is a committed member of our congregation, who’s main concern is looking after our amazing building. Christina is also a member of the music group and she runs the Tuesday Lunch club.
Email:
Reader:
Térèse Wilkinson
Phone: 0191 272 4831
Terese has been coming to St James since the 1980s and has always played an active part in the life of the church and the Benwell team.
Terese became a Reader in 2014 and leads services, preaches, leads a Bible Study group and is a member of the Music Group.
Terese works full time at a large secondary school in Newcastle.
What's on?
Sadly, until further notice, all regular events below are cancelled.
TUESDAY
Bible Study, 11am-12pm
All welcome, we are a friendly group that discuss some reflections on short passages of Scripture.
Lunch Break, 12-2pm
Free lunch (donations welcome!) come and go as you please, this is a time to spend meeting your community, it is for anyone, any age, any background, any ability and any beliefs.Contact: Christina
Heritage & Environment group, 1-4pm
History talks, tours, exhibitions, and volunteering with gardening in the graveyard. Or visitors can explore the church and graveyard. Activities run until about 2pm, and the Church is open for you to look around or prayer and quiet until 4pm.Contact: Judith
Visit their website here
WEDNESDAY
West End Voices, 7-8.30pm (term time only)
A friendly and fun community choir led by Kat Davidson of the Sage. Everyone is welcome – all ages and abilities. There are no auditions, no need to read music – just enjoy the singing! The West End Voices meet at St. James Church on a Wednesday from 7-8.30pm during school term time. The choir is currently free of charge but small voluntary donations are welcome.
Contact: Pat
THURSDAY
9am – Morning Prayer
9.30am – Holy Communion
(in traditional language from the Book of Common Prayer)
Coffee and Dominos, 10am-12pm
Drop in for coffee and chat or play dominos or other games with our friendly group.
Contact: Adam at the Chain Reaction Team. 0191 273 7443
Asylum seeker drop-in, 1-4pm
St James’ hall is open every Thursday afternoon for anyone who wants to come in. We have chess, board games, films, tea & coffee as well as specific support for Asylum seekers but anyone is welcome – come whenever and stay for as long as you want.
1-4 بعد از ظهر – هر هفته پناهجو را ترک کنید.
بازی ها، فیلم ها، چای، قهوه، دوره غسل تعمید، مکالمه انگلیسی، حمایت از مهاجرت.
برای اطلاعات بیشتر با پدر پدر کریس در WhatsApp تماس بگیرید:
07792267223
Contact: Chris
Bible Study with Farsi translation, 4.30pm, (every other Thursday)
4.30pm – مطالعه کتاب مقدس فارسی با مترجم (هر دو هفته)
Joint with Holy Cross Church Fenham, we have a Bible study and an introduction to Christianity course for Persian Christians. We have a Farsi translator, we study the Bible, pray together, and discuss questions about faith.
Contact: Chris
Centre for Heritage & Culture
St James is also a Centre for Heritage and Culture, celebrating the past and present of the people who live in our area. Many of the activities are run by the Heritage and Environment Group, which you can read about below.
Heritage & Environment Group
This project started in 2009 when a group of volunteers came together to tidy up the graveyard and to find out who was buried there. Since then it has expanded its work to include events and activities, exhibitions, and publications about local history. The Group meets regularly to maintain and improve the historic graveyard and to run a drop-in where visitors can consult the burial records and other resources, view exhibitions and explore the church and graveyard. It also runs a range of activities and events for people of all ages to find out about and celebrate the local heritage and environment.
Visit: every Tuesday 1-4pm at St James’ Church, Benwell Lane
Write to:
St James Heritage & Environment Group c/o Search
74 Adelaide Terrace
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE4 9JN
Email: stjamesbenwell@gmail.com
Website: stjameschurchnewcastle.wordpress.com