We are a family of five Church of England parishes, north of Gloucester.
Sandhurst, Down Hatherley, Norton, Staverton with Boddington and The Leigh
Our group of churches is known as a ‘benefice’. The word benefice means to ‘make blessed’, and as such, we aim to be a lively community of faith, hope and love, a community that embraces the blessing of God’s love, and shares that blessing with one another and those within our parishes.
Our pattern of worship ‘travels’ each Sunday and includes a variety of styles, from traditional to informal gatherings for all ages. People from every parish are invited and anyone can come and see.
We love to welcome new people and make new friends. If you would like to join in or find out more, please get in touch or click here to see what’s happening in the coming weeks.
In January 2024 we introduced our new structure with one Joint Council for all our churches, plus local teams at parish level and benefice vision groups who focus on different aspects of our benefice life. This is an innovative structure that helps us support and work with each other more effectively, sharing the load and joys of our Christian life, both individually and corporately.
We are part of a global family of Christians, living out our faith locally but with a heart for the wider world too. The diocese is part of the Church of England, which itself is part of the Anglican Communion, a worldwide family of churches with more than 70 million adherents in 38 provinces spreading across 161 countries!
Our clergy team is supported by many lay people from our church communities. It is wonderful that many people give their time and talents in a huge variety of ways and by doing so are putting their faith in action. Much of our activity is based on our benefice vision which was developed some years ago, giving us all a focus as we move forward on our journey of faith.
Our mission is:
‘Connecting people to God and to one another through the transforming love of Jesus Christ’.
Our verse for 2026 is:
‘Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind’. Philippians 2:2