This is an information page on various church and local activities  

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The Ride and Stride
for Wiltshire Historic Churches Trust ​
will take place on Saturday, 12 September 2026

The annual Ride and Stride in support of Wiltshire’s Historic Churches Trust will take place on Saturday, 12 September.  Lidbrook Benefice has supported this event for over 40 years and this year will be no exception.  Please watch this space for more information about the route and the organisation. Contact details for our organisers is provided on the post below and a link to our JustGiving page is here. 

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Lidbrook Benefice Christian Aid
​May Challenges and Activities 2026

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​This year, we have been undertaking a number of events to publicise and raise money for Christian Aid's appeal for Kenya.

In order to complete the 70k in May challenge we:

• Undertook an 8km family-friendly walk on Saturday, 2 May starting and finishing at The White Hart at Ford.
• Tackled a more challenging walk on Monday, 4 May of just over 19km, starting and finishing at Colerne and taking in Biddestone and surrounding area .
• Walked three sections of ​Bristol Diocese' Pilgrimage between ​Swindon and Bristol on Wednesday 20, Thursday 21 and Friday 22 May when we visited over a dozen churches and community projects and added another 52km to our total, which reached 79km.
  • We experienced rain, cold wind and hot sun. Our feet were sore our backs ached, our energy was spent and we had long days with some very early starts to get into Bristol. It was an extraordinary three days of walking with different people from across the Diocese. We stopped and prayed for the churches en route, sowing kingdom seeds and wild flower seeds as we went. We experienced the kindness of strangers, hospitality of churches, learned more about Black Lives Matter and pollinating corridors and had the joy of listening to a children’s choir.
  • At St Mary's Henbury we saw the earliest grave of an enslaved boy/man, named as Scipio Africanus, who died in 1720 at just 18, and within the church we read the Black Lives Matter plaque, which tells an important story of those enriched by such deaths.  It was very powerful.  So glad we have a fuller understanding but the heart breaks for the terrible injustice and squandering of precious human life. 

In addition, we held a sponsored cycle ride for children (3-13yrs) on the Old Coach Road (in Colerne) on Saturday 9th May.  The children were brilliant!  They had so much energy, enthusiasm and fun and cycled over 70 miles between them!  Incredible!  Well done and thank you.

Our finale was a Community Concert at St John the Baptist, Colerne on Thursday, 28 May from 6 to 8pm.  It was a fabulous evening for performers and audience of all ages.  Thank you to everyone who played, sang, recited poetry and entertained us so well.

Thank you for supporting Christian Aid!

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The People's Emergency Briefing came to Colerne on Friday, 10 July

We listened to the scientific evidence that was shared with MPs last November and heard what this means for us and for our preparedness.  After the film, there was a facilitated discussion and debate.

The People's Emergency Briefing is a 50-minute documentary film and grassroots campaign that brings together leading experts to present the facts on the interconnected climate and nature crises.  Launched nationally in April 2026, the project features experts delivering unfiltered assessments on threats to food supply, health, and national security, alongside discussions on actionable resilience solutions.  The film combines authoritative scientific evidence from an expert briefing held in Westminster (chaired by Professor Mike Berners-Lee) with real public reactions and commentary from familiar faces like Chris Packham, Deborah Meaden, and Jennifer Saunders.
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The Screening Team was: Colerne Parish Council Climate and Biodiversity Working Group, Wild Colerne, St John the Baptist Eco Church.

Women’s Retreat to Lee Abbey 30th Jan - 1st Feb 2026

This year's Lidbrook Benefice Women’s Retreat took place on the weekend of January 30th - February 1st, 2026, at Lee Abbey in Devon. This was our fourth trip to this beautiful Christian retreat centre.  The retreat provides an opportunity for rest, time with the Lord and as much fellowship or solitude as you feel you would like.  It’s a beautiful place to get outside into Creation and feel its restorative power.  There are Services and events organised by our hosts that you are welcome to take or leave. The pace is gentle and unhurried.  

Summer Sewing Project - 2026

Remember this?  Last year we made this beautiful cloth for the Signing of the Wedding Register Table and it has been much used already.  Well this year, guided by Susi and her creative vision, we are taking on another project - inspired by the work of Jacqui Parkinson’s Threads Through the Bible exhibition in Bath recently. So do join us if you’d like to apply your skills, learn some new ones, or simply sew in good company and out of the heat in the cool of the church building.
​All ages are welcome between 2pm and 4pm on Friday afternoons on the following dates: 17th July, 24th July, 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th August. Pop them in your diary now!

Our Eco-Church Summer Sewing Project 2024!

Our summer Eco-Church Sewing Project has created this beautiful altar cloth, which was used for the first time at our Family Harvest Festival service.

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A huge thank you and well done to Strings Incognito for a wonderful, enjoyable performance on Saturday, 18 April 2026 ​and also to all those who came and supported Corsham Churches Foodbank.

Giving, Charity and Mission Work
For information on giving to the church and on charity and mission work, please see our Giving, Charity and Mission Work page here

Open House
​Everyone is invited to come for a cup of tea or coffee and a chance to chat and make friends every Thursday in church.  Open House is not a fundraiser and no charge will be made for the refreshments.
Thursdays 10.15am (following 09.45am Holy Communion). You are most welcome to come to Open House even if you have not been to the service.

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​Women's Evening Bible Study
There are two evening groups - a Wednesday Group and a Thursday Group - which both meet on the 2nd and 4th weeks of months during school term times.
​Contact Karen for more information by clicking here
Ladies' Daytime Bible Study
​Tuesdays 1.45-3.30 pm​ Held at various venues. Contact Margaret Edmonds on 01225 742837 for more information.

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Little Larder
The church operates a Little Larder, which provides non-perishable food and toiletries to those in need.  The items are held in small cupboards located in the South Porch of the church and they are available on an anonymous, self-help basis at any time of the day and night.  Please take what you need and replenish the items when and/or if you can.  

Alpha
Explore Life / Faith / Meaning
Alpha offers the opportunity to explore and discuss the Christian faith in a relaxed and friendly environment.  Should you wish to find out more about Alpha generally, please visit Alpha UK.  The website also enables you to find an available Alpha near you.

Alpha in our area follows the Alpha UK programme and is registered with Alpha UK.  The Alpha sessions are offered once a year.  Should you wish to know more about Alpha in the area, please contact the Alpha Team here.  

Bell-ringing
New bellringers always welcome!  Fun, a bit of exercise and team work, sometimes followed by refreshment.  Should you wish to find out more, please contact the bellringing team here.
Wednesdays 7.30-9.00pm

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Church floodlighting​
Anyone wishing to arrange for the Church Floodlighting to be turned on, perhaps in memory of a loved one, should contact Derek and Julie Burgess on 01225 743999.

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Covid measures in church

We are mindful that Covid and other respiratory diseases are still circulating and seek to take a responsible position in offering protection to those who are vulnerable.  We therefore ask you to consider:

• Not entering the church building if you have Covid-19 or symptoms of Covid-19 or have another serious respiratory illness.
• Sanitizing your hands when entering the building.

In addition, we offer:

• Seating in the North Aisle, which is generally less used than the rest of the church and, therefore, offers more room for people to spread out should they wish to do so.
• ​Communion in two kinds or one kind, as desired.

Colerne Parish Magazine
Available to view via:

• Box, Colerne & Rudloe Link
• ​​Facebook

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