The following report attempts to provide a brief outline of the ‘faith’ situation in Peasedown St John.

It looks at it in terms of;

• Current active Christian Churches in the village,
• ‘Other’ Churches that are represented locally,
• Members/adherents of ‘non-Christian’ faiths that live in Peasedown.

1. The active Christian Churches

This section looks at the five established Churches in and about the village, how many members/ worshippers each has, services and activities held in each, the premises each has, each Church's organisational framework, and most importantly the aims of each organisation.

Bath Road Methodist Church

Members: 65

Worshippers: 75ish

The is not dissimilar from the situation in most Churches where there will be a number of attendees who are not ‘registered’ members yet may still take an active role in Church life.

Services: Sunday, 10.30am Morning Worship. Once a month communion is held plus another Sunday in the month is an ‘all-age worship’ service. There is also an evening service, 6pm, once a month.

Weekly Activities:

Monday mornings and Wednesday afternoons there are prayer group meetings the church.

There are four ‘housegroups’ each week - Tuesday evenings, Wednesday afternoons and evenings, and Sunday evenings.

Tuesday afternoons the Church hosts ‘Meet the Neighbours’.

‘SEEDS’ is also part of Church life – a free weekly toddler group.

The 1^st and the 3^rd Friday in the month is Lunch Club.

The Church is open for tea/coffee/refreshments each Saturday morning.

Other activities – ‘Golden Years Holiday Club’, Summer Olympics, Easter and Christmas Services.

Premises: As I'm sure we have all seen, the Methodist Church has undergone a huge change in its building this past year with a two-story extension built on the side and a ‘radical re-vamp’ of the main worship hall. Premises now include a worship hall with non-fixed seating. The hall now accommodates around 105 for worship. There are two large sized rooms upstairs used for weekly events, Sunday school etc. There is a fully equipped and useable kitchen (quite large as well). In the new two-story extension can be found men’s and women’s toilets (both for disabled use and baby changing.) A meeting room for conferences and other meetings. A vestry, and youth room and shower room.

Outside of the Church is the car park (quite small considering the number of people who use the Church) and a back garden used primarily for summer events such as the Fayre.

Organisational Framework: The Methodist Church works locally in ‘circuits’. This is a group of ten-twenty Methodist Churches in a given area that operates under three-five Ministers, with one being the ‘Superintendent Minister.’

Peasedown St John Methodist Church is one of fifteen that is part of the Midsomer Norton Methodist Church Circuit. The Minister, Revd Ruth Farrant, has pastoral responsibility for four of those churches. The Minister in charge of the circuit is Revd David Watson (based in MSN). Wider still, the MSN Circuit is part of the Bristol District. There are thirty three districts in the UK. The minister in charge of the district is known as a Chairman. All of these districts come under the leadership of the ‘President of the Methodist Conference’ (in office for a year).

In terms of local freedom, many church decisions need approval at the ‘Circuit meeting’. There are (in theory) representatives from each church who attend this. Each local church has its own Church Council (roughly fifteen-twenty five members).

Church Aims: (no information at present)

Carlingcott Methodist Church

Members: (no information at present)

Worshippers: (no information at present)

Services (no information at present)

Weekly Activities: (no information at present)

Premises: (no information at present)

Organisational Framework: (no information at present)

Church aims: (no information at present)

Peasedown St John Christadelphian Church

"Are those who believe the Gospel, are baptised by total immersion in water after which they take an active part in the Memorial Service."

"The majority of worshippers are baptised members. We welcome unbaptised worshippers and visitors."

"We hold a "Memorial" (Communion) Service on Sundays at 11:00am.

At the same time we have Junior Study for children from 4 to 11/12 years and a Senior Study Group for teenagers."

"Sunday evening at 6:00pm we hold a meeting for anyone interested in understanding the Bible fully - topics for these occasions can be varied but are always Bible based."

In addition to the Sunday activities detailed above -

Bible study class is held each Tuesday at 7:45pm.

Coffee morning on the first Thursday of the month.

Christadelphian Hall, Huddox Hill, Peasedown St John, Bath BA2 8EA 

"Our building is on Huddox Hill - our real church is the congregation, so the building is simple and unadorned."

"We are a lay community with no paid ministry. A management committee deals with routine matters and organising weekly activities, but collective agreement is sought for major decisions. We have no central organization telling us what to do and believe; rather what ties us together is our distinctive beliefs, which are freely and independently arrived at."

"To tell all who will listen to the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and his Son Jesus Christ. We are all looking for the second coming of Jesus Christ to this earth, which will be at a time when the world is in great trouble.

"To care for members of our community around the world, and to do good to all people as we have opportunity."

St John the Baptist Anglican Church

Members: 41

Worshippers: 100(ish)

• The huge difference in number is due to the new weekly, Sunday afternoon worship – Soul Food. Starting at 3.30pm Soul Food is a modern, informal ‘celebration’ for all ages. It is a new venture orchestrated by the Vicar, Revd Matthew Street. There are currently 30+ people from Holy Trinity Combe Down who have been ‘commissioned’ to help build the Church/ Christian community in PSJ. The plan is that they stay for a year to undertake a range of outreach events designed to take the Church into the community.

Services: Sunday, 8.45 am – ‘Said’ or ‘Sung’ Eucharist. This is an amalgamation of the original 8am and 9.30am services. ‘Said’ and ‘Sung’ alternate each week. Sunday 3.30pm- Soul Food. This is worship for all ages. The ‘celebration’ is about 1hr 30mins in length and always includes a free food at the end of the service.

Weekly activities: There are currently three ‘housegroups’ at the Church all meeting on Monday nights. One of which is called ‘Coffee and Stickies’ which is held at the Vicarage. It is a newcomers group designed to discuss those ‘sticky’ questions that people may have (about faith, life, God etc).

Premises: The main Church itself is very large with a layout of seating for around 250 people. The grounds also have a hall which is used for ‘Soul Kids’ (Sunday school), social events, Scouts, Brownies etc.

Organisational Framework: (no information at present)

Church Aims: (no information at present)

St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church

Members: (no information at present)

Worshippers: (no information at present)

Services (no information at present)

Weekly Activities: (no information at present)

Premises: (no information at present)

Organisational Framework: (no information at present)

Church aims: (no information at present)

Churches Together/ Ten Lamps: (no information at present)

1. ‘Other’ Churches/ Christian Groups represented in Peasedown

• Bath City Church.
• Bath Vineyard – a housegroup of this Church meets weekly in Carlingcott.
• Radstock Baptist Church – a Thursday night housegroup meets from this Church in PSJ.
• Welton Baptist Church – there is a fair number of members of Welton Church living in PSJ. There used to be a weekly housegroup from this Church (not sure if it still exists though).
• Holy Trinity Combe Down – members of this church live locally (though they are now working with Matthew Street in PSJ)

1. Members/ adherents of ‘Non-Christian’ faiths living in Peasedown St John.