Welcome to St. Mary's

On behalf of St. Mary's Church, may I welcome you to our Internet site. We would be delighted to hear what you think of the site - please give us some feedback (what you like, what you don't, what you'd like added, etc.) using the Contact page.

Great Dunmow is an ancient North Essex town, renowned for its Flitch Trials, with a rapidly expanding population. I am David Ainge, Vicar of St. Mary's and also of St. Andrew's, Barnston, a neighbouring village. My colleague in ministry is Canon Rosemary Drew.

If you have not visited St. Mary's before, and would like to know what to expect at our services, please read on ...

David Ainge – Tue, 18/04/2006 – 21:12

Diary of a Country Churchyard

The Diary of a Country Churchyard is a joint project between Dunmow Library and St. Mary’s Church.

The Diary now enters its third month and it is great that new groups are coming forward to take on the creative challenge of producing a Display for the Dunmow Library and pages in the collective Community Diary, which is also available to read at the Library.

Patrick Whittick – Mon, 01/03/2010 – 21:52

The Bible and the Met Office

The art of weather forecasting and climate monitoring has become ever more scientific. However, the stewardship of the earth and its resources is the responsibility of us all. Fr. David Clark, Roman Catholic priest in Halstead and part-time lecturer at Cambridge, will speak at the second of the Lent meetings at 8pm on the 11th March at St Anne Line’s Church. His task is to help us see what the Bible says about the huge subject of our part in the stewardship and sustainability of God’s creation.
Patrick Whittick – Mon, 01/03/2010 – 21:42

Posies, Prayers and People in Church

Mothering Sunday has become a massive day in everyone’s calendar. Families travel all over the country to spend time with their mums. Shops are full of cards, chocolates and flowers. Churches prepare extra-special All-Age Services to mark the Day, and loads of people come to celebrate.

St Andrew’s: Parsonage Lane, 14th March. 10.30am
St Mary’s: Church Street, 14th March, 10.30am

A very warm welcome awaits you – but remember, please bring your mum!

Patrick Whittick – Mon, 01/03/2010 – 21:39

Can we trust the Science?

The third of the town’s churches’ Lent studies will be led by the Rev. Mike Shrubsole at New Street United Reformed Church on March 24th at 8.00pm. Mike advises some of the top-level church leaders in the country on issues relating to the science of climate change, and what we might do to deal with the consequences as we can anticipate them. He is ready to receive searching questions, and to help us to move towards a clearer understanding of the issues. This will be a terrific way to end our short series of studies on this fascinating subject. You will be very welcome – even if this is the only evening you can manage.
Patrick Whittick – Mon, 01/03/2010 – 21:35

Coincidence, or what?

A mother has spent years worrying about her grown-up son who is terribly ill. The family call upon others to join them in praying for his recovery. Almost immediately his symptoms ease, and his quality of life improves. A coincidence, or an answer to prayer?
David Ainge – Mon, 01/03/2010 – 00:00

Just A Thought

In anticipation of moving house soon, I have been trying to clear out cupboards and boxes. Given that I also have a storage facility full of things I have not seen for three years, and a garage with boxes that I have not used in one year, I am appalled at how much “stuff” I have gathered. By now you may be asking the same question I am, how much do I need this if I have not touched it in three years, and the answer is I don’t. I don’t need it, some of it I like, much of it I cannot remember why I bought it in the first place, and so my “barn” is filled with stuff, unnecessary stuff.
Elsie Bouffler – Mon, 01/03/2010 – 00:00

Weddings are up

The doom-mongers are proved wrong yet again! Having wrongly predicted the demise of marriage as a helpful institution, they have tried to convince the public  that the churches are closing down. Let it be clearly heard, church life is as busy as it has ever been.

Currently there is a boom in the number of couples wanting to be married in church. This year, at St Mary’s alone, there will be three times as many weddings as there were here three years ago. Why? Nice old church … nice old vicar… who knows? We are glad to rejoice with those who are rejoicing.

If you are thinking of getting married, why not contact Canon David Ainge (872504) to explore the possibilities?
Patrick Whittick – Sat, 04/07/2009 – 09:18

First Sunday Evenings

Every Sunday evening there is a Service at St Mary’s beginning at 6pm. These are a mixture of Communion and non-Communion Services.  However, on the First Sunday evenings the Services are extra-special one-off Services to celebrate the Season of the Year, or a particular style of worship, or a noted anniversary. Sometimes we have the choir. At other times it is all congregational singing. Occasionally, there’s no music at all. But on every occasion the form of Service is interesting and innovative. So why don’t you come along and taste and see – you may find it is exactly what you’re looking for.
Patrick Whittick – Wed, 11/03/2009 – 21:37

Say one for me, Vicar

Time and again, people in the street ask that we pray for them. Sometimes the words are spoken in jest. Sometimes there’s a real need for a prayer. Every Sunday in each of our Barnston & Dunmow churches we pray for all sorts of people. On some occasions there are specific prayers for particular people. On the first and last Sundays of the month after the morning service, and on the third Sunday evening of the month in the actual service, we make time and space to pray for healing and well-being for anyone who comes. If we can help, we’d love to say one for you. We can only know to pray for you, if you come and tell us!
David Ainge – Fri, 30/06/2006 – 20:53