Friends of Great Missenden Parish Church

Friends of Great Missenden Parish Church (Registered Charity No: 1067435) is a charity which was founded in 1997 and is an important part of Parish life. It aims to raise funds to support the maintenance of the church's fabric, fittings, and old churchyard. Urgent repairs of c. £1million are currently needed and your support would be greatly welcomed and appreciated.

Everyone is most welcome to join the Friends. For further details please email Vivienne Davis, Hon Chairman, or download and complete the joining form to post her. Alternatively set up a direct debit with your bank and email the completed Joining Form straight to Vivienne Davis, Hon Chairman: 01494 891312 / avd@davis.f9.co.uk

A warm welcome awaits you!

Up and Coming Events

2025
Talks
All talks will be at 2:30pm in St Peter and St Paul church. A delicious Afternoon Tea, a Raffle & sales of home-made Preserves will follow each talk. We hope that you will be able to join us!

Entry is £15 at the door or tickets purchased from Samways in Station Approach, or from Vivienne after the 10am services on Sundays. Free parking is available at the church.

Saturday, 14 June - 'Seriously Seeking Sybil'

Dame Sybil Penn’s ghost is said to haunt Hampton Court Palace
by Sam Hearn

Another delicious Afternoon Tea, Raffle and sales of preserves follow. Tickets will be available from mid-May or at the door.

Sam Hearn is a trustee of The John Hampden Society. He worked for Historic Royal Palaces for 14 years and was based in the apartment that Sybil Penn is said to have occupied. Sybil’s maiden name was Hampden and the famous John Hampden The Patriot was a descendant of her brother.

Seriously seeking Sybil: Sybil Penn, the wife of a Buckinghamshire farmer and the mother of five children experienced a dramatic change in her life when she was appointed the dry nurse (or nanny) of Henry VIII’s only legitimate son, Edward. Sybil served four Tudor monarchs and remained in royal service for 24 years. References to her on the internet and in written sources are often wildly inaccurate. Sam's talk attempts paint a realistic portrait of this remarkable woman.

Saturday, 11 October - 'Planning a Royal Tour' by Graham Laurie

Graham Laurie joined the Royal Air Force as a pilot in 1964. He flew for 36 years amassing a total of 13,500 hours and during the last 20 years of that career he flew members of the Royal Family and Senior government Ministers. In 1981 he was selected for The Queen’s Flight and in 1995, after that unit’s disbandment, he moved to No 32 (The Royal) Squadron at RAF Northolt, completing in all, over 2,200 Royal Flights. He retired in Dec 2000.

‘Planning a Royal Tour’ is an illustrated talk, covering the setting up of a Royal Tour and how the Royal Flight was involved. Sometimes this involved a recce flight beforehand often accompanied by the Royal Household. Graham also speaks of instances where all this planning does not always quite work out, with some personal reminiscences.

Other Events
Christmas Tree Festival at St Peter and St Paul Church

Saturday, 29 November: 10am – 5pm
Sunday, 30 November: 11:30am – 4:30pm

We will have a decorated tree and a stall with our home-made Marmalades, Jams, Chutneys & Gifts - ideal Christmas presents!

For past events click here.

Reports

If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you about planning a visit.
Click to see more

Visitors click here

Planning your Visit

New to Church?

Welcome! Whether you've just moved to the area, or have a new interest in our church, we hope that you can find all of the information that you need within our website.

Of course, if you have further questions, we welcome you to get in touch.

FAQs and Key Information

Where & when does the church meet?

We hold a number of services across the parish:

We have a Communion service at St Peter and St Paul Great Missenden at 10am every Sunday. We also hold services at 8am and 6pm each Sunday.

Services at Ballinger are generally at 9.30am on the first Sunday of every month, and services at Little Hampden on the second and fourth Sundays at 11:30am with coffee at 11am.

Details of all our services can be found on our Services page.

What should I expect when I visit the church?

You will be welcomed by the sidespeople who will give you the books you’ll need. They will also be able to answer any questions you may have. There are no set seats, so please sit wherever you feel most comfortable.

The service lasts for one hour and follows the order set out in the booklet.

Tea, coffee and biscuits are served after the 10am service, where there is plenty of time to meet people and ask any questions you may have.

Are there any activities for my children?

We have two Junior Church groups that meet regularly. Head to our Children & Young People page to find out everything you need to know.

We also have an unsupervised crêche area within the Church and your children are welcome to play during the service.

Children may stay with their parents at the start of the service, or sit with their friends as we begin our worship. Junior Church usually leaves our main service after we have started our worship with some singing.

Is there a dress code?

No! Please just be yourself and come dressed in your 'normal' clothes.

Do I have to take communion?

It is completely up to you. God's table is open to all. You are welcome to come up for a blessing, or bring your children up for a blessing. Alternatively you can stay in your seat.

Am I expected to make a donation during the service?

No, donating is entirely optional. We have a time of offering during each service when a plate is passed around for cash or contactless card donations. There is always a contactless card reader and cash box near the door to the church, or you can donate online. You’re very welcome in church whether you make a donation or not.

Can I get married, Christen my children or have a funeral at the Church?

For more information on marriage, christenings and funerals at our Church please visit the Weddings & Christenings and Funerals pages of our website.

I have more questions, how can I get in touch and ask them.

Please feel free to contact us and we’ll do our best to answer any questions you may have.