St Mary's Ballinger 

ballinger inside

Welcome to the dedicated page for St Mary’s Ballinger, one of two smaller churches within the Great Missenden Parish.
 

Services

We have Holy Communion or Morning Prayer on the first Sunday of every month and special family services at Easter, Harvest and at Christmas.

St. Mary’s is a place of peace for all. The church is not solely used for services, it is open to all as a tranquil place to rest with their thoughts. Local events are also held in the church.

Services at all the Churches at all of our church is detailed  here, and other events  can be found here.

Location

 


History

St Mary’s is a small mission church, constructed in brick and flint with white washed interior walls. It is tucked away at the end of the left fork of Blackthorne Lane. 
 
The church was built by Mr A. E. Watson of The Lee Manor in 1873 “as a school and lecture room for the poor”. The picture in the Church shows Mr. Watson with the teachers, surrounded by their pupils. This purpose placed it at the centre of village life and it never lost that position, as the caretaker’s family (name of Evans) came to live in a local cottage in 1920. When Dorothy Evans came to live in Watson Cottage in that year, the church was used by the Church of England and the Free Church, with their services alternating between morning and afternoon. The Free Church only stopped holding services in the 1960’s.

A Dames school was run for small children at St Mary’s during the week by a Miss Beeson. Dorothy remembered putting their slates out, although she herself went to Lee Common School. The Evans family looked after the church for over 50 years.

Before the War Memorial Village Hall was built after the First World War, St. Mary’s was used for village events.

The most recent additions to the church are the porch (1986) and kitchen, at the turn of the millennium.
 

Save the Porch Roof - Buy a Tile!

The roof of the porch of St Mary’s Church, Ballinger, is in urgent need of replacement in order to make it weather proof for Winter 2024.  So far, we’ve raised about £200 and we are exceedingly grateful to everyone who has bought a tile. Work is due to start in August and ideally, we would like to raise at least £500 by then.  Please help us by donating  £5.00 (or more) for a tile on the new roof using the bank details below:


NAME:                                     The Vicar and Churchwardens Watson Charity.
BANK:                                      TSB
SORT CODE:                        30-93-67
ACCOUNT NUMBER:    00117048

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If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you about planning a visit.
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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.

 

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.