THE PARISH OF GAWBER ST THOMAS
St Thomas’s Church was built in 1848. The interior is a simple design, clean and carpeted throughout. The children’s corner has furniture by the famous Robert (Mousey) Thompson and recently two new stained glass windows were added. Two rows of pews were removed from the rear of church to allow push chairs and wheelchairs to access the church more easily.
The worshipping tradition of St. Thomas is “middle of the road”, neither high church nor low church. There is a very strong supportive team within the church family.
A team of dedicated ‘flower ladies’ decorate the church for major festivals, two members are responsible for the rota and generally do the altar flowers on alternate weeks. The church looks lovely at such times.
After the main Sung Eucharist Service each Sunday morning a team of ‘coffee ladies’ take turns in providing Fair Trade refreshments (tea and coffee) in the Dorothy Banks Room. Gawber is a Fair-Trade Church. This creates a great opportunity to meet people and welcome visitors.
We have an Action Committee which exists to keep the Community together in faith and companionship and are a very dedicated group who meet several times a year, to plan a social calendar which is open to all – community and church family alike. These events have a twofold benefit, they bring in much needed money to support the Church and Community Centre and they are a good way of providing outreach to the wider community.
A single, electrically operated bell hangs in the bell tower which is topped by a cross and is illuminated from dusk to dawn.
The Dorothy Banks Room, a new extension built in 2009 is well used for coffee and chat facilities after Family Service, Church meetings (PCC and Action Committee) and small groups.
Our churchyard now maintained by the Council. To the north side of the church adjacent to the road is the village War Memorial where an Act of Remembrance is held to commemorate those of the Parish who fell in the two World Wars and there are also Commonwealth Graves.
The churchyard is now closed for new burials, there being no land available. There are still a few spaces available for the interment of ashes.
Numerous seats/benches are placed around the churchyard so that visitors to the graveyard can enjoy the peace and quiet of the area.