This is the official website of The Downs Benefice Winchester, Hampshire.

Home

Notices in brief...

For all the notices and more information, please see our Notices page

In Emergency 

In an emergency, please ring the number below

Mobile: 07857 512 053

Further information about the phone line is available

here

Prayer Requests

If you have any prayer requests, for any concerns lying on your heart or to give thanks, please email the office on office@downsbenefice.org.uk

All prayer requests will be made anonymous before being passed on  to our Prayer Team.

Parish Magazine Deadline

Copy for Feb/Mar edition of the Benefice Parish Magazine should be submitted by 12.00 noon - Friday 5th January

Prayer for Wednesday 6th December

Almighty God,
give us grace to cast away the works of darkness
and to put on the armour of light,
now in the time of this mortal life,
in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility;
that on the last day,
when he shall come again in his glorious majesty
to judge the living and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Sunday 10th December

The Second Sunday of Advent

 

10am - Holy Communion - Littleton

10am - Carol Service - Wherwell

6pm - Carol Service - Sparsholt

6pm - Autumn Meditations - Wherwell - on the life of Leonard Cheshire: decorated RAF pilot; philanthropist; 1917-1992

 

Please click on the Sunday Services tab (above) for details of services going forward.

Our Churches are open for Individual Private Prayer at these times:

St Mary the Less, Chilbolton All day  Every day
St Mary's, Crawley All day Every day
St Catherine's, Littleton All day Every day
St Stephen's, Sparsholt 10am - 4pm Every day
St Peter & Holy Cross, Wherwell 10am - 4pm Every day

Prayer for the Benefice during Interregnum

 

 

Daily Readings

 

 

Daily Prayers


Benefice Mission Partner

 

Our Benefice supports Karis Kids

Karis Kids

 

 

Karis Kids is an initiative, started in 2007, which brings hope to children orphaned by AIDS in Uganda.  The Christian charity integrates these children into, and supports them with, adoptive families.  The aim is to place orphans with the families of relatives, but when this is not possible, then with other households in the local church, St Paul's, Kampala. The majority of those in the parish live in the Okuvu slum, and this is one of the poorest areas of Kampala. 

 

Across the Downs

If you would like to receive our weekly Benefice Newsletter, please email the office so you can be added to the distribution list.

This Week's Newsletter

Last Week's Newsletter

 

Parish and Village Magazines

Sparsholt Village Newsletter

Chilbolton and Wherwell Village Magazine

  Resources for Children and Families

           Resources

    Resources for   Wellbeing

 

Please visit our Wellbeing page to see request from Youth Options for help and support

 

The Five Parish Churches in the Downs Benefice

For a short history and photos of each church please click on the images below.

St Mary the Less

 

St Mary's

 

St Catherine's

 

St Stephen's

 

St Peter and Holy Cross

 

 

St Mary the Less Chilbolton

Village Street, Chilbolton, Hampshire, SO20 6BQ

St Mary's Crawley

Main Road, Crawley, Hampshire, SO21 2PZ

St Catherine's Littleton

Main Road, Littleton, Winchester, Hampshire, SO22 6QY

St Stephen's Sparsholt with Lainston

Church Lane, Sparsholt, Hampshire, SO21 2NJ

St Peter and Holy Cross Wherwell

Church Street, Wherwell, Hampshire, SP11 7JJ

In this Benefice we welcome everyone to our altars during communion.


Communicant members from all denominations are most welcome and others are invited for a blessing.