Home Welcome    Welcome    Team Ministry    St. Mary's    St. Michael's Worship History Community Friends Calendar Contact Groups Music Magazine Links Policy Location & Maps The Parish of St Michael and All Angels, Bedford Location The parish church of St Michael and All Angels is in part of Bedford known locally as Fenlake and contains houses built, adjacent to the church in the 1920s by Bedford Town Council with, further to the east, houses built in the 1950s, again, by the Town Council. The perimeter of the parish contains mainly privately owned houses. The Community The Parish is an Urban Priority Area with a high level of unemployment for the region, and many single-parent families. The area contains families from a wide range of ethnic groups and there is also a wide range of ages: Many of the residents have lived in their houses since they were built, and more recently there have been more young families moving into the parish. These have either moved into the rentable Housing Association properties or have purchased their houses in the area because their prices are relatively cheap. There is also an Urban Community Council involved in the regeneration of the area. The Scott Community Hall This hall is situated next to St Michael's Church and is built on the site of the former Church Hall. The Hall is a combined Church and Community Hall, built by the Borough Council on church-owned land and has its own Management Committee. Local groups, such as three Mothers and Toddler groups, a 'Keep-Fit' for the 'active- retired', the Spurgeon's Charity and other such groups, regularly use the Hall. The Church has regular use of the Hall for its Junior Church on Sunday mornings and it is also used by a local West Indian Church on Sunday afternoons and evenings. The Church of St Michael and All Angels Initially the church was a wooden building, but this was replaced in the 1960s by a purpose built brick building with a copper roof. The obvious point about the church when you enter it is that it was built 'the wrong way round' with its altar at the west end of the church. The interior of the church is finished in brick and the walls contain the Stations of the Cross and most noticeable is the suspended crucifix over the altar. In one corner is a statue depicting St Michael, and there are also the Mothers' Union Banners for St Leonard's and St Michael's Churches stored in the church. In the entrance vestibule are stored the flags once used by St Michael's Scout Troop and Cub Pack. The church itself seats about 150 people comfortably, and the small Lady Chapel can seat some two dozen people in comfort. The church has had a high church tradition, but services nowadays are much simpler, with the 10.15 Sunday service being a Parish Eucharist and additional Eucharistic services are held on saints and other holy days. The Junior Church starts at 10.00 on a Sunday and the members join the main congregation for a blessing or to receive the elements as appropriate during the service. The church members meet socially after the service for coffee and biscuits. Baptisms are preferably incorporated into the main Sunday service, but can be held at other times. Classes to prepare children and adults for Confirmation are normally held annually.

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