St Mary's Church, Dymock

The church exists first to offer worship (honour) to God and to thank him for the gifts he gives us, and secondly to honour and support each other, because we're all fellow creatures of God and so by honouring each other we honour him too.

As well as the Seasons and Major Festivals which help us worship God, the church celebrates several 'Special Days' throughout the year to remember, honour and support each other and our work in God's world. Celebration of the "Special Days" is usually optional, Christians chose which they want to remember, not all churches celebrate all these days....

For much of its history, the churches have been leaders in education. The monasteries in particular kept education alive in the so called 'Dark Ages' when the average person received little or no schooling. The monasteries kept libraries and taught the monks to read and write, about healthcare, and life in general, and of course about the Christian faith. They often took in children, initially to educate them in the hope that they would join the monastery as monks, but later to give an education to the children of their patrons.

Education Sunday, as the name implies, is a national day of prayer on the ninth Sunday before Easter to focus on the world of education and has been celebrated as a 'Special Day' for well over a hundred years.

Church and School Links: Some churches use the designated Sunday to focus on a particular aspect of education, or to think about and pray for the local school or college or, if they have one, a world-wide school link, and to invite the local school into their church to share in the Festival. For several years Dymock Church and Ann Cam School supported an international link with Dego-Thim School in Kenya. This plaque (displayed in the church) was given to Dymock church by the headmaster when he came to the UK for a short visit

Other churches put off the celebration in order that they can hold a special service at another time, such as the beginning or end of their local school's term, its Awards Day, or the beginning or end of the academic year. (Return to top)