CSCSV Benefice

Welcome to your Local Church!

Active | Missional | Inclusive

Charminster, Stinsford and the Chalk Stream Villages Benefice is one church community made up of six local village congregations in Dorset. Our Churches can be found in the parishes of:

Charminster, Stinsford, Bradford Peverell, Stratton, Frampton and Sydling St Nicholas.

We are active, inclusive, missional and local,

and part of the Diocese of Salisbury and the Church of England.

Come and worship with us!

To find out more about what we believe, and what we value, use the button below.

St Mary's Charminster, St Michael's, Stinsford, The Assumption of the BVM Bradford Peveell, St Mary's Stratton, St Mary's Frampton, Sydling St Nicholas.

About us

We would be delighted to welcome you if you choose to join us in worship or at a midweek event soon.

Our benefice prides itself on our welcome and inclusivity, which comes from our own experience of the unconditional love and saving grace of God. We are committed to serving our local communities, to sharing the love of God with all whom we meet, and to striving to protect the beautiful world we've been given.

If you have any questions about our churches, if you're thinking about marriage or baptism, if you're facing the end of life or loosing a loved one, or if you need a pastoral visitor, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me or a member of our wonderful ministry team. For information about accessibility, click here.

Rev'd Leila Mather (Rector)

News & Updates

Safeguarding

Our Churches and Communities

St Mary the Virgin, Charminster

A growing community and church. St Mary's Charminster love worship of all styles, supporting our local school, coming together in mission and celebrating with our community. Our main Sunday service is a Eucharist, where there is an informal Sunday school and opportunity for all ages to get involved and serve in the main service. We also gather for café-style services, Messy Church, BCP Communion and a monthly Evensong. We have a strong partnership with St Mary's CE VC First School, up the road.

St Michael, Stinsford

Home of Hardy's heart, Kingston Maurward College & Dorset Studio School, St Michael's Stinsford is a gathered community who love traditional worship with the occasional modern twist. We take every opportunity to celebrate together in church and outside. Our services are mostly 1662 or 1928 Book of Common Prayer, combined with rousing hymns and worship songs. On 3rd Sundays we celebrate a modern language Eucharist.

Assumption of the BVM, Bradford Peverell

The smallest village in the benefice, with a church that worships inside and out. St Mary's Bradford Peverell (the Assumption) love fresh expressions of worship, anything to do with food, and modern worship music. We are a relaxed congregation and we readily adapt to be fully welcoming to whoever joins us. If you cant find us in church, try the village hall!

St Mary the Virgin, Stratton

A traditional, rural church in a growing village. St Mary's Stratton's congregation of all ages prefers worship that is centred on the Eucharist and the word. We have wonderful seasonal services for our whole community, and a strong number of lay-led services.

St Mary the Virgin, Frampton

Christians in Frampton worship across several different denominations. St Mary's Frampton has a spectacular bell tower that calls us to worship and we gather regularly for more traditional forms of worship, as well as life events. Our church has a wonderful acoustic for carol services and concerts.

St Nicholas, Sydling St Nicholas

We have a very close-knit, friendly community, situated in our own valley at the north of the benefice. St Nicholas Church, is welcoming and inclusive, and loves a good sermon. Our Christmas services are legendary, as are our refreshments, and we have a fantastic, active team of lay worship leaders. Our Children's ministry is growing and we engage with children from our community at Cerne Abbas CE VC Primary School.