Adrian Waring

Position: Reader
Phone: 01832 735443

Adrian grew up in Werrington, in the north of Peterborough, where his family ran the local butchers shop. At school he developed a strong interest in science and went on to study Biochemistry at the University of Wales. This was followed by a PhD on the metabolism of herbicides in plants, at the University of London. Since then he has worked in the contract research industry, investigating how chemicals are degraded in the environment and how the body metabolises pharmaceuticals.

He is married to Anita and they have two grown up children.

Adrian’s hobbies are history and football (he is a long suffering Peterborough United supporter) and he is currently doing well in his aim to visit all the football grounds and cathedrals in England and Wales.

Adrian was brought up in the Methodist church but it was only as an undergraduate, through going to Meth Soc (Methodist Society) meetings, that he came to faith and went on to be confirmed. He is a compulsive “sponge brain” and loves to study the Bible. He never ceases to be amazed at how a book written over a period of 2,000 years by many different human authors can be so internally consistent (everything points to Jesus) and speak so clearly to our situation today. For him this is clear evidence that the scriptures were inspired and ultimately authored by God.

Adrian was encouraged to train to be a Reader by members of a church house group when living in Harrogate. He initially studied for a Certificate of Higher Education in Theology from the Open Theological College using distance learning modules from London Bible College and Spurgeon’s College. He then went onto the Reader training course in Ripon Diocese, which used material from St John’s Nottingham. He was first licensed as a Reader in the newly formed Diocese of Ripon & Leeds in 2001.

Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Visitors click here.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

We meet weekly at 9.30 a.m in St James, Thrapston and at 11.15 a.m. in Holy Trinity, Denford, also fortnightly at St Nicholas, Islip. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team.

We serve tea, coffee and biscuits after the service in St James and at 11.00 a.m. before the service begins in Holy Trinity Denford. It is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to find your bearings. All refreshments are free.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it in St James. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets available.

Our Service

The main service begins with a warm welcome from one of our team members. Then follows a time of sung worship intertwined with liturgy and prayer. Each week our sung worship is slightly different at St James to reflect the diversity of our church family. Denford and Islip are more traditional in style. We also share news and notices, usually about what’s going on in the life of the church. One of our leaders will give a sermon that is bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then finish with a final worship song. Sometimes there is an opportunity to receive prayer at the end of the service.

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What about my kids?

We have a great programme lined up for kids of all ages:

James Club (3-7 years)
James Club Plus (7-11 years)
St James Youth (11-17 years)
Young people (15+ years) are welcome to remain in the service.

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for the welcome, songs and notices. We really value worshipping God all together as a family. At the end of the notices someone will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go to their various groups.

The kids group activities vary depending on the age, but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, craft, and fun games. The group leaders will bring your children back into the service towards the end.

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Getting Connected

Small Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Other Ministries

We also run the following ministries:

Men's Ministries
Women's Ministries

Get in touch with us to plan your visit

If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.

Name:

Telephone:

Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.

We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.

Best Wishes

The St James church family.