St Peter's stands on the south-west edge of Balsall Common, but aspires to be at the heart of the community and to bring the message of Christ to all who live nearby. It combines a tradition of 'high church' observance with recognition of modern needs and a desire to reach out to all who need Christ. Recently, youth work has developed, in partnership with nearby parish churches in Barston (St Swithins) and Hampton in Arden (St Mary & St Bartholomew).
St John Baptist Church of England, Berkswell
Church Lane, Berkswell, Coventry CV7 7BJ
The Reverend Mark Bratton 01676 529123
St John's is a fine 12th Century Norman church built upon the site of an earlier Saxon church. Remains in the crypt date back to the 8th Century. A feature of the church is the two storey gabled and timbered porch added in the 16th Century. The room over the porch is now the vestry but was originally the first school room in the village. The pegs for the boys hats and the benches are still there.
St Mary the Virgin Church of England, Temple Balsall
The Revd Kathy Lloyd Roberts 01564 772415
St Mary's was built in the 14th Century as the chapel of the Knights Hospitaller, successors to the Knights Templar. It was left derelict at the Reformation, but was rescued in 1660 by Lady Anne Holbourne, becoming chapel to the famous Almshouses established by her sister, Lady Katherine Leveson, in 1674. Renovated by Giles Gilbert Scott in the 1840's, it became a parish church in 1863.
Methodist Church, Station Road, Balsall Common
Rev Andrew Charlesworth: 01676 533737
The Methodist Church, situated in Station Road, Balsall Common, has a strong and valued community presence and seeks to build and develop this. It is part of the Coventry Methodist Circuit and has a Covenant with St Peter's Church and works and worships with both. The main service of worship is at 10.30am each Sunday and incliudes Junior Church, Young People's Fellowship and Creche . Housegroups meet on weeknights. Details of all services, preachers and activities can be seen on the circuit website. Please join us; you are very welcome!
Blessed Robert Grissold Catholic Church,
Meeting House Lane, Balsall Common
The Revd Sebastian Arikat: 01676 532794
This new church was built on the site a former church, St Philomena’s, in 1994, and was dedicated in December 1995, receiving the Solihull MBC’s Design Award for 1995. It is named in honour of Robert Grissold, who was born in nearby Rowington between 1550 and 1560, and was hanged for his beliefs, together with the priest Father John Sugar, at Warwick on 16 July 1604.
St Swithin's Church of England, Barston
Canon Roger Turner: 01676 533847 www.barstonchurch.co.uk
The present St. Swithin's church was built between 1721-1727 on the site of an original church burnt down in 1721 which had its origins going back to the 11th Century. The Georgian building was extensively altered to suit Victorian tastes about 1897.
A warm welcome is offered to our services, in which we try to combine the best of both traditional and modern worship - our aim is that every service will have something for everyone, both young and old. Worship and teaching in church is "all-age" - suitable for children, young people and adults - and there are also separate learning groups for our younger members. We also provide a crêche for babies and toddlers.
For further information about Churches Together in Balsall and Berkswell
please contact the Honorary Secretary:
Mrs Carol Lowe: 01676 532034
Churches
Together in Balsall and Berkswell
On 1st September 1990, churches in Britain and Ireland set out on
a new stage of their journey - in search of the unity for which Christ
prayed and in common evangelism and service of the world. For the
first time there was a body in England representing a wide range of
churches: Anglican, Black-led, Free Churches, Orthodox, Roman Catholic,
as well as many smaller churches.
In common with other similar groupings, Balsall Common and Berkswell
Council of Churches decided to prepare a constitution, which reflected
the new national developments. Its membership consisted of St Peter's
Church of England, Balsall Common, St John Baptist Church of England,
Berkswell, the Methodist Church in Balsall Common and St Philomena
Catholic Church in Balsall Common. In 1994 a new church, dedicated
to the memory of Blessed Robert Grissold, replaced the latter.
Later the group took on another dimension, when it was
joined by St Mary the Virgin Church, Temple Balsall and changed its
name to Churches Together in Balsall and Berkswell.
Basis
Churches Together in Balsall and Berkswell unites in pilgrimage those
churches in the area which, acknowledging God's revelation in Christ,
confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the
Scriptures, and in obedience to God's will and in the power of the
Holy Spirit commit themselves
to seek a deepening of their communion with Christ and with one
another in the Church, which is His body; and
to fulfil their mission to proclaim the Gospel by common witness
and service in the world
to the glory of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Aims
The aims of Churches Together in Balsall and Berkswell are
to provide means of consultation between the churches;
to facilitate common witness to Christ by the member churches; and
to work and pray for Christian unity in association with Birmingham
Council of Christian Churches and Coventry and Warwickshire Ecumenical
Council.
In particular, Churches Together in Balsall and Berkswell seeks
to enable the churches, as pilgrims together, to develop growing
relationships, to seek a common mind, and to seek to make decisions
together;
to encourage churches to worship, pray and reflect together on
the nature and purpose of the church in the light of its mission -
each church sharing with others the treasures of its tradition;
to enable the churches to respond to the needs of society and to
witness to the Gospel together; and
to enable the churches to live and share the Gospel, to evangelise
together and to take further steps towards fuller unity.
Relationships
Churches Together in Balsall and Berkswell is in association with
Birmingham Council of Christian Churches (www.birminghamchurches.org.uk)
and Coventry and Warwickshire Ecumenical Council (Tel. 02476 352551).
Membership
Membership of Churches Together in Balsall and Berkswell is open
to any local church in the area, which affirms the Basis and commits
itself to promote the aims of Churches Together in Balsall and Berkswell.
For further information about Churches Together in Balsall and Berkswell please contact the Honorary Secretary:
Mrs Carol Lowe: 01676 532034
St Peter Church of England, 
St John Baptist Church of England, Berkswell
St Mary the Virgin Church of England, Temple Balsall
Methodist Church, Station Road, Balsall Common
Blessed Robert Grissold Catholic Church, 
St Swithin's Church of England, Barston