In a few weeks’ time, St Paul’s will be taking part in a simple but powerful mission initiative called Try Praying . We’ll be launching this together on Sunday 8th February , and over the weeks that follow we’ll be inviting one another – and those beyond our church – to explore prayer. At its heart, Try Praying is exactly what it sounds like: an invitation to try  praying. Not to have all the answers, not to get the words right, not to suddenly become “good at prayer”, but si

Happy New Year! We’re off to an encouraging start to 2026 with the news that we now have the planning permissions from the Diocese as well as Leeds City Council for our church hall extension and renovation. It has felt like a long wait but now we can move on with the hard work of turning the plans into an achievable project. Over the next few months, we have two main goals – to complete detailed designs to meet building regulations and to raise further funds. When funds are s

A Monday Behind the Scenes at Baby Basics Leeds Every Monday is Baby Basics day in Leeds — our baby bank volunteers meet to pack and deliver essential items for expectant and new mums across the city. Over the weekend I shared our new referrals and what each one needs. Seven volunteers could make it this week. Sorting Donations and Packing Referrals By 9:30am we are at St Paul’s Church in Ireland Wood sorting donations and packing bundles. We aim to get items to mum around a

Hi everyone — I’m Sarah, the Parish Safeguarding Officer here at St Paul’s. This week marks  Safeguarding Sunday , and as someone once wisely said to me, “Every Sunday should be safeguarding Sunday!”  So, what is Safeguarding Sunday and why are we mentioning it? Safeguarding Sunday is now in its 7 th  year. It aims to inspire churches to talk about safeguarding and to reflect on our past failings, whilst striving to move forwards towards a world in which every child and adult

Following a successful escape room social before the summer, the young people requested another escape room evening. However, this time they wanted it to be harder (honestly). As someone who enjoys a challenge, I set about creating puzzles and challenges and turned the church hall into two identical escape rooms. The theme of the evening was The Mysterious Box of Rev. Francis Ive . He was called that because “Rev. F. Ive” spells five , which was used as part of a code. There

Midweek Communion (every Tuesday in church) began as a quiet, said Communion service for those members of St Paul’s who found it difficult to attend the 9.30am sung Holy Communion service on Sundays, or who felt the need for a more meditative style of worship. At first, there were only the Vicar and two or three people, but it was greatly appreciated by those who came. Tea, coffee, and biscuits were served so folk could chat together afterwards. Gradually, more people joined,

Where Faith, Laughter, and Toddlers Collide Walk into St. Paul’s Tots, and you’ll hear it right away—giggles, chatter, stomping feet, and...

Hi, my name is Andrew, and I am one of the new interns here at St Paul’s Ireland Wood. Originally from North Wales, I have moved all...

I mostly grew up around LS16, although I moved around Leeds a lot. I am the eldest of five, plus two half-siblings, and come from a very...

Hi, my name is Ollie, and I am the new Children and Youth Team Leader at St Paul’s Ireland Wood. I am really excited to be joining the...

Mark Harlow - Vicar A new academic year always feels like a fresh start. Diaries fill with new rhythms, children return to school,...

Earlier this summer I spent a week at Scripture Union's residential camp in the Quantock Hills called the Great Wood Experience (GWX)....

In March 2022, a simple idea—born out of compassion, and guided by faith—took root in the LS16 community. The LS16 Community Uniform...

Our small group has been meeting weekly on Tuesday nights (term time) for the past eight years. Some people have naturally moved on and...

Grief is not just a moment of loss—it’s a journey. It doesn’t follow a timetable or stay neatly in the past. Often, it re-emerges in...

I’m back! I’ve returned to St Paul’s after a three-month placement in East Leeds, where I looked after three parishes while their vicar...

This year has been a big year for LFIS. We’ve celebrated 30 years of bringing Good News to the secondary schools in Leeds, welcomed a...

We're excited to share an update from the field, where our colleague Simon and the team have been conducting vital eye health work in...

Our Worship Team at St. Paul’s consists of around 40 volunteers—singers, musicians, sound technicians, and projection operators—guided by...

Hello and welcome! For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Sara, and I have the joy of volunteering at St Paul’s Warm Welcome , alongside...