Mrs. Alice Fitz Wygram

Mrs. Fitz Wygram, widow of St. James’s first vicar, built on and expanded her husband's work in spreading religious knowledge to all age groups of the rapidly growing population of the parish. After his early death she moved across St James’s Road into Larkfield and proceeded to make it a centre of church life, holding and organising a number of Bible Classes. There were separate groups for men, women, young men and young women, as distinct from the Sunday schools for children. The many members which these classes attracted were treated to special entertainments from time to time. A “capital” supper was held at least once a year for each group and there were many concerts and musical evenings. All the members were treated to an "annual excersion" and in 1895 "A Steamer was chartered, and the whole company, together with some invited guests, were conveyed to Windsor and back." Read the article Mrs. FitzWygram's Bible Class Outing. The following year a special entertainment for the men’s and young men’s classes. As late as 1910, three years before her death, it is recorded that the classes were “as usual entertained with accustomed generosity by Mrs. Fitz Wygram”. By this time there were also lectures regularly for the Church Reading Union, but the adult Bible Classes survived Mrs. Fitz Wygram’s death and were thriving in the 1930s. A local branch of the British and Foreign Bible Society was formed in 1896 and there was a branch of the Scripture Readers’ Association.

Communicant Classes were held once a month. About these the November 1884 magazine reported: “Their object is to help Communicants to be regular in their attendance at the Sacred Feast, and to induce others who are not yet Communicants to become so. They are also meant to be an assistance in the due preparation which is required of all those who come to the Lord's Supper. It is intended that there should be a class within reach of all those who have been confirmed.” The Communicants’ Association, later known as the Communicants’ Guild, flourished in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and was supported by many adult churchgoers. In addition to its regular meetings, it held an annual tea which was later replaced by an annual general meeting.

Hearing that prayer groups could be one way of strengthening parish life, six parishioners started meeting regularly in 1950, praying together for the parish, for people known to be sick, and for other parishes, people and interests. They came to value this fellowship and welcomed new members and the new ideas they would bring with them. Read the article The Beginning of a Prayer Group. In 1957, there were monthly meetings of a different Prayer Group, which was first intended mainly for streetwardens, who brought to it the needs of different sections of the parish. But its scope changed and it became a group of people seeking to learn more of prayer for its own sake.

Parish weekend

Lent Groups started in 1952 and by the 1960s the Parish Weekend made decisions and arrangements about these Lenten studies and projects. Read the article Parish Weekend. By 1964 a 'Circle of Prayer' developed and grew rapidly as it was found to supply a very real need. Read the article The Prayer Circle. It provided a constant link around the parish with people praying in their own homes for those in any sort of need. "The MRI Group and the Prayer Circle are doing much to add to the spiritual life of the church" and the February 1968 Spire reported: "Those who attended the special meeting of the Prayer Circle found it so rewarding that it was unanimously decided to hold regular meetings at which the Vicar would again be present to help and advise and to join in discussion of people's difficulties, perplexities and experiences."

There were three particular groups in existence in the 1970s in the parish, which helped people in different ways to come to a deeper understanding of their faith: the Catechumenate, Good News Group and Koinonia. The Catechumante was rather more formal than the others and was based on the experience of Continental Christianity. The Good News group was started in 1976 to provide fellowship, opportunity for prayer and study. The Koinonia started after the Lent course in 1979 and continued during the 1980s. Its aim was "to help each member to grow into a more mature Christian". The word Koinonia is Greek, meaning fellowship, and by meeting together regularly for prayer, praise and discussion "we hope to make the fellowhsip between ourselves and with God more real". The Prayer Circle continued as did the annual Lent Groups, and the Parish Quiet Day was still popular. During 1987 new Fellowship Groups were formed within the parish for people to widen their fellowship with one another and to learn about the Christian faith.

During the 1980s Quiet Days became quite popular, being "an opportunity to spend more than the ususal amount of time we allow ourselves not only for 'our' prayer but for listening deliberately to God speaking to us in the silence". Read the article Quiet Day. The Parish Weekend, often held at Fairmile Court in Cobham, was always popular and was held for several years.

The Julian Group, primarily a prayer group formed in 1983, continued. A further study group was started in 1994, meeting in the church hall on alternate Tuesday evenings. The group was led by its own members and consisted of some prayer time, Bible study and discussion. The Nurture Group began in September, 1997. It met fortnightly and was a structured but informal group with time to worship, study, discuss and grow, both in commitment to each other and in discipleship.

Other prayer and study groups, held in people's homes, also came and went during these years. Every Lent and Advent, Revd. Vannozzi led courses for prayer, study and reflection. The 'Start! In Lent', a six session course to explore Christianity together, was held in 2010. These groups continued during 2010 and followed different themes. A member of the congregation, a retired clergyman, led a course called 'Faith at Work'. The October 2010 Spire reported: "A group to explore our experiences - What difference does our faith make to our daily lives, our daily work? What are the challenges we face, the tensions we feel? We want to start a group to explore these issues. Our work may be paid or unpaid, we may be facing redundancy, or having been 'let go', working from home, or retired. Can we support each other through these experiences?"