A Letter from Simon

2021-02-16T18:55:07+00:00
Rev’d Simon Stevenette

Dear Friends

Thank you for your prayers for us today. The PCC Covid response working group had a very positive and honest meeting this morning full of the Holy Spirit.

As a result, the decision was taken that Christ Church would remain open for personal prayer each day.  With great reluctance the decision was also taken to close public worship at Christ Church and St Mary’s. This is with immediate effect from today onwards for the rest of January. This decision will be reviewed at our next working party meeting on Wednesday 27th January.

We will advertise these decisions as widely as possible from now onwards.  I will be present with Jim in Christ Church from 9.30am on Sunday to explain what is happening and apologise to any people who turn up expecting a service.

We are delighted that, as in previous lockdowns, our Sunday service will be recorded and will be available on our CC website from Sunday morning. We are especially aware of the importance of supporting the National Health service and our GWH in all they are doing on our behalf.

We are also very aware of those from our Christian community who will be saddened by this decision that we have taken because they will miss not receiving Holy Communion and will miss the comfort of being together in public worship especially if they are suffering from anxiety or mental health challenges. We hope people will know that they are welcome to come and pray through the day. We will continue to do all we can with your help to keep people safe through our church cleaning and risk procedures.

Please be aware of our friendship support and prayers. Do be in touch directly at any time, so our Keeping in touch pastoral scheme can do all they can to support you practically and spiritually. Also this coming Wednesday we begin the online 8 session Wellbeing Journey course which has been highly recommended. Do contact me for further details.

If you have any questions or concerns about this communication, please contact me directly by phone or email. Please join me in praying for God’s blessing and guidance for all who those who live and work in our Old Town Swindon parish including our Old Town Partnership,

                                            Thank you for all your support,

                                                                 Every blessing,

                                                                                     Simon

A Letter from Simon2021-02-16T18:55:07+00:00

International Holocaust Remembrance Day

2021-01-29T15:15:56+00:00

The day when the victims of genocides the world over are especially remembered, Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) takes place on Wednesday 27 January, and it will again be marked in Swindon.

HMD 2021 marks 76 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945 and 2021 is also the 76th anniversary of V-E Day, the end of the Second World War.

Due to Covid19 restrictions, there will be no live ceremony by the Cenotaph. At 12 noon on Wednesday 27th January there will be a short ceremony via Zoom online for Swindon.

Attendance is by invitation only. Anyone with sincere and authentic interest in marking this day is welcome to join the online ceremony. To receive an invitation, link, and password, please contact matt@lowershawfarm.co.uk

Further information, and a more national perspective, about Holocaust Memorial Day, can be found on the internet, at www.hmd.org.uk

International Holocaust Remembrance Day2021-01-29T15:15:56+00:00

Alone at Christmas

2021-02-09T13:35:39+00:00

Whilst nothing will replace the joy, Alone at Christmas has given the lonely and isolated people who have attended the event for the last 4 years, we still wanted to do something special during this pandemic to give those alone a bit of light and joy this Christmas.

Alone at Christmas with a difference this year!

120 hampers ready to go and hopefully bring a little light and joy to those alone this Christmas.Those who we would normally be able to open our doors to on Christmas day when they have no one to spend Christmas with. This year we are unable to provide the cooked dinner, crackers and Christmas carols we normally would but we couldn’t let this year pass without showing we still care about them.

These hampers have been provided through the generosity of many members and businesses in our local community, so thank you to everyone for their donations of time, food and money which have made this possible. They are complete with a roast dinner ready meal as well as other goodies!

Also a big thank you to our team of drivers who made the deliveries yesterday

Chris & Jenny

Community Centre Development Team

Alone at Christmas2021-02-09T13:35:39+00:00

Christmas at Christ Church

2021-02-09T13:35:49+00:00

The Church of England has provided many resources for the Christmas period. You can follow their Services online also.

This is what Christmas means to us

There are lots of ways to join us this Christmas season but sadly, not all of them in person. Our seating capacity for physical services is drastically restricted to keep everyone safe.

Our Services over the Christmas Holiday

27th December

Church online – a service from the Church of England.

31st December

Watch Eve Service 6.00pm

Holy communion led by Rev Canon Simon Stevenette and Kevin Penfold.

Our new Bible verse for 2021 1 Peter 1 verse 3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
By his great mercy he has given us a new birth Into a living hope Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

How to watch our Services

Go to our You Tube Channel and watch all our online services.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

View our Christmas Services page for all our Live Streams & recordings

Watch our Blue Christmas Service

Join our Christmas Day Service Live stream

 

https://player.vimeo.com/video/494112123 'Blessed by Swindon' from Thom Hobbs on Vimeo.

Christmas at Christ Church2021-02-09T13:35:49+00:00

Proposals for Old Rose Garden

2021-02-09T13:43:01+00:00

More than 1,300 members of our Community are remembered in our Rose Garden. Some are marked by plaques, others are not. When the garden was closed for further ashes burials in 2019, we opened a new Remembrance Garden to the South East of the Church. This is now in full use and provides a beautiful and peaceful place for visitors to remember their loved ones.

For some years now, it has become difficult to maintain the Rose Garden due to poor soil quality, old and diseased plants and self-seeded and relative-planted shrubs and flowers. This has led to the garden becoming unkept and neglected looking. Canon law forbids the disturbance of remains and thus major maintenance of the area has become an increasing problem.

(more…)

Proposals for Old Rose Garden2021-02-09T13:43:01+00:00

Christ Church is open

2020-12-14T20:45:01+00:00

The church building is open betwween 9-4pm and is avaiable for private prayer and reflection throughout the Christmas Period
We hope you find comfort and peace in this quiet place. Whatever or whoever is on your mind today, be still before God, who cares for you and those you love.

Enjoy the peace, the time and God’s loving presence with you there

if you can’t join us in person, our Christmas Services will be available on line

Christ Church is open2020-12-14T20:45:01+00:00

Eco Stable

2021-02-09T13:35:59+00:00

We are doing all we can, along with our wider Swindon community, to celebrate God’s amazing world through practical acts of care and kindness looking after its future recognising the enormous world-wide challenges caused by climate change and the Covid 19 pandemic.

This year, our good friend, Gervin Senior has created a full size replica stable outside the church. The wood comes from discarded fencing panels and local rubbish sites. We even have a star hanging above it and an eco-manger within it!

In Gervin’s words; ‘ Every problem is an opportunity, I am grateful to members of the Swindon community for helping with this project with practical gifts. I hope it gives everybody a lift this Christmas.

The words on the front are;
• From Bethlehem to Swindon with love
• Jesus gives us comfort and joy
• God is with us

We want to be clear- Christmas is not cancelled this year-we are just doing things differently. Our priority is keeping people safe and telling the Good News of Christmas that God has come to us in his son Jesus Christ in a lively contemporary way’.
‘We are enormously grateful to Gervin for masterminding this creative community stable. We hope and pray that people of all ages will engage with this stable’s simplicity and atmosphere and have unforgettable memories by and in our stable which is a gift to our Old Town Swindon parish.’

You are invited to bring:

  • A small single object: e.g. rope, stone, pine cone, branch and place it in the manger.
  • (It should not include words or identifiers, it’s a personal symbolic gift.)
  • A prayer or a longing. A desire for Christ to meet with you.

In this way we build an altar of personal hopes and dreams which will be a Covid safe, environment enhancing and not detracting from the installation itself.

Do come and sit awhile in the stable for your own meditation and prayer, you may want to come and listen to some carols on your phone

Our prayer for people leaving offerings is that they might know the reality of God’s presence with us through His incarnation and that their spirits might be renewed as they join their offering with others.

This week, leading up to Christmas day we are inviting families to dress up as Bethlehem characters and put their photos on our Christ Church Facebook page.

We recognise that many people are social distancing therefore our prayer is that every home may be Bethlehem and every heart a manger. The stable also reminds us of our Bible verse for the year and is part of our strategic plan to develop as an eco-congregation. You can read some of our eco ideas here.

Eco Stable2021-02-09T13:35:59+00:00

Eco Ideas – What can we do?

2021-02-09T13:36:29+00:00

Eco-sermon series Week 8 God in Community: What can we do?

We conclude our Sermon series with – What can Iwe do? Of course everyone is different and has different challenges but here are some ideas from Sue and Phil on living more eco-consciously. that might start you thinking.

Eco Ideas – What can we do?2021-02-09T13:36:29+00:00

Community Centre at Christ Church Swindon

2021-03-10T13:47:41+00:00

We have joined Swindon Community Lottery!

You can help support us by buying lottery tickets via our page.

https://www.swindonlottery.co.uk/…/community-centre…

When tickets are purchased via our page we receive 50% of the purchase price PLUS 10% goes to other local causes and you are in with the chance to win a weekly cash prize with the Jackpot prize being up to £25,0000!

Be in the draw on the 19th of December for your chance to WIN 1 of 5 Entertainment Bundles!

Each Entertainment Bundle includes an Amazon Echo Show8, Echo Dot, & Fire7 Tablet.

Remember there are weekly CASH prizes up to the £25,000 jackpot too! Get your ticket now via the link or scan the QR code below! Good Luck!

Thank for supporting our work.

Chris & Jenny

Community Development Team

Community Centre at Christ Church Swindon2021-03-10T13:47:41+00:00

Urgent appeal to help our clergy friends in Uganda

2020-11-27T19:34:48+00:00

Ugandan clergy are reliant on the Sunday offerings for their stipends, but the doors of their churches were closed between March and October. Their congregations also struggle financially due to a loss of jobs and income. As a result, many of our clergy friends are finding it hard to provide for their own families. It is distressing to hear of clergy families eating only one meal a day. Please use the link below to donate directly to the Bishop’s Appeal for Uganda.

https://bit.ly/2Twl8jL

Through this appeal, money will go to the Archbishop’s Emergency Fund. Archbishop Stephen will ensure that much-needed supplies are distributed fairly across the dioceses of Uganda.

The appeal will run until Sunday 29 November and offerings should be made as soon as possible so that we can send it to Uganda in good time for Christmas.

Even a small gift of 10 pounds can provide maize meal and beans for a family to survive on for a week; £20 would mean that basic essentials such as salt, sugar, soap and cooking oil could be provided along with the food. £50 would allow a family to meet a simple medical emergency. £200 could provide food for ten families.

To donate please click this link: https://bit.ly/2Twl8jL

Thank you

 

 

Urgent appeal to help our clergy friends in Uganda2020-11-27T19:34:48+00:00
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