Lockdown Lessons

2020-12-14T19:39:39+00:00

Over the past 6 months, we have come to realise, more than ever, the importance of keeping in touch with our friends and supporters. Our KIT team has been making calls and connecting, where they can, with our friends across the town. The church closure has meant that many of our traditional ways of communication via leaflet, notices and flyers have not been possible.

At the same time, as we start to consider the implications of being a committed eco church, we have come to realise just how much paper we have saved and the benefits to our planet of doing so. It’s a small start, but like all such initiatives, it needs us all to think differently about how we find out what is going on in our Community.

If you are reading this, then you have taken the first step and signed up for our weekly newsletter and you hopefully know about our website https://www.christchurchswindon.co.uk/ which works hard to keep you up to date with the parish and town. If you know of someone who might appreciate receiving our weekly news, then encourage them to sign up for our Newletter email at https://www.christchurchswindon.co.uk/newsletter.php

Let’s identify those we are not in contact with due to Lockdown. What we are worried about though, is all those who do not have access to the internet or email. We need to ensure that we can continue to engage with them and share our news and events. We have set up a telephone number to enable those who cannot come to church to listen to our weekly service. If you know of anyone who would value using this service then please encourage them to dial 01225 541162. Calls are charged at local rates and you should warn the caller that there is a small 15 second silence whilst the audio file loads. Services typically last 45 minutes.

If you know someone – a friend or neighbour, who feels they belong to our community, then please encourage them to contact us – our parish office number is 522832 so that we can make arrangements to keep in touch with a regular newsletter. That way, what paper we do use is put to good use.

Lockdown Lessons2020-12-14T19:39:39+00:00

Return of choral singing

2020-10-17T20:03:18+01:00
No, not a bunch of bandits! It’s the choir at practice for the first time in 6 months.

Although congregational singing is still not allowed, Limited choral singing is now permitted. The choir will return on the second and fourth Sundays, starting on the 13th and again on 27th. Just in case you have forgotten what we sound like, you can hear us here.

Return of choral singing2020-10-17T20:03:18+01:00

Autumn Sermon Series

2020-10-17T20:04:35+01:00

A look ahead to our Autumn programme of services 2020

In various ways, we will explore in our worship, preaching, children’s material and Home Groups, what it means to be an eco-congregation and an inter-generational Christian learning community.

We will do this:

  1. Through a sermon series on key Bible stories
  2. Through welcome and learning in our Home Groups
  3. By providing opportunities for our congregations to grow in Christian confidence
  4. By encouraging us to read the Bible in a year, through a very helpful resource www.bibleinoneyear.org

The Programme

  • 6th Sept Love the Lord your God with all your heart, Soul, strength, and mind
  • 13th Sept Love your neighbour
  • 20th Sept Love yourself
  • 27th Sept Mission Gift Day: Send a Cow Charity

October/November/December Themes – Being an Eco Congregation. How then shall we live? – an exploration of our theology of Eco-church

  • 4th Oct Harvest Festival God and progress: The problem of blind ignorance
  • 11th Oct God and Nature: The problem of separation
  • 18th Oct God and Heaven: The Problem of after- life is left for after life. Old Town Partnership Pulpit Exchange – Robert Jordan preaching.
  • Friday 23rd Oct Martin Palmer Friends of Christ Church lecture ‘Learning from Celebration Earth’
  • 25th Oct God and Us: The problem of Greed
  • 1st Nov All Saints Day – God and Salvation: The Salvation of Humankind. All Souls Bereavement Care gathering
  • 8th Nov Remembrance Sunday – in the light of Covid-19. How can our remembering lead us to transformation?
  • 15th Nov God and Conscience: The Salvation of Society
  • 22nd Nov Mission Gift Day Water Aid: Stream of Living Water
  • 29th Nov Advent Sunday: God in Me, what can I do?
  • 6th Dec God in the Community: What can we do?
  • 7th Dec Holy Innocents: we are all key workers.
  • 13th Dec Preparing for Christmas in the midst of a world pandemic. Theme: Comfort
  • 20th Dec Preparing for Christmas in the midst of a world pandemic. Theme: Joy
  • 25th Dec Friday, Christmas Day Theme: New insights for 2020 as Jesus is born.
Autumn Sermon Series2020-10-17T20:04:35+01:00

Take a look at our Children’s resources page

2020-09-24T13:04:24+01:00

Each week, Children can join in with our services listening to bible stories and using fun resources on our Children’s corner pages.

We are posting a variety of materials to help our younger parishioners and friends enjoy and understand our Bible stories.

https://www.christchurchswindon.co.uk/blog/children/

  • Word searches
  • Colouring
  • Stories
Take a look at our Children’s resources page2020-09-24T13:04:24+01:00

The first bible is creation

2020-08-30T17:08:19+01:00
Icon by Sue Mansfield, May 2020

This icon is based on the Pantocrator icon in St Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai, Egypt. The first bible is creation, so here i have removed the usual ‘icon’ of the Bible, and put in its place the first ‘bible’ – Creation in all its glory.  The saints more or less seem to find spiritual experiences outside, rarely in our buildings. I have also removed the traditional red surround of the Byzantine icons because creation is borderless, instead the red ribbon that links all beings together.

As I begin to understand that the Cosmic Christ is in everything it changes my perspective that everything has value, a soul and a voice. This changes my interaction with them, everything is an equal rather than an object.  Therefore, I start to treat everything with subjectivity rather than objectivity. The planet as the body of Christ.

(more…)
The first bible is creation2020-08-30T17:08:19+01:00

The Bells are ringing

2020-09-24T13:03:42+01:00

To mark the end of the Second World War, the bells rang out at Christ Church.Here’s an extract of the goose-bump ringing that took place on 15th August at 11am after 2 minutes of silence. A big thank you to ringers Gordon, Shirley, Alan, Peter and Ruth. Socially distanced ringing meant they rang call changes and some plain hunting.

Photograph: Janet French
The Bells are ringing2020-09-24T13:03:42+01:00

Missing the choir?

2020-08-27T21:09:20+01:00
Listen to us singing – Angel Voices ever singing – F Potts
Over the years our faithful choir has supported services, sometimes with friends joining us, sometimes just the few. Sadly some no longer with us. In these unprecended times, we can’t be there but you can still hear us. Click the image above to listen.

Missing the choir?2020-08-27T21:09:20+01:00

Time to reflect?

2020-08-29T14:04:25+01:00

‘Time’ to look up again! Our clock mechanism is back and keeping perfect time.

The clock was originally installed in Holy Rood Church, on the Lawn, in 1843 and has been in the Christ Church clock tower since 1851. Its repair was made possible by legacies left to the charity Friends of Christ Church. We thank the Friends for all that they do. To find out more about the Friends of Christ Church, go to: https://www.christchurchswindon.co.uk/friends.php

(more…)
Time to reflect?2020-08-29T14:04:25+01:00

Black Lives Matter

2020-08-29T14:57:36+01:00

A personal perspective

The events that have unfolded since George Floyd’s very public killing has caused me to catch my breath, pause — pause, and exhale.

Revd Dr Catherine Okoronkwo

As a writer I often find myself penning a poem to process my thoughts and feelings in response to confronting issues. The rawness of my poetry at this time reflects the place of pause I find myself in as I catch my breath.

But in writing these poems, I realise that not a thousand words nor a single word can fully articulate my strength of emotion. Like a wound that is constantly scabbed in my day-to-day lived experiences, the reality of life as a black woman is magnified again and again when public events like the George Floyd case occur.

As a person of colour, I’ve experienced a range of emotions in the last few weeks: tired, crushed, angry, frustrated, bewildered. My parents lived with racial injustice. I live with racial injustice. And, if things don’t change, my daughter’s generation will live with racial injustice.

It’s incredible that, in 2020, we still witness persecution and aggression against people of colour. Black and brown skinned people have endured decades of injustices. In recent history we note: the deaths of Stephen Lawrence and Mark Duggan (among countless others), the Grenfell Tower disaster, the Windrush scandal, an increase in knife crimes among black youths, and the higher impact of Covid-19 deaths on key workers from BAME backgrounds. How many more black and brown lives have to be lost before we work together – black, brown, and white – to see a real change in society?

(more…)
Black Lives Matter2020-08-29T14:57:36+01:00

Not back to normal – planning for a better future

2020-06-06T16:03:12+01:00
An on-line lecture by Martin Palmer

Martin explored the theological, environmental and community challenges which the pandemic is raising in our own country and across the world. He stresses the importance of joining together as faiths to practically respond to the social and economic challenges, within an anxious and ever-changing environment.

Watch the recording

(more…)
Not back to normal – planning for a better future2020-06-06T16:03:12+01:00

We will meet

2020-08-27T19:56:34+01:00

Listen to this new song by John Bell from the Iona Community which sums up all our hopes for the future.
Click to play: We will meet

We will meet2020-08-27T19:56:34+01:00
Toggle Sliding Bar Area
Go to Top