Buy 3rd Old Town Beer Festival Tickets
churchadmin2015-04-14T17:02:02+01:00The 3rd Old Town Beer festival is on Saturday 16th May from 12.00 noon to 10pm.
Buy your tickets here: https://www.christchurchswindon.co.uk/events
Easter Eve Walk
churchadmin2015-05-02T13:18:12+01:00
We visited Bincknoll Castle a seldom visited small Iron Age fort which sits on the end of a promontory on the escarpment beneath the Ridgeway to the South and overlooking the plains around Swindon to the North.
Easter Eve Walk – Saturday 4 April 2015 – Bincknoll Castle and Quidhampton Wood
Out
We took the 11.10 am bus from outside the Swindon Advertiser Office on Victoria Hill (Service 49) to Broad Hinton. Walk back to Wroughton via Bincknoll Castle and Quidhampton Wood.
We enjoyed packed lunches.
Back
Bus from Wroughton back to Swindon ( e.g. 15.49 or 16.49). Suitable refreshment was sought in Wroughton, and later bus home. Contact Daniel Pitt 521732 if you would like to join us for future walks. All welcome.
Our Church Plan
churchadmin2015-05-06T23:23:29+01:00
Since work began on development and renewal at Christ Church, we have spent a lot of time reviewing our plans, gaining information from other church’s experiences and planning and building our Community Centre. In all this detail of practical and logical decision making, it is often easy to forget why we originally set out on this journey. Do take some time if you can to read our vision for this church.
We have a vision that Christ Church and its site should be at the heart of Swindon serving the needs of local people and becoming a useful meeting place for a whole variety of community activities. Continuing and developing what we do well now but also looking to meet future needs. Christ Church was built 160 years ago and has been part of the Old Town Partnership of Churches with Bath Road Methodist church and Immanuel United Reformed church for more than 40 years. Our vision is ‘Connecting the Community with Christ’. Many visitors remark on the beauty of Christ Church, a place of serenity and peace in the midst of a very busy town but while the building is beautiful outside, inside it is cluttered and tired and expensive to maintain.
We want to bring a resurrection feel to the Church that Swindon can really be proud of, serving our town through the 21st century and beyond. Through the development and renewal of Christ Church we will have a lighter, warmer more comfortable and flexible place to meet, and from which to expand its outreach.
Our vision is that Christ Church and the newly rebuilt community centre will be in use throughout the week; morning, afternoons and evenings. There will be an enhanced awe and wonder about the church building which will be full of God’s presence. We intend to operate both the church and the Community hall for the benefit of all, trusting that our openness and outward looking attitude will establish our whole site as a valuable resource for our local community. We look forward to hosting many concerts, creative arts, community celebrations, conferences, school events and artistic exhibitions in both the church and hall.
Our vision is our site will increasingly pay for itself, allowing us to develop our pastoral care, listening and healing ministries and to look outwards sharing God’s heart for mission and outreach within Swindon and across the world. As a Christian community we passionately believe that God works in every scene of life and wants us to expand our perspective of his activity and presence in all things. We believe that God wants us to have the gift of imagination. By enabling this to happen we can play our part in connecting the whole community of Swindon through outstanding buildings and service that bring the best of the past alongside the needs of the present.
We would like everyone at Christ Church to work together to achieve this vision for Christ Church to keep it at the heart of Swindon for the next 160 years.
The letter from the house of Bishops about the 2015 General Election
churchadmin2015-05-06T23:17:07+01:00
Who is my neighbour?
The following is the introduction to this thought provoking letter.
How should Christian men and women approach the General Election to be held on 7 May 2015? This letter from the Church of England’s House of Bishops is addressed to all members of the church. And, as the Church of England strives to be a church which seeks the good of all the people of the country, we hope that others, who may not profess church allegiance, will nevertheless join in the conversation and engage with the ideas we are sharing here. This letter is not a shopping list of policies we would like to see. It is a call for the new direction that we believe our political life ought to take. Read the full letter here: whoismyneighbour-pages
Bumps & Babes Sessions
churchadmin2015-04-10T18:23:36+01:00Calling all mums. We had to suspend the weekly bumps and babes sessions due to lack of numbers. Recently, though, we have received some enquiries from local families asking if the sessions could be resumed.
Bumps and babes was specifically for expectant mums and those with babies under 1 year old. It created an ideal opportunity to meet, make friends and share experiences over a cup of coffee or tea.
If you are interested in taking part in such a group then we would love to hear from you – if we get enough interest it may be possible to re-start the sessions. Please contact Ailsa in the parish office if you would like to know more.
01793 522832 or parishoffice@christchurchswindon.co.uk
Sunday@4 – St Mary’s Church Commonweal Road
churchadmin2016-02-17T21:28:33+00:00Sunday@4
Important: THIS WEEK ONLY – Sunday@4 will be starting at the later time of 4.30pm because of a previous booking for the hall.
Come and join us for a friendly and informal service with some wonderful modern worship songs and time to explore what it means to be Christian today.
Starting a new year with a new series for 2016: Programme – January – Easter 2016.
Remember too that we are meeting in the Community Centre @ Christ Church.
This Sunday part of our Lent series on God’s Mercy we are looking at God’s mercy to us. We will be thinking about God’s mercy experienced as friendship. We’ll also be looking at how we often judge ourselves harshly and expect the same from God which means we don’t experience that friendship.
All are very welcome.
Celebrating the bells
churchadmin2015-03-08T17:57:28+00:00
The new board kindly donated by Enid Roberts to mark the 60th anniversary of the original Coronation Peal.
The original Peal board celebrating the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953
Last Sunday we celebrated the work of our bell ringers and the important part they play in the every day life of the church and community and also remembered some important historical milestones that they have marked. We heard a fascinating talk given by Brian Harris, our Tower Captain, about the bells and how and why they are rung. You can hear his talk again here.
Congregational Update – Church Plan
churchadmin2015-04-10T18:23:10+01:00Recently we had a congregational update on the future plans for Development and Renewal in Christ Church. We had introductory remarks from Rev’d Stevenette followed by a brief discussion of the governance processes that we use to ensure that we get good decision making from Lynda Fisher. We then heard the proposals being put forward for the next phase of development within the church itself from Mike Palmer.
Finally Daniel Pitt our church warden gave us some great news about a kind bequest from the late Pamela Gilbert, the daughter of Rev. John Gilbert, vicar of Christ Church from 1929 – 1953. As at 13 January 2015, a total of £234,000 has been received by the PCC under this legacy.
Read all about our exciting future plans here. Development Plan update – Sunday 25 January 2015
Parish Verse for 2015
churchadmin2015-05-02T13:19:05+01:00Members of our church family have been thinking about our parish verse for 2015. See Brian’s take on it below – the product of a recent Search Light service,
Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.
They shall mount up with wings like eagles.
They shall run and not be weary.
They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
In Search Light today we were looking at the parish verse. In particular, and at my request, we focussed considerably on the first line “Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength”. I was struggling with the word “wait”. It seemed to me to be a word suggesting -just hang around and it will all happen. I don’t need to do anything. This led me to wonder, were others thinking the same? Looking at other bible versions the word Hope or Trust is used. I got that. Those words spoke to me they seemed active – me doing something.
The Recovery Bible says Isaiah 40:1- 66:24 is a message of hope, there’s that word and through these words we can recognise that God’s ultimate purpose for his people is always their blessing. Clearly I needed help in understanding this and my friends were there to guide me to an understanding.
Wait, as a Hebrew translation means enduring, gaining strength through endurance. I wasn’t sure. There was a suggestion that it was a man thing. Wait! Oh no, we need to do something.
And then with further input from friends the light came on “patient waiting but with expectation”. Patience to listen to what God is doing in our lives, waiting. Remember being told to listen to our teachers at school. Did we? I know I didn’t, well not always. And listening is not enough. We need to listen actively to make a difference. Likewise we need to actively “wait”. So trust and hope in the Lord, wait patiently and actively follow the path he lays before us.
Brian Gibbs
New Alpha Courses for 2015
churchadmin2015-02-21T02:08:20+00:00Our new Alpha Courses have started. They give you a chance to ask and discuss some fundamental questions in a friendly, open and accessible forum. The meetings are held every Wednesday in the Community Centre at Christ Church (which is the modern building just beside Christ Church)starting on January 21st – 7.30 – 9.30pm. Each evening starts with a meal and a chat, followed by a talk over coffee, and then there’s time for discussion – straight talking is encouraged! fun is guaranteed! For more information or to join in please contact Simon 01793 529166 or Ailsa 01793 522832 or email to parishoffice@christchurchswindon.co.uk.
Equally if you are able to help with food, clearing, setting up for the courses then please download this page to see how you can help.
You can download the full programme here.
Margaret’s New Year Honour
churchadmin2015-02-21T02:08:38+00:00I am delighted to pass on to you that our own Margaret Williams has been awarded an MBE in the New Years Honours list. The award is for outstanding voluntary service to our Bristol Diocese and Swindon community. For those of you who don’t know, Margaret was the first woman lay reader in our Malmesbury Archdeaconry over 40 years ago. She was the first Head teacher of Oliver Tompkin Infant school. Margaret’s award will be the front page story of the Swindon advertiser tomorrow. Margaret is on BBC Radio Wiltshire at 9.30am after leading Morning Prayer at CC tomorrow at 9am . If you would like to join us you would be welcome. The Welsh flag will be flying outside Christ Church and a special banner inside.
Margaret Williams (Left front) with friends and colleagues at the celebration of her 40 years as a Lay Reader late last year.
There was a quarter peal in Margaret’s honour at 9.30am. Margaret shared with us in a Watchnight Holy Communion service at 11pm on New Year’s Eve followed by an opportunity to climb the bell tower and hear the bells peal over Swindon and watch the fireworks across Swindon. If you would like to send Margaret a congratulatory email her email address is margaretwilliams111@gmail.com
Happy New Year to you all
Every blessing
Simon
You can read more about the local reaction to Margaret’s honour here. http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/11694217.MBE_recipient_Margaret_Williams_led_way_for_women_in_Church/?ref=mr
http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/11696181.It___s_a_right_old_ding_dong_for_Margaret_MBE/