Many of the varied activities in the church are listed below. If you are interested in any of them, contact us through the contacts page, or get in touch with the named individual, if one is given.
With the coronavirus lock-down some of these activities have had to be modified or suspended, but still get in touch up you are interested, as quite a lot is going on in people’s homes and using Zoom, etc.
These are informal gatherings of around 5-10 people, who meet regularly for fellowship, study and pastoral support. Three groups meet weekly, two in people’s homes in the evenings and one at the church on Thursday mornings. Another group meets in members’ homes every 3-4 weeks. A contemporary theology group meets monthly at Christchurch in the evening of the 2nd Thursday of the month. Contact Alan Stead for more details.
The Parents and Toddlers group meets on Tuesday mornings during term time at 9.30, for 20 to 30 families from the local community. It has a great variety of toys and activities for the children and singing at the end of each session. The parents and grandparents who bring their children along also enjoy the time to chat with friends and make new ones. There is no formal enrollment – just come along.
The luncheon club provides good hot meals and fellowship for up to 24 elderly residents in the neighbourhood at Wednesday lunchtime twice a month. It has a team of about 15 volunteers (more needed!) who give their time to this valuable work.
The banner group meets regularly to make beautiful banners which decorate the church and enliven our worship.
The Prayer Shawl ministry was founded in America in 1998 by Vicky Galo and Janet Bristow. In their words. “compassion and the love of knitting/crocheting have been combined into a prayerful ministry and spiritual practice which reaches out to those in need of comfort and solace, as well as in celebration and joy. many blessings are prayed into every shawl.” See the Prayer Shawl Ministry website for more background. A group of people in our church are sharing in this activity. more details…
We have been running a Traidcraft stall at Christchurch every Sunday after morning service since 1992 thanks to a loyal team of volunteers and the willingness of church members and friends to support fair trade. We also supply several local churches and a college with goods from Traidcraft enabling us to achieve an annual turnover that is currently around £10,000. This is a visible demonstration of our commitment to a fairer world.
This project is looking at new ways to reach out to people in the local community, particularly those who feel isolated. The main activity at the moment is a drop-in on Tuesday afternoons from 1.45 to 4 pm, offering help with accessing services online, filling in forms and other practical problems. Another venture is “Keep Up!” on Wednesday evenings, a “surgery” to help people with phones, iPads, laptops and and all things electronic. This doesn’t run continuously at the moment, but mostly in the university terms, as several of the volunteers are students. If you are interested in making a difference to people who may be isolated or struggling in our area, or to find out about the events, get in touch through the Wild Honey website.
