Two new groups starting at St Michael’s (via zoom) in March and April 2021

We are again partnering with Kintsugi Hope to run the Kintsugi Hope Wellbeing Groups. We have two groups starting soon: One on Thursday evenings starting 11 March, and one on Wednesday evenings starting 14 April. They each run for 12 weeks.

If you’re interested in joining please email Jean and she will be delighted to let you know more. Or complete the sign-up form here

Who is it For?

The stress and demands of modern living can take their toll on our mental health and wellbeing. Many of us may feel the affect but not fully understand the cause. There has been a tendency in our society to not talk about our struggles yet ….” healing starts the moment we are heard!”

So the vision of Kintsugi Hope is to provide a place where people can experience :

• Safety and support where there is no shame and embarrassment in struggling
• An increase in self worth, confidence and wellbeing
• A deeper understanding of the reality of Gods love for them.
• Clear pathways to receive additional support if needed

However …. What it is not!

It is not therapy – there are no leaders or experts.

For this reason it would not be suitable for those with a more serious diagnosed mental illness.

If you feel this might be for you and you’d like to find out more or would like to sign up for a group please email kintsugi@stmichaelsbristol.org

Comments from previous participants:

“ I looked and listened to others in the room who I presumed had their lives sorted and realised that it wasn’t just me , that I wasn’t alone in my struggles”

“ The materials and resources covered have provided me with a metaphorical tool box to refer to on difficult days”

“ I’ve learnt about myself, what God wants for me and that there’s a better way, a better life in Him, as He intended”

“ I wish there had been something like this years ago! I needn’t have struggled for so long in silence”

“ I’ve realised ‘it’s OK not to be OK’ and that this was the first step to me acknowledging where I was at, having the desire to make changes, seek further and move forwards”

“The Kintsugi Hope Group allowed me to be honest with myself amongst a group of people where there was no judgement and who I could trust. It helped me to understand myself in a  better way”

One final comment …. “ We HAVE to do this …it’s the heart of the gospel!”

Where is God when life hurts?

Join us on 24 February at 7.30pm when we will look at this question.

Click here to get the zoom link for Wednesday 24 Febuary

The Any Questions Series

‘Any Questions?’ gives us the chance to come together to discuss some of the big questions of life.

In a relaxed atmosphere and over zoom – so from the comfort of your own home – we will chat through the big questions that we all have and share our own experiences. And the questions will be provided by you.

There will be 4 evenings all together: one a month from January onwards, and you are welcome to as many as you’d like.

Each evening will have a different theme, which we’ll know in advance, but we want to build each evening around what you would like to discuss.

The session will include a short presentation, and break out rooms to chat through what we’ve heard. The groups will be led by people from St Michael’s church, with no agenda or expectation, offering a chance to get to know one another and to discuss the questions together.

If you could ask God one question, what would it be? Let us know what you would ask

The next events for Any Questions? are:

• Any Questions? on Wednesday, 24 March 2021 at 7:30pm

Practising Silence

Life can be busy. So busy that it is difficult to find space and time to pray. And when we do find the time, our minds can be so cluttered with Twitter feeds, distractions and to-do lists that the prospect of spending time in silence seems daunting.

In our hyper-stimulated world, we long to ‘practice the presence of God’ but more often than not ‘practice the presence of distraction’.

To help us during Lent, Tom will be holding 4 evening sessions on zoom.

Is this for me? Whatever your spirituality or worshipping preference, chorus or choral, incense or stadium haze, hands clasped or hands aloft, the way of Jesus necessitates times of silence and solitude.

This is an opportunity to learn together, develop simple ways to help us remain in a place of stillness, and ultimately deepen our relationship with God during Lent and beyond.

The next events for Practising Silence are:

• Practising Silence (Lent – God’s Story, Our Story) on Thursday, 4 March 2021 at 7:30pm
• Practising Silence (Lent – God’s Story, Our Story) on Thursday, 11 March 2021 at 7:30pm
• Practising Silence (Lent – God’s Story, Our Story) on Thursday, 18 March 2021 at 7:30pm
• Practising Silence (Lent – God’s Story, Our Story) on Thursday, 25 March 2021 at 7:30pm

St Michael’s Lent Facebook Group

A digital space for us to gather during Lent.

We’ll post the daily reflections, and have short facebook live moments from the team.

Click here to join

Join the St Michael’s Electoral Roll

At St Michael’s we want to live to make a difference, by being a Christian heart at the centre of our community.  If St Michael’s is your home church we encourage you to join the electoral roll.

The Electoral Roll is the Church of England’s official register of who worships with us here at St Michael’s. If you’re not currently on the roll, we would love you to sign-up.

If you completed a form for the 2019 -2025 electoral roll you do not need to complete one again, unless your details have changed.

Revision 2021 – view the notice

The application deadline is Sunday 4 April 2021, to ensure completed by our Vision Night and Annual Meeting on 21 April.

You can apply for enrolment online here

or download a paper copy here

We’d love to invite you to join in with chat after church. 

Join us  at 11.30  (after the 10.30 Service), when we’ll gather on zoom to chat after church. There will be break out rooms and also the chance to chat more about the topics raised in the live stream. We’d love to see you.  Bring your own coffee!

Click on the date below and sign up! You’ll be sent the zoom link by email

The next events for virtual coffee are:

• Virtual Coffee After Church on Sunday, 7 March 2021 at 11:30am
• Virtual Coffee After Church on Sunday, 14 March 2021 at 11:30am
• Virtual Coffee After Church on Sunday, 21 March 2021 at 11:30am
• Virtual Coffee After Church on Sunday, 28 March 2021 at 11:30am

If you have any queries, please do contact us

It’s so important for us to see the faces and hear the voices of others in our church community during lockdown

As we begin a new year, and our new sermon series Psalms for People Under Pressure, we want to hear from you!

What short snippet (or psnippet – see what we did there?!) of a psalm has impacted you in your Christian life? 10 seconds might be pushing it a bit, put try and keep it as short as you can so we can include lots of lovely people!

We would love it if you could record a short video clip of you reading a verse or two, plus a sentance as to why you’ve chosen it,  and send to us using this link.

10 Tips for recording your video can be downloaded here, but in short, please:

 – Film in landscape
–  Make sure there’s enough light on your face
 – Keep your face in the top half of the screen
 – Make sure your voice can be heard clearly
 – Keep the camera still
 – Position the camera high enough

Once your  video is ready please Click here to upload

Our Ash Wednesday Communion service, taking place this year on zoom with an interactive element.
Revd. Canon Simon Jones is leading and Licensed Lay Minister Chris Perkins will be speaking.
Please have your bread and wine ready, and a small amount of ash ready to make the symbol of the cross on your forehead.

There are various ways you could make your ash, but however you do it please do it safely!

Head here for the zoom link