St Michael's Church, Stoke Gifford
Living to make a difference
Our next Sunday lunch for the Over 65’s is on Sunday 3 March
These lunches are always very popular and are a fabulous way to serve the older generation in our community.
Tickets will become available at 09:00 on Thursday, 8 February. Book early to be sure of a space.
Click here to book or call the church office.
St Michael’s Centre is pleased to be hosting South West Gospel Partnership’s Bristol Women’s Conference on Saturday 2 March.
This is the first time it has been hosted with us, but has been successfully running for a number of years.
Full details on speakers and seminars is here, as well as details on how to book.
We’re gathering to celebrate Lunar New Year on Sunday 4 February at 12:15pm in the Lower Hall.
The event will run until 2.30pm. It’s designed with Hong Kong people in mind, but all are welcome!
LUNCH – The lunch is bring and share – whatever you like (please add details of ingredients on the dishes to help those with any food intolerances). Where possible please bring your own utensils too.
CRAFTS – We will gather to make some decorations:- Write with ink and brush on red paper to make Fai Chun (Words of blessings). And red paper cuttings to decorate windows.
QUIZ – St Michael’s Men’s ministry has prepared a fun quiz aimed at people new to St Michael’s Church and the UK.
Whether you are a Hong Konger or not, you are most welcome.
£2 per person (£1 for under 18’s)
Online bookings close midday Friday 2 February.
We are hosting an Enneagram course at St Michael’s Centre on 25 -27 April
The dates and times are:
Thursday 25 April – 6pm – 8.30pm
Friday 26 April – 9.45am to 6pm then fish and chip meal together.
Saturday 27 April 9.45am to 12.45pm
Enneagram is a great tool to help you get to know yourself better. With knowledge comes self-awareness, healing and acceptance. It isn’t really a personality type test, it is more what motivates us.
The course will be run by Beckky Widdows. Becky worked as a spiritual director at Trinity College, Bristol for many years and at Lee Abbey as a lay chaplain. She now works freelance in spiritual direction, retreat work, Enneagram teaching and counselling.
For further information please email karenneedham@stmichaelsbristol.org
The course will cost £50, if you would love to do it but if the cost is an obstacle to you attending please do get in touch.
We are super excited for our students and young adults weekend away! It’s on the 16-18t February 2024, and we’re staying by the Afan Forest in Wales
This weekend is a retreat for anyone aged 18-30 and we’d absolutely love to have you there
A service of celebration of the life of Janice Stace is taking place in the auditorium on Friday 19 January at 2.30pm, and all are welcome.
Following the service refreshments will be served.
Donations in memory of Janice may be made for the benefit of Pink Ribbon Foundation via this link
For those who are unable to make it the service will be live streamed on youtube – the link is here
The committal is taking place beforehand, and is for family and close invited friends only.
How is your emotional wellbeing?
After the last few years it may well have taken a bit of a battering! Maybe you are struggling with anxiety, depression, anger, grief or stress or maybe you are supporting someone dealing with these issues…
They are all very normal emotions; so please know that you are not alone!
Why not consider joining a 6 week wellbeing programme being run by St Michael’s Church, Stoke Gifford?
It’s called Kintsugi Hope and is based on the belief that there can be treasure found in the scars of life.
Each week, in a small, safe and supportive group, we will look at subjects rarely talked about in depth such as : Honesty, anxiety, depression, perfectionism, shame and anger.
The aim of this shared journey is to gain support, understanding and tools that will enable us to become more resilient.
Kintsugi groups are suitable both for people of faith and for those with none.
Please email Jess and Abbie if you have any questions
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 effect 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 :
What it’s 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!”
St Michael’s Centre is delighted to be hosting this Bristol Diocese event on Saturday 20 January
Bristol Diocese say:
At Growing Faith. Together, we aim to create an informal and welcoming environment where individuals from all parts of our diocese can come together to explore and deepen their faith. Whether you are a long-time believer, in church leadership or just starting your spiritual journey, this event is for you! If you can come with others from your parish team you will be able to get even more from learning and reflecting together.
Throughout the day, there will be engaging speakers, thought-provoking discussions, and inspiring worship sessions.
Keynote Speaker: Christopher Jamison – Former Abbot of Worth Abbey; reluctant star of the BBC2 series, The Monastery; Director of Vocations for England and Wales from 2010-2017 will speak on spiritual patterns for everyday life and lead a workshop on learning from Benedictine rhythms.
Workshops and short talks throughout the day will enable us to hear from the experience of others across the whole diocese who are seeking to help people grow in their discipleship and to help their churches flourish including:
You will have the opportunity to connect, think and pray with others who are longing to grow in faith and see our churches thrive, share your experiences, and learn from one another.
This year, the Men’s Ministry is mixing up the Beer tasting evening on Saturday 20 January
There will be 5 Best Bitters and 5 English IPAs to blind taste (blindfolds not required) against the BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) style guidelines.
You will be judging each beer against the BJCP style for; Aroma, Appearance, Flavour & mouthfeel to find your overall winner
Between the 2 styles, there will be a refreshment break with a hotdog and onions
The evening will start at 19:30 and will cost £10.
Booking and payment is online, places are limited to 48 men over the age of 18.
On Wednesday 10 January at 7.30pm we are gathering in St Michael’s Centre for a whole church prayer gathering.
Prayer is key to everything we do, and an important part of our individual lives. This is a wonderful opportunity to gather and pray as a church, and listen to God together.
Why not count yourself in and come along for an evening of prayer and worship?
As we approach a new year, many of us look for ways to refresh and renew our lives. For Christians, one of the most enriching ways to do this is to deepen our connection with God through Scripture. Engaging with the Bible daily brings spiritual growth, and guides our everyday lives.
If you’re looking for a Bible reading plan for 2024, we’ve pulled together a few options that may help in choosing a plan that’s right for you: Whether you’re a seasoned reader or just starting out, there’s a plan to help you dive deeper into God’s Word.
The Bible with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel (formerly The Bible in One Year) is an excellent free resource from the team that produces the Alpha Course You can read it directly on the website, listen wherever you access podcasts, download an app, or purchase a book. There are three different plans: Classic, Youth, and Express.
The YouVersion Bible App is also an excellent resource for different lengths of reading plans as well as one-year plans. Many of us have this app already on our phones. The above options have accompanying commentary to help us in our reading. But some of us may prefer to just have the plan without the commentary:
The Bible Project has available a downloadable and printable one-year reading plan. You can find that here.
Blue Letter Bible has a downloadable chronological plan here.
And there are many more out there.
We encourage everyone to explore the many Bible reading plans available and find one that resonates with you. May 2024 be a year filled with rich blessings and a closer walk with God!
Dear Church Family member,
It is with deep sadness that I share the news of the death of Janice Stace.
Janice died suddenly on Sunday 10 December at around 8pm.
Janice was a much-loved member of our church family and served with dedication and compassion in the voluntary role of Children’s Ministry Assistant.
She made a huge difference in the lives of countless children and families within our communities. She served in Beehive (parents & toddlers), Sunday children’s ministry, Saturday Breakfast, Lifegroup leader, Messy Church, Spring Harvest co-ordination and most recently the initiator of our “Bumps” & Babies group.
She will be deeply missed by us all. We are so grateful to God for her life & ministry among us.
We, of course, offer our deepest condolences, sympathy and prayers to Janice’s family and friends.
We will share Funeral details in due course.
In the meantime, please keep Chris, Peter and David in your thoughts and prayers.
God Bless
Revd Canon Simon Jones
