Author: Laura Thomas

Easter

Posted on by Laura Thomas

Easter 2025

Join in with all things Easter, as we reflect on the cross and celebrate in the hope of the resurrection.

Maundy Thursday 17 April

7.30pm St Michael’s Church -Join us for a service of Holy Communion.

Live stream link here

Good Friday 18 April

All-Age Good Friday Trail

Searching for Easter

10am – 11.30am St Michael’s Centre

Come and join us as we embark on an Easter Trail around Stoke Gifford. It starts at 10am at St Michael’s Centre, when a special trail pack will be given out. The pack includes:

  • A map showing the 8 stations dotted around Stoke Gifford
  • Symbols that take us through the Easter story
  • A word puzzle to complete
  • Items to collect to make an Easter garden at home
  • QR codes to scan that take us to videos of Eye Witness accounts from key characters in the Easter story

At 11.00, everyone will join back together in the church auditorium for a time of worship and reflection on what we have just discovered.

It promises to be a fun, engaging and interactive morning with an opportunity to reflect on the Easter story.

Good Friday 18 April

Good Friday Reflective Service

12pm in Church – Join us in Church for our Good Friday Reflective Service with Holy Communion. Stay for as little or as long as you like. Arrive or leave on the quarter-hour. Communion will be at 1.45pm.

Live stream link here

Easter Sunday 20 April

  • The Nine o’clock in Church
  • The Ten-thirty in the Centre
  • The Six-Thirty in the Centre

Join in as we celebrate the Good News of the risen Lord Jesus! All services will also be live-streamed on our YouTube channel

At all three services we will also be having Baptisms!

Read a digital copy of “Why Easter?” here.

Service of Celebration for the Life of Dave Carey

Posted on by Laura Thomas

Service of Celebration for the Life of Dave Carey.

Dave Carey – a much-loved member of our Church Family –  sadly passed away last month.  Dave was the Buildings Manager at St Michael’s for many years before his retirement in 2019. His hard work was integral to the vision and building of St Michael’s Centre, and the development of the Old School Rooms.  


A Celebration of Life for Dave will be held on Wednesday 16 April at 10.30am in Church. There will be refreshments afterwards in the Auditorium in St Michael’s Centre.  To help the family plan, we would like to get an idea of the number of people planning to attend. If you plan to come, please fill in this short form here.


Dave’s family have placed a book at St Michael’s Centre reception for people to share stories and memories of Dave. The family would love to read what Dave meant to people, so please do pop in to share yours.
Please do continue to pray for Dave’s wife Kim and their children – Becky, Sarah and Toby.

For those who are not able to attend, the service will be live-streamed via our YouTube channel. Click here for the direct link

Baptisms

Posted on by Laura Thomas

Baptisms

On Easter Sunday 20 April , we are having full-immersion Baptisms during our Ten-Thirty and Six-Thirty celebrations.

If you are part of St Michael’s, have recently come to faith in Jesus, or you’ve never been baptised, but you’re a Christian, why not prayerfully consider this opportunity to be baptised?

Please complete the form here, or talk to one of the team.

We will be having a preparation session ahead of the Baptism service, which you will need to attend. This is on Wednesday 2 April at 7.30pm in St Michael’s Centre

If you are looking for a baptism service for your child, please head here

Kintsugi Hope Wellbeing Group

Posted on by Laura Thomas

Kintsugi Hope Wellbeing Group

Our next course is a daytime course starting 24 April 2025

Sign-up to express an interest in attending the course – click here

How is your emotional wellbeing? 

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 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 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 :

  • 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

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!”