Author: Laura Thomas

The Alpha Course

Posted on by Laura Thomas

The Alpha Course

We’ve been running Alpha at St Michael’s for many years, and hundreds of people have enjoyed the space to ask the big questions of life in a relaxed and open environment.

Alpha is a place where no subject is off-limits, and no question is too silly, difficult, or controversial (really!). It’s a place to find out what Christians believe, to see whether any of it adds up in practice, to decide what you think and – if you’re up for it – to give some of it a go.

Our next Alpha course begins with a taster session on Wednesday 1 October 2025. Express an interest in coming along here

Our next in-person course will be in the autumn.

if you have any questions please email Alpha@stmichaelsbristol.org.

How Alpha works:

We meet once a week, on a Wednesday, for 8 weeks. There is a Saturday together in the middle for a slightly longer time of food and discussion.

  • Alpha always starts with food.
  • There’s usually some live music.
  • Then there’s a 30-minute presentation on different aspects of faith and Christianity, covering topics like, Who is Jesus? How and why should I pray? How does God guide us?
  • We then get to respond to what we’ve heard, share our own thoughts and experiences, and chew over any questions raised. These discussions are often the best part of the session, and we get to hear from others as well as contribute our own perspective – if we’re up for that.
  • The evening finishes at 9.30pm

Please get in touch

To find out more about Alpha, or to sign up for the next course, please contact us!

Vision Night and Annual Church Meeting

Posted on by Laura Thomas

Join us for an evening of inspiration and vision at our Annual Meeting and Vision Night!  On Wednesday 23 April at 7.30pm, we’ll be gathering in St Michael’s Centre Auditorium.

Throughout the evening we will be looking forward at our vision, values and strategy. 

And we’ll also complete our formal Church of England annual meeting requirements as the PCC.
What is the PCC?

The PCC (Parochial Church Council) is the governing body of St Michael’s overseeing our ministry and mission. It is responsible for ensuring compliance with policies, proper recruitment and staff management. The PCC is required to hold an APCM (Annual Parochial Church Meeting) where reports are shared, accounts approved, and new members and officers are elected. Anyone can come to the annual meeting; only those on the electoral roll can vote.

Do I need to book to come?

You can just turn up, but it would aid us in planning if you could register in advance. Please click here

If you have questions to raise during the meeting, please can you submit them in advance on this form

The documents for this meeting are now available on this link. 

Serve on PCC

The PCC (Parochial Church Council) is made up of Clergy, Church Wardens, members of the Deanery and Diocesan Synods and a number of elected members. Being a member of the PCC means you are part of decision making, and carries some legal responsibilities. PCC members are considered ‘trustees’ by the Charity Commission.  To stand for election to the PCC you must be 16 or over, on the church Electoral Roll, regularly take communion, and be legally allowed to be a Charity Trustee.

At the meeting on Wednesday 23 April we will be electing new members. If you have an interest in standing, please contact the PCC Secretary via the church office or speak with Simon.

Annual Meeting Documents

In line with our commitment to being more eco-friendly, we will not be printing multiple copies of the meeting documents.  Please download in advance or bring a device with you that you can access the internet on.  Printed copies will be available on request in advance. – please sign-up to request them.

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