St Michael’s, Stoke Gifford is a lively, growing Anglican church on the northern edge of Bristol. We are a welcoming crowd of everyday people, living to make a difference by being a Christian heart at the centre of our communities. Everyone is welcome at St Michael’s.
We live to make a difference by Learning and Growing in our faith. We do this together. All of the ministries below are a reflection of the desire to learn and grow together. It’s the definition of Discipleship, and it’s central to our work through our small groups and courses, and in our commitment to prayer, care and sharing the resources we’ve been given.
We are called to share our faith in Jesus. The Church exists to spread the good news of Jesus’ love & life. We are committed to achieving this locally. We also make a difference well beyond our parish boundaries. We support and work with teams that fight poverty and spread the good news of Jesus locally, nationally and around the world.
Jesus came not to be served, but to serve. Our attitude should be the same. Serving our communities is the heartbeat of life at St Michael’s. Our coffee shop, our meeting rooms and our professional pre-school and nursery are used by hundreds of local families, businesses, groups and individuals all year round. And the generosity of all those who volunteer is constantly bringing reality to our vision of living to make a difference by being a Christian heart at the centre of our communities.
The Brickworks is a charity that works alongside the church in the very needy nation of South Sudan, helping people to rebuild their lives after years of civil war. Many South Sudanese are now in refugee camps in Uganda due to insecurity and The Brickworks supports Dioceses with their work with refugees.
The challenges faced by the people of South Sudan are huge. They have had many years of little investment and still have some of the worst health statistics in the world. There’s very high maternal mortality, few homes have access to clean water or a latrine and many children die before their fifth birthday. UNICEF announced in 2016 that more teenage girls die in childbirth than finish secondary school.
The Brickworks supports the local church in discipleship, running a very busy health clinic, improving schools and training teachers and medics.
It also funds three under-tree schools in the camps, catering for over 3,500 primary school children living as refugees in Uganda.
The Brickworks is based in Bristol and has no paid staff. It is run by John and Poppy Spens (who are members of St Michael’s Church) and a Board of Trustees. John and Poppy try to visit South Sudan and Uganda once a year to check on progress and to understand the current needs and priorities. In doing this they meet all their own expenses so that everything given to The Brickworks can be put to work on these varied church projects.
If you would like to speak to a member of the Mission Action Group about any of our mission partners please download our Mag Link Person Index or email the Mission Action Group on our contact page.
“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation”. – Matthew 28:19-20
One of the key themes at St Michael’s is Sharing Jesus Together. Through the Mission Action Group, St Michael’s Church has formed partnerships with individuals and organisations reaching out to help and share Jesus with people and communities in the UK and around the world.
The b.friend project provides isolated asylum seekers and refugees in the Bristol area with one-to-one social support. b.friend provides a thorough training programme and ongoing support to volunteers, who commit to meeting with their befriendee once a week for a period of up to one year, for companionship and support.
Befriending is listening, drinking tea, laughing, being compassionate, hearing difficult stories, showing empathy, visiting a museum or art gallery, being committed, going for a walk together, learning from another culture… and it can have a profound impact on both the volunteer and the person they meet with!
A befriending partnership meeting for coffee in the sun.
If you would like to speak to a member of the Mission Action Group about any of our mission partners please download our Mag Link Person Index or email the Mission Action Group on our contact page.
Epaphras Trust was established in 2008. The charity objectives are principally to offer voluntary teaching and leadership training to serve in communities, in addition to caring for widows and orphans. We work with organisations in Nepal, Ukraine, Kenya and India.
Our Timothy project partners with EBC situated in Bihar state, India. Sharing a border with Nepal, the state of Bihar is one of the poorest in India.
EBC is an arm of Soul Winning Mission which was birthed from the vision of Emmanuel Samuel, many decades before. His vision was to build a children’s home for orphans, a school and a training facility to train young people from areas of North India. He modelled his vision of faith on the same model as George Muller.
Ken Hart was invited to visit EBC in 2010 and since that time Epaphras Trust has fully resourced EBC. Much has been achieved over the years, including improvements to the menu, the gradual establishment of a library of study materials and musical instruments and the broadening of the curriculum plus other subjects such as English language, computer studies and sewing. A new building to provide decent accommodation, a lecture room and a library for study has been constructed.
For the academic year 2022 – 2023 there are 55 students.
Antioch Care Movement:
Antioch Care Movement is an initiative born out of the need for local leaders to have access to further training, support and fellowship. A place to be cared for and refreshed. For two days per month, Soul Winning Mission hosts pastors and leaders, offering structured theological teaching and times of music, caregiving and fellowship, in addition to a safe place to discuss issues and feel supported. ACM wants to enable leaders so they can serve their communities towards development.
If you would like to speak to a member of the Mission Action Group about any of our mission partners please download our Mag Link Person Index or email the Mission Action Group on our contact page.
Katia played a vital role in starting the Vineyard Florianópolis church plant in 2015. It began with a Bible study in her home and grew and grew. These days, church members regularly go out into the streets to talk to people about spiritual things and offer to pray for people who are out and about. Through this they have seen many people decide to follow Jesus, be baptised and become part of the church community. The church also runs various small groups, youth and children’s work and local outreach for people living in poverty.
Katia and the rest of the church leadership team are enthusiastic about deep discipleship and raising up new leaders. Katia decided to follow Jesus while she was at university. A qualified lawyer, she is driven to use her gifts and skills to encourage and advocate for others, particularly women. She loves spending time with women, sharing about life and helping them grow in faith. Katia has two children, Joanna and Davi.
Katia has done a prison chaplain course and she will be starting to visit women who are in prison in Florianópolis. She also volunteers with a homeless project in the neighbourhood where the church is based. Katia feels God is calling her to look outside the church walls and reach out to those who are on the edges of society, to help them to meet God and have a relationship with Him.
If you would like to speak to a member of the Mission Action Group about any of our mission partners please download our Mag Link Person Index or email the Mission Action Group on our contact page.
UNiViDA runs a Christian educational project serving 260 children aged 7-14 in the slums of Fortaleza in North East Brazil, bringing them life, hope and opportunity.
Marc and Ruth with some of the children at UNiViDA
Marc and Ruth with some of the children
Worship
New roof and solar panels on classroom
Children’s Day
Prayer in the chapel
A UNiViDA classroom
All the children go to state schools, but only for 4 hours per day. UNiViDA provides each child with an additional 4 hours of education per day. Practical support for the children and their families is also provided.
If you would like to speak to a member of the Mission Action Group about any of our mission partners please download our Mag Link Person Index or email the Mission Action Group on our contact page.
inHope has a vision of communities where everybody can reach their God-given potential, free from injustice and insecurity.
We exist to help people overcome insecurities such as homelessness, hunger, addiction and poor mental health. These insecurities are often caused by injustices such as insufficient housing, limited access to food, poor employment, discrimination and abuse.
Every person is unique. By offering help to enable people to overcome insecurity and challenging the root-cause injustices, people are then free to reach their God-given potential.
inHope brings together volunteers, supporters and churches from across Bristol, to offer hope, justice and security to our city.
Our strategic picture below, illustrates our mission – the things we contribute to creating this vision.
If you would like to speak to a member of the Mission Action Group about any of our mission partners please download our Mag Link Person Index or email the Mission Action Group on our contact page.
Ruslan and Larisa Telpiz live in Gotesti, a village in Moldova, which is a small country in Eastern Europe, between Romania and Ukraine. Moldova is the poorest country in Europe, with very little paid work available and many people are leaving the country in search of work.
Ruslan is the Pastor of the Baptist Church in Gotesti. His ministry includes leading Sunday services, preaching, youth work, baptisms, pastoral care and discipleship of church members and new believers. He is also involved in outreach and evangelism in Gotesti, Chircani and Tiganca.
Larisa runs the Day Care Centre (Children’s club) for socially vulnerable children. This is an after-school ministry held in Gotesti Church, which provides food, games, Bible stories and help with school work, in a caring and supportive environment. Larisa also supervises the Sunday School and is involved in the church’s ministry with women and families.
Ruslan is assisted in his ministry by Petea, who was ordained as a Deacon in December 2022. Petea’s wife Mariana co-leads the Day Care ministry with Larisa.
Members of St Michael’s Church have regularly visited Gotesti and Chircani since 2010, helping to run children’s summer day camps, going on pastoral visits to people in their homes and encouraging the church members and leaders.
Gotesti Baptist Church, with Bible verse Isaiah 55:7 (in Romanian)
If you would like to speak to a member of the Mission Action Group about any of our mission partners please download our Mag Link Person Index or email the Mission Action Group on our contact page.
Sarah Sutton is working as a pioneer missionary with Hope Church at Tonypandy, in the Rhondda Valley with her husband John. She is involved with church outreach and local groups in the community. In summer 2020 they opened a community coffee shop called Clwb Coffi which is seeking to regenerate the high street and show God’s heart for their town, as well as build community. Before going to Tonypandy Sarah was a youth intern at St Michael’s.
If you would like to speak to a member of the Mission Action Group about any of our mission partners please download our Mag Link Person Index or email the Mission Action Group on our contact page.
SIITA Nest Mother’s Love Home provides shelter, food, medical care, education and emotional and spiritual support to children in Uganda who have been orphaned by civil war or HIV/AIDS, abandonment and family breakdown.
St Michael’s funded the purchase of land in Bugembe and contributed to the construction of the first two buildings and the site boundary wall. We provide ongoing support, contributing to school fees and the running costs of the home.
The Home in Bugembe
Alice Kisolo
Alice with some of the children
Washing day!
The washing up area at the SIITA Nest Home
Making liquid 'soap'
Cow and goat pens at the SIITA Nest Home
Some of the children making slings in dining room after learning about David and Goliath
If you would like to speak to a member of the Mission Action Group about any of our mission partners please download our Mag Link Person Index or email the Mission Action Group on our contact page.
Upcott is a Christian charity committed to providing an environment where young people can experience the fulness of Jesus in their lives.
Many young people from St Michael’s have attended Upcott Weeks over the years. Some have helped on weeks or done gap years and others are now serving as trustees.
The Trust is in a period of transition. For over fifty years the work was based in a residential environment, the original Upcott in Seaton, Devon between 1968 and 2007 and then The Beacon in Minehead from 2007 to 2019. But with the sale of The Beacon we are moving into a new phase. We will continue to run residential weeks. To that we have added on-line discipleship and study groups, enabling young people to have a vibrant relationship with Jesus that is outworked on a daily basis. We are also developing online resources to further support young people in their relationship with Jesus.
If you would like to speak to a member of the Mission Action Group about any of our mission partners please download our Mag Link Person Index or email the Mission Action Group on our contact page.
One of the key themes at St Michael’s is Sharing Jesus Together. Through the Mission Action Group, St Michael’s Church has formed partnerships with individuals and organisations reaching out to help and share Jesus with people and communities in the UK and around the world.
Every couple of months we have a gathering on zoom, where we share news from some of our Mission Partners. It’s a great way to keep in touch with what’s going on and to pray for the work they are doing.
