Category: St Michael’s Church

St Michael’s Church Roof

Posted on by Laura Thomas

Urgent repairs are being made to St Michael’s Church this summer.
The work involves replacing the roofs to the chancel, nave, north aisle, porch and vestry together with repairs to the chimney stack above the vestry. Failing brickwork, which has led to rainwater penetrating the walls and causing damp patches, will also be repaired.
Work will begin with the erection of scaffolding on Monday 10 June and is expected to take 16–20 weeks to complete. The roofs to the north (porch) side of the church will be completed first, with the aim that the entrance will be clear of scaffolding for an August wedding.
The poor condition of the roofs was identified in the Quinquennial Report – a five-yearly inspection undertaken by the church architect – at the end of last year. The report said areas of the roof were sagging and cited slipped, broken and missing tiles. The roof to the nave was last replaced in 1894, but it is thought the roofs to the chancel, north aisle and vestry date back to the early 1880s.
The Fabric Committee is responsible for maintaining and preserving the structure and contents of the church. The committee chair, Martin Allen said: “While the roofs are being replaced we are taking the opportunity to add insulation, which will hopefully retain heat within the building and reduce the heating costs.”
The contract for the work has been won by Mogford Prescott Ltd, who also undertook the major repairs to the church tower last year.

Heart of the Community Gift Day 12 May 2019

Posted on by Laura Thomas







This Gift Day supports the resources and buildings for St Michael’s Church, as we aim to be a Christian heart at the centre of the community.

Living to make a difference, through discipleship, outreach and service.

Supporting:

  • The completion of St Michael’s Centre
  • The refurbishment and protection of St Michael’s Church
  • Upgrading the Old School Rooms
  • Mission in the UK and beyond.

Giving Thanks

  • St Michael’s Centre continues to thrive.
  • The Gift day in May 2018 has enabled work to start on the upstairs offices.
  • During 2018, we reapid £280,185 of capital off our loans, and £32,447 of interest on those loans.
  • We serve church and community groups, local and regional charities and businesses, and many more.
  • We have hosted many invitational events.
  • In 2019 we’ve donated £100,000 towards mission initiatives.
  • We’ve invested in renewing St Michael’s Church tower.
  • We’ve resources double glazing in the Old School Rooms Coffee Shop.

One Church, One Vision

  • Our vision is Living to make a difference by being a Christian heart at the centre of the community.
  • Our vision is realised by focusing on Discipleship, Outreach and Serving Our Community.
  • To make our vision happen, we hold 2 gift days a year. One in November to support day-to-day minsitry, and one in May to support our resources and buildings.

God has told us:

Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back, lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left.


Isaiah 54:2-3

Our aims

  • Develop the arches corridor, giving access to large meeting rooms, storage and kitchen to support large events and complete the Auditorium.
  • Upgrade the Old School Rooms kitchen facilities.
  • Support the refurbishments of St Michael’s Church building.
  • Continue to meet our mortgage obligations, and, if possible, repay some loans early.

What we’re asking now

  • Gift day is 12 May 2019.
  • We are continuing our journey of faith with the Heart of the Community project.
  • Please pray about what you are able to give. Together we can play our part. We can make more of a different across our community and beyond.

This appeal is an invitation

If you’re not yet giving…..

Some of us haven’t been able to support our resources and building project as yet. Could now be your time to begin giving?

If you’re new to St Michael’s…..

Maybe you’ve recently joined church and not yet grasped the vision to be a Christian heart at the centre of the community. Would you consider giving towards the development of the buildings and resources to enable the vision?

If you can give more…..

Some of us are in a better financial position than wehen the Heart of the Community project began. Please pray about increasing your giving.

What next?

Please download a pledge form here,

UK taxpayers can also complete a simple GiftAid form, which means the government will donate an extra 25% on top of your giving at no cost to you or the project.

If you would like to know more about any of the Heart of the Community project, how the money is spent, or help with ways to make one-off donations or arrange regular giving, please contact the church office.

HOTC Gift day 2019 by Laura Thomas

Digital Bells – an appealing option

Posted on by Laura Thomas

After decades of silence the sound of church bells will once again ring out across the village green at Stoke Gifford!

Reverend Canon Simon Jones said: ‘The installation of a digital bells system is a unique marriage of a medieval structure and 21st century technology.  We will now be able to call parishioners to worship, celebrate weddings, mark funerals and herald local and national celebrations in a quintessentially time-honoured fashion.’

Three years ago we shared that the existing bells  (one of which dates back to 1450) were unsafe.  They were beyond economic repair or renovation. Local residents were invited to hear a trial of electronically-reproduced bell sounds from the church tower.   The feedback from this trial was overwhelmingly positive.

The church authorities are taking a great interest in the project as St Michael’s is the first church in the Diocese of Bristol to install such a system.  It’s taken time to gain the various ecclesiastical permissions, to make safe and preserve the original three bells,  and to evaluate a modern, state of the art, digital sound system, which will be installed in the newly re-roofed and refurbished church tower.

Once the system is in place on 4 December, there will follow a 15-month appraisal period, after which an application can be made to retain the system permanently.

Simon added: ‘The new digital bells will be in operation in time for our annual Carols on the Green service on 8 December, when the hundreds of people who attend this popular event will be able to hear – many for the first time –  the sound of bells ringing out across The Green.’

The digital bells system will take a few days to install and commission. Over this period they will be tested at various times in order to perfect the sound and decide which of the many available peals will be appropriate for St Michael’s Church.

Among the many advantages of digital bells is that they are relatively inexpensive, easy to operate, virtually maintenance free, faithfully reproduce pre-set peals – and do not require bell ringing practice sessions!

We so thrilled to be able to have the sound of bells again!