St Michael's Church, Stoke Gifford
Living to make a difference
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This year seems to be flying by – already we are seeing the first shoots of Spring and, in the shops, batter mixes and lemons prominently displayed to herald the coming of pancake day (Shrove Tuesday) on 1 March. The following day, Ash Wednesday, marks the start of Lent, a period of six weeks leading up to Easter.
In Lent, we focus on Jesus going into the desert to fast and pray before beginning his work for God. Jesus went through a desert experience and it’s something we are all familiar with in one way or another isn’t it? The physical desert is a barren, oppressive place, but the spiritual/emotional desert is pretty difficult to cope with too. The landscape of our interiors can have no flowing water, no colour, no fragrance, no softness or beauty, just barrenness and silence.
It’s easy to be disturbed by this. Who finds it easy to come faithfully to sit with emptiness and offer praise to God in this situation? It’s tempting to be scared and self-pitying, turning inward to lick our wounds. But there is hope, great hope. Jesus has been to the desert. He encountered temptations of evil, yet evil was unmasked and defeated by the absolute sovereignty of God. In all our own desert struggles, the desert can be the place of encounter, as it was for Jesus; to learn not only the deceptions of evil, but to experience the presence of God. Far from being a place of barrenness, the desert is discovered as the place of renewal and strength; the place where we can begin again. As we lean into and accept the stillness, then we are able to hear God’s gentle voice calling us to trust in His goodness.
My prayer for us all is that, when we find ourselves in the desert, we will be able to faithfully follow Jesus through it and, out of our experience, to bear great fruit. I am mindful of the words of Isaiah that bring me comfort and hope:
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland”, Isaiah 43:19.
May God bless you and keep you in His love and care during the Holy season of Lent
Children & Families Minister Emma Stafford will be stepping back from her role, as she moves to a new job in a Primary School, working with children with special educational needs.
A huge thank you to Emma for all she has done in the past few years, we’re praying for Emma and for all the family. Emma’s last day in post is Sunday 20 February.
We will be recruiting for a new Children and Families’ Minister in due course – with more details on that coming soon.
The days are gradually beginning to lengthen and the optimist in me is looking out for the first signs of Spring – let me know if you see any!
I am one of four siblings, and surprisingly three out of the four of us are ordained in the Church of England. My parents scratch their heads in bemusement as to how that happened!
My eldest sister, Clare, is chaplain of an Oxford College and has recently published a lovely book of forty reflections called ‘Unveiled: Women of the Old Testament and the choices they made’. I’ve been using it as my daily reading this month and, with a character a day, it’s been moving and inspiring to reflect on their lives and to learn of their strength and faith.
So many of these women are portrayed as marginal figures in scripture, written as supporting roles in storylines dominated by men. It’s safe to say gender equality wasn’t quite the priority it is today. But even though women like Miriam, Tamar or Jephthah’s daughter (you’ll have to get the book to find out who she is) are written as small parts in the grand story of scripture, that is of course not how God sees them, and it’s not how he sees you or me.
To Him, the bible says, we are front and centre stage. It says He sings over us as we sleep (Zeph 3.17) and that we are ‘the apple of His eye’ (Psalm 17.8), which is another way of saying that such is his love, he can’t take his eyes off us. What a comforting thought.
Below are some pictures taken from ‘Unveiled’ which you may find interesting. They are painted by Clare’s son Micah, who is an artist. He has painted 40 beautiful portraits to accompany each character. These are a few of my favourites- I hope you like them. You can get the book from most good book shops!
Clare and Micah are coming to St Michael’s to speak about their book at the next Saturday Breakfast on 12 February. Do come and join us if you can.
Be assured that you are regularly in our prayers.
Warmest regards,
Revd Tom Benyon, Associate Vicar
Join us for our community carols event in Cheswick. This year we will be in The Square on Long Down Avenue.
Come along and sing some carols and join in with the festive fun!
This November Gift Day supports the ministry and mission of St Michael’s Church.
..see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
2 Corinthians 8:7
Our vision is living to make a difference by being a Christian heart at the centre of our communities.
This vision is realised through Learning & Growing Together, Sharing Jesus Together and Serving Together.
To make our vision happen, we hold 2 gift days a year. One in May to support our resources and buildings and one in November to support day-to-day ministry.
Our gifts make this vision possible. This year, we’ve:
Thank you for joining us on this adventure of generous giving that enables our vision to become a reality.
Wellbeing Coordinator
To work with existing agencies to resource our response post Covid, in education settings and community.
New Housing Areas
Strengthen community links in Cheswick, Harry Stoke and Scholars Chase, which all sit within our parish. Call people to move into New Housing Areas to begin new Life Groups.
Coffee Shop and Catering
Strengthen the ministry of the Old School Rooms Coffee Shop with additional resource. Engage external consultancy for our overall catering requirements across our ministries and that of the Centre.
Youth & Children’s Ministry
Invest in our teams to resource the expanding ministry and lead our amazing volunteers.
Young Adults
Develop our students & young adults ministry to meet the specific needs of this generation in the current climate.
Worship
We have already begun to build on the development of worship teams and to strengthen and enhance our musical worship.
Other costs will include:
Our ministry is resourced from the generous giving of our church.
Financially, we receive no contributions from the Church of England. In fact, we contribute around £150k per year back to the Church of England in Parish Share to support the wider ministry of the Church in the Bristol Diocese.
Have you recently joined our church? We invite you to give monthly to enable our vision to become a reality.
Some of us haven’t yet been able to support our ministry and mission. Could now be your time to begin giving financially?
Like any charitable organisation, we are impacted by inflation and other factors that mean our costs steadily increase each year. Could you increase your giving?
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart togive, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7
You can also download this webpage in a pdf leaflet format here
On Friday 29 and Saturday 30 October, around 30 volunteers gave their time and talent to working on the building at the Pre-school and Nursery. Altogether around 180 hours were volunteered!
Throughout the pandemic we have produced pastoral/worship packs for around 80 -100 people who are either not in a life group or who don’t have online access. Each pack contains a letter from one of the leadership team. This time it’s the turn of Simon, and he has lots of news to share…
Greetings from St Michael’s Church! This message comes with my blessings and prayers as we head into the autumn season.
I have been reading this Bible verse; “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43 verse 19)
Despite the impact of the pandemic and the effects it has had, God is still doing a new thing. This verse suggests that it is God’s responsibility to do the new thing. We are simply called to perceive it and follow Him. Out of the wasteland, streams will flow. At our Newcomers Lunch recently, we welcomed 64 people! 48 of these were brand new to St Michael’s during lockdown. Jesus is alive and His Church is growing.
It has been so lovely to begin to reconnect as a Church community. The Over-65s Sunday afternoon tea on Sunday 3 October was a particular highlight. So delightful to connect together with old friends and meet new ones whilst enjoying a cream tea! Julie then led a wonderful service of Evensong in Church.
We have also restarted our midweek communion service in Church. The next service is Wednesday 20 October at 10am in the Church building. Please come and be my guest at this simple service. Vicky will be leading us.
Friday Film Club has also restarted. The next one is on Friday 22 October at 2pm in the church centre, a bargain at £2 with tea and biscuits are included.
Finally, we will be having a wonderful All Saints on Monday 1 November at 7.30pm in Church. This simple service enables those who have experienced the loss of someone they love, to give thanks and remember their loved ones before God. If you have been bereaved in the recent or distant past or maybe know someone who is still struggling with ‘loss’, why not invite them to come along? An invitation is included with this letter.
May the Lord make a ‘way’ in the wilderness for you.
God Bless
One of the things I think we have all had to learn to do during these last challenging 18 months is to hold onto things lightly. Whether it’s been the opportunity to see family and friends, join together in much-loved activities, go away on holiday or whatever else, I’m sure we will all have had disappointments along the way that we have had to face and try to move beyond.
Last month we were able to welcome our little granddaughter Robyn-Jane, born in July last year just as we were coming out of the first lockdown, into our home for the first time. We were absolutely thrilled that we got to witness her first independent steps whilst she was with us. But at the end of the weekend, she developed a cough and tested positive for Covid. Thankfully she was fine, but of course we all had to self-isolate for 10 days, which meant we missed the first 5 days of our long-awaited holiday. Such is the roller-coaster ride that we have all been riding through Covid…! I know that I have certainly learned some valuable lessons around holding things lightly – and also around seeing God at work in some surprising and beautiful ways in the midst of the tough stuff that’s going on.
And whilst it’s true to say that we have had to learn to hold things lightly, alongside that many of us will have perhaps learned something about who, and what, we can hold onto tightly – and that is, of course, Jesus and the hope we have in him. Jesus, who rides the roller coaster ride with us; Jesus the one who is always with us, always faithful.
One of the highlights of my summer has been the discovery of ‘The Chosen’, a beautiful dramatization of Jesus’ life, which can be found on YouTube or downloaded as an App.
In it the characters and stories we read about in the gospels are brought to life in such an imaginative, yet completely believable, way. There are two seasons currently released, with a third in the making. I really commend it to you; it’s made a deep impression on me.
Another joy the summer has brought has been the opportunity to sing together when we gather to worship on Sundays – that’s certainly something I have really missed through these Covid months! All our Sunday services and celebrations are back meeting in person – the weekly 9am and monthly 5pm services in church, and the weekly 10.30 and 6.30 celebrations in the centre. As of now, there is no longer any need to book your place – just come along; it would be wonderful to see you. (Please note that face coverings are still expected and recommended to be worn). And in the coming weeks we hope to be able to see more and more of our ‘normal’ church activities starting up again; we’ll keep you posted! In the meantime, let me leave you with these words from Hebrews 10v23:
‘Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful’.
May God bless you and keep you in His love and care.
Recently, our family enjoyed a wonderful day at the ‘Hidden Valley’ in Cornwall. It’s a place full of puzzle trails and a maze to get lost in. As I watched our four grandchildren working things out with such enjoyment written on their faces, for a fleeting moment, I wished I could freeze them in that happy place and keep them from everything they will have to face up ahead.
Of course, in reality, time does not stand still, and we live in a world that is constantly changing. Most recently, all of us have gone through so many changes because of the Covid pandemic. We have all suffered in one way or another and we long for all restrictions to be lifted and life to become ‘normal’ again.
But as I pondered the future for my grandchildren during this lovely day out, I was reminded yet again by God that whatever changes around us, he never changes. He is the same as He was yesterday, as He is today, and as He will be tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8). In a world of changing situations and changing people, God’s perfect character and nature will always be the same. He has a perfect love for each one of us. While change brings uncertainty and can be scary, remember God is not surprised by any of this. He will always remain in control. Biblical prophecies about the future remain unchanged and true. We can wholeheartedly trust Him through all the things that happen up ahead.
God is not like us; we change with the wind, but He never changes. He will fulfil his promises because He is the never-changing God. We have included some resources with this letter that we hope will give you a sense of encouragement and a reassurance that, while the world may change around us, God is the constant foundation we can hold on to.
May God bless each one of you and keep you in his love and care.
Julie Hobbs
Licensed Lay Minister and Pastoral Care Assistant
On Saturday 3 July Vicky Wicks is being ordained as priest! This is the next stage in her curacy, and we are so excited to share in this as church family.
In normal times, lots of people would be going to Bristol Cathedral for the service. However, to ensure appropriate distancing, and compliance with Covid-19 rules, numbers are strictly limited.
But the good news is, we can all still support Vicky. The service is being streamed live from Bristol Cathedral via youtube and also on the Bristol Cathedral Facebook page
Please note that the actual links will not be available until just before the service starts at 3.30pm on Saturday 3 July
Hello!
I hope that you are doing OK – and that you are able to enjoy some of the sun that has been shining recently. It makes things a bit easier, doesn’t it? Although sometimes it feels too hot –but I really don’t want to complain!
As I write lockdown restrictions are beginning to ease… I wonder how that makes you feel? Perhaps you feel relieved and joyful at being able to meet friends and family again. Or maybe it makes you feel a bit anxious – after being told for so long that it’s not safe to go out, it’s a big change of our mindset to feel free to go out again. And, speaking as one who is more ‘relieved’than ‘anxious’, I still find it all quite exhausting!
But neither is right or wrong, so let’s go gently on ourselves and acknowledge how we’re feeling. Let’s take it one step at a time and do asmuch as we can manage – and allow ourselves time to recover too. I’m reminded of this verse from Isaiah 41:10, which is a great verse, however we’re feeling:
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
One thing I am looking forward to in the next month is being ordained Priest. I was ordained Deacon last year (in a slightly delayed ceremony!); being ordained Priest is the next step in the journey. One of the things that Priests are called to do, together with the whole church, is ‘tell the story of God’s love’ and I am really looking forward to doing that not just through words, but through who I am and what I do. I am sure I will meet many of you as I do that and as church begins to open up more, and I would be grateful for your prayers. The ordination service itself is on 3 July at 3.30pm in Bristol Cathedral. Numbers of people who can attend are still limited, but this time my family and close friends will be able to be there.
I’m looking forward to seeing you in person as things begin to open up, and if and when you are ready to join in. The Coffee Shop is already open again (from 10am till 4pm Monday to Friday), so do come for a cuppa when you can.
God bless and love to you all
In response to the Covid crisis and the widely felt impact it has had both on mental health and people’s financial circumstances, Network Counselling and Training is significantly increasing the number of counselling sessions available to people on very low incomes.
If you are, or someone you know is:
Network’s Emerging Stronger project can offer 6 sessions of counselling at an expected contribution of £5 per session.
To arrange an appointment to explore whether counselling might help you please call 0117 9507271 or email info@network.org.uk
