There’s always lots happening at St Michael’s

This news page is where you’ll find all the latest announcements and information about our work in the church and the community.

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Stoke Gifford Community Defibrillator
The Stoke Gifford Scouts have successfully fundraised to provide the community of Stoke Gifford with a 24 ...
Heart of the Community Update - August 2016
 Thanks to the amazing £565,000 response to the Heart of the Community Gift Day in ...
Heart of the Community Update
Latest HOTC Gift Day update…£565k including Gift Aid ! We continue to give thanks to ...
Heart of the Community Gift Day - May 2016
The Heart of the Community project is integral to the vision of St Michael’s Church. ...
Heart of the Community Project Update Spring 2016
We've now been using our new facilities for just over a year.  But we still ...
Vision Night - Church Annual Report Online
We gather as a church for our Vision Night this Wednesday 20th April.  It’s a ...
Bishop Mike dedicates new church centre
The Bishop of Bristol, Mike Hill, officially dedicated the new church and community centre in ...
New church and community centre in use for first time
The new St Michael's Church and Community Centre is now in use. The first sections ...
10.30am & 6.30pm church services move to new auditorium
Since Sunday 26 April 2015 two of our weekly congregations have begun to worship in the new ...
Vision Night - church annual report now online
We gather as a church for our Vision Night on this Wednesday 15 April.  It's ...
Fun ways to fundraise - new book for the Heart of the Community
A new book by a member of our congregation – A guide to Fun Ways to ...
Celebrating what God is doing: Gift Day 2014
Thank you for all your generous gifts to St. Michael's Church.  On Sunday 2nd November ...

The Stoke Gifford Scouts have successfully fundraised to provide the community of Stoke Gifford with a 24 hour defibrillator.

The idea came after a first aid session back in June 2016 where the scouts learnt how to use a fully automatic defibrillator unit.

The defibrillator has been provided by The Community Heartbeat Trust Charity who will provide maintenance for the unit ongoing This bright yellow circular box has been fixed to the outside wall of the Old School Rooms. The code to the locked box is available from South West Ambulance Service by ringing 999 or 112 when a resident is suffering from a suspected cardiac arrest. 

The Community Heartbeat Trust are providing a seminar for the community on Thursday 20th April 2017 at 1pm.  

Spaces are limited, so booking is essential. Please sign up here.

 

 

 

 

 

 Thanks to the amazing £565,000 response to the Heart of the Community Gift Day in May, work is now underway on the next phase of the St Michael’s Centre as well as improvements to the church and Old School Rooms.

 – Our architects have re-designed the proposed toilet extension to the old church and we are seeking planning approval for the new design, which is slightly smaller .

 – The main entrance lobby and toilets in the Old School Rooms will be refurbished, including new flooring.

 – Work on the mechanical and electrical infrastructure for Phase 3 of the St Michael’s Centre will begin in September, with the installation of most of the underfloor heating, cabling and utilities to the arched barns area and the balcony.

This will enable phased completion of the various rooms as further funds become available.

We are also delighted that we will be able to repay the first Charities Aid Foundation loan of £150,000 in December.

A tenth of all money donated by members of St Michael’s is being used to support building and development projects undertaken by our mission partners in the UK and overseas and will be allocated by the Mission Action Group.

 Thank you to everyone who is supporting the HOTC project through prayer, regular giving and one-off gifts.

 

Latest HOTC Gift Day update…£565k including Gift Aid !

We continue to give thanks to God for His incredible provision through His people.  At the meeting of the SMCC Trustees on 6thJune, it was decided that the funds should be allocated as follows:

£56k –  10% Mission Tithe.

£136k – Repayment of the first element (capital) of the CAF loan (4% loan).

£75k  – Church improvements and toilets.

£298k –  Mechanical & Electrical infrastructural work on new centre, plus installation of the new lift to enable access from Old School Rooms.

The other amazing news is that we have managed to secure the continuation of the VAT Zero-rating status for this next phase of the construction, for which we give more thanks!   Thank you Lord for your sovereignty.

 

The Heart of the Community project is integral to the vision of St Michael’s Church. Every part of the project will resource, enable and advance our work as a Christian heart at the centre of the community. Last year, we celebrated the opening of our new church and community centre. But the Heart of the Community project is not about community buildings.

It’s about building community, locally, regionally and — through our tithed giving — internationally.

We have pledged to:
– Preserve, protect and increase the use of our historic church building
– Refurbish the Old School Rooms
– Complete the new centre, and
– Give a tenth of money gifted by church members to support building and development projects undertaken by our mission partners.
We have raised £2.73m through the generous and sacrificial giving by church members. We need £4.04m to repay the loans and complete the project.
As we use the new premises and see the church grow, we give thanks for what God is doing and pray to see His Kingdom come in this place.
Sunday 22nd May is our Heart of the Community project Gift Day. Please pray and seek the Lord about how we can give to His service and leave a lasting legacy of God’s love for future generations.
Thank you for your continued support, faith and generosity.

Simon Jones, Team Rector

Gift Day Leaflet and Response Form

Heart of the Community Spring Update

 

ChurchCentreFirstSunday-9079

We’ve now been using our new facilities for just over a year.  But we still have a long way to go.

This project update (May 2016) summarises the story of the Heart of the Community so far, and brings us up to date with the latest fundraising totals and targets.

Whether you’re a longstanding church member, new to St Michael’s or just visiting, it’s well worth a read!

Spring Update Thumbnail

 

We gather as a church for our Vision Night this Wednesday 20th April. 

It’s a great chance to look back together at the past year of life at St Michael’s, and to look forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. We also enjoy cheese and wine as we meet together.

Our Church Annual Report is available again online:

2015 AR

If you have time – please take a few minutes to see just how much amazing work goes on during a year in the life of the church.

Some printed copies of the annual report will also be available on the night.

Church Vision Night 

7.30pm Wednesday 20th April

St Michael’s Centre Auditorium

Everyone is welcome.

The Bishop of Bristol, Mike Hill, officially dedicated the new church and community centre in Stoke Gifford this weekend. It means the building is now licensed by the Church of England to be used for worship, baptisms, weddings and funerals.

Bishop Mike dedicates the new church and community centre

Bishop Mike presented the formal documents for the dedication to the congregation of St Michael’s at the evening celebration on Sunday 10 May 2015.

Licence documents presented to congregstion

BishopDedicatesCentre-9237

George Lord, a retired member of the local community, received the licence on behalf of everyone who worships at St Michael’s Church.

The first sections of the new building are now open, with the ground floor of the main auditorium seating over 300 people. Fundraising continues for the final phase of the project – to complete the rest of the community facilities, improve the historic church building, refurbish the old school rooms and support outreach projects elsewhere in the UK and around the world.

The occasion is also covered in this article on the Diocese of Bristol website.

The new St Michael’s Church and Community Centre is now in use.

The first sections of the new building are complete – with the main auditorium, the reception area, the church office and the first of several new meeting rooms all now in action.

The St Michael’s 10.30am Sunday service this weekend (26 April 2015) was held in the new auditorium and attended by over 260 people. The building was also used by 170 members of St Michael’s for our annual church weekend together.

First church service in the new centre

St Michael’s 10.30 service this weekend

The new church and community centre is part of our ambitious Heart of the Community project – which is enabling us to fulfil our vision of Living to Make a Difference. The project also includes the refurbishment of our historic church building, the upgrading of the Old School Rooms facilities next door, and funding numerous outreach and anti-poverty initiatives elsewhere in the UK and around the world.

The same site in October 2013

The same view in October 2013

The new centre has been built over the last 2 years on a derelict land in the centre of Stoke Gifford. Our fundraising efforts and our commitment to pray and trust God continue as we seek to raise the final £1.5m needed to complete the project.

In the weeks and months ahead the new space, combined with our existing facilities, will enable us to welcome, serve and provide meeting spaces for more and more people, young and old, from across this community and beyond.

 

Since Sunday 26 April 2015 two of our weekly congregations have begun to worship in the new church and community centre auditorium.

10.30am service in the new auditorium

10.30am

The 10.30 service now begins with everyone – all ages – worshiping together in the main auditorium. After the first 20 minutes the children and young people go to their groups in the Old School Rooms as before. (The changeover is a lot quicker now – because the dividing walls are already assembled and teaching and craft materials already in position.) The grown-ups stay in the auditorium for more worship, teaching and prayer together.

The service finishes at about 11.50am as before, when we can all share coffee, tea and biscuits in the coffee shop.

6.30pm

The evening congregation also now gathers in the new auditorium at 6.30pm for our most informal weekly celebration as a church.

The church building

The 9.00am service will continue to meet in the church building every week. And our monthly service of Evensong is also staying in the church building. Prayers, baptisms, weddings, funerals and all kinds of other services will continue in the church building as well.

Journeying together

For the first few weeks there will be extra people welcoming, signposting and making sure we all know what is happening during our services in the new space. We will be discovering together what works really well and what needs to change a little to make the best use of the new facilities.

Some of us relish the opportunity to try something new. Others find change more challenging.  We will all need to take extra care of each other during this transition. And there will be opportunities to feedback about our experience of worshiping together in the new building.

We begin this exciting new phase of life at St Michael’s remembering that the church is not the building. It’s us – God’s people. Wherever we gather to worship, each one of us is a vital part of the body of Christ.

 

We gather as a church for our Vision Night on this Wednesday 15 April. 

It’s a great chance to look back together at the past year of life at St Michael’s, and to look forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. We also enjoy cheese and wine as we meet together.

This year our Church Annual Report is available online:

St Michael's Annual Report 2014/5

If you have time – please take a few minutes to see just how much amazing work goes on during a year in the life of the church.

Some printed copies of the annual report will also be available on the night.

Church Vision Night – Cheese and Wine

7.30pm Wednesday 15 April

The Old School Rooms

Everyone is welcome.

 

A new book by a member of our congregation – A guide to Fun Ways to fundraise for your community, church or charity – has just been published to help raise money for the Heart of the Community project.

An early version of the guide by Penny Hallett (Allen) was made available to church members last year. This has been extended and updated and is now available from Amazon, priced £7.99. Royalties from the sale of the book are being donated to the Heart of the Community project.

The 176-page book is packed with over 200 great ideas for fundraising activities and events – as well as tips to guide you through the process and make it all worthwhile. It includes how to:

  • set objectives
  • choose a venue
  • find sponsors
  • publicise effectively, and
  • make sure your activity or event is safe and legal 

A big thank you to David McCann who provided the internal illustrations and to everyone at St Michael’s who contributed ideas and advice.

Whether you’re new to fundraising or an old hand looking for fresh ideas, this easy-to-read guide contains something for everyone. Why not find an idea that you like, make it your own, and go for it. 

You can order your copy here.

“This book crackles with ideas, sound advice and hot tips for making the vital task of fundraising both effective and fun. A top tool for all good causes.”

The Right Reverend Mike Hill, Bishop of Bristol

 

 

Thank you for all your generous gifts to St. Michael’s Church.  On Sunday 2nd November  Chris Bradley (Treasurer) gave a presentation to the congregation. If you missed that – the slides from the presentation can be viewed by clicking here.

We understand that this may raise some questions. Therefore, Alison Volkmer (Planned Giving Officer), will be available at all church services on Sunday 9th November and Sunday 16th November if you would like to talk to her, or email:

finance@stmichaelsbristol.org

The Gift Day leaflet can be downloaded here. Please prayerfully consider what God would encourage you to give to support His work at St Michael’s, to bless our community and make His love known.