On Friday 19 January the Candidates Committee will be meeting, and testing the call of four members of the District, including Jon from our circuit, who have offered themselves for presbyteral ministry. Please pray for them. Please also pray for the members of the committee who are testing that call. This will be a long and very demanding day, so please remember all involved.
A Happy New Year!
A Happy New Year to you all!
Church Stewarding
A sincere, “Thank you” from us all to those who have signed up to help with all the Christmas services, stewarding, IT, music etc. Christmas Day was very well attended and none of this would have been possible without your help.
Christian Aid Update
Despite the wintry weather, the Christian Aid Service last Sunday evening was well attended and an uplifting occasion. The collection for Christian Aid’s work in Kenya (including gift-aided donations) amounted to £736.50 which will be matched by the UK government. A big thank you to everyone who took part in the Service, to the many helpers behind the scenes, and to those who generously provided mince pies and other goodies for the refreshments.
We would also like to thank those who braved the cold on November 25th for the Christian Aid street collection. This raised over £500.
Lifted by the Lectionary at Advent now on Thursdays
Lifted by the Lectionary at Advent continues on Wednesday
The Lift is now working!
Hurray!
We are back upstairs in the Church for Advent, a very big thank you to the hard-working engineers of Chiltern lifts.
Lifted by the Lectionary at Advent starts on Wednesday
The Lift update
Work has started on repairing the lift this week - hurray! All is going well so far and the engineers seem confident that we will be able to use it within another week or so. Watch this space for updates .....
Foodshare Christmas request
Each Year we try to give customers a special Christmas bag. If you are able to donate any of these in the coming weeks we’d be very grateful:
Christmas pudding
Christmas cake
Mince pies (please make sure they are in date until Christmas)
Sweets
Chocolates
Biscuits (Sweet and Savoury)
Snacks/nuts/crisps
Pickles / Sauces
Christian Aid Street Collection in Peascod Street
Christian Aid Street Collection in Peascod Street on Saturday November 25th 10 am to 2.00 pm. The collectors will stand together with buckets and balloons! Please come and support if you can.
POSADA Advent 2017
This is the Advent celebration in which different people host the figures of Mary and Joseph, reflecting the importance of hospitality, particularly at this season of the year. It also reminds us of the journey to Bethlehem made by Mary and Joseph. If you wish to host the figures for a 24 hour period, the list is now available for you to sign, please see Pat Smith. You will receive the figures from the host person with a short (printed) prayer, it is then your responsibility to arrange the handover to the next person on the list.
A plea for volunteers to help with the Windsor Homeless Project
As the Project grows, we are looking for a growing team of people who can support us in what we are doing. We are moving into a new phase, where many of our guests our now housed, and need help and support to settle into their new home. Thank you to those of you who have already come forward to help with fundraising, marketing, and administration. We would now like to ask if anyone else could help us outside Project hours? We are currently most in need of:
1. People who can transport furniture and other household items.
2. Someone who could co-ordinate food supplies for the Project.
If you are interested in serving with this much-needed project in any way, please contact the team at wcahomelessproject@gmail.com
Lifted by the Lectionary at Advent
The first series of Lifted by the Lectionary has now concluded. Over a four-week period in October 2017, with only a tea or coffee and a biscuit, we travelled 38 years with Moses from Mount Sinai to Mount Nebo, sang psalms with King David, read over Paul’s shoulder as he wrote to the Philippians and Thessalonians, and sat in wonder at Jesus’s feet while the long-promised Messiah told us parables and told off Pharisees. The next series of four studies will start on 29th November (at a new time of 7.30pm) and will meet on Wednesdays during Advent. See the posters on the noticeboards for more details.
Image: The Trials of Moses, by Botticelli
The Lift
The contract has now been awarded for the repair of the lift and we are hopeful that it will be working again by the end of November! Watch this space......
Reading Male Voice Choir Concert
What a wonderful evening of music! We were treated to a great selection from the RMVC and the supporting choir 'Occasions'. It was a real treat and all for the Church's outreach project - the building of a community hall, well and place of worship in Gulu Northern Uganda.
A sum of £540 was raised, many thanks to all who supported!
Reading Male Voice Choir - Saturday 7 October
Tickets now available. Don’t forget to invite your friends to this wonderful evening where all proceeds will go to the Ugandan Community Hall Project.
Harvest Festival Gifts 1 October
The church will be supporting the Whitechapel Mission with harvest gifts, the following are urgently needed:
Clothing e(new/good condition)
Men’s Underwear
Socks
Jeans 28-36"
Rucksacks
Men’s Trainers
Men’s Shoes
Trousers 28-34"
Coats/jackets
Jumpers/scarves
Sleeping bags
Food
Baked beans
Tin plum tomatoes
Sugar
Coffee
Tea
Porridge
Breakfast cereals
Honey
Biscuits
Toiletries
Toothbrushes
Razors
Shampoo
Deodorant
Soap
Hand/face cream
Events by Email
We are experimenting with the viability of sending announcements about church events, updates on the outreach project, and reminders by email to a mailing list. If you would like to receive these notices by email then please let us know your email address by filling in a form and handing it to a steward.
Prayer Committee
We are looking for members who would like to be part of a new Prayer Committee. This year, in light of the elevation of Prayer as significant part of our church vision, we are seeking to reinvigorate ourselves as prayerful individuals, as well as continuing to establish ourselves as a powerful prayerful community in Windsor. The Prayer Committee will seek to look after our existing prayer life as well as new prayer initiatives, such as the monthly Prayers of Concern for the World. If you would like to take part then just let any of our stewards know.
Worship Committee
We are looking for people interested in joining a new Worship Committee, and helping to address the worship and music needs of our church. Worship and music are vital part of our church vision and we would like everyone to make a contribution to our Worship & Music programme. If you would like to be involved in any capacity (this is not a call for musicians or worship leaders) then please tell any of our stewards.