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This shows details of our services and who will be leading them in Spring 2010.
The charity project we are supporting in 2010 is the Wesley Guild's charity, the Nigeria Health Care Project (NHCP). Jenny Benfield, a former teacher in Nigeria and trustee of NHCP will be at our morning service on 28th March. The Pancake Evening on Tuesday 16th February raised £146.50. It ran from 17:00 to 19:00 to end in time for the Woodley Lent Groups launch meeting in the church.
Retiring collections have raised about £1000 for Christian Aid's work in Haiti.
The money donated at our Gift Service on 13th December, and all the money raised at our Christmas Day services, is going to support the people of Chikwawa in Malawi, where Tom and Jo Evans are working. Over £270 was raised. A tapestry made by members of Christ Church is now hanging in the church at Chikwawa.
The charity project we were supporting in 2009 was Action for Children's (formerly NCH's) Young Carers scheme. The first event was line dancing on 21st February. The Spring Fair on 9th May raised £1189.96. During the summer we were running Grow Your Talents, where members tried to convert £5 into as much money as possible using their talents; nearly £2000 has been raised, including the filling of sweet pots and the over £100 raised at the Celebration of Talents Concert on 19th September 2009. Five Voices presented "A Dickens of a Christmas" on the evening of Saturday 12th December, which raised another £200. The total raised was over £4700.
The church supports Christian Aid Week (9th - 15th May 2010). In 2009 our church members raised £1557.30. In 2008 we raised £700 through the walk and £1626 through the collections (part of the Woodley total of £7817.75).
The Revd Martyn Neads and his wife Danie have now joined with us and the Airfield Church. His Service of Welcome and Induction was at Christ Church on Friday 4th September at 19:30. It was led by Revd Adrian Bulley, Moderator of the Wessex Synod of the URC, with contributions from Revd Stuart Innals from Plymouth, Revd Chris Jones (Berkshire Methodists), Revd David Ellis (Reading Circuit), Revd Eddie Marquez (St. John's), Viginia Lawson (URC Pastoral Committee) and some of the local members. A magnificent choir of 31 singers, both young and old, led the singing. Thanks go to all who enabled the event to take place and to those who provided the refreshments afterwards.
Our Harvest Festival 2009 was on 20th September. The previous evening we held the Celebration of Talents Concert to welcome Revd Martyn and Danie Neads to our church. Gifts from harvest were given to various church members and as before to CIRDIC.
At our Harvest Festival on 21st September 2008 the church was decorated as usual, with plants and produce, by the Worship Stewards and helpers and the Girls' Brigade. After the morning service the food and fellowship of the Harvest Lunch was enjoyed by 46 people. 12 bunches of flowers and 9 plants were given to elder and sick members of the church, whereas the gifts of produce, according to their wish list, were given to the Churches in Reading Drop In Centre (CIRDIC).
In 2010 the club will start on Monday 2nd August. It will run daily until 6th August from 10:00 to 12:30 (come earlier first day to register). As usual it will be free for children aged 5 to 10 to attend.
Our 2009 club was "ShowStoppers" with a theatre theme. Less children than normal took part this year, but those who did come had a great time learning about God's Great Plan. It featured daily puppet shows, dvds, jokes, craft, games, cookery and so on.
In 2008 the club had a sporting theme: "Champion's Challenge"; 90 children attended the first session, with over 100 children taking part in all. In 2007 the club ran with a green theme and the title "Waste Watchers". 101 children (about 80 per day) came. Especially enjoyed were the club song "What a Load of Rubbish", the visit each day by a Wimble (the Woodley equivalent of a Womble) and the cooking of bottle-shaped biscuits.
This was on Saturday 28th February 2009 and was led by Revd Valerie Fisher. About 30 church members joined in, with results presented at the following Sunday morning service. More work needed to be done so a second day, called Sharing Church, was organised on the morning of Sunday 28th June starting with breakfast at 08:30.
The churches of Woodley have put together a Recycling Guide (PDF) which covers much more beside the usual council supplied services, such as recycled bible study notes!
Our new 25th Anniversary Banner was dedicated at a special Dedication Service on the afternoon of 11th May 2008. Each of the 24 church groups that had contributed a square talked about their group and what the design of their square signifies. You can also see our other banners.
The minister during the creation of Christ Church, Rev Bernard Arnold, lead our 25th Anniversary celebrations on 4th November 2007. Our history weekend was on 29th September 2007. Our new banner was dedicated at a service at 15:00 on Sunday 11th May 2008. The 26th Anniversary service featured Revd Pam Richardson on 16th November 2008 and the 27th Anniversary featured Revd Audrey Simpson on 15th November 2009.
A new online Bible study from the Methodist Church follows the daily reading from the Methodist Prayer Handbook. It offers commentary, explanations and questions to ponder of the selected passages. Also available is an audio version to listen to online or download.
General Church Meetings with Church Council will be on Wednesday 24th March, Tuesday 13th July and Wednesday 6th October 2010, all at 7:30pm. The Annual Church Council Meeting will be on Thursday 20th May 2010 also at 7:30pm.
Page last updated: 17th February 2010.