Short sermons from Revd Dr Mike Hill on topical subjects. File opens in a new window; you will need Acrobat or equivalent to view file.
Early in 2008 we had two themes for our services. For five morning services the theme was Climate Change, based on URC publication "On the Water's Edge". The services were: "The Great Escape" (Mike Hill), "Thirsty for Justice" (Tim Astin), "Quality of Water" (Colin Ferguson), "Chaos Creation Chaos" (Andrew Moffoot), "No Harvest without Water" (Mike Hill). For seven evening services the theme was Ephesians: Ch 1 "God's Amazing Plan" (John Ogden), Ch 2:1-10 "Life out of Deadness" (John Phillippo), Ch 2:11-3:13 "Outsiders in Church" (Mike Hill), Ch 3:14-21 "Praying for You!" (Mike Hill), Ch 4 "Working Together" (Jonathan Salmon), Ch 5 "Belong to the Light? Well, Live in the Light!" (Mike Hill), Ch 6 "The Best Defence is" (Valerie Fisher).
The collections from Christmas Eve and Day services went to Hope for Africa. At our gift service on 9th December 2007 we collected over £500 towards anti-malaria mosquito netting and we each attached pieces of netting to our Christmas tree. The total amount collected was over £1000.
Our church members support the children's charity NCH. In 2006, a sponsored swim raised over £1900, Songs in the Park in Reading raised £400, flagday at Savacentre raised £288 and the church ramblers raised £209. Christmas carol singing outside Waitrose raised over £92 and more money was collected at our 2006 Christmas Day services. In 2007 the swim raised £1141.10, the Forbury band concert £294 and a walk by Robert Curnow raised £105. The circuit NCH quiz was at Christ Church on 20th October 2007; it was won by one of our teams (The Lifers), so will be here again in 2008. The home collecting boxes raised £1225.26.
The charity project being supported by the church is Christian Community Action (CCA), who provide furniture and fittings for needy members of Reading's population. There was a visit to their Oxford Road shop and warehouse on Friday 3rd March 2006; progress was seen in recovery from their arson attack. The annual model railway day was on April 23rd 2006 (and raised some £70). The Spring Fair was on Saturday 13th May 2006. The various stalls, music, games, refreshments and so on raised over £1000 for CCA. We had a concert by the Reading Male Voice Choir with soloist Lori Tingay on Saturday 9th December 2006 in aid of CCA, which raised about £600. The project continues to raise money for CCA in 2007 as they settle into their new warehouse home. The Line Dancing Evening on 17th February 2007 raised £125 and the Pancake Evening on 20th February 2007 raised £175 and our Spring Fair raised over £1100. More than £6500 was raised over the two years.
If anyone has good used furniture they do not need, then contact CCA, who can collect.
We have been improving the facilties in the Stenner Lounge to include double glazing, improved lighting, a kitchenette and redecoration. We have also creatied a patio area behind the kitchen.
The works and repairs to Arundel Road were completed in the summer and very kindly Murphy have applied fresh tarmac to our entrance way.
The HBC ran from 7th - 11th August 2006 and was called "Pyramid Rock", based on a book from Scripture Union, about the life of Joseph. About 100 children under 11 joined us for free on those 5 mornings. At the Sunday morning service on 13th more than a dozen of the children helped report back to the church what had taken place, with the aid of drama and song and the artwork displayed around the walls. The Elders of the church expressed their appreciation for the adult and young helpers for running this valuable outreach for the children.
The 2005 summer HBC was very successful with over 100 children joining in. The theme of the life of Paul was studied through a theme of pirates. As well as study and worship, the children enjoyed art and craft, cooking, games and a daily puppet show. A photograph and report appeared in the Woodley Chronicle and we were honoured to have a visit from the mayor of Woodley.
Our 2006 Church Anniversary was on 19th November led by a former church member, Rev Dr Tony Bell; it featured an afternoon nuclear debate. On 20th November 2005 we were visited by Revd John Bradley, field officer from Churches Together in England.
Our pancake evening on Shrove Tuesday (20th February) 2007 was followed by the launch meeting for the Woodley Lent Groups, in the church. Malcolm Duncan gave an excellant introduction to the course, Intelligent Church, available here to listen to.
Our Harvest Supper and Auction of Promises (in aid of Church Project) was on Saturday 23rd September 2006, with our Harvest Festival service on the Sunday morning. The Auction of Promises raised £1125 for the church project, CCA, and the organ fund, through purchase of pledges of food, effort, vouchers and other services. Food donated at the service was given to CCA and flowers were sent to sick church members.
We have been raising money in 2006/7 towards the cost of our new organ - there was a very enjoyable concert on Saturday 24th June 2006 and there was a coffee morning on 20th April 2006. Over half of the required £2000 needed had been raised and so the new organ arrived at the end of July 2006. The old organ has found a home at a church in Lyme Regis.
The circuit ran this course entitled "Remember Who You Are" for 32 weeks starting in the autumn of 2006 at Christ Church. The group selected Palace Avenue Methodist Church in Paignton as Prayer Partners.
Our evening service theme for Spring was "We beheld His glory!" - the Lord Jesus as seen by His disciples. One by one the disciples looked back at the life of our Lord from their own perspective of being with Him. The services before Easter tended to reflect the situation before the crucifixion where Jesus anticipates His death, and the ones after reflected the resurrection. For some disciples there are many gospel references involving them, for others hardly any; they were just one of the Twelve. Some were not even included in the Twelve. The subjects were - The Twelve and the Woman at the Well; The disciple whom Jesus loved; Mary and Martha; Andrew and Philip; The Two on the road to Emmaus; Thomas the Twin; Nathanael; Simon Peter; Matthew = Levi, Sons of Zebedee; Matthais the 13th.
There was a prayer day for Woodley at Christ Church on 24th January 2006.
The 2005 Christmas services' collection raised nearly £300 in aid of Christian Community Action. Carol singing in the Woodley Shopping Centre raised £170 for NCH. The December hunger lunch raised £24 for African school meals via OXFAM.
The church celebrated Harvest on 25th September, with our supper the evening before. During the harvest service money raised through the "Grow Your Talents" scheme was dedicated. Money raised supported our two charity projects: the school in Rabare, Kenya, and the women's training fellowship at Chiaquelane, Mozambique. Other events throughout 2005 also supported these projects, such as our Spring Fair and Christmas Craft Fairs, and concerts such as "The Pefect Day Concert" in July and that on 10th December with Berkshire Young Musicians and the New Elizabethan Singers.
Page last updated: 29th May 2008.