The Archdeacon’s Visitation will take place this evening, Tuesday, July 9th, at 7 PM in Malmesbury Abbey.Churchwardens will be gathering at two in-person Visitation services across the Diocese this year. These services celebrate and affirm their ministry as they formally assume their offices for the first time or another year.Becky Waring, Acting Archdeacon of Bristol, and Adam Beaumont, Associate Archdeacon of Bristol and Malmesbury, will lead the services. They will include the legal swearing-in and commissioning of the churchwardens as elected Bishops Officers and senior lay leaders in mission within their parishes. The visitations provide an opportunity to express our gratitude for the vocation and contributions of churchwardens, as well as a valuable chance to meet in person.Please pray for Simon Giles and Sheila Wright, who will be inducted as our new Churchwardens during this service.We also honor and give thanks for our outgoing Churchwardens, Jim D'Avila and Nitin Shinde, reflecting on their achievements and dedicated service.
It’s the General Election next week as you will undoubtedly know, and Pattern Church have put together some amazing resources for helping us all to pray and consider how we will vote.Check out their general election resources page at: https://www.patternchurch.org/ge2024You can also listen to the BBC Wiltshire’s Swindon Wide General Election Debate recorded on 27th June with the following representatives at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0j4p3ppLabour, Swindon South, Heidi AlexanderGreen, Swindon North, Andy BentleyLiberal Democrat, Swindon South, Matt McCabeConservative, Swindon North, Justin TomlinsonReform, Swindon North, Les Willis
We have just published our summer and early autumn newsletter for all the upcoming concerts and events happening at Christ Church and the Community Centre in the next few months.You can download the newsletter HERE or on the link at the side of this post.
Last Saturday, 8th June, we were delighted to be part of the Old Town Festival with our very first “Celebration of God’s Acre” event organized by the Christ Church Eco Group.We were able to share with those who visited, our beautiful churchyard, which having been relatively undisturbed for over 150 years, provides a rich diversity of grasses, flowers, birds and animals.This undisturbed or ‘un-improved’ grassland is now rare in the UK and since the 1940’s it is estimated that flower-rich grassland, once widespread in the countryside, has vanished.We are especially grateful to the various conservation and environmental groups and individuals who contributed to the day.You can find out more about caring for God’s Acre on their website at: https://www.caringforgodsacre.org.uk/If you would like to know more about what we do as a church or what you can do as an individual or family to protect God’s earth then please get in touch using the email address below:ecogroup@Christchurchswindon.co.uk
