Bells will ring out over Wokingham this Christmas and New Year

Here are the details of when the bells will be rung over Christmas and New  Year at All Saints Church.

To find out more about the bells at All Saints and  English style bellringing in general visit:

allsaintswokinghambells.org.uk

Special collections for charity at our Christmas services

There will be special collections for charitable causes at Christmas services this year 2015 as follows:

Christmas Eve: 2pm and 3.30pm Crib Services CHRISTIAN AID

Christmas Eve: 11.15pm Midnight Communion PACT

Christmas Day: 8am and 9.30am Communion services CAMBODIA HOPE ORGANISATION

Canon David Hodgson Rector said: "At Christmas especially our thoughts and prayers are with those most in need both locally and in other parts of the world. PACT based in Reading and Oxford works to bring lasting hope and a home to vulnerable children in our Thames Valley area by finding foster and adoptive parents; Cambodia Hope works against human trafficking and labour exploitation with vulnerable children and adults living in extreme poverty, and Christian Aid is the British churches' own development  agency working for a world free of poverty with many different projects and groups globally. All Saints Church has direct personal links from Wokingham to every one of these charities."

Who gets all our Christmas service sheets ready and printed?

Parish Administrator of All Saints Parish Church, Mrs Jo Asplin, is the one who gets ready all the many printed service sheets and carols sheets we use during December and over the Christmas period. 

Jo is also helped by her small but dedicated team of volunteers who come in and fold leaflets. Recently Mrs Rosaline Voke has been appointed as honorary deputy to Jo and it's meant that one has been able to make sure the phones and emails are being answered whilst the other is busy preparing or printing leaflets. 

Rector Canon David Hodgson said; "Thanks are due to Jo - once again this year Jo and her team have done it. Jo's forward planning, and her gentle but firm encouragement to us,  have ensured that we've all given her the information when she needed it for those many Christmas service sheets to be printed on time".

Church services and church open and closed times between Christmas Day and New Year

Here are the details of what's happening in the church and the open and closed times between Christmas and New Year.

Friday 26th December - (Boxing Day BANK HOLIDAY) Church closed

Saturday 27th December - Church open from 9am for Morning Prayer until closed locked before 3pm.

Sunday 28th December - Church open for 8am Holy Communion, and 9.30am Parish Communion. Closed locked after 9.30am service; open for 6.30pm evening prayer.

Monday 29th December - Church open from 9am for Morning Prayer until closed locked 5.30pm after Evening Prayer

Tuesday 30th December - Church open 9am for Morning Prayer and  Holy Communion at 9.30am until closed locked  c 5.30pm after Evening Prayer

Wednesday 31st December - Church open 9am until closed locked  c 5.30pm after Evening Prayer  *NB No service of Wednesday Mums today*

Thursday 1st Jan 2015 (NEW YEARS DAY - BANK HOLIDAY) Church closed  (except for bell-ringing)

Friday 2nd Jan - back to normal pattern.

Who decorated the Christmas tree at All Saints Church?

The Christmas tree at All Saints Church has been erected and decorated by the  band of bell-ringers. Rector Canon Canon David Hodgson said: "As in all previous years I can recall the bell-ringers have once again done us the great favour of handling the Christmas tree for us;  and the whole church is very grateful to them. I think all will agree they have done a splendid job". As a new feature this year paper prayer chains and other decorations made by congregations at the All Together service and Messy Church have been added to the tree.

All Saints CD - the perfect stocking-filler!

Richard Smith, Director of Music at All Saints Church Wokingham, writes about the new music CD he's produced :

 " Our CD, A Musical Greeting from All Saints, Wokingham will be available in time for Christmas.  Best of all, all proceeds go to the Esme Few Education Fund which does so much to support the musical development of children in the parish. It includes Bach's Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, Eric Whitacres Lux Aurumque, Handel's How Beautiful are the Feet, Elgar's Nimrod and many others, with contributions from All Saints School, the children of All Saints Church, the Trebles and Robed Choir, the Ace of Saints, the Bellringers, St Sebastian Wokingham Band and even the congregation!   Visit www.allsaintsmusic.org.uk and click on "All Saints CD" for audio samples and to place your order.  This beautifully produced CD, with a 12-page booklet, is on limited release, with discounts for multiple orders."

Handel's Messiah at All Saints Church

Tickets are selling extremely well for Handel's Messiah at 4.00pm on Sunday 7th December.  

The performance will be led by the fantastic Gandolpho Players who raised the roof at our Summer Music Festival with Vivaldi's Four Seasons.  

They will be joined by soloists Jon Grave, David Pope, Ria Brombley and Miles Horner and by the Senior Trebles and traditional Robed Choir of All Saints.  

The performance will be conducted by Richard Smith and will last approximately two hours, with punch, stollen and mince pies available at the interval.  Tickets are £12, with free entrance for under 19s.  



Get your ticket in advance from the Cornerstone or online from http://www.wegottickets.com/event/294132.  Tickets on the day are subject to availability.

A day in the life of All Saints Parish Church

A day in the life................ of All Saints Parish Church

With the turn of the year upon us and the time for counting the days, looking back and forward, it occurred to me that not everyone may know what a day in the life of All Saints Parish Church looks like. 

Here's an example of the church's day from a recent Tuesday in November.

It's 9am in the Lady Chapel, the smaller space with its own altar in the south-east corner of the church. Pale wintry sunlight is beginning to filter through the stained glass windows. Members of the clergy team, staff and pastoral care teams, are gathering to pray together; as we do every morning in various configurations of attendance depending on who's around at 9am that day. We use a short service from the Church of England's Daily Prayer which includes some set prayers, and bible readings for the day. We ask for the help and wisdom of the Holy Spirit as we prepare for the day's work and meetings. We pray together for Wokingham and the parish; on a monthly schedule for different streets, and for other organisations local and global ; praying for other parishes and dioceses,  for any of the issues of the day; remembering too particular needs. 

By 9.30am all but one of the group has left to go on to their day's work; one of the clergy remains to lead the next event; which is the 9.30am service of Holy Communion held every Tuesday. About a dozen parishioners gather for this service; after which they enjoy fellowship over tea and coffee in the Cornerstone. This group includes some who for a variety of reasons are not able to attend church on Sundays;perhaps they need help with transport getting to church, which is more readily available in the week; or they find the main Sunday services too long or over-powering. There are lots of reasons why a mid-week service, even those of similar traditional style to Sunday services, are helpful to some.

Just as the service is ending at about 10am, two members of the Home Communion team - a team drawn from those church members who are authorised lay ministers of the Eucharist - are busy in the clergy vestry. They are picking up vessels and service booklets as they prepare to go out to one of the local residential care homes. There they lead a short communion service for residents, distributing elements of bread and wine consecrated at the Parish Communion service on the previous Sunday morning. Perhaps this day they will be called upon to visit several of the residents in their rooms who are too poorly to get to the service in the common-room; and there they may discover anxious relations and visitors, whom they will offer to pray with, or simply listen to their stories and concerns.

Meanwhile back at the church it's a funeral about to start. Mourners are congregating outside the porch in the midday sunshine waiting for the hearse to arrive before they come in to church. One of our acting vergers has prepared the church for the funeral; set out the service sheets on pews at the front ready for the bereaved family, and is now ready to welcome the other members of the congregation as they begin to come in. Richard, our Director of Music, and the member of the clergy team who is leading this service are in the vestry conferring over the music. After the service in church the coffin is carried out into the churchyard for the burial.

In The Cornerstone the Rector and our youth leader Kat have been discussing plans for  the following Sunday's service of All Together Communion. Jo, our Parish Administrator is in the Parish Office multi-tasking; collecting together the notices for the Sunday pew leaflet that have come to her on emails, answerphone messages, and scraps of paper; answering queries on the phone about burial plots, or talking nervous new mothers through the process of organising the baptism of their first baby; printing a service leaflet for a forthcoming special service; and selling tickets for one of the concerts in the music programme.

In the afternoon our Associate Priest, Anna, is joined in The Cornerstone by our youth leader Kat and other members of the "Messy Church" team to get ready for the next twice-monthly  "Messy Church" session. Some are in the kitchen preparing the food and drinks whilst others are laying out the various craft tables ready for the activities. As schools close for the day, mothers, or other carers, and their children begin to come in for the  session, when there will be afternoon tea, crafts, a bible story and songs. 

After" Messy Church" and the tidy-up, it's 5pm and some of the clergy team, those who are available,  gather in the Lady Chapel once again; now for Evening Prayer, using the Daily Prayer format. They are joined by two parishioners who attend quite often. Each Tuesday evening the prayers which are left on the church prayer cross by the West Door are prayed through.

These are just some of the activities of worship and work in God's service that happened at the church, or in nearby residential care homes, on that one day in November.

But "All Saints Church" is not only a building; it is also a Christian community of  over three hundred people. Each one of us has the story to tell of own day - of worship and of work in God's service!

Rev'd. Canon David Hodgson, Rector

Silent Night - 2014 Christmas message from Revd Anna Harwood, Associate Priest

‘Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, 
Jack Frost nipping on your nose, 
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir, 
and folks dressed up like Eskimos’

When we hear the familiar words of the classic Christmas song first recorded by Nat King Cole in 1946 we seem to know for certain that the year has gone full circle and it’s that time of year again. Here it comes again the season when we have to push amongst the crowds in the shops to try and buy our turkey and sprouts, the time that we hear familiar sounds of carols and Christmas songs all around us. 

But I do wonder if sometimes at this time of year we can be so surrounded by all the noise of the commercial side of Christmas that we can all lose sight of the real reason for the season. It can even sometimes feel the world has gone slightly mad and lost it way as we begin to force down even more festive food and eat yet another sweet from the quality street tin.

We may even find ourselves asking “Can this really be all that it is about?”, but there are other voices to be heard as the same message is spoken out once again in Churches and Cathedral’s across the land and the world. This message can redirect us towards the deeper meaning of Christmas. And can I encourage you this year to take some time to stop for a moment and pause, listen and to consider the wonder in the claims of the Christmas story. And if all just seems too familiar why not try and allow the message to reconnect, and if you have never tried before why not consider it for the first time.

A few years ago the BBC produced a version of the Nativity story and I was particularly touched by the final scene. Picture the scene in the drama as we are drawn into a small and dark room and in the darkness at the far end of the room we can see Mary & Joseph and the infant Jesus surrendered by animals. The infant lays peacefully in the manager asleep as a group of travellers from many miles away begin to approach. The group briefly glance to his Mother for permission to come near to see the child. And as thy bow before the infant we witness a moment of recognition as we look into the eyes of these intelligent men as we see tears stream down there cheeks and they fall to their knees before a tiny child. And at the moment they bow a voice simply and slowly says ‘blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God”. And Mary & Joseph simply look puzzled as they look upon the gifts of Gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gifts that seem to point to the future of this child and the shadow of the Cross is glimpsed.
        
The wise men in this scene are given a glimpse of of the real message of Christmas and it is truly wondrous. That God out of a heart of love enters into human experience, he becomes as vulnerable as new born baby and grows to maturity experiencing all of human emotions.  I wonder if part of the real wonder of the Christmas message is that God knows and feels all that we experience and longs to walk beside us in our humanity. God loves us so much in order to be in relationship with us and to fully connect he came and lived, died and rose again in our midst. 

So listen out for:

Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face.
With the dawn of redeeming grace.
Jesus, Lord of thy birth

And as you listen and look may you this Christmas find :

The joy of the angels
The eagerness of the shepherds,
The perseverance of the wise men,
The faith of Mary & Joseph
And the peace of the Christ-child.

Anna 

Foundation Governor vacancy at All Saints Primary School Wokingham

All Saints Church of England (Aided) Primary School and Nursery has a vacancy for a Foundation Governor on its Governing Body.

All Saints School was founded over 300 years ago - it's seen some name changes and location changes in those centuries,  and it has one of the most modern buildings of any school in Wokingham. It is the church primary school serving the whole community in the parish of Wokingham All Saints. It is known and praised for its inclusive and caring character. It includes a resource for children with disabilities. Close links exist and are valued between  All Saints Church and All Saints School.

Foundation Governors are the vital link with the school's foundational ethos of community and service informed by Christian values. 

For more information about the school visit its website 

More information about being a Foundation Governor in a church school can be found on the Diocese of Oxford's website here

Enquire further by contacting the Rector of Wokingham All Saints,  Canon David Hodgson for an informal chat.

Shedding light into dark corners

"Shedding light into dark corners"  will be this year's theme at All Saints during the season of Epiphany. Epiphany is a church season which begins on the feast of the Epiphany (6th January) commemorating the visit of the Kings to the crib of Christ and continues  until Candlemas, the 2nd February, which celebrates the Presentation of Christ in the Temple.

Topics will include how light can be shed in the darkness of poverty, of social isolation, of mental illness, and of vulnerability and abuse.

The F Word: Images of Forgiveness - internationally acclaimed exhibition to come to All Saints

The internationally acclaimed "The F Word: Images of Forgiveness" exhibition is set to come to All Saints Church early next year.

The exhibition presents a  thought -provoking collection of arresting images and personal narratives exploring forgiveness in the face of atrocity. First launched in London in 2004, it has since been displayed in over 300 venues worldwide. Drawing together voices from South Africa, America, Israel, Palestine, Northern Ireland and England, the exhibition examines forgiveness as a healing process, a journey out of victimhood and, ultimately, a journey of hope. 

For more information about the Forgiveness Project visit its website 

Welcome to Christmas at All Saints Church

There 's a warm welcome waiting for everyone at All Saints Church this Christmas. Services and events take place all through the week and on Sundays during December and over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. 

There are events and services for families with young children - such as  a  hands-on Christingle Service on Sunday 14th December, where participants get to make their own Christingle  -  followed by a tea-party for all in The Cornerstone - in aid of the charity The Children's Society. On the Sunday before Christmas 21st December at 11am, the children of the church will act out the Christmas story in a Nativity tableau. And Christmas Eve Crib services at either 2pm or 3.30pm are perfect for families with younger children who really want to inspire their children with the joy and awe of the Christmas story, when the Christmas Crib will be revealed and blessed.

There are services where the emphasis is on music, such as the ever-popular Service of Nine Lessons and Carols on Christmas Eve sung by the All Saints Church Choir; and there are candlelit services too;  on Advent Sunday 30th November after the Winter Carnival ends;  and the atmospheric First Communion of Christmas ("Midnight Communion") at 11.15pm on Christmas Eve. For those who want to make Christmas Day the most special day it can be there's Parish Communion for All Ages at 9.30am. 

As well as these public services open to all, the church will welcome the children, staff and parents of local schools celebrating the season with special events and carol services.

For full details visit the dedicated Christmas webpage www.wokinghamchristmas.com

Excitement as new vision and priorities for All Saints Church agreed

All Saints Church has a new vision and set of priorities for the next 3 to 5 years going forward.

It follows a series of surveys, prayer meetings and discussion forums  about the parish's needs and the concerns and interests of parishioners; which have been held during the year.  

The November meeting of the Parochial Church Council ratified the vision and mission action plan. It was shared with parishioners at an Open Parish Forum when ways in which the plan could happen were discussed. 

Anne King, churchwarden, said: "The PCC were excited about the things the plan contains, from mentoring young people in the parish, to  holding a marriage fair, welcoming people moving in to the new housing developments and researching how the church building could be refurbished for 21st century use. Everyone will be encouraged to join in" 

Four priorities have been identified focussing on community, growth, worship , youth. Specified leaders for each priority have been appointed and the complete plan contains a total of 19 objectives to focus the mission of the church over the next three years. In the new year further details of the actions and budgets which will enable these objectives to happen will be published .Download the details and list here.

The new vision statement for All Saints Church Wokingham is: 

All Saints will be a loving church accessible to all including children and youth, which is active in the heart of the community and where all can grow their gifts and faith in God.


Canon David Hodgson, Rector, said: "We need now to work out how to embed this vision in everything we do at All Saints and to meet the objectives for our four priorities. To get involved with any of the activities please contact the leaders named".

All Saints Church one of the doors in Wokingham's Living Advent Calendar

All Saints Church will be one of the doors opened this year in Wokingham's Living Advent Calendar. The Living Advent calendar presents a short free 15 minute performance each evening on the run-up to Christmas at various venues around the town. It starts on Monday 1st December in the Market Place. All Saints Church's robed Choir will present a Christmas music selection on Saturday 13th December at 6pm. For more details and  a full list of venues visit the Living Advent Calendar website

Breaking down the barriers - 2014 Christmas message from the Rector

"O Little town of Bethlehem..."

As I write it's a few days after the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989. Those of us who were alive as adults then may still remember the joy and delight this wonderful event was greeted with. This was a peaceful revolution. It heralded the end of the “Cold War”, the smashing of the Iron Curtain and the re-unification of Germany. The Wall had divided the city and completely encircled the whole of West Berlin. In the 28 years it stood some 200 people died at the Wall. Families were separated, living their lives and growing old without being able to meet. The Wall symbolised the oppressive injustices of undemocratic regimes and the division of all Europe into separate parts with no freedom of movement for people between them. 

The anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall reminded me that today, tragically, there is another wall of division in the world  - the 400 mile long wall between Israel and the Palestinian West Bank. The modern-day borough of Bethlehem has been divided by the Wall with huge impact on its economy,business and employment levels,  and its water supplies. Like the Berlin Wall before it this West Bank Wall represents a situation of oppression and injustice. Ordinary people trying to live in peace and freedom find their lives blighted. They are cut off, not only from their immediate needs for work,vital goods and services like healthcare, but also from the hope of an opportunity for a fulfilling life and future.

The baby whose birth in Bethlehem 2000 years ago we celebrate this month was announced by angels as a bringer of peace on earth and good will among all people. As I sing “O little town of Bethlehem” again this Christmas I will pray for modern-day Bethlehem, where there is as yet no peace and good will for its people. One day I hope that Wall too will fall.

Human societies erect walls of separation when unity and trust break down between groups. Sometimes these are not always obvious physical barriers. There are walls of indifference and lack of care for others. There is no wall between different streets and towns in any English cities as far as I know; but there are huge barriers between people of different backgrounds and cultures – barriers of lack of interest or care about the lives of others.

The joy and hope of the message we celebrate at  Christmas is that these barriers can be broken down. This might seem an impossible dream when we look at the reality of the world around us. The Christian vision and hope is that the barrier between divine possibility and human limitation has been abolished;  in the life of that baby from Bethlehem whose Spirit and Life we may share. 
“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us... full of grace and truth”.(John 1: 14).

A joyful Christmas and Happy New Year to you

Knitting for Syria

Knitters at All Saints Church rose to the challenge this Autumn of knitting for Syria. Babies are being born prematurely or underweight in the region as a result of the ongoing difficulties and are in need of these3 warm small-sized baby clothes as winter begins. The first package was sent at the start of November and included: 2 premature baby outfits; 4 toddler size cardigans; 4 jumpers - assorted sizes; 3 jackets; 1 pair of socks; 5 hats and, finally, 1 teddy bear.

Church Porch makeover

Visitors and worshippers at All Saints may have detected a new fresh feel to the church porch in November. All Saints Rector , Canon David Hodgson said; "The backing material on the noticeboards had faded over the years and it was time for a makeover. We decided a change of colour to blue from maroon would make a change too. Thanks to Clive and Helen Charlton for doing the refurbishment."

Large gatherings in November to remember the departed

November has seen large gatherings for services at All Saints Parish Church, to remember the departed.

Civic and public services representatives, church leaders and serving members of the armed Services from REME  and veterans joined members of statutory,voluntary and youth organisations for the town's Civic and Ecumenical Remembrance Sunday service. This made the largest attendance at this event on current records. The service had a focus on the centenary of the First World War. The name of every serviceman of the town of Wokingham who lost his life in the First World War was recited; representative names of the those of our twin towns of Viry-Chatillon and Erftstadt were also read. Those attending the service received a commemorative facsimile of  the booklet of St John's Gospel given to 1WW servicemen.  Wokingham MP the Rt Hon John Redwood read from the Bible. The Rev'd Nick Hudson, Wokingham Baptist minister, preached on the confidence and courage which faith in God  can offer in the face of the storms of life. All Saints Church Choir sang pieces from the Requiem by John Rutter.  The service was led by Canon David Hodgson, Rector of  Wokingham All Saints, assisted by The Rev'd Anna Harwood and The Revd Colin James both of All Saints parish ; and by The Revd Deborah Davison representing the parish of Wokingham St Paul with Woosehill. Lt Col. Clare Philips , Commander of REME's Arborfield base, assisted with the reading of the names of the fallen. 

A week later the church was again full on a Sunday afternoon for the annual memorial service to commemorate and give thanks for departed loved ones. Family members and friends bereaved in recent years gathered to remember those they had lost. The names of the departed whose funerals have been conducted in the past year by All Saints parish ministers were read out, together with others whose families wished them to be remembered, and a candle was lit for each person. Canon David Hodgson, Rector, preached and led the service assisted by The Rev'd Anna Harwood, Associate Priest. The service was organised and run by the All Saints Bereavement Care team; refreshments were offered to attendees at the end of the service.

Art for Advent

During Advent - from the start of December until Christmas - a three-panel art work (tryptych) created by local artist Barbara Thompson will provide a focus for prayer and mediation in the church. The work will be located  around the altar in the Lady Chapel (east end of south aisle), a place of prayer and reflection used every weekday day for Daily Prayer

Daily prayer at All Saints

Did you know that there are services in All Saints church not only on Sundays but every day of the week? As well as regular mid-week 

Communion services there are also the short services of bible readings and prayer known as Daily Prayer. These prayer services happen every 

morning and evening at 9am and 5pm (Saturdays 9am only). Most days one of the clergy team will be present. 

Prayers are also led by members of the church who have got involved as part of our Daily Prayer team. Each session last about 20 minutes and prayers may be said on any topic.  Prayers for the people and town of Wokingham are always included. On Tuesday evenings the prayer cards left on the prayer cross are prayed through. 

The Daily Prayer services take place in the Lady Chapel - located at the east end of the south aisle; where a prayer candle may also be lit. More details of our Daily Prayer services here.

Messiah concert

Musical highlights by All Saints Church Choir to celebrate Advent and Christmas  this year will include a special concert performance of Handel's Messiah on Sunday 7th December (4pm);  as well as the two  popular choral carol services on Advent Sunday and Christmas Eve.  

Messiah will be conducted by our Director of Music Richard Smith with the Gandolpho Players, the robed choir and trebles of All Saints Church and guest soloists David Poe, Jon Grave, and Miles Horner. Details and tickets for Messiah available here

Christmas programme details now available

Full details of Christmas at All Saints, including Advent, are now available on our Christmas website and in fliers to be distributed to every home in the parish. 
Highlights for families with young children include the Christingle Service on 14th December (4pm) and the Crib Services on Christmas Eve (2pm and 3.30pm). 

All-Age Communion on Christmas Day (9.30am) will also be ideal for families with children wanting to celebrate the timeless joy of Christmas.

Baroque music at All Saints Church

In the final concert of the Autumn programme of Baroque Music on the 26th November the audience will be treated  to 16th and 17th century songs of love. loss. loyalty, lust and devotion performed by players from Loki Music, the Kingston based early music specialists. The concert entitled Devotion, Delight and Deception in the Golden Age will feature songs both devotional and profane which emerged against the backdrop of tensions between England and Spain and the struggle between Protestants and Roman Catholics for the soul of England. Details and tickets for Devotion, Delight and Deception in the Golden Age available here

Making the most of Advent

There's a new resource out now for families with children who want to make the most of Advent as a preparation for Christmas . A new booklet from the Church of England "Love Life Live Advent" provides a simple prayer activity for children and families to do together, every day of December until Christmas Day. Brightly illustrated throughout, and written by one of today's most popular writers, Paula Gooder, with her husband, Peter Babington, a parish priest, it is designed to heighten children's anticipation of Christmas and to enrich everyone's understanding of the season of waiting and preparation. Free copies are available from All Saints Church for every family requesting. Please obtain one from the Parish Office or at a service in church from 10th November.

A fresh vision and new plan of action for All Saints Church

Months of consulting ,discussion and prayer about All Saints Church's future priorities and plans will reach a major milestone at an Open Meeting for all parishioners to take place this Saturday 8th November. Hundred of comments and discussion points have been distilled into a fresh vision and plan giving substance to  the desire of the church to serve the community and share the love of God in action. Parishioners are invited to come along to the Open Meeting - give their responses to the new plans and share their insight into what what needs to happen in order for these plans to be realised going forward. Details and timing are here - all welcome to turn up on the morning - signing in will help with catering for the breakfast.

First World War focus at Remembrance Sunday this year

Remembrance Sunday services at All Saints this year will carry the additional dimension of remembering the great tragedy of the First World War in this centenary year. As well as wreath-laying and the two-minute silence silence in the Parish Communion service at 9.30am there will be an Act of Remembrance at the 1WW memorial in the churchyard at 11am timed to coincide with the national Act of Remembrance. Civic representatives, church leaders, veterans, currently serving armed services members and youth organisations will gather at All Saints for the annual Civic and Ecumenical Remembrance Service on Sunday afternoon.This year it will recall in particular the fallen of the First World War. All the names of the 230 young men of Wokingham who fell in the First World War will be read aloud; and in addition prayers will be said for the young men of our European twin towns of Viry- Chatillon and Erftstadt who died in the conflict. Details of service times here

All together for All Saints Sunday

It was a genuinely all together occasion on Sunday morning at a special all age service to celebrate All Saints Sunday. As the service opened a rolling slideshow displayed the faces of parishioners past and present young and old. Pupils of All Saints CE Church School joined with members of the All Saints Junior Church and Choir Trebles to sing "I am the Earth". Hymns and songs were led both by All Saints Church Choir members and the "Ace of Saints" - the up and coming worship band at All Saints Church. Several parts of the service were led by members of the youth church. The Rector Canon David Hodgson gave a short talk based on the theme "Feasting with friends; living like saints" using the biblical image of God's heavenly banquet to which all are invited. Rector David said "We wanted to celebrate not only the saints of old but also the saints we know - all who have decided to follow Jesus - and showing photos of people connected to the church past and present was a great way to do that".

Special service for Hunger for Justice weekend with Christian Aid

One weekend in October hundreds of churches around the UK focused on climate change. Christian Aid set up the initiative to make people aware that climate change affects the poorest communities – even though they are not the cause. All Saints welcomed Elizabeth Peredo, a Bolivian climate change campaigner (and Christian Aid partner) and Jessica Hall, Christian Aid’s Berkshire representative.
Elizabeth spoke about the impact climate change is having in Bolivia: melting glaciers and forcing people to leave the countryside and move to the towns (‘climate change migrants’). Jessica reminded us that God’s creation is good but we need to live simply and not abuse our position, especially if as rich nations.
The messages were reinforced by a performance by youth theatre group, StageFright, demonstrating the perils of over-consumption and the voiceless workers who produce our goods, often with no legal rights or protection. Later we walked to the front to sprinkle water on a painting of our earth to show that what we do has an impact. The running paint and blurred imagery symbolised how we exploit creation for our own selfish purposes.
We will sign a petition to send to our local MP, John Redwood (invited to the service but unable to attend) but the real challenge is how we can live with a reduced carbon footprint and thereby support – and love - our neighbours in the developed nations. (Peter Barrett)

Bolivian climate change campaigner to visit All Saints

In a second weekend of focus on climate change All Saints Church is looking forward to welcoming Elizabeth Peredo, a climate change campaigner from Bolivia.

Elizabeth Peredo runs Fundación Solón in Bolivia, funded by Christian Aid, which helps communities to understand the causes and consequences of climate change. They also campaign to promote more sustainable ways of managing Bolivia’s rich natural resources.

She will be speaking at the Parish Communion service 9.30am tomorrow as part of  Christian Aid's Hunger for Justice weekend.

More information here.

A fresh Vision and new plan of action for All Saints Church to be launched at Open Forum on 8th November

This year All Saints Church has been looking for a fresh vision for the Church and working on a new plan of action to guide its priorities for the next three years. Work began with prayer sessions, surveys, and open discussion forums in the first half of the year. Some overall themes emerged which will help to shape a fresh vision for the Church. These themes showed All Saints aspiring to be a church which is:

approachable and relevant
lives and works “outside-in” - this means thinking about and engaging with the whole community not only those who already take part in church
pushing boundaries – this means trying out new things and being relaxed if new ideas don't always work out
everyone engaged – this means developing people's gifts and callings, so all can find a way to enjoy getting involved 

For the action plan four priority areas were identified:

To provide different types of worship to make ourselves more approachable to the wider community in Wokingham 
To encourage all young people to grow in faith by making it relevant to them
All Saints church to be in the heart of the community and well known as active citizens 
To provide opportunities to learn, so we may grow spiritually both personally and as a church community 
Since August the Church Council, in smaller subgroups, has been working to turn these priorities into actual objectives for an action plan and the result of these will be published in November. An open forum to launch the fresh vision and the new plan will be held on Saturday 8th November in The Cornerstone.

Climate change is back on the agenda at All Saints

Detail from the priest's robes worn during the Creationtime season at All Saints Church

Climate change is back on the international agenda following the recent UN summit of world political and business leaders. It's also on the agenda for All Saints during October with the visit of leading climate change writer Professor Michael Northcott on the weekend of 11th/12th October;  and then Christian Aid representavive Jess Hall who will visit All Saints with Elizabeth Poledo from Bolivia on Sunday 19th October.

For details and to register for the free public lecture to be given by Professor Michael Northcott

More about the visit of Elizabeth Poledo and Jessica Hall

Christmas is coming!

The Christingle service is one of the highlights of the Christmas season at All Saints Church

Plans for Advent and Christmas services and events are well advanced at All Saints Church. Musical highlights of the season will include the candlelit carol services with All Saints Church Choir on Advent Sunday (30th November) and Christmas Eve. 

For families there will be a Christingle Service featuring the new hands-on approach so popular last year where participants made their own Christingle in the service, followed by a tea party in the Cornerstone – all to raise funds for the Children’s Society charity. The ever-popular Christmas Crib service will again be run twice on Christmas Eve because of the large attendances. 

New this year: Carol Singing for all in the local hostelry, The Ship pub,  just across the road from the church; and a concert of Handel's magnificent “Messiah” with the Gandolpho Players and All Saints Church Choir. Full details of the Christmas programme coming soon on www.wokinghamchristmas.com

All Saints Church partners with PACT charity- supporting vulnerable families and children in our region

Laura Senior (left) fund-raising manager for regional adoption and fostering charity PACT supporting vulnerable children and families will visit All Saints Church in October

Parents and Children Together adoption and fostering charity representative Laura Senior will be visiting the Cornerstone in October to meet members of All Saints Church who would like to hear more about the work of the charity and how the church can continue and develop support for its work. Currently All Saints is a PACT parish partner. The Rector of All Saints , Canon David Hodgson, said: "As part of our commitment as a partner parish we pray for PACT every day at the weekday 9am prayers and as a church we will give 1.5% of our net 2014 income to PACT. Visit PACT's website here for more information.

All Saints to welcome climate change campaigner from Bolivia as part of climate justice weekend

Jessica Hall - Christian Aid's regional representative for the Thames Valley will be interviewing Elizabeth Poledo climate change campaigner from Bolivia at All Saints Church on Sunday 19th October at 9.30am

In the second of two weekends focussed on climate change All Saints will welcome a climate change campaigner all the way from Bolivia. Elizabeth Poledo, who is one of Christian Aid's partners in Bolivia, will be interviewed in the 9.30am service by our regional Christian Aid representative Jessica Hall. As part of the Hunger for Justice campaign that weekend, backed by Christian  Aid, hundreds of churches will be urging Parliament to tackle climate change and praying for our brothers and sisters around the world.

Also taking part in the service will be Stage-Fright - the Wokingham-based theatre community.

Embodying God's love for everyone

"Embodying God's love for everyone"  - that's the aim of the All Saints Parish Pastoral Care team. All Saints has a pastoral care team which comprises lay pastoral assistants and the parish clergy working together as a united group to offer a co-ordinated response to pastoral needs in the parish. Read more about the pastoral care team in the new updated information leaflet  https://db.tt/4recRQNL

Prayer and listening ministry now being offered every Sunday

A ministry of confidential listening and prayer for individuals continues to be available after every 9.30am service. It is an opportunity for people to share in confidence any concerns and needs for prayer support which they have;  either for themselves or others such as family members or friends whom they are concerned about. 

The ministry is offered by members of our pastoral care and healing teams. Complete confidence and a caring non-judgemental approach is assured. Unless otherwise advised on any particular Sunday this ministry is offered immediately after the 9.30am service ends in the Lady Chapel which is located at the East (front) end of the South Aisle (London Road side of the church)

All Saints church to cut its own music album

A new CD of music from All Saints Church will be launched in time for Christmas . As well as featuring the Church Choir it will also include singing by the children of All Saints Primary School, the music of St.Sebastian Brass Band, and the congregation singing too.

Members of the Sunday morning congregation stayed behind after the 9.30am service for an impromptu recording session.

"It was great fun recording together - I never thought I'd ever feature on a proper music album so I'm really looking forward to seeing the CD and getting copies to give to all my family and friends for Christmas presents" said Rector Canon David Hodgson.

Harvest news and photos

 Display of food collected by children of All Saints CE Primary School

 Harvest flower arrangement in the High Altar sanctuary

 Window sill decorated for Harvest

Harvest display in front of the Nave Altar

Harvest festival at All Saints Church continued beyond Sunday into the week following with local schools All Saints Primary and Keephatch Primary gathering in church to celebrate.

Over 100 kg of food was received on Sunday morning donated by the congregation of the Sunday services. This food and an even larger amount donated by All Saints school pupils were sent to the Wokingham Food Bank.

School in church for end of year service

All Saints CE Primary School filled the church with its pupils parents staff  governors and advisors for the end of year service. The theme was goodbye and go well to Year 6 moving on to secondary schools. Year 6 pupils shared their memories of top moments in their time at the school and there were touching accolades to their Year 6 friends from younger pupils. The whole school sang the Leavers' Song to Year 6 which was a poignant moment. Prayers were led by the children and the school choir sang. Canon David Hodgson talked about the  meaning of goodbye in different languages and how often it is based on a prayer for blessing;   with pupils sharing their knowledge of the word in languages ranging from Romanian to Korean!
Each Year 6 pupil received a copy of the Good News Bible as a gift from All Saints Church.

Tea party in Rectory garden

A family friendly tea party organised by the Mothers Union proved a popular event for all ages today. Some sipped tea and chatted in the shade of the Rectory Garden trees whilst others tried their hand at giant Connect4 or lawn skittles. There were plenty of sandwiches cakes and scones to go round. Anna our new Associate Priest and her husband Andy were there meeting lots of people for the first time. And despite a forecast of a 40% chance of a thunderstorm no rainclouds appeared.

Welcome to Anna

Parishioners and visitors welcomed The Revd Anna Harwood as our new Associate Priest at a special Eucharist led by the Bishop of Reading. Anna's family members and former colleagues and congregation members were among the many visiting supporters some of whom had travelled from her home city of Liverpool. Anna's first official Sunday will be Sunday 20th July when she will preach at the 8am and 9.30am service and help lead the 11am Family Service.

New churchwarden commissioned

Our churchwarden Anne King was sworn in to her role yesterday with other local churchwardens at a special service in Finchampstead with the Archdeacon of Berkshire, The Venerable Olivia Graham, and the Registrar of the Diocese, Canon John Rees.

In her charge - a sermon for the occasion - the Archdeacon affirmed the importance of the role of churchwardens as key people in the church's task to spread the good news of the gospel and be agents of transformation serving God's kingdom. 

Anne is currently the only churchwarden in the parish; as no other persons have been yet found to take up the other vacant positions. The Parish of Wokingham All Saints should have three churchwardens.

The Rector Canon David Hodgson said, "We need to  keep Anne in our prayers and also find ways to make sure that tasks that might have been done by other churchwardens are shared out amongst a supportive team around her. We do have a huge number of dedicated people at All Saints Church working together."

Summer Music Festival publicity launched

The Wokingham Summer Music Festival based at All Saints Parish Church Wokingham is only four weeks away. A feast of music across 5 days culminating in a weekend in which All Saints Church Choir will sing  Choral Evensong and the Requiem by John Rutter on Saturday 7th June and a Choral Eucharist on Pentecost Sunday evening (8th June). 

The festival will also feature world-famous folk singer/songwriter Martin Simpson, widely acknowledged as one of the finest acoustic guitar players in the world.

NEW PRAYER MINISTRY LAUNCHED

Members of our prayer and care teams will now be available immediately after every 9.30am Sunday service if you need prayer for yourself or someone else or need a listening ear to talk something through. We are glad to be offering this regular weekly opportunity for personal prayer as we recognise that issues and concerns can surface or be triggered at any time. Please go to the Lady Chapel after the service ends and look for team members with a prayer badge. This will be offered every Sunday for a trial period until the end of July.

Easter garden ready to be revealed

The Easter garden at All Saints Church is ready to be revealed at services tomorrow on Easter Day. Here is a sneak preview of a detail only. Thanks to the group of children who let Flower Guild members work with them to produce this colourful resurrection scene.