Experiment to trial changes to the Parish Communion service approved

A three month trial of "small but helpful changes" to the content and "feel" of the weekly 9.30am Parish Communion service will start on Sunday 13th March and continue until Sunday 12th June, following support from the Parochial Church Council.

Following an initial pre-trial consultation with 25 members who are actively involved in the service as lay ministers, servers, bible readers and intercessors or children's leaders congregation members will be asked to give their feedback on the changes both during and after the end of the period.


The list of changes to be trialled are as follows:

1. Reducing the number of bible readings to one reading only before the gospel; but with greater commitment to periods of silent reflection.

2. Having a gospel procession in appropriate seasons and on high days but not most Sundays.

3. The Creed - using some of the shorter alternative creeds offered in the Common Worship book in place of the full Nicene Creed every Sunday.

4. Improving participation and engagement with hymns. Keeping attention on hymns being known, relevant and not over-long. Introducing new hymns, including both contemporary and suitable older hymns not yet known, intentionally and in a planned on-going way. 

5.  Sermons to be kept under 12 minutes as a rule.

6. Intercessions to be kept under 4 minutes as a rule.

7. Notices of the announcement type to be kept "short and sweet", relevant, and necessary.

8. Using some (but not all) of the time saved for things which are not really notices but " church community" type things including commissioning people to ministries, admissions to choir and other groups etc, thanking people, seeing what Junior and Youth Church did in their sessions; and also sharing of important stuff from the congregation.

9. Ending by 10.35 at latest instead of 10.40 or 10.45

Canon David Hodgson, Rector, said:

"At one level these are minor adaptations yet they represent an evolutionary approach rather than a revolutionary one. We want to loosen up and open up this service. Currently  it includes a lot of words to process and is perhaps a little too drawn out for comfort. The aim is to allow more "space" in the service, both to help us to hear God speaking to us and to share more what God is doing in our lives and community here and now".

All Saints Church support for post-war recovery in Northern Uganda

Vulnerable families in Northern Uganda receiving goats through the support of All Saints Church

All Saints Church's support for the post-war reconstruction efforts in Northern Uganda is channelled through Community Initiative for Rural Development, (CIFORD) a church-run charity based in Gulu. 

Full details of the achievements of the project and how All Saints Church's annual support has enabled this can be read in the latest report online.

The Venerable John Ochola, Archdeacon in the area and patron of CIFORD said;

"We are very grateful to All Saints Parish Church Council Wokingham for the funding support that makes the neglected and poverty stricken people of Northern Uganda gain access to economic opportunities and relatively attain some level of development. Community Initiative for Rural Development (Ciford) wish to sincerely appreciate All Saints Parish Church Council Wokingham for all the efforts put in to make this programme achieve its stated objectives both in the short term and long term."

All Saints Church involved as Berkshire churches partner to develop mission

Members of the All Saints PMC Steering and Listening teams (foreground table)
 at the focus day held in Greyfriars Church Reading

All Saints Church took part recently in a day for Berkshire churches focussed on spiritual and practical development in mission. 

The process, "Partnership for Missional Church"(PMC),  is supported by the Bishop of Reading and the Church Mission Society. It is facilitated by an international team of theologians and church consultants from the UK, the USA, and Malawi. It  involves local churches coming together, to work on a process aimed at helping them to become more confident in their faith, and more responsive to the needs of people in their communities.

Each participant church has a steering group consisting of church members; and is also partnered with other local churches. All Saints Wokingham is partnered with St Paul Wokingham and All Saints Maidenhead.

The current steering group at All Saints Wokingham is Peter Barrett, John Boylan and Clive Charlton. More members are being sought for the group. 

Additionally a listening team led by Jo Robinson has worked alongside the steering group.

The PMC process has introduced the practice of "Dwelling in the Word". This is a simple method of reading and talking together in groups about a bible reading which is used meetings such as those of the Parochial Church Council. The listening team undertook a structured survey to gain people's views of the church. A timeline history of the church was developed in order to deepen the church's understanding of where and what it is now.

Clergy of the local churches involved receive training in order to offer spiritual leadership into the process. David and Anna, Rector and Associate Rector, attended a day for clergy.

Garden of Remembrance planned for 2016

Plans for a new Garden of Remembrance in centre of All Saints churchyard have been submitted to the Oxford Diocesan authorities.

The area will provide for a new way of interring cremated remains in a lawn without individualised memorial stones. The names of those buried will be inscribed in a book in a cabinet located in the church.

The scheme also provides for new pathways allowing disabled access to the garden.

Work is expected to start in summer 2016.

Canon David Hodgson, Rector, said;

"This will ensure local people will be able to have cremated remains buried in this churchyard for many years to come. It will provide a serene and pleasant area for departed loved ones to be remembered."

Church roof repairs under way

Work has now started on repairs to the roofs of vestry and chancel at the east end of the church building. The photo shows early stages of the scaffolding being admired by the churchyard's resident cat.

Church Council approves next step in CC2020 project looking at refurbishing the church

The CC2020 display board in church

This month All Saints Parochial Church Council took the next step in the CC2020 project - refurbishing the church for 21st century worship and community activities. It approved an initial outline brief for an architect and a process for selecting an architect. 

The brief is based on the ideas from the extensive consultations with the church and wider community over the last year. 

Two new members were added to the CC2020 team - Ian Brooks and Ian Hopkinson - to assist in the process of architect selection and discussion of plans. This process will continue through 2016.

From the consultation process seven core needs for the refurbishment of the church were identified. These are:

1. Retain the feeling of being a holy place, keeping the heritage of more than 800 years of worship, with an altar as the focus of the church

2. Enable a variety of types of worship to take place for small groups and large, including formal Eucharistic services, services appropriate for young people, particularly for our own school, with its special needs unit, worship in the round, meditative services, Messy Church, labyrinth, café church. It will provide intimate spaces for small scale worship and space for very large numbers of people to worship, for example at Christmas, and school and civic services

3. Provide an auditorium, exhibition and entertainment space for church and community events, particularly concerts, in what is a very high quality building and one of the largest indoor spaces in Wokingham

4. Be open seven days a week providing a suitable environment for private prayer and reflection

5. Be hospitable, with an area for welcome, a kitchen, and toilets on the premises, as are essential in a public building, particularly one used by children. We need facilities that would enable coffee after services and receptions after funerals, weddings and baptisms to take place in the same building

6. Be fully accessible, providing good facilities for all the disabled, with good audio and video systems, good lighting and level access

7. Provide a quality environment in terms of visual appeal, physical comfort, heating, lighting, audio, video, communications including WiFi and storage. Sustainability and low running costs are important considerations.

Project team leader and churchwarden, Anne King said;

"The brief is only a very outline indication of what we want, just a starting point. It does not commit us to any particular design or facility."

The need for church refurbishment came out of the initial consultations with the congregation during the process in 2014 of setting a Mission Action Plan for the church.

New Pilgrim course gets off to a good start

Monday's Pilgrim course got off to an encouraging start with 11 keen participants.

Tackling The Commandments this module examines the texts with fresh eyes and interesting insights.

A member of the group said:

"Ably led by Jo and Rosemary everyone felt able to contribute and I was very grateful for the time and space in which to listen and reflect ".

The course runs throughout Lent.

Four Spring concerts: " something for everyone"

Duo  Dorado

The All Saints concerts team write:

"Whether your taste is Baroque, folk, choral or world music there is something for you in the next few weeks.  Our next Baroque concert on Wednesday 24th February features Duo Dorado with  a varied and colourful programme of music from the courts and theatres of Restoration London.   Hazel Brooks and David Pollock, have a wide repertoire on their instruments -  harpsichord and violin. Apparently they enjoy performing in less usual venues including museums, schools, village halls, libraries and even a Roman villa – so come and hear how they enjoy playing in All Saints Church.
Book tickets here


At our last concert Hannah Martin told us that she found the All Saints acoustic and overall ambience excellent for the folk music she was playing with her partner – Phil Henry.

 It was an excellent start to our Folk series which continues on Friday 4th March with Peter Knight’s Gigspanner. Coincidentally Phil Henry and Hannah Martin will be touring in Australia with Gigspanner in late March.  Our advance ticket sales indicate that the Gigspanner concert will be popular.  Come and judge for yourself and whether the description given them by Spiral Earth is justified – in their view they are ““A glorious musical tour de force. Simply exquisite”

On Tuesday 1st March we have something different - when Ahmed Mukhtar, treats us to an exploration of the refined classical music of Iraq, as part of the World Music series.  It will be good to be inspired by Ahmed Mukhtar’s exquisite playing of the oud in contrast the regular depressing news that comes from that country.  The  concert  will include a conversation in which he will guide us towards a deeper understanding of the style. 

Our early spring concerts then conclude with a choral performance from the Reading A440 choir on Saturday 12th March.  Don’t expect a traditional choral concert:  The distinctive identity of this choir lies in the inclusion in their concerts of original cantatas that tell stories through choral music blended with other storytelling elements such as narration, visual presentation, or other non-choral arts."

A message from All Saints Junior Church

"Please remember our charity cake sale in aid of New Life Home Trust is on Sunday 28th February  after the 9.30am service in The Cornerstone - please support this by bringing and buying cakes!"

New Life Home Trust works in Nairobi and three other cities in Kenya "to provide a compassionate Christian response to the plight of abandoned, orphaned, and other extremely vulnerable babies and young children, with priority given to those who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS."

The Nairobi facility was visited by Rev'd Helen Charlton and Clive Charlton, one of the churchwardens at All Saints Church, where they volunteered some time to help earlier this year.

For more information see the website.

All Saints has introduced a new pattern of welcoming families who are preparing to have children baptised at the church. 

Baptism information sessions, formerly held on weekday evenings, are now being held monthly on Sunday mornings at 11.30am;  after a Family Service on the first Sunday of the month. 

Families will be welcomed into The Cornerstone with refreshments and have the opportunity to meet other families and clergy attending the church services on the day.

Baptism information sessions help families to know what to expect from the church both at the baptism service and in support for them as parents; as well as exploring the meaning of Christian baptism.The sessions use a film about baptism specially made in All Saints Church They are facilitated by church members who are part of the church's  baptism care team . The Rev'd Anna Harwood, Associate Rector, is the lead clergy contact for the team and currently acts as its co-ordinator. Maggie Holden recently stepped down as co-ordinator after 13 years in the role.

Baptism care team members have said that holding the sessions on a Sunday will enable more parents and godparents to attend and give them the option of attending the half-hour Family Service in church prior to their information session if able.

Door notice at All Saints Church during Lent

During Lent additional collections will be taken up as people leave the church to support a charity which shares God's love in practical action. 

Us.(formerly USPG) is a 300 year old agency rooted in the Anglican churches worldwide and still active today across the globe. Its aim is through practical action working directly with local people to see communities transformed and lives changed. Us. is one of the main Anglican agencies alongside CMS (Church Mission Society) to which All Saints PCC will donate this year.  

Prayers for the work and those involved are said every weekday in the church as part of the daily cycle of morning prayer.

As well as copies of the latest Us. newsletter, Lent prayer booklets from Us. are available on the church porch notice-board. These include a prayer every day with information and photos detailing the work of different projects.

Visit the Us. website for more information.

We are now in Lent

The High Altar at All Saints Church "dressed" for Lent 

Lent began at All Saints with three services on Ash Wednesday; in the morning, at lunchtime and in the evening. 

The morning service was the usual service weekly "Wednesday Mums" Communion service for mums, babies and other carers. This service is currently enjoying a surge in popularity with regular attendances of 40 including the children. 

Two of the services this year included the ceremony of imposition of ashes which has become an established part of Ash Wednesday at All Saints but remains optional for all attendees in accordance with Church of England tradition. 



It's common for churches to use purple hangings and vestments in Lent but All Saints and some other churches for historical reasons use sackcloth-coloured ones. This goes back to pre-Victorian times when All Saints Church's original link was with Salisbury Cathedral (note the church's address on Wiltshire Road). Salisbury Cathedral and its associated churches had its own colour scheme for seasons of the year. This is also why All Saints uses blue rather than the usual purple in Advent.

The chasuble (priest's robe) used in Lent

The recently acquired priests' vestments at All Saints also continue this tradition. There are some who consider the chasuble used at Lent to be the most beautiful of the new set.

Another tradition of Lent now well-established in All Saints Church is the use of the Lenten candle ring. The idea is similar to the familiar Advent ring. The Lent ring has six candles around the outer ring instead of four, representing the six weeks of Lent. 

Instead of lighting a candle each week as in Advent,  in Lent the ring begins fully lit, including the white Christ candle in the centre. Each week one of the candles is extinguished until finally, during the Solemn Liturgy of Good Friday, the central Christ candle is snuffed out in a powerfully symbolic moment recalling the moment of Christ's death on the Cross.

Ash Wednesday services this year were well supported with attendances totalling 92 at all services being higher than 2015.

                       

Poignant moments at farewell to The Reverend Helen Charlton

Jo Robinson (r) giving an appreciation of Helen's ministry at All Saints Church

There was sadness, laughter and joyful sharing of happy memories at All Saints Church when the congregation marked the last day of The Rev'd Helen Charlton's attachment to the parish. Churchwarden Anne King led a farewell ceremony at the end of the Parish Communion service. and presented Helen with a gift from the congregation of a data projector. The Rev'd Anna Harwood Associate Rector, presented flowers and a bottle of Helen's favourite and thanked Helen for her support and especially during the recent sabbatical leave of the Rector.Jo Robinson and Peter Barrett shared favourite memories of Helen's ministry at All Saints Church both before and since she was ordained; complete with visual aids!

Peter Barrett with some of the visual aids to reflect Helen's ministry in All Saints

Canon David Hodgson, Rector, led the congregation in a prayer of thanks and blessing for Helen.

Helen's new role will be to assist the Diocesan Director of Ordinands in assessing candidates for ordination and she will be attached to Twyford Parish. 

Helen said: " A door opened which I didn't even know existed and it seems right to go through it. I will still be living in Wokingham and Clive wil continue to be churchwarden at All Saints so we will be working out what it will mean to worship at different churches. You will still see me around!"

After the service Helen opened her gift, cut a special cake and a toast was made in sparkling drink.

Helen cutting her cake

Read words from the Rector about Helen's ministry from the February edition of All Saints Parish magazine.