All Saints Church Choir news Summer 2016

Richard Smith, our Director of Music writes: "The choir at All Saints Church has had another busy year. We've welcomed several new members to the children's choir and to the Nave Choir and sung a wide variety of music. Sunday 17th July is our last service before the summer holidays and we return to duties in September. We are always glad to see new members. Contact Richard Smith on directorofmusic@allsaintswokingham.org.uk for details of the children's choir, the Nave Choir, and other opportunities for adult singers.

Glass screen for tower going in this summer

Work will start in the church on 25th July to install the glass screen in the upper arch of the tower, between the ringing chamber and the body of the church. All permissions have been given and a contract placed. It is estimated the work will take 6 weeks. Full access to the church and the use of the font will be maintained.

The £41000 project is fully funded from funds raised during a campaign for this purpose some years ago. 

Churchwarden Anne King said, 

"There are two long periods when it will seem like nothing is happening – the frame makers have to make a full size template of the arch to ensure the frame fits properly and then the glaziers have to do the same thing once the frame is in place. Both of these require the scaffolding."

All Saints Church's vestments featured in Church Times

The vestments commissioned for All Saints Church and designed by Croft Design in 2013 were featured in a recent Church Times special series this year on ecclesiastical textile work.
Link to the Church Times feature here

Fixed the roof in both rain and shine!

Roof works in the Vestry, Chancel and Lady Chapel sections of the church are complete. !6,000 tiles were replaced amongst other repairs, including to stonework and rainwater goods. Now making good and painting of the clergy vestry ceiling is ongoing and will be complete by the end of the month.

Wokingham Christians unite in prayer after Brexit vote

Christians from different Wokingham churches came together at The Cornerstone in response to the EU Referendum outcome, to pray together and to listen to one another's hopes and fears after the Brexit vote. The meeting was called on behalf of Churches Together in Wokingham and facilitated by Canon David Hodgson, Rector of All Saints.

He said:" This was a meeting for everyone irrespective of  whether they voted Leave or Remain or didn't vote. We came together in the unity we have as Christians to listen to one another; to listen to God in the Scriptures and to pray.  We felt it was important to provide the opportunity to come together in faith and unity, with respect for each other's views, at such a time of division and uncertainty, to allow the Spirit of God to guide us."

Voluntary and faith groups meet with local Borough Chief Executives

The Rector of All Saints and one of All Saints' churchwardens were among those who attended a gathering last week of voluntary and faith groups from Bracknell and Wokingham. The meeting was organised by the two boroughs' joint voluntary sector network and support agency Involve. 

The main speakers at the meeting were the two Borough Council Chief Executives. They explained the challenges to be faced as planned central government funding for local authorities has been and will be further significantly reduced. Local authorities have made and will continue to make efficiency savings and will continue to focus their resources on supporting core services and the most vulnerable in our boroughs. To sustain community provision  going forward a new level and scale of voluntary involvement will be needed. The Chief Executives signalled greater flexibility in the way the local authority would work with voluntary groups to provide services. Concerns expressed by delegates of the voluntary sector groups present were about funding sources; the possibility of needless competition between different voluntary groups and duplication, and the importance and difficulty of finding adequate resources for work on the prevention of health and social problems.

Rapturous reception for Dame Emma as Summer Music Festival opens

Dame Emma Kirkby and Jakob Lindberg receive the rapturous applause of the audience after their stunning virtuoso performance of early music at the opening night of Wokingham Summer Music Festival in All Saints Church Wokingham.

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