Churches Come Together in Winterslow

On Sunday 8th May 2011, all the churches in Winterslow came together to celebrate and worship the Christian life of the village under the banner of Food for Thought. About 60 people from the Anglican, Baptist, Methodist and Gospel Lifeboat denominations joined together for an act of worship in the Winterslow Village Hall on the theme of One Hope, One Faith, taking the parable of the foolish and wise builders of houses on the shifting sand and the rock to emphasise the need to remember that Jesus is Our Rock and Saviour and we all, irrespective of our backgrounds and liturgy, worship the one true God. The service was led by Michael and included some lively songs taken from Spring Harvest, an opportunity for different church members to get together and discuss world and church issues, a testimony from the Baptist Pastor, Pater Salisbury, and a talk by Duncan Moody, Methodist Lay Preacher on the Luke parable. The Rev. Elizabeth Moore-Bick led the intercessionary prayers with Peter and readings were given by members of the Methodist and Gospel Lifeboat churches. The children built a brilliant house from cardboard under the supervision of Susan, upon which the intercessionary prayers were affixed. The whole was, of course, followed by a bring and share tea. A great event and a wonderful opportunity to meet worshippers from other denominations both during the service and at the tea afterwards. We hope to repeat this event in the future. Thank you everyone who contributed to making this such a success.

Build the largest Globe in Wiltshire and Food for Thought Birthday party

A New Look at Creation (or Big Bangers and Mash!)

Bible, Bingo and Bangers was its title. About fifty people joined together in this month's Food for Thought at the Village Hall on Sunday 9th May. Michael, Sara and Elizabeth led the service which started with some great praise songs containing biblical quotes in them, a humorous look at the story of the Creation and Adam and Eve (a short play written by Sara with thanks to the late Rob Lacey for some of the ideas), a biblical maths quiz and numbers quiz, followed by a good old fashioned favourite bingo. We also looked at some of the wackier and more amusing stories and proverbs - did you know, for instance, that there is a Proverb which reads "You should give beer to the perishing" or that "It is better to live on the corner of the roof of a house than in the house itself with a quarrelsome wife". The stories included a talking donkey, bears which attacked disrespectful youths for calling Elisha "baldy" and what the ancient Israelites could do to rebellious sons! All this was followed by bangers, mash and beans. Thanks again to all who contributed to making it such a successful and fun afternoon.

Utterly Wet for Uganda

We managed to raise just over £110 last Sunday by hand washing more than 20 cars at a fiver a time! For just £5 the lucky driver had his volcanic-ashed vehicle washed and polished whilst enjoying tea and cake inside the Village Hall's Committee Room. Each £5 collected is destined to be used to buy a mosquito net for a family in the Ugandan District of Rukungiri under the Project Uganda charity initiative. It was good fun too - especially for the children who enjoyed having sponge fights and getting soaked when they had finished washing car wheels. A big thanks to all who took part.

Shoe Shine Sunday

I don't know how I managed to persuade people to come, bring their shoes, polish them and then pay me. We raised over £100 in about 1 hour! I think we have raised over £1000 so far for Oasis House in Romsey

Perhaps we should do it again next year!

A Whale of a Time

Over 40 people joined us at the Village Hall on Sunday (28th February) for a service based on the wonderful story of Jonah and the Whale. Led by Michael and Sara Barratt , it included a short play by Sara which involved Hamish having to jump through a whale's mouth drawn by Susan (see picture above) and Richard Carter playing God or should that be Cod? With appropriate songs, prayers, a talk and a testimony, the basic theme was that you cannot hide from God and you need to always trust Him to guide and support you. Continuing the "fishy" theme, prayers were written on fish-shaped pieces of paper and placed in a huge fishing net. The afternoon ended appropriately with everyone being served with fish fingers, chips and mushy peas - the chips being very popular with the youngsters. In all, 180 fish fingers were cooked!

What a Song and Dance!!

Over 80 people turning up (in various Tartan combos) to celebrate FFTs 3rd Birthday and with Bagpipes, Haggis, Scottish dancing we had a really enjoyable Burns night!

3rd Birthday: Come and Join the Party (Ceilidh)!

Bishop Endorses Creative Projects

So who wants to come with me on the 16th Jan, if i read it right it is at Corfe Mullen, but i will double check this

The Bishop of Sherborne, Dr Graham Kings, has personally endorsed a training course for clergy and lay people alike from Saturday January 16th 2010 (9.30am). Entitled ‘Mission Shaped Ministry’ (MSM), the course encourages creative forms of Church, and involvement in local communities.

The course, run in over 30 centres throughout the UK, has already attracted interest from the USA and Canada. MSM has been endorsed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, the General Secretary of the Methodist Church Dr. Martyn Atkins, and TV presenter Diane-Louise Jordan.

By the end of next year, an estimated 2,000 people will have taken part in the sessions.

MSM has a growing and broader ownership across major church movements, including the Church of England Diocese of Salisbury and the Southampton Methodist District. The Corfe Mullen course is a collaboration between Fresh Expressions, a national inter-denominational initiative encouraging new types of churches, and H3art Rhythms, an initiative in the parish of Corfe Mullen.

Trainers for the January course include Dr. Kings, Director of Training for Fresh Expressions Andrew Roberts, and Lucy Moore, author of ‘Messy Church’, a book encouraging low-cost creative projects for local children and families.

Dr. Kings said today: “I’m very excited about this course because it means the church will get out among local people, with creative ideas and new-found enthusiasm. It will encourage real contact between church and community in a relevant way. I’m all for it.”

Kath Atkins, MSM Administrator, added: “Our motto is ‘changing church for a changing world’, and we’re seeing new congregations springing up alongside more traditional churches. Projects are being established as a direct response to local needs. We have a message of hope in these troubled times, and we are making a real, positive difference in people’s lives.”


For more information, contact Hilary Richards at H3art Rhythms:
01202 658817, office@h3artrhythms.org.uk


Websites:
H3art Rhythms
Fresh Expressions: mission shaped ministry
Messy Church


Issued by Rob Marshall
Church of England
Diocese of Salisbury
24 Hour Media Office 01482 562 455
http://www.salisbury.anglican.org/

FFT Lantern Procession 2009

Great time tonight , really looking forward to Christmas now!

Lantern Procession 6th Dec

If the weather is really bad we will meet at 6pm at St. John's instead

If you didn't make it to last weeks Lantern building workshop but would still like to take part in the processions, then please come down to the village at 6pm , 6th December

We will process through Saxon Lees whilst singing carols to St. Johns, where we will end with a very short service (~10-15mins) and afterwards we'll have hot chocolate and mince pies ;-)

Look forward to seeing you there!

Lantern workshop and Parade 29th Nov & 6th Dec

October FFT Cancelled

Seems like a lot of people aren't here this month due to half term , so we have decided to cancel this month's FFT, but see you in November!

Why not join the Alpha course in Winterslow

“ I had no idea that I needed Alpha- until I tried it'”

“Meeting other people who were wrestling with the same questions was the best bit!"

“Alpha was an entirely positive experience for me. I met some lovely people, learnt some new songs and terrible jokes, ate well and came away enthused. I found the film clips really interesting and yet humorous, likewise the live talks, and I feel really grateful that I had the opportunity to do the course. I would gladly recommend it.”

These are just some of the thought of past guests on our local Team Alpha courses.



Who is it for?
The Alpha course is designed primarily for people who aren't churchgoers and each course is open to everyone who would like to attend. Most courses attract a diverse range of guests of different ages and backgrounds, holding many different viewpoints. Over 7,000 courses are currently running across the UK in rural and urban settings, including every major UK city. Guests attend for a wide variety of reasons - some want to investigate whether God exists; others are concerned about what happens after death. Some people have particular questions that they would like to discuss; others want to understand other peoples' beliefs or would like to explore what the purpose of life is. Many guests have never been to church, others may have attended church occasionally but feel they have never really understood the basics of the Christian faith.


How the course works?
The course is based around small groups of about 12 people, hosted by one or two leaders whose role is to facilitate and encourage discussion. We will be meeting in a home on Wednesday evenings. Whatever the course size, people tend to remain in the same small groups for the duration of the course so they can get to know each other, continue discussions and deepen friendships. The whole course usually lasts for 10 weeks, with a day away in the middle.
Each session begins with a meal - a chance to get to know others in the small group. There is then a short talk, which looks at a different aspect of the Christian faith each week. This is followed by a time of discussion in the small groups, where everyone is welcome to contribute their opinion, ask questions and discuss with the rest of the group. The emphasis is upon exploration and discovery in a relaxed and informal environment.
There is no charge for attending the Alpha course, although we do ask for a contribution towards the food.

Want to find out more?
The next course begins on the evening of Wednesday 7th October.
There is a pre-Alpha social taking place on the evening of Wed 30th Sept (Farley Village Hall), where a guest speaker will be talking about Alpha in more detail. There will also be an opportunity to hear from previous guests about their experience of the course.

Alternatively, please contact Hamish Mckeown (01980 862455) or Linda Carter (01980 863635) for more details.

New FFT dates

Sept 27th : Back to Church Sunday

• Quiz at end of Back to Church Sunday service
• Cakes, muffins and doughnuts

Oct 25th : Bible Bingo and Bangers

• Bingo with a biblical theme
• Bangers and Beans served afterwards

Nov 29th : Lantern building workshop

• Build a wicker & paper lantern
• Bring and share food

Dec 6th : Lantern walk to St. Johns

• Walk from Village hall to St. Johns
• Short service followed by hot chocolate and mince pies

Jan 24th : 3rd FFT Birthday Party

• Scottish theme (as it coincides with Burns night)
• Bag Pipes, Scottish dancing followed by Neeps and Tatties or even Haggis?

Feb 28th : Jonah and the Whale

• A fun service learning about Jonah
• Drama and art based activity
• Bring and share food

26th July: Picnic at Fordingbridge

26th July @ Fordingbridge Play Park

You can either swim in the River Avon or the small children can also use the paddling pool and play park.

We will set off from Winterslow Village Hall car park at Noon at aim to arrive at Fordingbridge at 1230pm.

Hopefully we'll see you there ;-)

If it rains we'll go to 5 Rivers Swimming Pool instead (admission should be free for children)

Fun and Games at the Rec 28th June

Come and join us for fun and games at The Rec. ( opposite the school)

We'll play various games that both children and adults can play, I even have tag-rugby kit belts for all those budding "Lions" out there ;-)

Bring a picnic and hopefully enjoy the sunshine!

Look forward to seeing you there

Food For Thought 31st May

Results from the Project Uganda Car Wash

Results
1. 32 Cars washed in 2 hours
2. £167.50 raised
3. 64 people can now sleep under mosquito nets
4. More people aware of what Project Uganda is and what it is doing
5. New people meeting each other
6. Great fun generated
7. An extra inch on my waist line because of all the yummy cakes!

We washed 32 cars and raised £167.50 for Project Uganda, that is enough mosquito nets for 64 people! Jamie and Jackie Biggins brought a brilliant stand that illustrated all the excellent work the project has done and how each initiative is started and led by the people in Uganda. It was good to see there was a lot a "buzz" within the coffee room and outside washing the cars. We may well do a charity car wash again as we have all the equipment and experience now!
If anyone has a suggestion about how we "Food For Thought" can help raise money for the charities in Winterslow then please share your ideas with us, we would love to help in anyway possible

Hand Car Wash for Project Ugnada