Oasis Cafe 

There will NOT be an Oasis Cafe at All Saints' on Saturday 21st December as we have the Carol Services that weekend.

Please join us at the Family Carols on Saturday at 4.00pm or Carols by Candlelight on Sunday 6.30pm.

The next Oasis Cafe (with plenty of good coffee, tea with delicious biscuits and great place to chat too!) will be on Saturday 18th January 2025

Look forward to seeing you there, everyone is welcome.

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Services this week commencing Saturday 21st December -Sunday 5th January 2025 in All Saints' Chilton and

St Matthew's Harwell. 
 

On Saturday 21st December in All Saints' Chilton at 4.00pm there will be Family Carols.

This Sunday 22nd December in All Saints' Chilton at 9.30am there will be a service of 'Said' Holy Communion. Followed at 6.30pm with Carols by candlelight. (Please note that there will not be a 6.00pm Evening Service in St Matthew's).

If you are coming along to either of the Carol Services please do not forget to bring a mug or cup along.

Intergenerational Worship will be held in St Matthew's Harwell at 10.30am this coming Sunday.

On Monday 23rd a Crib Service will be held in St Matthew's Harwell at 3.30pm.  There will also be a Crib Service in All Saints' Chilton on Tuesday 24th December at 3.30pm.

December 24th on Christmas Eve Communion starts at 10.00pm in All Saints' Chilton and Midnight Communion will be held in St Matthew's Harwell at 11.30pm.

On Christmas Day Family Communion will be held in both of our churches, with All Saints' Chilton starting at 9.30am and St Matthew's Harwell at 10.30am.

On Sunday 29th, we have two services, 9.30am Morning Worship at All Saints' Chilton and Holy Communion at 10.30am in St Matthew's.

Our normal pattern of services starts again on Sunday 5th January with 9.30am Holy Communion All Saints' Chilton,  10.30am Morning Worship in St Matthew's Harwell followed by Evening Worship at 6.00pm.

Everyone is invited to come along to any of our Services.

Wishing everyone joy, love and peace at this Christmas time and look forward to seeing you throughout 2025

 

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Boxing Day Bell Ringing 10.30am-12.00pm in St Matthew's Harwell

On Boxing Day there will be no ringing practice at 7:30pm in St Matthew's Harwell. However we are welcoming everyone to come and watch/listen to us ring and possibly have a go!!

There will be refreshments 10:30am-12:00pm

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Community Cafe on Thursday 2nd January 2025

 A warm welcome awaits you in St Matthew's Church, Harwell on Thursday 2nd January 2025 10.30am - midday when our regular monthly Cafe will meet.

This is a free Cafe serving coffee/tea/squash with delicious cake and biscuits.  Everyone is welcome.

Hope to see you there!

 

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Thank you from CAP 

Liz and Naomi would like to thank all those who generously donated gifts and money towards providing 8 local CAP clients and their families with Christmas hampers alongside a food parcel from the Didcot  Foodbank. The hampers have now been delivered and we received a message from a lady with two daughters to say how overwhelmed they were with the generosity and kindness from Harwell and Chilton Churches. She wanted to thank us for making a big difference to Christmas for them this year. 

 

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Prayer requests from Oxford Women's Refuge 

Thanks to all those who donated toys and gifts for Christmas the children living in the Oxford Women’s Refuge. We have now delivered those to one of the managers.

Some prayer requests from them:
For safety and healing for the residents
For resilience for the staff who counsel them through their trauma

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Saturday Morning Prayer  

Each Saturday morning a small group of church members from Harwell and Chilton meet for prayer via a Zoom meeting from 9.30am to 10am and we would love more of you to join us. We normally have a couple of Bible readings and some opening prayers followed by our own prayers for a wide range of issues both local and global. If you would like to join us please contact Deborah in the Church Office (01235 834256 or de.hcchurches@gmail.com) to obtain the Zoom link.  Pam Rolls

 

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Christmas Services 2024

 

Everyone is welcome to come along to any of our Services.

If you are coming along to our Carol Services please don't forget to bring a mug or cup with you!

Family Carol Service, St Matthew’s Harwell
Sunday 15th December at 4.00pm

Carols by Candlelight Service, St Matthew’s Harwell
Sunday 15th December at 6.30pm


Family Carol Service, All Saints’ Chilton
Saturday 21st December at 4.00pm

Carols by Candlelight Service, All Saints’ Chilton
Sunday 22nd December at 6.30pm


Crib Service, St Matthew’s Harwell
Monday 23rd December at 3.30pm

Crib Service, All Saints’ Chilton
Tuesday 24th December at 3.30pm


Christmas Eve Holy Communion
Tuesday 24th December
All Saints’ Chilton at 10pm
St Matthew’s Harwell at 11.30pm


Christmas Day Family Communion
Wednesday 25th December
All Saints’ Chilton at 9.30am
St Matthew’s Harwell at 10.30am

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From the Church of England:

As we look forward to this year's Christmas reflections, each Sunday in Advent we invite you to join us as we mark the season and share the weekly theme. A fuller introduction to each week will be shared as a video from the Church of England’s social media channels. Watch this weeks video.

Advent reflections – Awaiting the dawn (The Patriarchs) 

Advent is a season of hope, for us and for the world.  With the Old Testament prophets and writers of the psalms we will, this week, explore a little of what that hope looks like.  Their words invite us to look to the horizon and see the dawning day, light kissing the land and warmth touching lives- the moment when (in the words of John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah), “In the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us”. 

Follow along with our daily Advent reflections in the Everyday Faith app. 

Calm and Bright Bedtime Stories 

Our new Calm and Bright Bedtime Stories recount the events of the first Christmas from the point of view of four different characters – the Angel Gabriel, Joseph, a Shepherd and Mary.

Based on this year’s ‘Calm and Bright’ Advent and Christmas resources for schools produced by Archbishops' Young Leaders Award, they offer a great way to introduce young children to the Christmas story. 

Find all four stories on the Church of England website.

You can mark Advent with us in several ways:

• Join us for our national online services each Sunday.
• Listen each week to Women of the Nativity, a collection of nine imagined stories told from the perspective of women, recreating the events of the Nativity.
• Visit our online Advent calendar to open a daily family activity each day. 
• Follow us on social media to see special content to mark the season.

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December Prayer update from the Wilsons 

Greetings from Addis.

November was a frustrating month with two weekends of teaching in the refugee camps being cancelled due to permission issues. On the first occasion, we travelled the whole way to the camps with Bishop Martin—from the Anglican Church in Ethiopia—but none of us were allowed to enter the camps. Please pray for Bishop Martin and Meaza at the Anglican Church as they seek to meet with the authorities in order for the church to be able send people (including us) into the camps.


As I have mentioned in previous emails, one former student named Simon is a pretty key part of the training in the camps. Over the last few years, he has been coordinating the training, working as a translator and (more recently) as a co-teacher. At the same time, he has been struggling with a recurring health problem that seems to be escalating in seriousness. He’s travelling to Addis this week and will be staying with us as we seek to get him some medical tests and spend a few days together planning the training for next year. Please pray that permission would be granted for him to leave the camp and come to Addis, that the medical tests would enable doctors to diagnose the issue.

Suzy has just finished helping with some training put on for a group of about 18 Ethiopian church workers who are in the process of preparing to leave over the next 6-12 months and work with the church in other countries. It was a great time of fellowship and an encouraging few days of training. Praise God for this time together, and do be praying for them and their children as they prepare for this huge transition ahead of them.

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas! 

Love, The Wilsons.

 
 

 
 

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Have your say! 

Help us shape the future of All Saints’ Chilton in our village community We would like to invite you to an event to discuss what is needed to grow our church within the  community.  

Theme of the event :  

o Building the Church,  

o thinking about the church within the village community,  

o the church building as a resource. 

Saturday, 25th January 2025  
10.00 am – 14.00 pm Morris Room, Chilton Village Hall 

o Come along for as long as you are able & discuss ideas,  

o Bring & share a lunch from 12pm  

o Let’s pray & listen to God’s plans for us and explore what lies ahead for All Saints’ as we  reach out and serve our community  

Please come & get involved in how we can share God’s love with all generations in the  village.

 

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HARWELLCOME
Warm space community cafe 

Organised by St Matthew's and hosted by The Harwellian,  every Thursday until 19th December, between 1 - 4pm the HARWELLCOME Warm Space community cafe.

All are welcome, free tea, coffee and cake. 

If you feel you would like to help in anyway please contact Elaine Shrimpton e.shrimpton17@gmail.com for more information.

 

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Missed the Sunday sermon? 

 Our preachers in both churches have undertaken to provide the text of their sermons so that we can distribute them to those who would value that service. 

If you'd like to receive the sermon weekly, (or as often as we can manage) please get in touch with Liz Roberts on lizzyroberts333@gmail.com or 07745 802030. Please let her know if you'd prefer it by email or as a hard copy through your door. We would hope to get it to you, in your preferred format, during the early part of the week following the sermon.

We are testing interest and demand with this approach. Eventually, we might be able to lodge sermons on the website for you to find if and when you wish. If you have a view on this - whether or not you'd like to receive sermons 'manually' *at the moment* - please tell Liz.

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A Note from Jeremy 

I think a lot of people have been deeply concerned by the events leading up to Justin Welby’s decision to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury. Evidence that Church institutions have been protected while victims were denied justice and a voice has been overwhelming, and root and branch changes have been called for.

What of Harwell and Chilton churches? Our heart is to see God's kingdom expressed in all we do, which includes a deep commitment to our community. There’s amazing work happening week in, week out. From our Fledgelings groups for pre-schoolers to Generation Gold, from the Pastoral Care teams to Sunday services and celebrations, we want to express the love, joy and peace we have found through Jesus Christ in service and celebration, one to one and in larger groups. Partnerships with ECHO, the Christian charity working with young people in the area, and with CAP, tackling poverty and debt, help us to stay firmly rooted in reality and committed to building flourishing relationships.

Good hearts and good intentions need to be supported by good processes, and I want to highlight the work of our Parish Safeguarding Officers, Judith Gold (Chilton) and Sue Greatbanks (Harwell), who share with me overall responsibility for ensuring that safeguarding is considered in all that we do. They are always available if you have any concerns, backed by the Diocesan Safeguarding Team for Oxford Diocese. You can find more information and contact details on our website at harwellandchiltonchurches.org.uk/safeguarding.

There is always room for improvement, and I will be working with our PCCs to see where we can do better. As we follow the vision to put children, young people and families at the centre of a more Christ-like Church, safeguarding is a vital foundation, and expresses our shared conviction that God’s love can only truly be shown in God’s way: the way of the cross.


Revd Jeremy Parsons
Rector
Harwell and Chilton Churches

November 2024

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A Harvest visit from Harwell School to St Matthew's Church 

On Monday 7th October, around 200 children from Harwell School came into St Matthew's to celebrate Harvest Festival and with them they bought a wonderful amount of donations for the Didcot Foodbank.

Firstly, a thank you to Mr Bryn Gibson the head teacher, the teachers, teacher assistants and all the children for walking down to the Church in somewhat changeable weather.  Thank you also to the many parents that also came along.

Anyone passing the church between 1.30am-2.30pm, may have heard the wonderful loud singing by the children, it was rather amazing!

We look forward to welcoming Harwell School again soon.

The image is of all the kind donations made by Harwell School for the foodbank.  Two of our volunteers took all of the items, plus more that had been kindly left in the church to the foodbank on Tuesday.  

As a reminder:

In St Matthew's and All Saints'

St Matthew's and All Saints' continue to have a Foodbank box in each of the Churches where non perishable items, with a shelf life of at least six months can be left for onward transportation to the Food Bank. 

At this present time they would be particularly grateful for:

Long life milk
Long life fruit juice
Hot chocolate
breakfast cereals
biscuits/treats
Pasta
Pasta sauce
Jam
Peanut butter
Rice
Tea bags
Small jars of coffee
Tins of fish
Tins of fruit
Tins of meat
Tins of vegetables
Tins of soup
Tin puddings

Thank you so much for the continued support for the Foodbank.

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The Almshouses in Harwell need our help in finding Trustees

The Almshouses in Harwell are a fascinating feature in the history of the village. They are situated in the High Street next to the War Memorial and date back to the early 18thcentury when Frances Geering, a lady with very modern-day views, decided when she married late in life, that rather than allow her new husband to take over her considerable financial assets, she would use them to establish Almshouses which would benefit the village. Since then, they have provided much appreciated housing for many ladies, and continue to do so now.

The Almshouses are a registered charity, administered by a group of Trustees whose duties include the upkeep of the Grade 2* listed building, ensuring compliance with the requirements of the Charity Commission, management of the finance and the appointment and well-being of the residents who live there. This is a wide brief and so requires people with a broad spectrum of experience and interest to offer.

At present there are six Trustees who hold evening meetings four times a year. The Trustees are now looking for two additional persons who could, in particular, offer experience in data protection and storage or in fundraising. However, they would also be very pleased to hear from anyone who maybe just has an interest in being involved in the management and preservation of this historic element of our village. While this is a wonderful opportunity for retirees who may have some extra time to spare, the Trustees would encourage younger parties in the community to consider applying, to obtain as broad approach to Trustee duties as possible – please note that Trustees must be at least 18 years of age.

For more information about both positions, please contact the Clerk to the Trustees, Serena Fuller, by phone: 07903637124 or by email: serena.fuller24@gmail.com.

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Praying for members of our Churches Electoral Rolls 

We would like to start praying for members on our Churches Electoral Rolls. 

If anyone would prefer for their name not to be used in this way please let the church office know.

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Check out these moments of faith! 

 God is doing some amazing things through CAP across the UK!

• 98 people said yes to following Jesus for the first time
• 47 people re-committed to following Jesus
• 107 people shared their story of becoming a Christian
• 21 people got baptised
• 335 people expressed curiosity to learn more about Christianity
• 109 people attended Alpha or other explorers course for the first time
• 339 people heard the gospel for the first time
• 70 people joined a Bible study or small group for the first time
• 336 people attended a church social or hospitality event for the first time
• 194 came along to a church worship service for the first time
• 125 people accessed the wider support of the church
• 89 people volunteered at church for the first time
• 690 people accepted prayer for the first time
• 220 people experienced answered prayer
• 135 people asked for prayer for the first time
• 447 people continued to attend church, Bible study, explorers course or support groups.

(Nov 2023 till present day)

Take some time to celebrate and thank God for all he is doing week by week around the UK through our churches!

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Volunteers needed 

"The Church Hall Project Group has been given the go ahead by the PCC to start to make the church hall more usable and used.

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St Matthew’s needs car parking marshals (training provided)

St Matthew’s is looking to build a team of car parking marshals to draw upon when we are expecting large numbers of people who have driven e.g. for weddings, funerals, baptisms and concerts. We can now only use Princes Manor farmyard for parking if we have marshals present. Marshals work in pairs so you wouldn’t be on your own, and of course it would be subject to your availability.

Please contact Jane Woolley at janemn.woolley@hotmail.co.uk or 0794 112 4620 if you would like to find out more.

Training and equipment e.g. hi viz jacket will be provided. We can offer free entry if you marshal for a concert or its rehearsals!   

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Do you have experience in Health and Safety? 

 
All Saints' Church in Chilton needs some help to advise us on health and safety.  We need a volunteer with appropriate experience to look at our church building and our procedures to make sure that they meet requirements and advise on any changes/improvements needed.  We would also need occasional advice on an ad hoc basis.  We would really appreciate your help on this.  Please give us a call on 01235 832484 or email judithrussell100@gmail.com to have a chat and find out more.

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Coffee Rota in St Matthew's

We are looking for help with Sunday morning refreshments for 10.30am services at St Matthew's church, about once a month.  

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An opportunity to explore! 

 Anyone interested in exploring helping out on the concert/event manager rota (that is, being the responsible person in church while visiting artistes rehearse or perform) is invited to a drop-in at St Matthew's 10.30am on Saturday 12 August to be shown what it entails.
It's not only a great way to take part (free!) in the cultural life of our village but a really important outreach into our community demonstrating the church building to be accessible and our welcome to be warm.

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Do you have electrical expertise? 

The 5-year electrical installations inspection for St. Matthew’s is due this year. It would be a great help to the Churchwardens and Buildings Committee if there is someone with suitable interest and expertise who could take on the organisation of this work.

If you can help please contact Tony Hughes, Chairman of the Buildings Committee, tel: 01235 835301 or a.hughes09@btinternet.com .

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would you have a few hours to spare possibly a couple times a year? 

Would you have a few hours to spare possibly a couple of times a year? The Christians Against Poverty Debt Centre which our churches support is looking for friendly people who could move 'blessings' around the greater Didcot area. A 'blessing' is a donation to help a Debt Centre client get back on their feet. It might be as large as a piece of furniture or as small as a smartphone and needs collecting from the donor and delivering to clients.

If you'd like to chat about this opportunity (which isn't restricted to weekdays).

Please contact Naomi Gibson naomigibson3107@gmail.com or 07884 425460 in Chilton or Liz Roberts lizzyroberts333@gmail.com or 07745 802030 in Harwell.



 

 

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didcot food bank needs our Help

In both St Matthew's Harwell and All Saints' Chilton there is a box at the back of the Church where you are able to leave your kind donated non perishable food/toiletry items which we then pass onto Didcot foodbank.  

What food is needed? 

Tins of meat / fish / potatoes / carrots / peas / soup / fruit / puddings 

Jars of pasta sauces / jam / peanut butter / coffee (small)  

Packets of pasta / rice / packets dried potato / breakfast cereals / biscuits / treats / tea 

Cartons of long-life milk/long-life juice / hot chocolate 
 

also……toiletries, toilet rolls, & clothes-wash items, but no alcohol, razors, medicines, or homemade preserves

Please note that all donated items must be long life and, where applicable, have a best before or use by date at least six months ahead, i.e. anything donated in March 2023 must have a date of Sept 2023 or later.

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