Annual Meetings 2026

All Saints’ Annual Meeting will be on Sunday 26th April  following the 9.30am service at 10.30am.
 
St Matthew’s Annual Meeting will be on Sunday 19th April following the 10.30am service at 11.30am.

The Annual Report and Accounts are now available here on the church website.

 

 

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Oasis Cafe is Saturday 18th April

We Look forward to seeing you there, everyone is welcome.

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Services commencing from
Sunday 19th April- 31st May 2026
in All Saints' Chilton, Chilton Village Hall, St Matthew's Harwell and Harwell Recreation Ground        

                         

                    

                       

Sunday 19th April 
All Saints' Chilton 9.30am Holy Communion
St Matthew's Harwell 10.30am Morning Worship
St Matthew's Harwell 6.00pm Evening Worship

Sunday 26th April
All Saints' Chilton 9.30am Morning Worship
​All Saints' Chilton 10.30am All Saints' Annual Meeting
St Matthew's Harwell 10.30am All Age Service
St Matthew's Harwell 6.00pm Holy Communion

Sunday 3rd May
All Saints' Chilton 9.30am Holy Communion
St Matthew's Harwell 10.30am Morning Worship
St Matthew's Harwell 6.00pm Evening Worship

Sunday 10th May
Chilton Village Hall Service 10.30am
St Matthew's Harwell 10.30am Holy Communion Service 
St Matthew's Harwell 6.00pm Evening Prayer BCP

Sunday 17th May
All Saints' Chilton 9.30am Holy Communion
St Matthew's Harwell 10.30am Morning Worship
St Matthew's Harwell 6.00pm Evening Worship

Sunday 24th May
All Saints' Chilton 9.30am Holy Communion
Harwell Recreation Ground, Feast Tent 4.00pm Songs of Praise (refreshments from 3.30pm)

Sunday 31st May 
All Saints' Chilton 9.30am Holy Communion
St Matthew's Harwell 10.30am Morning Worship
St Matthew's Harwell 6.00pm Evening Worship
Everyone is welcome 

 

 

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Please save the date for 'Praise in the Park - Fullness of life'

We are pleased to announce that Sunday 24th May at 4pm on Harwell Recreation Ground, St Matthew's Church Harwell with All Saints' Church Chilton will be holding a celebration of the 'Praise in the Park - Fullness of life' with music, testimonies, reflective prayers and a short talk.

The event will start with refreshments from 3.30pm onwards.

If you need to drive, parking is on Wantage Road, Harwell at the junction with Reading Road. Look for the Praise in the Park marshals.

Your help needed     

To ensure that the event runs smoothly, we are looking for some help please.  If this is something you would like to find out more about please click here for details. 

Alternatively you can pick up a sheet from the back of either of the churches (dont forget to send it back!) or leave a message at the Church Office 01235 834256 and Becca, Alex or Deborah will get back in touch with you.

Please put this date in your diaries, we are really looking forward to seeing you there!

 

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Harwell Feast 2026 volunteers needed!  

 “The church has provided support with refreshments (teas, coffees, cakes ) at the Harwell Feast for many years, and Liz Thorley will be organising the rota again this year. All money raised goes to the Feast rather than the church and funds are then distributed by the Feast committee so that they benefit a number of different village organisations throughout the year. 

If you are able to spare an hour during the day, please sign up here.

There will be 2-3 people for each one hour shift so you won’t be on your own and just let Liz know if you have a preference on time slot. It’s a real team effort and a chance to catch up with others as well as being a much appreciated contribution to the running of the Feast.”

 

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Replacing the St. Matthew’s Harwell projector 
can you help with the cost?

The projector is now 13 years old and the quality of its image on the screen is deteriorating. We need to replace it this year and it will cost about £3,000.

If you could make a donation towards the cost that would be much appreciated.

Donations can be made here 

Or by using the following information:

St Matthew's Harwell
National Westminster Bank

Sort code 60-06-36
Account number 73421197

For the credit of 'Harwell St Matthew’s PCC'
Ref: Replacement Projector 
 

Any surplus funds raised will be added to general reserves.

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Fledgelings Refreshment Volunteers needed! 

Fledgelings meets on a Monday during term time in St Matthew's Church Harwell between 9.30am-11.30am.  We have a small group of volunteers who help when they can, which we are very grateful for, but we would like to increase the number of volunteers to help share the load!

You don't have to bring anything with you, other than yourself and we can show you what needs to be done.

It's a great opportunity to meet and chat to some of the mums and dads  over coffee/tea and cake that come along to the session.

We are really flexible on when people can help, so please consider it and get in contact with Deborah at de.hcchurches@gmail.com.  Alternatively, you can leave a message at the church office on 01235 834256 and someone will call you back.
 

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HARWELLCOME Cafe is now back on Thursday's 2.00pm - 4.00pm

Join us at the Harwellian Club for a warm and inviting gathering where everyone is welcome. 

Enjoy FREE tea, coffee and cake while connecting with neighbours and friends. 

A wonderful opportunity to relax and build community every Thursday afternoon..

Bring your family and friends - all are welcome!

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

Hosted by the Harwellian Club and organised by St Matthew's Church, Harwell OX11 0HL

 

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April Prayer update from the Wilsons 

Greetings from Addis.
 
Greetings from Addis, where we are preparing to celebrate Easter this weekend—everything is different in Ethiopia!

This week, our lawyer attempted to present our adoption case to the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs (MoWSA). He went yesterday, but was asked to arrange a meeting with the executive assistant to the minister, as our case requires high‑level engagement. He hopes this meeting will take place in the next few days, and its outcome could be very significant in advancing our case. Please pray for a positive result—for understanding of our unique situation and for a willingness and ability to help.

Abigail is now back at Bingham, and her transition has been much smoother than we anticipated, for which we’re very grateful. That situation and the best way forward for her remain unclear, so please pray for her and for wisdom for us as we discern next steps.

Chris continues to enjoy teaching at EGST. He’s been enjoying many interesting discussions and challenging questions as he teaches on the Doctrine of God. He’s been asked to be the speaker at SIM Ethiopia's annual Spiritual Life Conference next week. This will be a tricky task, given that the safeguarding incident and uncertainty about the school's future have affected many SIM families. Pray that this time would be an encouragement and blessing to us all. 

Please pray for our friend Tor. He is Chris’s former student from St Frumentius College in Gambella, who helped Chris teach at the college after he graduated. A few weeks ago his young son, Christmas, was tragically killed in a severe storm; he and his cousin had taken shelter beside a wall that then collapsed on them. His cousin survived with broken bones, but Tor’s son, Christmas, died. Tor stayed with us immediately afterwards as he travelled back to Gambella from university (in southern Ethiopia), and we were able to pray with him. Please continue to pray for him, his wife, and their family as they navigate this enormous and unexpected loss.

Here in Ethiopia, a fuel crisis is affecting everyone. At the start of the month, Chris queued for over 7 hours to get diesel. A few weeks later, and it's not uncommon for people to queue for two days, which is really hard on trucks and buses and all those who drive for a living. These issues are causing delays in the movement of goods and driving up food prices here in Addis. This is incredibly difficult for many people already living on the breadline. Please pray for a swift resolution.

Thanks for all your support and prayers.

Melkam Fasika!

Love Suzy and Chris


 

 



            
                                                

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Defibrillator at St Matthew's Church, Harwell

St Matthew's Church now has a defibrillator, kindly donated by the Late Dennis Lay.

The defibrillator is located next to the church porch, behind the bench.

 

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Parochial Church Council Newsletters

This year we are seeing the introduction of a regular newsletter from All Saints Chilton PCC and St Matthew's Harwell PCC giving you an update on items of interest discussed.  A takeaway hard copy will be available in the relevant church.

St Matthew's PCC Newsletter
January 2026




All Saint's PCC Newsletter 
February 2026

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Sustainable Didcot The LOT

Is there to promote sustainability. Additionally, to help reduce waste and promote sharing and recycling of items. It also offers people the option of flexibility and financial saving, both in terms of not having to find space to store occasionally or rarely used items, whilst at the same time avoiding extra costs of purchasing potentially expensive items that can often put a strain on household budgets. It works in a very similar way to a library, whereby users can register and sign up, then go on to borrow items from our central storage location at The Green Hub for a period of time.

The LOT is located at The Green Hub, at the rear of the SOHA building down near Didcot railway station and is open and running at the times shown on the poster.

 

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Fledgelings are back on ......
                                               

Monday 8th September in St Matthew's Harwell, and Wednesday 10th September in Chilton Community Room.  Both Harwell and Chilton sessions start at 9.30am.

See you there!


 

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In preparation for the Christmas Ukraine Collection 

We are again sending Christmas boxes to the Ukraine and need shoe boxes. 

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Mid week Communion(BCP) in St Matthew's 

11.00am Mid Week Communion on a Thursday in St Matthew’s  has now come to an end, 
but continues to be offered at All Saints’ Chilton on a monthly basis with the next service being held on Thursday 8th May 2025  11.00am


Everyone is welcome

 

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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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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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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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