Saturday Sanctuary - Afternoon Tea 

Ladies, come and be spoilt with yummy food, drinks, chat, friendship and time to reflect on Saturday 13th September, 4.00pm-5.30pm at St Matthew's Church, Harwell. 

Why not invite a friend or two to join you!

Please rsvp to: www.hcchurches.org/Saturday

 

Services for the weeks commencing Sunday 14th- 28th September 2025
in All Saints' Chilton and St Matthew's Harwell         

Sunday 14th September
Chilton Village Hall Service 10.30am
St Matthew's Harwell 10.30am Holy Communion
St Matthew's Harwell 6.00pm Evening Prayer BCP

Sunday 21st September
All Saints' Chilton 9.30am Holy Communion
St Matthew's Harwell 10.30am Morning Worship
St Matthew's Harwell 6.00pm Evening Worship

Sunday 28th September
All Saints' Chilton 9.30am Morning Worship for Harvest
St Matthew's Harwell 10.30am All Age Harvest Service
St Matthew's Harwell 6.00pm Holy Communion


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

A note from Jeremy 

We’re looking forward to Rev Sasha Reeves being back with us following her maternity leave. She will be completing a phased return over several weeks towards the end of the month, so you may well see her here and there. Whilst we’re delighted she’s back, sadly she is moving into the final year of her curacy so our time together is limited as she follows the pathway to completion of curacy set by Oxford Diocese. Do keep Sasha, Matt and Maisie in your prayers as they adjust to starting nursery and returning to ministry.

She sends her love and prayers to us all.

Save the Date - Sunday 12th October 2025                 

 
On Sunday 12th October after the 10.30am morning service in St Matthew's Harwell,  we will be having a Bring and Share lunch, a celebration of Joan Impey's 90th Birthday, in recognition of her long life of service in the church.  Everyone is welcome to come along.  There will also be refreshments available.  

To assist with catering we kindly ask that you bring along your own cutlery, plates and cup, if we could also ask that if your surname starts with A-M you can provide a savoury dish and N-Z you can provide a sweet dish please.

We look forward to seeing you there.





 

Christmas gifts for injured Soldiers in Ukraine

This Christmas marks the third year in a row that we are uniting to bring comfort to Ukraine’s wounded soldiers. Each gift is more than a present - it is a message of gratitude, love and hope. These brave men and women have made huge sacrifices defending their country and our freedom, and together we can remind them they are not forgotten. With your help, we will deliver warmth, care, and dignity to hospital wards across Ukraine

HARWELLCOME Warm space community cafe are looking for volunteers

Harwellcome are looking to restart at the beginning of October, but are in need of volunteers to help on a Thursday afternoon.

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

 

 “You’re Welcome!” – special celebration evening  

 Organised by members of International Café Didcot, supported by CCOW
Tuesday 30th September, 6-9 pm, at Didcot Baptist Church
Free – All welcome
 
For over two years now International Café Didcot, started by members of local churches, has been welcoming newcomers to Didcot from Ukraine, Hong Kong, Afghanistan and many other countries. It’s a joy being part of this friendly, growing, multicultural community. If you haven’t already experienced it now is your chance - come taste and see and celebrate together!
 
Shared international buffet, music, art, traditional costumes, handicrafts, recipes, presentations and more, from many nations.
Everyone in the Didcot community is welcome – long term residents and those more recently arrived, adults and children (supervised by parents).
Come for all or part of the evening.

September Prayer update from the Wilsons 

Dear friends,

Thanks for your ongoing prayers, particularly around Chris’ access to camps - just this weekend he was granted permission to enter one with his colleague from Addis, Dr Simon. They have just finished delivering the final block of training to a cohort of about 25 church leaders there. Pray for a positive end to the course and for safe travels back (their flight home has just been delayed by a night). We are also really grateful that Simon A, our friend from Gambella and Chris’ colleague within the camps is back from an unsettled neighbouring country. Please continue to be praying for him to return to full health.

As well as continuing to provide training for refugees, Chris will be starting to teach part-time at the Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology (EGST). He is excited to be have the opportunity to teach at a higher level with a different group of people. Please pray that this would be fruitful and that through it he'd be able to invest meaningfully in the next generation of leaders and theologians for the church in Ethiopia.

This month is our annual renewal of work permits and resident IDs; SIM are fantastic at understanding and going through the process, but nothing is ever guaranteed and almost never straightforward so do be praying that there be no unexpected issues.

Praise God that Abigail has made a brilliant start to Bingham Academy – she is enjoying her classes and has fallen in with a lovely group of friends there. The boys are doing well in homeschool and appreciating a little extra attention, our toddler is also keen to join in – with mixed results!

Suzy has recently begun to help with some writing for SIM Ethiopia – she expects to be involved in writing up stories from different SIM ministries in the country, so there is an added bonus of hearing first-hand about some of the amazing work happening here. She is also continuing to help deliver some training to Ethiopian mission partners preparing to live overseas, and is involved in leading a workshop this week. This is the third set of training many of them are receiving before they leave, and it has been really well received.

Thanks so much for all your support.

Love, Suzy and Chris.


                                    

Chris and Simon at a confirmation in one of the camps.
I'm still not entirely clear why they had to wear these,
but needless to say when the aunties tell you to wear
something, you obey! 



 This little one is always keen to help
Abigail out with her homework.
  

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.

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!


 

In preparation for the Christmas Ukraine Collection 

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

Shoe boxes in good condition can be left at the back of St Matthew's only until the end of August please.

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

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!   

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.

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.  

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.

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 .

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.



 

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.