Welcome to St Andrew's Church Congresbury

Please click on the 'Weekly services' link to find details of Sunday and Weekday services coming up shortly. Whether you are just visiting the area or would like to find out more about your local Christian community you are very welcome to come to any of the services advertised.

Go to the 'People' page to find details of the Church leadership and individual contact details.

If you have any other specific enquiry go to the 'Church Office' page for contact details or email the Office via the 'contact us' page.


To get an idea of the kind of Church we are you might like to follow the link below which has some comments on a particular service recently visited.

Link to Ship of Fools Website

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“Reading the Bible Together.”

As part of our commitment to explore ‘everyday discipleship,’ reading the Bible together seems a really good place to start. Whether you’ve read the Scriptures through many times before or whether you have always felt daunted by the task, can I encourage as many as possible to consider making 2009 a milestone when you/we began this most amazing journey together.

To view or download the accompanying notes and maps, or to find details of how to get connected to the associated 'Bible studies BLOG' please click on the "Bible Studies" link on the left.

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Café Church
(third Saturday of every month 10am - 12noon)

On the third Saturday of every month, St. Andrew’s Church Café will be open for coffee and buns.

Other things available will include Traidcraft and Christian Book Stalls, surplus fruit and vegetable share, Fairtrade Coffee and Cakes.

Among a variety of activities offered at this time, there will be a small group ‘Question and Answer Session’ in the Chancel of the Church. Just come along and ask those questions – you know you’ve been longing to!

Have you got burning questions that you want to ask about the Christian faith but have never dared to ask them? This could be for you!

There will also be people available to talk to or to pray with if you would like this.

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Pastoral care and services

Baptisms, Confirmation and Marriage

• Baptism & Confirmation


If you are interested in a Baptism in our Church please go to the following link prior to contacting the Church Office.
Link to our Baptism policy

This link provides some useful background information from the Church of England on both Baptism and Confirmation


• Marriage


If you are interested in a Wedding in our Church please go to the following link prior to contacting the Church Office.
Link to our Weddings' policy

Here are some useful links to help in planning a wedding

Useful information from the Church of England

Some ideas for music or poetry



Other Pastoral services


• Renewal of Vows



• Blessing of Homes



• Home Communion



• Home visits for Pastoral Care or to discuss ways of helping people’s growth in their faith.



• Funerals



Some helpful information from the Church of England


• Prayer


Follow this link for web site offering some ideas for prayer

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Vine Counselling Services
(Charity: 1117796)
Vine Counselling is an Euchmenical Local Ministry Group project and is run independently of St Andrew's Church

- covering the areas of Banwell,Churchill,Congresbury,Langford, Sandford,Winscombe, Wrington and Yatton

‘We believe Christ seeks to meet all people at their point of need, and to help people grow into wholeness’

NEWSLETTER

Please read or download the latest Newsletter


A Prayer for Vine Counselling Services

"Dear Lord

We ask you to bless, support and equip all who have given so much of their time, energy, dedication and gifts in so many differing ways so far to Vine Counselling Services.
Enable us all to take the next step into being, protect and guide us so that the project can play its own unique part, alongside the work of others, to bring your compassion, love and healing to all who seek to find rest under the canopy of its branches.
And may the project be but one expression of your continuing desire to bring healing and wholeness to our wider community, not just to people ‘out there’ but also as a living and challenging call to all your people for that same healing and compassion to be at work in our own lives, both individually and as your whole Church, so that we too, in due season, may be made whole and holy as you yourself are in love and glory Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen"



Project Manager, Vine Counselling Services
c/o The Refectory, St Andrew’s Church, Station Road, Congresbury, BS49 5DX.

Telephone 01934 876377

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Baptism Policy :- We will be updating this section soon, meanwhile please contact the Church office.

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Wedding Policy :- We will be updating this section soon, meanwhile please contact the Church office.

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Weekly services

Sunday Services in Church during the coming weeks...

5th September

14th Trinity

8:00am	1662 Holy Communion	Rev Matt Thomson
10:30am	Holy Communion	Rev Matt Thomson
4:00pm	Family Service	Rev Matt Thomson

12th September - 15th Sunday of Trinity

8:00am - 1662 Holy Communion - Rev Matt Thomson
10:30am - Morning Worship - Rev Matt Thomson
6:30pm - Café Communion - Tim Erridge

4pm - Puxton Harvest Service - Puxton Church

19th September - 16th Sunday of Trinity

8:00am - 1662 Holy Communion - Tim Erridge
10:30am - Family Communion - Caz/Mark
6:30pm - No Service

26th September - 17th Sunday of Trinity

8:00am - 1662 Holy Communion - Kay Friend
10:30am - Holy Communion - Kay Friend
6:30pm - Café Communion - Rev Matt Thomson

3rd October - HARVEST
Please note :
Harvest Service is at 10:00am followed by a Harvest Lunch
There will be no 8:00am Service.

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Midweek Services

Monday: Morning Prayer 9:00am
Tuesday: Morning Prayer 9:00am

Wednesday:
1st week: Home Group 9:00am followed by Coffee
Holy Communion 10:00 am
Otherwise: Holy Communion 9:00 am - Coffee afterwards
Healing Holy Communion 7:00pm

Friday: Morning Prayer 9:00am

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Families

Families with very young children are very welcome at any service. If during the service you need to feed, change or entertain your child, the vestry at the back of the church has changing facilities, a comfy chair for feeding and toddler toys available for your use.

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You are warmly welcome to stay for refreshments after the 10:30 Sunday morning service and wednesday morning Communion.

An opportunity for personal prayer is available during Communion, and after services, in the Merle Chapel. There will be someone available to pray with you either for yourself or for others and will be fully confidential.

There is also a prayer book in the Merle Chapel for use by anyone. These prayers are read and used during the week in the Daily Prayer time.

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Help for transport to Church

Do you have a spare seat in your car if you drive to Church on Sunday or Wednesday?

If you do, could you possibly offer a lift to someone who is unable to get to Church because of lack of transport?

If you would like to help to do this, please phone Karen Bailey(01934 852103)

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Our Normal Pattern of Sunday Services

Family Communion Service
3rd Sunday

Family Communion Service – 10.30 in the morning: this service seeks to enable children and young people to take part fully throughout the whole time of the Church meeting together, one of the key recommendations of Children @ Communion. Over the months we hope to encourage children and young people to play an active role in many parts of the service. There will be Coffee afterwards but, of course, no Sunday School.

Sunday Morning Worship at 10.30am:

This will now follow a pattern of alternating between Communion Services (1st & 4th & 5th), Family Communion (3rd)and a Morning Worship Service (2nd) the latter providing the opportunity to explore the Bible readings in a bit more depth or to welcome guest speakers.

Sunday School at 10:30am

We are very fortunate to have a really committed group of Sunday School Teachers and they will provide a Sunday School for three out of the four Sundays a month. 3rd Sunday no Sunday school but Family communion in Church.

Sunday 1662 Holy Communion at 8:00am
Every Sunday

Maintaining and sharing in the richness and the beauty of the traditional language.

Sunday Evening Communion Services at 6.30pm
2nd(Cafe Communion) and 4th(CW Communion) Sundays

Cafe Communion Service – 2nd Sunday @ 6.30 in the evening: this is designed to encourage those who enjoy a less structured approach to worship. The service involves a simple discussion over a cup of coffee to begin with, a time of worship and prayer, and then the breaking of bread together. An easy way into worship for everyone

With the 4th Sunday service these are becoming more informal and more like a ‘homegroup’ in style. Rather than a sermon as such we tend to look at the Bible reading together, sharing our thoughts and our questions. A great service especially if you don’t get a chance to go to a ‘homegroup’ mid-week.

Compline at 6:30pm
5th Sunday
A simple, gentle service traditionally shared at the ending of the day.

In addition, from time to time we hope to have a number of one-off Sunday evening services as and when a body of enthusiasm grows. These can range from Praise Services to Worship in the Prayer garden to Traditional Evensong.

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Church groups

See below for details of all the Church's adult, youth and toddler groups:

Welcome to St Andrew’s Homegroup Programme.




Homegroups are a great opportunity to meet together in friendship and learn from each other. Maybe you have questions that you would like to discuss further, maybe you can help provide answers for other people’s questions.

Below are details of when and where the homegroups meet. If you don’t currently belong to a homegroup but would like to, please call Kay Friend on 01934 838185 to find out more or contact the Group leaders direct.


Mondays 10:30am

Helen Jenkins

We are a group of women from different churches – C of E, Baptist, Free Church and Roman Catholic, to study the bible. We use the Women in Communication study books – the Know Your Bible courses. We are currently studying ‘Finding the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament.’


Mondays 8pm

Cherida & Ian Stobart
01934 833126

We will be discussing the thoughts and issues raised from reading the Christian bestseller ' The Shack' - a fictional book about one man's encounter with God (Father, Son & Holy Spirit) that has been quite a talking point.This is an informal group aimed at busy people who maybe cannot make it every time. We chat, study and pray together - and there's an open fire!

Tuesdays 8pm:-

Jan Martin - 01934 838964

Jan’s group is unfortunately, currently full. It meets on Tuesday evenings and the new topic/book to be discussed will be revealed on the first evening.

Tuesdays 7:30pm:-

Barry & Joan Hogarth 01934 833722

We haven't got a definite start date yet, but we would expect to start towards the end of October. The meeting will be fortnightly on Tuesday starting at 19:30 at our house.
We will probably be looking at a book called "Windows on Christmas" by Bill Crowder, incorporating the "Music and Meditation" theme started by Jean Day. We will finally agree what we will be doing at our first meeting

Thursday Evening:-

Enid Myram
01934 832691

It would be useful to know who would like to come and if you would prefer afternoon or evening. We would welcome new members of any age.
The theme is to look at the richness in Christian Poetry.

Or contact the Church Office for further details.

Youth and Children’s Work

Sunday Mornings - “Explorer’s I, II”

Sunday School: Explorers I and II

Sunday mornings at 10.30am see the children and young people involved in the life of the Church. They are a vital part of our Church family and as such they join us for the beginning and end of the services, leaving to have their own teaching during the middle.
They learn about the Christian faith and the Bible, using a wide variety of crafts and activities – we have a very creative team of leaders! Music, games and the inevitable crafts bring to life Bible stories and teach key themes. They rarely leave without something to take home!
There is no Sunday School on the first Sunday of the month, but the children go out to watch a DVD, and there is a Family Service at 4pm on that afternoon. There is also no Sunday School during the school holidays


Friday Evenings - “Rock Solid” and "StAnd Firm"

We have two Youth Clubs for secondary school age kids. Rock Solid, is for yr 7 to yr 9, and St.And Firm, as it’s now been renamed, is for yr 10 upwards. They play a vital role in the youth work of our church.
The young people enjoy a packed programme of fun, games and Christian teaching on a Friday night, Rock Solid running from 6.30-8.15pm and St.And Firm from 7.45-9.30pm, the two groups overlapping for tuck time.
Youth For Christ (YFC) supply all the material and we choose which parts to follow. The evening is mostly made up of group games often played in teams. These are very interactive, fast-paced and sometimes messy! Needless to say the kids love them!
It’s not just about fun, however, as each game is meant to draw out a specific point or theme for the evening, which is based on sound biblical and moral teaching.
During the evening we have a very popular ‘Tuck Shop’ selling sweets and juice, which gives the kids (and adults!) a breather and time to hang out together.
All in all, they have a great time and let off some steam after a long week of school, see their friends and hear about God in the process… and it works as they keep coming back for more!


The leaders also regularly organise fun evenings as well as trips and excursions. These vary from ice-skating, ten-pin bowling, to crazy film nights in the Refectory. Each club night begins at 7pm and finishes at 9pm.
‘Rock Solid is proud of its Christian routes and always aims to create a loving, caring, Christian environment, with an adult team who are committed to the young people’s safety and well-being.

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If you would like any more information about the youth and children’s work at St Andrew’s, please feel free to contact Caz or Mark, our youth and Children’s workers on (01934) 833126.

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Outlook

Monday afternoons, 2nd Monday of month
Venue – The Refectory unless otherwise stated
Time – 2.30 – 4.15pm

For those 50 years and upwards. Outlook meets for fellowship and fun, with guest speakers and occasional local outings. For those who find it difficult to get about, transport courtesy of ‘Bluey’ is available.

Meetings are from 2.30pm - 4.15 unless otherwise stated.

Go to the events page for currently planned meetings.

Phone Barbara Patterson (838164) or Monica White on 833850 for transport or for more information.

Men's night out

Meet in the Plough Inn, Congresbury for a pint and a chat, last Thursday of the month from 8.00pm. More details from Matt on 01934 833126

Girls' Night In

Calling all Ladies of the Church !!!

Girl's Night in is branching out !!

Please join us on Wednesday Evenings once a month!!


For Details of events see Pew News OR
phone/e-mail Carol on 01934 838172 carol@mottlot.co.uk

Toddler Drop-In

For all parents and carers of children under three years old... St. Andrew’s Church Toddler Drop-in

Thursday mornings (term time)
between
9.15 and 11.45am
In
St Andrew’s Church - Refectory

This is a Toddler Group with a difference and will allow you to have some time enjoying activities with other adults (while the children are care for in a creche), as well as time with the children and will include a short time for Christian prayer and songs suitable for the under-threes. The Drop-in is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance and admission is free.
For more information or to book a place phone 01934 852103 (Wed evening 6:00 - 10:00pm) (or contact the Church Office - 01934 833126)

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