Activities based on St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury

There are a number of group activities taking place in and around St Chad’s. They are evolving in response to the needs of our community and as the gifts and interests of our members change over time. For a list of what is happening in the next few days, please refer to this week’s pewsheet or to the Church Diary for any other specific dates.

Our Parish Conference in 2009 involved many of us in earnest discussion as can be seen from the photo below. It was at this Conference that our five Working Groups were launched (current chairperson in brackets):

Church Family Working Group (Dave Treweeke)
Communications Working Group (David Leeke)
Finance, Stewardship & Fabric Working Group (Adrian Richards)
Mission & Outreach Working Group (Pat Rantisi)
Worship Working Group (Mark Thomas)

Parish conference 2009Members of the congregation are encouraged to join one of the groups so that we all share in decision-making according to our interests and/or talents. The Working Groups are able to recommend decisions to the PCC and to know that progress will be made more quickly if we all do our bit! Please contact Nicky at the Church Office or email the PCC secretary if you would like to know more about the Working Groups.

The following alphabetical list gives a flavour of regular activities. Please contact Nicky at the Church Office if you are interested in joining an existing group or indeed in starting a new activity.

Bell Ringing.

St Chad's has a ring of twelve bells, in the key of C, with a tenor bell weighing 39 cwt. The bells were cast in 1914 by John Taylor & Co. of Loughborough, and hang in the original 18th century wooden bell frame. They are considered by ringers to be among the finest bells hung for full circle ringing. To celebrate the millennium two bells were added, thus providing a lighter ring of ten in F. An enthusiastic band of ringers practise on Tuesday evenings (7.30 - 9.15 pm), and ring to announce Sunday services. For more information please contact Nick at bells@stchadschurchshrewsbury.com

Bible Study groups.

See House Groups below.

Christian Forum

is an opportunity to discuss and debate topical issues in an informal setting. The forum is usually chaired by a member of St Chads but all are very welcome, from other churches, from other faiths and indeed those with no faith at all. The Forum take place on a Thursday evening, usually monthly, in the comfortable meeting room in the church.

Churches Together in Shrewsbury

We meet with other Christians of various denominations through "Churches Together in Shrewsbury" to discuss issues, plan and participate in various events and projects throughout the year.

Ecumenical Green Group

This fledgling group is made up of representatives of different local churches, including St Chad’s, and is seeking ways to value and preserve our environment. If you too would like to be involved, please contact the church office.

Friends of St Chads

Please see the Friends of St Chad’s page on this website for further information about its activities.

House Groups

Groups providing an opportunity for fellowship and study of the Bible and other Christian literature offer a choice of day-time and evening meetings. For further information please contact the church office. These groups include:

Lent Lunches

take place weekly during Lent 12.30-1.30pm in the Parish Hall. Soup, bread and cheese are served in aid of charities such as the Ark, the new centre for the homeless in Shrewsbury.

Midweek Lunch.

This informal all-age meal is an opportunity to relax with others and it usually takes place on the fourth Wednesday in the month in the Parish Hall.

Mother's Union

The aim of the Mothers Union is to strengthen and preserve marriage and family life through Christianity. The St Chads branch meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 2.30pm in the Parish Hall.

Prayer

The "Say One for Me" Group meets on the first Tuesday of the month in the Meeting Room at 7.30pm. The prayer box is opened once a week and the prayers prayed for privately in the Chapel.

Prayer Chain Link by Telephone

is a link for people who need immediate prayer, e.g sudden illness of family/friends or accidents, hospital appointments etc. People involved in the link attend monthly meetings of the 'Say One for Me' group.

Prayer Walks

The idea of walking and praying goes back centuries. Ancient Babylonians, Hindus, Greeks, and Romans held prayerful processions. Christian monks used to walk from one Cathedral city to another praying along the journey. In the middle ages, in the week before Ascension Day (Rogation week) parishioners would 'beat the bounds' by walking the boundary of the parish claiming it for God and asking God to bless the crops and keep out evil spirits. So a prayer walk is really a walk and praying 'on site' for specific things around you and covering these areas with God's presence, talking with God, and listening to Him for direction.

Wednesday Group

A small informal friendly group who meet monthly usually in members' homes on Wednesday evenings (hence the name). There are talks on varied topics and also a New Year party and an evening walk with pub supper in the summer. The Group supports Actionaid with an annual collection and members often help with local fundraising, especially the Autumn Sale at the Gateway. For more information on the work of ActionAid, please follow this link. 

Youth Activities

Please go to our Youth Activities page.

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Page last updated Sunday, June 20, 2010