our story

We gathered in Florence Park as the weather signalled the turning seasons - it was dry on arrival and very wet as soon as we started worshipping huddled under the bandstand.  We celebrated Creation Time (a new church season to extend harvest to a wider reflection on our relationship with the natural world), making links to the Global Strike Climate Protest which some members had taken part in last Friday.  Extinction Rebellion use the bee as one of their symbols - dramatic declines in bee numbers threaten us all.

Facilitated by Tilly, Some of us have been meeting each month to explore the Enneagram together.

We have worked our way through a book, agreeing to read a few chapters between each meeting, with some supplementing this with podcasts, webs searches or other books on the subject. We gather together to share our thoughts, and try to discover kernels of truth that speak to us, challenge us, and need further chewing over.

We had a surprise email from some German ecumenical rural church leaders, who were coming to a fresh expressions conference at CMS, asking if they could visit.  We gathered in Florence Park for worship and a picnic, so they could find out more about our life together.  We always feel complete frauds when people want to know about how we ‘do’ church!! We kind of make it up as we go along, learning from experience what seems to work and what doesn’t, gratefully receiving whatever anyone is able to offer into our life.

We met for our annual camping weekend at Bridge House just outside of Shillingford 14 - 16 June. We had a great turnout and some descent weather. Bridge House is part of the Northumbira Community and they have built a tiny chapel from an old shed where we joined them for some of their regular prayers, summoned by a bell. I love the chapel, it has only a few windows so it's dark and coloured by candles and the light that comes through the single stained glass window. It's a hidden place, a place of safety.