Remembrance Sunday

This Sunday we remember the fallen, we honour all who gave their lives in time of war.

We begin with silence, two minutes where words are stilled, and we stand in solemn remembrance. We lay wreathes, we read the roll of honour, and we pray for the peace of the world. As conflict rages in Ukraine and in the Middle East we know how fragile life is, how vulnerable we are. We commit ourselves anew to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and to heal the wounds of war.


Who is your hero?

It is Breakfast Church this week, led by the Pride Team, celebrating All Saints as we think of all who have inspired us in our faith.

Why not come and share some tasty breakfast from 9am, and stay for our informal family friendly service from 10.30am. In church or online

Candles of Remembrance

This Sunday we remember all who have died, all who we have lost. Our Memorial Service is at 4pm in church and online. Do come and join us. If you would like your loved one’s name to be remembered, and to light a candle, please speak to one of the welcome team


Archbishop Desmond Tutu kneels before you!

Imagine for a moment - you have been ordained by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and after your ordination the Archbishop knelt at your feet and asked for your blessing!

That was the amazing experience for Revd Dr Susan van Niekerk, who is the sister of Wendy Aykroyd (our wonderful church administator).  We are delighted that Rev Susan, visiting from South Africa, will be leading our service this Sunday, which is Bible Sunday.  Do come along and meet her!


St. Luke the Physician: Celebrating Healing and Wholeness

Lessons on Health and Healing for Today

This week we will be celebrating St Luke the Physician, and exploring what healing and wholeness mean for us today. Luke had a special concern for the poorest in society, a special care for those whose lives were limited by illness. He was a Gospel writer for the non-Jewish world, who gave us a picture of the early church as it spread out into the Mediterranean. What can he teach us about our health and healing?


It sounds like an escape room challenge!

It sounds like an escape room challenge!  To get a camel through the eye of a needle!

On one level it is impossible, however Jesus was teaching how hard it is for a rich person to get into the kingdom of heaven. You can't buy your way in. In fact there is nothing we can do to make God love us anymore than he already does. This Sunday is Breakfast church. Why not come for breakfast served from 9am and join our challenge in our all age worship at 10:30am. Everyone is welcome!


Harvest Festival

Harvest Festival – this year has been a disaster for many growers and farmers, with changing weather patterns making it hard to raise a crop.

Conflict in Ukraine and many other places has made food security even more of a priority for our nation. While we remain one of the wealthiest countries in the world, many others are going hungry. Come and give thanks for all that we have, and pray for those who are struggling. Gifts for the foodbank gratefully received.


How do you imagine an Angel?

How do you imagine an Angel? What image comes into your mind?

Alabaster? Wings? The word angel in the Greek new testament means “to send” and can be a human messenger from God, or a heavenly one. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews says “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that, some have entertained angels without knowing it.” This week we will be thinking about angels of all shapes and sizes!


Who is the greatest?

Who is the greatest? The Greatest Boxer? Muhammed Ali? The Greatest Singer? Elvis? Michael Jackson? Pavarotti? The Greatest Footballer? Cristiano Ronaldo? The Greatest Carer? Florence Nightingale? Mother Teresa?

It's an innocent question, but it can lead to real conflict, a jostling for position, battling for the top! The disciples were arguing about the same question when Jesus said, if you want to be first, you need to be the servant of all! Come and join the conversation!


Have you heard the latest gossip? You will never believe it!

The power of the human tongue is amazing, for good or bad!

Fake news can start riots in the street, gossip can destroy relationships, but a kind word in the right moment can move mountains. This week we are thinking about what we say, about the power of the human tongue and how we can tame it! We welcome Revd Roger Dunlop as our preacher this week.


Overcoming the odds

Have you been watching the Paralympics?

What an amazing testimony to those athletes who have overcome so many disabilities and limitations, to achieve at the very highest levels of sport. It has been a long hard road to full recognition of the games, and to overcome many who were sceptical. Whatever our level of ability, God longs to us to be open to all the possibilities that life can hold. Jesus prayed “Ephphatha” “be opened” for a man who could not hear or speak. It’s a prayer that everyone needs to hear – be opened! What needs to be opened in each of us today?


Talk the talk

Do you get fed up with people who talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk?

Jesus was very critical of those whose faith was only skin deep! This week we are invited to be doers of the word, not just hearers, to let our faith come from our heart!


The whole armour of God - try it for size!

When we are hurting, we sometimes try to grow a thicker skin, a wall of defence around us that keeps others away.

It doesn’t really work, we just end up isolated and alone. But the Lord is near to the broken hearted, and has the words of life. We are invited to put on the whole armour of God, not to keep others away but to share the amazing love of God. Come and try it for size!


Heal the world

Sometimes the world can feel pretty broken.

We’ve had riots on the streets, divisions and hatreds, damage and injury to contend with here, and more conflict in the middle east and in Ukraine, conflicts that just go on getting worse. But it is this world that God loves so much that he sent his Son Jesus, to be bread for the life of the world, healing and restoring broken hearts and lives. Come and light a candle of hope.


Heaven in ordinary!

Sometimes we expect God to intervene in our lives in supernatural ways, miracles, signs, “earthquake, wind and fire” but most often God comes to us in very ordinary ways, in a still small voice. God comes to us in the events of our lives! Learning to see “heaven in ordinary” is what Jesus was all about. Come and join the conversation!


When will we have enough?

We have so much stuff, but when is it enough?

No matter how much money, property, holidays, or security we have, it can never truly satisfy! We can end up feeling empty and unfulfilled, lonely and afraid. Jesus offers another way to be fulfilled! I am the bread of life, no one who comes to me will ever be hungry again! Come and join the conversation!


Will there be enough to go around?

Will there be enough to go around? Will there be enough for me?

In a world of shortages we can end up feeling anxious about making ends meet. But Jesus took five barley loaves and two fishes and fed a multitude. When we focus on scarcity, we sometimes miss the abundance of God’s provision. Come and join the conversation!


Where do you feel most at home?

A sense of belonging is so important to us, for happiness and for health and well being!

At church we sometimes get hung up on what people believe, and can fall out about it! Jesus talked more about getting along together, learning to accept and to forgive one another. This week we look at believing and belonging!


Can we practice what we preach?

How do we make sure we are walking the talk?

The prophet Amos was shown a plumb line, to help the people to stay true to their values. This week it will be Breakfast Church, with a delicious breakfast served from 9am and worship form 10.30am. We welcome Paul Trenberth as our preacher.


How much kit do you actually need?

Moving house can be quite an eye-opener, and often a time for a clear out of some of the accumulated debris!

Jesus sent his disciples out to share the good news – he told them “don’t take a bag”, learn to travel light! It turns out that the less we have, the more we learn to rely on God!


Who will we vote for?

In election week we all need to work out who we will vote for, what we really stand for, who we believe will be the best to govern our country.

Elections put us all on the spot, we have to decide! It was the same for the disciples, Jesus asked them, who do people say I am? Then he asked them more personally, “but you, who do you say that I am?” Time to decide!


A perfect storm

Have you ever been in a “perfect storm?

It's what happens when lots of things all go wrong at the same time, each making things worse! Perhaps we could deal with them one at a time, but not when they all come together. When the disciples were caught in a storm on the lake they turned to Jesus, who spoke a word of peace that stilled the wind and waves! This week we explore how we weather the storms of life! Come and join the conversation!


What is growing in your life?

Faith or fear? Worries or wonder?

Jesus said we only need faith like a mustard seed, but if we allow God to grow in us everything can change. This week we celebrate Fathers Day, remembering our own fathers and giving thanks for their lives. Do come and light a candle to remember your dad!


Pulled in different directions

Do you sometimes feel pulled in different directions?

Can you be the person you want to be? Sometimes we all struggle with staying true to ourselves through the pressures of work and family, divided loyalties and mixed motives. Jesus said – a house divided against itself cannot stand. This week at Breakfast Church we will be thinking about what it would mean for us to have an undivided heart. Join us for a relaxed breakfast from 9am and for worship at 10.30am. We welcome Jo Kudlacik as our preacher.


Keep religion human

Have you noticed how religions can often become inhuman?

Extremists, fundamentalists, and sometimes quite ordinary people can lose sight of the heart of their faith, loving God and our neighbour, and get hung up on doctrines, traditions, and practices that may be harsh and unloving. Jesus often challenged the religious authorities about this. The Sabbath is made for humanity, not humanity for the Sabbath! How do we keep our faith human? Come and join the conversation!


What is holding you back?

What is holding you back? Responsibilities? Commitments? Ties? What would you do if you were free?

Nicodemus went to Jesus by night and was intrigued by him, but couldn’t quite bring himself to follow him publicly.
God knows us by name, he calls us to follow, and equips us for the challenges we face.
This week we celebrate Trinity Sunday! See you there?


Pentecost Sunday

This week we celebrate Pentecost Sunday, the coming of the Holy Spirit on a group of frightened, dispirited disciples.

It gave them new confidence, and propelled them out from behind locked doors to communicate with a bustling cosmopolitan world. God’s Holy Spirit gives us energy and confidence to live life to the full today, come and find out more!


Competing voices

It can sometimes be hard to speak of our faith, or to live out our faith.

There are so many competing voices “Look after number one!” “Don’t give an inch!” “Fight for your rights!” Can we follow in the footsteps of Jesus who said “Love your neighbour, love your enemy, turn the other cheek” This week we will be thinking about faith in the rough and tumble of the real world.


Who are your friends?

Who do you choose as your friends? What kind of qualities do you look for in a friend?

Jesus called all sorts of people to follow him, to be disciples, but he also invited them to be his friends, into a more mutual relationship. Today we welcome Revd Gnanavaram from South India to preach at our outdoor service. Bring a camping chair if you would like one and enjoy worship in the churchyard, in the midst of God’s creation.


Who are you?

Who are you and where do you belong?

We often identify ourselves by where we come from, and we sometimes divide along national, cultural or religious lines. So many conflicts arise out of these differences. But our true identity is to be known as a child of God, we are united, different parts of the one human family, like branches on a vine. Come and join the conversation!


What's in a name?

Does your name have a special meaning?

We take such trouble in the choosing of names and often they remind us of someone special, or of a family we belong to. God knows our name and calls us by name, its personal! Out of all the billions of people on this planet God calls your name! Come and find out why!


Guides and Brownies

This week we welcome the Guides and Brownies to our Breakfast Church Service, to find out something about their life and work!

Do come and share in a great breakfast from 9am, and stay for our relaxed communion service at 10.30am.


Stronger Together!

Stronger together! How much more can we achieve when we work together?

The risen Jesus charged his witnesses to share the Good News and his resurrection motivated communities of light and life in the early church. We explore the greek word "Koinonia" meaning fellowship and communion. Come and join the conversation.


Easter Day

How do you start again when life has fallen apart?

How do you trust again when your trust has been betrayed?
How do you live again when all you have loved has died?
Who will roll away the heavy stone of our loss and pain?
The answers were to be found in an empty tomb, and hearing a new call to walk his way as resurrection people.
Alleluia Christ is risen. He is risen indeed, Alleluia!


Palm Sunday

We celebrate Palm Sunday this week, starting in the Sensory Garden at 10.20am, for the Blessing of Palms.

Our service continues in church at 10.30am as we begin Holy Week together.
Do download the Holy Week Booklet – “We Walk His Way” as a guide for the week, with prayers, readings and reflections for each day, and do join us for the services throughout the week.


Breaking Boundaries: Shifting from rules to values

How many rules do we need? How many laws and regulations? How many contracts and covenants?

The problem with rules are that they are on the outside, and have to be enforced.
As parents we want our children to internalise the rules, to know them for themselves, on the inside!
It’s the same with God – “I will write it on their hearts”
Come and join the conversation!


Mothering Sunday

Mothering Sunday: for some a day of uncluttered thankfulness, eager running feet, hugs and cards.

For some a day of longing and hoping; For some a day about loss; For some a day of wistful regret.
Whatever this day means for you, we come together to reflect our God who loves us like a mother and longs for us to know that love.


Street Saviours Descend

This week we welcome the Street Pastors to share their work in Telford.


Hands at Work in Africa

This Lent we are raising funds for Hands at Work in Africa, helping to protect children orphaned by AIDS.

Today we hear a presentation about their work that may help us to understand and respond, knowing that we can make a difference. See you there? Join us in church or online!


Who’s voice do you listen to?

Who’s voice do you listen to? The critical negative voices on social media? The cynical, destructive voices? The self-critical inner voice? None of them are true!

When Jesus was baptised he heard a voice from heaven saying “You are my son, my beloved, with you I am well pleased!” It is that voice that we need to listen, to hear that loving affirmation for ourselves. Come and join the conversation!


Should have gone to Specsavers

Have you seen those “Should have gone to Specsavers” adverts? What is your vision like?

Sometimes we just don’t see things! We overlook people, or underestimate them because we don’t really see them. Today we are thinking about seeing with new eyes and how it can change everything!


God and Science

The James Webb telescope is bringing us images from the very earliest times of creation, we are learning more and more about how the universe formed.

Nasa’s Europa Clipper will set off in October to scan beneath the ice on Jupiter’s moon to search for life. Science can tell us so much about how creation works, but the bible points us to the Creator and seeks to answer why we are here! Come and join the conversation!


What can you give if you don’t have much to offer?

Mary and Joseph wanted to make an offering in the Temple in thanks for Jesus birth, but they couldn’t afford a lamb.

So they brought what they could manage, two pigeons, the offering of the poor. Today we celebrate Candlemas, the Presentation of Christ in the Temple and we offer to God our most treasured gift, our love.


Dry January for a wedding – would that be a challenge?

The family at Cana in Galilee had run out of wine for the wedding feast, it was a disaster.

Jesus made it into an opportunity to show how God blesses us, abundantly and generously. What does God’s blessing mean for you today? Come and join the conversation!


Sticks and stones

Have you ever been called names? Have you ever been labelled?

Prejudice is so undermining. It happened to Jesus too, they thought nothing good could ever come out of Nazareth. This week it is Breakfast Church, informal and relaxed. Come and enjoy some delicious breakfast from 9am, and worship from 10.30am.


You found faith, where?

Finding faith in unexpected places!

The coming of the Magi from the East reminds us that faith crosses boundaries of religion and culture and challenges us to see beyond our own! Come and join the conversation!