We are a Church of England Christian church in the Diocese of Southwark. We are an open, inclusive church serving the people of West Wimbledon. We welcome all, regardless of age, ethnicity, sexuality, identity politics or church background and we are ready to share our faith with others, helping to build peace and justice in the world.
You are very welcome to join us at any of our services
Sunday 24 September
TRINITY 16
10am Parish Eucharist
(With Junior or Senior Church)
Service led by Rev’d Peter Sills
6.30pm Evening Prayer
You can download recent pew sheets here
Lord of creation, whose glory is around and within us: open our eyes to your wonders, that we may serve you with reverence and know your peace at our lives’ end, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
7pm Monday, 25 September 2023
Service in church.
Followed by a reception in the Church Hall.
All are welcome. Please contact the Parish Office for details.
Dear Friends,
We were delighted to announce to the congregation on the 25th June that The Reverend Lotwina Farodoye, presently Assistant Curate of the Oxted Team Ministry has been appointed Vicar of Christ Church West Wimbledon by the Bishop of Southwark.
Reverend Lotwina has a Masters degree in Christian Leadership and is presently the Chair of the House of Clergy for Diocesan Synod, and also a member of the Diocesan Council of Trustees in Southwark Diocese.
Lotwina is delighted to be appointed Vicar of Christ Church and is very much looking forward to getting to know you all.
Her Installation will be on Monday 25 September at 7pm in Church. You are welcome.
We’ll be celebrating Harvest on Sunday 1 October and will be collecting produce to be distributed to the Wimbledon Foodbank, Christian Care Association and Merton Refuge to help those in need in the borough.
The produce most needed includes…
• Cereals, UHT milk, tea, coffee and juice
• Tinned fish, meat, veg, fruit and soup
• Long grain rice
• Tinned tomatoes and pasta sauce
• Rice pudding and custard
Thank you for your generosity
SUNDAY 1 OCTOBER
10am Harvest Festival and all age family service
Brownie and Guide cake sale/ Plus eco milk tasting and veggie/vegan recipe sharing
SUNDAY 5 NOVEMBER
6.30pm All Souls
A service of reflection to remember our dearly departed loved ones with the opportunity to light a candle in honour of them
SUNDAY 12 NOVEMBER
10am Remembrance Service
TUESDAY 21 NOVEMBER
2pm – 4.30pm Christ Church Bridge Drive in the hall
Afternoon tea and prizes
SUNDAY 3 DECEMBER
10am All-age Family Communion followed by Advent Fair
4pm Christingle Service
SUNDAY 10 DECEMBER
10am All Age Family Communion
The staging of the Nativity from Junior and Senior Church
TUESDAY 12 DECEMBER
6.30pm Wreath making evening in the hall
SUNDAY 17 DECEMBER
6.30pm Carol Concert
SUNDAY 24 DECEMBER
11.30pm Midnight Mass
MONDAY 25 DECEMBER
8am Holy Communion
10am Parish Eucharist
In the season of Creationtide we will think about God’s earth, the biblical mandate for us to care for it and the reality of climate change, pollution and extinctions. To help focus our thoughts we’ll have a display of photographs, paintings and objects that illustrate God’s creation and we’d love you to contribute…
We are a group that promote caring for God’s earth. If you’re interested in finding out how to get involved contact Lucy Christie via the Parish Office to find out more.
Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of Selena Lau and Nuria Sajjad and all who have been affected by the tragedy at The Study school on 6 July.
Speaking in response to the news, the Revd Lotwina Farodoye, Vicar Designate of the Church, said:
By the mid 1850s, with the arrival of the railway, Wimbledon had grown from a village to a thriving town. The growing population needed a new place of worship. So, an appeal was launched to build a new church. £6,000 was raised, the church built and on 15 August 1859 the Bishop of London dedicated the new chapel-of-ease…
We toasted King Charles III’s coronation with a riot of colour and flags on Sunday 7 May.
Here is Liz, one of our new bell ringers, ringing in the new Corolean age.
At Christ Church our bells are rung by a system of pulleys in a cubicle about the size of a phone box. We would love to welcome new volunteers to join us – and can manage the 47 steps up the spiral staircase to the belfry!
If you’d like to join our regular group of ringers, please contact the Parish Office ccparishoffice@yahoo.co.uk
Baptisms are conducted on Sunday mornings either during the 10am service on the first Sunday of the month or at 12 noon on a convenient Sunday. We are always pleased to discuss baptism for those who live in the parish of Christ Church. Visit www.achurchnearyou.com to see if you live in the parish. Please contact the Parish Office at ccparishoffice@yahoo.co.uk for more details.
We are willing to consider preparing children to receive Holy Communion from about the age of 7-8 and subsequently we encourage young people to wait until they are at least 11-years-old before making the ‘adult’ step into church life at confirmation. Confirmation groups also run each year for adults who would like to make a commitment to church
life. Please contact the Parish Office ccparishoffice@yahoo.co.uk to discuss.
We are always pleased to discuss marriage with those who live in the parish of Christ Church or who can establish a Qualifying Connection with Christ Church. It may also be possible to be married at Christ Church where either or both parties have been divorced. Please contact the Parish Office at ccparishoffice@yahoo.co.uk to arrange a time to discuss marriage.
We are here to help you if you would like to hold a funeral service in church for your loved one. It is not necessary for the deceased or their family to have been church goers. We can also conduct a full funeral service at a crematorium for those who live in the parish of Christ Church. It is usual for the funeral director to make direct contact with us but please contact the Parish Office
if you have any queries.
Raynes Park Bereavement was set up by Christ Church as part of its outreach programme in 2014. There are 12 volunteers who meet with people who have been bereaved on a one-to- one basis. The service receives most of its referrals (about 60 per year) from local GP surgeries. If you (or anyone you know who lives in the area) would like to make use of our service, please call 07914 263420 or email
The cost of running the church and paying for the Vicar is over £2,700 each week – rising with inflation every day. The stark fact is that we are not even covering our day-to-day running costs, let alone paying for repairs and maintenance required to the church and hall.
Christ Church gets no state funding. Maintaining our church for today and securing it for the future requires continued expense. Our prayer is that our Church may continue to flourish. It can do so – but only with your help.
If you would like to donate to Christ Church please contact the Parish Office at
or download, print and return the Giving Form below.
Thank you.
Christ Church hall is a separate building next to the Church and it was fully refurbished in 2019. The sprung wooden floor makes it an ideal venue for ballet and dance classes as well as yoga and pilates. With the modernised kitchen it is also brilliant for Children’s parties. For enquiries about hiring the hall please contact: ccsw20hall@gmail.com
Our address:
Christ Church Hall, 2a Cottenham Park Road, London, SW20 0RZ (just down from the corner of Copse Hill and Cottenham Park Road)
• Seats 120 (100 at table)
• Hall dimensions: approx 50ft x 30 ft / 15m x 9m excluding stage area
• Disabled access & toilets
• On-site parking for 6 cars
• Wi-Fi
•New heating and air-cooling system
• Fully equipped kitchen including automatic water boiler
The 12 th Wimbledon Brownies meet on Wednesdays at the Scout Hut on the corner of Cottenham Park Road and Oakwood Road. We welcome all girls aged 7-10 from all schools and all denominations but those who live locally and those who attend Christ Church are particularly welcome. Contact is Elisabeth Bingham ccparishoffice@yahoo.co.uk
The 12th Wimbledon Guides meet on Tuesday evenings, at the Scout Hut on the corner of Cottenham Park Road and Oakwood Road. We welcome all girls aged 10-14 from all schools and all denominations regardless of whether or not they have been Brownies. Please contact us. Contact Nicolette Ewers ccparishoffice@yahoo.co.uk
Vicar
We are delighted to announce that The Reverend Lotwina Farodoye will be coming to Christ Church at the end of September 2023 as the new Vicar. Meanwhile please email ccww.vicar@gmail.com
Church Wardens
Two people elected represent the congregation. Currently:
Tish Mousell ccww.churchwarden1@gmail.com
Julie Grainger ccww.churchwarden2@gmail.com
The Parochial Church Council (PCC) 2023-2024
PCC Members:
Elected to serve until May 2024
Angelina Skelton
Brenda Thurgood*
Charles Buyondo*
Chica Nwokoye*
Elected to serve until May 2025
Jane Simpson
John Davey (Hon Treasurer)
Ron Barnett
Sally Edmunds
Flis Banks (ex-officio Reader)
Elected to serve until May 2026
Judy Luddington (Hon Secretary)
Lynda Coleman
Sarah Hannaford*
Chris Larkman*
Merton Deanery Synod Members 2020-2024
(Ex officio on PCC)
Pat Spencer
Paul Sinclair
Mair Rabagliati
1 vacancy
*Eligible to stand for a further 3-year term
Our stall is open every Sunday run by members of the congregation.
Fair Trade is business with a commitment to justice for the world’s poor. Fair Trade is based on long-term partnerships with producers in the global south, guaranteeing suppliers a fair price for their products so that they can earn enough to support their families and communities.
Traidcraft run programmes in developing countries, supporting poor and vulnerable people to get a better deal from trade. They often focus on small, marginalised groups, creating long term partnerships and they also campaign to transform the way trade works.
For a wider range of products there is a Traidcraft catalogue and you can also order online at www.traidcraftshop.co.uk
We have special collections throughout the year and there are specific charities that we donate to.
Currently we are supporting:
1. South London Refugee Association https://www.slr-a.org.uk
2. Church Mission Society https://churchmissionsociety.org
3. Christian Aid https://www.christianaid.org.uk
4. A Rocha Kenya https://www.arocha.or.ke
5. Children’s Society, https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk
6. Faith in Action https://www.faithinaction.co.uk
7. Christian CARE Association https://www.christiancaremerton.org.uk
We also collect for emergency appeals for example we recently held a collection for Ukraine.