WALKING_WELCOMING_WORKING

Sharing God’s Love by Walking... Welcoming... Working

Sharing God’s love forms the cornerstone of everything we do at Christ Church and how we live our lives as Christians.

We are on a journey exploring our faith but also helping the wider community.

1. Walking in faith together – To grow together. deepening our faith in God
2. Welcoming strangers and friends – to grow our community welcoming new members.
3. Working for our community – to share and serve our community with generosity.

‘Let all that you do be done in love’

1 Cor 16:14

We now have Eco Church status

We’re delighted to have achieved a Silver Award in March 2022. Eco Church is the award scheme for churches who want to demonstrate that the gospel is good news for God’s Earth and all Creation.

Christian CARE Association

Christian CARE Association, a local charity, urgently needs a Deputy CARE Coordinator to assist the CARE Coordinator in its day to day running. All staff are volunteers and this job should take up the equivalent of two days a week. For more information see notice board at back of church or visit https://christiancaremerton.org.uk/volunteers.html

Our Easter collections

The Bishop’s Lent Appeal raised £307.50 including Gift Aid and the Easter collection for The Church Mission Society raised £195.

Thank you to all who donated so generously.

BIRDS

Churches count on nature

On Sunday 11th June during the 10am service Junior Church and Senior Church will take part in a nature survey of the church grounds. We’re hoping to identify more species this year and find out more facts about our tremendous trees.

Look out for our Eco Church Scavenger Hunt which everyone can take part in after the service.

Giving

Our charity partners

Giving

Legacies & wills

Past legacies received have made a huge difference to Christ Church, and enabled us to make significant improvements, e.g. in recent years, new lighting, and new heating. If you are thinking about making or revising your will, do please consider leaving a gift to Christ Church. An explanatory leaflet has been prepared.

Giving

Donating to Christ Church

Our generosity is one of the values that mark us out as Christians. A good proportion of the congregation give regularly and we give thanks for all that you give and do for Christ Church. Our hope is that even more of you will become regular givers.

OUR Community

Our Syrian family

In June 2022, we started supporting a Syrian refugee family, through the Home Office Scheme. We welcomed the family of four (now five), by finding them accommodation, furnishing their flat and by guiding them through all medical and schooling needs. Now we are helping them to learn English with the aim of preparing them for their future life in the UK.

Christ Church Traidcraft Stall

Our stall is open every Sunday run by members of the congregation. From coffee and dark chocolate to socks, Fair Trade is a business with a commitment to justice for the world’s poor.

The cost of running the church is enormous, but you can help support the work we do in the Parish by donating here.

Thank you so much. 

What your generosity means to Christ Church?

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

ccparishoffice@yahoo.co.uk

or download, print and return the Giving Form below.

Thank you.

Brownies (ages 7 - 10)

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

Guides (ages 10 - 14)

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

Kung-fu hamsters - youth group (ages 10+)

This runs on Friday evenings – roughly once a month during term time and we have a variety of activities. We sometimes go bowling, we play rounders in the Summer, we have an institution called ‘Hamster Chef’ (loosely based on MasterChef!) and we have at least one ‘Eco’ evening per year. There is a lot of fun all round.

Senior church (ages 10+)

Senior church is more of a discussion session and is more philosophical. Generally, we share the learning with the congregation afterwards, and sometimes the group even write and perform a play for all to see.

Junior church (ages 4 - 10)

This runs during term time, every Sunday – apart from the first Sunday of the month when we have our All-Age Celebration service. We use as a guide the teaching programmes set out in the “Roots” publications, which suggests activities that will reflect the Gospel reading for the day, so we are thinking and reflecting on the same issues as the main congregation. The sessions will usually start with a game to warm up and introduce the theme of the day, followed by reading a simplified story version of the gospel reading. We will then go on to the main activity, which could be creative art-work, model making, drama, cooking, treasure hunts, gardening or problem solving games. We are also thinking of ways we can encourage the children to become involved in the Eco Church

Bereavement group

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 

Clergy, Readers, Wardens & the PCC​

Vicar
A priest in the Church of England
A new Vicar is being sought
Ccww.vicar@gmail.com


Church Wardens
Two people elected re present the congregation
Currently:
Tish Mousell ccww.churchwarden1@gmail.com
Julie Grainger ccww.churchwarden2@gmail.com

 

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) 2022-2023
PCC Members:
Elected to serve until May 2023
Judy Luddington* (Hon Secretary)
Lynda Coleman*
Lyons O’Keeffe
Mair Rabagliati
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)


Merton Deanery Synod Members 2020-2023
(Ex officio on PCC)
Pat Spencer
Paul Sinclair
2 vacancies

 

*Eligible to stand for a further 3-year term

What this generosity means to Christ Church?

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

What this generosity means to Christ Church?

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.

Hall hire

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

Funerals

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 

ccparishoffice@yahoo.co.uk

if you have any queries.

Weddings

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.

Confirmation

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.

Baptisms

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.