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CiA News – January 2017

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The winter issue of Christian Focus is now available on the CiA website. Articles in this issue include: Celebrating 20 years of 35 Ock Street, 150th celebrations at St Michael’s, Advent, Host Abingdon – progress, LAMPS, Christmas services in Abingdon, TAB, Updating and revising ‘A diary of private prayer’, Young hope, St Teresa of Calcutta, as well as poems and a survey about Christian Focus to help the editors plan for the future. Please do fill this out.

WHAT’S BEEN GOING ON

Abingdon Extravaganza

St Nicolas' Church opened its doors again as part of Abingdon's pre-Christmas celebrations on Saturday 26 November 2016.  There was a Christmas market, a series of musical concerts, children's activities, plus hot drinks and fellowship. The day closed with Evening Prayer after the fireworks. 

It went well this year with a steady stream of people coming into the church. The concerts went well and the preliminary accounts suggest that we did well financially, raising about £725. We are very grateful to Debra and Margaret of the CiA Governing Body who came along to help us.

WHAT’S COMING UP

The Abingdon Progressive Christianity Network Group

The next meeting will be on:

❖ Tuesday 3 January 2017, 7.30 pm, in the Church Room, St Michael’s Church, Abingdon, OX14 1DU.

The topic for discussion will be 'A Vision for the Church in the 21st Century' from Christians Awakening to a New Awareness (CANA). All welcome. For more information, or the paper for discussion, contact cliff.marshall@.uk or 01235 530480.

Back to 35, Abingdon Baptist Church Hall, Ock Street

These meetings, a joint venture between Age UK Oxfordshire and 35 Ock Street, provide an opportunity for conversation, activities, support and fellowship for the over-50s with tea and cake as well. They take place on the 1st and 3rd Thursday mornings, 10.30 – 11.30 am. Forthcoming meetings are as follows:

❖ 19 Jan 2017 – Thames Valley Police Community Officers

❖ 2 Feb – Your choice of music on CD

❖ 16 Feb – TBC

❖ 2 March – Bicester and surrounding areas

❖ 16 March – Trading Standards

❖ 6 April – Spring quiz

❖ 20 April – Seated exercise class

For further information, please contact David Lovegrove on 01235 533373.

Annual New Year Walk for Christian Aid

The annual New Year walk for Christian Aid's Christmas Appeal will take place on Monday 2 January 2017. The walk will start at 10 am at Peachcroft Christian Centre and follow a route including Sunningwell, Foxcombe Hill and Bayworth. All welcome. Sponsor forms are available from your church's Christian Aid rep or from Cliff Marshall on 01235 530480.

Alpha launch event

The Alpha supper will be on Wed 18 January 2017, 7.30 pm at Abingdon & Witney College: a two-course dinner, drink on arrival and coffee & mints at the end. The speaker is Anne Wafula Strike MBE, paralympian, author and sports ambassador. Anne is clear that ‘having Jesus in my life puts a smile on my face every day.’  She believes: ‘Three necessities we need today are: Vision to see, Faith to believe, Courage to do.’  For more information, see her website . Further details of the event will be uploaded to in December and people will be able to order tickets there from then.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (18-25 Jan 2017) – CiA activities:

❖ Midday prayers, Mon 23 – Friday 27 January 2017, 12 noon, St Nicolas’ Church: A worship time will be led by Abingdon ministers on each day following the CTBI material. There will be rolls/sandwiches on offer each day after the worship together with a cuppa and fellowship.

❖ United Service/CiA celebration, Sun 22 January 2017, 3 pm, Abingdon Baptist Church

❖ Inter-Church Quiz, Friday 3 Feb 2017, Thameside School, 8 pm: Teams of 6-8, £2/head, doors open 7.30 pm, refreshments from 7.45 pm. Contact Ed Evans at ede@.uk to register your team. All profits to South Abingdon Thrive.

Experience Easter

This will be taking place on 28 March to 2 April 2017. For further information, please contact Rosemary Perrow at trinitylearning@.

Church Twinning

A trip is planned in June 2017 to Saint Niklaas to celebrate 800 years of it being a Christian city. For more information, contact Eileen at epkbontempelli@.

Silent reflections

St Michael and All Angels Church, Park Road, 7.30 - 9.00 pm, last Tuesday of the month (except December):

❖ 31 Jan 2017

❖ 28 Feb

❖ 28 Mar

❖ 25 Apr

❖ 30 May

❖ 27 June

Enjoy prayerful activities in the quiet of the sanctuary with the option of coming together to share your journey at the end of the session. All welcome.

Fresh Vision

Fresh Vision is a discussion group for those who wish to explore ideas about Christianity in an open, liberal and non-dogmatic setting.  We meet on the last Wednesday of the month 7.30 – 9 pm in the Garden Room at St Ethelwold’s House, 30 East St Helen Street, Abingdon.  Everyone is very welcome. For further information, contact Liz Domoney at freshvision2@.

Trinity Evergreen Club, Trinity Church, Conduit Road

Meetings have changed from the first Monday in the month to the third Monday at Trinity Church. Although mainly for senior people, it is open to anyone. Meetings start at 2 pm, with a varied programme and refreshments. Transport can usually be provided. For further information, contact Rita Gilbert on 01235 528837.

Meeting God in the silence

This group meets on the first Monday evening of the month in The Barn at Christ Church, Northcourt Road, 7.30 for 8 pm and every third Tuesday morning at Christ Church at 9.30 for 10 am. For more information, contact Sarah Turner on 01235 521433.

Nourishment in Christ – St Nicolas’ Church

This new informal and reflective service takes place monthly on the first Thursday of the month at 7.30 pm. All welcome with refreshments from 7 pm.

Cake & Conversation – St Edmunds Church

This friendly, informal session for anyone whose first language is not English takes place every Wednesday during term time from 9.30 to 11 am at St Edmund’s Parish Centre (entrance in Oxford Road). For further information, please contact Ann Corbett (01235 559471) or Anne Dodd (01235 525997), otherwise just come along.

Abingdon gospel choir and music group

Do you like gospel music and would you like to sing it? Then maybe our music group is for you – we have some 20 members, who have been meeting weekly since the groups began in October 2013 on Thursdays at Trinity Church, Conduit Road, 8.00 - 9.30 pm. Singers of all standards are welcome. We sing mainly gospel and spirituals but are planning to expand our repertoire this coming term, which starts on Thursday 7 September 2016. For further information, contact Ian Miles on 07788 715873 or at music@.

Abingdon circle dance group

This groups meets on Thursday mornings from 11 am to 12 noon at St Michael’s Church, dancing traditional folk dances and modern steps in a circle, to a variety of music from around the world, some lively, some joyous and celebratory, and some more meditative. All dances are demonstrated and then broken down into smaller stages for teaching. No prior experience/partner needed. For more information, contact Mary on 01235 520608 or at marywilliamsox14@. NB: no circle dancing on 24 March.

 

The Archway Foundation

Since 2008, The Archway Foundation has been developing its service in Abingdon and surrounding areas by providing social evenings and other special events, a befriending service for those who are unable to get out, as well as offering volunteering opportunities through driving, befriending or helping at social events. Social evenings are held at Abingdon Baptist Church Hall from 7.30 to 9 pm on the 2nd and 4th Fridays. Daytime socials also take place. For more information, contact Joy Dadswell on 07718 769103 or at joy@.uk.

ONE HOUR A FORTNIGHT is all you need to make a difference. YOU could be just the person to bring much needed company by volunteering to become an Archway befriender. Training and support will be given. For further information, visit .uk (online application form available) or contact Conrad at the Archway office on 01865 790552.

Abingdon Emergency Foodbank (Christ Church)

Thank you so much for your continuing support of the Foodbank. Please deliver your donations to Christ Church, Northcourt Road, weekdays 9 am – 4 pm, or drop off your donations at the collection point in Waitrose. For further information, contact: Sarah Fry or Hilary Beale on 01235 539172 or at foodbank@cca.. 

Host Abingdon – Syrian Appeal

Once again, we are being asked to help furnish and equip homes for Syrian families arriving in our area as part of the Government’s Syrian Vulnerable Persons Re-Settlement Scheme (VPRS). The British Red Cross here in Abingdon has the job of providing integration and support services to these families, and they need our help. If you can donate furniture, electrical equipment or make a donation, please contact Theresa Foster at tfoster@.uk  or on 01235 552667.

Abingdon Street Pastors

For more information on how to get involved with Abingdon Street Pastors, either as a street pastor or a prayer pastor, contact abingdonstreetpastors@.

CHRISTIAN FORUM COLUMN

Could you help by writing a one-off article (350 words) for the weekly Christian Forum column appearing in the Abingdon Herald newspaper or join our circle of writers that submit one article per year? Articles do not have to be original - they can have appeared in a church newsletter or similar – but need to have a Christian message. If you are interested or would like to know more, contact Debra Mcknight, the CiA Administrator, on 07896 860381.

The CiA News is circulated by the Church in Abingdon to member churches within Abingdon to promote church activities and groups, news and any other information that may be of interest to CiA news readers. If you would like to submit news or receive

the news by email, please contact Debra Mcknight. The deadline for publication is the 15th of the month previous to publication. For more information about the Church in Abingdon, go to church-in-.uk.

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