Cornwell ornwell Community ommunity News Produced by the Cornwell Community Church Newsletter Number 29
Autumn 2016
W
elcome to our latest newsletter covering the area in which you live. It has been produced and delivered by members of the Cornwell Community Church which is part of the Church of England parish of Tilehurst : St Catherine and Calcot : St Birinus. We meet at the Cornwell Centre on Sundays. This Newsletter is to tell you about two initiatives we’re organising: ‘Operation Christmas Child’ - see below There’s a leaflet enclosed explaining. It is something we've been doing for many years and is a way of bringing Christmas cheer to children in the poorest parts of the world by packing small gifts into a shoebox for an international organisation (Samaritan’s Purse) to deliver. Community Litter Pick - see inside Again we’ve been organising these for some years now, a chance to tidy up the area in which we live and meet like minded members of the local community. Tony Bartlett 07721 377 905 tony.bartlett.ccc@ntlworld.com
Operation Christmas Child Through Operation Christmas Child, we send shoeboxes packed with toys and supplies to needy children around the world to bring some Christmas cheer to children in the poorest parts of the world who might otherwise get nothing. The idea is to fill a shoe box with small gifts, please read the enclosed leaflet carefully about what is acceptable, (if you can’t get hold of a shoebox we have a supply) and add a donation of £3 or more towards transport costs if possible. Last year, together with St Catherine’s, 7th Tilehurst Brownies and Springfield School we sent off 230 filled Shoeboxes and some 2,500 boxes were collected and sent in the Reading area. We’re a collecting point for filled Shoeboxes. We’re also holding a special service to receive the filled Shoeboxes in the Cornwell Centre (Home Croft off Clements Mead RG31 5WJ) at 11.00 am on Sunday 20th November. You can hear more about what happens to the filled boxes. We’re serving refreshments from 10.30am and the service will last about an hour. Alternatively you can bring Shoeboxes to my home (33 Sheraton Drive RG31 5UZ) anytime before 20th November. If I’m out it’s OK to leave them on the doorstep but please leave a note of your name and address. My contact details are above, thank you. For more about this charity see www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk
News from St Catherine's Church St Catherine’s is the Church of England parish church for this area of Tilehurst. This distinctive building is dedicated to St Catherine of Siena. It can be found in Wittenham Avenue opposite Birch Copse school. As well as Sunday and midweek services, there’s lots happening at St Catherine's both in the church and the adjoining hall. For latest news, please see our web site www.stcatherines-tilehurst.org.uk. There’s also a link there to read the current edition of ‘RG31’, the Parish Magazine. In October we bid farewell to Rev Denis Smith who has been the vicar of St Catherine's since 2002. He is moving on to another role in the Church of England. The Parochial Church Council, guided by the Bishop of Reading, will then set about drawing up information that will enable them to advertise for a new vicar. This all takes time so it will be next summer before we see a new vicar moving into the vicarage. In the meantime services continue as usual with clergy from other churches leading services.
St Catherine’s Café St Catherine’s Café is situated at the back of St Catherine’s Church. It is becoming very popular, serving teas, soft drinks & real coffees from 8.45 am to 2.00 pm on Thursday and Friday. From 12.00 noon on those days there's a lunch menu with daily specials and homemade cakes. Come along for a chance to meet friends in a friendly atmosphere.
Community Litter Pick We have been organising community litter picks for 9 years now. They take place bi-annually in the Spring and Autumn. We’ve had the help of the Neighbourhood wardens whose job it was to make this area a better place to live in, and many local residents have also taken part. Sadly, funding by West Berkshire Council ceased in July, so our local team of Neighbourhood Wardens has been disbanded. However we will continue to organise the Litter Picks. Whilst the objective is to tidy up local woods and footpaths, these litter picks also give us the opportunity of meeting other people who care about the local environment. Our next litter pick is on Saturday 19th November. We’ll meet outside the Cornwell Centre (Home Croft, off Clements Mead, RG31 5WJ) at 10.00 am and depending on the weather and the number of volunteers we’ll end by 11.30 am. We hope to supply tools and bags but we recommend that you wear stout gloves. The bags of rubbish we collect will be taken away by West Berkshire Streetcare on the Monday. It always surprises us what we find dumped in the woods but we have noticed a reduction in the amount we collect year by year, so it is certainly a worthwhile and rewarding exercise, I do hope that you can join us. Tony Bartlett
Some of the results of our recent litter picks
St Catherine's Church, Centre and Café Wittenham Avenue RG31 5LN
Church Services
Community Activities
Saturday 3.30 pm Messy Church meets on the first Saturday of most months, along with other ‘Messy Dates’.
The Café
Sunday 8.00 am Our Early Service of Communion or Morning Prayer.
Tea Dances
Sunday 9.30 am
Is an exciting time of
at 9.00 am and again at 11.00 am.
St Catherine’s Hall The Hall is well used with groups including: St Catherine’s Pre-School, Pilates, Kumon Maths, Ballet, Ladies Choir, W.I., Brownies, Church Youth Group & Carpet Bowls St Catherine’s Hall is available for hire at competitive rates for groups or individuals.
Situated at the back of the church, open Thursdays & Fridays. Every other Thursday 2.45 - 4.45 pm.
Friday Friends Meets from 2.00 - 4.00 pm on Fridays Different activities each week. Carers, family and friends are welcome to come along as well. Sessions cost £3.50.
Crafty Space One Saturday a month from 1.30 - 5.30pm. We provide time, space, tea & coffee and some company. You bring along those craft projects you’ve always meant to do.
Cornwell Community Church The Cornwell Centre, Home Croft, Clements Mead, RG31 5WJ Cornwell Community Church is part of the Church of England parish for this area. While we’re part of St Catherine's parish, we are distinctively different from St Catherine’s Church. Our service normally takes place every Sunday morning at 11.00 am and lasts about an hour. The service is simple, informal and family friendly. Our worship is contemporary and we try to explore the Bible in innovative ways to make it relevant to our lives today. You’ll find all ages represented and welcomed, from babies (there are soft toys for them) to grandparents. From 10.30 am we offer refreshments in the form of fresh coffee, tea or squash and cake. It’s a chance to chat and get to know each other. This is repeated after the service. We encourage children and young adults to take an active part in our Sunday services. Whilst everyone always starts the service together, more often than not, the children go off to their own age related activities (Sunday school). Tony Bartlett - Licensed Lay Minister The Cornwell Community Church is a part of St Catherine's Church (C of E) This Newsletter is edited and produced by Tony Bartlett 07721 377 905 & Stuart Poore ℡ 0118 962 4555 E-Mail : Tony.Bartlett.CCC@NTLWorld.Com or Stuart.Poore@NTLWorld.Com Web Site : http://www.CornwellCommunityChurch.Org.UK