Community groups

We recently started our community groups which aim to be part of the bigger mission of sharing God’s love with our community. There were three groups in September and they will continue this month, with any more that you might like to start. You can find out more about the first groups below.

We are still keen to hear your thoughts about these groups, so if you have a heart for starting a new group that others from inside and outside the church could join in with, or you feel that God has stirred you to put your faith into action in a new way, do let us know.

The groups will be meeting again on Sunday 17 October. We’d love it if you are able to join in with one of them – watch out for details in the news sheet.

'Bespoke' Cycling Group

Some of us love cycling and chatting about stuff that causes us to think and reflect. We thought about combining these things and have come up with the BeSpoke cycling group. The group sets off from the church for a bike ride with a stop half way for a cuppa and chat. Someone from the group brings a thought for the day type thing or a question that they’d like discuss and then we have a chat. This group is completely open and inclusive, and we love hearing from different perspectives. You definitely don’t need to be super fit as we go as slow as the slowest rider!

Here's the group at South Hill Park, last month’s destination:

Listening to our community and raising awareness of community issues

This group is based at the Mulberry Grove estate to meet with and get to know the people who live there. We would like to build on the connections we have made through cake bombing over the last couple of years. The group started last month by distributing invitation leaflets for next October’s activities.

We will provide refreshments such as drinks and cakes and cookies, and provide activities for the children – including art activities and games. We would also like to help in terms of raising awareness of community issues that affect us all. One of these issues which has become an alarming reality all over the country in recent years is county lines drug trafficking. This is the exploitation of children and vulnerable adults for the purposes of distribution of drugs. Criminal gangs are grooming and recruiting children everywhere including Wokingham and are using chilling levels of violence to keep them compliant. It is important that we all know how to spot the signs and to take action before our children are trapped in this horrible crime. We have awareness raising material that we will offer the people we encounter on our Sunday mornings as we also listen to them and build relationships.

You can join the group to chat with local residents, take part in the children’s activities, or help with practical activities such as setting up the gazebo or serving refreshments.

Here’s the team having a well-earned rest after distributing over 200 invitations last month:

Litter Picking Group

We would like to make our town safer for our local wildlife and help rid it of the rubbish that gathers in the verges and blows down the street.

Here is the litter picking group after their hour’s circuit which started at the church building, showing off their impressive haul of the litter: