Weekend Away 7-9 July!!!

Join us for a weekend of fun, relaxation, fellowship, worship, study and going that little bit deeper in friendships and with God.

Where: Standlake Ranch, Downs Road, Standlake, Witney, Oxon, OX29 7UH

For directions see these Maps: Map 1 Map 2

Cost: £32 - includes two nights accomodation, all food and splendid company!

What to bring:

• House Slippers, Socks or naked well kept feet (No shoes allowed indoors, seriously!)
• Sleeping bag and pillow case cover (pillows provided)
• A sense of humour and a personality (just the one will do)
• Clean teeth and trainers/sports gear (for Saturday fun)
• Bible, thermal long-johns (men), jodhpurs (women)

If you haven't already signed up then you can do so by simply sending Amy an email - monies can be collected on the weekend. We'll also be organising people to give lifts nearer the time and looking for cooking volunteers, sports co-ordinators etc!

Healing Tent at Ashton Court:

Looking for people willing to pray, decorate the tent and talk to people.

From noon ‘til 11pm on Saturday 22nd & Sunday 23rd of July this year, roughly 30,000 people will visit Ashton Court to listen to live music.

But this year, it will be slightly different. For the first time, the church will be there too. Not on the main stage with a choir, but down in the market place, offering the still small voice and presence of God in the cacophony of sound that fills the air.

The Vision

The Healing Tent at Ashton Court is a place where anyone can come to rest, be prayed for, or simply chill out and listen to some ambient music. We want festival go-ers to have an experience of the shalom of God’s presence, to know His touch on their lives, in short to know that they’ve met, maybe for the first time, the Living God, in whom we live and have our being.

Who’s involved?

A number of Christians from different churches around Bristol, including Bristol Vinyard, Bristol Christian Fellowship, Alma Bethesda, Holy Trinity Hotwells, Woodlands, Fellowship of the King, and, by the time you read this, possibly more.

What will actually happen in the Healing Tent?

What will happen in the tent will partly depend on why people have come in. Some people will just be curious, others might come just to get a free bottle of water. There might be some people who specifically come to receive prayer or just a listening voice. And some might just want to crash out on a beanbag for a while and listen to some DJ-led ambient music.

How do I get involved?

Email either Naomi Knapp or Dez Futak - you will need to send in an application form to him - to get this log onto the website link:

http://www.fotk.org.uk/healingtent

Pastorate this Tuesday (27 June)

At pastorate this Tuesday Phil Thomas will be with us looking at 'What's God like? The Titles'. Phil is involved in running a practical theology course that all of our year teamers do, he has an allotment and is generally and all round top bloke.

Cooking: Rob and Holly's smallgroup

See you there, 7.15 for food in the Upper Hall.

A big thank you to all who helped cook, wash up and generally smile a lot at the football yesterday - especially Clair who demonstrated advanced-skill bacon butty making abilities. They went down very well.

England v Sweden, Tuesday 20 June

This Tuesday (20 June) we'll be watching England v Sweden at Woodlands. I am reliably informed to expect at least 65 people there so the atmosphere should be great! Do take this fantastic opportunity to invite your mates along to enjoy the footy in a non-smokey and non-threatening environment - a very easy introduction to church!


As a way to serve the wider church we're going to be serving up bacon butties at half time - the lovely Clair Miller is co-ordinating this on the food front and would like as many volunteers as possible to turn up at church for 7.30pm to help slice rolls etc (kick off is at 8pm).

See you then!

Upper Hall, 7.30pm

Sunday Social, 11 June

Meeting outside Woodies at 12 on Sunday. Walk starts over in Portbury (map), walk for around 1.5 - 2 hours then finish at the Priory pub in Portbury village for Sunday lunch around 3pm or so.

Depending on the weather it shouldn't be particularly muddy but walking boots would be good if people have them.

We'll need 2-3 cars depending on numbers. Speak to Simon Eakins or Jo Watson for further details.


A non-smokey and generally atmospheric place to watch the footy with your mates.

Tuesday 20th June | England v Sweden | 8pm

... and all England games thereafter.


A guide to the slightly confusing coming weeks...

June 6th - (usually small group) - ACM at Woodies, 7.45pm
June 11th* - Sunday Social
June 13th - (usually Pastorate) - small group meeting or if you don't want to miss it you could watch Brazil vs. Croatia
June 20th - (usually small group) - England vs. Sweden at Woodies BUT we'll commit to serve the church and their friends by giving out bacon butties or something similar at half time (if you dont like football then look at this as an opportunity to serve in a very practical way!)
June 27th - back to the normal routine with Phil Thomas leading the session on 'The Titles'
July 7 - 9th - WEEKEND AWAY!!!

[*June 8th - SMALL GROUP LEADERS MEETING]

Prayer changes things!

Many of you will have heard Highgrove Church being mentioned at Woodlands (and you'll hear some more at the ACM on Tuesday). I go there with Ruth on a Sunday mornings. Its local catchment Secondary School, Portway, has just come out of special measures. Thought I'd share what was in the news this week with you as an encouragement to all who meet to pray in the workplace:

2006 has brought about some exciting changes and success for Portway School. Ofsted have said that Portway no longer requires Special Measures and have been given a Notice of Improvement. Ofsted 'have confidence in the schools capacity to make lasting improvements'. Mr Hebden (the new Head) has been said to have 'brought fresh hope to the school and has focused, with great success, on the most urgent issues'. The report mentions significant improvements in behaviour and the management of challenging behaviour by staff.

In recent days, the turnaround at Portway has been in the local press. In the article, Mr Hebden acknowledges the impact of the Pray for Portway events:

...And he was astonished to find dozens of people from local churches, who meet regularly in the school, were praying for it to overcome some of its difficulties. "I'm not a religious person myself, but that was amazing," he said.