DECEMBER 2020
Christmas Day - Family Service
On our Christmas Morning family service we rejoice in the arrival of the birth of Jesus.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel.
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth”
Christmas Eve - Christingle Service
Join us on Christmas Eve at 3pm for an online Christingle service. Take part in our crafts and join in with some Christmas songs together.
Craft elements you will need:
Orange x1
Candle x 1
Silver foil cut into a square
Cocktail Sticks x4
Sweets
Raisins
You will also need scissors and red tape/ribbon (and perhaps adult supervision!)
Sunday 20th December - Fourth Sunday in Advent
On this Fourth Sunday in Advent, join us as we gather online to watch the Christmas Lessons & Carol service. Listen to how the birth of Jesus was foretold and how the angels, shepherds and magi (Kings) all had their parts to play in the Christmas Story.
You can download the lessons to read along as well as the carols.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
Sunday 13th December - Third Sunday in Advent
Our service on this Third Sunday was held live on Zoom as we gathered as a church family for worship. The Venerable Stephen Pullin, joined us to preach.
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and praise God through our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
Sunday 6th December - Second Sunday in Advent
On this Second Sunday in Advent we reflect on Isaiah’s beautiful message of hope for the people of Israel. Hope in a Saviour who will bring comfort to God’s people. What brings us hope in life? Are we messengers of hope for others?
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and praise God through our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
NOVEMBER 2020
Micah’s Message: Compassion - 29th November
Advent Sunday
On this Advent Sunday, we conclude our sermon series in the book of Micah. This week our preacher is Revd. John Freeman, curate at Greyfriars Church, Reading. He reminds us that our God is a God of compassion and forgiveness. He is a God of turnaround. No matter what situation we find ourselves in, God can take our brokenness, and that of those we love, and turn it around if we ask him.
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and praise God through our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
Micah’s Message: True Worship - 22nd November
We continue in our series in Micah today in chapter 6. Micah tells the people that they have lost their first love for God. They have forgotten what true worship is all about. God ‘calls out’ his people because he doesn’t want to lose them. What about us? Are we just going through the motions in our worship? Have we lost that first love we had for God? Do we know what truly pleases God?
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and praise God through our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
Micah’s Message: Against Injustice - 15th November
We are back in our series in Micah today with some tough and relevant words from this faithful prophet. Why is it that we always long for more? How can we stop ourselves wanting what others have? And, like Micah’s listeners, do we pick and choose which bits of God’s word we listen to? Come and allow God to speak to you through our service today.
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and praise God through our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
Micah’s Message: Hope - Remembrance Sunday - 8th November
We have come together to give thanks to Almighty God for his deliverance of our nation in times of war and danger; to remember with gratitude the courage and devotion of those who laid down their lives; to commend to God's care those who suffer as a result of war; and to pray for peace and justice in the world at this time.
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and praise God through our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
Micah’s Message: Sorrow - 1st November
We are beginning a new series today in the Old Testament book of Micah. The prophet Micah spoke God's word faithfully to the people of Judah over a period which saw the reign of four different kings. The book is therefore composed of different sermons as he speaks into different settings and to the different responses of the people to God. Yet his overarching message to them and to us is the same: we please God by loving mercy, acting justly and walking humbly with him (6:8). Our God is a God of mercy, yet he hates injustice and the oppression of the weak and powerless and we are to be like him. We will look at each of his messages in turn.
Today, his first message is a message of sorrow. Micah mourns the injustice and sin he sees in Judah. What is our response to sin and injustice in our world - and in our own lives?
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and praise God through our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
OCTOBER 2020
This is Living: Humility & Endurance - 25th October
Today we finish our series in 1 Peter, looking at chapter 5. As Peter concludes his letter, he returns to two attitudes that have run through it: humility in relation to others and boldness in resisting evil. They are the most striking ways in which God's people are most like Christ and most unlike the world.
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and praise God through our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
This is Living: Holy & Loving - 18th October
We are continuing in our series in 1 Peter today, looking at chapter 4 and the call on us to be a holy and loving people. What does that look like practically?
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and praise God through our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
This is Living: True Witness - 11th October
We are continuing in our series in the letter of 1 Peter.
Today, in chapter 3, we are thinking about true witness - how we live in such a way that points people to Jesus, witnessing to him and his goodness and love.
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and praise God through our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
Harvest: A Time of Thanksgiving - 4th October
Today we are celebrating Harvest.
It is a time in the year, as the crops are gathered in and winter is just ahead, when we focus especially on giving thanks to God for all his good gifts to us, for his faithfulness and loving care. As we worship a generous God, so we also must be a generous people.
Our prayer focus and harvest giving this year is for Tearfund and their work with those particularly vulnerable to the impact of the pandemic.
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and praise God through our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
SEPTEMBER 2020
This is Living: Submitting to Others - 27th September
We are in the third week of our series ‘This is Living’, looking at the letter of 1 Peter.
We are a thinking today about how we live and relate to others, especially those in authority over us and asking how we do live in a way that brings glory to God. Peter wants us to follow in Christ’s steps - he is our example.
Revd. Susie Templeton, Curate at Emmanuel Church is preaching today.
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and praise God through our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
This is Living: A New Identity - 20th September
We are in the second week of our new series ‘This is Living’, looking at the letter of 1 Peter. We are thinking about the new identity that we have in Jesus and all that means for us as individuals and as a church. Peter describes the church as precious and chosen, beloved.
How does that change how we see ourselves and how we see each other, the church?
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and praise God through our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
This is Living: Praise & Hope - 13th September
How should we live as Christians today? Our new six week sermon series in the letter of 1 Peter asks this question.
Peter writes to the early church which was finding life and faith hard in the face of persecution. His words have truth for us today. As Jesus lived so should we, as living examples of the good news of God’s love.
Today we start in chapter 1 thinking about praise. Peter begins his letter full of praise of God and all that he had done for us through Jesus. Why do we find praising God so hard?
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and praise God through our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
Action Heroes: Firm Foundations - 6th September
As we finish our summer Action Heroes series today, our focus is on Jesus as the firm foundation in life.
For all the action heroes and heroines in our sermon series, Jesus was their firm foundation whatever life threw at them. Today in Acts 4 we see particularly in Peter’s life how that was the case.
For us as a church and as individuals, it really matters what underpins our life, particularly when everything around us is so uncertain. May Jesus be our rock, our cornerstone, our firm foundation.
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and sing along to our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
AUGUST 2020
Action Heroes: Priscilla & Aquila - Sunday 30th August
Today we are looking at a couple called Priscilla and Aquila.
They lived boldly for Jesus. They met Paul in Corinth and then worked with him there to build up the church. We see how they lived lives that were expectant for all that God was going to do. Lives that were excited about building for God’s kingdom and lives that encouraged others. As we begin a new term, how is God calling us to serve him in new ways?
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and sing along to our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
Action Heroes: Paul - Sunday 23rd August
Paul faced many hardships to share the good news of Jesus. He is the ultimate action hero of the book of Acts. This story of the shipwreck is perhaps one of the most dramatic. He put his confidence in God even in the midst of the storm. God was his rock and his deliverer.
Martyn Eden is preaching for us today. Martyn was the founding Dean of the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, Director of Public Affairs for the Evangelical Alliance and until his retirement in 2020 Political Editor of Premier Christian Radio. He is a Licensed Lay Minister and, most importantly, Revd. Sarah’s Dad.
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and sing along to our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
Action Heroes: Lydia - Sunday 16th August
In Acts 16 we read about the conversion of Lydia in Philippi.
She was a successful business woman, a trader in purple cloth. She hears Paul speak about Jesus and asks to be baptised, along with her household. She welcomes Paul and Silas to stay at her home and then the growing church in Philippi begins to meet there, including the town jailor and his family after they hear about Jesus.
Revd. Susie Templeton will be preaching for us today.
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and sing along to our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
Action Heroes: Peter & Rhoda - Sunday 9th August
Following our series on Action Heroes, this week we focus on Acts chapter 12 looking at Peter & Rhoda.
Peter is in prison facing death and the church prays earnestly, constantly, night and day. Incredibly and miraculously their prayers are answered and Peter walks free. Even Peter, can’t quite believe it.
Do you pray with expectation that God will answer your prayers, and often in ways that far exceed our hopes and dreams?
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and sing along to our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
Action Heroes: Barnabas - Sunday 2nd August
Our second discussion in our Action Heroes series is about Barnabas.
There are times in our lives, when a word or deed by another can make all the difference to how we see things and whether we give up or not. Have you experienced that in your life?
In our reading today from Acts 11, we come across Barnabas, whose name means ‘son of encouragement”. Barnabas appears quite a few times in the book of Acts. Every time he does, his words and actions are to encourage and build others up, regardless of the impact on himself.
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and sing along to our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
JULY 2020
Action Heroes: Ordinary People - Sunday 26th July
Our new series, in the book of Acts, called Action Heroes will be looking at those who sought to witness and live boldly for Jesus in the power of the Spirit.
Acts is inspiring because its characters are ordinary like me and you. Yet, filled with the Spirit, they do incredible things - although certainly not without hardship or risk to their own lives.
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and sing along to our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
Faith under Pressure: Injustice - Sunday 19th July
We are concluding our series: Faith under Pressure, this Sunday looking at the book of Daniel, chapter 6 and injustice. Over the last six weeks, we have been thinking about the different pressures on our faith, especially during this time of lockdown. The reality of life is that our walk with God is not always easy - we have knocks to our faith, questions, disappointments and what seems sometimes like deafening silence from God in the face of evil or injustice. What do we do when our faith is under pressure?
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and sing along to our hymns for today.
10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
Faith under Pressure: Self-love - Sunday 12th July
We are continuing this Sunday with our new series: Faith under Pressure, looking at the book of Daniel, chapter 5. We are thinking about self-love and Revd. John Freeman is preaching for us.
Revd. John is Curate at Greyfriars Reading. Before that, John trained at St Mellitus College in London and was Worship Pastor at Christ Church Surbiton Hill. John and his wife Steph are both originally from Newbury and are expecting their first child in October.
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and sing along to our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
Faith under Pressure: Pride - Sunday 5th July
We are continuing this Sunday with our series Faith under Pressure looking at the book of Daniel chapter 4. We are thinking about pride and asking whether it impacts our lives, in terms of who or what we truly live for.
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and sing along to our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
JUNE 2020
Faith under Pressure: Idolatry - 28th June
We are continuing this Sunday with our new series: Faith under Pressure, looking at the book of Daniel. This week we are thinking about idolatry and about the pressure we face in our lives to push God to one side. Martyn Eden leads us in our worship.
Martyn was the founding Dean of the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, Director of Public Affairs for the Evangelical Alliance and until his retirement in 2020 Political Editor of Premier Christian Radio. He is a Licensed Lay Minister and, most importantly, Revd. Sarah’s dad
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and sing along to our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
Faith under Pressure: Fear - 21st June
We are continuing this Sunday with our new series: Faith under Pressure, looking at the book of Daniel. This week we are thinking about fear and our response to it, especially as we each live with future uncertainties.
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and sing along to our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
Faith under Pressure: Compromise - 14th June
We are starting a new six week sermon series today called Faith under Pressure, looking at the book of Daniel in the Old Testament. We are going to be asking how is our faith doing? In Daniel 1, we see Daniel taking a stand for God. What motivates him? Are there areas in our life when we compromise our faith too easily?
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and sing along to our hymns for today.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
Trinity - 7th June
Worship with us as Revd. Sarah reminds us that our God is a God of embrace, of generous self-giving love and who is three in one: the Father, the Son and the Spirit.
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and sing along to our hymns for today.
What is the Trinity? - The Trinity is complex but profoundly important. It explains who God is - a God of love, of relationship, who loves us not out of need (He isn’t lonely), but because that is who He is. He is three, and yet one, and wants for us, through Jesus, to be part of that community of love. Watch this short video from the Bible Project which looks into who God is in more detail.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
MAY 2020
Pentecost - Sunday 31st May
Worship with us as Revd. Sarah, and guest preacher The Bishop of Reading, Rt. Revd. Olivia Graham, celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost also marks the birth of the Church because it celebrates the day that the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and gave them great boldness to speak of Jesus.
Click to read our Bible passages for today.
Click to watch and sing along to our hymns for today.
The Holy Spirit - Want to go deeper? Questions on who is the Holy Spirit? Where is He mentioned in the Bible? Watch this short video, by the Bible Project, which looks in more detail at the Holy Spirit.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
Sunday 24th May
Click the video to worship with us as Revd. Sarah, and others, lead us in an extended service that includes the Confession, Songs, Readings, Talk, Prayers and a Blessing.
Click to read the Bible passages for this week: Acts 1: 6-14, John 17: 1-11.
Click to listen and sing along, if you wish, to our songs for the week:
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
Ascension Day - Sunday 21st May
Click the video to worship with us as Revd. Sarah and guest preacher Revd. James Mather lead us in the Ascension Day service.
For the last 40 days we have been celebrating the resurrection of our Lord Jesus during this Eastertide. Today we are remember how he left this Earth and returned to the Father, and is seated at his right hand.
Click to read the Bible passages: John 17: 1-5, 11-19, Luke 24: 44-53.
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
Sunday 17th May
Click the video to worship with us as Revd. Sarah, and others, lead us in an extended service that includes the Confession, Songs, Readings, Talk, Prayers and a Blessing.
Click to read the Bible passages for this week: Acts 17: 22-31, John 14: 15-21.
Click to listen and sing along, if you wish, to our songs for the week:
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
Sunday 10th May
Click the video to worship with us as Revd. Sarah, and others, lead us in an extended service that includes the Confession, Songs, Readings, Talk, Prayers and a Blessing.
Click to read the Bible passages for this week: Acts 7: 54-60, John 14: 1-14.
Click to listen and sing along, if you wish, to our songs for the week:
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
Sunday 3rd May
Click the video to worship with us as Revd. Sarah, and others, lead us in an extended service that includes the Confession, Songs, Readings, Talk, Prayers and a Blessing.
Click to read the Bible passages for this week: Acts 2: 42-47, John 10: 1-10.
Click to listen and sing along, if you wish, to our songs for the week:
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
APRIL 2020
Sunday 26th April
Click the video to worship with us as Revd. Sarah, and others, lead us in an extended service that includes the Confession, Songs, Readings, Talk, Prayers and a Blessing.
Click to read the Bible passages for this week: Acts 2: 36-41, Luke 24: 13-35
Watch a video dramatisation of Luke 24: The appearance of Christ on the road to Emmaus from the BBC mini series ‘The Passion’.
Click to listen and sing along, if you wish, to our songs for the week:
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
Sunday 19th April
Click the video to worship with Rev. Sarah, and members of the congregation, in a full service covering the Confession, Readings, Talk, Prayers and the Blessing.
Click to read the Bible passages for this week: Acts 2: 14a, 22-23, John 20: 19-31
Click to listen and sing along, if you wish, to our songs for the week:
To view the children’s worship, please click here.
Easter Sunday - 12th April
Click to listen & read the Bible passages for Easter Sunday: Acts 10: 34-43, John 20: 1-18
Click to listen and sing along, if you wish, to our songs for the week:
Good Friday - 10th April
Click to listen & read the Bible passage for Good Friday: Psalm 22: 1-19, Mark 15: 21-40
Click to listen and sing along, if you wish, to our songs for the day:
The Power of the Cross
Maundy Thursday - 9th April
Click to listen & read the Bible passage for Maundy Thursday: John 13: 1-17
Follow us in prayer
Click to listen and sing along, if you wish, to our songs for the week:
Palm Sunday - 5th April
Click the video to watch Rev. Sarah Jones’ reflection for Palm Sunday.
Click to read the Bible passages for the week:
Click to listen and sing along, if you wish, to our songs for the week:
MARCH 2020
Sunday 29th March
Click to read the Bible passages for the week: Romans 8: 6-11, John 11: 1-44
Click to listen and sing along, if you wish, to our songs for the week:
Mothering Sunday - 22nd March
Click to read the Bible passages for the week: Colossians 3: 12-17, John 19: 25-27
Click to listen and sing along, if you wish, to our songs for the week:
Sunday 15th March
Click to read the Bible passages for the week: Exodus 17: 1-7, John 4: 5-29
Click to listen and sing along, if you wish, to our songs for the week: