Church Life and What's On
2024
Tuesdays
(term time) 9.30-11.30am Church Mice, Church
Thursdays 1.30-3.30pm Talk and Tea, Church
10 January 3.00pm Lectio Divina Group, Church
24 January 3.00pm Lectio Divina Group, Church
27 January 3.00-5.00pm Messy Church at Rowbarton Methodist Church Hall
28 January 12.00 Winter Warmer Lunch, Church
Hall
7 February 3.00pm Lectio Divina Group, Church
21 February 7.30-9.00pm Lent Course*, Church
24 February 10.00-12.00 Table Top Sale and Coffee Morning, Church Hall
28 February 7.30-9.00pm Lent Course*, Church
3 March 4.00pm 'Come and Sing', Church
6 March 7.30-9.00pm Lent Course*, Church
13 March 7.30-9.00pm Lent Course*, Church
20 March 7.30-9.00pm Lent Course*, Church
23 March 3.00-5.00pm Messy Church at St Andrew's
Church Hall
21 April 12.00 'The Spring Chicken' Lunch,
Church Hall
18 May 3.00-5.00pm Messy Church at St Andrew's
Church Hall
19 May 6.00pm-7.00pm Deanery Service of Reflection, Church
8 June 2.00-4.00pm Fete on the Green, opposite the Church
21 July 12.00 Summer Lunch, Church Hall
27 July 3.00-5.00pm Messy Church, Rowbarton
Methodist Church Hall
28 September 3.00-5.00pm Messy Church, Rowbarton
Methodist Church Hall
13 October 12.00 Harvest Lunch, Church Hall
30 November 3.00-5.00pm Messy Church, St Andrew's
Church Hall
7 December 2.00-4.00pm Candlelit Christmas Market, Church
2025
25 January 3.00-5.00pm Messy Church, Rowbarton
Methodist Church Hall
Please click on the link below for regular updates of what is happening here at St Andrew's:
2023
Anthony Knight – Recital after service – 13 August 2023
You may remember that Anthony played a selection of music by Bach after the Parish Eucharist in August last year to raise money for the DEC Appeal for Ukraine.
To date Anthony has performed 63 recitals and raised £11,615 for the DEC Ukraine Appeal.
We are delighted that Anthony will be back with us to perform a varied selection of music for approximately 15 minutes after our Parish Eucharist on the 13 August.
If you are able, do stay after the service, grab a coffee and sit back to listen to Anthony perform.
His hope is to inspire other young musicians to use their talents to make a positive difference in the world.
Here is a clip of his performance of the First Movement of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with a Professional Orchestra at Taunton School on 20th March 2023:
https://youtu.be/1TODnW75yFo
#StainedGlassSummer
As part of the Church of England’s #StainedGlassSummer we would love you to visit us at St Andrew’s Church to see some of our amazing stained glass windows. We are open Tuesdays to Fridays from 8.30 to 11.30am. Leaflets are available to give you more information about the stained glass windows.
FETE ON THE GREEN - 10th June 2023
After weeks of dry weather, at 1.30pm on Saturday, the heavens opened and we were treated to showers of rain from then until 3.45PM when the sun came out once more! The rain did not dampen the enjoyment of the people who braved the weather to come to the Fete on the Green, and the stallholders, who were outside, stuck it out, kept smiling and welcomed all those who came and spent their money.
The financial result of the Fete was an amazing £1050 taken on the day which was only £251 less than was taken in 2022 when the sun shone and the crowds flocked in.
Many thanks to all who gave items to sell, or to win on the tombola stalls, to those people who gave up their afternoon to man the stalls, and all who came and supported the event. The grand draw cash prizes were distributed, and we were grateful to the firms and members of the community who supplied us with prizes for the draw and stalls.
The Fundraising Team
Church News from 2022
Christians at Taunton Pride
Some members of St Andrews Church joined the Taunton Pride March held on 16th July 2022 and joined the Christians at Taunton Pride section at the festival in Vivary Park after the march.
The Calling Podcast
Click on the link below to hear The Calling Podcast with Alan Cook and Jill Perrett:
https://thecallingpodcast.buzzsprout.com
Church Fete
The Fete on the Green held on the 11 June was a great success, and it was brilliant to see so many people coming along to visit the stalls, listen to the music, enjoy the cakes and coffee, and go home with some prizes and bargains! The total raised from the Fete was an amazing £1048 and the final total of the Grand Draw, with tickets sold at Christmas and at the Fete, was £559. A lovely community event, and we are grateful to those who supported it - members of the congregation, businesses who supplied prizes or sponsored the Draw (Trish Caller of Genius Events, Berry’s Coaches, Wookey Hole Caves, Somerset Boat Centre, Monkton Elm Garden Centre, Noah’s Ark Farm Park, Tropiquaria, Morrisons, TESCO Priorswood Road), the PCSOs Amy and Harry, Tiny Feet Pre-School, and Taunton Foodbank whose presence added to the afternoon.
The stallholders entered into the fun and decorated their stalls in red, white and blue in line with the Jubilee/Queen’s birthday theme, and the winner of the ‘Best Dressed Stall’ trophy (judged by our PCSOs) was the Mystery Gift Stall run by Janet, Joycey and Martyn [photo below by Esther Checketts]. The Bottle Stall came a close second, so well done also Darren, Steve and Carol.
Congratulations to Robin
On Tuesday 7 June a group from St Andrew's attended Choral Evensong at Wells Cathedral. Our purpose was to support the Collation and Installation of our Vicar, Robin, as Prebendary of Haselbury Plucknett.
This was an ancient ceremony set in the normal Prayer Book Evensong sung by the Cathedral Choir. The Bishop of Taunton presided, supported by Cathedral staff and other Prebendaries. During the service Robin had to swear oaths to uphold the statutes, ordinances and approved customs of the cathedral. It was a beautiful setting in the Quire of the Cathedral surrounded by magnificent architecture, the stone of which is saturated with centuries of prayer.
Becoming a Prebendary is a recognition by the Bishop and Diocese of the esteem by which Robin, our Vicar, is held and in recognition of the ministry he has, is and will exercise in his parishes and wider interests in the Church and beyond. We know of his love of the Church's liturgy and pastoral care but also his love of all things to do with transport - especially buses and trains! During the service Bishop Ruth also recognised the support Sue and their family make to Robin's ministry. We are all rightly proud of Robin and will continue our prayers for him, Sue and the family.
Thanks be to God.
2021
‘LOVE WINS’
Earlier this year, the Yarnbombing Group was approached by the organisers of Taunton Live Arts Festival to ask if we would like to join in the town-wide yarnbombing on the theme ‘Love Wins’. We were very pleased to have been asked, and accepted the invitation. After much discussion, it was decided that we would base our display on the teachings of St Paul in his letters - about LOVE (1 Corinthians 13), and the Gifts of the Spirit (Galatians 5: 22-23). Lucy offered to construct and paint some wooden rainbows from which we could hang knitted or crocheted hearts to depict love raining down. We were fortunate to receive financial help from the Festival committee, who purchased the rainbow wool and paid for the wood for the rainbows.
Ten of our group set to, and knitted and stuffed so many heart shapes that we were able to make bunting with the excess and connect the rainbows along the hall railings. Lucy and Esther erected our display on Sunday 11th July, and you can see the results – which I hope you will agree look stunning.
The aim of our group is to brighten up the Rowbarton area, and give people something to smile about as they walk past, or sit at the traffic lights along Kingston Road and St Andrew’s Road. We hope that we have achieved that aim with this display.
The question is – what shall we do next? Suggestions – and offers to join our group – welcome!
The Yarnbombers
Photos are by Esther Checketts.
