Activities

Church Activities

· At present there are a group of 6 pastoral visitors with a designated lay co-ordinator. Others assist from time to time. There are three groups of sheltered housing in the village each with their own community room. Several people within these sheltered housing are visited regularly. Work in these facilities is an area for expansion.

· Sunday Stars meets every Sunday morning - in church on the first Sunday at the informal Family Service, and every other Sunday in the church hall, then joining those in church for Holy Communion/blessing.

· The 8 members of the youth group met through the autumn to prepare for confirmation. They now meet at other times to plan events and discuss further ways of living their faith. They are hoping to encourage others to follow them. The Sunday Stars and the Youth Group together put on a Musical Nativity in the church every Christmas Eve, this is a major village celebration.

· Another village tradition is the Good Friday Workshop when children from the village, together with a large dedicated group of adults, come together for an art and craft morning based on the Easter story. A service and shared meal are then enjoyed after all the activities.

· A committed group of flower arrangers decorate the church on a regular basis and some also flower arrange at the Alexandra Hospital, Redditch.
· A gardener is employed for a few hours per month to look after The Garden of Memory. Anyone living in the parish or who has been a regular worshipper here may have their ashes buried in the garden.
· Various fund raising events are held throughout the year to raise funds, not only for the church and different charities, but also to provide another point of contact with the community. The Strawberry Tea and regular concerts are of particular note.

Community Activities

The church hall doubles as the village hall since the larger local halls belong to the schools. In addition there is a smaller hall alongside the Methodist Church.

· The Women’s fellowship meets once a month in the church hall with about 15 members from the community, including members from the Methodist Church, regularly attending.
· The Music Group, which includes non church members, was founded by members of the congregation and meet in one another’s homes.
· A Parent and Toddler group meets on Thursday mornings in the hall. This is not a church founded group but it is keen to join in church activities when it can.
· An Art and Craft Club meets once a month after school where children and adults enjoy this activity together. Church members run this in the church hall.
· The local carnival has been running for 24 years with the church regularly supporting this by running a stall. The Carnival Committee has frequently donated grants from its proceeds to the church and hall.
· Yoga classes, the local bridge club and dance school are all based in the church hall.

Schools

The Pre-School, for children from 2 years old, meets in the hall four days of the week in school hours. Once a month the Pre-School go into the church for a story about Jesus, this is then followed by artwork finishing with songs and a prayer.

Despite not being a church school, Astwood Bank First School, 300 pupils, uses the church for various celebrations e.g. Harvest Festival. The church is invited to send someone to lead closing prayers and a blessing. Classes are also regularly shown around to explain the workings of the church.

The Ridgeway Middle School, 480 pupils, has recently appointed a new headteacher. Contact with the school has recently been re-established with the aim to expand this in the future. The previous vicar was Chairman of Governors and often showed class groups around the church as part of their Religious Education lessons.