Experience Christmas
12 classes from Churchdown Village Infants and Junior schools visited St Bartholomew’s to experience Christmas 2007 in six reflective stations.
The Preparation told how Christians use Advent to get ready for Christmas by asking for forgiveness for past mistakes. We saw how the candles on the advent wreath are lit gradually until on Christmas Day Jesus, the Light of the world is born.
	The Announcement told of the angel’s visit to Mary to tell her she was to be the mother of Jesus. This station was upstairs in the Priest’s room and involved negotiating a narrow staircase with steep steps. Mary needed courage to be the mother of Jesus. The children sprinkled salt into a crock of flour to symbolise asking for courage.
The Journey told of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem and Jesus’ birth. We wondered together about tiring journeys we had made and times we had felt there was no space for us.
	The Message told of the angels’ visit to the shepherds. The children took away an angel tree decoration with a message of peace to give away.
The Promises told of God’s promises and the Magi and their gifts. The children drew a gift and put it in a special box to take with them to the last station
	The Gift. We wondered together why Christians sometimes call Jesus God’s gift to the world. As quiet music played the children left their gift around the manger.
Father Christmas OBE was at the Christmas coffee morning attended by a host of elves who had worked through the night to transform the Green Room into a grotto.

Youth Award

On 21st April 2007 Becci Goodman received an award in recognition of her contributions to the community in Gloucestershire. Becci was nominated for the award by Diocesan Youth Officer Stave Bullock for her voluntary work with the Diocesan Youth Forum and with young children in Churchdown and at St Andrew’s.

The Award Ceremony in Bingham Hall, Cirencester celebrated the stories of 28 young people across the county who have made a difference to their communities through voluntary work.

Experience Easter

300 children and their teachers came to Experience Easter at St Andrew’s during Holy Week. The children got to enter the Easter story through six stations set up around the church. Each station was led by a volunteer from the church family or a teacher. The programme was devised by Shahne Vickery, Diocesan Schools’ Advisor and others as part of the Experience Easter initiative.

The children sent drawings and letters to express their appreciation of the event. One boy said that the hour they had spent in church had been a fast hour, not like an hour spent in the car.
 

Reopening of St Bart's

On Christmas morning 2006 at 8.00am after much hard work by a dedicated team of volunteer cleaners, St Bartholomew's church on Chosen Hill reopened for worship and was attended by a congregation of over 100.  The bells also rang out to celebrate Christmas morning after several months of silence.

The interior looks fantastic after the repairs and is well worth a visit.  The whole site is resplendent on top of the hill.

Ordination of Sarah James

On Saturday 16th December 2006 St Andrew's church was packed with friends, colleagues and family for the ordination as priest of Sarah James of St Andrew's and St Bartholomew's and Mary Wilesmith of Shurdington.

Bishop Michael officiated and the occasion brought together many clergy that have been associated with our parish in recent years.

Sarah has served the parish and the diocese well for many years in a lay capacity and it was a fitting reward that Bishop Michael wanted to ordain her to continue that service in a different role where she could more fully exercise her gifts and abilities.