FUTURE PLANS – MESSAGE FROM THE VICAR

In late 2020 I felt the Lord speak to me through Paul’s storm journey in Acts 27.  Paul was imprisoned on a boat when a terrifying storm threatened to destroy the boat and everyone on it.  In the middle of the sea, with no land in sight, suddenly in the distance they saw new lands.  They didn’t know what or who was there but there were definitely new lands to head towards offering fresh hope.

As a church, in January 2021 we started asking, ‘Lord help us see the new lands beyond the storm of this pandemic and then reveal what you want to be constructed there for your kingdom purposes.’

As the last 6 months have passed by it feels as though the Lord has given us some clarity about the ‘new lands’ in at least two significant ways:

i)Firstly, at the beginning of yet another lockdown it was a really good opportunity to seek fresh vision for how this part of the Body of Christ in Gleneagles Church can join with God in building His kingdom, as we emerge from this storm.  The Vision is now complete with the strategy being a working document.  The Vision booklet is available by clicking on the link in the Vision section below.

ii) Secondly, prior to the pandemic Gleneagles Anglican Church had a long held vision to build a new church and community centre on the land opposite the Ock ‘n’ Dough.  The money required for this has not materialised.

However, at the end of May 2021 we were invited to consider extending our parish by including all that is within the neighbouring parish of Great Harrowden (Glenvale Park, Redhill Grange and the hamlet of Great Harrowden).   This also included the parish church building at Great Harrowden on the A509, All Saints.

We are delighted to accept this offer to extend God’s mission in this way!

The parish church needs some re-ordering and so our Sunday services will remain at Redwell Primary School until later in 2022.  (We still have the land opposite the Ock ‘n’ Dough and over the coming months we will need to make a decision about that).

These two things combined have given us much to be excited about and a clear sense of God’s heart and purpose as we look forward to the next chapter in the life of this church.

This information can be found under the Mission Partners tab and will be regularly updated.

To keep up to date with what is happening with our Mission Partners
click here to read our Blog.

You can also check out the individual pages for each Mission Partner for more information:

• Acts of Hope
• Jimmy and Katia Rocks in Brazil
• Mark and Arlene Rowell in Moldova
• Nations
• The Daylight Centre
• Wellingborough Street Pastors

• Established in 2013
• Work alongside the Police, Pubs and Clubs, the Council and the local Pubwatch
• Help, Care & Listen to those in need and Serve the Night Time Economy
• Currently 15 Commissioned Street Pastors, with three trainees about to be commissioned and seven more in training. One of our Street Pastors is a trained Response Pastor
• Go out a minimum of three weekends per month – Our long term aim is to cover all weekends

What we do whilst we are out?

• We work as part of the Urban Trinity – the Police, the Council and The Church
• Patrol within town centre
• Carry a Police radio so that we are in contact with local CCTV and door staff, and so that we can respond to situations
• Work with door staff to resolve situations
• Look after rough sleepers with hot drinks, food and company
• Look after people on their night out who may be a bit worse for wear.

What do we need?

• Street Pastors
• Prayer Pastors
• Financial Support
• Prayer Support

For more information click here

Milestones

• September 2018, Maria Seaman and John Mulhall began a Lay Pioneer’s Course.
• The final part of this course was to develop a way to reach out to people outside of the established church. Independently of each other both Maria and John had the Homeless of Wellingborough put on their hearts, and they were given the name “Street Church.”
• As part of their research Maria and John contacted Street Church Northampton, only to discover that their contact at Street Meals was a key member of that team
• Also, as part of their research, Maria and John went to the Redeeming our Communities (ROC) session in Wellingborough and were introduced to two people from Teen Challenge who they had heard of having tried to set up something similar to Street Church in the past.
• A Meeting was set up with Teen Challenge and from this it was agreed to start what we would call Community Church on Palm Sunday 2019 and to continue once a month aimed at providing spiritual and physical refreshment to the homeless and socially excluded of Wellingborough
• Over the next 10 months regular services were held with guest speakers and hot food, plus a pamper session with a barbeque and a Christmas Meal.
• Community Church changed its name to Street Church as it linked in with Street Church Northampton
• Covid 19 affected Street Church in that we cannot meet, but volunteers worked with other groups to work with the homeless during this time.
• In early 2021, Street Church Northampton decided to close, and the name etc has been passed top Street Church Wellingborough to continue the work

What we do?

• Monthly services with worship songs, readings and a talk, plus hot food and hot drinks at the Daylight Centre, on the first Sunday of each month.
• Spend time with homeless and socially excluded

What do we need?

• Local Churches’ Support 
  • To provide and serve hot food and drinks on a rota basis for the services
  • Guest Speakers (so far, we have had speakers from St Mark’s, Gleneagles, Street Pastors, the Gideons and Teen Challenge)
  • People to offer services at pamper sessions such as hair dressing, manicures etc.

• Other Support
  • Financial Support

• Prayer Support
  • Everything we do is underpinned by prayer.

In-person services

Dear All,
Good news!!! We are returning to some in-person services at Redwell School – what a joy to finally physically gather.  I don’t know about you but for me it has felt completely counter intuitive not gathering in the way we were used to.

There will inevitably be mixed feelings about this, some will be very excited while others may feel nervous.  Every COVID safe measure will be taken but it is important you know that no-one is under any obligation to return to in-person services until you feel safe to do so.  And if you are in the extremely vulnerable category please follow the advice given by your GP.

We are starting with 3 monthly services through to June and hope to build from there.  The first service will be on the 18^th April.  Sunday club team are working out what they will do regarding the children that morning but we are unable to offer separate groups for children during services at this stage.  The other services will be All Age.

Below is a slightly sobering list of the guidelines we will need to follow.  It will feel different and services will be shorter!  But churches around the diocese who have opened at various stages have found that people got used to the difference and appreciated being able to meet and worship together.

Please read these guidelines carefully:

• -At this time restrictions mean we cannot have a creche area.  If you have very young children you are welcome to bring some of their toys or we can provide this but they cannot be shared with another household.
• -You will need to book in for a service with Dawn Airey between the Monday and Friday in the week leading up to the service.  Block bookings will not be taken in order to allow for others to attend services.
  -If you have booked in for a service but develop COVID-19 symptoms please do not come to the service but let Dawn Airey know so that someone on the waiting list could be offered the opportunity to attend the service.
• -When you arrive for the service, please observe socially distancing at all times, including outside.   You will be met by a welcomer who will ask you to sanitise your hands.
• -You will need to wear a face mask when you enter the building.  You can take your mask off if you are supporting the service in some way (ie a reader, service leader, etc), or if you are exempt.
• -As you enter the building there will be a list of who is booked in and a seating plan of where you will be seated.  You can only sit with members of your own household and/or bubble.
• -When ushered in please go straight to your seat and remain seated.  Please do not wander around the building talking to others.  Every seating area is at least 2m x 2m, and some are considerably bigger to allow for more than one or two per household.
• -At this time, while the band can sing (the band will be made up of a single household), the congregation is not allowed to sing during the service.  But we can stand, jump and wave our arms around!!
• -We are asked to leave the building via the fire exit as soon as the service has ended.  Please don’t stay behind in the building unless you are on the rota to clear/clean.
• – Unfortunately we cannot offer tea/coffee and biscuits/cake after services at this time.
• -Similarly we will not have a flowers rota for now.
• -Please adhere to Government guidelines once you are outside the building.
• -The disabled toilet will be available for use during the service.  Please do not use the other toilets.
  -Please try to avoid touching anything that is not necessary to touch.

Let’s pray that the guidelines are able to change as quickly as the Prime Minister is hoping!!!!

Every Blessing
Revd Dawn Airey

Hi All, 

Hope you are well. I have attached the link to our latest link letter.    

Please keep us in your prayers. COVID cases have gone up here and we are having weekend lockdowns, with things operating at 25% capacity Monday to Friday. It’s uncertain as to whether the weekend lockdowns will continue beyond this first weekend of March. We are starting our discipleship school this month also.

Blessings,

Jimmy

Many thanks to all those who helped prepare and deliver the Lent Bags the week before Ash Wednesday. Remember the Ice? The Snow? Those Freezing Temperatures? Fear not! Nothing was going to stop the bags getting there on time!

This is being run throughout Peterborough Diocese during Lent, although each church will study it separately.

It is on  Wednesday evenings 7.30 pm to 9.00 pm, with the last session on Wednesday 31st March 2021.

It is based on the book of Hebrews.

Bishop Donald has prepared videos especially for this. These videos – see below – will appear in time for each session.

VIDEOS

Week 1 –  Wednesday 17th February 2021.

 1. Hebrews ch 1-3 (8’47).mp4

 1. Jesus – greater than religion (34 ’03).mp4

Week 2 – Wednesday 24th February 2021

 2. Jesus – a great high priest (28’17).mp4

 2. Hebrews ch 4-5 (5’21).mp4

Week 3 Wednesday 3rd March 2021

3. Jesus – made perfect (29’02).mp4

Week 4 Wednesday 10th March 2021

4. Jesus – mediator of a new covenant (28’26).mp4

Week 5 Wednesday 17th March 2021

 5. Jesus – a finished work (26’45).mp4

Week 6 Wednesday 24th March 2021

 6. Something better – by faith (27’57).mp4

Week 7 Wednesday 31st March 2021

 7. Looking to Jesus (27’18).mp4