Blog

Are you baby?

Posted by Pete Matthew on 29 October 2017 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

No one likes to be called a baby. In the passage we’re looking at in church today the writer of Hebrews accuses the 1st century Roman Christians of being just like that, “You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant.” They thought, because they’d got the basics right about the Christian faith, they didn’t need to try and understand anything deeper. They thought they could just tread water.

No one thinks like that in general life, we want to learn and develop, we want to progress in our careers. But, are we in danger of being infantile in our Christian faith? Are we treading water? The writer encourages them to “move beyond the elementary teaching about Christ and be taken forward to maturity.” This is a great encouragement for us to keep growing in our knowledge and love of Christ. If you’re not sure how to do that please ask someone you trust Don’t stay a baby Christian, grow up!

Upcoming events:

A Monk’s Tale
Saturday 11th November
7.30pm-9.30pm
Windsor Youth & Community Centre, Alma Road, Windsor, SL4 3HD

Tickets £10 – More info or to book: pete@windsorfellowship.com

Friday 1st December – Christmas Wreath Making – Ladies’ guest event – A fun, relaxed evening making Christmas wreaths. This is a ticketed event. More details to come soon.

Saturday 9th December 6pm – Carols…in a pub! – Great fun, great carols, great atmosphere – Duchess of Cambridge pub – If you were there last year, you won’t need convincing to come along. If you weren’t there, ask someone who was and they’ll tell you it was brilliant!

Sunday 10th December 4pm – All Age Nativity – Everyone who wants a part is guaranteed a role – last year we had babies to granddads dressed up! A great event for all the family.

Saturday 16th December 7.30pm – Church Christmas Social – Details coming soon.

Sunday 17th December 4pm – Carols by (some) candlelight – Traditional service of lessons and carols – the youth centre can actually look Christmassy!

Sunday 24th December 4pm – Low key carols – Relaxed Christmas Eve service.

Monday 25th December 10am – Christmas Day Celebration – Hopkins’ house – Beech House, Hermitage Lane, SL4 4AZ. If in Windsor, please join the church family in celebrating the birth of our Saviour.

A Monk’s Tale

Posted by Pete Matthew on 12 October 2017 in Press Releases, Windsor Fellowship Church News | Leave a comment

“A hugely entertaining hour” The Times

A Monk’s Tale
Saturday 11th November
7.30pm-9.30pm
Windsor Youth & Community Centre, Alma Road, Windsor, SL4 3HD

Tickets £10 – More info or to book: pete@windsorfellowship.com

This show is about Martin Luther. And it’s for people who aren’t quite sure which Luther we’re talking about. With a feeling of Horrible Histories and Monty Python, A Monk’s Tale helps the audience understand the unfamiliar medieval mindset, and exactly what Luther was trying to do with his 95 Theses, which sparked one of the most significant movements in history: the Reformation.

The show is light, accessible and funny, using sketches, and songs to explain the specifics of the story: the indulgences, purgatory, the sacraments and theological disputes of the period. As the play unfolds, the audience will be informed and challenged as well as entertained and amused.

Suitable for all ages and all faiths, as well as skeptics, the fast-paced hour-long show also covers the Wycliffe and the Lollards, popes, princes and the seismic changes brought on by the internet of its time, the Printing Press.

“I laughed a lot… energetically choreographed, and packed with lyrical wit… smartly-judged art.” – Christian Today

“A great deal of silliness make for a hugely entertaining hour that revels in the absurdities of one of the biggest religious arguments in history.”
– Damian Arnold, The Times

Thank God for Harvest

Posted by Pete Matthew on 14 September 2017 in Weekly Email, Windsor Fellowship Church News | Leave a comment

Harvest is a great time of year to remind us to give thanks to God for all He is and all He does and all He has given us. Giving thanks also reminds us of how God has blessed us and that encourages us to be generous. Below is a wonderful photograph of some children in the Lebanon receiving some of the clothes donated by you. Thank you for your generosity.

We have a “Thank God for Harvest” event coming up on Sunday 1st October at 2pm. It will be a fun filled, all age family event. There will be games and crafts and activities and food, and a short talk about giving thanks to God for all he has given us. Please pray for this event and think about who you can invite to come with you?

Additionally, during our normal church meeting from 4pm, on the 1st October, we have Ruth from Compassion International coming to tell us about her experiences growing up in South East Asia as a sponsored child. There will be an opportunity for us to think whether we could sponsor a child ourselves, perhaps that could be your harvest gift this year.

Upcoming events:

Saturday 16th September 4pm – Church BBQ – a wonderful chance to spend time with each other – RSVP to arlenecarson@hotmail.co.uk

Thursday 21st September 7.45pm – Women’s evening with Sarah Sayer as guest speaker – RSVP to jenny.perry@lambrookschool.co.uk

Sunday 1st October 2pm – Thank God for Harvest – All Age family fun activity afternoon in celebration of Harvest

Looking ahead:

November 11th – A Monk’s Tale – A professionally performed comedy play about the reformation – Windsor Youth & Community Centre – Tickets and more details coming soon

New Start

Posted by Pete Matthew on 13 September 2017 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Even if you’ve not been away during the summer I do hope you’ve had a chance to ease back on the usual hectic pace of life. We all need time for relaxation. However, the summer is coming to an end and now it’s back to work (or school or university). My brain is conditioned to think of September as the start of a new year. So, it’s a good time to reflect on some big questions: What will this year be like? What will God teach me? How can I serve Him more effectively?

Those are good questions to ask at any point, but perhaps with September upon us you could spend some time thinking about them today.

Also, with so many of us being away for parts of the last few weeks, September is a great time to reconnect with our church family. Why not come along this Sunday, or even this Saturday join us for our Church BBQ!

Upcoming events:

Saturday 16th September 4pm – Church BBQ – a wonderful chance to spend time with each other – arlenecarson@hotmail.co.uk

Thursday 21st September 7.30pm – Women’s evening with Sarah Sayer as guest speaker

Sunday 1st October 2pm – Thank God for Harvest – All Age family fun activity afternoon in celebration of Harvest

Looking ahead:

November 11th – A Monk’s Tale – A professionally performed comedy play about the reformation – Windsor Youth & Community Centre – Tickets and more details coming soon

Regards,

Pete Matthew
Senior Minister, Windsor Fellowship Church

What’s your vision like?

Posted by Pete Matthew on 9 March 2017 in Weekly Email, Windsor Fellowship Church News | Leave a comment

What’s your vision like? Not seeing clearly is a real problem. Without my glasses I stumble around and can’t find anything. That image is also true of us as a church. If we don’t a have a clear vision we’ll stumble around and be ineffective.

Therefore, to help us all see clearly what we’re trying to be like and what we’re striving to do here at the Windsor Fellowship Church we’re going to have a Vision and Mission Dinner on the 21st April. At this dinner we’ll have a great time together as a church family and think about our vision as a church. As a group, we will think about what God wants us to do and how we can work towards that goal.

Please put this event in your diary now and do all you can to be with us. It will be in the evening. Other details have yet to be finalised. We’re hoping this Dinner will enthuse all of us to want to be involved in all we do as a church family.

Upcoming events:

Monday 6th March – 7.30pm – Youth Bible Study – A new group for our teenagers to meet to discuss whether the Bible is true and how it might be relevant to their lives. For more information contact Pete Matthew.
Wednesday 15th April – 7.45pm – Monthly Prayer Meeting – 90 Frances Road, SL4 3AN
Saturday 25th March – Youth event and social – More details from Alicia Felce

Future dates for your diary:

Sunday 2nd April – 2pm – Thank God for Easter – Windsor Youth & Community Centre – A fun, family event which will flow into our normal Sunday meeting.
Good Friday 14th April – 10am – All age celebration of Jesus’ death on the cross – Windsor Youth & Community Centre – An interactive re-telling of the Good Friday story
Good Friday 14th April – 11.00am – An hour at the cross – Windsor Youth & Community Centre – Quiet reflection on Jesus’ sacrifice in our place for our sins
Easter Sunday – 16th April – 4pm – All age Easter celebration – Windsor Youth & Community Centre
Friday 21st April – 7.30pm – Vision Dinner – Details to be confirmed

Regards,
Pete Matthew
Senior Minister, Windsor Fellowship Church
pete@windsorfellowship.com
07919 577676
www.windsorfellowship.com

How to have a happy 2017

Posted by Curt Hopkins on 3 January 2017 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Happy New Year!

We had a great time on Sunday with our first New Year’s Day ramble, which probably should have been called New Year’s Day swim, such was the ferocity of the rain.  Once we’d dried and thawed out we spent a few minutes thinking about what would make 2017 a happy year.  Psalm 1 starts by saying “Blessed is the one…”  The word used for “blessed” can be translated “truly happy”.  So, if you want to know how to be truly happy in 2017 look at Psalm 1 and do what it says.

This Sunday we’re back to normal at the Windsor Youth & Community Centre at 4pm.  We will be starting a new sermon series looking at the Old Testament book of Malachi.  It was written about 2,500 years ago to warn God’s people not to go soft on their relationship with God.  God’s people were giving him little or no attention; they were going off doing their own thing and only occasionally gave God any consideration.  That seems to ring a lot of bells with our contemporary society and church. 

The plan is for the house groups to follow the sermon series.  If you’re not in a house group and would like to know more about them, do get in touch with me.  Our mid-week groups are a wonderful forum to deepen our love for each other and for God as we study his word. 

Regards,

Pete Matthew, Senior Minister

Stand firm – we’re in a battle

Posted by Pete Matthew on 6 December 2016 in Weekly Email | Leave a comment

God has done everything for us to be part of his family and has given us every spiritual blessing in Christ.  Our job is to live a life worthy of that calling.  This is the central point of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.  It’s fair to say it doesn’t always feel like that and that’s because, as the letter made clear, we’re in a spiritual battle.  Thankfully, Jesus has won and he’s given us the armour of God to enable us to stand firm.  Paul wrote the letter to encourage us to keep going.  Jesus has won the ultimate victory and therefore we can, with confidence, live reflecting our eternal identity.

Ephesians reminded us that God has given us faith so we know the truth about Christ and are adopted into his family.  We have a wonderful opportunity to share that truth over the coming weeks with the imminent onset of Christmas.  This Saturday at 6pm please bring people along to the “Carols… in a pub!” at the Duchess of Cambridge Pub.  Also, bring friends, family, neighbours, people you’ve only met once, whoever, along to the All-Age Nativity at the youth centre at 4pm this Sunday.

Upcoming events:

Carols… in a pub!  – Saturday 10th December – 6pm – Duchess of Cambridge Pub, Windsor High Street
All-Age Nativity –  Sunday 11th December – 4pm – Windsor Youth & Community Centre
Carol Service –  Sunday 18th December – 4pm – Windsor Youth & Community Centre
Monthly Prayer Meeting – Wednesday 21st December – 7.30pm – 90 Frances Road, SL4 3AN
Christmas Day Celebration – Sunday 25th December – 10am – 90 Frances Road, SL4 3AN
New Year’s Day Ramble & Tea –  From 1pm – tea 4pm—Beech House, Hermitage Lane, SL4 4AZ

Regards,

Pete Matthew
Senior Minister, Windsor Fellowship Church
07919 577676
www.windsorfellowship.com

Live like we’re a family

Posted by Pete Matthew on 14 November 2016 in Weekly Email | Leave a comment

We’re one family in the church.  It’s a slightly crazy thought that Christians are our true, eternal brothers and sisters.  We’re a diverse bunch with all kinds of backgrounds, experiences, and nationalities, and yet we are all part of God’s family, the church.  As Ephesians has shown us, the existence of the church displays the manifold wisdom of God.  I know when we meet as the Windsor Fellowship Church it doesn’t feel like we’re displaying something as magnificent as God’s own wisdom, but that’s what Paul tells us we are doing.

The implications of us being part of God’s own family are vast and Paul spells them out in the rest of the letter to the Ephesians.  The big headline is for all of us to “live a life worthy of the calling we have received” (Eph 4:1).  He then goes on to explain what that looks like.  We need to use all the gifts that God has given us for the sake of our church family to help us to grow in unity and become mature followers of Christ.  We’re on a trajectory to full unity and complete maturity as each part depends on Christ and does its work.  We’re going to spend the next few weeks at church thinking about what that actually looks like.

I’m very excited about our upcoming Christmas events. The “Carols… in a pub!” on Saturday 10th is at 6pm and our nativity on Sunday 11th will be at 4pm.  Do pray for the planning and logistics of these events.  Also, please pray for people to come and think who you could invite.  We will have some flyers soon to promote these events.

Upcoming events:

16th November – Monthly prayer meeting – 7.30-9.15pm – “The Rectory”, 90 Frances Road, Windsor, SL4 3AN
19th November – Men’s Breakfast
2nd December – Windsor Fellowship Church Christmas Social – more details will be announced this Sunday at church
10th December – Carols… in a pub! – 6pm – The Duchess of Cambridge Pub
11th December – Christmas Nativity – 4pm – Windsor Youth Centre
18th December – 4pm – Christmas Carols & Windsor Fellowship Church
25th December – Christmas Day Celebration – 10am – “The Rectory”, 90 Frances Road, Windsor, SL4 3AN
1st January – New Year’s Day Ramble & Tea – Details to follow soon.

Freedom & Confidence

Posted by Pete Matthew on 7 November 2016 in Weekly Email | Leave a comment

I’m really enjoying looking at Ephesians.  It’s great to think about all that God has done for us, the church.  He has provided the answer to the world’s greatest needs—the good news about Jesus Christ.  Division is at the heart of our problems—division between nations, groups, individuals and, ultimately of course, between us and God.  The Gospel is the answer to these problems.  We were hostile but through the cross, God has healed the division.

That’s what we’ve seen so far and this week, in Ephesians 3, we’re going to think about the result of all that God has done for us.  Because of all that is described in chapters 1 and 2 “we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” (Ephesians 3:12)  At some point this week why not spend a few moments reflecting on the implications of that statement.  Think about the fact that you, a sinner who in your nature is hostile to God, can approach him with “freedom and confidence.”

Now, this invitation to approach God in this way is open to all through the Lord Jesus Christ.  Ultimately, that’s why Christmas is so fantastic.  Amongst the presents, parties, food, and celebration, the heart of Christmas is that through that baby born in a manger we can approach God with freedom and confidence.  (Did you enjoy the subtlety of that link into Christmas?)  Next month we have the best opportunity to share this invitation with everyone we know.  People are much more receptive to an invite to a church event at Christmas because instinctively they know that the real ‘reason for the season’ is about the nativity story.

So, we’re putting on 2 Christmas events. On the 11th December we’re going to have a Children’s Nativity Carol Service at 4pm.  (Previously we had said the 18th, but there are other carol services happening in Windsor on that date so rather than clash we decided to go a week earlier.)  Every child that comes along can take part if they want to.  So, who do you know with children who you could invite to come with you?  Neighbours, colleagues, grandchildren, invite them all!

We’re also planning to do something more aimed at the grown ups.  This will either be on Saturday 10th or Sunday 11th at 7pm. We’re still working out exactly what this will be, but put both dates in your diary and start thinking about who you could invite and we will confirm ASAP.  Hopefully at church this Sunday.

Upcoming events:

16th November – Monthly prayer meeting – At the ‘Rectory’, 90 Frances Road, SL4 3AN – 7.30pm to 9.15pm
2nd December – Windsor Fellowship Church Christmas Social
11th December – 4pm – Children’s Nativity & Carols
25th December – 10am – Christmas Day celebration
1st January – New Year’s Day ramble followed by tea & cake

Regards,

Pete Matthew
Rector

Pages: 1 2 3 4 … 8