February 2020... We are starting
a new series of services for this new year, and in each we will look at
various stages in the life of Jesus. For the first one we go back to the
time around his birth. What did Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus have to
put up with in those weeks and months? Made to go to Bethlehem to register for the Roman census. No place to stay, so a stable was where they rested. Worshipped by shepherd and angels. Visited by wise men from far away. Forced to run for their lives to a foreign country.... Find out more on Feb 9th at St Cleers. 3pm as usual.
December... Time to look forward to Christmas and all that it means. Presents to shop for and to wrap, cards to write and post to friends... so much to do, we sometimes forget that Christmas is about God's wonderful gift to us - the best present ever, his Son, Jesus, born in a stable. Join us to celebrate this on December 8th, at St Cleers.
Also for your December Diary - 'I remember... Christmas', at West Street Church, Somerton on Friday, Dec 13th, 10.30 - 3.00, including lunch.
October... It's autumn and the leaves are turning from green to wonderful colours of gold and orange through to red. But do we stop to consider what leaves actually do for us? We'll look at trees, plants and leaves in particular and draw some paralells to our own lives. Join us on October 6th to find out more.
August... We all enjoy the summer. It's a time to get outdoors, admire the flowers and the wonders of nature. It's when we have picnics, go to the beach, spend time with friends and family. Jesus recognised the importance of friends, family and others who care for us, not just in the good times, but when we really need them. Join us on August 11th to find out more.
June... We all use symbols in our everyday life - shortcuts to other items, to tell stories or to help explain something. Sometimes symbols are code - helping to keep a secret. The early church used symbols too, so they could tell who was on their side. Our service on 2nd June explores the world of symbols, it's going to be an interesting time!.
March... is officially the beginning of Spring. It's a time when we are busy in our gardens, and the farmers are busy in their fields, sowing their crops. It was the same in Jesus' time, and he told a story about a man who went out to sow his seed, and the problems the seed had in coming to harvest. Come and join us at St Cleers, Somerton, on Sunday, March 24th at 3pm.
January... It's a new year and we all making
New Beginnings. It will involve a journey - of some sort - we might not know where it
will take us, and we don't necessarily have Sat-Nav. Someone has to look
out for us. Join us on 20th Jan to find out more.
If you are able to come, bring along a friend, or several! There will be plenty of opportunities to join in the fun at our next service on November 4thOur next service is on November 4th, just before .
Hands... We've celebrated Easter, and we are coming up to Pentecost, so, in this service, we are looking at hands and how our hands are the only hands Jesus has to work with on this earth. Come along to St Cleers on April 22nd at 3pm to find out more.
Recipe for Life...We're preparing for Easter, and at the beginning of Lent we eat Pancakes, so we will look at why and realise we need a recipe. Come along to St Cleers on February 11th at 3pm to share in our service and find out more.
Advent... We're all busy preparing for Christmas so we will tell the story of the traditional Advent Wreath, which has four candles... now that reminds me of another story! Come along to St Cleers on Dec 3rd at 3pm to find out more.
Fruit and Veg... Harvest time has come around again, so, on Sept 24th at 3pm, we are thinking of God's gifts, especially fruit and vegetables. We are all important in God's plan, no matter how imperfect or small we feel.
If you are able, please bring a piece of fruit so that we can thank God for his gifts, and we'll share them after the service.
Sunshine... You are welcome to join us on July 23rd for our informal worship at St Cleers starting at 3pm. It lasts about 45 minutes, then we all join together for tea, biscuits and a chat. You can bring a carer, driver or friend. Our theme is a seasonal one - Sunshine, but who knows where it will take us?
A Safe Home?... As our service on May 14th coincides with the start of Christian Aid Week, on its 70th Anniversary, we will be following the theme of refugees. We start at 3pm as usual and will be very pleased to see you at St Cleers.
The Good Shepherd... As we celebrate Easter we think about stories of the Shepherd in the Bible. Join us at St Cleers on April 2nd, 3pm as normal. Look forward to seeing you.
Springcleaning... not just our houses after the dark days of winter, we celebrate the new life that Spring brings and finding something we have lost, so come and join the party at St Cleers, 3pm on Feb 12th.
The Christmas story... There's a rumour of something very special about to happen in Bethlehem. Come and see. Our Christmas celebration with activities that everyone can join in with, is on December 11th at St Cleers. 3pm is the time to be there if you don't want to miss the fun.
Our Daily Bread... It's Harvest time when we celebrate all God's generous gifts that keep us alive, especially food. On October 23rd we will think about this using the theme of bread.
Caring and Sharing... We are all grateful for those who care for us, and we're pleased to share things with them and with each other. On August 21st, our next service at St Cleers will be a celebration of those things.
Thank you... We must be thankful for so many things, how any can you think of? On July 3rd, our next service at St Cleers will celebrate all those things, and probably some you haven't thought of.
The Queen is 90... She is older than most of us and has lived through changing times. We'll celebrate her life, her service to the country and to God on 8th May. We'll be at St Cleers as normal at 3pm. There may be cake!
Palm Sunday... Jesus enters Jerusalem to shouts of 'Hooray!'. Come and see what all the noise is about. March 20th at St Cleers you can join in the fun and hear more of the story.
Christingle Service... A chance to make your own Christingle to take away, on January 17th at St Cleers. You'll also hear the story behind Christingles and what the different parts (mostly good to eat!) represent.
Part of the team ... Who is on your team and your side? Who is your Captain? Do you always listen to him? We'll explore the theme at our service at St Cleers on November 15th.
Adventures at the seaside...It's not all buckets and spades and candy floss, although we all enjoy those bits of our adventures to the seaside. Our next service at St Cleers is on 27th September. As we come to the end of the summer and the holiday season, we look at other things that have happened at the seaside - far more dramatic and life-changing.
You are invited...
We are celebrating 4 years of Just-4u on June 7th. Our first service at St Cleers, Somerton was on the 12th June 2011, when Rev Ken Chalmers from the Methodist Church paraphrased the Lost Sheep. Since then we have enjoyed many different services on a wide range of topics. We'll recap on some of our favourites to celebrate being four years old! There may even be cake!
I packed my bag...
But what did I put in it? Come along to St Cleers, Somerton, on 22nd March at 3pm to find out what... and why... we packed particular things for our journey through life. It's a chance to meet old friends and make new ones, and newcomwers are made very welcome.
What? Another Journey?
At St Cleers, Somerton, on 25th Jan, our next service is also about a Journey - a very different one this time, and quite seasonal as we start another year, our third. Come along, with your friends and join us. Everyone is welcome..
What a Journey!
Our next service in Wells is on 10th August at 3pm, in the Methodist Church. The theme is What a Journey! It could be an interesting ride and you are welcome to bring a friend or carer with you.
Pentecost - The Gift
Our service in Somerton on June 8th is near to Pentecost, so that is the theme of our service at St Cleers at 3pm. Everyone is welcome. There is plenty of parking and excellent disabled access. We'll try not to set the church on fire!
Wells went well!
Our first All-ability worship in Wells Methodist Church proved a success, although we did not see as many of our disabled friends as we hoped. The service was much enjoyed, as were the refreshments kindly provided by the church. Thanks to all who attended and those who took part. We must do it again!
A First for Wells!
We draw people from a wide area of Somerset, so we are pleased to announce our first All-ability worship in Wells. We hope to see some new faces and, with the help of our local team we will have an enjoyable experience. Mark the date in your diary - May 18th at Wells Methodist Church, Southover BA5 1UG, at 3pm. Look forward to seeing you there.
Remembering at Easter
Our next service in Somerton is close to Easter and we will look at the Easter story and what we need to remember. Come to St Cleers on April 27th at 3pm and share with us.
It's all about sharing!
What do we like to share - experiences, memories and above all food! Jesus and his disciples shared lots of meals together, in many different places. They had a barbeque by the lake, and they shared a picnic on the hillside with 5,000 men - remember? But there was one shared meal that was very important to them, and also to us. Come along to St Cleers Chapel on March 9th at 3pm to find out why.
God's Promises
After the flood, God made a promise to Noah and his descendents, and used the RAINBOW to show his caring love for the world. Explore more about his promises at our service on January 12th. As usual, it is at St Cleers at 3pm. Everyone will be made welcome.
Stormy Weather
Jesus went out on a fishing trip with the disciples, but fell asleep. A big storm blew up and the little boat was in danger of sinking. The disciples were really scared and decided to wake Jesus up, but what could he do?
We face some storms in our lives, it is very rarely smooth sailing. Find out how trusting in Jesus can help us, on Nov 3rd at St Cleers.
What a Picnic - 5,000 men!
Jesus went out on to a hillside and a whole crowd of people followed
him. What would they do about food? Miles from the shops, no takeaways
nearby. Luckily one boy had two fishes and five small loaves of barley
bread - would it stretch to feed 5,000? Come along on Sept 15th at St Cleers to find out more.
Can you Spot the Difference?
There are lots of differences that are easy to spot, and some that are a bit more difficult. Samuel needed to spot David as the future King of Israel, but he needed God's help for that. Come and hear how on June 16th.
It's Spring
New life is bursting out all around us. Buds are swelling, in spite of the cold weather, flowers are brightening up our lives, and in the animal and bird world we welcome a new generation. New Life is the theme of our service on April 14th. We hope you can be there to celebrate it with us.
Recipes for Life
Our February service has a new twist (of lemon?). We are looking at recipes for life, what ingredients we need to include. We may even try to make some pancakes, but there will, in any case, be refreshments in the Barn after the service. Come and join us.
David Sawyer
We are very sorry to announce that David Sawyer, one of our strongest and most stalwart supporters, and an active leader in some of our past services, has passed away after a short illness. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time.
Signing at Just4u
We are pleased to be able to include signing (BSL) in our Just4u services, thanks to the help and encouragement of Tom and our other friends at St Cleers. It certainly adds a lot to the service for those who can't hear as well as some others, and it's a joy to watch Tom's expressions!
Celebrations - let there be Fireworks...
Fruits of the Spirit...
Our next service is at St Cleers on September 16th. Everyone is welcome at 3pm. The theme, as it is the Harvest season, is Fruit, so come prepared to participate and enjoy! Note - everyone enjoyed the Guess the Fruit part of the service, How do you describe an Orange without mentioning the colour!Somerton Arts Festival
We are taking part in the special CTIS Festival service being held in the marquee on the recreation ground in Gassons Lane, Somerton on 15th June. All are welcome to attend. The service starts at 10.30, but we expect a full attendance so seating may be limited, please arrive in good time.
Smiles...
We made a list of things which make us smile and thanked God for them. We also sang 'If you're happy and you know it.... then you should surely show it' and we did with much clapping, blinking, shouting and smiling! Single smiles are infectious and can be passed around the world. Everyone went home smiling.
Christingle service...
Rev Jess Pitman from Langport constructed a large Christingle explaining the significance of each item. The large orange represented the world. We were asked what we wanted to say thank you for and these were written and added to large kebab sticks which were also used to hold biscuits and sweets. Everyone agreed that we needed to say sorry. Red ribbon around the world and also around the room was held by everyone as we told Jesus we were sorry and asked for his forgiveness. The candle represented Jesus - the light of the world. The service ended with singing (and walking) 'Walk in the light', which was enjoyed by those taken for a walk in their wheelchairs around the premises.
And there was Light...
Lots of different lights at our third service at the end of November. We asked everyone to bring a torch and most of you did! The service was videoed by Somerset Film for possible inclusion in part of the celebrations of the Olympic Torch coming to Somerset (it passes through Somerton!) and we had our own celebration of that, complete with fanfare and plenty of cheering.
The service continued with a talk on the Advent Ring, and how the people represented by the candles shone for God, and it ended with a conga while we sang 'We are marching in the light of God'. Disco lights in the barn encouraged lots of dancing during tea.. A great time was had by all!
Our next service is a Christingle at 3pm on 15th January. Why not come along? Further information from Pam Dixon, Tel: 01458 250603.
Bright and Beautiful All-ability service at St Cleers
Our second All-ability service had the theme of 'Bright and Beautiful', with people turning up in outlandish coloured costumes (well some did!). The creation story, 'In the Beginning', was introduced by David Sawyer and Peter Spearman led the service, with help from St Cleers own music group.
With around 60 people attending, travelling from as far away as Wookey, it was a resounding success and enjoyed by all. Plans are already underway for the next service in November and a further one in January. Each one will be different, we are still trying to find the most appropriate format and content.
Successful first All-ability service at Somerton
Sunday 12th June saw the first All-ability service held under the sponsorship of Churches Together in Somerton (CTIS) at St Cleers Chapel. Around sixty people, including learning disabled, their helpers and carers plus a number of interested and concerned individuals from the community, joined in a short, simple act of worship preceded by activities, making it a social event with a chance for both carers and the learning disabled to meet with their friends in a relaxed atmosphere. Pam Dixon, who initiated the organising group, was thrilled at the result. 'It was worth all the effort just to see the happy, smiling faces during the afternoon. Normal church services are too long and too complex for many people with learning disabilities and short attention spans. This was appropriate for them. We used signing to include those without language skills. The theme was based around sheep, using a paraphrase of the Lost Sheep, excellently delivered by Rev. Ken Chalmers, and everyone was invited to make and decorate a cardboard cut-out sheep in the activity session, and we used these to demonstrate that we are all different.' 'We could not have done this without the great deal of help we received from the churches in Somerton, especially St Cleers who supplied not only the premises, but the assistance of their music group as well. Following this initial success we are now planning for our next event to be held on September 18th from 3 – 4.30pm at St Cleers chapel, Somerton. Anyone in the area who is interested in joining us can contact me for more information on 01458 250603.'