We ring for 2 services on Sundays from 9.30 - 10.15am and 5.15 - 6pm. Our practice night is Thursday from 7.30 – 9pm. We also take part in local ringing competitions and social events such as skittles nights and quiz evenings with other members of the local Branch.

Ringing is fun! If you would like to have a go and find out more about this very English art, ring Margaret on 01722 503178 or email Nigel on nigel.orchard@btinternet.com. We always need more ringers (minimum age 12 years.)

Cleaning Groups

We have five teams of volunteers who clean the church every Friday morning. This means that nobody is overburdened with chores. We welcome anyone - old, young, men and women - who would like to help keep our building looking sparking clean and tidy.

Eco Congregation

Being an Eco-congregation means that in approaching environmental issues we have a spiritual awareness of God's Creation and acknowledge our ecological and global responsibilities.

Selling Fair Trade goods, recycling and conserving resources, using "green" energy fuel, making our Churchyards and garden eco-friendly and beautiful, educating our children and sharing our experience beyond the congregation, is all part of an exciting and inspiring aspect of life at St Thomas's.

Fair Trade policy

St Thomas’s is a FairTrade church. FairTrade coffee, tea and sugar are used at church meetings and coffee mornings and other fairly traded products are promoted whenever possible.

The First Group - part of New Mothers’ Union

The First Group welcomes all members of Mothers’ Union (www.salisburymu.org.uk) and is also open to anyone who wants to encourage strong marriages, good parenting and active faith. We meet on the 1st of each month, usually in the evening, for a variety of discussion topics, family activities and to develop our own personal faith. We aim to make new friends and enjoy ourselves too! Mothers' Union members around the world respond to the needs of their communities in very different ways. We are still exploring how we can support families in the city centre but are mindful of the work of the Salisbury Women’s Refuge, the Diocesan Family Holiday and the new Street Pastors Scheme; perhaps an opportunity will arise for greater involvement in these areas?

Click here to read more about the work of the Mothers' Union on their website

Click here for the Reflections and Intercessions for the month

Click here for details of forthcoming meetings

Flower Arrangers

We have a dedicated team of 30 flower arrangers who keep the seven arrangements around the church looking beautiful every day for the enjoyment of our many visitors. For more information contact the Parish Office

Gardening Group

The gardeners meet every Tuesday 2.00 - 4.00pm in St Thomas House garden. We are a small group of willing volunteers who do our best to maintain and enhance the house garden and churchyards. We welcome any new members on a casual / weekly basis. No great skill needed but ability to multi-task is an asset!

Tea with cake is served at 3.00pm.

Grapevine – Men’s Group

Grapevine is an informal group for men at St Thomas's and meets at 7.45pm for 8.00pm on the last Wednesday evening of the month. With more than fifty members, the group enjoys some excellent Speakers and other activities throughout the year, ending with an annual Dinner which is always a highlight of the programme. If you have not been to Grapevine, you would be very welcome to join us and don't worry if you can't make it on a regular basis due to other commitments! Simply come when you can. Anyone who is interested in coming along is most welcome just to turn up, or contact either Geoff Bishop 01722 335 615 or John Foster 01722 710 426 in advance.

Men's Friday Curry Evenings

We meet at 7pm every 3rd Fridayof the month in St Thomas's House to share a curry and a chat. We take it in turns to cook a curry meal with varying accompaniments to varying levels of sophistication! Bring your own liquid refreshment.

Olive Branch – Women’s Group

Olive Branch is an informal group for ladies at St Thomas 's and everyone is welcome. We meet on the second Thursday of each month at St Thomas house at 7.30pm. The meetings vary between outside speakers, outings, talks from members and culminate in a summer party each July. New members are always very welcome. Anyone who is interested in coming along is most welcome just to turn up, or contact Jan on 01722 330 325.

Prayer Groups

Many people – strangers to church, come here to pray. They often leave prayer requests which speak of extreme need. Every week we offer these prayers knowing that our Lord hears and responds.

We have 2 Prayer Groups who pray for our church, for confidential personal requests from members and friends, for our city and for the world.

The Prayer Group meets every Tuesday in the St. Michael’s Room from 10.00 a.m. - 10.30 a.m. to draw away from the busy-ness of the world, to be still and to pray to our Father, through the Son and in the power of the Holy Spirit; to pray for any and many needs of our world, our community, families and friends, and visitors to our church.

Various members of the Group take turns in leading the prayers, and we count it a privilege to offer prayers on behalf of those who request our prayers, especially the written prayers placed upon our Prayer Board. All prayer requests are offered in absolute confidence within the Group.

Praying for the Parish is a new group meeting every Saturday from 10.00 am - 10.30 am in the St Michael's Room in church. Prayer compass logo Central to the life of any worshipping community is prayer. As the Mission Action Plan (MAP) continues to inform our decisions and shape the future vision for St. Thomas's, it is important that we gather together to pray for our mission to the communities in our parish. Please join with us to pray. Each week of prayers will be facilitated differently so as to model and appeal to different prayer preferences.

Here are our latest Prayers

We extend an invitation to you to join us - all are most welcome.

The church also has a 3 monthly cycle of prayers for our community. Click here to see the latest Prayer Rota

St Thomas's Embroidery Guild

Can you hold a needle and count to 10? We have kneelers that need making!

We offer support and instruction to anyone wishing to help us to finish or produce a kneeler. If you are interested in exercising your embroidering skills or learning a new skill, please come and join us. If you are already experienced we also welcome a call from you.

No experience is necessary. Meetings are held every other Wednesday at 2pm in St Michael’s Room, and new members always welcome. Young and old, male and female all welcome.

Street Pastors

What is a Street Pastor? (www.streetpastors.co.uk)

Street Pastors is an inter-denominational Church response to urban problems, engaging with people on the streets to care, listen and dialogue.

A Street Pastor is a Church leader/minister or member with a concern for society - in particular young people who feel themselves to be excluded and marginalised - and who is

willing to engage people where they are, in terms of their thinking (i.e. their perspective of life) and location (i.e. where they hang out - be it on the streets, in the pubs and clubs or at parties etc).Street Pastors will also be willing to work with fellow activists, church and community leaders, and with agencies and projects, both statutory and voluntary, to look at collaborative ways of working on issues affecting youth, and initiatives that will build trust between them and the Street Pastors.

Prayer Pastors are as important as the Street Pastors who walk the streets. The whole of work of the Street Pastor movement is grounded in prayer.

For further information on Street and Prayer Pastors, and especially if you would like to become a Street Pastor please contact Rev'd Jonathan Plows, jonplows@aol.com

Visiting Group

The Visiting Group’s objective is to visit or make contact with all members on the Electoral Roll at least once during the year. Our aim is to welcome newcomers and to be especially aware of anyone with special needs or difficulties. We give Communion to the house-bound and sick members of the congregation. If you know of someone who is unwell, would like a visit or would like someone to be with them and listen, please make contact with one of the Visiting Group so that we can help. Please see the noticeboard at the back of church for a list and photos of the members.

Brownies, Guides, Rainbows and Rangers

We have a wide range of uniformed groups in our church community. The details of the ages of each group and the days and times that they meet are below. For more information, please call the Parish Office on 01722 322 537.

Brownies: for girls aged between 7 and 10 years old and meets every Thursday in term time from 6.30 – 8pm.

Guides: for girls aged 10 to 14 years old. Our Guide Pack is a joint one with the Salisbury Methodist Church and meets every Friday in term time from 6.30 – 8.30pm.

Rainbows: for girls aged between 5 and 7 years old. Although there is no pack directly connected to St Thomas’s church, many of our girls belong to packs in the city. Call the Parish Office for information on how to find a Rainbow pack.

Rangers: for girls aged 14 to 26 years old. Our Ranger Guides are also run jointly with the Salisbury Methodist Church and meet every other Friday in term time from 7.30 – 9.30pm.

Messy Church

A new monthly event for families. Explore faith in a fun, relaxed and informal atmosphere through: games, crafts, singing, prayer and sharing a meal. Every 1st Thursday in the month 4-5.45pm. Each meeting starts with a drink and biscuits and the chance to play some board games, duplo, or just chat. Once the craft activities are ready parents/carers and children are welcome to have a go at one or all of the activities on offer. The afternoon finishes with a song, prayer and short talk (three minutes max!) followed by a sit down supper. There is no admission price but attendees are asked for a donation towards the cost of their supper. This event will be hosted in either St Thomas’s, Salisbury Methodist church or the Salisbury United Reformed church. For more information or to check the next venue contact the St Thomas’s parish office.

Sunday School

Children from 3 years old are invited to come to the St. Michael's room during the first hymn to enjoy some fun activities. There we tell them stories of Jesus' life and Old testament stories that Jesus might have been told as a boy. There is always a picture to colour or other creative work and a prayer.

Tommy's Toddler Group

Tommy's Toddlers meets on Tuesdays in St Thomas's House 2-00 - 3.30pm. It is an informal playgroup that brings mums, dads, babies and toddlers together. Low key activities are available, and the carers enjoy a chance to chat, share concerns and swop experiences. For some mums and their children it is the only time of the week when they have a chance to meet others sharing similar experiences. A cup of tea or coffee, doughnuts, and fruit for the children make it a social occasion. In good weather full use is made of the garden. Each session ends with music and singing games. For more information contact the St Thomas’s parish office.

Child Protection Policy

St Thomas’s has its own Child Protection Policy and a named Local Child Protection Administrator. The policy offers guidelines to all paid and voluntary workers in the church concerning the health and safety of children, young people and adult staff whilst engaged in church activities. This policy is expanded from guidelines issued by the Home Office in its Code of Practice entitled “Safe from Harm, 1992”.

The children’s and youth groups of St Thomas and St Edmund’s church are committed to the Christian education and development of children and young people. The church is concerned with the wholeness of each individual within the context of the church family and recognises the need for all activities to take place in an environment which is safe and rewarding. It is the responsibility of all adults to prevent the physical, sexual and emotional abuse of children and young people in their care.

Click here PDF of St Thomas's Child Protection Guidelines

Community

	Discussion and Learning Groups
	How to get involved in a service
	The Choir
	Who's who

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