News from St Thomas's Church

We hope that this page will give you news in our church and plans we have for the future.

For a detailed list of Future Events, please click here

2012 LENT APPEAL: DBF Salisbury Sudan Link

The organ

The PCC has decided unanimously that when the organ is restored opportunity should be taken to enhance aspects of the pipework and improve sound egress towards the Nave by re-orientating the instrument by 90 degrees in its present location. This is intended to address long standing issues of the instrument's carrying power and to enable the pipes of the Great Organ to face towards the congregation as originally intended. According to our architect's measures this will leave a viable 1200 mm (approx 4 feet) access width from the north aisle to the vestry. Disabled ramps and community space in the kitchen area would not be affected.
These changes are favoured by our independent consultant, Canon Dr Nicholas Thistlethwaite and by the Diocesan Organ Adviser. They are also recommended strongly by our organists. The cost of restoration will be in the region of £300K plus VAT subject to further detailed negotiation and whether the organ case is additionally restored as also recommended. No contracts will be entered into until funding is secured which is likely to be some considerable time into the future. The church will now make preparations in collaboration with our preferred contractor, Mander Organs of London, to approach the Diocese formally for a faculty and to develop a fund raising plan aimed at grant awarding heritage bodies and the wider community with an interest in the preservation of historic instruments of this kind. Further updates will follow as the project develops.

Lent Courses

There will be two courses for Lent this year:

1.  'And it was good...'  This provides an opportunity to explore two vital themes: - Our understanding of and responsibilty for creation and how Anglicans in different parts of the world use and interpret the Bible.
There will be 5 sessions with Bible exploration, reflection, questions for discussion and sharing times.
Held at 2 different times in the week in St Thomas's House - on Monday evenings at 7.30pm from 27th February and on Weds afternoons at 2.30pm from 22nd February.

2. 'Handing on the Torch: sacred words for a secular world' In this course we consider the reasons for the growth of Christianity today across the world, what it might mean for individual Christians, for churches and for Western culture in a world where alternative beliefs are increasingly on offer.
There will be 5 sessions using CDs/audiotapes recorded by Archbishop Sentamu, Clifford Longley, Rachel Lampard, Bishop Graham Cray and Dr David Hope.
Held at No 3 Mill Race at 4pm on the Monday evenings in Lent.

For more information on both courses, please click here. 
 

Mission Action Plan

We have a Mission Action Plan or MAP.  We are very excited about where this MAP will take us in our journey with God.

There are 3 three main objectives:

(a)     we want to nurture a confident Christian community

(b)     we want to respond to God’s activity among us and in our community

(c)      we want a flexible church space to enable us to respond to God’s mission

It was developed following an Audit that was compiled in 2010 by a group from our congregation.  We hope to address the needs and hopes of our congregation by carring out the actions detailed in the MAP.The MAP has been developed from these three main objectives and includes a series of actions and deadlines that are intended to make the MAP tangible and achievable.  The actions build on current activities and ambitions and introduce new elements to the life of St Thomas’s, e.g. a new “formation course”, new communications officers, a new family worker and new drive to nurture our current young people

The actions for each goal are listed below.  For more details click here to view the full Mission Action Plan document:

Objective 1 ~ nurture a confident Christian community

1. Design and launch the "Formation Course" which addresses the desire to become more 'confident'.
2. Review the prayer life of the parish in order to nurture and develop a confident Christian Community
3. Review pattern of House and Study Groups
4. Improved communications both internally and externally, including the promotion of events and new initiatives
5. Development of authorised Ministry at all levels
6. Nurturing our current young people 

Objective 2 ~ respond to God’s activity

1. Organise a Celebration Day
2. Liturgical / Worship Development to nurture all members of our community
3. Development of our Welcome
4. Outward engagement

Objective 3 ~ a flexible church space

1. Order the church building to reflect our ambitions for our role as a City Centre Church in 2011+
2. Reflect upon how our parish is of wider Community Benefit
3. Hospitality to the business community

St Thomas's House is our Parish Centre next to the church.  We have a lovely room, well equipped kitchen and garden which are available for hire for business meetings, training, lectures, receptions & private gatherings. For further information, please click here to see our latest prices.  For bookings email: saint.thomas@btinternet.com

At present, we have improvement works being carried out on the building which will be completed soon.

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