I last wrote an item for the magazine in September 2005 I thought this time I would update you about some of the news and activities going on at Brightwell Free Church.
On 8 February we held a funeral service for Elsie Edwards who died in care aged 93, a well known personality in the village and in Wallingford. Elsie was taught in the Sunday School at Brightwell Free Church (then known as Sotwell Mission) by a lady who was a founder member of the church way back in 1885. Elsie’s sister Edna is still a regular attender. It is truly amazing these days to see such continuity when so much of that sense of community is being eroded as people have become more and more mobile.
It may interest some of you older ones that I recently bumped into the man who performed the induction service for Adrian Brookes as pastor of the Free Church in the 1970’s.
We have a service every Sunday morning at 10.30. Have you wondered what it would be like if you came along? The service lasts about an hour. We sing a few hymns and some more modern songs interspersed with prayers and maybe readings from the Bible and someone gives a talk. We are quite relaxed and informal.. You can sit wherever you like, and stand up or sit down as you please during the service. Few people wear formal dress these days. We do not take a collection. I appreciate that if you have not done anything like attend a church for a long time, or perhaps ever, you might find it an embarrassing situation. All I can promise is that we will do our best not to embarrass you and we would certainly be delighted to see you. In the New Year we started “Brightwell Praise”. This takes place every third Sunday of the month at 7pm. It is a bit like Songs of Praise on the TV.
Finally let me tell you that we are thinking about running an “Alpha for Brightwell” course in the village. Thousands of people who wanted to explore what Christianity is really about have been through the course. It involves having a meal together followed by a talk, with an opportunity to sit around in a group and discuss what you thought about the issues raised. There is no pressure to join or even attend “church”. It is an opportunity for you find out what others believe and to express your own thoughts If you would like to know more about any of these then do please contact me, tel: 651815, email: the burts@supanet.com
Neville Burt
