Regular Activities and Getting Involved

Welcome to our church community

There are lots of ways to get involved in our community life beyond church on a Sunday morning, by attending and/or volunteering at different activities. Some of these are listed on this page.

Coffee Stop

Coffee Stop is open to all, whether you come to church or not, and happens every Tuesday from 10-12 at the back of church. It’s an opportunity to meet old friends and make new ones, all within a warm space and with a great ambience, and with a good quality cup of coffee.

Fully accessible toilets are available for those who are less mobile, as well as baby changing facilities.

And Baby Came Too…

Our group for pre-school children and their adults meets in the Church Hall almost every Wednesday of the year from 9.30-11am. There are age-appropriate toys and books for your children and hot drinks for the adults. Each session ends with a story or a song.
Car parking and baby changing facilities are available.
This is a free group but any donations are warmly welcomed.

Crafty Church

Once a month, on Saturdays between 1030-1230, we hold Crafty Church, which is for families with older toddlers and primary school aged children. Each session has a different theme. We offer a variety of high-quality crafts and activities, along with a story and/or song to end the session. For those who wish to stay on, we serve a free lunch at 12 noon in the church hall.

Dates for Crafty Church in 2023 are:

11th March, 1st April, 6th May (This is a free Coronation Party with bouncy castle, food, face painting, games etc. Times tbc), 3rd June, 8th July, 9th September, 7th October, 11th November and Sunday 10th December 3.30-5pm Crafty Christingle

Sunday Youth Group

On the second Sunday of the month during term time, we run a youth group in the Community Room at St Thomas. When you arrive at our Parish Eucharist, ask one of the volunteer welcomers and they will be more than happy to point you in the right direction.

Home Groups

Home groups provide an opportunity for members of St Thomas church to explore the Christian faith together in small groups. Each group offers regular meetings, which are a close blend of prayer and discussion, combined with mutual support, fun and friendship. There are a number of different groups meeting at different times, days and venues, some on church premises and others in people’s homes.

Please contact the Parish Office if you would like to find out more about joining a Home Group.

Snack and Chat

Snack and chat meets in the Community Room on Thursday afternoons between 2-3.45pm. It’s for those who feel like dropping in for a cuppa, cake and a chat, and even enjoying a bit of fun with board and card games. New members are always welcome.

Charities’ Support and Giving to St Thomas’ Church

At St Thomas’ we believe passionately in helping to support the work of other charities. Each year we vote to support three different organisations one local, one national and one international; for example, in 2021 we supported Covax, The Children’s Society, Aid Box Community (a local Refugee charity based in Bristol) and in 2022 we supported Musalaha, Christians Against Poverty and the Dairy House (an assessment and ‘move-on’ facility, helping people move from homelessness to more sustainable accommodation). We also regularly support Christian Aid and the local Foodbank. We like to be able to offer free events and activities, so as to not exclude those who might struggle to pay for them.

To bust a myth – parish churches like St Thomas’ do not receive regular income from the Church of England or the Government. Therefore, we pay our bills through giving from our family members and others. Some give a regular monthly donation, others through our collection plates in services and others via ‘one-off’ donations. If you’d like to give regularly or to give a one-off donation, please contact the PCC Treasurer, via the Parish Office.

Alternatively, you may donate by clicking here

Taking Care of Our Buildings and Churchyard

If our buildings and grounds are to be safe and pleasant facilities for everybody to use and enjoy, they need constant attention and care – just like any family home. Teams of people contribute to this ongoing task by cleaning and dusting, by strimming and mowing, and by painting and renovating. Watch the diary of events for specific opportunities to join in or contact one of our churchwardens via the ‘Contact Us’ page if you would like to become a regular member of one of the teams:

Flower Arranging

Our church building is greatly enhanced by the hard work of many committed volunteers who decorate it so skilfully with colourful flower arrangements at certain times of the year, especially for major festivals. New arrangers are very welcome, whether they count themselves ‘experts’, ‘beginners’ or ‘just interested.’
Please contact Sally Ball via the Parish Office if you’d like to know more and/or be involved.

The Servers’ Team

St Thomas’ has a team of servers who robe and assist in some of our more formal services, whether by carrying the processional candles or cross, as well as helping with the distribution of communion. Members of the serving team range in age from 10 to 80. If you’d like to find out more, please contact the Parish Office.