About Us

Sunday Activities v Sunday Services v Sunday School v Youth Fellowship Children & Young People’s Activities v Pilots v Brownies v Guides v A Policy for Children’s Work Midweek Activities v The Choir v Ladies Guild v The Tuesday Club v Tea and Toast

Since our Church was formed more than 300 years ago the over-riding priority has been to faithfully preach the Word of God and to serve the community of Greenacres. It is our hope that the work and witness of our Church reflects the inspiration and faith of the Rev Robert Constantine who first gathered together a congregation here in Greenacres in 1672. This web page is designed to introduce you some of the activities in the life of our Church. Sunday Activities Sunday Services Every Sunday morning at 10.45am Greenacres Congregational Church meets for Worship. It is designed to be a time of learning and sharing, a time of worship and praise, catering for all ages. After a short time, when the Church gathers all together, the children leave for their own programme of activities. On the second Sunday in each month we hold our Parade service, when the Uniformed organisations take part in the service, and the children stay in Church for the whole of the service. On the first Sunday in each month we celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion. We have just one evening service per month, held on the 1st Sunday of the month, beginning at 6.00pm, at Trevarrick Court. Trevarrick Court is a nearby complex of warden controlled flats for the elderly, where the service has been greatly appreciated. Sunday School Sunday School is divided into three age groups: Primary – 0-7 year olds; Family Church – 7-11 year olds; and Youth Group – 11-18 year olds. On most Sunday’s the children and young people leave the main service after the second hymn. They go into their lessons to take part in activities designed for their age and themed throughout the year. The Sunday School leads the Nativity service before Christmas, and contributes to a number of other services, notably Harvest and Promotion Sunday. Youth Fellowship This group caters mainly for those young people of secondary school age. It meets on Sunday nights at 7.30pm in the Church Hall. There is table tennis, pool and other activities, and the young people bring CD’s to listen to. Over the past few years the Youth Fellowship have sponsored an African boy through World Vision, by organising coffee after the morning service on the last Sunday in the month. Children & Young People’s Activities Pilots Pilots meet on a Tuesday evening, between 6 & 7pm for children aged from 4 to 6 years, and between 7 & 8.30pm for those aged 7 to 11 years. Pilots is an organisation for both boys and girls to meet informally and learn more about the Christian faith. There is a wide range of activities, consisting of games, crafts, stories and outside interests, which are designed to help the children know more about their faith, more about the Church, and more about the Bible. Brownies The Brownies meet on a Thursday evening between 6.30pm and 8.00pm during school term time. The meetings usually start with a game followed by our opening ceremony - `The Brownie Ring'. Then we move on to many other things, such as badge work, singing or special theme evenings. Our main aim is to have FUN - which we do! Guides The Guides meet on Wednesday nights from 7.30pm to 9.00pm. The girls ages vary from 10 through to 16 years. The Guides work on an 8 point programme, including badge work, games, many types of craft, and cooking indoors and outdoors. They also go camping and hold indoor camps. Keeping Safe – A Policy for Children’s Work 1. We have recently looked at the suitability of our premises for all our different activities. We will ensue a regular review to make sure they always provide a safe environment, particularly for children. 2. When we look for volunteers to help out with our children’s activities our primary aim is to find appropriate members of the Church fellowship. We look for commitment and enthusiasm, and ask for a reference that the Church can follow up. 3. We aim to support all the leaders and helpers who work with children and young people in our Church. We have our Children and Young People’s Work Group that meets regularly throughout the year. Here, reports from each group are submitted, and important concerns can be discussed. The Church will support anyone’s desire for appropriate training. 4. Every consideration is given to avoid the possibility of abuse in our work with children and young people. We aim to meet the minimum recommendation of providing at least one adult for every six children in our care, and where possible the groups meet in the same room, rather than in isolation. 5. Where children or young people feel the need to speak to someone in confidence, the Church will aim to meet this need in a caring and diligent way. Greenacres Congregational Church is committed to supporting and nurturing the children and young people entrusted to its care. Likewise, there is a responsibility to train and endorse the work our leaders carry out. We believe that this is a vital element in the life of our Church, and in our work with children and young people. This policy has been submitted to the Children’s Work Board of the Congregational Federation and approved by the Church Meeting held on Tuesday 15^th August 2000. Midweek Activities The Choir The Church Choir gives a lead to the congregational singing every Sunday. The Choir also performs various items at special services during the year. They meet regularly for choir practices on Thursday evening’s from 8.15pm to 9.30pm, and have an enjoyable time learning new music and preparing for our celebratory services. New members are welcome for all sections. Ladies' Guild The Ladies' Guild or, to give it its proper title, the Women's Guild of Christian Service, was formed in 1936 by Mrs. Quail, wife of the Rev. J. A. Quail, M.A., B.D., who was our minister from 1932 to 1946. The Guild meets on alternate Tuesday afternoons from September to May, and then has a break for the summer. The meetings are mostly of a devotional nature with interesting speakers, and any ladies who have an hour and a half to spare on Guild days will be most welcome. The Guild also makes a substantial contribution to Church expenses by its social efforts. The Tuesday Club The Tuesday Club runs from mid September until the beginning of May and meets on alternate Tuesdays at 8.00pm. Speakers are invited to talk on a particular theme and the programme is a varied one. Fundamentally it is a women's group, but during the session there are open evenings that are of interest to men also. Tea and Toast This is a new venture that began in March of this year. It is designed to be an informal gathering where members of the Church and the local community can meet for a chat and a cup of tea, and a couple of games of bingo. We hope that in the summer months a number of outings can be arranged to compliment the work of this group.