A member of our St Mary’s church family has written the following account of the humanitarian catastrophe in his homeland Iran so that we can be informed and prayerful for our brothers and sisters in Christ and all the people of that country. Please be aware that it is a distressing account to read. We … Read more …
Adam Curtis began by stating that many texts in the Bible make their purpose explicit; he used the example of the gospel of John where the writer states the purpose, “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:31). In James, the purpose is not explicit; our big question … Read more …
This Sunday, 8th February a selection of recommended books will be available for sale after each of the services. Our Lent devotional will also be on sale: The Risen King by CH Spurgeon. Dream Small by Seth Lewis You are here for a purpose. You were carefully crafted with a perfect plan in mind. … Read more …
A few weeks ago, I used Chat GPT for the first time to help me think through a personal matter to do with an ongoing relational issue. I use AI a bit in my professional life, but I’ve never tried it before for personal and faith-related issues. In fact, I was apprehensive in doing so, … Read more …
#1 Say the Lord’s Prayer Jesus wants us to pray, and so he has taught us how to do it. Read Matthew 6:9-13 to see it for yourself… ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily … Read more …
Tim and Rachel Green have been married for forty years. For nearly all that time they have served in Muslim contexts in Pakistan, Jordan, the UK and Malaysia. Over that period, the Muslim background church has grown rapidly worldwide. What a thrill! With growth comes challenges. How will ex-Muslims grow as strong disciples of Christ? … Read more …
Monday 15th December saw a friendly football tournament between a St Mary’s football team and two teams of asylum seekers connected with iCaf and English classes at St Mary’s. Jack Bradshaw had some nice kit tops which we wore whilst the other teams were in orange or yellow bibs. We (St Mary’s) won our first … Read more …
Christ Church Bracknell (CCB) held their first Sunday service on 11th January 2026. I joined the service to support Nick and Harriet Algeo. The service was at 10.30 am at the Braybrooke Community Hall in Bracknell. I arrived about ten minutes early, and as I entered the hall I was met by a few familiar … Read more …
Growing up in Africa our Christmases were way different from the festive fare that I have now become accustomed to. Apart from the odd paper snowflake motifs, I’ve never been into craft making. Yes, I’m that member of the household who quickly changes the channel when an episode of Kirstie Allsopp’s ‘Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas’ comes … Read more …
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:10) We love many things. We love certain foods, activities or people. Love is something we feel, and indeed is often dependent on those feelings. But we have turned … Read more …