November Musings II

November Musings: The bittersweet start to the Christmas Season (Originally written in November 2024, with reflections added in November 2025) In November, there’s a noticeable change in the air. The streets start to shimmer with twinkling lights, chocolate shops fill their windows with festive treats, and Heart radio starts playing all the classics. The signs … Read more …

Mission Partner Update – Christian Connections in Schools

Wayne Dixon is a local and long-standing St Mary’s mission partner. He works with his colleague Beth Gomm for Christian Connections in Schools (CCiS), visiting local schools in Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead. Wayne was due to attend the St Mary’s Evening on 13th November to talk about his work. However, he was unable to come … Read more …

Could you be a CAP befriender?

Christians Against Poverty (CAP) is an organisation that seeks to help people out of debt. As the new local CAP charity moves closer to opening in Maidenhead, we are keen to offer our support. A member of St Mary’s will be a trustee of the new charity, and others in the church are interested in … Read more …

Introducing Mission Partner: Mark Meynell

Asking ‘What do you do?’ is perfectly understandable, and until recently, answering was perfectly straightforward! Ordained since 1997, I’ve served several churches (St Ebbe’s Oxford 1993-94; Christ Church Fulwood, Sheffield, 1997-2001; All Souls Langham Place 2005-2014). So that’s clear then… I’m a vicar. Except not exactly! Between 2001-2005, Rachel, Josh and Zanna and I lived … Read more …

Introducing Mission Partners: Nick and Lucy Nelson

Nick and Lucy Nelson are associate mission partners for the year from September 2025. Associate mission partners are short-term partners, typically someone from the church family who is involved in gospel ministry for a limited time period. They supported by prayer and added to the Sunday services’ mission prayer rota and the monthly St Mary’s … Read more …

Escape from North Korea

The events organised by St Mary’s are so worthwhile, I’m just thinking about Rory Stein (Mandela’s bodyguard) and the comedian / magician we saw in the last 12 months. So off we went with our friends to the evening with Timothy Cho – Escape from North Korea. This is his message: Faith, Freedom and Forgiveness … Read more …

Women’s Day Away

Belonging to God’s family – what an inestimable privilege! And what fun it turned out to be too. This was my first experience of a St Mary’s Women’s Day Away. Eighty of us from across the different congregations gathered at Moor Hall, Cookham on Saturday 18th October. Already by the first coffee break I felt … Read more …

Mission Partner Update: iServe Africa

Harrison Mungai, serving with iServe Africa in Kenya, was welcomed to the St Mary’s Evening on 9th October. He brought us up to date with the work and ministry in Kikuyu and reported the following: We are a Kenyan organization that exists to raise gospel workers and servant leaders in Africa through apprenticeships and leadership … Read more …

The Church of England

The Church of England I shared an update on some issues in the Church of England at St Mary’s Evening on 9th October. Although our church family is made up of people from all different denominational backgrounds, I like to give an update and for us to have a time of prayer for the Church … Read more …

Taste of All Nations

As a relative newcomer to St Mary’s, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I booked for the Taste of All Nations evening, other than that there would be plenty of food! A regular feature in the church calendar, this event is in fact a marvellous celebration of the national, ethnic, racial, linguistic and cultural … Read more …