WELCOME TO ST PAUL'S CHURCH KEWSTOKE
Where the spirit of the Lord is all around you
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Our centuries-
Although the parish and this part of north Somerset is rich in history, with 13th-
St Paul’s is part of the Benefice by the Sea, linked with Wick St Lawrence, and led by our vicar, the Rev Gail Thomas. It is within Locking Deanery, part of the Diocese of Bath and Wells, and the parish stretches over Worlebury Hill to the edge of Weston town, to the east embracing part of Worle and to Sand Bay and the Severn Sea, running out to the west.
Special atmosphere
Our church family is drawn from across this area and from further afield – worshippers who are inspired by the special atmosphere of the church and its surroundings, by the friendliness of the people they meet and pray with, and the wide range of our services here.
Our Sunday services are core to church life and marriages, baptisms, and funerals
take place during the year. House groups meet for further Christian study as well
and there are coffee mornings to enjoy. Whether a long-
How to find us: satnav -
Easy way to help our funds
Easyfundraising is an easy way to raise money for our churches, as it donates money to the church each time you buy online from selected stores. You basically download the app onto your computer and each time you use one of these sites it takes you through the link for your church. So far £1,770 has been raised.
This is the app for St Paul’s http://efraising.org/BfcHgZsz n7
The importance of safeguarding
Safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults is taken very seriously across the Church of England.
A copy of St Paul’s safeguarding policy can be found on the Contact Us page.
The safeguarding officer for St Paul’s Church is Alison Withers. She can be contacted by telephone, 07706063272.
Diocesan safeguarding adviser is Ben Goodhind, tel. 01749 588917. Email: ben.goodhind@bathwells.angl ican.org. Address: The Diocese of Bath and Wells, Flourish House, Cathedral Park, Wells, BA5 1FD.
Reflecting on St Paul’s key role in community
Donations for the Foodbank
St Paul’s Foodbank continues to help those in need in the Weston area and donations are gratefully received. The donations box is beside the font. We have been advised that items particularly needed at present include tinned soup, tinned tomatoes, tinned meat, fruit juice and squash, honey, jam, shampoo and deodorant.
All items are gratefully received, but if you could contribute any of these it would be really appreciated.
If you would like us to pray for you, or for a friend or a situation, please get in touch.
You can email Reverend Gail at revgailthomas@gmail.com or speak to her after a service.
Prayer requests
St Paul’s first Easter Fair set the scene for the approach of Holy Week, a joyous event at the church hall that attracted visitors of all ages and raised more than £500 for church funds.
Church supporters arranged a variety of stalls offering Jewellery, fancy goods, toiletries and clothing while others were kept busy offering cakes and refreshments. Visitors also tried their luck at a prize competition.
Our pictures capture the scene.
Enjoying all the fun of the church fair
I recently read a letter in The Spectator which stayed with me.
It was responding to the thought that the local pub may be one of the last places where a person can still strike up a conversation with a complete stranger without being thought a nuisance. Reverend Richard Coombs, Rector of Cheltenham, added that there is another such place: the parish church.
It is one of those increasingly rare spaces where people of different ages, incomes, experiences and backgrounds still meet face to face.
His concern was partly practical. Both pubs and churches are under real financial pressure, and both can feel vulnerable in these changing times. But what struck me most was not simply the question of buildings, bills or budgets, important though those things are. It was the reminder that communities need places where people can meet, talk, listen, laugh, and discover that they are not alone.
We live so much of our lives virtually now. Messages, meetings, shopping, entertainment and even friendships can be carried out through screens. There is much that is helpful in that, of course, but it cannot replace the simple gift of being in the same room as another person. A smile across a table, a shared cup of tea, a word at the church door, a conversation at the bar, or a friendly welcome at a youth club can all become small signs of grace.
That is why I have found such joy in the Friday evening youth club we have recently been offering in Kewstoke. It is difficult to put into words the pleasure of seeing young people gather in a safe place, form friendships, laugh together, and simply enjoy one another’s company. In a world where many young people face pressures that previous generations could scarcely have imagined, such spaces matter deeply. They say, without needing many words, “You are welcome here. You belong.”
And that, surely, is part of the calling of the Church. We are here not only so that people may encounter God, but so that, in God’s name, people may encounter one another. Faith is not lived in isolation. It is lived in community: in worship, service, friendship, neighbourliness, hospitality and care. Sometimes the most holy thing we can offer is not a grand event or a polished programme, but an open door, a listening ear and a place at the table.
We should not underestimate the importance of these shared spaces. Who knows whether the person we greet at church, in the pub, at the village hall, or on the pavement has had any other conversation that day? Who knows what waits for them when they return home: an empty house, a difficult relationship, worries about money, illness, grief, or simply the quiet ache of loneliness? A few minutes of kindness may be more significant than we realise.
So let us cherish and support the places in our parishes where community is built. Let us value our churches, our pubs, our clubs, our schools, our halls, and all the ordinary gathering places where strangers can become neighbours and neighbours can become friends. Community does not happen by accident. It is built conversation by conversation, welcome by welcome, and kindness by kindness.
Perhaps that is why Scripture reminds us so clearly: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.” Hebrews 10:24–25.
Blessings,
Reverend Gail
Church tower tours highlight St Paul’s activities in July
Come along and see the wide-
The popular annual opportunity to climb the 66 steps is a highlight of this month’s activities for many and the date on this occasion is the 25 July, from 10am. The day also includes cream teas in the hall and guided tours of the church.
Other recommended dates include a visit to Woodspring Wordsmiths at Uphill Methodist Church at 7.30pm on 1 July, the Repair Cafe at the church hall from 2pm on 5 July, the Vicar Busks at the church at 7pm on 11 July, and the film club at the church hall at 7pm on 31 July.