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All Saints (Warfield) History |
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All Saints Church meets in a Church of England Primary School on All Saints Rise in
Warfield. The church was planted by the older congregation of St.Michael the Archangel whose history goes back a thousand years before the New Town Development in Bracknell /South Warfield was even conceived.The school is situated on a piece of land that used to be farmland and backed onto a Garden Centre before it was developed. Jennie Ford, one of the planting team, recounts how the precious vicar, Brian Meardon, visited her house while the land was still fields and from her back garden pointed to All Saints Rise and said there will be a church there one day.
May 1988 - At a Deanery Meeting with Berkshire planning officers the parish first became aware of likely major housing development in the area.
Spring 1989 - Bob Nicholls (ex St. Michael's Churchwarden and first leader of All Saints) and his wife Margaret went on the first of three church planting conferences at
Holy Trinity, Brompton.September 1989 - In a meeting with the ecumenical officer Bob related that the suggestion was first made that the worship centre and new Warfield School could be placed on the same site. This option began to be explored with Berkshire Local Education Authority at this time.
At first the church leaders sought to co-operate with other local churches and denominations in any possible church plant. Discussions were had over the period of 3 years with the Baptists, the Methodists and the United Reform Church. However in the end the church plant was to be an
Anglican one. Events such as these led the St Michael's leaders to realise that the church plant would be God's work and not their own."we were led from initial thoughts about using a Community Centre to moving Warfield Church School into the new development area: from the initial desire to organise the Church Plant ecumenically to realising that this was going to be an Anglican plant. As each change of direction and other apparent set-backs arose and were prayed about, we saw God opening doors, sometimes in quite unexpected ways."
Bob NichollsDuring this period prophetic visions were shared in St Michael's church meetings concerning the potential ministry of Warfield Church to the growing
Bracknell New Town. For example one vision was of an icy wintry Bracknell which had on its edge an enormous wave of love which was frozen solid. This particular vision included the vicar on a surfboard that was frozen into the top of the wave! The vision was interpreted and completed by Phil Durbin of the St Michael's congregation who pointed to the fact the wave of love for Bracknell was beginning to melt and would sweep down on the town. He suggested we all pray for the vicar at this crucial time, in his dangerous vantage point at the top of the wave. Bracknell was a spiritually needy place that needed to know about God's love.June 1990 - Local Education Authority gave Warfield Governors permission to apply to the Department of Education and Science to transfer the school from its old site.
June 1992 - Intensive planning towards a new church congregation began.
April 1993 - The first church leaders were commissioned and a number of St Michael's discipleship groups were formed in the area with the intention of being the nucleus of the new church when it first met.
January 1994 - Warfield C of E School opened.
6th February 1994 - First service in Warfield C of E School. 50 seats were put out but in the end 50 more were required.
The church was called All Saints because someone named the street in which the school was built All Saints Rise!
22nd April 1994 - Bob Nichols wrote in the first All Saints report to PCC "Our prime aim is that people moving into the new development area who do not know Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord will be converted and learn to grow in the Christian faith."
The church is far closer to its local community than St Michael's which has a far more eclectic congregation.
Rosemary and Nigel Byard and many others were given a heart to start the work with
children. This work has grown and a strong team of nearly 30 are now involved in this ministry. When the church began few could have envisaged the numbers of children that would attend worship at All Saints. Success with children's work has been accompanied by major struggles also but "Secret Agents", "First Steps" and other initiatives have been greatly blessed and have brought the children of parents into the church with their children.1994 - Andy and Kathy Stirrup were our first mission partners supported by All Saint. Andy was called to teach theological students at St Luke's College in Kongwa,
Tanzania. They were supported through Crosslinks.A level of warmth and fellowship has been noticeable in the church from the very beginning which has made it especially successful with children and young mums.
Alpha Courses in the church and various discipleship groups have also been quite successful in attracting unchurched people often with little of the more traditional church backgrounds associated with the more long established members of St Michael's.
1997 - Merrick Smith, a curate, was appointed to help in All Saints. Merrick and his wife Janet stayed with us for a year. After that Maurice Wright, a Churchwarden led the church leadership team.
Summer 1998 - Planning for another church plant began. All Saints leadership decided to go ahead.
March 1999 - New church called St Peter's was started.
Following the launch of St Peter's the leadership re-looked at All Saints purpose and a statement of Vision and Values was published.
The leadership was also strengthened by the addition of Rev. Brian Weaver, a retired clergymen, who had moved to Whitegrove.
Since then the All Saints congregation has grown to the pre St Peter's numbers. The Sunday School (now Kidzone) grew even more, under the leadership of Rosemary Wood.
January 2000 - Andy and Kathy Stirrup returned from Tanzania. Andy began teaching Old Testament studies at Youthworks College in Sydney, Australia. As a result, All Saints reviewed its Mission Strategy and now supports as its main mission partners Andy and Uta Buckler working with the French Reformed Church and Crosslinks in France.
April 2001 - following two successful days away in 1999 and 2000, All Saints experienced it's first weekend away at
Pilgrim Hall, Sussex, led by David and Fiona Saunderson from Holy Trinity, Brompton. Maurice Wright hands over the leadership of All Saints to Mike Summers.June 2003 - Our second weekend away at
Lee Abbey in North Devon. This was another time of God's blessing.February 2004 - We celebrated our 10th birthday.
May 2004 - Warfield parish welcomed Ben and Christine Beecroft with their two daughters. Ben and Christine were both ordained - Ben's job title was Associate Vicar and worked with
All Saints and St Peter's.Apr 2005 - A party from All Saints went to
Spring Harvest in Skegness which was organised as an alternative to a church weekend away. It was felt to be effective as the members of the party returned with a greater enthusiasm for, and awareness, of God's work and the role they could play. This was especially true for a number of young people who went and are now helping in some of the All Age services.January 2006 - Mike Summers relinquished leadership of All Saints and Christine Beecroft was appointed as main leader. Sunday School was renamed as
Kidzone.November 2006 - We held our first Christmas Fun Day where children enjoyed themselves while their parents' could go Christmas Shopping! It was a good opportunity to get to know children and share the joy of the true meaning of Christmas.
February 2007 Christine Beecroft relinquished leadership and Nigel Byard was appointed as the next main leader of All Saints.
April 2008 Nigel Byard steps down from leadership, as he begins to prepare for full time ministry. A Leadership Team was appointed.
June 2008 Sam Mortimer is appointed as leader of the Leadership Team. Later in November in the same year Sam was licensed as a Lay Minister.
June 2009 All Saints was involved as a church in helping at the
Warfield Village Fete as a part of our calling to be more involved with the local community. We also started to become more involved with Warfield School.
All Saints continues to grow and to celebrate the Lord's wonderful care and providence. To God alone be the glory!
(This history was initially compiled by Mark Summers from records mainly provided by Bob Nicholls - the first leader of All Saints).
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24/01/2010