Sundays in May/June 2024

5 May 10.30am King’s@The Junction* with Growzone and Youth

12 May 10.30am King’s@The Junction* with Growzone and Youth

7.45pm Prayer and Worship Evening @The Junction*

17 May 10.30am King’s@The Junction* with Growzone and Youth

24 May 10.30am King’s@The Junction* with Growzone and Youth

31 May 10.30am King’s@The Junction* with Growzone and Youth

2 June 10.30am King’s@The Junction* with Growzone and Youth

Bring and Share Lunch after the service**

7.45pm Month of Prayer - Prayer and Worship evening @The Junction*

9 June No service @The Junction

10.30am Celebration @The King’s Centre, Osney Mead, Oxford

7.45pm Month of Prayer - Prayer and Worship evening @The Junction*

16 June 10.30am King’s@The Junction* with Growzone and Youth

7.45pm Month of Prayer - Prayer and Worship evening @The Junction*

*The Junction is 42 Lydall’s Road - parking is in The Junction car-park or next door in the SOHA staff and visitor’s car-parks (please avoid parking in other organisations spaces clearly marked). If you would like more information about these Sundays please contact admin@thekingschurchdidcot.org

**if bringing food please bring full ingredients list

Vacancy for a Youth Worker at ECHO and the King's Church

Youthworker
We are now advertising for a youthworker to be employed by ECHO (the Didcot Youthwork Trust) and work 50% of the time for King’s Church. This marks an exciting new step for King’s and Didcot.

Here are the advert and job description.

Please pray that God leads the right person to the job. If you’d like to apply or know of someone who might, we’d love to hear from you or them. Talk to Nick for more details.

Gift Days: 10th and 17th July

God is a generous God who gives so freely to us. He invites us to join in his mission by giving to extend his kingdom. Over the next two Sundays (10th and 17th July) we are holding special gift days towards areas that God is calling us to. Please pray about what God would like you to give towards to his work here. The areas are:

Youth Worker fund in conjunction with ECHO
We are currently advertising (see below) for a youth worker who will work 50% for King's, and 50% for ECHO (the Didcot Youthwork Trust). Our half of the cost is about £14,000/year.*

CAP partner church contribution
It's great to be a partner church of the Didcot and Wallingford Area CAP Debt Centre. King's pays £6,000/year as our contribution to the costs of running the debt centre and employing 3 part-time debt coaches an administrator.

General funds
Our general funds cover a whole range of costs, particularly staffing (we currently employ Nick and Naomi part-time - in the autumn we are hoping to expand our team back to the previous level by employing a part-time administrator and leadership assistant). Other major costs include hall hire and support from our regional family of churches. Our required income to meet these costs for 2022-23 is £115,000 (excluding ECHO and CAP).

How to give
Go to www.thekingschurchdidcot/giving for details of how to give by Bank Transfer, Standing Order, Credit or Debit card. You can also put cash or cheques (made payable to "OCC Didcot") in the Tithes and Offerings box on Sundays.

Gift Aid
If you Gift Aid donations we can claim an extra 25% back from the Government. Talk to Rachel Sheard about filling out a Gift Aid declaration or you can do it online at MyChurchsuite >My Giving >Declaration

*If donations to special funds exceed what is required for those funds, any excess will go to general funds.

Wildfires 2023 and Big Church Festival

We had a great time at Wildfires and Big Church Festival over May half-term - amazing worship, encounters with God and great fun together camping (despite the rain!) Exciting news - we are going again next year! Salt & Light Advance (our wider family of churches) will be camping as a group on our own bit of the site, and there's a special early bird discount if you book before 31st Dec '22. Book on the Advance Churches page to ensure that you can camp with us at:
http://advancechurches.uk/wildfires/

Wildfires will be Monday 29th May to Wednesday 31st May with Big Church Festival before it on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th May (you can arrive to set up camp from Friday 26th, times to be confirmed nearer the time). If you book for Wildfires you get free entry to Big Church Festival as well. Look forward to seeing you there!

“It was great camping with church family and the other churches from Salt and Light at Wildfires. One of the highlights was sitting round a campfire in the evening chatting and toasting marshmallows. The after hours events were good fun too. The worship and teaching were excellent and I had a real encounter with the Holy Spirit. My daughter went to her group whilst I was in the main sessions and she also had a fantastic time growing in her faith. The Big Church Festival was fun too with lots of Christian bands and worship sets to see. We are really looking forward to next year!” Josie Mottershead

Sundays in July

Our journey is continuing with meeting at both Willowbrook and DLC in July and also online on Zoom, Facebook and YouTube.

Here’s the plan:

3rd July King’s at Willowbrook Leisure Centre All Age

10th July King’s at Didcot Leisure Centre incl. Growzone & Youth

17th July King’s at Willowbrook Leisure Centre incl. Growzone & Youth

24th July King’s at Didcot Leisure Centre All Age

Sundays in June

God is taking us on a journey to our long-term home - a base in Didcot from which we can serve the community. During June we will be mostly meeting at Didcot Leisure Centre but also at Willowbrook Leisure Centre on Sunday 26th June. And also on online on Zoom, Facebook and YouTube.

Here’s the plan:

Sunday 5th June - All-age meeting at DLC

Sunday 12th June - DLC with Youth and Growzone

Sunday 19th June - All-age meeting at DLC

Sunday 26th June - Willowbrook Leisure Centre with Youth and Growzone

May Meeting Dates

  • 1st May 10:30am King’s@Didcot Leisure Centre (all-age meeting)

  • 8th May 10:30am Kings@Willowbrook Leisure Centre (with Growzone and Youth)

  • 15th May 10:30am King’s@HOME online

  • 22nd May 10:30am Kings@Willowbrook Leisure Centre (with Growzone and Youth)

  • 29th May 10:30am King’s@Didcot Leisure Centre (all-age meeting)

If you can’t make the face to face meetings we’d love you to join us on Zoom on the normal King’s Church public meeting code.

Meeting Link here.
Meeting ID: 814 1819 8164
Password: 096047

April Meeting Dates

  • 3rd April, 10:30am King’s@HOME online

  • 10th April, 10:30am King’s@HOME online

  • 17th April, 10:30am King’s@Didcot Leisure Centre

  • 24th April, 10:30am King’s@HOME online and 2:30pm church walk in Abingdon

If you can’t make the face to face meetings we’d love you to join us on Zoom on the normal King’s Church public meeting code.

Meeting Link here.
Meeting ID: 814 1819 8164
Password: 096047

Stepping Stones and Sundays in March

The King’s Church is on the move again!

Like the Israelites in the wilderness we don’t know exactly what way God will lead us, but he calls us to trust and follow him.

We are currently looking for our next Stepping Stone venue - where we can continue exploring how to meet together and serve our community from a building, on the way towards the permanent home we believe God will ultimately lead us to. We are in active discussions with Didcot Town Council about Willowbrook Leisure Centre and with MakeSpace Oxford about Royal Scot House (the Soha building on Station Road), as well as exploring some other options. Please pray that God leads us to the right one and moves the remaining obstacles to make it workable.

In the meantime we have an exciting programme planned for March as we seek to Rebuild Community together.

Sunday 6th March
10:30am King’s@HOME (on Zoom, Facebook and YouTube)
7:45pm Evening of worship and prayer at DMC (also on Zoom)

Sunday 13th March
3pm King’s@DMC (also online). This will be like our normal Sunday mornings with kids and youth work, but in the afternoon.

Sunday 20th March
10:30am King’s@HOME (on Zoom, Facebook and YouTube)
2:30pm Whole Church walk - Blewbury Park


Sunday 27th March
10:30am OpenGate celebration - St Birinus

Building Update

On Monday morning I walked by Barnes Close Community Centre, where The King’s Church held its first Sunday morning meetings back in September 1999, and I remembered all the different Sunday venues that God has provided for us to use over the years of the church (I think there have been six regular ones).

It can be a wobbly time for some of us as we’re currently not sure where our next Stepping Stone towards our long-term home will be, so I was really encouraged on Sunday to hear the prophetic words that were shared about it. Here’s a brief summary of them:

Annetta: God provides us the shelter we require. It may not tick all our boxes, but have faith - he will give us what we need.

Lizzie: He’s the God of this city (as we had just sung). Greater things are yet to come, greater things are still to be done in Didcot. When we feel weak, God is our strength.

The latest update:
We are in discussion with two community organisations about an exciting project to develop part of a large building for community use, including for us - I hope to be able to provide more info on this shortly, but we need to pray it moves forward.

In addition we are making enquiries with various community halls and similar buildings around Didcot to see what’s available. Thanks for the various suggestions that people have sent to me - we’re checking them out. If you have any more suggestions, or you think God may be saying something about this, do let me know (nick.white@thekingschurchdidcot.org)

At the moment our expectation is that our last Sunday morning at Didcot Methodist Church will be the 27th February.

Nick

Baptisms - 9th January at Didcot Wave!

Baptisms

Exciting times this Sunday 9th January at the Wave as we will be baptising Emma and Adam, and also Naomi from Wantage Community Church. This will be instead of our Sunday morning meeting. We have booked the pool from 5-7pm, and will start off the meeting at 5:20pm. We hope to be finished by 6:20pm so there’s an opportunity for a free swim afterwards too, until our booking ends at 7pm!

We hope to be Zooming and streaming to Facebook and YouTube as normal.

Covid and other safety precautions:

  • Please wear masks at all times apart from when you’re in the pool.

  • If possible please take a test before coming and don’t come if you test positive or have Covid symptoms.

  • We will be using the seats on the far side of the pool, behind the barrier. Unless you’re getting baptised, please stay behind the barrier and away from the pool at all times.

  • Please keep children with you at all times.

  • Be aware that members of the public may be in the building at first (if they only got out of the pool at 5pm). There will also be some Wave staff around.

After the baptisms are ended everyone is free to go and swim if you wish, please use your own discretion as to what you do (i.e. that bit’s at your own risk! There will be lifeguards there, however).

For more info on what baptism is and why we do it, there’s a great video from Sanjay Mahtani, one of the pastors at Oxford Community Church, here.

January and February Meeting Dates

Here are the Sunday meeting dates for January and February

  • 2nd January, 10:30am King’s@HOME

  • 9th January, 5:20pm King’s@WAVE - Baptisms!

  • 16th January, 10:30am King’s@DMC

  • 23rd January, 10:30am King’s@HOME

  • 30th January, 10:30am King’s@DMC

 

  • 6th February, 10:30am King’s@HOME

  • 13th February, 10:30am King’s@DMC

  • 20th February, 10:30am King’s@HOME

  • 27th February, 10:30am King’s@DMC

If you can’t get to Didcot Methodist Church we’d love you to join us on Zoom on the normal King’s Church public meeting code.

Meeting Link here.
Meeting ID: 814 1819 8164
Password: 096047

Church during the COVID-19 crisis - updated December 2021

Sunday mornings at the King’s Church during the COVID-19 crisis

We are keeping an eye on the current situation with the Omicron variant and our Sunday morning meetings at DMC. We really want to keep meeting together but also care for each other (and comply with the updated regulations) so we’re now asking that everyone over the age of 11 wear masks (unless exempt or whilst preaching or leading worship etc). It would also be wonderful if everyone who is able to could take a lateral flow test in the morning before coming in, as part of respecting and caring for each other. Obviously don't come in if you have symptoms, a positive test or are isolating! And we will still be meeting online - on Zoom, Facebook and YouTube - so we can all be together if you'd rather not be in the building.

As we have been doing we will be cleaning key surfaces beforehand and opening all the windows we can to improve ventilation - so bring a coat!

At the King’s Church we are currently meeting face to face at Didcot Methodist Church in line with government restrictions as well as gathering online through the wonders of technology. Sunday mornings we are using Zoom (where you can participate) and Facebook Livestream (where you can follow and comment). We are also posting our Sunday mornings and other videos afterwards on our YouTube Channel. See instructions below for each.

We will be live on Zoom and Facebook from 10:25am for coffee (bring your own!)

At 10:30am we will start the meeting proper for an hour, which will include some sung worship together, a kids slot, a short talk and prayer, followed by Zoom break out rooms for chat afterwards.

Be great to see you (virtually) there!

Step by Step Guide to joining King's Church Meeting with Zoom - using Zoom for the first time

  • Click this link

  • If on the laptop or phone it will then open up a new page on your browser

  • If using for the first time, download the app or software for your computer

Using Zoom - once App or software has been downloaded

  • Go back to the link from your emails and click on the link again or type in this Meeting ID 814 1819 8164

  • Click Join meeting

  • If asked for it, enter Password 096047

  • Click yes to video and to audio

  • You should be in the meeting with everyone else!

Step by Step Guide to following King’s Church Meeting with Facebook Livestream

  • Click this link 

  • The top post should be our LiveStream. Click the play button

  • If there’s no sound check your computer audio settings but also look at the Facebook settings – there is a mute button in the bottom right of the video page.

Step by Step Guide to finding King’s Church on YouTube

  • Click this link

  • Or search YouTube for King’s Church Didcot

Stepping Stones and buildings – Update December ’21

For many years at King’s we’ve wanted our own building, a home for the church and a base to serve our community. In February ’21 in our Building on up discussion God spoke to us about one or more Stepping Stones on the way to that – temporary venues where we can try out serving the church and the community in the week as well as on Sunday. On the basis of this we took the step of leaving St Birinus in faith and response to God’s word.

Then in April Didcot Methodists approached us with the offer of hiring Didcot Methodist Church on the two Sundays a month when they weren’t using it. DMC has been a great Stepping Stone to try out meeting again with Sunday mornings and afternoons, as well as at other times with Coffee and Kids and Saturday Night Youth. We’ve found that Sunday mornings have worked well. Sunday afternoons have been great to try but not so popular. Going forward we’d now like to be in a venue where we have the option of meeting every Sunday morning (as well as online), once we have enough volunteers in place to make it work.

Didcot Methodists have also recently told us that they’d like to start meeting again every Sunday morning from March. So I think God is getting us ready – it’s soon going to be time for the next Stepping Stone in the journey. I want to thank everyone for their faith and flexibility thus far – God’s calling us to show that again as we go on an adventure with him towards our long-term home.

So what does that mean practically? We’ve confirmed bookings at DMC for two Sunday mornings a month in January and February (and we’re replacing King’s@THREE with another King’s@HOME). We’re also starting to look for the next Stepping Stone, hopefully for March. We’ve got a few possibilities we’re pursuing – we’ll talk about them more in the New Year.

Please pray and let Nick know any ideas for buildings we could hire! And feel free to talk to any of the leadership or MC leaders if you have concerns you’d like to talk through.

Finance Update

Thanks for all your generous giving to The King’s Church – here’s details of October’s accounts. General fund income was £9,258 and expenditure was £9,509, and we ended the month with £15,818 in the bank. In addition our Building Fund now stands at £32,733. Please do pray that we continue to see increased giving to meet our target income of £10,500/month, which will enable us to continue investing in venue hire and outreach, as well as to advance our plans to employ both a youth worker and a leadership assistant over the coming year.

For more details on how to give go to www.thekingschurchdidcot.org/giving

December Meeting Dates

Here are the plans for meeting up during December 2021.

Sunday 5th December

- Kings@HOME 10:30am - Meeting on ZOOM at 10:30am

Sunday 12th December

- King’s@DMC 10:30am - Face to face meeting at DMC 10:30am

Sunday 19th December - A Christmas Special

- King’s@DMC 10:30am - Face to face meeting at DMC 10:30am

Saturday 25th December

- King’s@HOME 11am- Meeting on ZOOM at 11am

If you can’t get to Didcot Methodist Church we’d love you to join us on Zoom on the normal King’s Church public meeting code.

Meeting Link here.
Meeting ID: 814 1819 8164
Password: 096047

We’ll also be Livestreaming our Zoom to Facebook and YouTube if you want to catch up later.

Monster Turkey goes to the Carnival

Monster Turkey is a brilliant youth event run by our wider family of churches (Salt & Light Advance) at the King’s Centre in Oxford on the night of Friday 17th December. For Y7-9 it’s 7-11pm. Y10-13s can stay on overnight for pick up at 8am on Saturday. There will be inflatables, films, escape rooms, tournaments, board and card games. carnival activities, tuck shop and 9 square! Oh and for those in Y10-13, Broomball!

Sign up is by 15th December here.