Community
These are some of the ways we serve our community right now
Lunch Club (Meet & Eat)
Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month, we run a Lunch Club for local people and church family and friends.
All are welcome, but if possible, please book in advance.
11.45am in church.
There is no charge for the meal, but we recommend a £4 donation to help cover the costs of the food.
Please contact us to book and let us know about any dietary requirements.
0191 415 4200
office@stgeorgesfatfield.co.uk
There are many other groups that we run to bless our local community
These are some that currently run and a few have been suspended during the upheaval of bulding works.
Bereavement Support Group
We meet each Monday at 3pm to encourage and support one another.
Whether recently bereaved or carrying grief from long times past, all are welcome to join us for a cup of tea and to sit and listen or share as we chat about just about anything going to be honest! It takes place at the back of Church.
Anyone is welcome, whether having suffered a recent bereavment or not.
There is no need to book. If you just turn up you will find a warm welcome and a hot drink, but if you do feel nervous, please do contact the office and we will endevour to look out for you.
Food Bank
St George's church run an outpost of the Washington Community Food Project based in the Galleries, Washington.
There are many reasons why people may find themselves short of money and food, and in desparate need. Mistakes by govenment meaning delays and problems with benefits being paid, ill health or loss of job, financial disaster, burglary or some sudden and unexpected financial outlay.
St George's church works with the Washington Community Food Bank to enable people in need to collect food from St George's church. To qualify for food bank aid you need to be referred by a relevant agency or person, e.g. your GP, Gentoo, Social Services and many others. More details click here.
Toddlers
Every Tuesday from 9.30am during term time, the church toddlers group meets for parents, carers and infants age 0-4 for fun and friendship in the church.
St George's toddler group gives you the chance to meet others with young children in a safe environment and have some fun in the process. There are plenty of age appropriate toys spread around
The toddler group also provides refreshments, singing and sometimes includes an infant friendly bible story. At Christmas we have a toddler service in the church and there is normally a teddy bear picnic in the summer.
If you have not been before you are welcome just to turn up, but if you would like to check there is space, please contact the office,
Active Families North East
We partner with AFNE who are running an 'Easy Exercise' class aimed at those of us who are less mobile or elderly.
It begins with a cuppa and is currently running on Thursday Mornings at 10am.
There is no need to book, but simply turn up and chat with the leaders or contact us for more details.
Ukulele Group
Even if you have never played and do not have one, come and join our Ukulele band on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month at 1.30pm in Church.
Any skill level is welcome and you will find you quickly get the hang of it.
Model Making Group
Starting back soon. Bring your own model, be it airfix or warhammer or something else, or make a free Warhammer figure. Paints and figures can be provided.
CAP Money
St George's church run CAP money courses from the charity Christians Against Poverty who have helped tens of thousands of people around the country get a hold of difficult financial situations and enable people to get free from debt. For more details contact us.
Walking Group
St George's walking group meets together most months and heads out to a nearby beauty spot to enjoy walks af varying difficulties. If you love the outdoors and would like to walk with a small group for company and build long lasting friendships then please get in touch for more details.
Morsbags - Ecobaggers@St.George's
Suspended at the moment.
www.morsbags.com to look up our 'pod'
Making environmentally friendly bags that look great for everyday use and having fun together while we do.
Flower arranging - Suspended at the moment
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Youth group
Our youth group runs on Thursdays at 4pm at the vicarage.
It is for young people aged 11-18.
The group is a safe place for young people to talk about issues they face, build friendships, have some fun, occasionally watch films, share food and think more about who Jesus is, who God is and what he wants of us. Contact us for further details.
Youth holidays
Every year, thousands of young people go on venture camps. There are camps for 11-14 year olds and 14-18 year olds.
The camps consist of outdoor activities, fun events, games, music and time to stop and think about faith in life.
Check out the Ventures site for details of CYFA ventures nationally. If you would like details of the camp some of our young people go on, please get in touch.
There are now camps for ages 8-12 - details here
Home & Study Groups
St George's church normally run numerous midweek groups where people can get to know each other and be part of the community.
All of our groups are open to people from outside of our church family and you will never be pressured into doing something you don't want to. Whether you simply want to come along, sit quietly and see what goes on, or ask all the difficult questions of life, you are most welcome to join a relevant group.
Home Groups
Our home groups meet in people's homes around the parish on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at 7.30 pm.
We have one group that meets every other Thursday at 1 pm in the church building
Our groups are safe places where people of all ages and backgrounds can build friendships, share problems, support each other and develop their gifts. At the heart of a homegroup is looking at God's word together from the bible. The bible is God's word and when applied to us today, it gives us wisdom for life and helps us grow in our faith and love.
Prayer
We meet together to pray for each other, the church and the world in various ways.
There is a regular 'prayer for the sick' group and in normal times we meet once a month on Wednesday evenings for prayer.
We also have informal prayer when requested and the church is open for private prayer during the week when the office is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Contact us for details of prayer meetings
Investigating the Christian Faith
At various times during the year we have events and run short courses that deal with the big questions of Christianity and faith. If you would like to join one of these courses, please let us know.
No question is too crazy and there is no pressure to do anything if you would rather sit quietly and listen
If you have any question at all, or just want to find out more about Christianity, please drop us a line and we will get in touch or just come along to one of the Sunday services where our talks always try to show how our bible reading is relevant to us today.
321 is just 3 short sessions that think about who God is, why the world is as it is and who we are as people.
There are two opportunities each year to come and join a small group, contact us if you would like more details or if the dates and times do not work for you as we can easily run another.
So what exactly is Christianity? What do Christians believe? Can we know answers to some of the big questions in life such as:.. is there a God?.. what happens when I die?.. aren't all religions the same?.. how can I be truly happy?
Today's world suggests lots of ways that can give us fulfilment in life. The media tells us that value can come through possesions, the latest gadgets, the best experiences, looking beautiful and fitting in to the way the 'powers that be' think. How do you know what is right? How do you know what is true? Is there anything more to life that the here and now and if so, how can I know what it is?
There are many competing claims on our time and energy and they wear us down. Shortage of money, ill health, loss of community, unemployement and breakdown in family relationships are just a few of the problems we may face in our lives. In the busyness of 21st Century life we can often stumble along doing the best we can, just trying to cope and we rarely get the chance to stop and ask the bigger questions of life.