Making Space for Prayer

In recent years, there has been a rising interest in faith amongst people in the UK. The Bible Society recently published a study about this (https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/research/quiet-revival) and named it ‘The Quiet Revival’. God is on the move! And we want to keep in step with what he’s doing in our city and in the wider world. That’s where prayer come into play.

Between 14 and 20 September at Highgrove, we're going to be making space for prayer. At the start of a new academic year, it will be a chance to seek God for the year ahead and to make time to be with him. During the week, we’ll be hosting a 24-7 prayer room at the Highgrove building. There’ll also be plenty of other opportunities during the week to gather with others to pray.

It's not about adding more activity, but it's about making space for prayer.

Over the next few weeks we will be telling you more details about the prayer week, so keep your eyes posted on the WhatsApp announcement and on here. There will be a sign up page published soon. In the meantime, put the dates in your diary - and keep praying!

Join Our Youth Ministry Team

Join Our Youth Ministry Team

The Woodlands Church Family (WCF) is a vibrant, growing family of churches with eight sites located across the city of Bristol. Our vision is to see Bristol transformed through the love and power of God as we create spirit-filled, visible communities of faith in neighbourhoods across the city.

Each congregation is distinct in their style, but we all share the same vision, mission and values to be communities which are welcoming of everyone, authentic in our faith, empowered by the Holy Spirit and expectant of all that God will do in us and through us. 

Central to our plans to reach this city for Jesus are young people! In Bristol, there are 90,000 young people who don’t have regular contact with church or faith. We would love to see this change! 

As we’ve grown, so too has our team, and we have several exciting opportunities for joining our youth ministry team.

ABOUT THE ROLES

Candidates should be highly motivated, enthusiastic, able to take initiative, work well in a team and be committed to see the church community grow in their faith and reach the city for Jesus.  

The following positions are available at Highgrove Church in Sea Mills. Find out more about each role below:

SENIOR YOUTH MINISTER
£27k - £30k (pro rata) | Full or Part Time Role
View Role Summary & Terms
View Job Description

YOUTH MINISTER
£25k - £27k (pro rata) | Full or Part Time Role
View Role Summary & Terms
View Job Description

Occupational Requirement
These roles have an occupational requirement that the post holder be a follower of Jesus and to be a worshipping member of the Woodlands Church Family (if not already) to ensure protection of our strong Christian ethos and values, and our charitable objective of advancing the Christian faith. We also want to ensure all team members thrive and flourish in this environment. 

Right to Work in the UK
We have a legal responsibility to ensure that all our employees have the legal right to live and work in the UK. Therefore, please only apply if you are eligible to work in the UK as we will have to verify this before you can start work.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for either of these roles, download and complete the Woodlands Church Family application form.

Please send your completed application to our HR Team at hr@woodlandschurch.net.

If you would like an informal conversation to discuss questions about the role, please contact the Lead Recruiter, Jack Saunders at jack.saunders@woodlandschurch.net.

The closing date for applications is midnight on Sunday 14th September 2025.

NEW SERIES: Our Culture

New Series: Our Culture

This Spring, all of our congregations across the Woodlands Church Family are sharing a preaching series called Our Culture where we’ll be looking at four values that shape our life together.

Our talks in this series will look at how we aim to be:

• Welcoming

• Authentic

• Empowered

• Expectant

As a church family spread out over eight sites, we're increasingly trying to call together the distinctives that help us understand the shared mission and journey that we're on. It's difficult to boil all of our culture and values down into simple, memorable phrases, but we're going to do our best in this series.

A particular distinctive about the Woodlands Church Family is the ‘both/and’ idea and concept that runs through so much of what we do in our theology and our practice. And you'll find it running through this sermon series as well.

We want to unpack some key things that people will find and experience when they come into any of our celebrations, gatherings and communities around the city and region.

Join us on Sundays as we unpack these key distinctives.

Check out the series intro video below:

Vacancies: Children's Pastor

Join Our Children’s Church Team

The Woodlands Church Family (WCF) is a vibrant, growing family of churches with eight sites located across the city of Bristol. Our vision is to transform Bristol through the love and power of God as we create spirit-filled, visible communities of faith in neighbourhoods across the city.

Each congregation is distinct in their style, but we all share the same vision, mission and values to be communities which are welcoming of everyone, authentic in our faith, empowered by the Holy Spirit and expectant of all that God will do in us and through us. 

As we’ve grown, so too has our team, and we have several exciting opportunities for joining our team.

ABOUT THE ROLES

Candidates should be highly motivated, enthusiastic, able to take initiative, work well in a team and be passionate to see children grow in their faith.

The following positions are available at two of our sites. View the full job descriptions below to find out more about each role:

• Branch Community Church
  Children’s and Community Worker | 2 days a week | View Job Description

• Highgrove Church
  Children’s Pastor | 3 days per week | View Job Description

These can be delivered as separate roles. Alternatively, as Branch Community Church has its service on a Sunday afternoon, that role could be combined with the role at Highgrove Church as they have Sunday morning services.

KEY TERMS

You can find out more details about these roles and full terms by downloading the document below:

Occupational Requirement
These roles have an occupational requirement that the post holder be a follower of Jesus and to be a worshipping member of the Woodlands Church Family (if not already) to ensure protection of our strong Christian ethos and values, and our charitable objective of advancing the Christian faith. We also want to ensure all team members thrive and flourish in this environment. 

Terms

• These are permanent positions contracted with the option of 2 days a week to 4.5/5 days a week in combination. 

• The salary will be £25,570 - £28,000 pro rata, depending on experience.

• The annual holiday entitlement is 25 days pro rata, plus 8 days bank holiday pro rata.

The roles will be based at Branch Community Church in Henbury or Highgrove Church in Sea Mills, all in North Bristol, depending on the combination of roles. Travel between the different sites will be required.

We have a legal responsibility to ensure that all our employees have the legal right to live and work in the UK. Therefore, please only apply if you are eligible to work in the UK as we will have to verify this before you can start work.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, download and complete the Woodlands Church Family application form:

Please send your completed application to our HR Lead Julia Shrimpton at hr@woodlandschurch.net.

If you have any questions about these roles, contact our HR team on hr@woodlandschurch.net.

The closing date for applications is midnight on Thursday 8 May 2025. However, this vacancy will close once we have sufficient applications.

If shortlisted, interviews will take place during the two weeks commencing Monday 12 May 2025.

Join in with Lent 2025

‘Pancake Day’ was always a firm favourite in my childhood home. In my opinion, lemon and sugar is the best pancake topping!

Shrove Tuesday, or ‘Pancake Day’ as it’s also known, marks the start of Lent. But I grew up in a church that wasn’t keen on traditions—perhaps wary of tradition for tradition’s sake—so I had little awareness of Lent.

Lent is a season in the church calendar that developed just a few centuries after Jesus’ earthly life to help His followers prepare for Easter. The idea was to set aside 40 days leading up to Easter to experience something of the fasting, self-discipline, and prayer that Jesus undertook in preparation for His crucifixion. By removing some of the comforts this world offers, we create space for God to draw close.

I never want to ‘just go through the motions’ in any area of my spiritual life. But having regular habits, whether daily or yearly, provides a framework for a spiritually healthy life. In recent years, I’ve found that using a Lent daily Bible reading plan focused on preparing for Easter has been particularly helpful.

This Lent season, why not consider doing the same or practicing a different spiritual discipline, such as using a 40-day prayer resource? We’ve compiled links to a variety of free resources that you can check out:

• The Bible App (download here) has lots of Lent bible reading plans, such as these we've used as a church before:

  • Journeying with Jesus 40-day devotional (shorter)

  • Lent for Everyone (longer)

• Lectio 365 reflection and prayer resource. You can download the free app to your smartphone (and there's also a family version).

• Sign up for a daily devotional email from The Bible Society.

• 40 days of prayer for Africa's vulnerable children with our Global Partner Hands at Work.

• A Rocha have produced a page of weekly Lent ideas to help us better appreciate and experience God's creation during this season.

In addition, we've created a Lent Family Resource. If you didn't collect one on Sunday, then grab one the next time you're in the building.

We also have a Prayer Calendar covering the period of Lent. Download below or collect a printed copy from the Highgrove foyer.

February series: Influencers

Our series for February: Influencers

This February, we are looking at stories of women in the Bible who shaped the course of human history by their faith, strength and courage. This series invites us to read their stories and be challenged and inspired into greater devotion towards the God they loved and served. 

Here’s what our messages will be looking at each week…

• 2 February: Ruth

• 9 February: Esther

• 16 February: Mary and Martha

• 23 February: Mary (Mother of Jesus)

We’re recommending two books that will help you go deeper with the series content.

Tell Her Story by Nijay Gupta
How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church

Better Together by Danielle Strickland
How Women and Men Can Heal the Divide and Work Together to Transform the Future

Prayer Week 2025

It’s Prayer Week from 19-26 January 2025 - let’s get praying and fasting!

You are invited to join the Woodlands Church Family for a dedicated week of prayer and fasting for our church, city, nation and the world. Let's remember the words of Jesus as we pray. Matthew 6 v 33: 'Seek First His Kingdom'.

As we start 2025, it feels wholly appropriate to gather together in one spirit to fast and pray and cry out to God for his kingdom to come here, as it is in heaven. It is a brilliant way to start the New Year, surrendering ourselves to God's goodness and power and his will for ourselves, our church and our world, which so desperately needs it.

A Week Of Prayer & Fasting

There are lots of ways to join in at home and in person. We’d love it if everyone in our church community got involved…

1. Book a slot in the Highgrove 24/7 Prayer Room
   You can sign up to pray in hour-long slots in our creative Prayer Room space at our Highgrove building. Sign up here!

2. Come on a prayer walk around either the Sea Mills or Shirehampton communities
   On Sunday 19 January, 2.30pm - 4pm. Wrap up warm!

   • Sea Mills prayer walk: meet at Highgrove Church

   • Shirehampton prayer walk: meet at Shirehampton Post Office

3. Come to our Evening of Prayer & Worship
   Join people from all eight sites of the Woodlands Church Family on Tuesday 21 January from 7.45pm - 9.30pm in the Main Hall at Woodlands Central for an evening of prayer and worship. Our focus is to pray for all areas of the city to be transformed with the love and power of God and to pray for Unity for us and churches across the City.

4. Join our online 7am prayer gathering on Wednesday 22 January
   Zoom access link here or use Meeting ID: 882 9222 4911 and passcode: 794445.

5. Fast during Prayer Week
   The Bible teaches the value of fasting in order to focus on prayer and seek God’s will. We would like for our church family to think about fasting and make a plan for how this could fit into your routine during Prayer Week. It could be that you decide to fast a single meal, or fast for a day or even longer. To learn about fasting, read more here or watch this talk from Tim Dobson on Spiritual Disciplines: Fasting & Feasting. If you can only fast one meal or one day, why not fast with others on Tuesday 21 January ahead of the Evening of Prayer & Worship gathering?

6. Send us your prayer requests
   As a Highgrove leadership team (Deborah, Ed, Tom, Jo, Lara and Holly), we love praying for you. If you have any current prayer requests you'd like us to be praying for during prayer week then please send an email to deborah.marsh@highgrove.church.

7. Download our Prayer Guide
   Use our handy guide to help you focus and pray throughout the week.

During Prayer Week, we’d love to hear your stories of what God has been saying and doing. Simply contact us and tell us how you’ve felt encouraged or connected this week.

Praying For Our Churches

To help us pray across the Woodlands Church Family during Prayer Week, we asked the leaders of each church to share their prayer requests so that we can pray specifically for each of their needs. We’ll be posting these on Facebook once a day from Monday through Saturday. Please take some time this week to be praying for:

• Woodlands Central in Clifton

• The Community Church in Southmead

• Highgrove Church in Sea Mills

• Woodlands Metro in the City Centre

• Branch Community Church in Henbury/Brentry

• Woodlands Southside in South Bristol

• Hillside Church in Backwell

• Woodlands East in Easton - Launching in February 2025!

January Teaching Series: PRAYER

New series for January: PRAYER

Prayer is talking to God - it can be so simple that even a small child can do it.

But we want our prayer life to mature and deepen.

We’re giving this month across all of our Sunday groups to develop our understanding and experience of prayer, especially as we head to our Woodlands Church Family Prayer Week, 19-26 January. 

We’ll be looking at four aspects of prayer:

• Authority

• Revelation

• Intercession

• Adoration

Come and join us on Sundays in January (in person or online) as we learn more about prayer together.

ADVENT SERIES: Tidings of Comfort and Joy

We hear so many different messages at Christmas, things we’re meant to be doing, or feeling, or being. This advent at Highgrove Church we’re going back to the true message of tidings of comfort and joy that only Jesus can bring.  

During advent, traditionally, candles are lit in church services and in homes to help remember Jesus coming as the light of the world. The candles all have different themes. This advent, we’re going to embrace these traditions and lean into the significance of each one. In a world that needs hope, is looking for love, is desperate for peace and craves joy, the Christmas story cuts through and teaches us about what real love is. A baby in a manger, a light in the darkness, the one who brings true tidings of comfort and joy.

We hope you will join us on Sundays in December as we journey towards Christmas. For the full programme of Christmas events and activities, check out our Christmas page!

We’re also inviting you to take part in an Advent D-Group challenge, looking deeper at the birth of Jesus and its meaning. Find out more about D-Groups and sign up here.

NEW SERIES: When the Storms Come

When the Storms Come

New Highgrove Series starting on 13 October

We’ll all face challenges and problems throughout our lives. So where do we turn and who do we depend on when life gets tough?

The Bible contains thousands of promises that God wants to fulfil in our lives.

In this series we’ll think about some of the most significant promises that God has made and how He is the ultimate promise keeper, meaning we can stand firm when the storms come.

Join us in person at either our 9.30am or 11am Sunday service, or online at 9.30am. Catch up with talks from this series by visiting our talks page.

NEW SERIES: This Time Tomorrow

New Highgrove September Series: THIS TIME TOMORROW

Where will you be this time tomorrow and what will you be doing?

We spend a significant proportion of our lives ‘working’, whether in paid or voluntary employment, as a carer or full-time parent or as a student. If we’re honest, most of us have a hard time truly believing that what we’re doing day-in and day-out is important to God or has any lasting significance. But the Bible is clear - your work forms part of God’s purposes in time and eternity.

At Highgrove each Sunday during September, we’ll be interviewing a member of the church family and asking them: ‘What are you doing this time tomorrow?’. We’ll then unpack the ways in which your WORK matters.

Here’s the plan:

1 Sept: Does it matter? - watch online

8 Sept: Working for the smile of God - watch online

15 Sept: At work, as in heaven - watch online

22 Sept: Your vocation is calling - watch online

29 Sept: Making disciples at work - watch online

Join us for our 9.30am or 11am services or online as we take the opportunity to be inspired and encouraged that what you’re doing THIS TIME TOMORROW really matters!

What next?

If you’d like to take some next steps or explore deeper as we go through this series, you may find these resources helpful:

• Podcast: Mere Christians Podcast (hosted by Jordan Raynor)

• Bible Reading Plan: Fruitfulness on the Frontline 40-day prayer journey

• Course: Does God care about my work? - new 3-part video series from LICC and Mark Greene (Highgrove have a subscription, contact us if you would like access!)

• Woodlands Leadership Foundation training videos

• Book: The Sacredness of Secular Work, Jordan Raynor

• Book: Fruitfulness on the Frontline, Mark Greene (and check out the course)

• Book: Working without wilting, Jago Wynne

• Book: Garden City, John Mark Comer

• Book: God at Work, Ken Costa

• Book: Every Good Endeavour: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work, Tim Keller

• Course: Look out for the next Woodlands Church Family Illuminate workplace course!

• Watch or listen to any of the talks from the series that you’ve missed

• Check out the Evangelical Alliance’s Public Leader programme, which is likely to be running in Bristol soon.

Summer Sundays at Highgrove

August at Highgrove: Bible-lympic Champions!

The Bible is full of people who lived faith filled lives. These are women and men who showed their faith in action, living their lives serving God and pursuing his purpose in their life.

This summer we’re taking a moment to reflect on some of these people and their story. Each week we’ll be looking at a key characteristic and exploring how we can live out our faith too.

During August, we will have one service each Sunday - come at 10.30am for refreshments ready for an 11am start! We won't be meeting in separate children or youth groups. We'll also be pausing our online livestream until September.

New series: Helpful Habits

New Highgrove Series starting on 30 June

In our recent Grand Designs series, we looked at Identity. So how, as Children of God, Citizens of heaven and Friends of God, do we live differently in this world so we can fully experience and minister the freedom that is ours?

In this series, we’ll look at 5 Helpful Habits that will help us to live radical lives. Join us at either our 9.30am or 11am services at Highgrove!

Catch up with any weeks you miss on our Talks page.

New series: Grand Designs

Who are you?

This June, we want you to come on a journey of well-being and wholeness as we dive into a new series about understanding our identity in God.

We will be looking at three aspects of the rich identity that God gives to all His people and look at how it helps us to deepen our relationship with God and find wholeness, peace and purpose in the world.

Come on the journey with us either in person or on the weekly livestream.

Woodlands Discipleship Year

A year to grow in faith
Woodlands Church Family Discipleship Year is a one-year commitment where we invest in your spiritual formation to help you become a more effective follower of Jesus, someone who is secure in the love of God and equipped to sustainably pursue the Kingdom for your lifetime.
Starts in September 2024 and finishes in July 2025

---

What Is WDY All About?

Who is Discipleship Year for?
WDY is open to people of all ages and stages of life (18+). It is ideal for those looking for a gap year between school and Uni or between Uni and the workplace.

Or you might be exploring a sense of call to leadership and ministry, but you are early in that journey. WDY is an opportunity for those with capacity to give some time to church and deepen in faith.

Where does WDY happen?
Woodlands Church Family has multiple sites across the city of Bristol that you can choose from.

What time is required?
WDY requires a part-time commitment with core activities happening on Mondays and Tuesdays. Plus you would ideally also serve on a Sunday team.

Watch this short video to find out from Dan and Amy what their experience of doing Discipleship Year was like…

---

What Will The Year Include?

Local Ministry Placement
You’ll choose a ministry area to serve in such as children, youth, worship, tech, leadership, social action, etc or a geographical congregation (Southmead, Sea Mills, Henbury or South Bristol).

Practical Training
You’ll receive practical theology and ministry training provided by the Woodlands Church Family senior leaders. You will be part of a team which will meet regularly and will have times of reflection and retreat together.

Overseas Mission
There will be an overseas ministry trip in the summer term to work alongside one of our Global Partners, who are based in places like Peru, Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

---

Want To Find Out More?

What does WDY cost?
There is no cost for WDY, but you will have to find and fund your own accommodation and living expenses. There are a number of Christian Community houses in Bristol that we can connect interested people with.

Find out more about WDY
Please feel free to email Tim Dobson with any questions you might have.

How do I apply?
Simply download the Application Form below and return it to us.

New Series: Holy Spirit

New Series for May 2024: Holy Spirit

When you become a Christian, God gives you His Holy Spirit to live inside of you. God wants to do things in you and through you that are far beyond your best abilities and wildest dreams.

Join us on Sundays in May as we look at how God’s Spirit wants to teach, guide and empower us to live life the way we were always designed to live and to make us more like Jesus in the process. 

Here’s our roadmap:

1) The Promise of the Holy Spirit 

As we look at some of the promises throughout the OT of the Holy Spirit, we see at Pentecost those promises were fulfilled. As we kick off a new series on the Holy Spirit, we look at how God gave this amazing gift to the Church to empower and guide believers. 

2) The Power of the Holy Spirit 

God has designed everyone with different gifts and abilities. But when we are filled with His Holy Spirit God gives spiritual gifts that mean we can live life in a naturally supernatural way. But we need to know what they are and how to develop them. 

3) The Person of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit isn't a feeling, a force or a power. The Holy Spirit is our best friend. Who is the Holy Spirit, what does He do and how can we stay in step with Him each day?  

4) The Presence of the Holy Spirit

The Apostle Paul explains our dilemma as humans by saying: ‘what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do’. How can we change the narrative at work in us and live the way we were always designed to live? 

Join a Team!

At Highgrove, we're passionate about helping people to get connected and feel like they belong as part of the church family. One of the best ways to do that is by joining a serving team. No matter your age or experience, there's a team that you can join, serving alongside others and getting to know others in the church.

Find out more by visiting our Serving Teams page or just go straight ahead and express your interest by filling in the form below!

Highgrove Weekend Away 2024

The sign up page for Highgrove Weekend Away 2024 is open!

The weekend away will take place in Hebron Hall Christian Centre in South Glamorgan, with easy access to beaches and Cardiff. It will be from Friday 5th to Sunday 7th of July 2024.

Sign up by clicking the link below! You can book for the whole weekend or if you can’t make it for the whole weekend you can also sign up for just the Saturday.

Tickets for the whole weekend is £80 for adults, £65 for young persons and £50 for children (under 5 tickets are free), or for day visitors £10 for adults, £10 for young persons and £5 for children (again, under 5 tickets are free). However, we don’t want cost to be a barrier for people to attend, so if you are concerned about cost, please speak to Ed or contact him using the link below as there are a number of discounted places available.

Number of places is limited so do book quickly! It will be a fun weekend - looking forward to seeing you there!

Here’s the schedule for the weekend:

New Series: Whispers of Hope

Our April Sunday series is called Whispers of Hope.

At the end of the Old Testament, we find a collection of twelve short, powerful books known as the Minor Prophets or “the Book of the Twelve.” The title Minor refers to their length, and not to their significance, as each of these books brings an important word from God.

Over the month we’ll focus on four of these books, each with its own uniquely challenging and yet inspiring message.

Join us each Sunday for our 9.30am or 11am service (or online at 9.30am) as we keep our ears open to how God wants to use these timeless messages to speak into our world today.

Easter events

Easter is nearly here!

Do check out what’s going on around Highgrove this week. We have a Good Friday reflective service in the evening of Good Friday, an Easter sunrise service on Easter Sunday, and an Easter celebration later on.

Check out our Easter events here.

Looking ahead beyond Easter, we have The Noise coming up during the May bank holiday. Deadline for registering is April 7, so do get signing up!

And of course, Highgrove Weekend Away is happening July 5 - July 7! Don’t forget to sign up, as places are limited!