Prayer, Study and Fellowship Groups

Living in Christian community is more than just Sunday morning, it reaches into our whole lives. Our parish small groups help connect people, provide support, and give opportunities to grow in love of God and neighbour, through a wide variety of interests. If this parish is your home, we encourage you to consider joining a small group. If you look at the current groups and don’t find a good fit, if you have a good idea, or any questions at all, contact Paul (curatepaul@kidhp.org.uk) or Penny (pennyspedley@gmail.com). We are always open to starting new groups that help people connect with God and each other.

Other groups meet periodically throughout the year, like the Making Group, Questions for God, and Lent and Advent studies.

4:30PM – Weekly online social group on Mondays

We meet via Zoom, especially welcoming those less able to get out and about to other groups and activities.

If you would like more information about this group, please email Tilly at tilly@kidhp.org.uk

6:30PM – Weekly meditation at St Mary’s Kidlington
The core of meditation is breath awareness.  In every religion, the breath can be seen as sacred.  Jesus breathed on his disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit”.  The word Spirit is itself akin to inspiration and expiration –  a breathing practice.

We usually begin with a short poem or piece of scripture.  We sit in simple silence for forty minutes, relaxing the body and letting go of all thinking, as far as this is possible, just counting the breath as it flows in and out of the lungs.

In meditation we seek to forget the self and become one with all the universe, and with God. Meditation is joyfully simple.  No-one is good or bad at meditation.  At its heart is compassion.

If you would like more information about this group, please email Giles via the Parish Office.

8PM – Monthly, on the 3rd Monday
We are a Bible study group that meets once a month. We have taken topics, characters or books of the Bible (Ruth, Philippines, David, for example) and share insights and consider how what we have read may be applicable to our lives today. There is tea or coffee, friendship, conversation and prayerful support too, and new members would of course be very welcome.

If you would like more information about this group, please email Diana via the Parish Office.

7PM – Weekly Bible Study on Wednesdays
The venue will be either St Mary’s Refectory or one of our homes. 

We choose a new Bible study series every four to six weeks, which could be a Bible book, character or theme. Recent series include the book of Acts, lesser-known women of the Bible, and character studies of the Old Testament patriarchs.During the evening, we also support one another by praying for each other, and share refreshments before and after the study. We occasionally have a meal together too. 

Do get in touch with Paul and Liz via the Parish Office if you are interested.

7:30PM – Monthly, on 2nd Wednesday
The idea of a group like this is for a few people from the larger congregation to meet together on a regular basis to get to know one another on a deeper level. We meet in individuals’ homes for praise, worship, bible study and prayer. One of the most important parts of our meetings is fellowship, and the opportunity to share our concerns and to support one another in prayer. Each month we will discuss a topic or theme using scripture to guide us.

If you are interested in being part of a group like this one, please email Robert and Jill via the Parish Office.

10:30AM – Monthly, 4th Saturday at St Mary’s Kidlington
Eco Group also meets periodically to discuss and work on environmental issues.

If you are interested in being part of a group like this one, please email Andy via the Parish Office.

7PM – Monthly, on the 2nd Sunday at St John’s
A space for youth: fun, fellowship, and faith.
For more information, please email Diana via the Parish Office.

Other aids to study and worship which you might find useful are:

Some members of the congregations subscribe to the Bible Reading Fellowship in order to follow its programme of daily readings and reflexions. New subscriptions are welcome for anyone interested. If you would like more information about this group, please email Janet via the Parish Office.

Anglican Cursillo is a movement within the Church providing a method by which Christians are empowered to grow through prayer, action and study and enabled to share God’s love with everyone. Some Parish members attend one of the local Cursillo meetings in Bicester, and St Mary’s Kidlington has been used as a venue for a large Cursillo gathering. If you would like to know more about the wider Cursillo movement, please visit www.anglicancursillo.co.uk. If you would like more information about the Cursillo group in our parish, please email Jan via the Parish Office.