Cirencester Ashcroft Church & Centre

23/10/2026

Thought for the day. Every blessing, Andy Rickell

Next time somebody tells you that you live in a Christian nation, reflect on this from John Wesley —

And, first, I would ask, Where does this Christianity now exist? Where, I pray, do the Christians live? Which is the country, the inhabitants whereof are all thus filled with the Holy Ghost --are all of one heart and of one soul cannot suffer one among them to lack anything, but continually give to every man as he hath need; who, one and all, have the love of God filling their hearts, and constraining them to love their neighbour as themselves; who have all "put on bowels of mercy, humbleness of mind, gentleness, long-suffering" who offend not in any kind, either by word or deed, against justice, mercy, or truth; but in every point do unto all men; as they would these should do unto them? With what propriety can we term any a Christian country, which does not answer this description? Why then, let us confess we have never yet seen a Christian country upon earth. ~ John Wesley (Scriptural Christianity IV, 1.)

23/10/2026

A brief video from the recent LoveRural national rural mission conference. Every blessing, Andy Rickell

22/10/2026

An interesting lecture you can watch online. Every blessing, Andy Rickell

Join us in person and online for a thought-provoking lecture and discussion, led by Revd Dr Helen Paynter on Christian Nationalism and its impact on Christian faith communities.
📅Saturday 24 October
🕙11am-1pm
🗺️In-person at Methodist Central Hall Manchester and 🖥️online via Zoom
🎟️To reserve your spot, see https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/christian-nationalism-how-can-churches-respond-tickets-2001882649895

22/10/2026

Powerful testimony about Aberfan, and a prayer. Every blessing, Andy Rickell

One of the worst mining disasters in British history struck the Welsh valleys in October 1966. A total of 116 children and 28 adults lost their lives.

Witnessing the aftermath was the Revd Irving Penberthy, a Methodist minister. Nearly 60 years on, he remembers seeing Pantglas Junior School in Aberfan engulfed by a collapsed slag heap.

Warning: This article features a powerful account of the Aberfan disaster that involved the death of many children and the ministry that took place in its immediate aftermath.

Read the Revd Penberthy’s memories of the tragedy and a prayer for the people of Aberfan at methodist.org.uk/about/our-stories/sixty-years-since-aberfan-a-minister-remembers/

21/10/2026

We remember the disaster at Aberfan, all those who died and all those who were affected by it. Every blessing, Andy Rickell

21/10/2026

An earnest and honest prayer of love and devotion. Every blessing, Andy Rickell

O Merciful God… I look upon you as my friend, my only refuge and constant benefactor.When I grieve for my sins, it is not for fear of punishment, but from the cutting reflection of my… ingratitude in offending my creator and preserver, the God in whom I live and move and have my being, the God to whom I owe infinitely more than I can conceive… [Let me] give thanks and say continually, “Lord, not my will, but yours be done,” Amen. ~ Mrs Lefevre, early English Methodist leader

20/10/2026

CIRENCESTER ASHCROFT WORK & WIFI CLUB

WEEKLY UPDATE - UPDATED AT 20TH OCTOBER 2026 (with updated next 4 weeks’ sessions)

(Written whilst home in Stratton, Cirencester)

**NEWSFLASH**

The work club is now the work & wifi club! This is to emphasise that we not only help people seeking work, but also people wanting to improve their access to the internet. At both Cirencester Ashcroft Church and Centre, Ashcroft Road, and at St Lawrence’s Church, Chesterton, Cirencester we now can offer free internet access during our sessions, which you can use with or without support from the club. We have tablets we can help you use, if you don’t have your own device.

The work & wifi club will continue to operate on most

Mondays - 9.00am to 11.00am at St Lawrence’s Church Centre
and
Tuesdays – 12.00pm to 2.00pm at Cirencester Ashcroft Church & Centre
(but not on Bank Holidays).

We are now usually open for confidential one-to-one face-to-face support at these times. We also provide one-to-one phone and online support at these times too.

We also work in partnership with Cirencester Jobcentre to support referred jobseekers who would like some extra assistance.

You can contact me at the usual work & wifi club times by :-
- Face-to-face;
- Email : [email protected];
- Phone or text : 07951439302;
- Sending a message through the Cirencester Ashcroft Work & Wifi Club page.

We can then have a chat face-to-face, by phone, by message, or by video link if we can set one up, and I will do my best to help you.

You can also contact me at other times and we will then agree an appointment time to have a proper conversation.

Specific opening times over the next few weeks are below. Later opening times for the period up to the end of JANUARY 2027 are in the Events section (which is itself sometimes in the About section) of the Cirencester Ashcroft Work & Wifi Club and Cirencester Ashcroft Church and Centre pages. To access those later times, you will now need to be signed in to Facebook yourself, as Facebook recently “upgraded” so that Events data cannot be accessed by internet search alone (at least that seems to be what’s happened). Also Facebook only lets us select a maximum of about 50 future dates for an event at the time it is first published, hence why it appears to stop at a random date.

Monday 26th October 9.00 - 11.00 (AT ST LAWRENCE’S CENTRE)
Tuesday 27th October 12.00 - 2.00 (AT ASHCROFT CENTRE)

Monday 2nd November 9.00 - 11.00 (AT ST LAWRENCE’S CENTRE)
Tuesday 3rd November 12.00 - 2.00 (AT ASHCROFT CENTRE)

Monday 9th November 9.00 - 11.00 (AT ST LAWRENCE’S CENTRE)
Tuesday 10th November 12.00 - 2.00 (AT ASHCROFT CENTRE)

Monday 16th November 9.00 - 11.00 (AT ST LAWRENCE’S CENTRE)
Tuesday 17th November 12.00 - 2.00 (AT ASHCROFT CENTRE)

(For those who are interested, I normally highlight the opening times for the next 4 weeks. However sometimes I increase this when they include a break, in part to make sure that the last week I show is one when we are open. This is to emphasise that any closure is only temporary. The work & wifi club is a key part of Ashcroft’s mission and outreach project until at least August 2029. After that date I intend to continue to run the work & wifi club indefinitely, whether or not part of a larger project.)

Andy Rickell, Cirencester Ashcroft Work & Wifi Club Manager

20/10/2026

We have highlighted several successful purchases of land in the county for community use, so this allocation of grant funding by a well-known local funder is a major help towards future bids. Community-owned public land offers a range of benefits, particularly social and environmental, for communities across our county. The challenge is to offer the seller a reasonably good price from funding raised by the community. This fund will encourage and help with that. So we pray for all those county communities seeking to buy land to protect it for future generations. We pray for all those agencies and individuals offering support to communities to do this. And we pray for us all to support initiatives that protect land for future community benefit. Every blessing, Andy Rickell, Circuit Social Justice Officer.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9y7zmg53nrzo?fbclid=IwZnRzaAVD2nZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBwZG9mBWZkaWQWUQpedzuGFHQBEX0wA5mzrGOGLiUWEXNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzE3Mzg0NzY0MjY3MDM3MAABHh5BA_meI2D7IZ--K_nuUebmnoRj34HFkTdkJOtkpA1hDIU472wcdMBQVE6s_aem_6L2WCW9p4ibA8zlF3qeKwA

The cash can be used by local communities to protect threatened green spaces and wildlife sites.

19/10/2026

A statement from the national Methodist Church. Every blessing, Andy Rickell, Circuit Social Justice Officer

The Methodist Church has expressed its grave concern at a decision by an Israeli Military Committee imposing conditions on the Tent of Nations in Palestine which threatens the community's existence.

19/10/2026

Some careers may be challenging from an earning a living viewpoint. Choosing to be a freelance illustrator depends on the quality and creativity of your work to get commissions, so it might not be a first choice if a regular income was what was needed. If you have a yearning to follow your dream, but you know it could be a challenge to make it a paying career, please do come and have an exploratory chat with us at Cirencester Ashcroft Work & Wifi Club. Our contact details are on the Cirencester Ashcroft Work & Wifi Club page. Andy Rickell, Cirencester Ashcroft Work & Wifi Club Manager

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/z769hbk?fbclid=IwZnRzaAVChQRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBwZG9mBWZkaWQWUQnfm-asZMxVJU4lMfsqB82hE-Gs03NydGMGYXBwX2lkDzE3Mzg0NzY0MjY3MDM3MAABHit0St_iBZmtrqtvXXbMNUkU_uNEx8p8eCxmcuszpWt2usXU6hhj3xptEo5d_aem__s_rLjncx9dO89Ff3A_ulA

Are you interested in becoming an illustrator? Meet Anh and find out what she did to become an illustrator. Part of our Bitesize world of work series.