On this page we list the events we have organised in the past.
At Kingston Field, Woodbridge on Sunday 7th July 2024
An opportunity to hear the candidates standing for Suffolk Coastal in the General Election.
Doors open 18:30hrs. Written questions may be submitted by 18:45hrs.
Join early risers at 6.30am to celebrate Easter Day with an outdoor service by the river. (Don't forget the clocks go forward the night before!)
Gather at Elmhurst Park ready to walk around the town in a procession behind a cross, then back to Elmhurst Park for a short open air service.
You are invited to join us at any of these times to pray together
• Thursday 18th January – St. Andrews Melton (Compline) at 6:30
• Friday 19th January – Quay Church Woodbridge at 7:00
• Saturday 20th January – Methodist Church Woodbridge at 3:30
• Sunday 21st January – St. Mary’s Woodbridge at 3:30
• Monday 22nd January – St. Mary’s Great Bealings at 11:00
• Tuesday 23rd January – St. John’s Woodbridge at 7:30
• Wednesday 24th January - Salvation Army Woodbridge at 2:00
• Thursday 25th January – St John’s Woodbridge at 9:30
We started our Easter Day celebrations with a short service at the bandstand on the Riverwalk
We gathered in Elmhurst Park ready to walk behind a cross in a circuit around the town, arriving back in the park for a short service. This was suitable for all ages and everyone was welcome to take part.
•Have you registered to host a Ukrainian family?
•Do you want to find out more about welcoming Ukrainians to Woodbridge?
• Do you want to hear about what has happened in other parts of Suffolk?
•What are the next steps for Woodbridge?
Please get in touch with either St Mary's or St John's church office (see Contacts)
GOOD FRIDAY WALK
Good Friday 2022 was on 15th April. There was a Walk of Witness around Woodbridge which began in Elmhurst Park. The walk took us through the Thoroughfare, up Church Street to Market Hill, down New Street and St John's Street and back to Elmhurst Park. At each church we paused and reflected on part of the Easter Story.
GOOD FRIDAY OPEN AIR SERVICE
Following the walk, at 11.00am we held an Open Air Service in Elmhurst Park by the bandstand with a live band. Members of the churches led us in an act of worship and remembrance of the first Good Friday.
Climate Sunday comes to Woodbridge
How we get from A to B, how we heat our homes, what we buy and how we interact with nature are all issues which came under the spotlight on Climate Sunday which took place on the 19th September on Kingston Field by Churches Together Woodbridge & Melton. The event ended with a service of celebration.
The Woodbridge event included high profile speakers covering such topics as net zero emissions, recycling, our natural world and how we can all live a greener life. Speakers include Professor Peter Hobson on the creation of a greener Woodbridge, Green Party Parliamentary candidate Rachel Smith-Lyte and the Revd Richard Stainer who examined the carbon net zero conundrum. The Suffolk Wildlife Trust, Sustrans, the walking and cycling charity, and Transition Woodbridge all took stands at the event which was designed to focus attention on climate change prior to COP26, the critical international climate negotiations in Glasgow during November.
“There has never been a more important time for UK churches to come together to pray, act locally and speak up nationally on the climate crisis and on the need to build back greener," notes Andy Atkins, CEO of Christian nature conservation charity A Rocha UK, and Chair of the Climate Sunday coalition.
Our Virtual Walk for Good Friday is online for the second year in a row. We visit each church and hear readings and reflections as we remember what Jesus did for us.
This link will go live at 10am on Friday 2nd April 2021
Join us at 7pm on the first of every month on Zoom as we meet for half an hour to pray together.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8191913344pwd=M3Avd1J1YW0vMDlWZDRTdWNJSkJFZz09
Meeting ID: 819 191 3344
Passcode: 047188
Watch this online at https://youtu.be/0r-EeN8VFbE
Below are some photos of the event, taken by Charmian Berry (Copyright 2021)
This year, because of the Coronavirus 'lock-down’, we were unable to have our usual Good Friday Walk of Witness through our town.
Instead you may like to take a Virtual Walk kindly created by Revd Clive Howard and available here.
We celebrated Advent with a Taize Service at St Andrews, Melton. Here are a couple of photos taken by Lyn Spall.
Churches Together held an Election Hustings to hear the candidates for the local elections. It was held on Thursday 21st November in St John's Church, Woodbridge. The event was very well attended and chaired by Mr Nick Cottam.
This event was held on Kingston Field beginning at 10am. Organised by Woodbrige Quay Church with the support of St John’s and the other churches, this has become an annual event since the first BFDO in 2016. Each year seems to be be bigger and better than the last! There were activities and stalls for everyone, bouncy castles and food. There was an opportunity to worship every hour led by musicians from St John’s this year and Doug Waller, minister of Quay Church. John Hardwick gave the message with help from Charlie the monkey and his many circus tricks. Watch this space for the confirmation of a date for 2020.
We met on the Woodbridge river wall by The Bandstand at sunrise. This year sunrise was at 5.46am so the service began at 5.30am!
The worship was led by Woodbridge Salvation Army and the musicians of the Woodbridge and Leiston Corps. This was followed by refreshments in the Deben Yacht Club. Many thanks to the members of the Deben Yacht Club for allowing the use of their wonderful facilites. The Woodbridge River Wall is indeed a wonderful location. Especially on Easter Morning.
NEW: Photos below taken on Easter Day 2019
Every Good Friday we meet on Market Hill and follow behind a cross, a route around the town, stopping near each church to listen to a reading reminding us of the events of the first Good Friday when Jesus was crucified of each one of us. This year we ended up at Quay Church for a service and refreshments. This procession is contemplative, but there is a great feeling of unity as we share this most important day together and look forward to the events of Easter Day when Jesus rose from the dead and is alive in our hearts today!
Woodbridge Churches Together Walk of Witness 2017. Members from all the churches in Woodbridge gathered at The Shire Hall on Good Friday and after initial prayers and readings the procession followed the Cross. The procession followed a route around the town stopping at various points and churches for more readings , prayers and hymns. Finally at 11.10 the procession joined members of the Quay Church for a service. The morning was concluded with refreshments inside the Quay Church. Many thanks to our friends at the Quay Church for their wonderful hospitality., We hope you enjoy the pictures of the different stages of The Walk around the town.
Here are photos of our Big Family Day Out on Kingston Field on July 17th 2016.
Photos by Charmian Berry
As usual we walked through the town on Good Friday.
Clive Howard has kindly shared these photos with us.
We organised a Passion Play in Woodbridge this year, following up the success of the events in 2011 and 2007.
It was to have been in Elmhurst Park at 10.30am on Good Friday, April 3rd, but because of bad weather we moved it to the Riverside Theatre. So many people turned up that we had a live stream from nearby Quay Church!
SONGS OF PRAISE in Elmhurst Park
4.30pm Sunday 3rd June 2012
Six years ago members of Churches in Woodbridge and Melton presented a Passion Play in traditional costume on Good Friday out in the open air of Elmhurst Park.
This year (2011) a more contemporary re-telling of the Easter Story will be presented in the same park by church-goers of the town. Jesus will arrive in Elmhurst Park at 10.30am on Friday 22nd April, depicting the procession on Palm Sunday and will be greeted by children waving palm leaves and singing ‘Hosanna!’ A choir and cast of actors will then lead the audience through the events of that first Easter as Jesus celebrates the Passover meal with his disciples, prays in the garden, is arrested by Roman soldiers, is tried and Crucified and finally Rises from the dead to appear before his friends once again.
The cast and choir have been recruited from the local churches and have been rehearsing for several weeks. Costumes, (modern this year) props and scenery are underway and musicians are tuning up ready for the big event which last time attracted several hundred people to the park. These local Christians are putting on this play to tell the local community the Story of Easter. They want to follow Jesus’ command to ‘Go and make disciples of all nations’ which means starting where they live and making sure their friends and neighbours have the opportunity to hear the Gospel for themselves. They are also keen to work together, as members of Christian churches from all denominations, to build good relationships with one other.
Representatives from Churches Together in Woodbridge and Melton meet regularly to plan joint ventures which include the Town Pastor scheme, a visible presence at the Body, Mind and Spirit Fair, an open air service at the Woodbridge Regatta, visiting schools to present ‘Open the Book’ assemblies and organising weekly Credit Union sessions.
The Woodbridge Passion takes place in Elmhurst Park on Good Friday, 22nd April 2011 at 10.30am. Admission to the park is Free and everyone is welcome to attend. Bring a fold-up chair and arrive in good time for a prime spot.
This was the first of our Good Friday Passion Plays, held in Elmhurst Park in glorious sunshine.