Groups
Several groups meet regularly. You’re welcome to attend these whether or not you worship at Cotham.
Findings
A monthly creative writing and spirituality group, run by an experienced facilitator, where we can explore our spirituality through creative writing. It provides those who come with a chance to write as a spiritual exploring, an attempt to articulate the thoughts, beliefs and feelings we have within us. This is for anyone who wants to have a go and is willing to be surprised by their writing.
Benefice Art Group
Meets fortnightly on Tuesday mornings. The group is led by practising artist Sara Metelerkamp with different creative projects and practical guidance. Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided and a small donation is requested for materials. You can come to as many or as few sessions as you wish, since each session has its own theme.
Benefice Book Group
The Benefice Book Group is open to any member of Cotham or St Paul’s Church. We meet on the second Thursday of each month from 8pm and usually finish before 10pm. It’s an informal evening hosted by one of the group. It’s a fairly fluid group – members come when they can, and everyone is welcome, even if they have not finished the book (or sometimes even started it!)
Books are chosen in December for the year ahead with the aim of having a varied menu of both fiction and non-fiction. Please contact the group for upcoming titles.
Contact: Rob Booth rfbooth@blueyonder.co.uk or 0777 999 1697
For info the rest of 2021’s books click here
| Date 2021 | Title/author/broad genre | Chosen by |
| Jan 14th | Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates | Rob |
| Feb 11th | Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens | John |
| March11th | Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass –Frederick Douglass | Stephen |
| April 8th | Girl, Woman, Other-Bernadine Evaristo | Diana |
| May 13th | The Vagrants –Li Yiyun | Julia |
| June 10th | The Wild Silence-Raynor Winn | Lorna |
| July 8th | A Gentleman in Moscow-Amor Towles | Jo |
| Aug 12th | Washington Black-Esi Edugyan | Stephen |
| Sept 9th | The Beekeeper of Aleppo-Christy Lefteri | Mary |
| Oct 14th | Queenie-Candice Carty-Williams | Sue |
| Nov 11th | The Garden of Evening Mists-Ta Twan Eng | Jo |
| Dec 9th | Planning for 2022 |
Time Out Teas
Time Out Teas is a monthly gathering on the first Thursday of the month for tea, cake and sandwiches, and for a chat with friends old and new. There is also a summer outing to the seaside or another place of interest.
Benefice Lent Groups
During Lent and at other times there are ad hoc meetings and discussion groups. For example, in 2016 we read ‘Meeting God in Paul’ by Rowan Williams and in 2017 we looked at the liturgy around Easter and also some of the poems in ‘A Splash of Words’ by Mark Oakley.
Food for Thought
This is a fortnightly group meeting on Monday evenings for those in their 20s and 30s. The group shares a veggie meal and a gently reflective discussion finishing with a time of silence.
Green Cotham
Green Cotham is a project run by Cotham Parish Church in partnership with High Kingsdown and other communities in Cotham, inviting people to get closer to nature, meet others and help biodiversity and wildlife in the local area.
Come and learn in a supportive environment about gardening and how we can support urban wildlife. For more info click here.
Sessions will be on Wednesday afternoons 1.30-3.30pm, meeting in the Cotham Parish Church carpark, starting Nov 17th, 2021. The sessions are free, and all tools and gloves are provided, along with refreshments. To book a place, please fill out this form. For any questions, email greencotham@gmail.com
Programme for Nov/Dec 2021
17th November: Come and help collect leaves and create wildlife-friendly flowerbeds in Cotham Church Gardens.
24th November: Collect leaves and make hedgehog houses at Cotham Church.
1st December: Dig up baby ash trees from the High Kingsdown Playground. We’ll pot these up and find homes with more space.
8th December: Collect leaves and prune & renovate flowerbeds on the High Kingsdown Estate.
15th December: Come and help us dig out overgrown shrubs in Cotham Parish Church to make way for some more wildlife-friendly planting. After the session join us for festive mulled wine, mince pies and pizza.
Whether you are well-established in the Christian faith, feeling called to a new expression of your faith, or teetering on the edge of any faith, we hope you will find resources, inspiration and good company here with us.
Cotham Parish Church is a registered charity in England & Wales (no. 1132307)