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More about The Port 

 

The Port Team ...

  • is led and headed up by Rhonda Sparrey, the Youth Worker at Wallingford Baptist Church. She is supported by other members of the youth team and the church leadership.
  • are not therapists or counsellors, but we do offer wellbeing techniques, tools to manage wellbeing and a space to just talk and be heard. Rhonda is a qualifies mental health first-aider, has trained in trauma informed practice as a mentor and is a Kintsugi Hope Youth Wellbeing Practitioner.
  • are DBS checked and have undergone safeguarding training. You can view our safeguarding policy here via the link at the bottom of the page
  • are able to signpost young people to other local mental health organisations if needed.

What happens at The Port?

 

We aim to be a space where ...The Port Chalkboard

  • kindness, acceptance, belonging, hope and restoration are at the heart
  • young people can relax, recover, build community with peers, have fun and be who they need to be

Our Sessions ...

  • are built around opportunities for relaxation, space for chatting with leaders and connecting with others through games and activities
  • include an opportunity to be part of leader-led wellbeing activities to explore and support mental health and promote positive wellbeing
  • provide activities such as painting - drawing - journaling - baking - games - music

FAQs

Do I need to book?  No just come along - Wednesdays in term-time (3.15-4.45pm)
Can I bring a friend?  Absolutely! But remember they need to be of secondary age
What will happen on my first visit?  One of the youth team will welcome you, take your name and an emergency contact number and then you can just join in
Do I need to stay for all of it?  You can stay as long as you like. Halfway through the session there will be an opportunity to join a focused wellbeing activity such as self-esteem, coping with exams etc. These last between 30 and 40 minutes.
Glenys
Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello 

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

We meet at the Church Building (details below) for our Sunday Service starting at 10.30am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team.

Plan your journey: 

Open Google Maps

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There is a disabled toilet in the main foyer.

Our Service

The main service begins at 10.30am with a warm welcome from our Pastor or another member of our team. Then we have a time of sung worship, led by musicians. Sometimes a person might pray out loud or read a small passage from the Bible. Sometimes people share things that they believe God is saying to the whole church family. This might seem strange the first time you hear it but it’s all part of our connecting with God. One of our leaders will then give a sermon that is Bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then finish with a final worship song.

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What about my children?

We have a great programme lined up for children of all ages:

  • Creche (0 months to 3 years). Children under 6 months are welcome but must be accompanied by their grown-up at all times.
  • Splashgang (school years R-2) and Supergang (school years 3-6) - these groups are currently combined into one.
  • Young people (school year 6+) are in for the first part of the service and then go to their own group

We are still transitioning our way back to 'normal' and so, on some Sundays our children will be with their parents (or other adults) for the first part of the service and then go off to their groups after 20 or 30 minutes. On other Sundays, they will be in their groups from 10.30am until the service has finished
Group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, Bible stories, praying, music, craft, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

On the first Sunday of each month we usually have an "All-Age" Service where we all worship God together as a church family.

Children

Getting Connected


Life Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our life groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out our Life Groups page and contact us. We can put you in touch with a life group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

 
Other Ministries

We also run/support the following ministries:

Get in touch with us if you would like to know more
If you have any questions about what we do please complete this form and someone will get back to you.
 
Name:
Telephone:
Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.
 

Leadership 

Simon Hudson
Revd Simon Hudson, Senior Pastor
Simon's vision is taken from Acts 20:20 - to get the Christian message into homes on a regular basis - and so he is always willing to visit people to offer pastoral support and spiritual care. You can find his teaching via our media page and, when time allows he blogs at acts2020.wordpress.com.
 
We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church. We look forward to getting to know you!