Coffee and Prayer Together

Brexit is a cause of great celebration for some and great sadness for others. But now is the time when we must come together to serve the common good in our city, our nation and in our relationship with the rest of Europe. Whatever the future holds, Christians believe that we can entrust the future to God; therefore there is always hope.

The Archbishops and our own Bishops too have urged us all to listen to one another and to pray together too. Whether you voted leave or remain, what are the three main things that we have in common that we can build on for a better future as a community?

You are invited to gather to discuss this question and others over coffee in the schoolroom at Discover DeCrypt on Friday 31 January 11.00-12.30. Let’s find common ground together and commit the future to God. 

Canon Nikki Arthy

Pancakes for Shrove Tuesday 

Tuesday 25 February 3.00-7.00pm

Join us in the Schoolroom for pancakes on Shrove Tuesday any time between 3.00pm and 7.00pm.  Our willing chefs will be preparing delicious pancakes with a range of toppings including bananas and cream, maple syrup with strawberries…and lemon and sugar for the die-hard traditionalists!  Tea and coffee will also be available.

‘Shrove’ comes from the verb ‘to shrive’ which means to confess. In the Middle Ages Christians went to confess their sins the day before Ash Wednesday, which marked the start of Lent. As Lent was a time of fasting, when meat and dairy were prohibited, Pancakes were eaten on Shrove Tuesday to use up all the forbidden eggs, cream, butter and milk.

Donations will go to the Church Urban Fund.  CUF was established by the Church of England as a practical response to unmet need and has been active in local communities for over 30 years. It works through the Church of England’s local parish networks, and alongside other faith-based and secular organisations, to bring about positive, long-term, sustainable change in neighbourhoods. It works through building trust, empowering local people to have a go at addressing the areas of greatest need in their communities, and speaking out against injustice.
 

We are delighted to be co-hosting the Rainbow Cuppa together with LGBT+ Partnership Cheltenham, Gloucestershire & connected areas and Age UK Gloucestershire.  Come and enjoy a cuppa and a chat in a safe, friendly and calm space for all LGBT+ folk and allies, supported by the broader community.

New to Discover DeCrypt the first of a monthly

FUNtastic Community Fair

Saturday 8 February 10.00am-3.00pm

“Cake is a symbol of joy, celebration, belonging, friendship and love.”

Viva O’Flynn grew up in the Philippines where she learned to bake from her grandmother, helping in the kitchen from the age of 5.  For Viva,  you eat cake to enjoy life.:

“The wafting aroma of freshly baked homemade goods transports me back to my childhood years and I’m filled with love.  Whenever I bake, I listen to love songs, so my secret recipe, which isn’t so secret any more, is love.”

Viva studied as a chef at Le Cordon Bleu, London. Since marrying and settling in Gloucestershire, she has started a highly successful business, Love Viva Cakes and Crafts, last year winning Creative Business of the Year Runner Up and Best New Business Finalist awarded by the Women’s Business Club.

Her latest enterprise is a series of ‘Funtastic Craft Fairs’ to be held here at Discover DeCrypt once a month.  The first is on Saturday 8th February from 10.00am until 3.00pm. There will be delicious cakes, lovely handmade crafts, gifts and lots of shopping for everyone. And it’s free entry. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, stop in for a taste of Viva’s cakes and crafts and take home a little love! 

Looking for some free, fun family activity over Half Term?

Come and get creative with paint, pens, glue and glitter.  We’ll be taking our pencils for a walk, painting to music, exploring watercolours and thinking colourfully about spring…Ideal for 7-12 year olds, but younger children will manage well with a bit of adult help. There is no charge, but we invite a donation to help cover the cost of materials. More information on the website http://www.discoverdecrypt.org.uk

This Saturday 14 December there’ll be Carol Singing for Christian Aid from 10.30am outside in Southgate Street, with mince pies and hot drinks in the Schoolroom.  Then in the afternoon Chloe of the Midnight Storytellers brings us some Festive Fables at 2.15pm. Free family storytelling – take a break from Christmas shopping and settle down with a cup of tea or mulled apple juice.

Struggling with your Christmas shopping? Help is here!

If you are struggling with your Christmas shopping, don’t despair!  We will be holding a Christmas ‘Pop-up’ shop every Saturday in December up to Christmas. This will be a festival arrangement of our current stock, with some additional goods from local crafters. We will also be serving seasonal refreshments: mulled apple juice, hot chocolate and mince pies/Christmas biscuits. Beautiful, original gifts that also support Discover DeCrypt…how can you resist?

For many of us Christmas is a time when we particularly remember those we love who are no longer with us to share the festive season. In the chancel is a tree where you can hang a star with the name of a loved one and leave a prayer request if you wish.

Come and visit our walk-in nativity in the Raikes Chapel

This year we have a beautiful collection of mop people representing the Holy Family, shepherds and wise men. Come and say hello!

Booking opens in January

We have an exciting programme of art and craft workshops coming in 2020. There will be mosaics, painting with pastels, watercolour, clay coil pots, basket weaving, wet felting, gift making workshops and family workshops.  We’ll be posting dates in January.  If you’d like to go on the list for Early Bird booking discounts please email mail@discoverdecrypt.org.uk 

We will be closed for Christmas from Monday 23 December to Wednesday 1 January inclusive. Have a very merry Christmas and happy new year!

Sunday 19 January         Christian Unity Service at 6pm  
Thursday 30 January      Brexit Coffee Morning at 11.00am
Tuesday 25 February      Pancakes for Shrove Tuesday 5.00pm

It is 10 years since I first walked into St Mary de Crypt Church. I had tried to visit before but found the church locked. Finally my perseverance paid off and I was not disappointed.  Light shone through the beautiful East window spilling into an otherwise dark church. The sense of history, spirituality and prayer was palpable. This was a historic place but more; this was a holy space where the stories of many of the people of the city meet with the story of God.   

Finding a new direction for a church in danger of redundancy is no small task. Factor in an adjoining Tudor schoolroom and the challenge is even greater. Looking back over these 10 years, I could not have imagined the journey that so many of us embarked upon. But seeing the buildings so beautifully restored and enjoyed makes the tenacious hard work worthwhile.    

Anyone who attended our opening service in March will know what a joyful event it was.  As we head towards the start of our ninth month of operation, we continue to be delighted by how excited people are to use the buildings and how positive both visitors and residents are about the refurbishment and interpretation. 

Packed into this first summer we have welcomed over 12,000 visitors, held concerts, drama, talks and exhibitions, hosted events for the Christian Arts Festival, Three Choirs Festival and our own Festival of Death and Life (see more below).  We are providing regular space for adult education, community choir and drama rehearsals, tai chi, toddler play, art classes and coffee, cake and conversation mornings. Our regular Friday lunchtime service ‘Prayers for the City’ is re-established and the Raikes Chapel is a  quiet reflective space for all. 

Discover DeCrypt is proud to be a part of the heritage led regeneration of Gloucester. The buildings are a gift to the city; may they continue to be appreciated and enjoyed for many years to come. 

Canon Nikki Arthy

The Darkest Midnight

Papagena performs at Discover DeCrypt this Saturday 4pm

TO BUY TICKETS NOW CLICK HERE  
 https://discoverdecrypt.org.uk/event/papagena-the-darkest-midnight/

Come out of the cold and rain this weekend for some heavenly music with mince pies and mulled apple juice to drive away the winter chill. 

A seasonal programme featuring Celtic carols, Christmas motets from medieval England and Spain, winter songs – including a stunning arrangement of Joni Mitchell’s The River – and contemporary carols for singers and handbells – something for everyone!   

“…you will be, as I was, instantly hooked by the bewitching sound of Papagena” (John Quinn, music-webinternational.com 2018)

extraordinary voices…went down a storm (Sarah Walker BBC Radio 3)

Members of the LGBTQ+ community will be holding vigil  to mark this year’s Transgender Day of Remembrance. Join us at any time during the day to light a candle and say a prayer for the lives lost to anti-transgender violence and prejudice over the past year and in previous years.  All are welcome.

Saturday 23 & Sunday 24th November 10.00am – 4.30pm

The Crafters return with their gorgeous hand-made goods. From practical household items to the quirky and delightfully superfluous – you will find unique gifts here for all tastes and at affordable prices. Free entry with refreshments available in the Schoolroom.

Saturday 30  November 10.30am – 4.00pm

If you like flexing your creative muscles, then this workshop will offer plenty to enjoy. Make your own Christmas wreaths, swags and scented pomanders from dried fruit and foliage.  Other crafts will include felting soap, decorating candles, creating winter lanterns and turning sticks and stones into unique toys, stylish gifts or personal keepsakes.  We will be running activities suitable for all ages, so bring the children or grandchildren.  There will be festive refreshments with cookie decorating (and cookie eating…) to keep the little ones happy.  

The workshop is free, but we will be inviting donations towards costs of materials. Please see the website for a timetable of activities.  Booking in advance is advised. http://www.discoverdecrypt.org.uk/event/family-christmas-craft-workshop/

“Death is normal – it happens to all of us – but when somebody dies everyone acts like something’s gone horribly wrong!” Erica Bust

Over the weekend of June 21-23 we staged the city’s first ever Festival of Death and Life. It was a programme of music, poetry and talks, together with a creative art display and crafts for the family. 

You might think that a weekend with talks about such things as grief and funerals would be miserable – in fact, while there were many thought-provoking moments, there was a lot of laughter.  There is something liberating in facing the inescapable realities of life. As local writer Erica Buist put it: “Death is normal – it happens to all of us – but when somebody dies everyone acts like something’s gone horribly wrong!” 

With inspiring speakers, thoughtful discussions, new ideas and a genuinely supportive atmosphere, it turned out to be a great weekend –  so much to enjoy, so much to think about.

We are now planning the next Festival of Death and Life –  if you’d like to hear more about it as our plans progress, just email us at mail@discoverdecrypt.org.uk  

It’s good to talk – let’s all be part of the conversation. Sandra Millar, Head of Life Events

Working with our neighbours and local residents, there are exciting plans to improve the churchyard with new planting and paths.  If you are a keen gardener, or even if you just enjoy doing something active in the fresh air, then this project is for you.  We need plenty of willing hands to help tackle the weeds and take care of newly seeded grass.  This is a great opportunity to turn the churchyard into a beautiful green oasis in the city centre.

For more information or to get involved please email us: mail@discoverdecrypt.org.uk 

Saturday 7 December        Christmas Concert at 11.00am
Friday 13 December           Fundraising Concert for Footstep at 7.30pm  
Saturday 14 December       Festive Fables: Family Storytelling at 2.15pm