Timings ▪ Offering ▪ Children and Youth ▪ Volunteering ▪ Travel ▪ More Info
You can live stream our Celebration via YouTube here.
God’s heart for the nations runs through the Scriptures - from his call to Abram to be a blessing to the nations, through to Jesus’ Great Commission instructing us to make disciples of all nations, culminating in John’s vision in Revelation of a ‘great multitude from every tribe and tongue’ one day worshipping God.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to get caught up in God’s glorious vision and love for all nations of the earth. This is a conviction that has been at the heart of our Salt & Light family for decades and during our Celebration in Oxford on June 14th, we will take time to explore again God's heart for the nations and our place in that.
What will the day include?
We will have a day of worshipping together the God of the nations, being shaped by his Word, and hearing from projects in other nations where we as a family of churches are serving and seeing God’s kingdom extend.
The children and youth will focus on God’s heart for the nations in their groups too as we pray the next generation will be caught by a heart to serve in the nations.
After lunch (bring a packed lunch), there will be a range of activities for children, youth and adults - including games, a creative arts workshop and prayer for nations.
There will also be a seminar where we will get the chance to hear firsthand about what God has done and is continuing to do in the nation of Iran - a country so closed to the gospel and yet that has over many years seen God do remarkable things.
A great day together as a family of churches celebrating God’s great heart and love for the nations.
Timings
10:00am Welcme with refreshments
10:30am Morning service
11:00am - Children’s groups
11:20am - Y7-11 youth group
12:30pm Lunch time (bring a packed lunch)
1:30-2:30pm Afternoon seminars and activities (details below)
Spotlight on Iran with Lazarus and Maggie Yeghnazar Thames Hall
Art and prayer with Advance Arts Cherwell Room
Prayer for the nations Hinksey Room
Activities for children / younger youth Cotswold Hall / Vale Room
2:45pm Plenary service
3:30pm Finish with ice creams!
Spotlight on Iran with Lazarus and Maggie Yeghnazar
Thames Hall
Lazarus & Maggie were born and raised in Iran and have served the Iranian Church their whole lives.
Come and hear first-hand what God is doing in Iran, as they share their journey of following God through revolution and persecution, answer your questions, and lead us in prayer for a mighty move of God in Iran and around the world.
Creative art and prayer
Cherwell Room
Bringing art and prayer together! Together we will create a large installation map made of prayers – celebrating God’s heart for the nations!
There will be two activity options suitable for different skill levels and ages, and you can drop in at any time and take part for as long as you like.
We’ll reveal the finished installation during the final session.
PARENTS/CARERS
Children must be accompanied
Prayer for the nations
Hinksey Room
In the Hinksey Room (upstairs, hosted by Mark Eley) there will be a time of prayer and intercession for the nations.
We will gather for one hour to pray for different nations of the world – for revival, for churches to flourish, the gospel to spread and God’s plans and purposes to advance.
Children and younger youth
Cotswold Hall and Vale Room
Head to the Cotswold Hall for crafts, games, sports, silent disco and more!
Or enjoy a film in the Vale room.
PARENTS/CARERS
You remain responsible for your children all afternoon. At all times please be aware where your children are and who they are with.
The people leading the activities are not keeping a register or taking responsibility for your children, they are providing activities in a freeflow space where anyone can come and go.
Offering
Among the stories we will hear in the morning is of an amazing move of God in a small village in the nation of Benin. Through a series of extraordinary events, friends from our Salt & Light family in Western Africa have been invited to start a Christian school in what is normally a deeply anti-Christian environment. We will take an offering for the school in the morning.
Children and youth
Primary aged children will be in the Cotswold Hall for their session.
Children age 0-16 will have sessions (up to end of Y11) and need to be pre-registered to enable us to prepare well, get large enough teams of leaders in place and enough resources. this will also make your morning smoother as checking in will be much quicker on the day if you are pre-registered!
We also need a big team of volunteers to support our children’s and youth work, so please help if you are able.
Sixth Formers will be in the main meeting with the adults.
Sensory and Additional needs
We are aware that Celebrations are a different environment, which can be challenging for our children and we want to be as inclusive of different needs and sensitivities as possible. Our desire is for Celebrations to be times in which all of our children, and their parents can be spiritually fed. With that in mind we are working on increasing our SEN provision. In order to do this we need parents to share information with us in the pre-registration forms - this allows us to plan and prepare for the right number of volunteers and resources.
We will have quiet spaces available, with sensory resources and activities. We have a couple of pairs of ear defenders available in group, but encourage you to bring these with you if they are helpful for your child.
Please register your children by Wednesday 10th June.
Registration is now closed. Please arrive by 10am to register your children on the morning.
Volunteering
Our celebrations cannot run without a team of volunteers serving in a variety of roles. Please use the links below to sign up and offer your help! As well as welcome, refreshments and car parking we’ve added a site team, to be available from 8am for general helping particularly moving boxes of toys around and setting up tables, so please sign up if you are able!
Volunteers supporting children and youth will need to have a suitable DBS check and Safeguarding training.
Registration is now closed. Please contact Carol Byrne
Travel
In order to make the celebration accessible to as many as possible, parking spaces for those who need them (e.g. you have disability, mobility issues, elderly passengers or lots of small children) can be booked in advance using this form.
The remainder of our 90 car parking spaces, as well as 70 on-street spaces on Osney Mead are available on a first-come-first-served basis, with no time limits at weekends. For previous events on-site and nearby parking has been adequate.
We also encourage 'green' travel by foot, bicycle and public transport, TKC is a 10 minute walk from Oxford city train station, via the towpath through Osney Island. There are also sheltered bike racks available.
The main entrance can be found through the large gates to the right hand side of the carpark.
The King's Centre, the Osney Mead estate and Botley Road are not impacted by the new congestion charging arrangements.
For more information please see our travel page.
Registration has now closed, use of the car park is first come first served.
More information
Any questions, please contact Event Organiser Carol.Byrne@witneycommunity.church