Outreach and community activities

St Matthew’s is involved in a range of outreach and community activities including:

St Ebbe’s School

St Matthew’s has close links with the school and is consulted about changes in governance. St Matthew’s takes a school assembly once a month and hosts the annual Harvest, Christmas and Easter services in the church. This link is valued by the school and the church.

BeSpace

Working in partnership with St Ebbe’s Primary School, once a year for a week, we offer a space for reflection and prayer for children of all faiths and none. This is a partnership between the charity BeSpace and adult volunteers from St Matthew’s church. Here are a few images from a very enjoyable BeSpace week in June 2021:

     

Supporting the Oxford Winter Night Shelter (OWNS)

St Matthew’s accommodates ten people each Sunday night from January to the end of March as part of the Oxford Winter Night Shelter - a scheme in which ten local churches offer 20 beds each night to homeless people at the coldest time of year. Contact [add]

Drop-in lunches

Open for anyone needing a meal and some company. We start at 12:00 and stop serving at 13:00.

Bridge Builder Trust

The Trust supports the work of St Matthew’s and St Luke’s churches in the communities of Grandpont and Coldharbour. The purpose of the Trust is to promote the work of the churches in the very widest sense. This includes supporting those working, paid and unpaid, in the local community and the provision, maintenance and improvement of buildings. A small group of local people act as trustees, raising funds and making sure the money is well spent. Click here for more information.

The Gatehouse

The Gatehouse offers free support for adults aged 25+ who are homeless, vulnerably housed, on low income and/or looking for company and community. A small team from St Matthew's make sandwiches for the Gatehouse on a monthly basis.

Mission support

10% of income each year is directed to mission activities. The aim is to make a difference in the world by engaging with a range of social, environmental, economic and global issues whether overseas, in the UK or here in Oxford. We currently support the Church Mission Society, Semiliki Trust, Faith in Government, Latin Link, Oxford Churches Debt Centre, Viva Network, the Archway Foundation and Street Pastors. Further details of our mission support are available here.

‘66 Men of Grandpont’

A community project – led by a local historian – to research the lives of the 66 men named on the First World War Remembrance plaque in St Matthew’s. This led to the production of an award-winning film, an exhibition and various other events during the First World War centenary. Find out more about the project on this local history site.