events

Ecumenical Walk of Witness 2026

Ecumenical Walk of Witness 2026

The Walk of Witness on Good Friday 2026 was very well attended.

Christians of many denominatins gathered at Nottingham RC Cathedral for a short service before walking together to the Market Square where, accompanied by Salvation Army band members, we sang together Were you there when they crucified my Lord. The gathering then proceeded to St. Mary’s in the Lace Market where there was a concluding act of worship.

Leaders of the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Salvation Army, United Reformed Church, Lutheran Church in Great Britain and black-led churches were represented and participated.

Posted by gdjjennings in 2026, Current, Ecumenical, events, Report
Advent and Christmas 2025

Advent and Christmas 2025

We are so grateful to everyone who shared in our Advent and Christmas services and activities this year. Thank you for supporting these events.

Thank you, too, to those who prepared and lead them.

  • Thank you to Nicola R for guiding us through our Monday evening meditations during Advent.
  • Thank you to our members, the Revds David F and James B and to Mark H for leading services during this Advent and Christmas season.
  • Thank you to Richard G, our instrumentalists, our bakers, our craft club team and everyone who came to sing at Carols in the Courtyard.
  • Thank you to the members of the Junior Church and their leaders for writing, rehearsing and presenting our Nativity Service and to everyone who brought gifts of toys to be donated to the Women’s Refuge.
  • Thank you to our Junior Church leaders for organising and running the Junior Church and Youth Group Christmas parties and to everyone who contributed to the Junior Church pantomime (including the great audience).
  • Thank you to our Choir Director, Phil H; our organist, Gemma M; the members of our Choir and our readers for leading our Carol Service.
  • Thank you to Becky S and Derek G for leading the Christingle Activity Service for our younger members on Christmas Eve and to Peter N and Derek G for leading the Youth Group carol singing later that evening.
  • Thank you to everyone who helped more in the background – setting out, clearing up and welcoming visitors.
  • Thank you to everyone who gave generously to our church Christmas Charity Appeal which raised money for the Notts and Lincs Air Ambulance and the URC Ukraine Appeal.
Posted by gdjjennings in 2025, Christmas, Current, events, Junior Church, Outreach Activity, Worship, Youth Group
Carols in the Courtyard 2025

Carols in the Courtyard 2025

Thank you to all those who joined us for Carols in the Courtyard on the evening of 1st December this year. We had a great sing – and it was wonderful to be joined by visitors.

Thank you to the musicians and to everyone who provided the refreshments.

Posted by gdjjennings in 2025, Christmas, events, Outreach Activity, Worship
Easter 2025

Easter 2025

Thank you to all those who prepared, led and attended our Holy Week and Easter services and events this year.

We are grateful to the Goldsmith Players for leading our Palm Sunday service with dramatic presentations; to the Minister for leading our Holy Week meditations and Maundy Thursday Communion; to Mark Hodgson for leading our Service of the Nails on Good Friday; to the Choir for our Good Friday evening service of readings and music; to those who prepared our Easter Breakfast and to the Minister for our service of celebration on Easter Day.

Posted by gdjjennings in 2025, Blogroll, Easter, events, Report
Church 50th Anniversary Service

Church 50th Anniversary Service

On Sunday 6th April, our Church Anniversary Service was be led by the Rev’d Dr John Bradbury (General Secretary of the United Reformed Church) together with our Minister, the Rev’d Chris Ford.

The service was followed by a buffet lunch. (Thank you to everyone who helped prepare and clear away after the lunch!)

Inlcuded in the photograph below are:

  • the Rev’d Chris Ford (centre right) and the Rev’d Dr John Bradbury (centre left)
  • together with (right) Brenda and Ron K, who became members of our church on the day that the St. Andrew’s and the Castle Gate congregations joined to become one church
  • and (left) Liv F, our newest member – who was baptised and joined our church the previous Sunday – and Zoe L, recent recipient of the Lundie Award

Posted by gdjjennings in 2025, Current, events, Report, Worship
Church Anniversary Celebrations

Church Anniversary Celebrations

We enjoyed a wonderful afternoon together on Saturday 6th April 2025 when many members, friends and visitors came together to share conversation and refreshments at to view a display of various crafts representing the talents of the church family.

Music was provided by various soloists, groups as well as the church choir while people browsed the exhibits and we are very grateful to our musicians, to everyone who provided refreshments and stewarding as well as to all our crafters and those who created such an impressive display.

On Sunday 6th April, our Anniversary service was led by the Rev’d Dr John Bradbury, General Secretary of the United Reformed Church together with our Minister, the Rev’d Chris Ford. This service was followed by a buffet lunch.

There has been a church on our site for over 150 years but, in 1975, the former Castle Gate Congregational Church congregation and the former St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Congregations (which had both become URCs) came together to form St. Andrew’s with Castle Gate United Reformed Church.

Posted by gdjjennings in 2025, events, news, Worship
Light Night 2025

Light Night 2025

Our church is hosted a wide range of music performers for Nottingham Light Night on 28th February 2025.

This included: the Ravenshead Swing Band, the Phoenix Signing Choir, the Djanogly Primary School Choir, Nottingham Tuneless Choirs, NTU dance group Funky Fresh and many soloists offering a variety of music and musical styles across three different spaces in the church and church halls. All this was in addition to significant contributions from our own Church Choir, Ukulele Group, band, and soloists and groups.

There were over 100 entertainers and there was amazing support from the public with over 1000 people visiting at some point during the evening.

None of this could have happened without our wonderful volunteer stewards who helped keep everyone safe and able to find where everything was going on at different points during the evening.

Thank you too, to all those who provided food, cooked or served it in our pop-up cafe for the evening or vestibule coffee bar.

Posted by gdjjennings in 2025, events
Advent and Christmas 2024

Advent and Christmas 2024

Thank you to everyone who prepared, led or participated in our Advent and Christmas services and activities.

This was a busy and enjoyable season with church family friends with: our Junior Church Nativity and Toy Service, thinking about the sounds of Christmas, our Service of Nine Lessons and Carols led by the choir, our Christingle Service for children and the young-of-heart, carol singing (both in the church courtyard and out and about around Nottingham) as well as our Midnight Communion Service and Christmas Day service.

Thank you, also, to everyone who helped prepare the food or the spaces and who cleared up afterwards!

Posted by gdjjennings in 2024, Christmas, events, Junior Church, Worship, Youth Group
Junior Church Show – 2024

Junior Church Show – 2024

Congratulations to all our children and young people who presented a wonderful performance of the stage musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jnr at St Andrew’s with Castle Gate on Saturday 6th July. The acting and singing was extremely well received by an appreciative audience and we thank everyone who supported this event. We thank also, all those who worked hard on the day and before to support the Junior Church in this production.

Posted by gdjjennings in 2024, events, Junior Church, Photographs, Report, Youth Group
Holy Week and Easter 2024

Holy Week and Easter 2024

Thank you to everyone who planned, led, helped at and attended any of our Holy Week and Easter activities or services.

We are grateful to so many, but hope that it is not invidious to mention:

  • The Goldsmith Players, for leadning Palm Sunday worship
  • Church Choir for their presentation of The Crucifixion with soloists from Nottingham RC Cathedral
  • Rev’d Chris Ford for leading our Holy Week Meditations on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings
  • Ron Kenyon for leading our Tenebrae Service on Thursday evening
  • Mark Hodgson for leading our Service of the Nails at noon on Good Friday
  • Rev’d Chris Ford for leading our “Eastingle” Children’s Activity Service on Easter Saturday
  • Catherine Jennings and Mark Hodgson for preparing our Easter Breakfast
  • Rev’d Jenny Mills for leading our service of worship and Holy Communion on Easter Sunday
  • the flower arranging team who decorated the church for Easter Day
  • those who provided refreshments after our services

Posted by gdjjennings in 2024, Choir, Easter, events, notices