St. Mark's Church, Bilton.

Start! Groups are a fun, informal way to find out more about the Christian faith. They are ideal for those who are new to faith or who want to learn more about how God works in our lives.
Start! runs every few months, and is split into six weekly sessions, each lasting about an hour and a half. Groups are small and friendly, involving about half a dozen people each time, with two leaders hosting the evening.
People who have been on a Start! Course often tell us how interesting, fun and valuable the experience has been. Time set aside to explore those questions we had been too shy to ask, or to reflect on our journey of faith, can be very rewarding indeed.
If you are interested in Start! please have a word with a one of the clergy to find out when the next course begins.

Yeast groups Whilst most people would associate worship with large buildings, members of our Yeast groups would agree that ‘church’ can equally happen in each others’ homes.
Yeast groups are an opportunity to gather in a small group, to get to know one another, to share worship, to explore God’s word in the bible and to find practical ways to share our faith.
Yeast Groups are focused on five values:
All involved: every member in ministry
Becoming Disciples: discerning God’s will for us and following Christ
Creating Community: sharing lives and building relationships
Doing Evangelism: sharing God’s love with others
Encountering Jesus: realising the reality of His presence with us
Currently Groups meet on a fortnightly basis on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. For more information please contact one of the clergy.

Sing a New Song. St Mark’s is not just musical on a Sunday, as those who attend the ‘Sing a New Song’ group will contend. This group of enthusiastic worshippers meet on the first Monday of each month at 8pm in Church Centre, for an hour or more of singing both favourite and new hymns and songs.

Lionhearts is a vibrant baby and toddler group which meets in Church Centre every Wednesday from 1.30-3pm.
The atmosphere is friendly and the children enjoy lots of crafts, from painting to play-dough. There are plenty of toys, interactive games and a quiet time with songs and stories each week. Parents and carers enjoy the chance to chat, laugh and share troubles over a coffee in relaxed surroundings.
At special times of the year, e.g. around Mothering Sunday, Christmas and Easter, Lionhearts celebrates with food and even more fun than usual! And don’t miss our Teddy Bear’s Picnic, which takes place in the Rectory garden in July.
So, come on little people, tell your grown-ups to put your walking shoes on, start up those push-chairs and join in the fun - don't forget to bring Teddy!

Praise and Play
Every 3rd Wednesday of the month at 2pm, Lionhearts relocates to the church for a short, fun service for babies and toddlers. ‘Praise and Play’ has a mixture of story, singing and prayer, and is followed by refreshments in Church Centre.

‘Mark’s Men’ is the group for male members of the family of St Mark’s.
The group formed in Summer 2006 as we realised something needed to be done to involve local men more in the life of St Mark’s. Today we have over forty men on our contacts list who have attended one or more of our events, all of whom have some connection with our church but who are not necessarily regular members of the congregation.
Mark’s Men has a regular and varied programme of events, put together each year in consultation with those on our contacts list. Recent events have included men’s breakfasts, beer and skittles evenings, theatre trips and a tour of Rugby school. We are always open to new ideas and suggestions for events and would love to hear from you if you could host an activity which would appeal to the male members of our congregation.

Ladies Weekend Every two years or so, ladies from St Mark's are invited to enjoy a short break together on the 'Ladies Weekend'. Offa House Retreat Centre in Offchurch is the venue, a fantastic location with warm, cosy rooms and beautiful gardens, not to mention the fantastic food! You can expect a cooked pudding after every hearty meal as well as regular coffee breaks with freshly baked cakes – what a treat!
The weekend runs from Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon, though some ladies just come for one day or part of a day. It’s a great opportunity to relax, get to know one another and to find some space to worship and focus on God, both together and individually. The weekend's activities are all optional and consist of times of worship, prayer and learning together, space for craft activities, walks and games, and plenty of free time too.
The Sunday morning is spent preparing for the Holy Communion service, the climax of our time together. Everyone is involved in the service in some way, which is really special, and an ideal way to draw the weekend to a close.

reMark is a new group exploring fresh ways of relating the Christian faith to life, intended mainly but not only for younger adults.
Whilst St Mark’s is a busy church with lots going on, we’ve realised that few people in their 20s to 40s find it easy to connect with what we do. Whilst we may turn to the church at special times in our lives, perhaps church doesn’t always offer enough to help us make sense of the in-between times.
In our busy lives when do we have the time to stop and reflect, or to pray? Where do we get the chance to discuss the questions that really matter?
Who can we really be ourselves with? reMark is looking to provide some of these things. Our events offer:
• A forum to learn about, discuss and challenge aspects of the Christian faith
• The space for reflection, prayer and worship
• A community to belong to, where I can be myself
For more information on reMark contact Rich on 01788 814916 or rich@burley.biz, or keep in touch with what’s coming soon on our Facebook page.