St Peter's Yaxley

…reaching out in love and faith

Archives for April 2016

Annual church report 2015-16

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I believe that 2015 was a really exciting year for St. Peter’s and the Kingdom of God in Yaxley.

As I sat down to write this report I was very aware of how much we have to be thankful for. Indeed, the many ways in which God blesses us formed the backbone of the sermon series on The Beatitudes in the early part of the year. This feels the right place to record some of the ways in which I believe God has blessed us as a church family in 2015.

This is also an opportunity to reflect on how God is challenging all of us as we move into 2016 and beyond. I said last year that I was convinced that there is a real spiritual hunger in Yaxley and beyond. I remain sure of that and I wonder if our greatest challenge in the upcoming years is to engage with this spiritual hunger and to look for creative ways to enable the people of Yaxley to engage with the Good News and the Kingdom of God.

Read the full annual report.

Read the minutes from the meeting on 24th April 2016.

Jon Randall (Vicar) 01733 240339; vicar@saintpeters.co.uk

Story time

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I wonder if you’ve got a favourite story?

Perhaps a story you remember being read to you as a child? Perhaps a story that brings to mind memories of a particular time in your life? Stories are powerful. They can make us smile and they can make us cry. They can put a swing in our step or leave us poignantly reflecting. They can even change the way we think about our lives or about other people. Stories don’t always provide us with answers, but the images, the thoughts and the feelings they evoke can shape how we understand the world.

There is an old saying I like that ‘God created humans because God loves stories’. I wonder if you have ever thought of your life as part of a story? Despite common misconceptions, the Bible is not primarily a book of rules nor is it simply a book of factual information. Rather, it is the story of God’s interaction with people throughout history. Stretching deep into the past and looking longingly to the future, it tells a narrative of a God intimately involved in human life with all its joys and struggles, its messiness and its hopes. A story that far from leaving us passive observers actually calls us to participate in the story it continues to tell.

In April, we are starting a new group at St. Peter’s called Encounter which will provide a space to explore our own lives alongside the Christian narrative; to see our stories in the light of God’s story. You do not have to be a Christian, attend a church or even have read the Bible to come along and it is ideally suited for those who want to think more about life, faith and spirituality in an informal environment. It is a place where all stories are valuable, all questions are valid and there will be absolutely no jargon.

Join us at Encounter

Beginning on Friday 15 April, Encounter will meet on alternate Friday mornings at St. Peter’s. Tea, coffee and pastries will be served from 9.15am. A short, thought-provoking DVD will be shown at 10.00am followed by time to ponder, discuss and reflect. There is no charge and a crèche will be provided if you wish to attend with young children.

Mark Fuller (P) 07766 310509; markfuller@saintpeters.co.uk

Read this article in the Yaxley Gazette.