St Peter's Yaxley

…reaching out in love and faith

Returning?

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Dear Friends,

September is often a month for returning. Students and school and college staff go back or start school or university, people go back to work after a summer break and the church tends to step up a gear after a quieter month. Things will have been very different for us this year and some people will notice very little difference as August slips into September and as Summer starts to turn to Autumn. Things will no doubt continue to be bumpy for some time to come, but I wonder what returning looks like for you in this season?

Last night my husband and I watched a vlog of someone who we enjoy watching their videos and they were talking about their personal struggles over the last few months with mental health, with big plans being cancelled, with their work changing continuously. One of the biggest things seemed to be the lack of being able to see and hold family and for many of us that will have been a big loss. Everyone I speak to at present longs to return to some kind of normality, but we don’t quite know what that will look like anymore. For me returning in August means a trip to see my Mum and then some time on retreat – something that had been cancelled earlier in the year so as I write this, I am looking forward to returning to these places.

As I was thinking about returning and how September would normally look, the story of the prodigal son came into my mind. It is a story that Jesus told to teach people and it can be found in the Bible in Luke 15. The prodigal son wants everything of the best in the here and now and asks his Father to give him his share of the inheritance and he goes off and lives a high life only to lose it all. After he has done some hard labour, her realises that he could return to his Father and offer to be a servant for him as they were living in a much better way than he was. The Bible says this:

So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and put his arms around him and kissed him.

I love the picture of this scene and many artists have tried to capture this. The story goes on that the Father welcomed his son home and gave a great party as what had been lost was now found.

This is a picture for us as well today. We might feel that something is missing in our lives, we might have turned to prayer during these days of coronavirus hoping that there is something bigger than us out there – and there is – a God who loves and cares about each one of us, and longs for us to return to Him and he is always there with arms open wide.

If you have been thinking more about why are we here and what is going on, then we will be running an online Alpha course shortly so look out for more information on this and join us to explore different questions through videos and discussion.

I hope that as we move into a new month, you will know the open arms of a God who is always waiting for you and for me to share our lives with him.

With every blessing
Rev Sarah – yaxleyvicar@gmail.com 01733 248690/07498 230858

Do you have questions?

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Dear Friends

This is often a time when New Year’s resolutions are made, perhaps broken and then hopefully reinstated. It is a time when people think back and plan forward and it is a time when we look forward to spring, the shoots are already coming up as I write this and many spring flowers will no doubt be in bloom as you read this.

You might have decided to start a new hobby, to get fit, to give yourself some time for you or to do some study. There might be something that you have always wondered about and have decided to find out more about that subject. There are many people who want to ask questions about different areas, and I know that there are many people who want to know more about Christianity and more importantly about God and who is Jesus.

In this New Year, I would love to invite you into Saint Peter’s Church to a place and space where you can ask questions that you might have about who we are, what we do and why we want to tell you about the God who loves every person including you and why we come to church and how we want to live our lives. We will do this through an Alpha course which will start on the 10th February in Saint Peter’s Church at 7.30pm.

I grew up in a Christian home but I still know how hard it can be to walk in to a church. I get this but I can assure you of a really warm welcome at Saint Peters and some good refreshments. Why not come along and see and hear for yourself. The course runs for 7 sessions – 10th Feb, 17th Feb, 24th Feb, 2nd March, 9th March, 23rd March and 30th March and it would be great if you can come to them all, but if you just want to come for a taster you are really welcome.

If you have any queries, please do contact me or come along and see for yourself. Please bring friends and family with you – everyone is welcome and there are no silly questions.

Hope to see you in February. With every blessing.

Rev Sarah (Vicar)
01733 248690/07498 230858/vicar@saintpeters.co.uk

What Alpha Did For Us

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Some members from the last St. Peter’s Alpha course have shared their experience in the hope it may encourage others to attend.

 

“When I joined up to start the Alpha group I honestly didn’t know what to expect, you could say that I was sat on the fence and didn’t have a faith. When I was younger I had gone to some church services, especially around Christmas and I had also been part of a church Youth Group. However, I had only started to go to church regularly in January and at first it was to feel part of a community and I also enjoyed the singing aspect. One thing that I did notice however, was that as soon as I went into church, I felt a sense of calm and peace and during that time I was in the moment.
I had heard Alpha being mentioned a few times during church services and didn’t really give it a second thought until after one Sunday when I had gone for prayer and during that prayer I felt the weight of God trying to push me to my knees. I thought I was imagining this sensation until I mentioned it to others.
So, I then decided to go for the first session of Alpha and in all honesty didn’t think I would attend the others, how wrong was I!! I have found and learnt so much through doing Alpha and have also found my faith. Throughout the course I asked what I thought were silly questions but they weren’t and if I hadn’t have asked I wouldn’t have the knowledge of my faith that I do now. I also shared this experience with my amazing Alpha family. My faith continues to grow every day.
I urge anyone that is thinking about doing Alpha to give it a go, especially if you are sat on the fence like I was.
God Bless”

 

“I had never heard of Alpha before, so when I saw it flash up on the screens at church before service one Sunday, it got my attention. I watched a short video clip on Facebook and it looked interesting. So, I went along to the first session at the vicarage. I felt really nervous as I barely knew anyone at church. I needn’t have worried as by the end of the evening I knew I had just found a lovely group of new friends.
Over the next few weeks we enjoyed watching the DVDs and discussing the topics, as well as sharing personal experiences and great conversations.
My favourite session was The Holy Spirit. A whole morning spent with my ‘Alpha family’ and receiving prayer for the first time, where I experienced the Holy Spirit, will forever be one of my best memories.
Alpha lead me to my confirmation, alongside some of those from our group. Another amazing day I would never have experienced without Alpha.
We now meet once a week and have started our own home group. We have grown so close during our journey through Alpha and are enjoying reading the Bible together and sharing in our love for Jesus.”

 

“I feel I am that kind of person who always have lots of questions with life and also have a lot of passion with life too. During my searching for my answers I have find my favourite job—-Acupuncture Therapist. I experiencing love and understanding love, and the most important of all is that I have find my religion. I really appreciate everyone’s honesty in the group; “easy ” doesn’t appear in grown up’s life, we need faith and bravery to experience life and enjoy life.”

 

“Alpha was something that caught my attention when I was 16 years old; 16 years later I finally got around to going! Even then though, I still needed a lot of nudges. I didn’t think I could fit it in around work and home but after it kept appearing everywhere and was on my mind, I figured God was telling me something and it was time to go. I took the leap and booked on to the course, and invited a friend along for the ride.
The leap was definitely worth it and I needn’t have worried about fitting it in, everything fell into place! Through Alpha I have learnt so much about my faith, I’ve heard different people’s opinions and some beautiful testimonies. Alpha gave me the knowledge and comfort to talk to my non-Christian friends about my faith, in fact it made my faith grow and grow. With knowledge comes a sense of security; this security has given me a new confidence in myself and my faith. It’s made me want to seek more and more knowledge, continually growing and strengthening my faith through further exploration.
It was on Alpha that I had my first encounter with the Holy Spirit. In St. Peter’s one Saturday morning, whilst receiving prayer, I felt a force so powerful it brought me to the ground; it was incredible. Experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit was an emotional experience, and one I am blessed to say has occurred regularly since Alpha.
My journey through Alpha brought something else special into my life; my Alpha family. As the weeks passed the group grew closer together, choosing to share life experiences, comforting and encouraging one another. The friendships built during Alpha are very special and each member of the Alpha family holds a special place in my heart. We still meet every week and have now formed the Post Alpha Home Group, where we continue to learn together and support one another.
Alpha truly blessed me. Even the mention of the name, Alpha, fills me with an excitement and enthusiasm to encourage others to just give it a try. Don’t wait as long as I did, today is as good a day as any.”

Our next Alpha course starts on Wednesday 17th October, 7.30pm, at SPC. We’d love to see you there.

Please get in touch if you have any questions.

Is there more to life than this?

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Who are we? What’s our purpose? What is the point of it all?

I wonder if you’ve ever asked yourself these questions? Perhaps something has happened in your life which has caused you to ponder if there is any deeper meaning to it all. Maybe you’ve seen or read something which has challenged your perspective on life? Or it could be that you’ve simply sat with some friends over a coffee and found yourself contemplating such questions.

Most of you will know Bear Grylls from his TV shows such as Man vs. Wild and The Island in which he pushes himself, and others, to the limits of physical endurance. There are few who know more about adventure, danger, exploration and risk. Bear might be a nature and survival expert, a former reservist in the SAS who has climbed Everest and navigated his way over the Himalayas, but it’s his journey of faith which he describes as his “greatest adventure”. He recognises that it has not always been easy, that there have been ups and down, but that his Christian faith “has brought light to a dark path, warmth to a cold mountain and strength to a failing body”.

From Friday 10th March, St. Peter’s will be hosting an Alpha course running for nine Friday evenings. Alpha is a series of sessions exploring the Christian faith. Each session will start with refreshments at 7.30pm, will take a different question around faith and feature an engaging talk to inspire conversation. Alpha is open to all and will provide a safe space to consider life from a Christian perspective, to ask questions about God and to meet with other people on a similar journey in a relaxed and friendly environment.

If you’d like more information, or would like to attend Alpha, please contact us.

Watch Bear’s story:

With my prayers.

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

Read this article in the Yaxley Gazette.