St Peter's Yaxley

…reaching out in love and faith

The Hope that Easter Brings

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Written at the beginning of March

Dear Friends,

I have lived in lots of different places in my lifetime. All of them have been in this country but all of them have had very different scenery around them from outer London to the Shropshire Hills, Salisbury Plains to the Fens. I am always amazed by the variety and diversity around us in this country let alone the world.

I love this time of year and the beauty around us which I think shows something of the extravagance of God. We might see this in the spring flowers, in the sunset or sunrise (depending if you are a morning person or not!). We might experience it in love and care from friends and family.

Fear is building in our country and our world at the moment, yet our Easter story is one where life overcomes death, where light comes through the dark as Jesus overcomes death and the grave. As we enter April this year, April 12th is Easter Day, when we think about the ultimate new life – the new life that we have received because of the life, the death and the resurrection of Jesus.

Our Easter story of Jesus sharing The Last Supper, going to the cross and rising on that first Easter Day was I am sure a time of so much uncertainty for those first disciples as they saw what their friend went through. Even they thought it was the end, but on that first Easter Day we find those women going to the tomb to find that it was empty – Jesus was not there. They are met by angels telling them “Do not be afraid” and they go and tell Jesus’s friends the message that Jesus was alive. Jesus then came among the disciples and his words to them were “peace be with you”. Jesus ate with them, he talked to them and he walked with them. Jesus had overcome death; he had beaten the darkness and made a new relationship with God for us that we could live with him forever.

Whatever is happening in your life today, whatever fear or worry you might have, I pray that you know again these words of do not be afraid and peace be with you. As we journey through Lent and into Holy Week and await the sunrise on Easter Sunday, I pray you will know this story is for you and for me and for a world full of worry and fear. Jesus overcame the grave to show God’s love, God’s life and God’s light for each one of us. As you look around at the beauty around us, may you feel the joy and the wonder of that first Easter morning, of the hope that Easter brings to us and may you know the blessings and the extravagance of God who loves you, with you this Easter time and always. Join us in our Holy Week preparations and our Easter celebrations.

With every blessing
Rev Sarah

01733 248690 / 07498 230858 / vicar@saintpeters.co.uk

The Light in the Darkness

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Christmas! One of the first indications we are nearing the big day is the appearance of lights. Fairy lights on trees, lights outside houses, candles in windows, shopping centre lights. Perhaps this all helps to brighten the darkest time of year in Europe.

When we walk into a room, we can’t do anything until we turn on a light. For many this time of year can be difficult. Turning on a light reminds them of relatives or friends no longer present, reminds them that their circumstances are poor, money is tight and the future looks bleak, it reminds them of their loneliness. We are told that loneliness is one of the greatest public health challenges of our time. Dark days may lead to depression which artificial light makes no difference to.

The wonderful thing about Jesus Christ is that His coming into the world brings light and hope. How is that? God has shown up. In an unexpected place; a country under military occupation where there was poverty and oppression, through unexpected people; an awkward family situation with Mary and Joseph unmarried, a difficult start; to become refugees as they fled to Egypt because of a tyrannical king. Why did God do this? Simply because He thought we were worth it. What other king would give up His throne in order to show Himself to us in human form, would be prepared to be vulnerable and experience life with all its difficulties in order to be with us, would offer us a relationship with Him so that we might not be alone and would give us life and hope?

Jesus IS “Immanuel” which means God with us. He IS “The LIGHT in the darkness” John 1:5. Christmas is not just a “once upon a time” story. No, it is Jesus breaking into the world to save us! “Christ the Saviour is born!”

We would love for you to join us at St. Peter’s this Christmas to celebrate the birth of Christ our Saviour. With a range of events and services we hope that you will find community, peace and love amongst our church family, and in Jesus Christ.

God Bless,

#followthestar

Young people taking a lead in mission

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Mission Academy Live_logoThe Talking Jesus research found that one in six of young people wanted to know more when a Christian friend talked to them about Jesus.

In response, the HOPE Revolution Mission Academy Live groups are encouraged to pray for six friends, asking God for opportunities to talk about Jesus with them.

One girl from St. Peter’s Church in the Cambridgeshire village of Yaxley, near Peterborough, is part of a Mission Academy Live group. She has been praying for six of her friends and invited them to a Neon-Glo Party, staged as part of the Mission Academy initiative.

Mission Academy Live is series of 10 innovative, video-based sessions. Each session provides teaching, with time for discussion and testimony in small groups. The focus is on peer to peer evangelism, all leading to a practical response in today’s context. As well as meeting as small groups in villages, towns and cities, they are encouraged to join a Regional Hub.

Regional Hubs are bringing Mission Academy Live groups together for large-scale evangelistic events in 2018. These events – youth fun days, Neon Glo parties, a worship outreach service, or a celebration event – offer the opportunity to celebrate all that God has been doing through the small groups, whilst also providing a large-scale evangelistic event for the young people to invite their six friends.

The Peterborough Hub held a Neon Glo Party in March with music, dancing, and crazy activities, with a guest DJ, glow bar, inflatables, football cage, performances, games, an inspirational message and more.

The girl from St Peter’s Church, Yaxley is part of a group led by Suzanne Delegate, from the church. Suzanne says, “In October we went to the Soul Survivor evening at Kingsgate Community Church in Peterborough, where I heard about Mission Academy Live.”

She signed up and downloaded the six Mission Academy Live films.

“I wanted to share them with our older group” she says. “Unfortunately, most of them were doing exams. So I prayed really hard, as I knew that these films would be so good for our kids. I approached our Vicar and suggested that I do a stand-alone, 10 week session, once a fortnight for our year 7-9s.”

Suzanne led the group with two other leaders. She was thrilled at the response: “The first session I had six young people around a kitchen table sharing hot chocolate and homemade cookies.”

“The feedback from the parents the following Sunday was amazing.”

One parent said that it wasn’t really something that would interest her daughter, but after the group she said: “I don’t know what Suzanne did, but whatever it was she has captured the attention of my daughter. She couldn’t stop talking about the evening.”

Suzanne says, “I only showed the first film and talked about it. Thanks to Mission Academy I have captured the attention of seven young people.”

Pete Skivington, the Youth and Children’s Pastor at Lighthouse Community Church in Sheringham, Norfolk, has also been using the Mission Academy Live videos. The groups of three or four watch a video each week, discuss it and pray for their friends, asking God for opportunities to share faith with them.

“The majority of them are needing confidence to talk about their faith,” Pete says. “We have found it really beneficial. You can run it with just a handful of young people. They encourage each other and they are encouraged to know they are part of something bigger up and down the country.”

Roy Crowne, HOPE’s Executive Director says, “Mission Academy Live is ideal for village churches. Three or four young people can watch the videos together and can pray for their friends. The Regional Hubs can organise larger events, which serve the local church with an event individual congregations couldn’t manage.”

To find out more about Mission Academy Live, click here.

The greatest adventure of them all

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I am writing this having just returned from my final night shift this year with the Peterborough Winter Night Shelter.

Peterborough Winter Night Shelter is a project set up in order to provide additional beds over the winter for the homeless people in and around Peterborough. Over the course of the winter the project has provided over 500 beds to around 50 different guests. It has been based in 7 churches in the area including St. Mary’s Stilton where I have been volunteering. St. Mary’s have done a brilliant job of hosting as I imagine have the other 6 churches. Part of the motivation for the project is to provide hospitality to and bring hope to those who are homeless.

Back in February I was part of a group of 12 people from St. Peter’s who went to Rwanda. We were involved in several projects including building a house for a single mum called Costasie. Costasie had been ‘squatting’ with family and friends for years having no home of her own. Here is a short video of Costasie greeting us and then receiving the keys to the house. I guarantee this will warm your hearts.

My thanks to all of you who helped to fund the cost of this house which has brought new hope to Costasie and her family. We also visited Taciana for whom we built a house on our last visit three years ago. She told me that, after three years, she is only just getting used to the fact that no one comes to collect her rent at the end of each month. Again, her house has given her new hope from a very difficult past.

This month we remember that Jesus died for the whole world, every one of us, and that he rose again. Jesus’ resurrection gives us basis for the Christian faith and the certain and new hope that there is a better future for us all. Sometimes we will see a glimpse of this better future in this life. For all of us this better future is not realised fully until the life which is to come. As CS Lewis writes in The Last Battle, the final book in the Narnia series, “All their life in this world […] had only been the cover and the title page. Now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read; which goes on forever; in which every chapter is better than the one before.”

You would be more than welcome to join us to remember Jesus’ death on Good Friday at 11.00am and to celebrate his resurrection on Easter Sunday, April 16th, also at 11.00am. For details of our other services or those in other local churches please contact me.

May you know the joy and hope of the risen Jesus Christ this Easter and always.

With my prayers,

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

Read this article in the Yaxley Gazette.

Rwanda is beautiful

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This February, a team of 14 of us from St. Peter’s Church, Yaxley went out to Rwanda in Central Africa. As part of our journey, we recorded our thoughts, reflections and took photographs to share the impact that this truly remarkable country and its people had on us.
Here’s Shane’s story:

I have experienced extreme lows and ultimate highs. I have been face to face with joy and jubilation, death and despair. I have laughed, I have cried, I have felt lost and alone and I have made some good friends. My faith has been tested and it has grown stronger.

This journey was more than just heading to Africa to help some people who need it; it has opened my eyes and made me appreciate the life I lead, it has shown me the real importance of friendship, in family and in forgiveness. It has made me love life and see it from a different perspective; I have learnt not to take it for granted. I have seen beauty in the darkest of places here.

For a country which has been to hell and back, a country which has seen the worst that mankind has to offer, a country that had no hope, yet has risen from the ashes and flourished. The nature of the people of Rwanda is strong, courageous, loving and forgiving.

This journey is something I will never forget; I will never forget the lives I have touched and the lives that have touched mine. The smiles, the waving, the shouts of “Muzungu”, the heartbreaking stories, the uplifting stories, stories of forgiveness, stories or triumph, stories of desperation. I will always remember the singing, the dancing, the laughing, the tears and the love.

I have had my heart ripped out and then – to the beat of the drum and singing of the children – it’s been gently put back in. I thank God for this opportunity and opening my eyes to the real world and for making me a stronger and better person.

If I could sum it up in one simple way I would simply say… Rwanda is beautiful.

Shane.