St Peter's Yaxley

…reaching out in love and faith

Together We Are A Community

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The term community gets used a lot these days but what do we actually mean by community?

In the Bible, God encourages us to take care of one another; through this we ensure a thriving community. Therefore, the idea of community comes from a sense of responsibility that we have for each other.

The community of Yaxley, along with the surrounding villages, have shown overwhelming care for each other through the support of the Yaxley Foodbank over the past year. A staggering 7145kg of food was donated between September 2017 and August 2018. We’ve also recently celebrated the Harvest Festival, where we’ve had fantastic support from the school communities in and around Yaxley.

The donations we receive help many people and families, and we would like to say a big thank you for your generosity in supporting local people in need. We would also like to thank everyone who signpost to Foodbank and all those who volunteer their time to help and be a friend to those in need. It takes a team, a community, to ensure the success of the project.

Without our sense of responsibility to one another, great community projects such as the Community Fridge and the Winter Night Shelter, and St. Peter’s projects like Yaxley Foodbank and Community Sunday, would not succeed. It is through the help and kindness of each other that we are able to improve situations for those less fortunate, and ensure our communities thrive.

Thank you again for your continued support for your community.

If you would like more information on the Yaxley Foodbank, or other community areas God has called St. Peter’s to invest in, please visit www.saintpeters.co.uk/community

Follow St. Peter’s Church on Facebook and Instagram to see updates on the Foodbank’s shopping list.

God Bless

Laura

 

Parish Communications Officer

07939 449255, lauraashley@saintpeters.co.uk

 

 

Give Thanks & Encouragement

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On May 9th I had the great privilege to be involved in a service at St. Giles, Holme at which Lance Bombardier William Barrington, Bill, was presented with the Legion d’Honneur.

Bill was awarded this honour for his involvement in the D Day Landings in Normandy in June 1944. If you live in Holme or Conington you can read more about this award in last month’s Holme Parish News. I’ve known Bill for several years and he is a warm and inspirational character.

As I drove home across the fen after the service it occurred to me that 74 years was a long time to wait to be thanked. Now, I’m certain that Bill didn’t do what he did in Normandy (and indeed elsewhere in WWII) in order to be thanked. However, it did feel to me like a good reminder of the importance of thanking those around us who make a positive impact on our lives.

I heard a Christian speaker ask recently how one could tell if someone needed encouragement. “It’s straightforward,” was his response: “if someone is breathing they need encouragement!” In other words, we all need to be thanked and encouraged – Christians, those of other faiths and those of none. May I suggest that as you read the rest of this article you give some thought to who you might say “thank you” to today? This simple act will make a real impact on the person / people you thank.

If you enjoy folk music may I extend a welcome to you to a concert which is being held at St. Peter’s at 7.30pm on Friday June 8th as part of the Oundle International Festival. The concert is being given by TEYR and tickets can be purchased at www.oundlefestival.savoysystems.co.uk

You are all very welcome to join us at St. Giles, St. Peter’s and indeed other local churches as we thank God for all that he has done for us.

With my prayers,

Jon
Jon Randall (Vicar) 07939 449255; vicar@saintpeters.co.uk

Give thanks for the good things in life

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October is the month when the Church has traditionally given thanks for the harvest “safely gathered in”.

A farmer I knew well in Norfolk told me that it was about the only time in his year when he could pause for breath, take a very short break and reflect on the harvest and start to make his plans for the following year. Whether you’re involved in any way with the farming industry or not, I hope we will all make the opportunity to pause, reflect on the past and make plans for the future.

The author of a book I’ve been reading recently decided to find 1,000 reasons to give thanks to God. She is married to a farmer in the US and it’s fair to say that she doesn’t have an easy life. Yet, she determined that she was going to deliberately find things to thank God for throughout her year. Even in the midst of difficulties she was able to give thanks for the good things in her life. I am not in any way dismissing the difficulties that many of us face through the year, nor the pain which they bring. However, this author’s experience was that by giving thanks for the good things, she was able to put her problems into perspective and not allow them to be “all consuming”.

This also seems a good opportunity for me to thank all of you, individuals and local organisations, for your amazing generosity to the Food Bank we operate at St. Peter’s. You have donated several tonnes of food over the past year and we are very appreciative. The Food Bank was in huge demand over the summer holidays and continues to be very busy. If you know someone who is struggling, please refer them to the Food Bank. Vouchers are available from various places including Yaxley Group Practice, local schools, Luminus, Social Services and the Benefits Agency in Peterborough. Please call the number below if you need further information.

Our harvest celebration and thanksgiving at St. Peter’s will be on Sunday October 1st at 11.00am. You are all welcome to join us.

With my continuing prayers,

Jon Randall (Vicar) 07939 449255; vicar@saintpeters.co.uk

Read this article in the Yaxley Gazette.