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

Hello & Thank You

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I am writing this just a few days after I was licensed as Priest-in-Charge (Vicar) of St Peter’s Church, Yaxley by The Bishop of Ely.  It was an incredibly special service and friends and family came from all over the country.  There was also an unexpected surprise, as people from The Wenlock Team of Parishes which were my previous parishes in Shropshire came to support me for this service.  The community of St. Peter’s Church worked incredibly hard to ensure everything ran smoothly and I would like to thank them.  Along with friends and family and so many people from St. Peter’s Church community, were also many different representatives from Yaxley.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for being there and part of such a special evening.  It is going to take me a good while to get to know people, names and places, but do say hello if you see me out and about and I will eventually get there!  Thank you for coming to support me.

Simon and I are really excited to be in Yaxley and part of the St. Peter’s community.  People have been so helpful as we try to find our way around the village and this side of the country.  I was ordained 6 years ago and have been in Shropshire for these 6 years and before this, I was a nurse working mainly in cancer care for 13 years.

Thank you for your welcome to the village and I am looking forward to getting to know people here.

With every blessing,

Rev Sarah (Vicar)

01733 248690 / 07498 230858

vicar@saintpeters.co.uk

You’re hired – Parish Communications Officer

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St. Peter’s Church, Yaxley are thrilled to announce the appointment of Laura Ashley to the position of Parish Communications Officer.

Laura joins us to support our growing ministry team and take on the responsibility of external communications management and internal administration. Her role covers a broad scope in which she will play a pivotal role in the life of the church.

She brings with her a wealth of experience, having advanced through progressively more responsible positions in project management, communications and administration. Laura has done this for a variety of public organisations, where she has played a key part in the facilitation and organisation of a number of vital projects and events.

Furthermore, Laura has agreed to take over as PCC Secretary, following our Annual Parish Church Meeting (APCM). We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Fran Russell for her many years of faithful service in this role.

This is a great opportunity for Laura to support bringing the vision of St. Peter’s to life in Yaxley and beyond. Likewise, Laura considers this an opportunity for her to explore and go deeper in her own faith as part of the church family.

Please join us in welcoming Laura to St. Peter’s and congratulating her on her new position!

So long, and thanks for all the fish!

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It’s a somewhat bitter sweet column to write this month because as of September my family and I will be leaving Yaxley.

We’re heading to the town of Portishead, near Bristol, where I’ll be taking up a new role as Vicar of the church there. We are excited for this new stage of our journey, but are equally sad to be moving away as we’ve loved our time here and have made some great friends along the way.

In Portishead, I’m going to be part of a team, but will have a particular focus on working beyond the walls of the church and getting stuck into the life of the town. One the great joys of my time in Yaxley has been becoming a part of the village, getting to know so many wonderful people and seeing how the church can play a positive role in the life of the community. I’ve learned so much here that I’ll be taking into this new setting.

I’ll be leaving Yaxley with loads of great memories. These include being slightly embarrassed as I won at bingo during a visit to the Welcome Club; being even more embarrassed when I forgot the words halfway through saying the Lord’s Prayer; and of course the Beer and Carols event at the Three Horseshoes last Christmas – even if I was left with a Guinness induced headache the following day! By the way, if anyone is concerned, don’t worry as I am assured that it will go ahead again this year.

I’d like to express my thanks to all who have made us feel so welcome here. We will really miss Yaxley, but it will stay firmly in our hearts and prayers.

On another note, I’d also like to remind you that we are now taking bookings for our annual Holiday Club which is open to primary school-aged children. This runs in the mornings from 9.45am to 12.30pm in the last week of the school holidays from Tuesday August 29th to Friday September 1st 2017. There will be games, crafts, “stage-time” and much more around the theme of Christian Values. Further details and a registration form are available here. I’m gutted to miss it as I know how much fun it has been in previous years!

 

As always, please remember you are all welcome at any of our services at St. Peter’s – details are here or give me a call.

With my prayers.

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

Read this article in the Yaxley Gazette.