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 BlessSt. Peter’s Church#followthestar
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/communityFollow St. Peter’s Church on Facebook and Instagram to see updates on the Foodbank’s shopping list.
It’s starting to feel like Autumn is approaching. With Autumn comes change; a change in the weather, change in routine for those with children at school and a change in the clocks to name but a few.Change is definitely upon us at St. Peter’s as we enter a period of time without a vicar; an interregnum. Change is so often deemed as negative and scary; however, the Bible tells us change is good. We, at St. Peter’s, are embracing this change and believe God has a plan for us and we need to allow change to grow us as a church.The process is already underway to find a replacement for Jon; however, this will take time to ensure we find the right fit for our church. During this time, we’d like to reassure everyone that things will resume as normally as possible. Sunday services will be led by visiting clergy or members of the church and the majority of services will go ahead as scheduled, with the exception of 9am services on 30th September, 21st October, 4th & 11th November and 2nd & 16th December. On the majority of these dates there will be a 9am service at St. Giles in Holme, please check the Notice Sheet for details. We are delighted to confirm that Sparks, our group for 0-4s and their parents/carers, previously led by Jon and Ingrid, will continue to run fortnightly on Friday mornings from 9.30am, with the regular Sparks team in attendance.At this time, we encourage everyone to pray for what lies ahead for St. Peter’s and for Jon & Ingrid as they move to a new Parish. We regularly hold 24 Hour Prayer events at St. Peter’s and we invite everyone to attend our next event on the 6th October, starting at 9am, where there will be prayer stations to focus our prayer on our church at this time. To book a slot, please click here.We look forward to seeing you throughout the coming months.God Bless
