May Newsletter

Looking back on the past month there is much to give thanks for: The Holy Habits Lent course, wonderful Services in Holy Week and Easter (the fourth year in a row where total attendance has grown) and the amazing atmosphere of our very first Wedding Fayre.
The new lighting system was installed before Easter and following this Church has been put-back, cleaned and tidied. Throughout May we continue to celebrate the resurrection and journey on towards the Ascension. There are special services for Christian Aid week and for VE Day and now the work in the Hearse House is finished, there is a work party to move everything back to the Hearse House from the Norman Chapel and bring the Norman Chapel back into action for worship.

With all the activity last month, you may not have seen in the news references to the Quiet Revival. After decades of church attendance numbers declining in the UK, a major YouGov survey showed a significant increase in Church attendance, for the first time male worshippers out number female worshippers and young adult Christians (those in their 20's and 30's) outnumbering those in their 40's & 50's. (the report can be found here https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/research/quiet-revival). We have seen something of this change impacting St Peter's with increasing numbers of young adults attending services, exploring faith and being Baptised and Confirmed. One of the things that is drawing them into worship is community. St Peter's is a wonderful all age community so  let's make May a month of welcoming and befriending newcomers, visitors and those in Church we see but haven't yet got to know.
 

In this month's newsletter

• Church news

• This month's worship

• Community news

• Prayer resources

• Closing thoughts

Church News

Christian Aid Week 11-17 May

As always, we will be supporting Christian Aid in mid-May; this year the regional focus is on Guatemala, and in our special service on 11 May we will learn more about Christian Aid’s work with partners there, especially in support of farmers such as Aurelia and Amelia. Come along at 10.30am that day to hear and see more!
We will also hold our annual quiz in the Village Club on Thursday 15 May. Tickets will again be £15 including a chilli supper provided by Henry’s in the village. The event will start at 7pm with quizzing starting at 7.30pm. There will be a raffle as well so please bring some cash for that! Tickets are available from the Parish Office or from Kate Collins and there’s a sign up list at the back of church.
Finally, we will be delivering envelopes to a large part of houses in the village. Please look out for your envelope or give generously at the quiz night or the church service - our global neighbours really need the support that our donations enable Christian Aid to provide.

Thank you in advance for your support,
The Social Justice and Environment Hub

A day at Foxhill: Tuesday 3 June

Planning for our day at Foxhill, the Diocesan Retreat Centre, is well underway and if you are one of those who have already signed up you will be getting more information shortly. Our day will be facilitated by Revd. Lucy Brewster.
Foxhill have more capacity than they anticipated, so if you are thinking about coming, have never thought about it, or are just wary of dipping your toes into unknown waters maybe now is the time to take that first step. There are plenty of people already signed up who have never done this sort of thing before, and you would be amongst friends as well as exploring the warmth and serenity of Foxhill’s beautiful house and grounds.
Find out more by speaking to Patrick, or to Anne (07999 862 035). There is more information about Foxhill here: https://www.foxhillchester.co.uk/ 

Transport will be available. Foxhill is fully accessible.

Wedding Fayre

Below and above the previous article are some photos from the Wedding Fayre. 
Do send in your own photographs from Church events to include in the newsletter.

Rotas

The current rota system where readers and welcomers sign up to read and welcome is not functioning very well. Although some people are good at signing up there are growing numbers of gaps and the need for people to read or welcome at the last minute. As a consequence, unless things change we will be reverting back to the old system where the office will email out asking for dates on which readers and welcomers are not available and the Vicar will produce the rotas.
 

Stamps, ink cartridges and old coins

If you have unwanted foreign notes & coins or British coins and notes that are no longer legal tender we will be collecting them to donate to Mary's Meals. This is a charity that serves nutritious school meals to children living in some of the world's poorest countries. More information is available about the charity on posters and leaflets in St Peter's Rooms. Your currency donations need to be dropped off to the office by the end of June.

Lent Lunch

“Thank you”  to everyone who supported the Lent lunches they were a wonderful success and this year raised £551 for Christian Aid.

Work Party

With the Hearse House work finished, everything that was moved out and stored in the Norman Chapel can now be moved back (minus the things that are going in the skip).
The Norman Chapel can then be tidied, cleaned and made available once more for services.
If you could help for a couple of hours on Saturday 17 May, starting at 10.00am, we would love to see you!
There will be bacon sarnies for the workers and we will be finished in plenty of time for those who want to watch the Cup Final.
If you can help please sign up on the sign up sheet at the back of church.

Mothers’ Union

Our next Mothers' Union will be on Monday 12 May at 2pm in St Peter's Rooms.
Patrick will join us this month as we consider Mothers’ Union past, present and future. 
Worship, refreshments and chat as usual. 
Everyone welcome.
 

Tenants of the King

A growing number of church members and newcomers from across the different services have been participating in St Peters' Exploring and Lenten courses and it's be great! Our short courses  are great way to grow in faith and share in fellowship, and the commitment is always just for a few sessions. Some of our courses we write ourselves and some are national courses which we make our own. The next course is called Tenants of the King and will begin on Monday 16 June at 7.30pm, running for four weeks, exploring what the Bible has to say about the environment.
If you would like to know more speak to Patrick or Bev.

Worship for families

Our next Breakfast Church
will be on Sunday 18 May at 9.15am.
Breakfast Church is an informal space for parents and their children to worship together.
PLEASE NOTE: we now start serving breakfast at the slightly earlier time of 9.15am. Our worship will begin at 9.30am and we will draw to a close at 10.15am. 

With Bank Holidays and the two week half term the next Young Church sessions are after the half term, on 22 June  and 6 July. When it's not Breakfast Church or Young Church there will be activity sheets available for the children at the back of church. Grab one and a pen on the way in.

Newsletter Survey - the results are in!

A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the recent Survey and 86 of you did – which is an amazing response!
 
Most replies were extremely positive and supportive:
87% said they always or usually read the Newsletter
96% said they thought it was just the right length
92% rated the Newsletter excellent or good
 
Patrick, Bev & the Communications Team have reviewed the survey in detail & are very pleased (& relieved!) that, for the vast majority of readers, the Newsletter is working really well sharing news & information about what’s happening at St Peter’s.
The Team has considered all the suggestions and ideas put forward and plan to incorporate as many as practical to enhance the Newsletter even further – whilst not making it too long!
Thank you everyone who contributed. Your thoughts are very much appreciated. 
 

  St Peter's Sunday Worship

V.E Day 80th Anniversary Service
8.30pm Thursday 8 May

Ascension Day Holy Communion
7.30pm Thursday 29 May

St John's Sunday Worship 

Church of the Resurrection Worship 

Community News 

Two members of our congregation, David Hawkins and Pauline Busby, won the Academy Cup, one of Prestbury Bowling Club’s 'luck of the draw' competitions.
They are pictured with the Club Chairman, Alan Heaton.

If you are interested in discovering more about Prestbury Bowling Club do talk to David and Sue or Pauline.

Weekly Prayer topics

This month instead of the weekly diary,  there are three 'overseas' focuses for prayer.

Firstly from the Social justice Hub:
'Please can we add to church prayers, prayers for the Anglican al-Ahli hospital in Gaza? This was the last fully functional hospital in Gaza but was again bombed early on Palm Sunday morning with the intensive care unit destroyed. The Israeli Defence Forces gave 20 minutes warning, and claimed there was a Hamas command and control centre there.
The Dean of St George’s College, Jerusalem, Richard Sewell (I have to declare an interest here, in that he is a friend of a friend), has made clear that there was no Hamas presence in the hospital, and has again stated that there is no justification for bombing hospitals.
There is a danger we all become inured to the suffering in the Middle East, but I do think we should continue to pray - for an end to appalling acts like this and for respect for hospitals as places of safety, for strength and resilience in the healthcare workers who have to work in such danger, and for God’s loving care and compassion for all the people suffering in Gaza.'

Secondly please for our Church links in Ghana: 
Pray for Michelle Goodrich, former Curate at St Peter's, who is being made a Canon at Mampong Cathedral, and Archdeacon Elvis Acheampong who has visited and preached at St Peter's who is retiring. Elvis was Dean at Kumasi Cathedral when the last visit to Ghana took place and money from St Peter's has helped refurbish one of their church rooms there. We have also sent funds for a generator and maintenance work at another of Elvis' churches and Church School at Bekwai.
Please pray also for Bev who later this month is revisiting the projects which St Peter's has supported and will report back at a later date, with lots of photos.

Thirdly pray for Sue and Norman in Thailand particularly:

•     For volunteers to step forward to serve in Children's and youth work,     
•     For discipleship and confirmation courses to connect with people and help them grow in faith.
•     For the reorganisation of work with refugees and asylum seekers,
•     For Norman and Sue to have strength, courage and wisdom in their ministry there.

Those who are sick

Steve Murphy
John Syner
Les Manchester
Janice Walley

Those who have died

Don Foden
Wendy Smith
Andrew Mason

Closing Thoughts

Last Saturday, many from Church and beyond watched Pope Francis' Funeral. Francis lived out a welcoming, simpler and generous Catholic Christian faith as servant and shepherd. In today's culture where even sadly Christianity in many places is contaminated by the love of money, power and worldliness, his simpler, humbler, kinder and gentler faith resonated with many across the different denominations. This is the Christian faith that Keith guides us towards in this month's poem.

It's What I'm Not, That Makes Me Who I Am

I’m not your weapon hurled against the world
I’m not your badge of superiority
I don’t despise the ones who you despise
I’m not that partisan in any way.
 

Rather I love all those who others hate
Chide those who put themselves above the herd
The hopeless and the desperate are my friends
I speak for those whose cries are never heard.

I’m not the vengeful one come to condemn
You’ll have to find yourself a new assassin
I bleed for those whose world wounds them each day
Theirs are the prayers that haunt me with a passion.

I stand for those who cannot stand alone
Oppressed by those who have the power to kill
I save my tears for those who cannot cry
They are the focus of my loving will.

I am the God who bleeds, gave up his power
Suffering to succour and to save from strife
All those who languished in death’s icy hand
Bringing them to their knees yet back to life.

I don’t distinguish between in and out
As some of my supposed followers do
I know you, who you are and what you need
When what you say is fake and what is true.

Believe in me and follow if you can
It’s what I’m not that makes me who I am. 

Newsletter Information

Church or community news to be included in the newsletter, needs to be sent to the Parish Office or Vicarage by the last Tuesday of the month.