St Paul's Church, Oadby

Principal Services – January - March

2012-01-20T00:04:00.006Z

Happy New Year! Welcome to the start of 2012. In a year which offers us some amazing one off experiences such as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the Olympic and Para-Olympic Games everything else may seem like the same old thing. Whilst God stays the same and never changes there are always new things for us to discover and experience of God. We worship a living and active God who is always at work in the lives of His people, a God who is faithful and good.

If 2011 was the year of the Bible then maybe 2012 should be the year of Prayer. Could you make your New Year’s resolution to pray more than you already do? You are very welcome to join us in our worship and prayer at any of these services.

In Christ,

Revd Steve Bailey.

See the New Programme

War Horse - A Modern-Day Parallel

2012-01-17T16:17:00.004Z

The film "War Horse" is on general release and has come to Leicester. I went on Saturday and thoroughly enjoyed it – if that's the right phrase for an occasion when you get through several handkerchiefs!

In outline it is a story of a teenager from a troubled home who breaks-in and trains a difficult horse, forming a strong bond with it. The boy and horse are separated as the horse is sold for use in the First World War. After multiple exploits the two finish together in a field hospital with the boy unable to see. But when someone describes the horse to him, he calls and the horse comes to him. Eventually, someone pays the auction price and gives the horse back to him. (A totally inadequate précis, but go and see the film)

I was fascinated by the parallels to the story of the Bible. Jesus said: "My sheep hear my voice and come to me," just as the War Horse heard Albert's call and went to him. Is our relationship with Christ equally strong to that of War Horse and Albert?

And there was a second parallel. At our origins, we were God's because he created us but humankind became separated from Him. The Bible tells us that by dying on the cross Jesus bought us back (redeemed us). A price was paid. So, we are now able to be children of God again, just as the War Horse was bought back and he and Albert were reunited.

An interesting modern day parallel.

Half night of prayer – well 3½ hours at least

2012-01-17T15:01:00.004Z

Prayer is a mystery. Why does God need our prayer? We know that he can answer before we pray. Yet we know that just as a parent loves to hear their children talk to them, God delights to hear us pray. Prayer was never an option for Jesus. He never said "if you pray." He said "when you pray."

So, as we enter 2012 with new initiatives and new concerns, our vicar, Steve, called us to a half night of prayer on Friday 13 January. (Perhaps the best thing we could do on Friday 13th !).

About 20 people came, although at each half hour people were given the opportunity to come and go as we broke from prayer to sing songs of worship.It was good to meet together to commit each aspect of our Church's programme to God and bring all our hopes and fears to him. We ended by joining together in saying "Compline" a service of Night Prayer.

Good News! The Christian Church is Growing in Numbers

2012-01-05T12:45:00.005Z

– at least in London. An article by Peter Oborne in the Telegraph on Sunday on 1 January, called "The Return to Religion," highlighted the increased numbers in congregations, over recent years, in London churches.

It featured the increase in congregation at St Mary's Islington, where our previous vicar, Simon Harvey, now serves. (However unlikely his description of Simon as “… an anachronistic figure. His white surplice flapping in the wind” might seem.)

Yet this rise was very modest compared to some of the other churches mentioned. The increase had been found in churches with widely different styles of worship – from Pentecostal churches to Anglican cathedrals.

When Bishop Tom Butler, the previous Bishop of Leicester, was asked in 1999 what he hoped for the church in the new millennium, he replied: "bums on seats aren't everything, but it would be a good start."

We must rejoice for this evidence of the increased numbers of "bums on seats," which is a change from the previous trend. But what is important is not the number of people in church but whether they have met with the living Lord Jesus and whether that experience has changed their lives. As the church attenders encounter Christ, may that become their reality.

At present, this growth in church attendance is mainly in London. Our prayer must be that it should spread to Oadby and Leicester. To all and sundry: you would be very welcome at St Paul's.

A New Start

2012-01-02T16:11:00.005Z

For its morning service on New Year's Day, St Paul's welcomed the congregation of our sister church, St Peter's. As he began his sermon, the Rector of the parish, Canon Michael Rusk, asked the congregation if they had made any New Year's resolutions. In one sense, moving forward 24 hours changes nothing. But in another, the coming of the New Year is a chance to reflect on the past and look forward to the future.

2011 has certainly been a momentous year with natural disasters (several major earthquakes including a Tsunami with nuclear threats, and devastating floods), the city riots, the continuing financial collapse. By contrast, was the joy of Royal weddings. Only too often, the problems that there have been have had a human element. The riots in our cities showed how fragile was the veneer of civilisation. Even in the financial meltdown, greed played an important part.

The Queen picked up the issue of our individual responsibility in her Christmas message when she said: "Although we are capable of great acts of kindness, history teaches us that we sometimes need saving from ourselves - from our recklessness or our greed." and she pointed to the Christ child as someone who had come to save us from ourselves, as she continued:
“God sent into the world a unique person - neither a philosopher nor a general, important though they are, but a Saviour, with the power to forgive.

Forgiveness lies at the heart of the Christian faith. It can heal broken families, it can restore friendships and it can reconcile divided communities. It is in forgiveness that we feel the power of God's love. In the last verse of this beautiful carol, O Little Town Of Bethlehem, there's a prayer:
O Holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us we pray.
Cast out our sin
And enter in.
Be born in us today.”

As we go forward into 2012, that's a message of joy and peace and hope. It’s a message that St Paul's wants to share with all who live in our community.

The Queen concluded: "It is my prayer that on this Christmas day we might all find room in our lives for the message of the angels and for the love of God through Christ our Lord.”

That's our prayer, too. We wish you a Very Happy New Year!

Christmas has begun at St Paul's!

2011-12-24T21:50:00.002Z

Christmas began at St Paul's with a Christingle service on Christmas Eve afternoon. With a congregation swelled by visitors – occasional friends from the locality and family and friends visiting church members for Christmas – 120 people gathered together.

The service began as Steve, our vicar, read the Christmas story and different children brought forward the figures of Joseph, Mary, the baby Jesus, the Shepherds and Sheep and the Wise Men and Steve added each to the crib scene.

Steve teased the children as he then made a Christingle with the wrong components (Apple instead of orange, blue ribbon instead of red etc.)! But he could not fool the children, as they knew that it was an orange that represented the world that God created; that the sweets and raisins on cocktail sticks represented the harvest of the four seasons; that the red ribbon represented the blood of Christ who died for us so that we might be forgiven our sins; that the candle on the top represented Jesus who is the light of the world.

Everyone then received their own their own Christingle. As the lights were turned off, all the Christingles were lit and we sang the Christingle song, which explains its meaning.

This may have been a service with children at the centre, but what they celebrated is, indeed, the real meaning of Christmas. May all the other services this Christmastide share the same truth and joy!

Happy Christmas!

Christmas is Coming

2011-12-15T22:58:00.004Z

It's only just over a week until Christmas. Everybody is probably only too aware of that, with presents to buy and food to prepare. But in our busyness, it's important that we don't forget the reason for Christmas – that Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth as a fully human baby who shared human joys and sorrows and explained what God wanted us to be, before being executed on a cross.

So it's only right that we should meet together to worship him at this time. But it's also great fun – with candles and carols and Christmas readings. From now on, all our services will have a Christmas theme. But below are some special ones:

7.0pm on Sunday 18 December we have the Service of Lessons and Carols by Candlelight. By the light flickering candles, we will be singing the much loved Christmas Carols, as well as listening to the Choir’s contributions and hearing the Christmas Story and other readings on that theme.

4.0pm on Christmas Eve, 24 December. At the short Christingle service, which is suitable for all the family, we remember the Christmas story, helped by the Christingles which symbolise the meaning of the baby in the manger – the Christ child. Then we take away those Christingles as a memento.

11.30pm on Christmas Eve, 24 December. The first service of Christmas Day is our reflective service of Holy Communion when we remember Christ's love for the world both in his birth and in his sacrifice of himself on the cross.

10.0 am on Christmas Day, 25 December is our service of Family Communion, which is suitable for all the family. Again, we will be singing those much loved Christmas Carols. Do bring your toys!

We hope that you will be able to join us for at least one of these services.

Time for gifts.

2011-12-11T13:31:00.004Z

It's now the third Sunday of Advent – Advent, when we are looking forward to the gift of Jesus at Christmas – the greatest gift of all. Jesus, who came as the Saviour of the world, and whose return we also look forward to.

Many will be looking forward to the gifts that they will receive this Christmas. But this was our opportunity to give to those in much greater need than ourselves. The congregation gave 71 items for organisations such as "Action Homeless" to give as gifts to the children in their projects.

Jonathan Cryer, a representative from Action Homeless thanked the congregation for their gifts and described the plight of the people in their care and how these gifts will bring joy to their children this Christmas.

So many of the people at St Paul's wanted to contribute that we had more offers than the charities were able to use, so other people brought gifts for the "Welcome Project" which helps destitute asylum seekers.

As we have been given so much, may we share it with others.

God, the Universe and Everything

2011-11-26T23:03:00.002Z

Every year, they Bishop of Leicester organises a "Lay Congress" when some issue of importance to Christians is discussed in detail. This year, 300 of us met at the Samworth Academy on Saturday 26th November, for a Congress with the modest (?) title: "God, the Universe and Everything." A group of us went from St Paul's.

The Congress was led by members of the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion of Saint Edmunds College, Cambridge. These were people who are both eminent scientists and have a Christian Faith

Dr Alexander reminded us that many of the historic founders of science, such as Kelvin, Ray, Dalton, Boyle, Newton, Descartes, Kepler, Ray, Maxwell, etc, etc, were practising Christians, as are many today. They see their research as worship of God whose wonders they investigate. In fact, Christian faith underlies many scientific assumptions - such that there are laws, that experiments are appropriate - the reasonableness of the quest for coherence.

Ruth Bancewicz, of the Test of Faith project, presented videos of living scientists who spoke of their emotional involvement with science, of a sense of vocation, of their wonder and awe; also of their curiosity. For some their delight was in being involved with projects that have practical useful outcomes, while for others it was a pleasure in the intrinsic value of scientific discovery – of both mechanism and meaning.

The Reverend Doctor Rodney Holder introduced us to the complexities of the Big Bang and warned us against the "God of the Gaps" – the things we do not understand, because as those Gaps are explained, God risks being progressively excluded.

The big question is not the "How" the world was created, but Liebnitz’s question- “Why is there a universe?”

We returned much better informed but also full of wonder – both at the mightiness of God and the wonder of his Creation.

So next year, don't miss out on a similarly challenging day!

Thank you!

2011-11-24T18:23:00.000Z

On 22 November 2011 Oadby residents met at Beauchamp College to vote on bids for resources from the £12,500 Community Forum Budget. This sum had been provided by Leicestershire County Council to share among projects that would benefit the local community. Each organisation had the opportunity to present their case at length on designated tables and then for 90 seconds to everyone present. There were votes on which projects represented value for money and then the opportunity to choose three of the best projects.

St Paul's put in the most modest of the bids – £600 to purchase equipment for the recently reconstituted Friday night Youth Club which is open to all. This bid topped both polls and we will soon be going ahead to spend the money in the ways we presented.

This youth club was initiated by our new Intern, Elena Williams, who assisted Revd Steve Bailey, our vicar, in presenting the case. Thank you to Elena for all her hard work, to the Council who made these funds available and to the local residents who supported our bid. We hope that the young people will soon be finding the new equipment attractive and useful.

The Cross of Christ.

2011-11-18T13:27:00.004Z

The cross is at the centre of Christian faith. It represents Christ's death as a sacrifice for mankind, a sacrifice that forgives sin and stands as a unique example of supreme love – the love that Christ has for us. It also sets a standard for us of what our love should be like.

This five long sermon series on the cross, that we have just completed, is our final series based on the Essential 100 readings that we have used this year to celebrate the "year of the Bible," the four hundredth anniversary of the Authorised Version. The sermon outlines are all available through this link.

It was appropriate that we considered the supreme Divine sacrifice in the weeks before Remembrance Sunday, when we remembered the sacrifice of so many in war.

We will remember them

2011-11-11T14:49:00.003Z

Today is Remembrance Day, the 11th of November and people stopped for 2 minutes at 11am to remember all those who have lost their life whilst at war.

Sunday is Remembrance Sunday and we will be having an All Together service with Parade as we welcome the uniformed organisations to join us on this special occasion. We will be looking at the words of Jesus from John 15.13 'Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.'

Jesus demonstrated His great love by dying for each one of us. On this special day we also remember those who have followed his example and laid down their life for the greater good. Towards the end of our service we will observe a 2 minute silence as we remember.

Bible Sunday

2011-10-21T12:38:00.002+01:00

Join us this Sunday at St Paul's when we shall be marking Bible Sunday.

As Christians we believe that the Bible is God's word to us. We give thanks to God for the gift of the Bible and the many treasures it contains. Did you know that the Bible contains a whole variety of different literature including family sagas, war, history, gory detail, story, songs, romance, sex, teaching and miracles?

We will also be remembering those who do not have a copy of the Bible freely available to them in the own native language and pray for the work of organisations, such as the Bible Society, who undertake translation work.

Do you have a Bible somewhere? Why not find it, dust it off and try reading some of it. There are lots of Bible reading guides to help you and there is so much to discover.

New Youth Group!

2011-10-15T12:04:00.003+01:00

On Friday 14th October a new Youth Group was launched. Lead by our Youth Intern, Elly, the first meeting was held last night. Not knowing what response we would get from our advertising it in the local schools we were delighted when 16 young people aged 11-14 showed up.

The evening had a happy, relaxed atmosphere with a variety of activities to choose from including table tennis and a graffiti wall as well as a tuck shop.

We hope that many will want to return and will tell their friends all about it. We hope also to be able to add to the equipment and offer an attractive place for the young people to be on a Friday evening. You would be welcome to come along and join us!

Don't deny

2011-10-12T11:29:00.003+01:00

On Sunday we continued our sermon series on 'The Cross of Christ'. This week our focus was on the part of the story where Jesus is taken off for trial. It was during this time that Peter, one of his closest disciples, was asked three times if he knew Jesus and all three times he denied that he knew Him. Jesus had predicted this would happen just after Peter pledges his loyalty to Jesus in front of all the disciples. As soon as Peter denied Jesus for the third time a cock crowed.

We were encouraged to think of who are best friend is and what we would be willing to do for them. Even though Peter made a bad choice, took the easy way out and let his friend down Jesus made the biggest choice and chose the cross for Peter and for each one of us.

After His resurrection one of the first things Jesus did was to forgive Peter and give him the chance to express his love for Jesus. Peter then goes onto become one of the first leaders of the early church, preaching a sermon that brings 3,000 people to faith!

In our prayers we said sorry to God for the times we had denied Him and let Him down. We asked for strength and courage to be bold and strong to speak up for God. We also prayed for those who are persecuted for their faith that God would strengthen and encourage them as they daily risk their lives to live out what they believe.

Pioneer Minister

2011-10-08T15:01:00.002+01:00

At a special service held today in Leicester Cathedral a number of people were licensed by the Bishop for different tasks. Among them was David Boyce, a member of St Paul's. David is a physics lecturer at Lutterworth College. As a Christian David felt called to set up a chaplaincy in this large college to provide spiritual support to students and staff.
David was licensed as a lay pioneer minister. This means that he has done some training and has the Bishop's full support in this exciting venture. David's aim is to bring a Christian presence into his working environment. He will lead assemblies, prayer meetings and be available to chat and offer support.
At a service in September David shared with us the exciting journey God has taken him on to bring him to this point. As a church we prayed for David and his family as they move into this new phase.

Fresh Expressions Of Church.

2011-10-01T20:28:00.008+01:00

Like all churches, Saint Paul’s faces the question: "how do we share the love of Christ with the two-thirds of the population who never go near a church?" On Saturday 1 November 2011, Leicester Diocese organised a conference on "fresh expressions" in conjunction with the Methodist and United Reformed Churches.

It met at Saint Martin's House, the new diocesan headquarters, next to the cathedral which has been impressively refurbished. The conference was led by Dave Male, who was previously a Minister in this diocese, and has had experience of an alternative way of being church.

There are many ways in which Christians can organise activities which start in the community and by which people may be introduced to Christ in nonthreatening ways. Different workshops gave examples of some of these, with the chance to discuss the opportunities and problems experienced. However, these activities should always lead on to discipling people in the Christian faith, although this is a journey that may take many years.

“Thinking outside the box" was challenging but also fascinating. May we do more of it!

Link to Fresh Expressions
Link to Leicester Diocese's report of the conference.

The Worldwide Family

2011-09-26T13:24:00.006+01:00

At our evening service on 25 September 2011 we (and several visitors from neighbouring churches) were delighted to welcome Bishop Stanley Hotay from the Diocese of Mount Kilimanjaro in

Tanzania

. That Diocese has been linked with Leicester diocese since soon after its foundation, 30 years ago. Before the service, we were able to meet Bishop Stanley over a magnificent tea – very many thanks to those who had provided it.

Then, we moved to the Church to worship. It was good to remember that we and the Christians in Tanzania are united as members together of the worldwide Church, the body of Christ here on Earth.

Steve Bailey, our vicar, interviewed Bishop Stanley and he told us how God had led him into Christian ministry since his commitment to Christ as a sixth former. His first church had been another St Paul's – in Arusha. He shared with us the joys and sorrows, problems and opportunities for his diocese, based on Arusha, which even after its recent division into two dioceses (the other is now Kiteto), is still the size of

England

. However, despite its limited resources, the church is growing fast.

In his address to the church, Bishop Stanley took as his text Christ's Great Commission recorded in St Matthew's Gospel: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you." It was a challenge for the church in Tanzania. But it was also a challenge for us here in Oadby. Christ calls all of us to make him known to those around.

Together, we joined in hymns, worship songs and prayers until Bishop Stanley sent us out as he blessed us in Swahili.

Back to Church

2011-09-26T11:55:00.005+01:00

On Sunday 25 September 2011 St Paul' s had joined in a nationwide initiative to invite friends "back to church." In his talk, based on the account of Jesus healing the lame man by the poolside, Steve Bailey recalled the words of Jesus to the man: "Do you want to be made well?"

It seems an obvious question – as obvious as some questions Steve had already put to the children in the congregation, such as: "what colour is a black taxi cab?" (Popular questions as they had won the children chocolates!) However, the lame man's answer to the question had not been straightforward. And sometimes, as Jesus offers us his love, forgiveness and support, neither is ours.

Steve recognised that sometimes, in what it had said and done, the church had hurt and damaged people. To any who were present for whom that was true, as a representative of the church and in the name of the church, Steve asked their forgiveness. In spite of their experiences, he prayed that they might feel able to respond to Christ's offer.

Principal Services – October - December

2011-09-20T12:40:00.003+01:00

As 2011 draws to a close we have one final sermon series drawn from the E100 readings. Through October and just into November we are going to be focusing on The Cross of Christ. You may think this seems slightly strange at this time of year and more appropriate for Lent. However, I firmly believe that as we have spent the past year looking at God’s big story throughout scripture it makes sense to finish with the very heart of God’s salvation plan. We pause to mark Bible Sunday and as after our series finishes we mark Remembrance Sunday.

Then begins our journey through the season of advent. Advent means ‘coming’. It is a time of preparation and anticipation as we think back and remember Jesus coming to earth in human form as a baby and also look forward to the day when he will return in glory.

May I wish you all a blessed and joyful conclusion to 2011, a Christ-centred Christmas and a memorable 2012 as we continue our journey with the God of surprises.

In Christ,

Steve

Revd Steve Bailey.

Link to Service Programme

Harvest Thanksgiving

2011-09-18T16:42:00.003+01:00

Today at St Paul's we celebrated our Harvest Thanksgiving Service. Our All-Age service was preceeded by our monthly "Breakfast at Barney's". During the service everyone was invited to come and give gifts which will go to The Welcome Project, providing tinned foods, drinks and toiletries to asylum seekers.

In our consumerist western culture it can be very easy for us to take for granted all that we have and where our food comes from. Our Bible reading reminded us that the earth belongs to God and that all that we have comes from Him.

The children had great fun knocking down piles of boxes that represented a barn. The story of the man who tore down his barns to build bigger barns (Luke 12.16-30) shows us that we can easily forget our need for God who gives us all good things. We prayed for all those who work so hard on the land to grow our crops and those who don't have enough.

As a token of our thankfulness to God we offered some of what we have back, to be given freely to those in need.

Everybody Welcome

2011-09-13T23:17:00.003+01:00

Is everybody welcome in our church? Of course, we would answer "yes." But would a stranger actually feel comfortable coming into our building? Would they know where the entrance was? Would they know what they needed? Could they find the toilets?

The two churches of our parish, St Paul's and St Peter's, are joining together, at St Paul's, for four Tuesdays, to take part in a course called "Everybody Welcome" which is being organised by Leicester Diocese and led by Revd Barry Hill. With a mixture of course booklet, videos, led discussion and questionnaires it makes us look at ourselves and discover what would make visitors’ lives easier.

We are all keen that visitors should come to our churches and discover for themselves the love of Jesus Christ, the one whom we worship. It would be a tragedy if they were discouraged by things that could be easily put right. We hope that this course, of which tonight was the second module, will make this less likely, so that newcomers may feel really welcome.

Come and see if we're succeeding!

Home Groups

2011-09-10T16:46:00.002+01:00

Over half of the congregation at St Paul's is attached to a Home Group. These meet at different times of the day and on different days, either weekly or fortnightly. So there is one to suit anybody. They are an invaluable part of our church life as they give the opportunity for studying and praying together in small groups, where everyone is known and valued, without embarrassment. They are an opportunity to support each other, both in joys and sorrows.

With lots of people away, many groups have taken a break in the summer, but now they are starting up again. This particular group started the autumn activities with a social, combining a joint meal, a quiz and a Jenga challenge.

Be encouraged

2011-09-09T15:37:00.005+01:00

At St Paul's we are fortunate enough to have a multi-purpose centre named after one of the Saint Paul's closest companions and fellow worker, Barnabas. The name Barnabas means 'son of encouragement'. Barnabas was known for the way he encouraged all those that he met.

It is always good to be encouraged, I have yet to meet someone who doesn't like it!

Our aim at St. Paul's is to allow people to share stories of encouragement. It is always good to hear where God has been at work in people's lives. Sometimes this occurs in big, dramatic ways such as the account of the apostle Paul's encounter with God on the Damascus Road. (You can read about this in Acts 9) However, if we take time to think back and reflect many of us at this church can probably think of lots of much smaller ways where God has been at work in our lives.

Last Sunday I was able to tell the story of a lady who asked me to pray for her a couple of weeks ago. When I saw her a week later she was very quick to tell me how God had answered that prayer. For her it encouraged her that God is living, active and is interested in her life.

I hope we at St Paul's can share more of these stories to encourage one another that God is working in all sorts of ways in our lives and different circumstances.

O perfect love

2011-08-23T21:08:00.003+01:00

On 21 August we held our "Songs of Praise" in the summertime for the first time, wondering what the support would be. In fact, we had the best turnout yet, 47 people, perhaps encouraged by the magnificent spread of cakes at the tea beforehand – so very many thanks to those who had provided these.

Among the nine magnificent hymns and songs that we sang, one was very special to Alf and Joan, two members of the congregation. The hymn was "O perfect love" and they had sung it at their wedding, 61 years ago this week.

The author of this hymn, Dorothy Gurney, is known to have written only this hymn. However she was a poet and is well-known for the quotation "One is nearer God’s heart in a garden than anywhere on earth" which comes from her poem "God's garden." When her sister was getting married the family was singing favourite hymns and regretted that the words to the bride's favourite, with the tune "Strength and Stay," were not suitable for a wedding. Could Dorothy write something? In five minutes she was back with these words. As has happened with many of the best hymns, she claimed to have sensed God's inspiration. Ironically, the tune now used is a different one – by Sir Joseph Barnby.

The hymn speaks of God’s perfect love and prays that, as the couple approach God, they may know his love and share it in their homes, whatever life may bring.

O perfect Love, all human thought transcending,
Lowly we kneel in prayer before Thy throne,
That theirs may be the love which knows no ending,
Whom Thou forevermore dost join in one.

O perfect Life, be Thou their full assurance,
Of tender charity and steadfast faith,
Of patient hope and quiet, brave endurance,
With childlike trust that fears nor pain nor death.

Grant them the joy which brightens earthly sorrow;
Grant them the peace which calms all earthly strife,
And to life’s day the glorious unknown morrow
That dawns upon eternal love and life.

Hear us, O Father, gracious and forgiving,
Through Jesus Christ, Thy coeternal Word,
Who, with the Holy Ghost, by all things living
Now and to endless ages art adored.

The miracles of Jesus – signs of love and power

2011-08-23T21:05:00.003+01:00

In the morning services at St Paul's this month, we are looking at five of Jesus' miracles. What lies behind them? Why did Jesus bother do them? What was their significance?

On 7 August, in a sermon entitled "All you can Eat" we considered Jesus feeding the crowd of more than 5000. This was the background to Jesus' statement "I am the bread of life" and we considered how he nourishes us spiritually day by day.

Next week, 14 August, "Imaginative Faith" considered Jesus stilling of the storm raging on Lake Galilee. Following that, Peter's faith was so raised that he could imagine himself obeying Jesus invitation to come and walk with him on the water. However, that walk didn't last long before Peter’s faith dipped and he slipped below the waves. But Jesus was quick to restore him – as he does us.

And this week, on 21 August we considered Jesus healing of the blind man in John's gospel chapter 9 under the title "I see what you mean" we considered the wonder of sight and all that this man was missing. But as Jesus went on to say "I am the light of the world" we saw that his ability to heal physical blindness enabled him to claim a right to heal spiritual blindness. And the challenge to us is to now see the world in the same way that Christ sees it.

To read the transcripts of these sermons click here.

Where are you with Jesus? Now face-to-face.

2011-08-07T13:16:00.010+01:00

Jane Marie Lillian Sawbridge
11 July 1955 – 25 July 2011

When Jane first visited St Paul's in 1992, she got into conversation with the person in the next seat. "Where are you with Jesus?" he asked. As Jane considered that question she was gradually drawn to faith in Jesus as the one who died for her and loved her and accepted her. She became a vital member of St Paul's and subsequently married another member, Jim. After that, she was deeply involved in the church's work among babies, children and teenagers. She remained a member of the music group until her death from a rapidly progressive illness. Ten days before her death she had still insisted in joining the church family at a regular Sunday morning Communion service.

On Friday 5 August St Paul's was packed for her funeral with members of the congregation, family and friends. The service was led by the vicar, the Revd Steve Bailey and the sermon was given by the Revd Brian Robertson who had worked with Jane and Jim in the youth work when he was vicar here. Brian preached from Psalm 121 showing how it was Jane's testimony that her help came from the Lord. But the psalm also challenged the rest of us: "the Lord will keep you from all evil." That is the help we need.

There was also a tribute to Jane by Dr Margaret Barnes-Davies who had known her as a co-worker in church activities and as a friend and prayer partner. Margaret had also been grateful to Jane for her services as a childminder. After the close of the service, Jane was buried alongside her three-year-old daughter, Becky Jane in Blaby Cemetery.

Many were the memories of Jane that were exchanged over the refreshments afterwards. Our thoughts and prayers are with her husband, Jim, her son, Richard, her step-children and other members of the family.

We grieve our loss but we rejoice that Jane is now face-to-face with the Lord she loved.

New Service Programme for August & September

2011-07-23T12:34:00.006+01:00

The service programme for St Paul's forthe next two months has now been published. Link. In it, our new Vicar, Steven Bailey, writes:

It is a real pleasure and delight to be with you all in Oadby as part of the Church here at St. Paul’s. Thankyou for making us, as a family, all feel so welcome.

As we journey together through the summer holiday season and the start of the autumn term we continue to follow some of the readings from the Essential 100 book.

I know many of you have been working through this in your home groups or individually. May I encourage you, if like me you have not finished the book, to keep going.

Through August and into September we are going to be focusing on the miracles of Jesus using the 5 passages suggested in the E100 book. We pause for a week to join with friends at St Peter’s for a parish communion over the Bank Holiday weekend.

On the 18th September we celebrate Harvest together as we thank God for his faithful provision year by year and also remember those in need.

The following Sunday is Back to Church Sunday and I would strongly encourage you to consider prayerfully who you could invite to come along. Do take an invitation nearer the time and pass it on to as many people as you can think of.

In the evening of the 25th we are fortunate enough to be welcoming the newly appointed Bishop of Mount Kilimanjaro, Stanley Hotay, to a special evening service. Come along and hear from our link diocese in Tanzania.

My prayer is that together we can grow as the family of God as we learn from His word and live it out in our daily lives.

In Christ,

Steve

Revd Steve Bailey

It's the holiday season

2011-07-22T11:12:00.003+01:00

As the schools have broken up and families go off on holiday I hope that this can be a time of rest and refereshment for many. However, the summer time can also be a lonely time for those who miss the fellowship and company of friends as various groups take a break. St Paul's is open and ready to welcome you week by week.

For those who are looking for a good book to read on these lazy summer days I would recommend Essential 100 the Scripture Union book of 100 selected Bible readings that we as a church have been working through this year. Bite sized chunks of scripture with a helpful explaination that will give you a good overview.

Happy reading, safe travelling, hope you have a good break and come back refreshed!

Meet the Baileys

2011-07-20T21:11:00.005+01:00

It seemed a good idea when we first discussed it. ‘After Steve’s licensing we should have a get together so that everyone in the parish can come and meet the family!’

Sheridan and Gilda were asked to provide a barbecue and we set aside Sunday 10th July to have a meal together and use the church, car park and Barnabas for our venue. As the day approached the weather was decidedly mixed and I for one began to worry that it would rain. We closed off the car park in the expectation that we would be eating outside, and began our service at 10.00am. It still looked dodgy.

However by 12.00pm the sun was beating down and everyone who came had a great opportunity to eat burgers and sausages cooked to perfection . Thanks to Gilda and Sheridan for their expertise and cooking skills. I don’t know what Steve and Angie thought of it all, but 90 people were able to enjoy the sunshine and their company. Sometime later I managed to return home and have a sit down.

St Paul's to welcome Bishop Stanley Hotay of Tanzania

2011-07-18T18:50:00.011+01:00

Leicester Diocese has links with several other dioceses across the Anglican Communion. Apart from links in Japan and India, one has been with the Diocese of Mount Kilimanjaro in Northern Tanzania. This large diocese has now been divided in two, Mount Kilimanjaro and Kiteto and the bishops from both have been invited to attend the Leicester Diocese Clergy Conference in October.

One of those bishops, the newly consecrated Stanley Hotay, from Mount Kilimanjaro, will be with us, at St Paul's, for a 6:30 p.m. evening service on Sunday 25 September, when he will preach. We look forward to welcoming him and showing him what life is like at St Paul's is like.

It will be good to meet with Bishop Stanley as the leader of a church in a very different situation to our own: rich in spiritual life and growing in numbers, while poor financially and short of many physical necessities.

Do take this opportunity to come and hear more about another part of the Worldwide Church

Greetings from our New Vicar, Revd Steve Bailey

2011-07-08T16:00:00.007+01:00

Welcome to St Paul's, Oadby. We know that you will experience a warm and friendly welcome here from the worshipping community, because we have experienced it ourselves. Part of the joy of being part of the Christian family is that you are never far from friends, even if you have never met them before. We are so thankful for all that has been done to welcome us here. As we continue to settle in, get to know people and places and learn lots we are excited about all that God has in store. We look forward to sharing in His ministry under the guidance of His Spirit. Do come along and join with us as a church on the journey God has for us, you really will be made to feel most welcome!

Lots of Promises

2011-06-30T15:07:00.008+01:00

Last night, 29 July 2011, the Right Revd Christopher Boyle, Leicester's Assistant Bishop, licensed the Revd Steve Bailey as the new Team Vicar in the parish of Oadby, with particular responsibility for St Paul's.

The two churches in Oadby parish are St Peter and St Paul and it was fitting that 29 June is the Feast of St Peter and St Paul (the day when these major pioneers of the early church are remembered). In his charge, Bishop Boyle encouraged Steve to model his ministry on theirs – Peter's declaration that Jesus was the Christ and Paul's exposition of how this would work in practice.

It was a time of great joy with an opportunity to praise God in song for his provision of Steve. It was also a time of mumbo-jumbo as the obligatory legal documents had to be read out. But above all, it was a Service of promises:
Will you (Steve) reaffirm the promises you made when you ordained… "I will."
Will you…. Preach the gospel of Christ and minister His holy sacraments? "By the help of God, I will."

And then, as different symbols of the church's life were brought forward, Steve invited the church members to promise, with him, their commitment:
a. a Bible – to proclaim the Gospel (good news) of new life;
b. water for baptism – to make disciples of all nations;
c. bread and wine – to join regularly in Holy Communion;
d. oil – to join in the Ministry of reconciliation and healing;
e. a book of Common Worship – to commit themselves to united prayer.

With the members of the Ministry Team around him (Ordained Clergy, Readers (Lay Ministers), Pastoral Worker Youth Worker), Steve was asked whether he would work with them to further God's kingdom in this parish: "Yes, with the help of God, I will." The Ministry Team was then asked the same question about working with Steve and again replied: "Yes, with the help of God, I will."

These are all weighty promises, both for Steve and for the members of St Paul's congregation. As we go forward together into this new era of our church's life, may we fulfil the promises of commitment that we have made and may we pray for Steve, that the Holy Spirit of God may give him the strength to fulfil his promises.

Welcome Steve and Angie

2011-06-27T12:26:00.004+01:00

The long wait is nearly over. After a year without a Team Vicar at St Paul's, we are about to welcome a new one. At 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday 29 June, during what we anticipate to be a service of great joy, Leicester's Assistant Bishop, Christopher Boyle, will license Revd Steve Bailey as Team Vicar in the Parish of Oadby, with particular responsibility here at St Paul's.

Since studying at St John's College, Nottingham, Steve has been serving as a curate at Walton on Thames. We look forward to welcoming many who have been in his congregation there. Hopefully, the motorway will be running freely!

During the service there will be the opportunity for local dignitaries and churches to say “Welcome!” But no welcome will be as profound as that from the congregation at St Paul’s. Those of us, lay and ordained, who take part in the Ministry here, are delighted (and relieved!) that Steve is coming to lead us forward.

Steve and Angie, his wife, and their two children, have already moved to Oadby and are getting to know the area as they explore the local shops and schools.

Our prayer is that, under Steve's leadership, the good news of God's love for everyone, shown in Jesus, may spread widely in our community.

Welcome Jane

2011-06-24T16:51:00.008+01:00

In my blog on 15 June, I wrote of the privilege of being part of the worldwide church – a church that is not limited by national borders and which is made up of every race, all serving the Lord Jesus. This Sunday, 26 June, we welcome Jane Jerrard, who works with the church in Pakistan, in Hyderabad, supporting village schools.

Through the Associate Minister of this parish, Revd Paskal Clement, who hails from Pakistan, we are very aware of the suffering of Christians there. We heard with grief of the murder of a Christian minister, Shahbaz Bhatti, and the murder of a prominent politician, Salman Taseer, who, as a Muslim, spoke up for Christians’ rights.

So it is a privilege to have Jane with us on Sunday morning, when she will give an illustrated talk in the service about her work. She will also update us of the needs of the Christian church in Pakistan. Do come along!

I believe in the holy catholic Church

2011-06-15T08:12:00.010+01:00

In most of our services on a Sunday morning at St Paul's, the congregation shares in saying a "creed" or an affirmation of faith. This frequently includes the words: "I believe in the holy catholic Church." In this sense the creed is not referring specifically to the Roman Catholic Church but using the word catholic in the sense of universal – the universal Church – the church worldwide.

I was recently on holiday in Hong Kong and as I was worshipping in church on Sunday, it was wonderful to see this phrase as a reality. In the congregation there were Christians from China, Britain, Korea, South Africa, America and many other countries, all praising God together. It was a reminder of the verse in the book of Revelation "by (Christ's) blood you ransomed for God saints from every tribe and language and people and nation" (Revelation 5:9). There in Hong Kong, worshipping with those of such different backgrounds, it was good to join in that unity.

Here at St Paul's we are privileged to have some such diversity. Apart from those of British background, there are those originally from India, Singapore and

Nigeria

(and probably others). It is important that we remember that Christ died for all. We believe in the holy catholic Church.

Keep Going!

2011-06-07T11:43:00.004+01:00

Eddie Izzard made a guest appearance (albeit in video form) at St. Paul’s last Sunday. During our ‘All Together Worship’ we looked back to 2009 and his huge achievement of completing seven weeks of back-to-back marathon runs. He covered more than 1,100 miles by running 43 marathons in 51 days and, in keeping with the theme of our service, he truly did ‘Keep Going’.
We finished our series of readings from Peter’s first letter to the early Christian Church and reflected on the fact that being a follower of Jesus does not exempt us from suffering nor does it guarantee us an easier life. What it does promise is a very real hope for the future; but more than that, a hope which sustains us in the day to day business of living and serving just as Jesus did. Like Eddie Izzard, we may need to dig deep to find the grit, determination and sheer ‘stickabililty’ to keep going, but God has promised that we don’t do it alone. He has promised to be with us always, until the very end of time.
We will be celebrating this promise next Sunday, 12 June, in our 10am service marking Pentecost; the day when the Holy Spirit empowered the followers of Jesus to keep going in every circumstance of life.
Do join us – you will be made very welcome.

Welcome!

2011-05-13T18:32:00.005+01:00

Christian Aid week commences on Sunday 15 May and we look forward to welcoming Christian Aid workers Martin Gage and Lelise Duga to our 10am service at St. Paul’s.

A former member of our church family, Martin worked for 15 years in the local voluntary sector before rejoining Christian Aid in January this year. He will be preaching on the shepherd’s love for the sheep from our reading in John 10.1-10. Martin is a very gifted preacher with the ability to stir and gently challenge his listeners - be prepared!

Lelise Duga holds a degree in Foreign Languages and Literature in addition to a Master’s degree in Health Monitoring and Evaluation. Married with two children, she has spent six years working with churches and interfaith groups in Development and HIV work. She will be sharing her experiences of her role as an HIV and Health Program Officer in Ethiopia.

Do come and join us to hear from two people with a real heart and compassion for the sick, the poor and the disadvantaged. We look forward to welcoming you.

Farewell!

2011-05-09T23:37:00.006+01:00

Yesterday's All Together Worship service was also an opportunity to say farewell to Sandhya and her family as they move back to India. Derek, one of our children's workers, presented some small gifts on behalf of St. Paul's and led us in prayer for the family. They go back to India and to a new phase of 'Living the Life', accompanied by our love and good wishes.

Live the Life!

2011-05-09T23:11:00.006+01:00

Are you a list-maker? Or someone who prefers being a little less ‘organised’?
And, anyway, what do lists have to do with holiness? And what, exactly, is holiness?
Yesterday, in our ‘All Together Worship’ service, Neil Griffiths encouraged us to think about the lists which we use in our everyday lives and to see if they help in our understanding of living holy lives; of obeying God’s command to ‘Stand out as outstanding, like I (God) do’.

A list of eleven points was suggested to us (amongst which were regular times of prayer and Bible reading, meeting together and encouraging one another, caring for each other) and, not entirely by coincidence, this list led to some participation by the congregation. The picture shows what happened when the letters written on the back of the eleven points were rearranged - the theme of our service then became clear, ‘Live the Life’.

As Christians we are called to reflect God’s holiness in this world. As the writer Rob Lacey puts it, ‘The one who picked you stands out as Pure, right through. So you are to stand out from the crowd in everything you get into. Like it says, Stand out as outstanding, like I do'.

Greetings to William and Kate from St Paul's

2011-04-29T15:17:00.012+01:00

Many of our church family will have been watching the Royal wedding today – and what a wonderful mixture of colour. pomp and informality it was. In his sermon, the Bishop of London quoted Catherine of Siena: "Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire." What a wonderful thought! The God who wants us to know him as Abba (Daddy) has plans for us that would set the world ablaze.
Richard Chartres made the interesting observation that: "As the reality of God has faded from so many lives in the West, there has been a corresponding inflation of expectations that personal relations alone will supply meaning and happiness in life.” Sadly, those expectations are often inadequate as the recent history of Royal weddings has shown.
May our prayer for William and Kate be that their marriage may be long and happy as each supports the other and that they may know the reality of the risen Christ supporting them in their future lives.

He is not Here!

2011-04-28T10:46:00.006+01:00

Leading a packed church on Easter Sunday morning, Paskal Clement began by asking people what the words were on the display in the entrance (photo here). When a guess, "He is Risen," failed, someone hurriedly went out to look. "He is not here, He is risen." These were the words of the Angel to the women who went looking for Jesus in the tomb. This is the Christian message on Easter day. We went on to read those words in Matthew's Gospel chapter 28.

In the sermon, Hugh pointed out the two very different attitudes: the faithful women seeking to serve Jesus, and the worried Jerusalem authorities concocting a story of a body snatch with the soldiers. Both agreed that the tomb was empty. Jesus was not there. Much as the authorities might have liked to produce a body to support their story, they could not.

This is the miracle that shows that Christ's death on the cross to allow all who wish to, to receive life in all its fullness, in fellowship with God, was an act that had been accepted by God the Father. This is the good news, the "gospel" that the church exists to proclaim.

Early Summer Services 2011 - Our New Programme

2011-04-23T11:32:00.010+01:00

Our new vicar, Stephen Bailey, with his wife Angie, and their children, Samuel and the newly born Joel, will be moving to Oadby in June. Steve's licensing as Team Vicar in the parish of Oadby will take place at St Pauls, at 7:30 p.m. on 29 June. Our prayers are with them as they make this big move here from Walton on Thames on the outskirts of London.

But while we await Steve's arrival, there is much to be excited about in our worship here at St Paul's. In May, we continue to celebrate the wonder of Christ's Resurrection and start a series of sermons based on Peter's first letter. Then we celebrate Pentecost when the coming of the Holy Spirit initiated the birth of the Church. And the week after that is Trinity Sunday when we celebrate the wonder of how the One God is expressed in "Three Persons" – wonderful, but something that we all struggle to understand.

Following that, we are picking up some ideas that came from the "100 Essential Readings (E 100)" that many will soon be finishing. There will be a series of five sermons on Jesus' teaching and later a series of five on his miracles.

So come and join us as we wait to see where God will take us next.

Get tour copy of the rogramme here

Make Way for the King!

2011-04-22T17:35:00.005+01:00

It was Palm Sunday on Sunday 17 April. We were celebrating Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, but were also considering the whole story of Christ's Passion. The two themes were linked in the palm crosses that everyone received as they entered church. The palm leaf reminded us of the palm leaves and other objects that the Jerusalem crowd strewed in front of the donkey, carrying the Messiah. Twisting the palm leaf into the form of a cross reminded us that five days later that crowd would have rejected Jesus and he would be dying for us on the cross.
In our first hymn, "Make Way" children and their parents followed our Rector, Michael Rusk, around the church, waving their Palm Crosses. We then had a prolonged reading of all of the Passion story from St Matthew's Gospel. In his sermon, Michael Rusk reminded us of the centrality of the cross in our faith and the importance of being known as Christians. He encouraged us to leave our palm crosses in prominent places which might encourage others to ask what they meant, so that we could explain our faith.

To eat or not to eat?

2011-04-14T17:04:00.003+01:00

Each Saturday in Lent one of the churches in Oadby hosts a "Lent lunch," which is open to members of all the churches. Saturday 9 April was our turn to play host. Thank you so much to those who produced a tasty range of soups which combined with cheese and rolls and tea or coffee. However, this was not only an opportunity to get to know friends from other churches but as the donations went to Christian Aid, those in greatest need benefited as well.

Welcome Joel !

2011-04-10T09:07:00.006+01:00

We are delighted to hear that Steve and Angie's new baby, Joel Andrew arrived at 10:55am on Sunday 3rd April, weighing in at 7lb 2oz.

Steve, who will be licensed as team vicar at St Paul's on 29 June sent us this photo and thanked us for our prayers.

We are really looking forward to the whole family joining us.

Mothers Matter!

2011-04-04T21:43:00.005+01:00

Comfortably replete from the "Breakfast at Barney's" breakfast, we joined the 10.00 a.m. Mothering Sunday service, led by our Associate Minister, Paskal Clement. The first reading reminded us how Hannah brought up the baby Samuel to be dedicated to the Lord, while the second reminded us of Jesus’ concern for his mother, even while dying on the cross.

Paskal explained the origins of "Mothering Sunday," when servant girls were allowed to return home on the fourth Sunday of Lent and present a posy to their mothers. Then he spoke of the crucial role that both the women in our readings played in developing the spiritual life of their children. Mothers today have the same responsibility in introducing their children to the love of God in Jesus.

During the final hymn, our youngsters distributed little pots of primulas to all the ladies in the congregation.

O, Mama Mia – Men Serve!

2011-04-04T21:32:00.010+01:00

It probably didn't escape your notice that Sunday 3 April was Mothering Sunday. But it was also the day when we were due to have our monthly "Breakfast at Barney's" – a cooked English (or continental) breakfast in the church's Barnabas Centre. Not much rest for the ladies, headed by our churchwarden, Anita Chettle, who are normally responsible. So, to show our appreciation for all that the ladies do throughout the year, the men took over – cooking and serving.

Everyone was well served and the standard did not drop as the men showed their ability. If you are free at 8:30 a.m. on the second Sunday (usually) of the month, do come and join us. We charge £3.00 and the profit goes to Christian Aid.

O Lord, How Great You Are!

2011-03-31T13:52:00.011+01:00

Nearly 50 people gathered at St Paul's on Sunday evening 27 March for our second "Songs of Praise." It was an enjoyable opportunity to worship God, but also to learn why particular Christian Songs and Hymns had become especially memorable to different members of the church during their walk with Christ. Several of the hymns were based on the oldest Christian/Jewish songs, the Psalms. This included the very popular hymn: "O Lord my God! when I in awesome wonder..." For some reason the hymnbook we use, like many others, record this as a Russian hymn. In fact, we discovered that it was written by the Swede Carl Boberg in 1885 after a walk in which he had seen many of the wonders of God manifest in nature – sunshine, storm, lightning, rainbow, birdsong and many others. On his return home, he was reminded of Psalm 8 which begins: "O LORD, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens." Boberg's hymn was sung to a traditional Swedish tune and rapidly became popular in Swedish nonconformist churches.

From Swedish, it was translated into German and Russian and then, in the 1920s into English, in a translation which never became popular. The translation we know is by Stuart Hine and dates from 1953. It was used at the Billy Graham Rallies, which made it well known.

Stuart Hine also composed two additional verses, which we sang as well.

O when I see ungrateful man defiling

This bounteous earth, God's gifts so good and great;

In foolish pride, God's holy Name reviling,

And yet, in grace, His wrath and judgment wait.

When burdens press, and seem beyond endurance,

Bowed down with grief, to Him I lift my face;

And then in love He brings me sweet assurance:

'My child! for thee sufficient is my grace'.

Many of the other seven songs and hymns that we sang would also merit discussion in detail, as this is just one example. Sunday evening was a great time, worshipping a Great God.

Brothers and Sisters Under Threat

2011-03-04T12:09:00.008Z

On Wednesday 2 March, Pakistan's Government Minister for minority religions, Shahbaz Bhatti, was killed by gunmen who shot him on his way to work in Islamabad. That is obviously a tragedy for his family, but why should the death of one man in notoriously unstable Pakistan matter to St Paul's Church in Oadby? I believe that there are at least four reasons.

1. Mr Bhatti, a Christian, was almost certainly killed because of his opposition to the Blasphemy Law in Pakistan. This law, designed to protect the honour of the Prophet Mohammed, has frequently been mischievously used to settle grudges between Muslims and their non-Muslim neighbours. The law is framed in such a way that it is extremely difficult for a non-Muslim to defend themself and the penalty is extreme, even death. As a minister for minority religions it was obviously appropriate that Mr Bhatti should be seeking to amend it. So any Democrat should be concerned at this case where a man was killed in the course of his duty.

2. This is the second such killing of a high level politician who opposed this law (the other being a Provincial Governor, Salman Taseer). It reflects the atmosphere in which all Christians in Pakistan must live – the fear of being denounced under this law and the threat of death itself. As Christians, these are our brothers and sisters and we must seek to make their plight known and hold them before God in prayer.

3. We are privileged to have a Pakistani, Revd Paskal Clement, as an Associate Minister in our parish and St Paul's frequently benefits from his services. These threats to the Christian minority in Pakistan are threats to Paskal's friends and family as well. Our prayers and thoughts are with both Paskal and them.

4. The parish has a link with Jane Gerrard who works with the church in Pakistan. Those threats for Christians are also a threat for Jane and her co-workers.

So, our thoughts and prayers go out to Mr Bhatti's family and to the whole Christian community in Pakistan. Our prayer is that the Blasphemy Law may indeed be amended.

Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther(1809-1891)

2011-02-26T12:37:00.009Z

In an earlier blog, (We have seen a great light) I reported how on 23 January, 2011, our preacher of the day, Emmanuel Oladipo, talked of the work of the first Black Anglican Bishop, Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther and how his family had been influenced to put their faith in Jesus Christ through Samuel Crowther's work.

Following that, I got an e-mail from our former vicar, Simon Harvey, telling us of the close connections that his new church, St Mary's Islington had with Bishop Crowther, who had attended St Mary's School in Islington and had studied at the CMS (Church Mission Society) College in the parish. Simon Harvey subsequently sent me a copy of a leaflet "Crowther's Journey," produced by the Southwark Centre :Pensioners Black History Group. This leaflet revealed that Samuel Crowther had actually been ordained at St Mary's and had returned there in 1870, to ordain his son, Dandeson.

Members of the group expressed their comments in the leaflet. They were delighted to find such an eminent role model and some, who hailed from Nigeria, were already aware of Crowther's work in evangelism, Bible translation and African literacy. However, others, from Sierra Leone, where Crowther had first been freed when a slave and received his initial Christian and secular education and undertaken much work, were surprised that they had never been told of him. There was pleasure that although taking a "Christian" name at his baptism, he had retained the Yoruba name "Ajayi."

Emmanuel Oladipo has been invited to preach at St Mary's Islington and talk about Bishop Crowther.

Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther -- Timeline

1809 Born in Osogun, Yorubaland, Nigeria

1821 Kidnapped and sold to slave-traders

Rescued by the Royal Navy Anti-Slavery Patrol
and taken to Freetown, Sierra Leone

1825 Baptised and takes the name Samuel Ajayi Crowther

1826 Travels to London to attend Islington Parish School

1827 Attends Fourah Bay College, Freetown, Sierra Leone
Marries Susan Asano Thompson at age 18 years

1841 Accompanies an anti-slavery mission up the River Niger

1842 Returns to England to be ordained as a minister

1843 Receives Holy Orders from the Bishop of London

Starts to translate the Bible into Yoruba

1848 Is reunited with his mother Afala, who is christened with his sister

1857 Writes an Ibo language primer

1864 Compiles a Nupe language dictionary and grammar
Awarded a doctorate in Divinity from Oxford University and received by Queen Victoria

Consecrated Bishop of the Niger at Canterbury Cathedral

1870 Personally ordains his son Dandeson in 1870 at St. Mary Islington

1877 Wife Susan dies, survived by two son and three daughters

1891 Dies from a stroke on New Year's Eve

We have a date for Steve’s Licensing Service

2011-02-22T15:22:00.004Z

Bishop Christopher will conduct the service of licensing of the Revd Steve Bailey on Wednesday 29 June at St Paul’s Church at 7.30pm.

Please continue to pray for Steve, his wife Angie, and son Samuel as they await the birth of their new baby in April and prepare to move to Oadby.

Make your vote count!

2011-02-15T10:12:00.006Z

Our church is led by our Rector, Michael Rusk, our Team Vicar (soon to be Steve Bailey) and the team of Clergy and Lay Ministers that works with them. But it is also legally governed by the Churchwardens and a committee called the PCC (Parochial Church Council). These act as trustees for the Charity Commission. The PCC meets every month or two, to plan the church's future activities.

Because we have two churches in the parish, each church also has a Deputy Churchwarden and a DCC (District Church Council) which meets most months.

Each year we meet for the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) at which we are able to hear how things have gone in the last year and elect Churchwardens, PCC, DCC and other officers. This year's APCM is at 7:45 PM at St Peter's Centre on Thursday 14 April 2011. For this to be truly representative, we need a good turnout and I hope you can come.

But in order to vote, you have to be a member of the church. You do this by being on the "Electoral Roll." If you are not already on the Electoral Roll, you need to join it by completing the application form which you can find here.

Can you suggest someone with the qualities to be a Churchwarden? If so, use the nomination form here

Do you know someone who would work well on the PCC or DCC (or are you prepared to serve)? Nominations for the PCC are available here, and for the DCC here.

This is an opportunity to say thank you to all those who have served our churches so well in the last year.

Everybody Counts!

2011-02-02T11:51:00.006Z

Sunday 30 January was Poverty and Homelessness Sunday. Leading the service, Neil Griffiths reminded us that this was also the year of the census. Everybody would be counted. He talked of how every leaf on a tree contributes to the tree's well-being. Preaching from the Prophet Malachi he reminded us how God valued those who were at the bottom of society's heap and called on those who followed him to do the same. The night before, Neil had returned from Derby where he had met with youngsters who were sleeping in the open on a very bitter night to highlight the plight of the homeless. God cares about them too.

He had drawn a tree without leaves and had placed the outline of a leaf on each chair. On it was written: I count because…., and each person was asked to complete the sentence with something relevant to them. The congregation then came forward and placed their leaves all over the bare twigs.

Each of us is loved by God and that is why Christ died for us.

Preparing for Hope Together

2011-01-24T17:34:00.008Z

Over 70 members from different churches in Oadby joined together on Sunday 23 January for a joint act of worship to celebrate the week of prayer for Christian Unity. The service was led by Colin Chettle a Reader (lay Minister) at St Paul's and remembered the life together of the Early Church. It was good to meet and celebrate all that unites us.

The preacher was Roy Crowne, the executive director of Hope Together. This is an organisation that encourages Christians to show their faith in acts of service to the local community. And Roy's sermon was an encouragement to get out into the community and provide hope as we demonstrate our faith by acts of love.

As occurs every two years Churches Together in Oadby (CTO) will be organising Lent Home Groups in which each Home Group unites members of different churches. They will be studying "Hope for Easter" which is a workbook published by Roy Crowne’s organisation.

How much difference will we be able to make in Oadby? Hopefully, a lot.

We have seen a great light

2011-01-24T14:40:00.009Z

Among our congregation, we are privileged to have Emmanuel Oladipo, who was previously the International Director for Scripture Union. He was our preacher on Sunday morning, 23 January, and was preaching from the text in Isaiah 9:2, fulfilled in Matthew 4:16: "The people (of Zebulon and Naphtali) who walked in darkness have seen a great light." He reminded us that Jesus himself had said: "I am the light of the world." And, perhaps even more remarkable, Jesus had said of his followers, which includes us, "you are the light of the world."

Emmanuel recorded how Zebulon and Naphtali had been areas of great sin, yet Jesus had chosen that area, by then called Galilee, to be the centre for his ministry and had chosen most of his apostles from its population. As Christ brings his light upon our world, he is able to make enormous changes. Emmanuel spoke of the way that Pope Gregory had seen the child slaves from England in the Roman marketplace and had sent Augustine to bring the Gospel to southern England. He reminded us of the way that Christians had been prominent in the movement to abolish slavery and of one child slave who, in consequence, had been freed by the British Navy, working in the darkness that was West Africa at the time. That slave was the Nigerian, Samuel Crowther (photo) who then came to faith in Christ. He had enormous influence in spreading the news of Christ, the light of the world, in Nigeria and became the first Black Anglican Bishop. It was as a consequence of his ministry that Emmanuel's father ultimately came to know the joy of the light of Christ in his life.

Nowhere and nothing is too evil or too dark to be able to be changed by the light of Christ. It is our challenge to spread that light.

The New Team Vicar

2011-01-20T11:59:00.006Z

Bishop Tim met with Steve Bailey on Monday January 10th and confirmed that he will licence Steve as team Vicar for St Peter and St Paul’s. We may have a little longer to wait for the family to move into St. Paul’s house, some other small matters such as the birth of Steve and Angie’s second child need to happen first. Their son Samuel is 3 and is really looking forward to a brother or sister. Steve has been doing his curacy in Walton on Thames and the family are pleased to be coming to Leicester which is much nearer Angie’s sister in Lincoln. Steve trained at St John’s Nottingham and worked at Lea Abbey before that. We look forward to having a new minister and pray that the Lord will prosper the family and our parish.

Journeys

2011-01-03T20:50:00.005Z

Most of us have, at some point in our lives, experienced the ‘nightmare’ journey. The theme of difficult journeys came across very strongly in the recent BBC production of ‘The Nativity’. Scriptwriter Tony Jordan retells the story of Jesus’ birth in a number of stories showing different journeys. There is Mary and Joseph’s physical journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem and Joseph’s journey to faith as he finally accepts Mary’s account of her pregnancy. There is the faith journey of Thomas, a shepherd, and the epic journey of the Magi, or Wise Men, as they make their way to Bethlehem from the East.

The philosopher and theologian Claire Foster-Gilbert talks about the journey of the Magi in these terms, ‘the journey prepares one for this extraordinary moment of light – the Epiphany’. Epiphany is simply a religious way of saying that something has been revealed, made visible, and she makes the point that just as the journey for the Magi was difficult, so for us there are things that have to be worked at - they can take time. As she says, ‘there are dark times in the journey as well but you keep going’. Tony Jordan illustrates this beautifully as we follow the Magi and see, not just the difficulty of their journey but the times of reflection and preparation during it.

And we see the moment when the Magi have their Epiphany, when they kneel before the infant Jesus and understand that all the light, wisdom and power of God are concentrated before them in the tiny vulnerable baby. Claire Foster-Gilbert describes it in these words, ‘We call it Epiphany – the “ah” moment. Suddenly realising something, suddenly understanding something, suddenly seeing something differently......it orients us, shows us the right way to look. It is a profound relooking which sets us in a new direction.’

Perhaps something in the Christmas story this year has spoken to you of a need to relook, to take a new direction in your life? God never promises anyone an easy journey but one of the names of the infant Jesus is ‘Immanuel’, which means ‘God with us’. We do not journey alone, God walks with us. Why not join with us as we journey together into this new year?

67 sign up for the E100 Bible Readings

2011-01-03T09:04:00.002Z

This New Year, 2011, begins the celebrations for the 400 years since the translation of the Authorised Version (King James). As a church, we had decided to encourage people to commit themselves to following the "Essential 100" (E100) Bible readings during the first 20 weeks of the year.

By the start of the year, 67 people had committed themselves to following these readings. What a good New Year's resolution! Now to see it through to the end.

Reverent Chaos

2010-12-29T17:32:00.004Z

No not the preacher, the atmosphere at the Christingle Service on Christmas Eve. 113 adults and children came and Hugh arranged for them to make their own Christingles. Firstly everyone took part in a census of where they were born, they visited one of the four corners of the church to be registered and then, following the Christingle story everyone gathered the bits and made a Christingle. The picture shows how a sense of awe gripped those who braved the awful weather to be at the service. A lot of work went into all the planning and the teams on the day were very busy. Thanks to you all.

The Trip

2010-12-15T20:32:00.003Z

The Old Vicarage at Whetstone was the scene of a very pleasant and friendly coming together. The tribes from Coffeepot gathered for their annual Christmas lunch. You will see from the photograph that conversation was at its loudest and best as three courses of Christmas Fayre were placed before the waiting multitudes (well 40 of us to be exact). Our thanks go to Jenny and Jill for all the work and preparation over several months. I didn’t see one unhappy face, but I did hear some appalling jokes from the crackers and you should have seen the dreadful hat I had to wear!

2010-12-13T19:36:00.002Z

A WONDERFUL RESPONSE
Sunday 12th December was another landmark for St Paul’s as we began our Christmas celebrations for 2010. Our parade service included the chance to give a Christmas gift to someone with a greater need than ourselves. Angela and Liz from the Bethany Project came to take part in our Toy service and take away the gifts our congregation had brought in. The Bethany Project provides temporary housing to victims of domestic violence and has quite a few youngsters living in its accommodation. Vivien gave out cards with a few clues as to the age and sex of the individuals we were buying for: We could then buy a gift for a specific child. It actually needed two of Santa’s sleighs to take the beautifully wrapped presents away! Thanks to everyone who took part in the service and special thanks to Colin for leading it and to the Rainbows and Brownies for their reading and prayers.

There's lots going on at Christmas!

2010-12-13T10:46:00.008Z

Each year at Christmas (and at Easter too) the churches in Oadby combine to distribute a card with details of the services taking place in all the churches. The task of distributing these cards to every house in Oadby is shared between the churches.

This year, there is a poignant picture on the front of the card as, like Mary, a young mother kisses her newborn baby. The verse, by Mark Lowry, contemplates all that the future would hold for the baby Jesus -- the Christ child -- Emmanuel -- God with us.

At St Paul's, our Christmas services are:
Sunday 19 December 7.00 p.m. Carols by Candlelight
Friday 24 December 4.00 p.m. Christingle service
(Christmas Eve) 11.30 p.m. Midnight Communion
Saturday 25 December 10.00 a.m. Family Communion

(Christmas Day)
Sunday 26 December 10.00 a.m. Holy Communion

In case you can't read the writing, Mark Lowry's poem is:
Mary did you know
That your baby boy
Will give sight to the blind man?
Mary did you know
That your baby boy
Will calm the storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy
Has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little baby
You've kissed the face of God.

Frost and Fire

2010-12-11T23:18:00.002Z

Like much of the country, St Paul’s has been affected by the recent cold snap. In particular, the freezing fog resulted in the most spectacular hoarfrost, as depicted in this photograph taken by our churchwarden, Paul Webster.

By contrast, the sermon on 5 December had been about the Holy Spirit who Isaiah had predicted would fall upon the Messiah, as fulfilled by Jesus. However, John the Baptist had prophesied that Jesus would baptise the disciples with the Holy Spirit and with fire -- as came true on the day of Pentecost. What a contrast! The freezing temperatures outside and the fire of God's Spirit within us!

First Sunday.

2010-12-06T15:31:00.002Z

Archbishop William Temple is quoted as saying: "When I pray, coincidences happen. When I stop praying, coincidences stop happening." At St Paul's we believe that God is concerned about our everyday matters. Of particular concern at present is the appointment of our new Team Vicar as the closing date for applications from the advertisement is this week. We pray during the services and we pray in our House Groups but we also have an extended time of informal prayer on the first Sunday evening of each month. We call it "First Sunday."

We look forward to discovering God's answer to our prayers. Do come and join us.

Are you up to the challenge?

2010-11-25T10:48:00.007Z

[Advert for Team Vicar] [Parish Profile] [Application Form]

2011 will be the four hundredth anniversary of the Authorised (King James) Version of the Bible. It wasn't the first translation into English -- most of the New Testament is nearly identical to William Tyndale's translation and there had been complete Bibles before it, such as the Geneva Bible. But for 300 years it became the nearly universal English translation. As language has changed, most of us prefer to use a more contemporary Version but the language of the Authorised Version has had a marked effect on English language and literature and its message, speaking of the work and teaching of Christ, has deeply influenced English civil society and revolutionised the lives of individuals.

To celebrate this 400th anniversary a very wide range of Christian organisations have united under the name "Biblefresh" to celebrate the event and raise the profile of the Bible today. One particular initiative is a challenge to read 100 Essential Readings (or E100 for short). Neil Griffiths, in his sermon on Bible Sunday, introduced the idea. Our challenge is for every member of the congregation to commit themselves to read these 100 readings in whichever Bible version they prefer. There are 50 readings from the Old Testament and 50 from the New, with the expectation that people will read five per week. Each five have a linked theme which can be picked up in Home Groups. On occasions, the current theme will also be considered in Sunday sermons. There is a very helpful accompanying booklet (photo).

We hope to start this in the first week of January 2011, so if you make New Year's resolutions, make yours E100. If going public helps you to keep a resolution, you can sign up on a special web page "wall." If you want to know more about E100 you can find them here.

For long-standing Christians this is an opportunity to rehearse their faith. For those younger in the Faith, this is a very good introduction.

Remembrance

2010-11-14T22:33:00.005Z

[Advert for Team Vicar] [Parish Profile] [Application Form]

At our annual Remembrance Day service on 14 November 2010, our regular congregation was joined by the Guides,Brownies and Rainbows. As we discussed the meaning of Remembrance Day it was evident that many of the very youngest already knew a lot about its meaning and the history of the World Wars.

We spoke of how much we owe to those who died to enable those they loved to live in peace, and their symbol, the poppy. But we also remembered how Christ willingly chose to die so that we, as his friends, could live at peace with God. And we remembered the symbol of his death, the cross.

The service concluded with an act of remembrance.

Christian with a Sense of Humour

2010-11-14T13:23:00.007Z

Christians are often accused of not enjoying a joke. It's not true! And the Church Times, a national church Journal runs a caption competition each week. On 28 October 2010 it was based on the picture shown on the left.

One of our lay ministers (Readers), Colin Chettle, contributed the suggestion which was mentioned in the next issue: "Heads it is, Bishop; so you play the first half downhill." The winning caption was: "Olé!" Shouted the onlookers, as the Bishop turned for another charge."

If you think that you can do better, have a look at the Church Times.

A new vicar -- plans move forward

2010-11-05T19:15:00.012Z

After months of prayer and discussion, there is at last movement in our search for a new vicar. The parish profile has now been published. It tells of what St Paul's is like and how God has worked here in the past. Perhaps more important, it tells of where we feel that God is leading us next and of the sort of person who could lead us. The first picture is of the cover, but it's a 20 page booklet. You can see the full document by using the link: Parish Profile Application form

Now that we have got this far, we are able to place our advertisements in the national church papers. The advertisement from the Church Times is shown below.

Now let's pray that there will be people who will read the Profile and Advertisement and will feel "perhaps that is the next role God has for me.”
.

Songs of praise -- St Paul's Oadby style

2010-11-05T18:23:00.002Z

We decided to try something new (for us). On Sunday evening, 10 October, Hugh James compèred a “ Songs of Praise. ” Sunday evening services have suffered in recent years, so would anyone turn out? There were doubts. But a number of people had volunteered to tell us what a particular Hymn or Christian song had meant to them in their Christian life. So, presumably at least those people -- and probably their partners -- would come, so the planning pressed on.

On the night, 43 people arrived, all in good heart and voice, led by John and the music group, with Aileen on piano and organ. Hugh interviewed eight people, representing a broad section of the congregation. Where known, Hugh gave a little background as to when and why their chosen song had been composed.

The hymns that people had chosen varied from those dating back to Latin roots to those composed recently. The full list was: Make me a channel of your peace, Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us, Tell out, my soul, From heaven you came helpless babe, God is love: his the care, Great is thy faithfulness, I stand before the presence of the Lord God of hosts, and O Jesus, I have promised.

The last was chosen, very appropriately, by Colin Chettle, who had been licensed as a Reader (Lay Minister) the day before. He closed the meeting for us with a blessing. There was general agreement that this had been a worthwhile time and that it was well worth repeating.

10.10.10. What's Your Promise?

2010-10-14T23:12:00.004+01:00

Last Sunday, 10.10.10, St. Paul’s Church joined with Christians across the world in commitment to remembering the world’s poor and in praying for a more just world.
‘What’s Your Promise?’ is a call to action on behalf of the world’s poor by Micah Challenge, a coming together of people across the world who want to take up the challenge made by the Old Testament prophet Micah, in speaking out against global poverty.

Micah Challenge UK works not just with churches but with charities and others to encourage action for all those trapped by poverty and to speak out for those who have no voice.

Micah Challenge asks us to commit to remembering the poor in our everyday lives by making an individual promise to take action – by praying regularly, buying fairly traded products, by lobbying our leaders repeatedly or some other action.
The link below leads to a video clip in which people are asked to consider one way in which they could help to alleviate global poverty.

http://www.micahchallenge.org.uk/

Micah’s words, ‘to act justly and to love mercy’, are just as challenging today as when they were first written over 2000 years ago. The interviews in the video remind us that we can all do small things to become involved; burying our heads in the sand with regard to global poverty is simply unacceptable.
What’s Your Promise?

Coffee Pot Harvest Lunch

2010-10-14T14:56:00.009+01:00

After Gordon had said Grace, members of Coffee Pot and their friends celebrated Harvest with an excellent lunch. Many thanks to Jenny, Jill and the team for all their efforts. We took the opportunity to invite representatives of the Bethany Project which has been our special fund raising cause this year and present Angela, the Operational Manager@ Bethany Leicester, with a cheque. The Bethany Project is a charity which provides shelter for vulnerable women who need time and space to get back to an independent lifestyle. It seemed so appropriate to share from our abundance with those who will benefit from it and know we care .

2010-10-14T14:23:00.003+01:00

Yesterday about a hundred people from around the diocese came to a morning event at St Paul's to explore how we can improve our welcome to newcomers. As one person commented after the session, “we seem to forget quickly what it feels like being new to church. Much of the session was common sense, but I need to be reminded again and again.” Bob Jackson, who led the course has written a special article for the front of the November edition of Shaped by God News summarising his main points.

Why not add the Shaped by God blog (http://www.shapedbygod.co.uk/) to your favourites or homepage for weekly mission updates?

written by Barry hill

Fully licensed -- after a long journey.

2010-10-09T19:28:00.002+01:00

In Leicester Cathedral today, Colin Chettle was licensed as a Lay Minister (Reader) in the Church of England. Colin (right) was licensed to minister in the Parish of Oadby. Licences are renewed every three years and Hugh James (left), also from St Paul's, was relicensed at the same time. As well as Readers, Evangelists, Pastoral Workers and Children's Workers were commissioned in the same service. Colin and Hugh were well supported by members of the St Paul's congregation, as well as Simon (their previous vicar) and Jennifer Harvey who left Oadby a few months ago to minister in Islington.

Both those who were involved in the service and those who came to support them had to pass massed police barricades, erected to police the English Defence League demonstration. The service was led by the Assistant Bishop of Leicester Right Revd Christopher Boyle. In his sermon, from St Paul's Epistle to the Romans 12:1-8, the Bishop of Carlisle, Right Revd James Newcome, spoke of the emptiness of modern society, of the importance of not being conformed to its norms, and of the privilege of making Christ known.

Due to the EDL demonstration, the photos, refreshments and jazz band that were due to celebrate the event in the precinct outside the cathedral, took place inside.

Colin was licensed after taking the two-year Diploma course in Christian Discipleship. He then had to satisfy a selection panel as to his calling. Finally he undertook a year of Reader training which concentrated on equipping him for his ministerial role in church, within the Church of England.

Colin will preach his first sermon as a licensed reader at the 10. 0 a.m. service at St Paul's tomorrow, 10th October.

Diocesan Assembly

2010-09-26T16:25:00.002+01:00

I approached this event with a lot of doubts and uncertainties. Giving up a Saturday morning to learn about “food for a journey” seemed to me to be a pretentious waste of time. However the Lord had this one in hand. Teri offered to drop me at the Samworth Academy on her way to Fosse Park and the temptation of meeting Professor David Ford was just too appealing to ignore. So I went, and really enjoyed the experience. The Bishop’s Popemobile was a giggle. It was part of a “have I got news for you “interpretation at which Mike Harrison’s team were unjustly robbed of victory.
David Ford talked about the power and majesty of the Gloria, you know! The bit of liturgy which begins Glory to God in the highest. He lifted words we have said thousands of times to a different level of understanding and had only begun on the word Glory when his official slot was finished. He continued and was able to captivate the whole conference with the depth of his wisdom. You might think this a boring start to the proceedings but I would recommend listening to Professor Ford if you get the chance.
There were several workshop opportunities which people were keen to make use of and the lunch was a credit to the Academy. A lot of the day was given over to opportunities to chat and renew friendships. John Tonkin and Brian Robertson sent their regards. The Archdeacon and Gwynneth made sure that I behaved myself and I am looking forward to the next diocesan assembly already

Come ye thankful people come!

2010-09-25T15:56:00.002+01:00

Come ye thankful people come! Raise the song of harvest home. So run the lines of an old harvest hymn. Few of us are now engaged in agriculture and so most have not actually seen the harvest come in. But all of us have reason to be thankful to God for food, water and fuel. And everyone loves a party! So, on Saturday 18 September we met together to enjoy a harvest supper in the church, followed by a quiz. A great time was had by all and many thanks to all whose hard work was much appreciated.

On the Sunday afterwards, we met again in church for all age worship when we again gave thanks for all that we have received from God. But we were also conscious of the responsibility that we have been given to share what we have received with others. We watched a video clip of the work of the TEAR fund, a Christian relief agency. During the service, people had been encouraged to bring up tins and packets of food as well as vegetables and fruit. At the end of the service the dried goods were sent to the Welcome Project. This seeks to help asylum seekers in Leicester. Then people bought the fruit and vegetables and that money was sent to TEAR fund.

2010-09-24T16:15:00.004+01:00

Our fete

In some ways we are blessed by having open ground at the side of the church, occasionally it is a trial! However Saturday 11th September was a great opportunity for us to invite friends, neighbours and everyone who could make it to the fete. A wonderful team of people filled in forms, bought prizes and organised events and the prayers of many were for fine weather... it arrived exactly on time at 12.00 just as Sheridan began serving the first hot dogs.

Things developed, gradually more and more people arrived and everyone got involved. The aim of the fete is outreach to our community. It brings everyone together and is a good way to say hello to people you might not stop and talk to in the rush of a normal day. Well! Having started the day getting soaked and spent a lot of it taking pictures I ended up in my armchair waiting for the news of how much we were going to give to LOROS. It was a very good afternoon.

If you wish to see my other pictures follow this link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=297021&id=572010791&l=af4081137f

Welcome to the Archdeacon!

2010-09-07T16:24:00.002+01:00

Richard Atkinson, the Archdeacon of Leicester, joined us at St Paul's for our morning service on Sunday 5 September. He thanked everyone who was involved in the life of the Church, during the vacancy of a Team Vicar, and encouraged us to keep up the work. He preached from Philemon 1-21 and Luke 14.25-33 on "counting the cost." Being a Christian means different priorities. He asked us: "what is your priority?" He then presided at Communion and joined the congregation for coffee and tea (fair trade of course!) at the end of the service. It was good to have someone from the central church authorities come and encourage us.

Back from Holidays

2010-09-04T22:52:00.003+01:00

The West’s New Year starts on 1 January. Officially, the Church Year starts on Advent Sunday, in November. But as people return from their holidays, refreshed and renewed, like the schools, our year often seems to feel as if it starts in September. Coming up are the Church Fete on Hamble Green, our Harvest Thanksgiving, Persecuted Church Sunday, Bible Sunday and Remembrance Sunday. Annual giving renewal is also coming. Each of them gives us the opportunity to pause, to stop and think -- and pray -- about different aspects of our Christian life.
In our Services, will be spending some time studying Paul's letters to the young church leader, Timothy, and trying to learn from the advice given to him -- and all that is coming up even before we start the run-up towards Christmas!
I am looking forward to learning, worshipping and praying together with all the community at St Paul's in this new season.

Daddy, please!

2010-07-26T15:18:00.004+01:00

One thing that I suspect that most Christians agree on is that prayer is very important, but also that prayer is very difficult. This Sunday, 25 July we have been studying what Jesus had to say when the disciples said to him: "Lord, teach us to pray."

We saw that in Luke's Gospel the prayer began with the single word "Father." That probably represented Jesus' much loved term for his Father, in the local Aramaic language: "Abba" - equivalent to the English term "Daddy."

The week before, I had been to Drayton Manor Park with my grandchildren. All around were small children playing. Their absolute trust in their parents - and their parents' love for them, were so much in evidence. That combination of love and trust should be the relationship at the centre as we pray to our Father .

As we pray for God's honour, for the coming of his kingdom, for our daily needs, for forgiveness, and for protection, may we do it with that same trust and confidence in our father's love that the small child has.

In the evening service, we discussed this further and shared our own and others' experiences of prayer.

2010-07-17T16:56:00.004+01:00

Simon is the new Vicar of Islington

http://www.london.anglican.org/NewsShow_13567

Imagine everyone's suprise when the coach from Oadby parish was met outside St Mary's Islington by the Bishop of London in full regalia carrying his crozier. The coach had been delayed in traffic and at Bishop Richard's insistence the service was held up until the people from St Peter's and St Paul's arrived. What a dramatic scene as people passed by and saw that something special was about to take place. Simon was received by the Archdeacon and introduced to the church. He had a good pull on the rope which rang the bells and was clapped as he re-entered the nave. The congregation sang lustily and were blessed by the Bishop's words. In fact the service was an excellent introduction for Simon. Thanks to the people of St Mary's who provided light refreshments after the service and for the lovely welcome. The link provided will take you to the report of events for the London Dioscese.

Who is my neighbour?

2010-07-15T11:58:00.008+01:00

Last week saw the fifth anniversary of the 7/7 bombings in London and the release of the film 'London River', a film which tells the story of two very different parents who are both searching for their children in the aftermath of the bombings. Elisabeth (Brenda Blethyn) is from Guernsey and Ousmane (Sotigui Kouyate) comes from West Africa. The films shows Elisabeth's journey from initially refusing Ousmane's help (refusing even to shake his hand), until both she and Ousmane overcome the barriers between them and find common ground - a shared humanity.

And this acceptance of help offered by a person from a very different background of culture, religion and language emphasised one aspect of our thinking at last Sunday's 'All Together Church' service. Jesus' response to the question, "And just how would you define 'neighbour'?" was to tell one of the most familiar stories ever recorded - the parable of the Good Samaritan. The response of the Samaritan to the injured Jewish man illustrated Jesus' understanding of 'neighbour' - our neighbour is anyone in need and God's love for his world is to be reflected in our love and care for everyone. It's not so much, 'who is my neighbour?' but, rather, 'do I behave as a neighbour?'

However, being a neighbour also means accepting help, even if the help comes, as the parable shows, from an unwanted or even disliked source. Allowing our prejudices, pride and self-sufficiency to be challenged by others will cause us to grow and mature so that help can be accepted from even the most unlikely of sources.

Our retelling of the parable was brought to life by the Brownies carrying out some very impressive first aid on Doug, our hapless 'victim'. A very big thank you to all involved.

2010-07-12T14:29:00.003+01:00

Saying thank you.

It is an important part of our community’s life when we say thank you to members who have worked long and hard for the good of all. David and Neil have worked consistently, with loving hearts to help our young people find their way to the Lord. Their teaching in our pathfinder’s group came to an end this Sunday. During the service we prayed for them and presented them each with a gift to remind them of all the long hours they worked with our teens.

Is there a chance that the Lord is calling you to be part of a teaching team? We are trying to organise for John Fryer who works as a children’s coordinator for the diocese to come and lead some training. Please pray and if you feel called; you can discuss it with Anita, Derek or Paul.

What a way to celebrate!

2010-07-04T17:43:00.004+01:00

Two of our congregation, Sheridan and Gilda Roberts celebrate their ruby wedding anniversary today. At a time when marriage often seems under threat, it's good to celebrate God's provision of marriage for mankind. He saw that it would not be good for people to be alone and so he provided mutual friendship and the joy of family life and children.

For most of us a ruby wedding anniversary would be an opportunity for a meal with friends and family or a special holiday. Sheridan and Gilda decided to be different. They held a barbecue for 170 people at their home to raise money for the work of Christian Aid in the Kibera slum of Nairobi in Kenya. It was a great time of fun for all and has already raised over £1200. Everyone benefits from their generosity. Thank you Sheridan and Gilda!

Do It Yourself -- Sign of Good Leadership!

2010-07-04T17:24:00.005+01:00

It's a mark of good leadership that a leader enables those they have led to take responsibility in that leader's absence. That's as true for Christian leadership as for any other -- in fact possibly more true as Christians believe in the "priesthood of all believers."

So it was encouraging that the first Sunday morning service after Simon Harvey had left us, was taken by the members of one of the eight home groups -- the Dove Rise group. It was entitled "Looking forward, not back." Teri, our Churchwarden's wife led the service. Another member of the home group, Derek, preached the sermon, while other members read the lessons, led the prayers and took part in an enacted Bible reading of the prophet Elijah feeling bereft.

We explored the subject in greater detail in the small-group evening service.

Marking the Change

2010-06-24T09:31:00.006+01:00

That final Sunday of Simon's ministry (20 June) has now come and gone (see previous post). While Simon and Jennifer look forward to their ministry at St Mary's Islington, we look forward to continuing to see what God will do here in Oadby.

Simon led us in our morning service, preached and presided at Communion -- we were getting as much value as possible from him on this his last day! For his sermon Simon preached from 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and particularly emphasised verse seven: "But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us."

Simon's sermons do not usually have "three points." But this one did:
1. God is good
2. We are not
3. It will be all right in the end -- not by chance but because of God's undeserved love to us. He has plans for us -- for good.

At the end of the service, Paul Webster, the churchwarden, on behalf of the congregation, presented Simon and Jennifer with gifts from the congregation -- a painting of St Paul's church and a cheque. Paul expressed how much Simon's ministry had meant to the congregation and wished him and Jennifer well in Islington.

After coffee, people regathered in the church building where tables had been set out and a magnificent meal had been prepared. We all lingered over the meal as people were reluctant to bring to a close this fitting mark of the end of an exciting era.

CONFIRMATION

2010-06-22T17:45:00.003+01:00

“Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles hands” Acts 8:18
I didn’t see the point of confirmation at first. The wonderful life of following Jesus seemed complete without this ceremony. I knew the Holy Spirit, I shared in the body and blood of Christ regularly and I had already been baptised. When the opportunity arose to be confirmed I thought about it and prayed about it but I was still unsure. In the end I was resigned to the fact that with some aspects of Christianity you only see the purpose after the event. So I asked to be confirmed. The service took place at St Thomas the Apostle in Wigston on Tuesday the 8th 2010 and was more elaborate to what I was used to, being in the high church tradition. We reaffirmed the vows made on our behalf at baptism and then were prayed for by the Bishop. This was a highly individual prayer, where the bishop placed both his hands on your head as he prayed. This combined with the prayers and support of a small army of friends that had trooped down from St Pauls made the moment touchingly significant. Then I realised the point of confirmation. Those that follow Christ are called into the service of loving one another and helping each other grow in our relationship with God. This was the fulfilment of that calling and by being confirmed I was allowing the symbolic and very real sharing of the Holy Spirit. I wasn’t just entering into a family of the Church as a formality; I was being welcomed home and a party was being thrown on my behalf. It was a welcome, it was a sharing, and it was a confirmation that the Holy Spirit is active and sets to work as soon as we invite him into our lives. DR DAVID BOYCE

Moving on

2010-06-16T12:21:00.000+01:00

It's been quite a while since my appointment to the Parish of St Mary, Islington, was announced. Long good-byes are never easy and while it's been good to talk with lots of people in recent months about our big move to London, it's something of a relief to be almost there.

My last Sunday service will be on 20 June at St Paul's. It will be a special and somewhat sad occasion for me. I am hugely grateful for these seven happy years and there are many people to thank, much to recall, and lots to appreciate. We've seen our church congregation grow in numbers by about a quarter, so that our average weekly attendance over a full year is now one hundred adults, plus children. There's been plenty of growth in other ways and I recognise how I've grown in these last seven years. I shall never forget the lessons that I've learned from the examples of a congregation that is faithful, generous, prayerful and willing.

In the wider community, many people have asked me who my successor will be and were a little surprised to learn that the Church doesn't make arrangements for continuity in the same way as businesses and other organisations. Instead of a simple handover to a new vicar, there is likely to be a long vacancy. This will undoubtedly stretch the ministry team but I am very confident that things will go forward in the care of wise and gifted colleagues.

In the old way of looking at parish ministry, the awful notion of "interregnum" described a difficult period when everything went on hold, pending the arrival of a new vicar. I hope this outdated and inaccurate word won't be used in the coming months. Today, we understand how responsibility for ministry is shared by the whole church community. The job of a full-time ordained minister is to serve, stretch and animate the local church in its mission for God. A vacancy can be a time of growth and I'm looking forward to learning how the gaps created by my departure allow an even greater flourishing of the church.

It's clear to me that we need to embrace more wholeheartedly the patterns of ministry that can be traced in the New Testament. The early Church was under pressure and stretched, without the protection and comfort that the wealth of Christendom brought about in later centuries. In some ways, it's a picture we recognise in the UK today. In this exciting but vulnerable period, the Church learned that ministry is essentially corporate, that the initiative is always with God's Spirit, and that the partnership between itinerant apostles and indigenous church leaders is precious. Vicars today are more likely to be called to the kind of task that those travelling apostles undertook - teaching, equipping, encouraging - and then moving on, entrusting the church to local leaders who find ways of living out the gospel in their context and culture. In this pattern, vicars will come and go, but the continuity of worship, service, prayer and growth in mission belongs to the whole people of God.

Whoever the next Team Vicar will be, I pray that he or she will receive the same loving encouragement and generous forgiveness that you have shown me. Thank you! Simon

Oadby appoints new Parochial Church Council

2010-05-27T21:57:00.005+01:00

The Parish of Oadby has elected a new Parochial Church Council to guide and supervise the ministry and mission of the Parish. Church goers from both St Peter’s and St Paul’s were elected at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting held on the 22nd April 2010. The Council is made up of 25 people of a variety of ages and experience from both churches.

The Council oversees the two churches as they work together to build the Kingdom of God in Oadby. It is focused on mission and how the churches can act together to help bring people to Christ in the local area. It also works towards deepening the discipleship of those people who already attend our churches.

Each PCC meeting starts with some bible study and prayers. The meetings follow a friendly and open format where participation is encouraged from all members. Fellowship and patience abound thanks to the sharing of one common goal, building a church for Christ in Oadby. If you feel called to join in, to act on behalf of Christ and to shape the future of your church then prayerfully consider standing for election at the next Annual Parochial Church Meeting.

Dr David Boyce

Hope for the Church at The Hayes

2010-05-17T15:17:00.003+01:00

Monday 12 May saw four of us set off for four days at the Hayes Conference Centre in Derbyshire. For those of us who remembered such conference centres as bleak and cold with food like school meals, it was a very pleasant surprise. Our purpose was to join groups of Christians from other churches around Leicestershire and to discover what God may have to teach us about how we may draw others to Christ and how the church might grow.

We were led by a Vicar from Bradford, Robin Gamble, assisted by Dave Banbury, two proud Northerners and Janet Russell from the diocese of Oxford, supported by Stuart Burns and Barry Hill from our own diocese. They kept us hard at work from 8.0am until 10.0pm most days.

We met in the main conference hall in groups of Mission Partnerships, each around a table. We are from the Gartree Mission Partnership -- parishes southeast of Leicester. As we were a large group and the number from St. Paul's was large, we did much of the work as a subgroup. The course was a mixture of presentation by the leaders of the present position and possible ideas for improvement, which were rooted in their experience, and strategies for change. Then there would be discussion of those ideas within the group and opportunities to feedback to the full conference. It was important that valuable ideas did not get lost so each group had a large poster on which they wrote their ideas after each session.

One of many concerns was the feeling that churches were good at "presence" - being in and around the local community. However, it was felt that this often had little content of "proclamation" -- letting those around us know what it was that we believed. It was suggested that if we did, there would be opportunities for "persuasion" -- the possibility of talking at greater length about faith in Christ. (Persuasion is probably a bad word for something like an Alpha course but at least it begins with P to match the others!). One night, Robin Gamble memorably showed how he would use a Quiz Night to include a brief and entertaining "God Slot."

We were encouraged to start modestly -- did we believe God could grow our church by 5%? We return committed to seeking to achieve that aim.

Freeuse for Leicester and Leicestershire

2010-05-14T15:21:00.000+01:00

Recycling often means disposing of goods in a way that their components can be processed for remanufacture. That's a good thing to do and at St Paul's we certainly support the extensive recycling service operated by Oadby and Wigston Borough Council. Everything from paper to empty bottles of communion wine is disposed of in the most eco-friendly way we can find.

But just recently I came across a new initiative. Freeuse for Leicester and Leicestershire is a simple way of arranging for unwanted items to be collected by people who want to use them as they are. I advertised a tatty but working filing cabinet and it was gone in hours. I'll certainly be using it again.

Time-shift worship?

2010-05-14T11:59:00.002+01:00

At St Paul's we try to make our worship accessible and relevant. We want to make sure that everyone who worships with us feels welcome and is able to participate. We're careful to use language that's not impenetrable, keeping the Christian jargon that sometimes baffles newcomers to a minimum. We laugh, we sing, we honour God with reverence but also with a generous informality.

So what's a church like St Paul's doing planning a service using the Book of Common Prayer?

Most of our regular congregation has never used the "prayer book" for worship. It's unfamiliar and because of its seventeenth-century language, it's not easy. But sometimes things that are difficult are good for us.

We're going to use the Book of Common Prayer for a one-off communion service on Trinity Sunday, 30 May 2010. We'll be singing contemporary worship songs and we won't be dressing up in historic costumes. But we'll offer God our praise and prayers using the liturgy of this work of reformed theology from an era of political controversy. What will we discover? Come along and see for yourself.

Christian Aid Week - 9-15 May 2010

2010-05-11T10:22:00.001+01:00

Christian Aid Week isn't just one of those awareness-raising contrivances in the calendar (it's always Something-Or-Other Week). It's a practical way to change lives.

The slogan of Christian Aid is "Poverty - let's end it". That may be an ambitious goal but it's realisable, at least in the lives of those who are served through this fine charity's work. Generous contributions during this campaign will end poverty - if not for the whole world then at least for someone, somewhere.

Every envelope returned with a gift of money, every sponsored walk and every sale of goods makes a difference. Thank you for playing your part.

Churchgoing in the UK

2010-05-10T19:20:00.006+01:00

At last week's District Church Council meeting, we looked at the findings of Tearfund, who researched patterns of churchgoing in the UK.

Those of us who belong to a leadership group like the DCC are naturally quite regular in our church attendance. This might make it harder to see things as they really are. Gaining a proper perspective on the patterns of attendance across the country is vital, so research like this is incredibly valuable.

At St Paul's we aim to offer a genuine welcome to everyone, no matter what their previous experience of church. We aspire to be an open community, where the gospel is preached and lived in a way that includes those on the edge of church.

Tearfund have made their excellent report available online. But here's what their data looks like represented graphically. Use the navigation buttons to view the animation.

Churchgoing in the UK on Prezi

Voting begins for the 2010 General Election

2010-05-06T08:28:00.001+01:00

The polls for the General Election opened at 7.00am this morning and there was already a queue at St Paul's before the seals of the ballot boxes were removed. It's very early but turnout is expected to be higher than recent elections.

This must be a welcome development for everyone who is interested in seeing wider participation in the democratic process. Whatever our political views, whatever we feel about the problems that have beset parliament over the expenses controversy, this election will be positive if the tide of cynicism about politics recedes a little.

As for us at St Paul's, we welcome the fact that through our buildings we play a very small part in this process. Over the next fourteen hours, hundreds of people will step into the Barnabas Centre to cast their vote. We've done our best to make it a place of welcome, with displays of the regular activities that take place here, and pictures done by children of the church. After voting at 7.00am, I picked up litter and made tea for the party workers compiling their returns. We chatted together and celebrated our differences, remembering that in many parts of the world the hostility between political factions makes elections a dangerous time. There is much to be thankful for so don't waste the privilege nor neglect the responsibility of your vote.

Cathedral Square, Leicester

2010-04-29T14:26:00.000+01:00

Leicester's new Cathedral Square project now has an updated website.

The project as a whole consists of the creation of a new public square, the internal re-ordering of Leicester Cathedral, and the refurbishment of the St Nicholas Building, formerly part of Leicester grammar school.

New venue for Oadby's General Election Hustings - 20 April 2010

2010-04-14T14:41:00.004+01:00

Update at 12:30 on 20 April 2010 - It looks like the event at Manor School tonight may be cancelled. We'll update with further information when available.

Update at 13:30 - We can confirm that the meeting has been cancelled.

Update 27 April 2010 - We understand that the Hustings is now being arranged to take place on Monday 3 May at 7.30pm at Kibworth School Hall, School Hall, Kibworth.

Original post: With a General Election just weeks away, arrangements have been made for local voters to meet with candidates standing in the Harborough Constituency. A Hustings event has been planned for Tuesday 20 April, at 7:30pm at Manor School on Severn Road, Oadby.

The prospective candidates who have announced that they will be coming are :

Dave Ball (English Democrat)
Geoff Dickens (BNP)
Edward Garnier (Conservative)
Zuffar Haq (Liberal Democrat)
Marietta King (UKIP)
Kevin McKeever (Labour)
Jeff Stephenson (Independent)

In a separate development, the Make the Cross Count campaign has been launched to help Christians in particular explore the issues which are being debated.

Update 14 April 2010: Evangelical Alliance have extensive General Election coverage on their website and the Church of England has published a set of prayers for the campaign.

2010-04-04T17:19:00.004+01:00

Were you there?
Our Easter Morning Communion service was a sell out, nearly every chair was taken and the Children’s groups were well subscribed. The singing was rousing and the air of celebration a constant reminder that people had come with the expectation of receiving something special. Simon spoke about believing the resurrection and explained that it was hard for those such as Peter who were there, so today one should still expect it to be hard, but if you take the time to study the evidence you will probably come to the same conclusions that the disciples did. That Jesus, having been crucified and died, was resurrected and is alive today. I took some pictures at the end of the service and thought this selection might just remind those who were there what a great occasion it was.

The shock of resurrection

2010-04-04T04:30:00.013+01:00

Easter Day begins not with joy, but with shock.

Luke describes how the women who went to the tomb of Jesus were anguished to find it empty and terrified by the presence of angels.

As the message of resurrection sank in, the women rushed to tell the disciples who were hiding. But their message seemed to the men like an idle tale and they were dismissed.

Only when Peter saw the empty tomb for himself did he realise the astounding truth - Jesus had been raised to life. Luke records that he was amazed. No wonder, resurrection takes some believing. The dead, in the normal course of events, stay dead. There is nothing more certain.

Yet within hours, rumours of Christ's resurrection were confirmed by his appearance in person. And since that first Easter, millions of men and women have encountered him in their own lives.

A cheery "Happy Easter!" hardly does justice to the shock of resurrection. Feel the shock of it. Then let your astonishment give way to awe and joy.

Photo reproduced under Creative Commons attribution licence, credit: FranUlloa

Principal Services April to June

2010-03-26T14:31:00.000Z

In this season of services we follow the disciples from their fearful and feeble worst, through their discovery of the miracle of Christ's resurrection, to bold and powerful acts of witness.

Come and join us through Easter, Pentecost and beyond in exploring the possibilities of resurrection faith.

1 April 7.30pm Holy Communion for Maundy Thursday
The Servant King
John 13.1-35

2 April 7.45pm Good Friday Service with Churches Together in Oadby
Mine the tomb wherein He lay

4 April 10.00am Holy Communion for Easter Day
Jesus has risen
Acts 10.34-43 and Luke 24.1-12

11 April 10.00am All Together Church and Baptisms
God's way
Acts 5.27-32

18 April 10.00am Holy Communion
Turned around by Jesus
Acts 9.1-20 and John 21.1-19

25 April 10.00am The Word Service
Tabitha lives
Acts 9.36-43 and John 10.22-30

2 May 10.00am Holy Communion
No limits?
Acts 11.1-18 and John 13.31-35

9 May 10.00am Parade Service
Where next, God?
Acts 16.9-15

16 May 10.00am Holy Communion
Believe and you will be saved
Acts 16.16-34 and John 17.20-26

23 May 10.00am The Word Service
Pentecost Celebration
Acts 2.1-21

30 May 10.00am The Lord's Supper (Book of Common Prayer)
Justified by faith
Romans 5.1-5 and John 16.12-15

6 June 10.00am The Word Service
Jesus raises the widow's son
1 Kings 17.17-24 and Luke 7.11-17

13 June 10.00am All Together Church
Forgiven!
Luke 7.36-49

20 June 10.00am Holy Communion
Simon Harvey's last Sunday as Vicar of St Paul's

27 June 10.00am The Word Service
Looking forward, not back
1 Kings 19.5-16, 19-21 and Luke 9.51-62