Christmas Is Coming – But What Does It Mean?

Christmas will soon be upon us – and we all love to celebrate Christmas. But what is its real significance? Who was Jesus? Early in the New Year we will be starting a new Alpha Course which gives the opportunity to discuss these and other aspects of the Christian faith. If you are interested – or even just curious, why not come for a taster to the Alpha Launch Event on Wednesday 7 January at 7.0 pm, entitled “Christianity: Boring, Untrue and Irrelevant?”

If you find the taster session interesting, the course will continue as follows:

Wed 14 Jan    Week 1 Who is Jesus?

Wed 21 Jan    Week 2 Why did Jesus Die?

Wed 28 Jan    Week 3 How can we have Faith?

Wed 4 Feb      Week 4 Why and how do I Pray?

Wed 11 Feb     Week 5 Why and how should I read the Bible

Wed 18 Feb  No meeting, Half term week and Ash Wednesday

Wed 25 Feb    Week 6 How does God Guide us?

Sat 28 Feb      Holy Spirit Day 10am – 3pm

Wed 4 Mar     Week 7 How can I Resist Evil?

Wed 11 Mar    Week 8 Why and how should I tell Others?

Wed 18 Mar   Week 9 Does God Heal Today?

Wed 25 Mar   Week 10 What about the Church?

All sessions of the course start at 7.0 p.m. and include a meal.

The Alpha course has been organised nationally, but we have found it of great value locally, here at St Paul’s, and over the years a number of people have found a personal experience of Jesus, through it.

Is it what you are looking for?

View the National Alpha website

A Film for Christmas

As the Christmas season gets into full swing at St Paul’s, on Sunday 14 December, at 7:00 p.m. we will be showing the film “The Nativity Story.” As the film has a PG certificate, this is the opportunity for all the family to remember the wonderful events of Christmas.

The film is 1hr 41 min long. It is directed by Catherine Hardwicke and stars Keisha Castle-Hughes. It should be a wonderful way to start Christmas. Tickets are £2 at the door and children go free. Everyone is very welcome. 

St Pauls and the Digital Age!

It is some five years since our last vicar, Simon Harvey, started this blog. Lou McGoldrick our Youth Worker and Priyanka Ferreira, our Church Intern, have now been working hard to increase St Paul’s presence on the Internet and in Social Media. See what their hard work has resulted in:

St Paul's Own Website

YouTube

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Thank you, so much, to Lou and Priyanka for all their hard work.

Off to Peru

Yesterday, St Paul's welcomed Layla and Katie, two students from Beauchamp College. In summer 2015, they are hoping to go to Peru with International Camps, working with the villagers there. In order to fund the project, they are having to raise the necessary money.

To this end, they had been busy baking, and at the end of the service they were selling their produce. This varied from delicious cakes to spicy onion bhajis. We wish them well, both in their fundraising activities and in the work that they eventually hope to do.

St Paul's Christmas Fair

 Here are some photo's from our Christmas fair on Saturday 15th November

 Homemade cakes and homemade sweets!!

 Santa in his grotto!

Thanks to everyone for their hard work and to all who came. We raised just over £1,000 for Alzheimer's and Wishes for Kids.

We Will Remember – and Give Thanks

Each year on Remembrance Sunday – the Sunday nearest to Remembrance Day (11 November), like most churches we hold a special service when we remember those who have died in war, give thanks and commit ourselves to work for peace.

This Remembrance Sunday, tomorrow, will be different inasmuch as it occurs in the year of the 100^th anniversary of the start of that most bitter of wars, the First World War. We have invited people to come and complete a small form with details of all of their relatives who have fought in any war, whether they came home or not. These will be collected at the front of church, as we then give thanks for those individuals’ lives, their commitment to our society and, in some cases, their supreme sacrifice.

As we remember the suffering they experienced, we commit ourselves to work for peace, both by prayer and action. As people leave St Paul's, they will be given a small card, pictured above, to remind them of Jesus Christ who himself was the supreme sacrifice for us.

The Bible Society

The Good Cause, to which St Paul’s donates, and which we are publicising this month, is the Bible Society – a society which was founded 210 years ago with the purpose of making the Bible available throughout the world.

As their website puts it: “The Bible is more than a book. It's full of human stories – of love, greed, joy, loss and passion. It's vital to our culture. It's part of the answer to the world's needs. It's cherished by billions of people around the world. It's more than a book. We'd love you to explore the Bible for yourself and see what we mean.”

That is equally the desire of St Paul’s – that people may explore the Bible and, through it, discover Jesus, who is ready to forgive our failings and bring us back to God the Father.

So, we are delighted to support the Bible Society as it helps to make Bibles available worldwide.

Welcome to Kim Ford at Great Glen

On Thursday, 30 October, the Revd Kim Ford was licensed as the new Priest in Charge of the Great Glen group of parishes. She was also licensed as “Team Vicar Designate of the Oadby Team” as it is intended to join Great Glen and Oadby in one team.

A number of people from St Pauls therefore joined the service at St Cuthbert’s, which was led by the Bishop of Leicester, Rt Revd Tim Stevens. Apart from people from the local parishes of Great Glen, Burton Overy, Carlton Curlieu and Stretton Magna, people came from Market Harborough, where she had served her Curacy, and there were members of her wider family.

The congregation made us very welcome, with a superb buffet afterwards.

We wish Kim God’s every blessing and pray that he may bless her ministry abundantly as the Kingdom of God grows in great Glen.

FNY Neon Lights Party

We had an AWESOME time celebrating light and colour tonight at our Neon Light Party. We had loads of competitive games, eating challenges, indoor sledges, party food, flashy lights, party music and Goodie bags. We also had a video that reminded us that nothing can beat the light of Jesus and that is what we were celebrating, that even in the darkest times - Jesus shines brighter!  J

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
John 1:5

A real fun alternative

Halloween, The holy evening before All Saint’s day, has recently grown into a social event that mostly entertains and grossly misses the point. We as Christians have few expectations of the presence of evil spirits in any form coming to a party to haunt us! However the unknown can be a wonderful attraction especially when fright and horror are involved.

This evening a special party called Night Lights took place at St Pauls for primary kids and their Mums and Dads. Big cable drums rolled and candles were lit, some lanterns were made and many hot dogs devoured. It was an evening full of spectacular lights and shining fun. If you are under 10 and around next year come along! But let us know you are coming so that we can get Vivien cooking the bangers again!