Welcome Tom Cox

After a short lapse, Churches Together in Oadby again organised a “Pulpit Exchange” or more accurately, a “Preacher Exchange.” While Steve went to preach at Oadby Baptist Church, this Sunday, we were privileged to welcome their minister, Revd Tom Cox.

Tom was interviewed during the service as to how God had led him to come to Oadby, from his early Christian life in the Wirral and through training in London and Oxford. Hugh James, who was leading the service then prayed for Tom.

We are currently involved in a sermon series “Everyday Supernatural” and the theme for today was “God’s Power, Our Weakness.” Tom preached a powerful sermon, demonstrating that it was not our abilities that God could use, but our weaknesses and inadequacies and our dependence on Him..

Thank you, Tom, for your visit, and we look forward to working with you and Oadby Baptist Church, seeking  extension of the Kingdom of God in Oadby.

Tree Down!

Worshippers who arrived at the midweek communion service at St Paul’s on Thursday 18 January were amazed to find a large ornamental cherry tree
which had stood on the corner of the church site, snapped off at its base and lying in the road.
Many people have been kept awake by the high , winds the night before, but the snapping across of the 30 cm trunk a little above its base showed just how strong those winds had been. Happily other trees on the site, some of which seemed more frail than this one, were not affected. Apart from the rector’s garden fence, none of the buildings on the site were damaged.

Thank You to the Firefighters

Back on 25 November 2017 (click to view) we held our Christmas Fayre at St Paul’s. As is customary, we didn’t raise monies for ourselves, but for outside charities

The two we chose were the mayor’s charity, for the Children’s Hospital in Leicester, and, the other, the Firefighters’ Charity, which supports sick, injured and traumatised firefighters, and those in need

The mayor kindly visited us and received a cheque for for £600 for her charities some weeks ago. Now it was the turn of the firefighters, as Karl Anderson, a firefighter based at Wigston, visited our morning service. He expressed thanks for the cheque for £600 for the firefighter’s charity.

It’s good to be able to express our gratitude for all the hard work that the firefighters do. Let us never take it for granted.

Principal Services — January - MarchPrincipal Services — January - March

 Happy New Year! Welcome to the start of 2018.

As we begin a New Year so we begin a new sermon series called 'Everyday Supernatural'. Based on the excellent book by Mike Pilavachi & Andy Croft which is subtitled 'Living a Spirit-Led life without being weird'! I was massively impacted by the trip with our young people to Soul Survivor last summer and have been aiming to give more space to the Spirit in our worship' since then. My hope and prayer is Oat this series will allow us to build on that as we open ourselves up to the work of the Holy Spirit and learn together how to live in the power of the Spirit day by day.

At the end of this term we celebrate the work of Jesus on the cross as we recount the Easter story and seek to live as resurrection people.

Yours In Christ,

Steve.

Service Details

You shall call his Name Jesus

Later on Christmas Day, at 10.00 a.m. there was another Communion service, when children brought the gifts that they had received to tell us about. In his sermon, Steve showed us a gold heart. And said that Jesus was the gift of God the Father to us at Christmas. A gift that showed that he loved us. He encouraged us to value that gift – and to make it our own.
May we all know the presence of Jesus in our lives in the coming year.

Glory to the Newborn King

The great day has come. It started with the First Communion of Christmas, starting at 11.30 p.m. on Christmas Eve. The Communion reminded us that the baby who was born in Bethlehem 2000 years ago, was the same Jesus who died a criminal’s death on the cross in Jerusalem thirty years later – died to forgive our sin and to open the way for us to return to God.

Crib and Christingle Servicve

On Sunday afternoon, 24 December, St Pauls was nearly full for its annual crib and Christingle service. Many of the visitors were children (and grandchildren) of former members of St Paul’s, who had now moved away.

The service was very family friendly, led by Lou, our youth worker, using video clips, some of which had been prepared by our own young people, to explain the Christmas story. We also sang traditional Christmas carols.

The next of our services – the midnight Communion – will be the first of the services properly “of Christmas.” Do join us.

See Amid the Winter Snow

Well not quite, because the snow had melted by then. But mid-morning on Friday 22^nd December, a number of people from St Paul’s (and led by the rector) joined other members of Oadby churches to sing carols in the Parade. All were in good voice as we sign right through the carol book. It was good to be able to remind everyone passing by of the real meaning of Christmas.

Carols by Candle-Light

Choir in Rehearsal

Nearly 100 people met in a darkened St Pauls on Sunday evening 17 December 2017 for a celebration of “Carols by Candlelight.” Apart from individual candles around the wall, every member of the congregation had a candle, that was lit at the beginning of the service. There was a mixture of readings from the Bible which either predicted the coming of Christ or recounted the events of the first Christmas Day; poems and reflections on the event; an opportunity for the congregation to sing the traditional carols and pieces for a specially assembled choir that also told of Christ’s coming. It was a wonderful time to reflect on all the implications of Christ becoming man for us.

After the service, we all enjoyed each other’s company, with and mulled wine and mince pies.
 

Christmas day is fast approaching.

Carols at Sainsbury's

At 11.0 a.m. on a chilly Saturday 16 December, fifteen members of the congregation of St Pauls, together with the rector, Steve Bailey, met in the trolley park in the front of Sainsbury’s. It was our opportunity to share the joy of Christmas and the love of Christ, with passing shoppers. Not only to did we sing many of the much loved Christmas carols, but offered chocolates to all who were not diet conscious! It was our chance to do something for the community, so we were not there to collect money. Anyone who insisted on giving a donation was pointed to the in-store charity collection.

We also gave invitations to the St Paul’s Carols by Candlelight, happening next day, and to the rest of the Christmas programme.