We're already getting in the festive spirit here at St Peter's. You can check out our flyer below for details of what's going on over the Christmas period, but here's a bit more info...
A night of sleeping out
Staying Safe
God Loves Battersea
Last Saturday, God Loves Battersea – St P’s community outreach event – came back in force! The sun shone and what a lot of love, and things there were to love too!
Taking place at York Gardens Library, close to the St Peter’s Centre where we are continuing to worship while our new church is built, the church family put on an action-packed afternoon which was enjoyed by local people and those further afield.
From bungee-runs and tightrope walking, to the bouncy castles, a delicious bbq, various stalls, and craft activities for kids, there was something for everyone including the physically hungry, the spiritually hungry and the er, adrenaline junkies (such as my toddler). It was a great opportunity to meet new people in our community and hear their stories, offer prayer and spread the Jesus love. In all, it was a big success and huge thanks to Helen and the staff team for organising such a brilliant day!
Bring on the next …
by Emma Biddle
Falcon Road Festival 2016
The Falcon Road Festival was a very British festival – with rain and sun fighting it out throughout the course of the afternoon. The rain didn’t dampen our spirits though – check out our video of some of the highlights of the day:
break:out - what happened at St Peter's 2016 Weekend Away?
And so break:out has come to pass. The anticipation is over and we are left to reminisce about what we enjoyed and chew over what we heard. To get you started here’s a quick summary of how it unfolded for me:
It all began as we were greeted by the smiling faces of Ali and Sarah; clipboards in hand and stickers at the ready. Hearing that the second coach was running late Marcus and I eagerly set to work trying to demolish the buffet. Buoyed by the account from Nick Benton that the food was “literally twice as good as last time” we made our way through a portion of fish, one gammon steak and a chicken curry each and thought we were going strong until we were introduced to the desert trolley, where the trays of cheesecake and mountains of cheese proved too much to overcome. Which, long story short, meant it was time for the first teaching session!
Session 1 began with a sweet smell… not of incense but air freshener as Sarah, in the politest of ways, invited us to freshen up our rooms! The only other notices (outlining the early morning sports programme) just left me quietly wondering why we couldn’t swim in the heated pool (instead of the sea, brr) or go for afternoon runs (I like my lie ins!) Still, I’m not one to rock the boat and I’m sure those guys and girls had fun! As for the session itself, it didn’t take long to realise that Sandy was full of wisdom and we hung off his words as he gave us his back story, introduced his wife, Annette, and outlined the theme for the weekend: “All I want is even more of you”. Other highlights included stories of postcard evangelism with bibles and tennis racquets, and a tale of evangelism on the tube – “Do you know Jesus, does it make a difference to your life?”
As the evening rolled round it became apparent that the hotel not only looked like a cruise ship on the outside but it very much felt like one on the inside; particularly in the “ballroom” where a Joseph medley bellowed out loud! This was a vibe that obviously inspired the Hockley brothers who decided to treat a few of us to a full evening of improvised karaoke of the highest calibre.
The second session left us inspired to step out in daring to desire spiritual gifts and it was great to see the whole church singing in the Spirit together. Sadly though, these spiritual gifts didn’t seem overwhelmingly evident during the afternoon sports, where I discovered there are more St Pete’s folk with a competitive spirit than you might think #nomajorinjuriespraisethelord!
Come session 3 we were thinking about the outlets of God in our lives (our behaviour, our words, our service, our money and our prayer). After that we prayed for Patrick and each other (in the inflammable tunnel!) and were all encouraged in a time that really felt like the whole church was connected with the Spirit. This was perhaps why we all did so well in the team games that evening!
On Sunday morning Patrick wrapped things up with a brilliant talk which left us thirsting for more and the impact of the weekend was obvious from the mile long queue for testimonies that followed.
And so all the remains to be said is a BIG thanks to everyone for playing a part and making it happen.
by Matt Shipton
Looking back, looking forward - the 2016 Annual Vision Evening
On Tuesday evening the St Peter's family gathered for our yearly look back at the past year, and to pray for the coming year together.
This is always such an encouraging evening - a chance to hear what God has been in doing in people's lives, and in our collective life as a church family - and with worship, craft, food and statistics there really was something for everyone! Rory told us "I felt re-inspired to be part of our community".
You can see some of what has been going on at St Peter's over the past year in the video below:
Our new building - progress so far...
Been wondering how progress on the new St Peter's building is going? Check out this timelapse to see the amazing work that has been done so far:
Easter - how it happened
I’ve just moved back to the Winstanley after a bit of time away, so this Easter I was really keen to be around and take part in all the events at St Peter’s. And there were a few!
It all started for me on Maundy Thursday, where I enjoyed some time with God in the beautiful space that was the 24/7 prayer room, before heading to the evening meal that Tosin had organised. Now, as St Peter’s favourite vegan (ok ok – pretty sure I’m St Peter’s only vegan!) the words ‘Lamb BBQ’ were not particularly inviting, but Tosin assured me that, and I quote, ‘even vegans will be catered for’. He was right, with Cara cooking up a storm – and her falafels were so good that a lot of the naughty non-vegans ate them as well. (I have gathered names. I know who you are). It was a wonderful evening as Tosin introduced us to some of the Passover traditions, with wine and even a few role plays – and by the end we were all singing, at Daphne’s request, even if we weren’t quite sure of the tune!
On Good Friday as I approached the centre I met Ali and Tosin who were working out how best to attach a large cross covered in chicken wire to the railings. #OrdinandProblems. I collected a mysterious scroll of paper tied with a length of red wool, which turned out to be the best sort of treasure map, pointing us to prayer stations around the Win and Bible passages to reflect on as we went. It was beautifully thought out by Ali, and it was very powerful to move around the stations and think of Jesus’ journey on that day. Soon the stations were covered in portions of red wool, symbolising Jesus’ sacrifice, and our own prayers full of repentance, thankfulness and hope.
The Sunday celebration was truly a joyful affair! Not only did we sing our hearts out in worship but I had my first ever champagne in a church service! My favourite sentence uttered on the day (and possibly ever) came from Patrick, who declared “Just as the cork bursts forth from the champagne, so too did Jesus burst forth from the grave!” We all trooped outside to place flowers in the wire cross outside, and it was transformed – it too was bursting forth, with colour and life.
A wonderful St Peter’s Easter.
by Clare Lyons
It's Easter time!
Easter is nearly upon us and St Peter’s is hosting loads of Easter activities for everyone in the community. Check out the flyer below for more details.
