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November 27th 2020

Dear St Peter’s family   

So draws to an end my first complete year alongside you all, and what a year it has been! My children and I have been so deeply blessed by you, and I hope we have blessed you, even just a little, in return. We are approaching Christmas, and like everything else for most of this year, we are having to adapt the way we approach it, thinking carefully about how we can meaningfully celebrate this year, whilst keeping ourselves and our loved ones safe. I expect we will each handle this differently.

We, at St Peter’s have been thinking about this carefully too, and below is this year’s Christmas program. We hold the in-person Christmas Eve services open for now, but they may be subject to change or cancellation, should the provincial restrictions on gatherings be extended. For now at least, the sign-up will remain open. If there is a great demand I will add a third service, to ensure all who wish to can worship on that holy night, keeping the numbers at each service low, so to avoid risking anyone’s safety.

St Peter’s Christmas Programme 2020

  • 16th December (Wednesday): PARISH VIRTUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY. All are invited to this online fellowship gathering, featuring fun, games and Christmas Carols, comedy clips and even a secret auction of unusual items. Expect some silliness. Further details to follow.
  • 20th - 24th December: St PETER’S CHRISTMAS GARDEN. The garden will be filled with light and sound as we play (recorded) Christmas music in the garden. Times tbc.
  • 24th December (Christmas Eve): Available online from Christmas Eve morning: ALL AGE CHRISTMAS CAROL AND PUPPET NATIVITY SERVICE
    • 5pm: HOLY COMMUNION – last of Advent
    • 11.30pm: MIDNIGHT HOLY COMMUNION – first of Christmas
  • 25th December (Christmas Day): Available Online from Christmas Day
    • morning: CHRISTMAS DAY WORSHIP.

However, as we often do at this time of year, I want us to remember the financial needs of our church. We rely on your generous giving and donations. We were so grateful, as Covid-19 really began to impact us, that so many of you continued to give generously and faithfully, even though we had to develop and learn new ways of sending in our offerings – via online giving, mailing or dropping envelopes in through the Church House mail slot.

Although initially our financial position remained strong due to your ongoing generosity, there has been a falling off over the last few months. We understand for some of you your own finances have been uncertain during this time. We appreciate that, and will care for you and support you in any way we can if you are struggling. However, the reality is St Peter’s needs income to continue its ministry. Although some of our costs dropped due to the closures, others increased, and hall income shrank to zero.

Dear friends, I know you are generous to the poor, hungry and homeless at this time of year, to your friends and family, but I am asking you also to remember your Church, God’s Church, with generous hearts as you think about your Christmas and end-of-year giving. We long to be a beacon in this place, and reach out to our own people, our community and the world beyond, in Christ’s name, and we long to model God’s generosity in the world. But in order to do this we need funds. I know you will step up to the mark and give as you are able, that’s just how we are as a church in this place. I give thanks for you before God, and I place my trust in him as we move forward into 2021 together.

With every blessing and good wish

Rev Sulin