Notices for Sunday 2 February

CANDLEMAS

Readings

Malachi 3.1-5; Hebrews 2.14-end; Luke 2.22-40

MORNING PRAYER

Morning Prayer and is live-streamed at 9am each morning (Mon-Thu) from www.stpetersleck.org or www.facebook.com/southcheltenham

You can also join in person as follows:

• Mon – Pip & Jim’s,
• Tue – St. Christopher’s
• Wed – Emmanuel
• Thu – St. Peter’s Cottages

Daily Prayer App

If you have a mobile, then you may wish to download the Daily Prayer app (available from Daily Prayer), which will have the services and readings for the day.

Live Streams

www.stpetersleck.org or www.facebook.com/stpetersleckhampton

CALENDAR of events

Click here to see upcoming events

OFFERTORY

We do not take a collection at St. Peter’s during the service, but you can make a donation using the card machine, which is facing you as you come in, or by using the basket if cash.

REST IN PEACE

Please let Revd Gary know if there is anyone who has died recently so that prayers can be said for them and their families.

PRAYERS

Please let Revd Gary know of anyone who has died recently or who needs prayer at this time. See church website also:

https://stpetersleck.org/for-our-prayers/

A PRAYER FOR ALL THOSE WHO ARE VICTIMS OR SURVIVORS OF ABUSE

Tender God, Look with mercy on all who have experienced profound harm and any for whom faith is associated with hurt and damage. Bless those for whom recent events have stirred up memories and emotions that evoke grief and woundedness. 

Send your Spirit on your church, that it may be wiser and more rigorous even as it is sadder and humbler. Guide your church to cherish all your children, that in your Son’s broken body we may see not only sorrow but also your everlasting faithfulness to us. Amen.

PRAYERS FOR PEACE

Please pray for peace in the Holy Land and a de-escalation of tensions, and an end to war in Ukraine and Gaza. 

God of peace, in this time of sorrow and reflection, we come to you with heavy hearts for the lives lost and the pain endured. Be with those who mourn, with those who live in fear, with those longing for justice and safety. May your peace dwell where there is brokenness. Amen.

Click to donate to Christian Aid’s Gaza appeal: https://caid.org.uk/BBW 

SOUTH CHELTENHAM YOUTH

Please contact Abbie, our Youth Worker, at abbie@southcheltyouth.org.uk  for more info or go to www.southcheltyouth.org.uk.

JUNIOR CHURCH

Children – pre-schoolers and juniors – There are things to do in the children’s area each week in church.

Please see the Junior Church webpages for information and online activities: https://stpetersleck.org/mesmerize/groups-at-st-peters/junior-church/

This Sunday there is a Christingle service at 10am.

CHRISTINGLE MAKING

Sat 1st Feb, 2.30pm in the Cottages

Children and their carers are invited to join the production line
to make Christingles. With cake … and perhaps a few spare sweets!

CHORAL COMPLINE

There will be a special choral service of Compline by Candlelight to celebrate Candlemas on Sun 2^nd Feb at 6pm. The church will have lots of candles and atmospheric lighting, and the choir will be performing a number of beautiful items throughout the ancient liturgy. Do put the date in your diary, and come along to enjoy with family and friends!

LITTLE PEBBLES

Little Pebbles, for babies, pre-schoolers and their carers, meets every Tuesday from 10-11.30am during term-time in the Cottages.

CCP FOOD COLLECTIONS

Many thanks to everyone who continues to donate to CCP. The weight of donations for the Hamper Scamper was 32.4kg bringing the grand total of donations to CCP for 2024 to 881.9kg! Donations can be left in the church porch. 

Please contact Gilly via email: gilly_whittingham@btinternet.com if you would like to arrange a home collection.  
If you prefer you can donate directly here.

CRAFT GROUP

Every Wednesday, 10-12 in the Cottages

All are welcome to join, even if just for a ‘cuppa’ and a chat.

‘FROM CRAVAT TO COLLAR’ 

Talk with Revd Jacqueline Henson 

Tue 4^th Feb at 2.30pm 
Sacred Hearts Parish Hall, GL53 9AU 

All are welcome. Admission £3 to include refreshments. See posters in church/on website. 

ECO CHURCH NOTICES

Click here for this month’s green/eco tips as well as local events and information below: 

Future Fit Homes

Sat 8^th Feb, 10am-4.30pm, P&J GL50 2DD

Find out about solutions to make your home cosier, lower your bills and get future fit! See www.ftgu.info for more information.

Climate Emergency Declaration 

Click here or see the Eco Noticeboard in the Cottages to see the PCC’s declaration. 

Churchyard Maintenance

Please contact Brad via the Parish Office if you can spare an hour or two every so often, to help with grass cutting and other jobs.

PASTORAL CARE @ ST. PETER’S

To find out more about the work of our ‘Pastoral Team’, click here. If you, or someone else, is in need of any help or support, please speak to one of the Clergy or a Churchwarden on any Sunday!

SAFEGUARDING TRAINING 

“Speak up for people who cannot speak for themselves. Protect the rights of all who are helpless.”  (Proverbs 31.8)  

Let us be reminded that we ALL have a duty as Christians to protect those who are vulnerable. As part of that protection it is important that everyone involved in the life of St Peter’s has  

• an awareness of safeguarding issues 
• knows what to do if you think someone may be vulnerable 

If you are involved in running any activity at St Peter’s you should undertake Basic training as a minimum.  This is available via the Church of England’s Safeguarding Training Portal: https://safeguardingtraining.cofeportal.org/ 

If you do not have online access to or are more comfortable with a face-to-face course, please let me know. 

For further information about Safeguarding and DBS checks, see the Safeguarding section of the website. Thank you. Liz Johnson 

TEAM NEWS

CONFIRMATION

I’m delighted to announce that there will be a service of Confirmation at St. Peter’s at 4pm on Sun 22nd June 2025 with Bishop Rachel.
If you are not yet confirmed and would like to explore or chat about this, then please speak me so I can get an idea of numbers for the preceding Confirmation course.

Revd Gary

HONARARY CANON

It is good to announce that Bishop Rachel has invited Rev Gary to be an honorary canon of the Cathedral. Gary has served as a Link Officer for our international partnerships in India for 10 years and, more recently, for 5 years as Area Dean for Cheltenham. He will be installed as a canon on Wed 2^nd April at the Cathedral during the 5.30pm Evensong.

CANDLEMAS

What exactly is it?

Candlemas marks the end of the Epiphany Season and is all about ‘light’.

It falls on 2^nd February each year, which lies between the shortest day of the year and the spring equinox, so is the moment when the daylight increases!

During the Epiphany season, Jesus is revealed as the Christ in many different ways. Through the visit of the magi, the descending of a dove during his baptism, in the turning of water into wine at Cana, and then at his presentation in the Temple, all of these pieces are gathered together like a jigsaw to help us see that Jesus is the Son of God.

Candlemas was named as such because candles were carried in a procession to remind us that God is revealed to us through Jesus as the ‘Light of the World’.

That is why Christingle works so well now, rather than before Christmas, as we celebrate the gathering of the light and, using a simple orange and candle, we are reminded to take this light out into the world.

And so, the great 40 days of Epiphany comes to an end, and the crib will be packed away for another year… only 327 days until Christmas everyone!

But it is only the end of a season, as now our eyes look ahead to another 40 days which loom on the horizon – to the season of Lent, which prepares us for the Cross and the Resurrection of our Lord, on whom our faith truly rests.

Revd Gary.