WELCOME...
St Peter’s offers a variety of styles of worship ranging from traditional Anglican Eucharist based on Common Worship with robed clergy and choir, to child focussed Toddlers’ Praise, Messy Church and Sunday School. Drama and puppets are used at family worship.
Important Covid 19 information -
A message from the vicar regarding the National Lockdown:
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We find ourselves once again in a National Lockdown.
The situation is arguably more grave than in previous months, given the presence of the new and extremely virulent strain of the virus, yet at the same time we have more optimism for the future than perhaps we had in previous lockdowns, because we know that the vaccination programme is underway and there is hope on the horizon of an easing of restrictions and a return to some kind of normality.
However, we must respond to where we are now, and decide what to do for the best over the coming few weeks.
The government has, in the words of the Bishop of London, chair of the CofE’s Covid response group, “chosen not to suspend public worship in England at this time” – in other words, the government has not made it illegal for us to hold public services. However other administrations have reluctantly done so, e.g. in Scotland, believing that we all need to play our part in reducing opportunities for transmission of the virus.
The position in England therefore, is that it for each Incumbent, in consultation with their PCCs and the Diocesan Bishop, to make the decision as to whether or not to suspend public worship.
We have carefully reviewed the government’s regulations, the advice available from the Church of England nationally and from our own Diocese of Durham, and other information from healthcare and public sources.
It is clear that in the context of the virulence of this new strain of Covid, set alongside the general age profile of our congregations, and the firm medical opinion that people should simply not leave home unless it is absolutely essential, that we need to give serious thought to doing all that we can to limit opportunities for the virus to spread.
The government’s own medical advisers, in moving the country into Covid Alert Level 5, acknowledged that there is a manifest risk of the NHS being overwhelmed within a few weeks.
Hospitals around the country are already beginning to cancel other procedures because of this. We do not want in any way to contribute to the overwhelming of our local hospitals or healthcare system.
Therefore, in the interests of one another and our wider community, we have decided (albeit with a heavy heart) that the best way for us to show our mutual love and care at present, to suspend public worship in our parishes and go online-only for a period and Bishop Paul has given his dispensation for this.
It was not a decision that we took lightly, and as I said, it is with a heavy heart that we even considered the issue. However, the risks to our parishioners, and to our NHS, are so great at present that we feel this is what we must do.The vaccine is on its way, the end is at last in sight, but we must not relax our guard too soon. We will of course keep the situation under regular review and get back to public worship as soon as it’s safe to do so.
Therefore there will be no Sunday or midweek Eucharists etc until further notice.
We will continue to put out a videoed service each Sunday, and continue with our other communications etc.
Please do be in touch with any questions or concerns, and we will be back together as soon as it’s safe. Be assured of my prayers.
Blessings
Bill
We are continuing to hold everyone in prayer.
The most important task of the Church, and our primary calling as followers of Christ, is to pray and worship God. Through this our local communities (and the whole world) are blessed, sustained, and changed in ways we never fully understand or know.
The clergy keep the rhythm of morning and evening prayer each day on behalf of the people of the parish, bringing their needs and concerns to God in the daily round of prayer and praise.
We encourage you to join in this rhythm of prayer from where you are. If you would like to pray along with us, you’ll find the materials we are using for daily prayer at the CofE website: https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-service-daily-prayer - these are updated daily with the psalms, readings etc that you’ll need.
We’ve also gathered some resources which you can use to engage with our celebrations of the Eucharist, and you can find these below.
Please feel free to contact us if you are anxious or need to talk, or need someone to do something practical like pick up prescriptions or shopping etc – we will try to help.
Fr Bill is on 01642 611603 or 07875 385982 or Bill.Braviner@durham.anglican.org
Fr Philip is on 07825 331119
Fr Daniel is on 07720 613301
With love, prayer and blessings,
Your Clergy
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
SAFEGUARDING
FOR SAFEGUARDING MATTERS, contact the Parish Safeguarding Officer - Mrs Ruth Hicks on 01642 678441 or the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser: Beth Miller, Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser, Cuthbert House, Stonebridge, Durham DH1 3RY Email: beth@bethmillerisw.co.uk or beth.miller@durham.anglican.org Mobile: 07968034075
If you are unable to speak to the Safeguarding Adviser and a child, young person or adult is at immediate risk of harm please call 999.
We have adopted the diocesan safeguarding policy, available here
Important Covid 19 information -
A message from the vicar regarding the National Lockdown:
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We find ourselves once again in a National Lockdown.
The situation is arguably more grave than in previous months, given the presence of the new and extremely virulent strain of the virus, yet at the same time we have more optimism for the future than perhaps we had in previous lockdowns, because we know that the vaccination programme is underway and there is hope on the horizon of an easing of restrictions and a return to some kind of normality.
However, we must respond to where we are now, and decide what to do for the best over the coming few weeks.
The government has, in the words of the Bishop of London, chair of the CofE’s Covid response group, “chosen not to suspend public worship in England at this time” – in other words, the government has not made it illegal for us to hold public services. However other administrations have reluctantly done so, e.g. in Scotland, believing that we all need to play our part in reducing opportunities for transmission of the virus.
The position in England therefore, is that it for each Incumbent, in consultation with their PCCs and the Diocesan Bishop, to make the decision as to whether or not to suspend public worship.
We have carefully reviewed the government’s regulations, the advice available from the Church of England nationally and from our own Diocese of Durham, and other information from healthcare and public sources.
It is clear that in the context of the virulence of this new strain of Covid, set alongside the general age profile of our congregations, and the firm medical opinion that people should simply not leave home unless it is absolutely essential, that we need to give serious thought to doing all that we can to limit opportunities for the virus to spread.
The government’s own medical advisers, in moving the country into Covid Alert Level 5, acknowledged that there is a manifest risk of the NHS being overwhelmed within a few weeks.
Hospitals around the country are already beginning to cancel other procedures because of this. We do not want in any way to contribute to the overwhelming of our local hospitals or healthcare system.
Therefore, in the interests of one another and our wider community, we have decided (albeit with a heavy heart) that the best way for us to show our mutual love and care at present, to suspend public worship in our parishes and go online-only for a period and Bishop Paul has given his dispensation for this.
It was not a decision that we took lightly, and as I said, it is with a heavy heart that we even considered the issue. However, the risks to our parishioners, and to our NHS, are so great at present that we feel this is what we must do.The vaccine is on its way, the end is at last in sight, but we must not relax our guard too soon. We will of course keep the situation under regular review and get back to public worship as soon as it’s safe to do so.
Therefore there will be no Sunday or midweek Eucharists etc until further notice.
We will continue to put out a videoed service each Sunday, and continue with our other communications etc.
Please do be in touch with any questions or concerns, and we will be back together as soon as it’s safe. Be assured of my prayers.
Blessings
Bill
We are continuing to hold everyone in prayer.
The most important task of the Church, and our primary calling as followers of Christ, is to pray and worship God. Through this our local communities (and the whole world) are blessed, sustained, and changed in ways we never fully understand or know.
The clergy keep the rhythm of morning and evening prayer each day on behalf of the people of the parish, bringing their needs and concerns to God in the daily round of prayer and praise.
We encourage you to join in this rhythm of prayer from where you are. If you would like to pray along with us, you’ll find the materials we are using for daily prayer at the CofE website: https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-service-daily-prayer - these are updated daily with the psalms, readings etc that you’ll need.
We’ve also gathered some resources which you can use to engage with our celebrations of the Eucharist, and you can find these below.
Please feel free to contact us if you are anxious or need to talk, or need someone to do something practical like pick up prescriptions or shopping etc – we will try to help.
Fr Bill is on 01642 611603 or 07875 385982 or Bill.Braviner@durham.anglican.org
Fr Philip is on 07825 331119
Fr Daniel is on 07720 613301
With love, prayer and blessings,
Your Clergy
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
SAFEGUARDING
FOR SAFEGUARDING MATTERS, contact the Parish Safeguarding Officer - Mrs Ruth Hicks on 01642 678441 or the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser: Beth Miller, Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser, Cuthbert House, Stonebridge, Durham DH1 3RY Email: beth@bethmillerisw.co.uk or beth.miller@durham.anglican.org Mobile: 07968034075
If you are unable to speak to the Safeguarding Adviser and a child, young person or adult is at immediate risk of harm please call 999.
We have adopted the diocesan safeguarding policy, available here
| News in the Pews 3rd Jan 2021.pdf |
| joining_in_the_eucharist_from_home.pdf |
| june_thomas_order_of_service_2_feb_2021__st_peters_bill_braviner_.pdf |
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MANY OF OUR REGULAR SERVICES AND EVENTS ARE SUSPENDED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS
We continue to live-stream our 10am Sunday Eucharist as noted above. Toddler Praise is being held via Zoom each week in term-time. Our Bible Study group, and Book Group will continue online. After lockdown finishes, we will be re-starting those activities which become possible. |
St Peter’s has a strong musical tradition with a robed choir.
Other activities that would usually take place include: (all suspended during lockdown)
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