Class 456 will be having their lock-in this Friday night, November 21st. We will be playing games, eating pizza, watching movies, and doing a service project! Drop off is at 5:30 Friday night, and parents can pick up Saturday morning at 10:00. Feel free to bring a friend! Call or email Mary Elizabeth at MaryElizabeth@stpetersbhm.org for more information or to sign up.
A headline caught my eye recently. “Put your marriage before your kids: It’s the key to raising a healthy family.” Immediately I was reminded of all the members (over 40 couples between 25 and 50 most of whom are raising young children) of our community of faith that have struggled, are struggling, or will likely struggle to keep marriage first while raising their kids. Immediately that raised a question. How do we at St. Peter’s band together as the Body of Christ to ensure healthy marriages that we might have healthy families?
One solution is to promote marriage through fellowship, teaching and making marriage-enriching great dates possible! Our second of Ten Great Dates takes place Friday, November 7, 2008. All of those married and raising kids, those married and headed toward parenting, those about to be married, and those who simply want to renew their marriage are invited to join us as we continue Ten Great Dates. We will gather at 6:30 for an hour which will include a social time in the courtyard of St. Peter’s and a short presentation on making marriage and dates great. Then each couple (on your own, no double dating) will take off for a fun filled and marriage building night at the restaurant of your choice. To make it all happen with the greatest of ease, we will provide the childcare for the entire evening, from 6:15 to 9:45.
Listen to comments about the first of Ten Great Dates from those who participated:
“We thoroughly enjoyed the first of ten great dates. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it was a great way to give each other full attention for a few hours. The kick-off at St. Peter’s with many of our friends was a great way to start the date in a Christ-centered way. We appreciate St. Peter’s investing in our marriage, and look forward to dates 2-10.” - Ed & Aubree Sledge
Have plans already? Change them! Good marriages have been strengthened, average marriages have been renewed and rocky marriages have been saved through Ten Great Dates (coupled of course with a strong dose of the grace of God). If you missed the first great date, you can still join us for this second one. However, this will be the last chance to enter this particular series of ten and receive all the blessings it is meant to provide.
Lastly, invite friends. As Christians we have an investment in marriage and consequently marriages. Identify your friends who will be blessed by some time alone remembering fondly the wonder of the love through which God called them into marriage.
RSVP only if you are planning to make use of the provided childcare.
PS Mark your calendar for the next event: Christmas Party Friday, December 5, 2008, 6:30 to 9:30.
The Men of St. Peter’s will make the fourth annual ski retreat in February 2009. Thus far the trip has been promoted through word of mouth. This year the organizers are making sure every man knows about the trip and is invited to attend.
The trip includes three full days of skiing, great fellowship, good food and the occasional game of pool (betting is on the QT beyond earshot of Pastor John). Last year’s trip included some official downhill racing. Remarkably one of our organizers seemed to beat all challengers. With the exception of being disqualified for skipping gates, his championship run looked pretty darn good. To be sure, there is fun for all whether a novice or an expert on the slopes.
The retreat will also include food for the soul. We will spend a few minutes each day reflecting on “what it means to be a man for the ages.” Specifically, Senior Pastor John Richardson will focus on what it means to be a Christian husband, a Christian father, and a Christian brother to brothers in Christ Jesus.
February 19-23
Contact Jamie Holman for more info - 936.1242
A headline caught my eye recently. “Put your marriage before your kids: It’s the key to raising a healthy family.” Immediately I was reminded of all the members (over 40 couples between 25 and 50 most of whom are raising young children) of our community of faith that have struggled, are struggling, or will likely struggle to keep marriage first while raising their kids. Immediately that raised a question. How do we band together as the Body of Christ to ensure healthy marriages that we might have healthy families?
One solution is to promote marriage through fellowship, teaching and making marriage-enriching great dates possible! Beginning September 26, 2008 all of those married and raising kids, those married and headed toward parenting and those about to be married are invited to join us as we discover Ten Great Dates. We will gather six times a year for fellowship. Four of those times will include a social hour in the courtyard of St. Peter’s and a short presentation on making marriage and dates great. Then each couple will take off for a fun filled and marriage building night at the venue of your choice dinner at the restaurant of your choice. To make it all happen with the greatest of ease, we will provide the childcare for the entire evening 6:15 to 9:30. The dates are as follows:
Great Date Night Friday, September 26, 2008
6:30 to 7:30 then date with your spouse/spouse-to-be
Great Date Night 2 Friday, November 7, 2008
6:30 to 7:30 then date with your spouse/spouse-to-be
Christmas Party Friday, December 5, 2008
6:30 to 9:30
We will have two more Great Date nights in the spring and one all fellowship party in May.
RSVP only if you are planning to make use of the provided childcare.
Monday Nights
The Saint Peter’s 20-Something Crew (SP20SC), also called “Cafe Pete” by
some, is a group of guys and gals who are part of what the Lord is doing
at St. Peter’s Anglican Church. We get together on Monday nights for
Bible Study and prayer, and you’ll probably see most of us at church on
Sunday.
We also like to have game nights during the week and take the
occassional beach trip. We’re in the process of forming small groups, an
ongoing service project, and a spring retreat.
Most importantly, we love because He first loved us. If you are in
college, grad school, or just in your twenties, you are welcome to join
us anytime. Monday night Bible studies are at 7:30 at Senior
Pastor John Richardson’s home.
St. Peter’s Wednesday night get together will start back on August 20. Jesus said He came to give us life to its fullest. That’s the offer of Christ and look (remove s) at what happened when people met him. The blind see, the lame walk and the deaf hear. To be touched by God is to begin becoming more of what we were created for. That is what Christ does in us. He makes us whole, sets us free, makes us fully alive. Yet, Jesus also tells us that the way is narrow and few find it. On Wednesday nights, we will search together to find the life we are called to - to become more fully alive - like Jesus said.
Dinner starts @ 5:45, Becoming Fully Alive starts at 6:30 and ends at 7:30.
Kids Travel Guide to the Ten Commandments - Led by Mary Elizabeth Jenkins and the Children’s Ministry Staff.
Infant through 4k Nursery is provided.
Small Groups
There are a number of continuous small groups that meet at St. Peter’s.
Some are bible study groups; others are activity oriented.
Wednesdays: Spiritual Life Ministries, led by Father William Wilson,
hosts a men’s bible study on Wednesday mornings at 7am in Room 206
Fridays: Father William Wilson leads a prayer vigil with Holy
Eucharist each Friday morning at The Living Room (1712 28th Ave. South,
Homewood). This prayer group is specifically to pray for our U.S.
Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. All are welcome.
Women’s Bible Study at 10am in the Library. Currently studying Beth Moore’s To Live is Christ
We also have an e-mail prayer group. Many of our members who have an
e-mail address pray faithfully for those who ask for prayers,
particularly in times of emergency need. To be added as a member of the
prayer list or to request prayers, e-mail us at stpetes@bellsouth.net
Mom’s Morning Out is an outreach of St. Peter’s Anglican Church. It is
our goal to provide a warm and loving environment for the children of
our church family and the community. St. Peter’s is a place of
discipleship and evangelism and this program is meant to further those
areas. We offer a place where children hear about Jesus and the love He
has for them.
Vacation Bible School wrapped up today as we spent our last morning with 20 of our friends at Loveman Village. I think most of us are left speechless and completely changed from the experience God has allowed us to have this week. We closed today with the most important lesson of all, that champions choose to follow Jesus! Jesus promised the thief on the cross that he would be with Him in paradise and that offer still goes out to us today. We will all remember our time there and I know that we have some amazing kids who will not let St. Peter’s let go of its new relationship with Loveman Village. We will have a full report from kids and leaders on Sunday during worship, so make sure to be there to hear about what we’ve been up to!
“Just wanted to say, kudos on taking a chance that many churches may not take. It was a truly fabulous week and those little faces will be pressed in my mind forever. I look forward to the day that I will see their faces in our eternal kingdom. . .I feel blessed to be a part.” Tiffany Denson
Allstar Olympics Vacation Bible School started out with a great first day! God showed up in a big way with 15 St Peter’s kids, 21 Loveman Village kids, and 20 adult volunteers. Through the story of the daughters of Zelophehad (Numbers 27:1-11), we learned that champions are BOLD and that we can also be bold and ask God for the things we need. Excitement was at an all time high from all involved as we closed out the day, and we are praying that each day will only get better. Praise God for giving St. Peter’s the will to take the gospel beyond the walls of the church building. Stay tuned for updates each afternoon!
Some words from the kids of St. Peter’s:
Today at VBS I met a girl named Star. she was really amazing. I loved that at the end of the day when I told her that if she needed anything that she could tell me. She then asked me if I would pray for her tomorrow. I then said sure. -Madison, age 9
I loved the music and I think the kids did too. they were so cheerful by the end of the day every kid always had a smile on their face. I just wanted to buy them new basketball nets. They all had such amazing names. -Caroline, age 10