Below is a taste of some services and events at St Peter’s Church during 2007. Events are in date order, the most recent first.

Advent and Christmas services 2007

Sunday 31st December 2007, 11.30pm Watchnight Service to see the New Year in, followed by mulled wine and mince pies.

Listening to the Advent story

Christmas Eve, Monday 24th December 2007:
4.00pm: Carols4Kids. Our usual mad and joyous celebration of Christmas, this year enjoyed by over 300 people.
11.30pm: Midnight Mass

Sunday 23rd December 2007, 6.30pm:
Candlelit Carol Service – the Christmas story retold through readings, poems and carols.

Sunday 16th December 2007, 10am:
Parish Communion with Children’s Nativity Play. About 30 children, many of them in costume, came to St Peter’s for this service to take part in the Nativity Play.

Sunday 9th December 2007, 4-8pm:
Advent Quiet Evening, organised by the Exploring Prayer Group - a few wonderful moments of stillness in the midst of the Christmas rush.

Sunday 2nd December 2007, Advent Sunday, 6.30pm:
Advent Service at St Peter’s, joint with Summertown United Reformed Church. The Duomo singers and the St Peter’s extended choir both sang in this service. Beautiful singing, Biblical readings and poetry, all by candlelight, again made this a very special service.

Saturday 2nd December 2007, 11am-1pm:
Activity Morning, preparing for Advent, joint with Summertown United Reformed Church. We made Advent biscuits and candles, Nativity figures to hang on the Christmas tree, an Advent altar frontal and stoles, all rounded off with lunch together.

Remembrance Sunday Service, Sunday 11th November 2007

After the 10am Parish Communion, members of the British Legion, St Edward’s School and people from the parish gathered at the War Memorial in St Peter’s Churchyard for the Act of Commemoration. The names of those who gave their lives were read out and the Last Post played to introduce the two minute silence.

Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving, Sunday 28th October 2007

Once a year, on a Sunday near to All Souls’ Day, St Peter’s invites families who have been bereaved in the previous year to a reflective service to remember and give thanks for those who have died. Their names are read out and prayers are said, both for those who have died and for the families themselves.

Enjoying the harvest supper

In the kitchen

Harvest Supper, Friday 12th October 2007

Wolvercote Village Hall, 7.00 for 7.30pm
A total of 72 friends, members of St Peter’s and guests from our three partner churches, sat down to a magnificent three-course harvest supper in Wolvercote Village Hall. The meal was followed by a series of very entertaining ‘party-pieces’ ranging from a sermon by a ‘visiting’ preacher in which life was compared to a tin of sardines, a most confusing ‘magic’ act, various poetic readings, some in dialect, various solo items and concluding with the classic ‘Broadbent and Bryant’ double act. A great evening enjoyed by all.

Harvest Activity Morning, Saturday 6th October 2007

Summertown URC Hall, 11am-1pm
A Harvest Activity Morning for all ages, followed by a shared lunch, attracted some 30 children and adults. The activity was organised by our Children and Families Worker, Annie Barker, and members of both St Peter’s and Summertown URC. Banners, corn dollies, posters and minister’s stoles, all illustrating the harvest theme, were made for use at harvest services the following day.

Children’s Party, Sunday 16th September 2007

About 25 children accompanied by parents and some grandparents enjoyed badge-making and party games in the Vicarage Garden. We then had tea in the Church Room. Thankyou to St Peter’s Net for the tea and to Annie Barker for organising the party and the games.

Duomo Singers Concert, Saturday 14th July 2007

The Duomo Singers came back to St Peter’s to give their third concert here. Classical anthems in the first half were followed by lighter music in the second half, all of as high a quality as ever. Interspersed with the music were a selection of poems ranging from Gerald Manley Hopkins to Roger McGough. A very enjoyable evening, and one which raised £270 for Church funds.

Outing to Cotswold Wildlife Park, Sunday 8th July 2007

20 of us, children and adults enjoyed a fun afternoon at Cotswold Wildlife Park. If you’ve never been, it’s well worth exploring. The sun even shone for us – a rare event this summer!

Lunch in church

Flower display

St Peter’s Patronal Festival Weekend, 30th June – 1st July 2007

Sadly the rain forced our Fete on the Saturday afternoon indoors to Wolvercote Primary School, but lots of people still came and we raised as much money as last year (£1200). Half the money will go to support our Children and Families Worker, and the other half to help local groups in Wolvercote. At the same time, Evelyn Bryant organised a magnificent Flower Festival in the Church with the help of community groups in Wolvercote. The theme – Oxford through the last 1000 years – was expressed beautifully in flowers.

Bookstall at the Fete

At our Patronal Service on the Sunday morning, we welcomed Revd Dr Mark Harris, Chaplain of Oriel College, Oxford as our preacher. Lunch followed the service, but again indoors (in the Church and Church Room) rather than in the Vicarage Garden as usual. That same morning Rachel Weir was ordained Deacon in the Cathedral by the Bishop of Oxford. Rachel will work on Sundays and two days a week in our parish and a further two days a week in a national role as Assistant inter Faith Relations Adviser.

Barbecue for 10-12 year olds, Sunday 17th June 2007

Barbeque 2

Barbeque 1

This was a new venture, organised jointly with Summertown United Reformed Church. About 15 young people came to the Vicarage Garden for a BBQ and some lively games. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. We hope to get a group going in the autumn for this age group.

Wolvercote Festival Weekend, 8-10th June 2007

St Peter's stall

School display

Wolvercote enjoyed yet another successful Festival weekend with a wide range of activities. At St Peter’s we provided Church and Bellringers’ stalls on Goose Green, and we were able to arrange a history display, Wolvercote Church through the Centuries with the help of children from Class 3 at Wolvercote Primary School. We also hosted a Festival Service (organised jointly with Wolvercote Baptist Church), celebrating 1000 years and more of village life. On the Sunday afternoon we held a Family Concert, followed by teas in and around the Church Room.

Winchester Trip, Saturday 19th May 2007

30 members of St Peter’s had a day outing to Winchester. We explored the city, watched a Morris dancing festival and walked out to the medieval almshouse at St Cross. The weather was kind and the singing at Cathedral Evensong, rounding off our day, was exquisite.

Christian Aid Week, 13th-19th May 2007

Paul Valentin, International Director of Christian Aid preached at our 10am service on May 13th. You can read his excellent sermon on the sermon page. During the week people from our congregation and others collected £2100 door to door around the parish. And at the end of the week, our Family Communion service focussed on the theme of water and just how precious it is – and how lucky we are to have it on tap in this country.

Inauguration of the Summertown-Wolvercote Church Partnership
Sunday 29th April 2007

See the Church Partnership pages for news of this service to initiate our new partnership with St Michael’s Summertown, Summertown URC and Wolvercote Baptist Church.

Making an Easter Garden 2

Making an Easter Garden 1

Easter4kids, Easter Saturday 7th April 2007

A small group of children with their parents and friends listened to the Easter story, beautifully illustrated using the Easter Garden in the Chancel and with figures representing Jesus, his followers and the angels. The children then each made their own small Easter Garden while the adults assisted, suitably refreshed with cups of tea.

Holy Week and Easter, 1st-8th April 2007

Holy Week and Easter is the most important week in the Christian Year. At St Peter’s, we mark it with a full range of services. The pattern for 2007 was as follows:

Sunday 1st April, Palm Sunday
8am Holy Communion
10am Sung Eucharist with the blessing of palms
12 noon Holy Communion

Monday 2nd April
8.30am Holy Communion
8.00pm Reflection, address and compline

Tuesday 3rd April
8.30am Holy Communion
8.00pm Reflection, address and compline

Wednesday 4th April
8.30am Holy Communion
8.00pm Reflection, address and compline

Thursday 5th April, Maundy Thursday
8.30am Morning Prayer
7.30pm Liturgy of the Lord’s Supper, followed by the Watch until midnight

Friday 6th April, Good Friday
8.30am Morning Prayer
10.45am Good Friday service outside the Summertown shops, organised by Churches Together in North Oxford
12 noon – 3pm The Three Hours (12-2pm preached; 2-3pm the Liturgy)

Saturday 7th April
5.00pm Children’s Easter Service
A short 20 minute service, followed by the chance to make Easter gardens to take home

Sunday 8th April, Easter Day
5.45am The Easter Ceremonies: the Easter Vigil, Lighting of the Easter Candle, Renewal of Baptismal Vows, dawn Eucharist of Easter
8am Holy Communion
10am Sung Eucharist and Blessing of the Easter Garden
12 noon Holy Communion (1662)

Christingle service, Sunday 7th January 2007

This service held jointly each year with Summertown United Reformed Church and St Michael’s, Summertown, took place in St Peter’s Church. About 50 people enjoyed rediscovering the mystery of the Christingle. Some of the children acted out the story of the wise men visiting the stable with their gifts. Children and adults brought their own gifts of money to give to the Children’s Society, who work with children at risk and young people who have run away from home. In all we were able to send over £150 to the Children’s Society. After the service we went to the school hall for games and a party tea.