This is where we’ll try to provide weekly items in addition to our other updates and letters – please keep coming back here regularly.

1st March:

Domestic abuse:

In line with Church of England guidance, St. Peter’s PCC recently voted in favour of agreeing a parish domestic abuse statement.  A copy of this can be found in the Safeguarding section of the church website, along with details of organisations who can offer help and support to victims, survivors, and perpetrators of domestic abuse.

28th February:

There’s a great update HERE from Patrick at Encontro com Deus!

You’ll just need to copy and paste in this passcode when prompted wV73Bq2$

21st February:

Some surprises here in this week’s pastoral letter from Kip!

St Peter’s Church Fairtrade Drawing Competition

Competition rules:

Create a poster to celebrate something that is Fairtrade. You could also draw something that can be made with Fairtrade ingredients or materials. Such as Fairtrade pancakes! Older children and adults: have a look online to see what you can find in shops and supermarkets that can be bought Fairtrade.

On your poster please include three things:

• A picture of your Fairtrade item
• A nice big title with the name of your item
• A Fairtrade logo

What will happen to my poster? St Peter’s Church is applying to become a Fairtrade church. We want to celebrate the award with a window of all your posters. People who walk up Church Road will see all the Fairtrade things you can make and buy.

How do I enter? Simply pop your entry in an envelope through the door of the Simon Peter Centre no later than 21 March 2021.Please make sure you put the following information on the back of the poster.

• Entrant’s name
• Entrant’s age (if under 15)
• Category of entry
• Parent/carer’s name
• Parent/carer’s phone number

Easter egg prizes!

There will be three age categories in the competition, the winner of each category will receive a Fairtrade Easter egg.

• 0 to 7 years
• 7 to 14 years
• 15 years to adult

For inspiration for your poster or to find out more about Fairtrade then look here what is Faitrade and if you want to continue your learning then there are some great online Fairtrade games here for you to learn through play!

There’s a great competition poster HERE if you want to download and send it to your friends and family!

8th February:

We are asking everyone, for Shrove Tuesday (16 February), in the run up to Fairtrade fortnight to get involved with making their pancakes fair!

This means using at least one ingredient that is Fairtrade in or on your pancake day celebrations!

This could be Fairtrade sugar, chocolate, bananas or anything else that fits the bill.

Post a picture of your pancake, and say what Fairtrade ingredients you used, on the St Peters virtual congregation Facebook or Instagram pages or send to [email protected] and we will share your wonderful fair pancake creations!

Tip: You could also have Fairtrade tea, coffee, or juice to go with your pancake!

7th February:

Kip tells us how to #SHOWTHELOVE in his message this week!

29th January:

Here’s a very hummable message from Kip!

11th January:

Please be encouraged by Kip’s first pastoral letter for the new year.

Coffee and Chat

While we are no longer meeting for worship in church again, we thought that it would be good to resume “Coffee and Chat” on Sundays after the online YouTube service with effect from Sunday 17^th January.

This is an opportunity to catch up on Zoom with church friends or to get to know people we might not have spoken to before.

So, if you would like to join us on Sunday mornings between 11:30 – 12:15 please email Julia Pratt ([email protected]).

6th January:

Kip’s notice makes for disappointing, but not wholly unexpected news.

We hope you and your families and colleagues all stay safe and well enough to join us as soon as we possibly can.

28th December:

For those not on our mailing list, please see Kip’s latest Pastoral letter ,which includes details of the on-line services planned for January 2021 (please note that in-church services have now been suspended)

19th December:

Following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court John Roberts, a former Rector at St Peter’s Woolton, has been found guilty on all counts against him. These relate to non-current safeguarding-related matters.

We are aware that that very many members of our congregations and community know people connected to this case. The verdict will have created strong emotions for many of them. We are particularly aware of, and grateful for, the courage of victims and survivors who have come forward to share their deeply painful experiences.

We want to acknowledge two things: firstly, that a verdict of guilty has been given, and secondly, that we recognise the hurt of many and the healing that is needed.

To contribute to this healing, we want to listen to all those affected by these things, and to do all we can support people in our community. We will therefore not be making any further public comment.

We continue to take safeguarding very seriously and we will continue to follow the best national and local guidance and practice to ensure that St Peter’s is a safe place for all. We assure you of our prayers, and ask for your own prayers for all involved.

If you, or anyone you know, want to talk to someone independently please call the Safe Spaces helpline on 0300 303 1056 or email [email protected]. There are also other support services available. You could also contact the Diocesan safeguarding advisor: [email protected].

Kip Crooks
19.12.20

1st December:

Mission Updates

In St Peter’s we seek to embrace the world and its needs alongside our mission in the parish and on our individual ‘front lines’ in the local community and beyond.  To give this a strong focus we have initiated partnerships with four agencies engaged in addressing a variety of needs, two in the city and two overseas: Encontro com Deus in Brazil, Christian Aid’s Pigeon Peas Project in Malawi, City Hearts Northwest and Voice.  We are hoping to provide a short item here about each of these in turn on a monthly cycle.  This month we are putting the spotlight on City Hearts.

City Hearts

City Hearts works to restore the lives of people who have been rescued from modern slavery.  They run safe houses and, before the pandemic, had a regular drop-in facility which catered for people who had moved on from the safe houses, which offered social support and educational experiences.   Their work in Liverpool is based at Hope City Church in Islington.

The need to suspend the drop-in service and the effect of lockdown on the safe houses has left many of their clients facing an extremely challenging situation.  “Because of the similarities to their time in exploitation, we are concerned they are facing traumatic flashbacks and other symptoms which have a negative impact on their mental health, however we are doing everything we can to help alleviate the negative impact” says Development Manager Kirsty Allan.

To address this situation they have filmed tutorials for clients on everything from exercise to sculpting and embroidery.  They are also distributing wellbeing packs for clients, which are full of exercises, mindfulness techniques, apps to download, games and activities for kids, ideas for home projects and health guidance.

We in St Peter’s donated £4,000 to them at the beginning of this year which was originally earmarked to extend a programme of educational and recreational group outings which they were starting.  Again, because of the pandemic, this had to be suspended, so they have used some of our donation for these wellbeing packs.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has launched a free national phone line as a simple new way to bring worship and prayer into people’s homes while church buildings are closed because of the coronavirus.

Daily Hope offers music, prayers and reflections as well as full worship services from the Church of England at the end of a telephone line.

The line – which is available 24 hours a day on 0800 804 8044 – has been set up particularly with those unable to join online church services during the period of restrictions in mind.

Find out more by following this link.