Church Life

Table Tennis

Table Tennis is a lively and fun club. We meet every Tuesday afternoon from 2 – 4 pm in the Church. We are very inclusive and players of all standards and abilities are welcome.

We have 4 table tennis tables and play both singles and doubles matches. The club offers exercise, friendship and fun. Refreshments are also provided. On average we have 14 – 18 people playing every Tuesday. A donation of £1 per person per session goes towards refreshments and replacing equipment.

If you are interested in joining, please contact the Parish Office for further details.

Mothers Union

MU meets every second Wednesday, at St. Peter’s Church in the Bethany Lounge, at 2.15 pm – 4pm

St. Peter’s Church has had a branch of the Mothers’ Union for many years, and it would be lovely to welcome new members, so please come and join us for prayer, tea and discussion.

A little bit of background

Mothers’ Union is a Christian organisation, and part of the Church of England, that has been supporting families since it was started by Mary Sumner in 1876 at St. Mary’s Church, Old Alresford, where her husband George was the vicar. Since those early days we are now an international charity with over 4 million members in 84 countries!

We are an inclusive charity and we welcome people from all walks of life to join us. We offer whatever help is needed, to whoever needs it, whenever it is needed. We believe that when people come together to solve challenges, amazing things can happen.

Our aim is to demonstrate our faith in action, both locally and worldwide, by helping to transform communities in different ways. Apart from approx., 10 people who work in the Head Office, all our members, including our President and other role-holders, are volunteers so that the money we raise as a charity, including our membership fees is given to the causes we support, in the countries we support.

Our members, as volunteers, support survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, (1 in 3 women globally are abused) refugees, prisoners and any other individuals and families in need. We also run programmes with communities to help them transform their lives sustainably – for example, through literacy and savings programmes, parenting and resilience training. We are driven by our faith yet work with people of all beliefs and none, partnering with churches, other organisations, and governments to increase our impact.

For more information please contact Linda Hoskins through our Contact Page

Useful Links:  Mothers’ Union https://www.mothersunion.org Mothers’ Union Winchester Diocese https://www.muwinchester.org.uk

More To Give

More to Give is a group for those further along on their life journey; we believe that older members of the congregations have a unique ministry which needs to be celebrated.

We meet monthly in Oasis, on the 3rd Saturday from 2.30-4.00 for an informal café-style service. It is a friendly, relaxed setting with music, a short bible-based talk, a prayer time based on suggestions by those present, and occasional special events. The meeting finishes with table discussions related to the talk – plus the inevitable tea and cake!

We try to do something a little bit different every month – come and be surprised!

St Peter’s Library

St Peter’s has a library of Christian books available for all ages and all tastes …

• Beginners Bible for toddlers …
• Books about what it means to be a Christian
• Stories of people who have followed Jesus
• Paperbacks about prayer and Going Deeper
• Thoughtful reflections about Big Issues.

It’s easy – just take a book off the shelf and read it! And if you can return it when you’ve finished it, even better. And better still – tell somebody about what you’ve read and what you thought of it!

Bellringers

Bells are the largest and loudest instrument in the world. Church bells are rung to call the faithful to worship, for weddings and funerals and to mark national occasions. Bell ringing is also a great way to learn a skill, get gentle physical exercise and make some new friends.

At St Peters we are privileged to have a ring of 8 bells that originally date back to around 1577 when the first bell was cast, which we ring in the traditional English style of change ringing.

Being a bell ringer opens up a community of over 40,000 friends across the world and a lifetime of fun experiences no matter what your ability. Ringers are not restricted to one tower, you will be welcomed wherever you go, at home or abroad.

Ringing is well within the capabilities of most people. The initial teaching takes a few weeks, after which a learner can ring with the rest of the band. Most ringers practice once a week and ring before church on Sundays.

So come and try it on a Thursday evening. New ringers, both beginners and experienced, are always welcome, email petersbells@btinternet.com to find out more.

Find out more about the bells and watch a video here.