If you visit St. Peter's Methodist Church on weekdays, you will often find people here.
It is part of our mission and service to open our Church and halls to be used by the community, and you may find ESOL classes, music concerts, parent and toddler groups, market research, scouts, and drama groups - to name but a few! - frequently taking place here. A Ukrainian Ladies' Choir regularly practices in the church and the adjoining Methodist school hold assemblies in it. Once a week in February 2025, our church hall will be used as a night shelter by the local holmelessness charity.
There are often people working in the Church office - our Minister and Centre Manager. Our church is very people-centred!
Our Sunday activities centre around worship, Junior Church and creche at 10.30am. We are a diverse community comprising people of all ages and backgrounds, united by a common desire to explore the Christian message and to encourage each other in living it out.
We are an inclusive and affirming church - all people are welcome here and encouraged to play their part fully, regardless of gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, disability, mental or physical health, or social background.
There is a definite sense of togetherness in our Church. We worship together for some of the time each Sunday morning and then our forward-looking Junior Church makes the most of the hall and other rooms for a variety of activities helping them to explore Christianity in ways appropriate to their age group.
About 11.30am as the Church Service comes to an end, the Junior Church prepares the hall for everyone to spend time together over squash, tea, coffee and plenty of biscuits. There is lots of noisy chatter, real friendship across the generations as well as the opportunity for peer groups to gather around the tables.
Everyone is welcome to all our Church Services. Some are led by our Minister, but in true Methodist tradition we have an excellent group of Local Preachers and some retired Ministers who also lead Services, as do an experienced group of lay people from the congregation.