Hello!
I can’t believe that I didn’t notice that the blogpost wasn’t updated since May. I mean, I am involved in promoting digital ministry. I am on social media quite a bit, read the church’s WhatsApp prayer each day. But I suppose I don’t go onto the website all that often at all. But it’s our front door to the digital world and so here I am.
My name is Pete Phillips and I am the new Methodist minister at High Street. Theresa, my wife, and I have lived in Maidenhead for a whole year now while renting the manse and preaching on the Circuit plan while Theresa continues her work for Durham University’s Centre for Catholic Studies and I was working at Premier Media and Spurgeon’s College and enjoying the warmth of the South East and being much closer to our children and especially our granddaughter born last autumn. But we were also caring for Theresa’s mum in Cornwall and she sadly died last February. A year of ups and downs…
But from 1 st September 2022, I became the minister with pastoral charge of High Street Methodist Church, alongside my academic work in Digital Theology, New Testament and Greek at Spurgeon’s College in South Norwood, London. Theresa continues with her work at Durham. The kids continue to thrive in what they do…life goes on.
Although I guess we are all embroiled in the cost of living crisis which means life goes on but it’s harder and harder to thrive. One of the big issues facing us as a church this winter will be our own fuel bills. Although the government has set a business rate which will cover charities, this still means a 400% increase on our fuel bills for the church, which means we need to be careful about heating (wear an extra layer when you come to church) but also offer more opportunities for people to come and keep warm while we have other meetings in the building. So, look out for our Warm Welcome Opportunities.
We’re into a strange version of harvest when we give thanks for all the provision God has given us and yet also worry about whether people in our own community have enough to live on. All our harvest produce collection went to Foodshare to help people ensure they have food on their table. But we’re also restarting our monthly Friday Lunches for those who’d like to join us alongside our monthly Friendship Club and Breakfast Church on the first Sunday of each month. We’re here for you!
High Street Methodist Church believes in God’s blessing for the community of Maidenhead. We are praying that we might be a place to plug into the blessing, to thrive as a Church but also to encourage our community, our high street, our town to thrive as well. We believe in a God who stands for the poor, the refugee, the widow and the orphan. We believe in a God who encourages love and compassion – a God who welcomes all.
Why not come along and join in some of services and see what we are doing. See how we are living out our pledge to “To act justly, to love loving, and to walk humbly with our God.”
You’ll always be welcome here.
Pete