Inclusion
St Peter's is always ready to welcome everyone to come to our church.
Whether you're visiting to look around the church buildings or wanting to find a moment of
gentle peace and solace in the busy week - we are here for you.
Maybe you are visiting for the first time, taking part in any of our social groups,
supporting one of our special events or perhaps you simply wish to explore your faith by attending
our weekly/monthly worship services - our church will always be here for you.
Whomever you are.
We do not discriminate.
Everyone will be shown understanding, compassion, and will be treated with respect.
Our welcome is here for everyone.
Prayers of Love and Faith
On 12 December, the House of Bishops commended the Prayers of Love and Faith and associated pastoral guidance for use in regular public worship services with effect from Sunday, 17 December 2023.
The Prayers of Love and Faith are offered as resources in praying with and for a same-sex couple who love one another and who wish to give thanks for and mark that love in faith before God.
To celebrate in God’s presence the commitment two people have made to each other is an occasion for rejoicing.
The texts are offered to express thanksgiving and hope, with prayer that those who are dedicating their life together to God may grow in faith, love and service as God’s blessing rests upon them.
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(Taken from the Church of England website - for more information, please visit their page HERE
Inclusive Church
St Peter's has been part of the Inclusive Church Network since July 2021.
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A network of churches, groups and individuals uniting together around a shared vision; seeking greater inclusion and accessibility for all.
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The work includes focus on
Disability, Ethnicity, Gender, Poverty, Sexuality, and Mental Health
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Inclusive Church is a registered charity; to find out more about them and their aims, please visit their website for full details
You can also sign up with them to receive their Newsletters - visit their page on their website to do so
Our Inclusive Church
We strive to make sure that everyone will feel welcome and be able to fully engage and take part in the services and events at St Peter's.
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Listening to the needs of our congregation and suggestions received by them, and our visitors - we have already taken many steps to make our church a welcoming and accessible place for all
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We offer large print copies of the services and hymn books at each service.
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St Peter's has an assistive listening system (T-loop) in our church which is designed to improve sound clarity for individuals with hearing loss and our sound system has recently been upgraded for audio and microphone clarity improvement​
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There is now a children's area in the main church (Nave) - equipped by Rev'd Josh - offering fidget toys, colouring pages, word puzzles and more, so that children who accompany adults at church services, have an area which they can go to for stimulating engagement.
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Communion Café is our monthly café style worship service which includes the Eucharist. It was an initiative of Revd Sue Smith and designed for older members of our parish to continue to be part of the family of St Peter's. The services are held each month in Cornerstone (the rooms next door to the church) and we remain seated throughout the service, which enables people with mobility requirements, the chance to engage fully in a relaxed and comfortable setting.​​​​​​
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Cornerstone (our church rooms) are equipped with accessible, large toilets - one of the toilets also has assistance rails, accessible hand dryers and a baby changing station.​
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Many of our church officers, PCC, and volunteers have a wealth of practical life experience and additional awareness training in areas such as Alzheimer's disease, dementia, dignity, equality, inclusion, neurodiversity, adult health and social care, and many skills that can be utilised during their voluntary service to the church and all of it's visitors