Reverend Rachel Harrison
66, Aske Road
Redcar
Tel: 01642 490700
Email:

Welcome to the website of St Peter’s Church in Redcar.  We hope that you will discover all you need to know from the information here but the best way to get to know a church is by visiting. Whether you choose to pop in one lunchtime for a time of quiet and to light a candle; or if you would like to come along to one of the services, please be assured that there will be a warm welcome awaiting you.

I believe that as Christians we need lots of opportunity to join together to worship God, explore the bible and learn about our faith whilst sharing in social activities, providing a place to build relationships and friendships. This is what church is for and throughout a year St Peter’s offers all of those opportunities.

We also take very seriously our commitment to care for the community and the wider world. Locally we support the Churches Together Foodbank and there are regular events to raise money for charity.

 You are welcome to come along at any time.

                                                                           Rachel

A LETTER FOR APRIL

Vicar’s Letter

Some years ago, our daughter worked in Romania and we took a trip to visit her there. It was soon after Easter and we were given some beautifully decorated hens eggs. We learned that traditionally these
eggs would be decorated during the dark days of winter. Ordinary eggs are blown and then
through a process of adding wax, dying, removing wax and adding more in different places

and dying again, intricate patterns are gradually built up on the egg shells to produce beautiful designs. Each one will be slightly different because they are hand crafted although to the casual admirer, they may look the same. These eggs are not just for Easter but can be found throughout the year in Romania.

It occurred to me that we humans are a bit like those eggs, all looking the same but on closer inspection all are slightly different. Our bodies will all be similar but depending on our experiences of life, who we are will differ. Times of joy and sadness, accomplishment and failure will shape us and mould us into the people we are now, resulting in us carrying our own individual pattern that develops over time.
During the time of Lent we are encouraged to look to ourselves, to the patterns we have developed, to see if we can identify areas that might need some attention. Maybe we have got into a bad habit over something or failed to live up to a promise we made. Perhaps we have neglected to spend time in prayer and contemplation or have read the bible less often than usual. Whatever it is that needs attention will probably only be known to you and can be put right in the run up to Easter. And just imagine on that joyful Easter Day if you feel that your pattern has been put straight then you will truly be able to praise God and shout out alleluias for the risen Christ.
Easter Day is always a wonderful day of celebration and knowing ourselves forgiven and brought back to God, we can join in the celebrations even more robustly, praising God for the gift of His resurrected Son Jesus. But Easter is not just for one day of the year, it’s for every day and every week of the year because Jesus came to die for us but rising in great triumph to take our sins away and to restore our patterns to their former glory.
Of course, due to the coronavirus, this Easter Day will be different for us all. At church there will be no early morning Easter fire or shared breakfast, no singing of ‘Thine be the Glory’ and glorious shouting of ‘Alleluia, He is Risen’, no Easter egg hunt for the children; and at home no wonderful family gatherings around a loaded dinner table and with chocolate in many forms. So, the question is, will it still be Easter? Well yes. The commemoration of Easter is about our Lord’s rising from the tomb and defying death. It’s about the recognition that God’s own Son has brought to completion the task entrusted to him by his Father, and the lack of chocolate eggs will not change what happened over 2000 years ago.
On this Easter Day I pray that you will be completely encompassed by the joy of knowing that Jesus has risen and is alive, and in knowing yourself loved and forgiven by our Heavenly Father. I pray that you will not be so overwhelmed by the effects of coronavirus that you forget to celebrate the risen Lord within your home and your heart. And I pray that you will carry that joy within you for the coming year.

With Easter Blessings Your friend and Vicar Rachel