August 2026 - E-Magazine
- Aug 4
- 7 min read
Please click below for a printable copy of the magazine:
Services throughout the Parish
Sunday 2nd August 9th Sunday of Trinity Isaiah 55.1–5 Psalm 145.8–9, 15–22 Romans 9.1–5 Matthew 14.13–21
St Mary 8.15am Communion 10.30am All-Age Worship 6.30pm 630 Praise St Nix 9.30am Communion St James 11.00am Communion St Peter 6.30pm Evensong
Sunday 9th August 10th SundaSt Peter’s, Wapley, will be open during the day for people to visit. 10am - 1pm and 2pm - 3pm with a historical display and a tour around the Church. y of Trinity 1 Kings 19.9–18 Psalm 85.8–13 Romans 10.5–15 Matthew 14.22–33
St Mary 8.15am Communion 10.30am Morning Worship St Nix 9.30am Morning Worship St James 11.00am Morning Worship St Peter 6.30pm Evensong
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Sunday 16th August 11th Sunday of Trinity Isaiah 56.1, 6–8 Psalm 67 Romans 11.1–2a, 29–32 Matthew 15.10–28
St Mary 8.15am Communion 10.30am Morning Worship 6.30pm 630 Praise St Nix 9.30am Communion St James 11.00am Communion St Peter 6.30pm Evensong
Sunday 23rd August 12th Sunday of Trinity Isaiah 51.1–6 Psalm 138 Romans 12.1–8 Matthew 16.13–20
St Mary 8.15am Communion 10.30am Communion St Nix 9.30am Morning Worship St James 11.00am Morning Worship St Peter 6.30pm Holy Communion
Sunday 30th August 13th Sunday of Trinity Jeremiah 15.15–21 Psalm 26.1–8 Romans 12.9–end Matthew 16.21–end
St Peter’s 10.30am Parish Communion
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Services throughout the Parish
Sunday 6th September 14th Sunday of Trinity Ezekiel 33.7–11 Psalm 119.33–40 Romans 13.8–end Matthew 18.15–20
St Mary 8.15am Communion 10.30am All-Age Worship 6.30pm 630 Praise
St Nix 10.00am Morning Worship
St James 11.00am Communion
St Peter 6.30pm Evensong
Sunday 13th September 15th Sunday of Trinity Genesis 50.15–21 Psalm 103.1–13 Romans 14.1–12 Matthew 18.21–35
St Mary 8.15am Communion 10.30am Communion
St Nix 10.00am Morning Worship
St James 11.00am Morning Worship
St Peter 6.30pm Evensong
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Sunday 20th September 16th Sunday of Trinity Jonah 3.10 – end of 4 Psalm 145.1–8 Philippians 1.21–end Matthew 20.1–16
St Mary 8.15am Communion 10.30am Morning Worship 6.30pm 630 Praise
St Nix 10.00am Communion
St James 11.00am Communion
St Peter 6.30pm Evensong
Sunday 27th September 17th Sunday of Trinity Ezekiel 18.1–4, 25–end Psalm 25.1–8 Philippians 2.1–13 Matthew 21.23–32
St Mary 8.15am Communion 10.30am Communion
St Nix 10.00am All Age Worship
St James 11.00am Morning Worship
St Peter 6.30pm Holy Communion
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Getting Out of the Boat
One of the key parts of being a Christian is to find ways in which we can build the kingdom of God in the places that we live. The way in which we do this is firstly to discover the gifts that God has given us and then look for opportunities to use these gifts not only in the church but also out in the community. This is by no means an easy task. Therefore, in this article, I look at the scripture of Jesus and Peter walking on the water which is found in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 14. As we look at these scriptures may they inspire us to be brave and to trust in God as we seek to build up his Kingdom in Yate.
The scripture begins with Jesus feeding the five thousand. After this miracle takes place Jesus instructs the disciples to get in a boat and go on ahead of him while he dismisses the crowd. Once he has dismissed the crowd, Jesus goes up the mountainside to pray by himself. By the time Jesus returns from the mountainside, the boat which the disciples are in has already gone a considerable distance from the land. Shortly before dawn, Jesus goes to the disciples walking on the water. The disciples are shocked when they see him. What follows is an interesting chain of events which I believe speaks to us today about following Jesus and building the kingdom of God.
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” These words of Peter show a disciple that is amazed by what he is seeing. He recognises that Jesus is operating above the natural laws of nature by walking on water. Peter desires to do the same so he calls out to Jesus. Over my first couple of weeks in Yate, I see the desire in our four churches to grow. I also see the calling out to Jesus in prayer. Our first “Alive” evening took place at St Nix and it was an evening of prayer for our churches and for the new things we want to do out in our community. It was encouraging and inspiring to see people gathering together with a desire to grow and a calling out to Jesus to make things happen.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. Following Jesus and using our gifts to build |
the kingdom often requires us to come out of our comfort zones. Similarly, walking on the water required Peter to come out of the comfort of the boat and try something he had never tried before. Peter risked failure and embarrassment, but he still got out of the boat. When we try to discover our gifts and then use them, we too risk possible failure and embarrassment, but these are worldly terms. I believe that in the kingdom of Heaven there is no such thing as failure or embarrassment. God is proud of us as soon as we wake up in the morning therefore may we find the bravery to step out of our comfort zones and not allow fear to hold us back.
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” As we look to grow our churches in Yate, we will no doubt face many challenges along the way. In the above scriptures concerning Peter, we learn a valuable lesson. Peter becomes overwhelmed by the emotion of fear because he takes his focus off Jesus and onto his surroundings. There are many negative things that we can choose to focus on as we go along our faith journey. On the other side of the coin, there are many things that are positive that we can focus on. One of those positives is simply the fact that God will never leave us or forsake us. What we spend time focusing on is what we will eventually give power to in our lives.
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” These final lines of scripture in Matthew 14 fill me with comfort. As Peter began to sink, Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. In anything we do whether it is in church, in the community or in our own homes, Jesus is always with us. As we prepare to enter into a new phase for our churches, the future looks exciting. May we know in our hearts that Jesus is always with us and may God fill our hearts with bravery and joy as we do his work in Yate.
Regan. |
Recital at St James Church, Westerleigh Wednesday 23rd September at 7.30
The Oriana Singers will be in Westerleigh on 23rd September to perform a wide-ranging repertoire including traditional British folk songs, madrigals, spirituals and sacred music.
Pay on the door - £12 per person, which includes refreshments in the interval. All proceeds will go to our organ restoration fund. Please call Michaela on 07974 094449 to reserve your seat. |
POT NOODLE CHALLENGE! Mothers’ Union 150th Year 150 ways in 150 days!
Mothers’ Union Yate are attempting to collect 150 Pot Noodles for our friends the Blonde Angels to distribute to homeless people. (A simple hot meal when you have nothing)
Faith in action!
Can you help? Add a Pot Noodle or 2 to your shopping? Can we do this by the end of 2026?
Members of all congregations in Yate Parish can join in this challenge, bring Pot Noodles to any Church where they will be collected and counted!
Thank you and God Bless you!
Enquiries or collection: |
August
Looking after wildlife in the heat. Times of drought and dryness can be dangerous for wildlife. Provide water for birds and insects - put a dish of water out to help wildlife stay hydrated. Insects, small mammals, birds, and even badgers, foxes, and deer could benefit. A stone in a plant saucer helps bees to perch and drink without drowning. These small actions make a big difference and are just some of the ways we can live out our calling to care for God’s creation.
See our blog on looking after wildlife in the heat for more warm weather eco tips at: arocha.org.uk/looking-afterwildlife-in-the-heat/.
September
The Season of Creation (1 September-4 October) is dedicated to God as the Creator and sustainer of all life. Join A Rocha UK’s Season of Creation prayer and reflection webinar on Wednesday 2 September to start this season with others.
During this period of the church calendar, many churches celebrate Harvest, thanking God for his provision through the land and the food that it produces. If you are part of a church or community, suggest that a service or gathering has a Season of Creation focus. Prayers, worship, teaching and the offering could focus on creation. Could there be an activity with a creation focus too?
Explore more Season of Creation resources at: |
The Mothers’ Union Meetings for 2026 are: - Our Mothers’ Union meetings start at 2pm; they all feature a short time of worship and finish with refreshments. New members and visitors are always welcome.
The dates for this year are:- Sat 8th August - 150 yrs Celebration Service at Bristol Cathedral Thurs 17th September - St Mary's - Chris Farrell Speaker Thurs 15th October - St Nix - Desert Island Discs/books Thurs 19th November - St Nix - 6 days reflection Thurs 17th December - St Mary's - Christmas Gathering
Contact: Jacky Fredrickson 07501670265 for more info. Website: muyate.org.uk
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Readings for Morning and Evening Prayer The Table below has the readings for Morning and Evening prayer. Prayer books are available from the Parish Office. |
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Faith and Fellowship on Fridays 10.00am–11.30am at St Nix
We are a mixed group of people from across the parish, from within church and without, all with a desire to learn more from Bible study and discussion. We share stories of our lives and our faith journey, whether just beginning or more well-travelled!! We laugh together and at times share a tear or two.
Prayer is important to us as we seek to actively live out our belief in Jesus among the people we are with every day. We readily welcome others to join us. |
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Weekly at St Mary’s
Thursday Communion at 10.00am
Compline @8pm
Before the lockdown happened, we had recorded the saying of Compline. We ask that each evening at 8pm we light a candle in our window and pray together for our nation using the words of the Compline service - it takes just over 5 minutes.
Visit the parish website and click on the recordings to listen; you will find the words of the service there too.
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