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News & Events
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Notice of Meeting for Election of ChurchwardensNotice of Meeting for Election of Churchwardens |
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St Peter and St Paul grace refurbished entrance to town church with Bishop's blessingThe Rt Revd Richard Atkinson, Bishop of Bedford will preside at a service at St Paul's during which he will bless and re-dedicate the refurbished North Porch entrance to the church and where the medieval statues of St Peter (identified by a key) and St Paul (identified by a sword) have been erected.The rare pre-Reformation medieval figures once stood in 'niches' outside the south porch - and at the time main entrance to St Paul's - but were moved in the mid 1970s when their condition was deteriorating, owing to pollution and age. They have since been beautifully conserved by Simon Swann Associates Ltd, Beccles. The North Porch has been cleaned and renovated, and the visitors' experience has been improved by the installation of new stone steps and wrought iron handrail leading down to new, glass doors. The statues of Peter and Paul have been mounted on elevated plinths and are lit by a partly glassed over roof and new lighting, to stunning effect. The Revd Canon Kevin Goss, vicar of St Paul's said: "The newly positioned statues of SS Peter and Paul now fulfil once more their important liturgical function of welcoming pilgrims and the faithful to the church. We are delighted that visitors can now enjoy this light enhancing entrance to our beautiful building and the quality of the stonemason's craftsmanship." The refurbishment and conservation work have been funded by the Dorothy Hilda Porter Trust for the long term repair and maintenance of St Paul's fabric. All are welcome to attend the service at St Paul's, Thursday 27 June, 7.30 pm, followed by refreshments. Please email the church office at admin@stpaulschurchbedford.org.uk or telephone 01234 340163 |
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Quality Craft Fair here this SaturdaySt Paul's is hosting the second of the Craft & Flea markets this Saturday, March 16th. The organisers invite customers to 'shop small, shop local' in an authentic twist on the traditional craft market, with a huge selection of products from illustrations to vintage bric-a-brac, jewellery, sustainable products to food, ceramics to candles and much more.The Craft & Flea markets are not the typical craft fair. Stalls are specially chosen for their high quality, on trend merchandise. Tickets can be purchased via Eventbrite in advance using this link: www.eventbrite.co.uk or can be purchased on the door at £2.50. Doors are open between 11.00am and 5.00pm. For more information please visit the Craft & Flea Facebook page at facebook.com/craftandflea or visit their website at www.thecraftandflea.com . |
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Warm Spaces"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me" (Matthew 25:35)During December, January and February, eighteen volunteers, from St Paul's as well as St Andrew's, Bedford, helped to welcome visitors to a Warm Room Cafe at St Paul's, in a joint venture between the two churches. Inspired by Jesus' words above from the parable of the sheep and the goats, and spurred on by the continuing cost of living and energy crisis, we started to make plans in the autumn for some sort of regular provision at St Paul's for vulnerable people during the winter months. As we planned, we were concerned that people might struggle to heat their homes this winter and also that some of those using the winter night shelter at The Kings Arms Project might have nowhere to go during the daytime in cold weather. Building on the experiences of successful warm rooms last winter at both St Paul's and St Andrew's, the 2023-24 St Paul's Warm Room cafe began to take shape. As it was, this winter has been relatively mild and most of the visitors to the warm room were not street sleeping homeless, and yet the project has fulfilled a vital need in the town centre and has been hugely valued by the many vulnerable guests we were able to welcome. During the course of the cafe it was not unusual to see 8 to 10 guests at any one time, probably upwards of 15 - 20 over the course of a week, many of whom became regulars. Visitors are greeted not just with a warm space but with a warm welcome, hot drinks, hot soup, ever popular pot noodles as well as an endless supply of biscuits - all for free thanks to generous donations. As the weeks have progressed, we got to know most of the regulars quite well, not just their names, but something of their life stories, many of them vulnerable through poverty, precarious housing and often poor mental and physical health, many suffering from loneliness and isolation. The volunteers listened, laughed, or sat in companionable silence, sharing company, sharing conversation and sharing friendship. The warmth of welcome, human kindness, and care being just as important as physical warmth in our warm space. Unfortunately it is not possible for the church to provide a dedicated warm space all year round, but we hope to be able to do something similar next winter. Do watch this space if you would like to volunteer. |
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 Pearly King & Queen celebrate the success of Festival 2023
 A packed Festival enjoying trees and performers
 Woburn Piano Trio at the Festival
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Biggest and BestKings & Queens of all sorts brought in the crowds that helped raise £23,500 for St Paul's church and the Bedford Hospital Charity & Friends at December's annual Christmas Tree Festival - beating last year's grand total by over £3,000!The funds will be divided equally between the two charities. Funds for the church are put towards its work of keeping the church open for worship and welcome and for its support of the vulnerable in Bedford. This year the Hospital's efforts are directed to upgrading a new CT scanner with very fast action to take dynamic X-Ray pictures of the heart's blood vessels, and thus save more lives. Margaret Oakley, Chair of the Festival commented: "This is the biggest and best ever! Putting together the Festival was only possible thanks to everyone who visited, performed, decorated trees, volunteered, donated raffle prizes and sponsored the Festival. The church building provided the magnificent historic setting. The atmosphere was truly wonderful." The Festival Committee has already announced that 'The Magic of Christmas' is to be the theme for this year's event which will run from 4 - 8th December 2024. New volunteers are being invited to join the 200 or so required to arrange the festival and to manage the footfall of nearly 8000 people. |
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