St Neots Parish Church - St Mary the Virgin

Schools' Concert

Sat, 03 May 2008 14:58:20 -0400

Following the work at the singing workshop last week, primary school children from Eynesbury, Bushmead, Gt Paxton

Fr Paul's Sermon for Easter 6

Thu, 01 May 2008 13:08:09 -0400

It always seems to me that the time that a parish spends in vacancy, the months that elapse between the departure of one vicar and the arrival of a new one, is a bit like waiting for the arrival of a new baby. I’m sure that you know what I mean. There is that sense of anticipation, and perhaps excitement, mingled with a certain nervousness because you know that whatever the outcome, life isn’t going to be quite the same as it used to be. There are the obvious uncertainties of course: what is the new arrival going to be like? Will he or she be a model child, or will they be one of those little horrors who are always throwing their toys out of the pram? Will we really like him? Will he really like us? Those of us who are parents or grandparents know that, while we love them dearly and deeply, babies are hard work. They arrive knowing absolutely nothing, they are totally dependant on us for everything at first, and they’re very likely to make a nasty mess on the floor at any moment. I must say that I feel a bit like a baby in that situation at the moment. Like a baby, I’m rapidly taking in information, getting to grips with new names, new faces and new ways of doing familiar things. As far as St Neots is concerned, I know a bit of course, but I need to be spoon-fed a lot of information, and fortunately I’m getting it courtesy of Margaret and Roger and Velda amongst others. Babies begin a steep learning curve the moment they’re born, and that is also true, I can tell you, of new vicars! Well, we can push this analogy too far of course, but I think that in anticipating the arrival of a new priest there is often an apprehensiveness very akin to what we feel when we await a new arrival in the family, knowing that there is the likelihood of change, knowing that some allowances may have to be made but knowing too I hope, that there will be a lot of mutual love and care as we begin to bond together and form the relationships of love in Christ that will sustain and nurture us as we continue our journey together as God’s Church, God’s people in this place.

Fr Paul on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 09:30:57 -0400

Fr Paul was interviewed on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire this morning, where he talked about coming to St Neots and gave details of the upcoming Ascensiontide Arts & Music Festival.

Listen to his interview here - just press play:

Children's music workshop

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 16:26:25 -0400

The church was full of song this afternoon with our second children’s music workshop, in preparation for next week’s Schools’ Co

Welcome Fr Paul!

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 02:10:48 -0400

The church was packed last night for Paul’s licensing service. The Bishop of Ely led the service, assisted by the Archdeacon, the Rural Dean and a host of others.

Licensing of Fr Paul

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 10:16:46 -0500

The Bishop of Ely will have much pleasure in licensing the Reverend Dr Paul Andrews as Priest-in-Charge of the benefice of St Mary, St Neots on 22nd April 2008, 7.30pm, at St Mary the Virgin, St Neots

Fr Paul introduces himself

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 15:59:30 -0500

There’s always a very strange and in a sense slightly surreal aspect to the time between the announcement of the appointment of a new parish priest, and its fulfilment in the service of institution that takes place a few months later. How appropriate then, that the announcement of my appointment should take place in the Church’s season of Advent with its emphasis on watching and waiting for something momentous to happen! That of course is for the not-so-distant future. In the meantime I’m delighted to be able to have this opportunity to say a little bit about myself, and what has brought me to this point in life and ministry.

New minister announced

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 09:26:05 -0500

It was announced today that the Revd Dr Paul Andrews will be the next priest-in-charge of St Neots.

Fr Paul is currently a team vicar in the Ouzel Valley Team Ministry in Leighton Buzzard, Beds.

Update on the interregnum

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 06:47:50 -0500

Last Thursday a number of candidates were interviewed for the position of priest-in-charge of St Neots. Following interviews, one name has been proposed to the Bishop for the position. The candidate,

Badgers and Hedgehogs

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 04:06:48 -0400

Yesterday we held a singing workshop for children from local schools.

The event was the brainchild of our organist and choirmaster Lloyd Barnett who taught the children two choral pieces: Benjamin Britten’s

Farewell to Fr Roger

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 06:59:05 -0400

Last Sunday after Evensong we said farewell to Father Roger, who has retired after 12 busy years in St Neots. He and his family are moving to Wells-next-the-Sea.

Was the Samaritan merely foolish?

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 06:39:08 -0400

“The word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.” The story of the Good Samaritan is one of the most widely known gospel stories and its message, widely approved, comes almost into the category of the flippin’ obvious. Does it really justify our belief in our Lord as a supreme moral teacher that he says something as obvious as this: that we should stop and help anyone in need whatever his or her origin. It is the basis of all moral thinking.

Sacred Texts

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 06:35:36 -0400

I’ve just been to London to see an exhibition of old copies of the bible. There was a copy of the gospels dating from around the year 250 AD and a whole New Testament from around 350, still perfectly legible – for those who can read Greek – and in the same words as in my Greek bible at home. Most fascinating of all, however, was a small fragment from an unknown gospel. The text tells mostly the same stories as in the gospels in our bibles but includes two stories which are not in our bibles at all. It is dated somewhere between 100 and 150 AD.

Eating together

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 06:32:55 -0400

On an ancient manuscript it apparently says ‘ All the world’s mad: children won’t obey their parents and everyone wants to write a book.’ Children have certainly been a problem for ever. The current form that the problem takes is apparently teenagers with nothing to do getting up to mischief. (I seem to remember doing this fifty years ago.)

Sermons in glass

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 08:06:15 -0400

Every day here the Bible is read, morning and evening. Sometimes it seems remote, even barbaric. Sometimes though it speaks with an immense power such that it makes men weep as they read it. That is the common experience of those for whom it is the substance of their praying. It doesn’t happen always, as I said, but occasionally, it hits the reader between the eyes.