Shaw Church

Welcome

We are the Church of England parish of St Mary’s Shaw cum Donnington – just to the north and east of Newbury.

Our purpose and focus is Knowing Jesus, Sharing God’s Love, Caring for People.
You can read more about it here.

We meet every Sunday at 10am, as well as at other times during the week.
Everyone is welcome to join us.

Word for the Week

• Fishing for People24 January 2025
  I have never been fishing before in my entire life (well, maybe for crabs at the seaside once or twice with the Boys’ Brigade when I was little). But our reading this Sunday (Luke 5:1-11) uses it as a major metaphor for what the Church is here for. The Apostles were sent out to fish for people i.e. to preach the Gospel and bring them into the Church. So part of what makes the church ‘apostolic’ today is that it continues their mission.

  The miracle Jesus performs seems to promise that this mission will be blessed with abundant success – the nets are full to bursting, the boats are almost sinking from the weight. Certainly, the Apostles could have hardly imagined a world where more than a billion people follow Jesus. But the passage also acknowledges that there will be times when it seems as though we have worked for all night and caught nothing. In either situation, Peter shows us the way; we must trust in Jesus word and keep on fishing.

  Ed