2016-08 Cross and Keys FINAL - WordPress.comJake Oliver Neale, Kayleigh Skye Ede, Isaac James Moffat, Elly-Jane Burgess, Ava Louise Hardie, Ebonny Lee Mudford, Pippa Olive Mudford,

Cross and Keys Newsle/erSaint Peter’s Church, Anglican Parish of East Maitland Aug>st 2016

Saint Peter’s Church, William StEeet The Anglican Parish of East Maitland

SerFing the Communities of Ashtonfield, East Maitland, Four Mile Creek, Louth Park, Metford, PitKacree and Tenambit

Mailing: P. O. Box 662 East Maitland NSW 2323 Telephone: (02) 4934 5303 E-mail: office@east]aitlandanglican.org

Parish Website: www.east]aitlandanglican.org Wedding Website: www.hunterFalley^eddings.info

The Parish Office is normally open on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 am to 4 pm and is the first point of contact for all parish enquiries and bookings. If the office is unattended please leave a

message. The best way to make an enquiry about Baptisms or Weddings is through our websites.

Cover Photo: Bishop Greg Thompson teaching during the Patronal Festival Sung Mass Photo: Neville Foster

Holy Baptism We welcome all those who will be baptised into the Body of Christ at Saint Peter’s in August, and amongst them: Maddison Jean Hall, Harrison James Field, Kaden Ray Mclennan-Watson, Caprice Melanie Ann Crowe, Luna Harlow Amia Eckford, Jake Oliver Neale, Kayleigh Skye Ede, Isaac James Moffat, Elly-Jane Burgess, Ava Louise Hardie, Ebonny Lee Mudford, Pippa Olive Mudford, Finn Hunter Mudford, Harlow Mae Boehme, and Emily Mae Sainsbury.

Please pray for them and for their families.

Rest in Peace Please pray for the souls of all those who have died, and amongst them for those whose funerals were held in Church in recent weeks: Nancy Hickling, Marcia Adele Coote, Margaret Joyce Short, Arthur Hamson, Amber Jasmine Cahill and Trevor Phillip Dennis Pray too for all who mourn.

Holy MatEimony Please pray for those who will be married in the Church in August: Keiralee Sarapik and Sam Spencer (20th August), and Jessica Greatorex and Adam Banister (27th August).

Please pray for all who are preparing to be married in the coming months.

Welcome Information about our regular activities is available on our parish website and in our Welcome Booklet.

We have moved much of the regular information which was printed every month out of this newsletter and into the Welcome Booklet.

Please pick up your copy from the back of church.

Stained Glass Windows

Windows to Heaven Father David introduces our stained glass windows project

Stained glass windows are often described as ‘Windows to Heaven’. It is not hard to see how they brought alive stories from the Bible long before people had coloured images in books and on their television screens.

The stained glass windows in Saint Peter’s Church are extraordinarily beautiful, but they remain unfinished. The current yellow coloured glass high up in the clerestory windows was installed in the 1970s, where once it had been hoped stained glass windows would eventually be in place.

This year we are commencing an exciting project to bring some of these windows to completion. Our Bishop has approved the installation of two new groups of windows (through what is called a ‘Faculty’), and has agreed in principle that a further four groups can be installed, subject to his permission at a later time. The Heritage authorities have also given approval for the project.

This set of six groups of windows will eventually provide a visual history of former churches in our Parish. The first two groups will be Saint Luke’s Church at Buchanan, and Saint Barnabas’ Church in Victoria Street. Later groups will depict Saint Egwin’s Church at Tenambit, Saint Andrew’s Church at Largs, Saint Mark’s Church at Eastville and the original Saint Peter’s Church on our site. Each church will be grouped with its Patron Saint.

We are extremely fortunate to have secured the skilled expertise of Jeff Hamilton, who is working from his studio in Sydney to design and craft our new windows.

If you look around the windows in the Church you will see that they were all donated by various benefactors down through the years. This is generally how churches afford beautiful stained glass, and we have no other means to fund new window installations than through direct gifts.

Donors have already come forward to cover the costs of the first two groups of windows and we are now offering the invitation for others - both within and outside the Church community - to donate one of these windows either as an individual or as a group of donors. Donors have the opportunity to choose the memorial or thanksgiving text which will be included in the window, and which - we hope - will be in place for hundreds of years to come.

If you would be interested in discussing this further please don’t hesitate to speak with me or Kay Sharp for more information. We would love to be able to complete all six groups of windows!

Sketches of the designs of the first two groups of

windows

Diocese of Newcastle

Royal Commission Father David indicated prior to the commencement of the public hearings of the Royal Commission that he intended to call a Pastoral Meeting for all parishioners in early September to provide an opportunity for us to pray and discuss the hearings together.

It is clear as we go to print that the Royal Commission will continue its public hearings beyond the initial period of two weeks in August.

The Pastoral Meeting has therefore been postponed until the public hearings have been concluded. Further details will be provided in due course.

Please continue to pray for the work of the Royal Commission.

Please contact Fr David or one of the Ministry Staff Team if we can help you.

Church Wardens

Can you Help us? Do you have some spare time and consider yourself to be a bit of a handyman or woman? Perhaps DIY is a passion for you?

Well, you might like to consider using some of these skills to assist with the myriad of odd jobs which constantly arise around the Church, Hall, Ministry Centre and Rectory on our heritage site.

Kevin Short is our Site Manager and he has a very small team of wonderful people who assist with some of the carpentry, painting, and general fixing and this is much appreciated. However, we do need some more volunteers, so if you think you might be interested we would love to hear from you.

Please telephone the Parish Office on 4934 5303 and register your interest with Maryka. One of the Wardens will get back to you.

We would love to hear from you!

Saint Peter’s Emergency Relief

Winter Appeal Judy Cordwell reminds us about the Winter Appeal

Saint Peter’s Emergency Relief is seeking donations of blankets, rugs and warm clothing. Donations can be left in the boxes near the font at the back of the church.

We also need food items for winter including cans of soup, packets of pasta with sauce, instant noodles, rolled outs and tins of stew. Food donations can be left in the baskets at the back of church at our weekend Masses, or delivered to the Parish Office.

Thank you to all who support this valued and necessary ministry.

13th August Diocesan Convention with Canon Robin Greenwood at Bishop Tyrrell Anglican College

16th August Saint Egwin’s Fellowship at 12.30 pm at Nikoletas

17th August Resourcing Team at 7.30 pm

21st August Feast of Mary the Mother of God with Mothers' Union Procession of Banner and Choir at 9.30 am Sung Mass

21st August Friendship Lunch at 12 noon at the Bank Hotel

24th August Mens Fellowship Dinner at 6 pm in the Parish Hall

27th August Spring Fashion Parade at 1.30pm in the Parish Hall

4th September Feast of Saint Egwin with Choir at 9.30 am Sung Mass

11th September Sydney Men’s Shed Chorale Concert at 2 pm in the Church

13th September Morpeth Lecture with Professor Clifford Green at the Newcastle Conservatorium of Music

16th-18th September ReCreate Weekend at Camp Elim 18th September Feast of the Holy Cross with Guest Preacher Robert McLean (ABM) and Choir at 9.30 am Sung Mass

18th September Home Mission Lunch with Fr Peter and Marie Rothnie speaking about Outback and Remote Ministry at 12.30 pm in the Parish Hall

21st September Tenambit Residential Living meeting at 10.30 am in the Parish Hall

23rd September Welcome Reception at 6.30 pm in the Parish Hall

24th September Grandparents as Parents Support Group Garage Sale at 22 Bruce Street, East Maitland from 8 am.

28th September Mens Fellowship Dinner at 6 pm in the Parish Hall

4th October Two Bishop’s Dialogue at Saint Luke’s Church, Wallsend

16th October Friendship Lunch at 12 noon at the Bank Hotel

21st October Diocesan Synod Eucharist

22nd October Diocesan Synod

26th October Mens Fellowship Dinner at 6 pm in the Parish Hall

30th October Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving for those who have Died, at 6 pm

1st November Requiem Mass for the Souls of the Faithful Departed at 6 pm

20th November Parish Soup Lunch in the Parish Hall at 12.30 pm

23rd November Mens Fellowship Dinner at 6 pm in the Parish Hall

11th December Parish Christmas Party in the Rectory Grounds from 5 pm

16th December Carols on the Hill at 6 pm

21st December Parish Leaders’ Christmas Drinks at 7 pm, Rectory

Parish Diare

Visit our Website: www.east]aitlandanglican.org Latest News and Parish Diary + Watch Recent Sermons + Find out More about the Life of our Parish

Parishioners in Profile

John and Christine Butler John and Christine were in conversation with Jesse Poole

John and Christine Butler met through mutual friends in what they describe as ‘love at first sight’. Christine quipped when asked about first meeting John that her first thoughts were, ;he’s a bit of a dish!’ Christine was raised as one of six children in a fairly non-denominational family, worshipping and attending youth group at her local Presbyterian church. However, John, the only child of his Catholic father and Anglican mother grew up in a strongly religious family. Josephite educated, he spent much of his young adult life contemplating the tension in his vocation to ordained religious life as a Marist brother, and his vocation to marriage. That is until he met Christine.

Christine was Baptised, and Confirmed in the Roman Catholic Church before marrying John in their mid-twenties. John and Christine shared their gift of faith with their three children; daughter Lauren, and twins, Matthew and Damien, worshipping in the Roman Catholic Church. John and Christine share a love for special needs education, both having trained as teachers at Goulburn Teacher’s College and the University of Newcastle respectively. Christine and John have worked across schools in the Hunter, Christine as the Head of Support in her Secondary schools; and John worked with children with special needs in Primary schools. After fruitful careers, they retired in 2009 to enjoy life.

John spends his time riding his motorbike, an 1100cc Cruiser, keeping up to date with politics and news, and growing in faith through attending Men’s Fellowship and Man Talk here at Saint Peter’s, while Christine enjoys her time with their two granddaughters, gardening, and spending time with craft - Christine is an award winning quilter!They also share a love of travel, and have satisfied their wanderlust by globetrotting. North America, Vanuatu, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Tahiti, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Czech Republic are among just a few of the extensive list of countries that they have visited.

John and Christine have, in recent years, traveled to Vanuatu to celebrate their Ruby anniversary, and have been enjoying retired life on their property in Windella Downs. John started attending Saint Peter’s when he mentioned that he was looking for a men’s Bible study to nourish his faith to their good friend Yvonne Bell. John soon became an integral part of our Man Talk family on Monday evenings. Soon after, he brought Christine along, and they now worship together with us as on Sunday mornings at the 7.30 am Holy Eucharist. John and Christine said they were blown away by how friendly the people at Saint Peter’s were, and were “refreshed by the preaching and the way the community shares in the Gospel.”

The Ministry Staff Team and members of the congregation are so pleased to welcome John and Christine amongst us, and wish them all the best as we journey together in faith.

Welcoming

Welcome Reception Friday 23rd September at 6.30 pm

Saint Peter’s is a place that many people visit. Some people come just once, some stay for a while at a time when it is helpful for them on their journey, others join us and become a part of our life. This is the nature of being a Parish Church.

Every person who joins the Saint Peter’s Community changes us. All those who have joined us in recent months are changing us and we are grateful for them!

We want to thank those who have joined us over the last year, and we want to have the opportunity to give you some more information about the life of our Parish, and for us to get to know each other better.

We will be holding a Welcome Reception on Friday 23rd September at 6.30 pm in the Parish Hall for those who have joined us in the last year and their families (children welcome!).

There is also a warm welcome for anyone else to join us who has been around for a while but would like to find out more about how the Church works and what we do. Please plan to be with us!

Some of those who have recently made the commitment to become members of the Parish: Vivien, Racheal, Darcy, Suzanne, Gwen and Alan

Family MinistEies

ReCreate 16th - 18th September

Bookings are being taken for ReCreate 3 right now! Join the fun in this families weekend on the weekend at Camp Elim.

ReCreate3 is a fantastic camp for all Anglican Families in the diocese and promises to be a great weekend of worship, learning, activities and fun!

With activities for young children, teenagers, childcare for babies and toddlers, and workshops for parents, this is an opportunity to have fun and grow together as a family!

Please contact Elizabeth for more information.

Grandparents as Parents

Garage Sale 24th September, 8 am - 3 pm

Our friends at Pine Tree Grandparents as Parents Support Group are holding a garage sale on 24th September at 22 Bruce Street, East Maitland.

There will be plenty for sale: bric-a-brac, toys, CDs, records, DVDs, books, clothes and more! There will be a sausage sizzle all day, and over 12 really great prizes to be won in the raffle including a weekend away at the Resort Hotel in Nelson Bay. Tickets are $2 each, or 3 for $5. The raffle will be drawn by Councillor Bob Geoghegan at midday at the garage sale.

To buy tickets to enter the raffle, or if you have any items to donate for the Garage Sale, please contact Peter Mullins on 0402 390 754. Please support our local GAPs group.

Mission ParhKerships

Save Your Stamps! Thank you to everyone who has saved stamps for the Anglican Board of Mission. They provide a source of income that helps to support our mission partnerships.

Please continue to help by saving stamps and placing them in the box in the cabinet at the back of the Church. This is a simple way that can bring joy and help to others somewhere in the world. Remember to ask your family and friends to save used stamps for you. We can also take stamp collections that people no longer require. For further information please contact Lyn Bellamy.

Anglican Care

Tenambit Retirement Living Wednesday 21st September at 10.30 am

Our long-held dream of having an Anglican residential retirement community in the Parish on Collinson Street is about to take its next step forward…

Come along and hear about the exciting new plans for Anglican Care Northwood Retirement Living, 16-22 Collinson Street, Tenambit. Timings for Stage 2 of the project, brochures and information regarding pricing will be available for parishioners attending the meeting on Wednesday, 21 September 2016 at 10.30am in the Parish Hall.

Please sign up on the sheet at the back of church, or for more information contact Kylie Jacques at Anglican Care directly on 4958 0095 or [email protected].

Fundraising Group

Spring Fashion Show Saturday 27th August at 1.30 pm

With the change of seasons fast approaching, now is the time to plan to join us for our next fashion show.

The Saint Peter’s Fundraising Group in partnership with Donna Lou Fashions will have a flurry of colourful outfits on display and for purchase. Tickets are $15 and include a tempting Afternoon Tea.

To reserve your seat contact Judi Moore on 4930 0888 or add your name to the list at the back of the Church.

Parish Council

New Parish Councillor: Stephen Booker We are delighted that Stephen Booker has agreed to be appointed as a member of the Parish Council to fill a vacancy that has arisen since the last Annual General Meeting.

Stephen is our Heritage Architect and has become a regular worshipper and member of the congregations over the last months.

We are grateful to Stephen for being willing to share his gifts and skills with us. We will introduce him in more detail in a future issue of Cross and Keys.

Stewardship

Living out the Five Marks of Mission Peter Kirsop continues his series of stewardship reflections on the Five Marks of Mission

So far I have tried to show that our ideas are upside down; instead of asking if something is value for money we should be using money for what we value; I have written about the Five Marks of Mission of the Anglican Communion and some ways in which our Church community is trying to show those Five Marks in what we do.

But now I am changing course. Instead of giving examples of the Five Marks or of what the Saint Peter’s community is doing; I am now asking you what your particular mission is.

A personal mission is not exactly threatening; we often hear people describe another person as being “on a mission”. By that they normally mean the person is a little single minded. We do not need to be single minded. We - you and I - can develop our own mission in our day to day lives. Our mission can grow from what excites us, from our interests. Think for a moment about the things that you like to do…

Do you like gardening? The Saint Peter’s gardens need work -and so do those of elderly or sick parishioners. For that matter so do public gardens. Imagine for a moment what people might think if a group of keen gardeners from our Church community cleaned up a park: perhaps the group might do a letter box drop first inviting neighbours to help and putting on a sausage sizzle.

Do you like cooking?  There is always spaces on the Sunday morning hospitality roster, our family ministries always need help in the kichen, and their are more opportunities for parish meals together. And we already have a food bank offering frozen meals stored for people when they need then to which many of us could contribute.

Do you like chatting with people? Why not visit some sick friends or some lonely people or one of the retirement villages.

There is lots more: think about what excites you, what do you enjoy doing and then think about how you can do those things in and for God's Church and his people. Then think about what others say that you are good at, what particular skills you have -they may be work related, they may be a hobby. But whatever they are, again think about how you can do those things in and for God's church and his people.

When you have done that and put your thoughts into actions you may very well find that you have carried out the first two marks of mission - preaching the Gospel and serving others. Yes preaching, because the best sermon is a lived Christian life - one of the oldest comments from a non Christian was “see how these Christians love one another”. Putting that love into action wins people to Christ.

Living out the Five Marks of Mission - Continued

And when you are doing that thinking, listen for what others say; particularly the parish leaders. I did when our Parish Priest asked me to write these articles. They are not something that I thought of myself. And I did again when he asked me to lead a small group and to speak at the welcome and thank you events. These are some of the things I would have never thought of doing - I did not think I had the right skills. (For that matter I still don’t!) - but they are things that others pushed me to do.

And then think about what in this world makes you angry - is it something our Government does or does not do? If so, then get together with some friends and seek to change that, and you will be working toward the Fourth Mark of Mission.

Mission all begins with you and me. That's what stewardship is about.

Mission ParhKerships

Home Mission Lunch Sunday 18th September Lyn Bellamy invites us to participate in the next Mission Lunch

Each year we hold two mission lunches to raise funds and awareness about our mission partnerships. Earlier in the year we welcomed Bishop Garry Weatherill to speak to us about our overseas partnerships through the Anglican Board of Mission.

The weekend of 17th and 18th September will be our second mission weekend. We look forward to welcoming back Robert McLean (from the Anglican Board of Mission who has previously spoken at a Mission Lunch) who will be our preacher at Masses that weekend, and our mission lunch will focus on the work of the Church in remote and outback areas of Australia.

Our mission lunch will be held in the Parish Hall on Sunday 18th September 2016 beginning at 12.30 pm. The cost will be $25 per person with all proceeds going to the mission agencies that we support within and beyond Australia. Our speakers at the lunch will be Father Peter and Marie Rothnie who will be speaking about their work and experiences as they travelled in Western Australia. There is a sign up sheet at the rear of the Church. Please be sure to put your name down.

It would be appreciated if you could pay before 18th September. You can pay at the Parish Office or by enclosing your money in an envelope, clearly marked “Mission Lunch” with your name on it and placing it in the collection plate.

Please also remember to bring your pink Mission Pig money boxes in for emptying. This money will be added to the funds that we can pass on to our mission partners.

We look forward to seeing you on 18th September. Remember that your family and friends will be made most welcome, so please feel free to invite them to be part of this lunch.

Discipleship

The JourKey to Confir]ation Lauren Amos reflects on her experience of joining our Church and receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation

I grew up in a typical 'Christian family'. I went to church with my mother, grandmother and little sister every month or so at a Lutheran church in Newcastle. This was just what we did for as long as I could remember. I always remember thinking that this was 'my church', and yet people always seemed a bit surprised when we showed up on Sundays. Like they weren't expecting us to be there.

When I was going to university, I met some Anglicans there. I started going to their dinners and events and learnt (my lack of knowledge to this point is embarrassing) that Jesus could forgive sins. Up until this time, I didn't really believe that I could go to heaven because I had sinned. I also got involved with a non-denominational Bible study group which was very important in my faith journey.

I started coming to St Peter's Church for the 9.30 and Sung Mass with my mother, and soon enough my dad and sister started coming too. We had been attending for just half a year when the Bishop was going to come to Confirm people. Through prayer and talking with others, I decided that I would like to be Confirmed during the Bishop’s visit.

It was a bit scary, but also very beautiful during the Confirmation. It was my chance to publicly promise to live as a disciple of Christ for the rest of my life. No going back. Sometimes it is hard to live like this, but we are given the Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and he makes it much better.

Discipleship

Men Talking about the Beatit>des Jesse Poole invite us to join him

Man Talk, our programme for men exploring their faith commences again in August!

In our last block of meetings we spent time reflecting on a few of the heroes of the faith: Saint Barnabas, and what it means to be a 'man of encouragement'; Saint Antony of Padua, and how our religious experiences fit into the practical application of our faith; Saint Peter, and the teaching of the apostles, and how we can continue to be the rock upon which Jesus built the Church; and Saint Francis, meditating on being instruments of God's peace, and on quotations from Francis' writings.

In our next block of evenings we will be focusing on the, the Beatitudes, beginning on Monday 15th August and we would like to encourage men of any age interested in learning more about their faith, or getting to know other Christian men to join us. Man Talk continues to meet at Saint Egwin's House on the Church site on Mondays Aug 15th, Aug 22th, Aug 29th, Sept 5th from 7pm.

Discipleship

Esther Communite Elizabeth Brown updates us on our women’s discipleship group

Our women’s discipleship group, Esther Community has been meeting for almost two years now, and it has grown a lot in that time into a blossoming community, seeking to connect with each other as we get to know God more!

We chose the name ‘Esther’ for our group, as we were inspired by the example of Esther in the Bible – someone that felt under qualified for the task ahead of her, but the very person that God used to protect His people, in the words of her uncle, “And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

We take the example of Esther as something that gives us courage and direction, and helps us know that even if we feel like we don’t have what it takes, God gives us the direction and the strength we need.

Over the past few weeks, we have been going through the study ‘Woman of God’, which looks at the different characteristics of God (Father, Comforter, Husband, Creator, Saviour, King) and the different ways that we can relate to these different aspects of who He is.

We are a welcoming group that is always excited by visitors, whether it’s checking out the group on Monday evenings, or by coming to one of our women’s dinners, held on different nights in each month.

We will also be holding semi-regular ladies’ events, similar to our jewellery afternoon in June, whether it be movie nights, or day trips, keep an eye out for future notices.If you would like to be informed about upcoming dinners, or to find out about the group please contact Elizabeth.

Welcoming

Tr>di and Nicole We are so pleased to welcome into our Parish family Trudi Manning and Nicole Van Shaik.

Trudi and Nicole live together with two of their friends at Songbird Homes. Songbird Homes provides sustainable residential supported accommodation for people with disabilities allowing them to live in their local community.

Trudi and Nicole enjoy spending time with friends, cooking, doing arts and crafts, coming to church, and are currently building an extensive vegetable garden in their backyard. Trudi and Nicole began worshipping with us at Saint Peter's a few months ago, and have been with us every Sunday ever since. We are grateful to Nicole and Trudi and their support workers for the continued gift of their presence among us.

Discipleship

Reflections on a Rule of Life Deacon Wendy reflects on patterns for living as disciples

Most people associate a Rule of Life with members of a Religious Order. This is because the idea of a Rule of Life was first developed in Christian monastic communities, and indeed, monasteries and convents today still function under a Rule. It says ‘this is who we are, this is our story’; and it reminds us of those things God has put on our hearts, calling us back to our foundations. The best-known of which is that of St Benedict, dating from the 6th century.

Monastic stability is based on accountability to the Rule of Life; it serves as a framework for freedom – not as a set of rules that restrict or deny life, but as a way of living out our vocation alone or together. It is rooted in Scripture, pointing always to Christ; and, in the words of Saint Benedict, it is ‘simply a handbook to make the very radical demands of the gospel a practical reality in daily life’.

I have a Rule of Life as part of my Franciscan calling and Fr David lives under the Rule of the Brotherhood of Saint Gregory to which he has made a commitment for the rest of his life.

Why do we need a Rule?

Just as we all have habits and routines that make our daily lives flow that much easier and so we have a balance of work, leisure and social, so a Rule of Life enables us to adopt a chosen daily pattern of life helping us on our faith journey to focus and refocus on God.

Hence a Rule of Life is not only relevant to the monastic tradition but can be used by anyone who is concerned about how they live their lives. The principles provide markers and guidelines, inspired by the Spirit, to help them on their journey towards God. It becomes ‘an exterior framework for our interior journey’, a kind of scaffolding to use to build the spiritual structure of our individual life with God. It provides creative boundaries and spiritual disciplines whilst still leaving plenty of room for growth, development and flexibility.

It can be as simple as saying a prayer or two each morning before you start your day, or setting aside time each week to reread the readings and pray the prayers from the weekly newsletter to an in-depth one which might include saying morning and evening prayer each day as well as personal prayers, attending as many Eucharist per week as possible, self-denial(putting God first) attending a retreat or quiet day each year, study of the scriptures, service for God, sharing of your gifts and having a spiritual advisor. I am not saying that all these areas must be covered but these areas do help to bring us closer to God.

Another habit or routine we can adopt can be reflecting on the day’s activities to see where and when God has been with us. It might be an answer to a prayer, strength in a certain situation, clear vision of what to do, times when we have given God praise and thanksgiving or times when we were just aware of God’s presence.

A Rule of Life is a very personal thing and can change as your life changes. I am in the process of rewriting my Rule of Life for my Franciscan life. My life has changed quite a lot since I wrote the Rule I am following at the moment. By writing your Rule down helps to keep you focus on God and your Spiritual life. It also helps you to see if you have a balance spiritual life. Just as we need a balance life to live healthily so we need a balance spiritual life that brings close to God.

Mothers’ Union

Mare Sumner Judy Redden reminds us of the importance of the founder of the Mothers’ Union

Tuesday 9th August is Mary Sumner Day. Mary Sumner, the wife of an Anglican clergyman, was the founder of the Mothers’ Union. With three children back in the 1850s in England, Mary found motherhood a difficult task. In 1876 she devised a plan, quite radical in its day, to call together women of all social classes to support one another and to see motherhood as a profession as important as that of men, if not more so.

From her first nervous meetings in the Rectory where she encouraged women to pray, to be good examples to their children and to uphold the sanctity of home life, Mary went on to address a Diocesan Conference and the National Church Congress, and in 1885 the Mothers’ Union became an Anglican Diocesan Organisation.

Today, 140 years later, the Mothers’ Union is a global movement with over 4.1 million members. It is a powerful force, speaking to governments about such issues as gender equality and the rights of the child, and working towards the education and empowerment of women and the protection of children.

All members of the Mothers’ Union are invited to join the procession behind their banner at the Sung Mass on Feast of Mary the Mother of God, Sunday 21st August at 9.30 am as we celebrate the work of the Mothers’ Union.

The Sydney Mens’ Shed Chorale, led by Musical Director, Keiren Brandt Sawdy, a graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, will bring together the powerful choral performance of this 25 strong group with the legendary acoustics of the beautiful heritage

Sydney Men’s Shed Chorale

$20 per person (includes Wine & Cheese) - tickets can be purchased at the door or can be pre-booked by phone to 4934 5303 or email office@eastmaitland anglican.org

Sunday 11th September 2016 - 2.00pm St Peter’s Anglican Church

William Street, East Maitland

Parish MinistEe Staff Team …we are here to help you

Father David John Battrick BSG Parish Priest & Team Leader, Archdeacon for [email protected]: 0400 686 514

Father Peter Rothnie Associate Priest & Director of Pastoral [email protected] Mobile: 0438 413 007

Elizabeth Brown Parish Families’ [email protected] Mobile: 0422 101 448

Deacon Wendy Brack TSSF Chaplain to Nursing Homes& Community Outreach Ministries & Co-ordinator of Home Communions [email protected] Mobile: 0409 045 202

Luisa Battrick Parish Community Development [email protected] Mobile: 0429 855 293

Maryka Gibson Parish Office Administrator & Personal Assistant to the Parish [email protected] Parish Office Telephone: (02) 4934 5303

Jesse Poole Parish Ministry Apprentice [email protected] Mobile: 0413 261 377

Parish Pastoral Workers Yvonne [email protected] Telephone: (02) 4930 7546

Judy Cordwell [email protected] Telephone: (02) 4933 3273

Richard [email protected] Telephone: (02) 4932 0445

Dawn [email protected] Telephone: (02) 4933 3136

Parish Leaders Lyn Bellamy Parish Mission Giving Secretary [email protected] Mobile: 0414 012 060

Yvonne Hinde Parish Councillor & Parish Treasurer [email protected] Mobile: 0417 727 098

Peter Kirsop Parish Councillor, Legal Advisor, & Co-ordinator of Stewardship [email protected] Telephone: (02) 4933 6407

Anne Page Church Warden, Work Health & Safety Officer & Co-ordinator of Church Flowers [email protected] Mobile: 0421 310 938

Canon Wilf Redden Associate Priest [email protected] Telephone: (02) 4934 8130

Geoffrey Seccombe Parish Councillor & Chair of Resourcing Team [email protected] Telephone: (02) 4933 1294

Kay Sharp AM Church Warden, Chair of Wardens’ & Treasurer’s Meeting, & Director of Strategic Development [email protected] Mobile: 0418 790 706

Evanne Sherringham Director of Music [email protected] Mobile: 0413 603 614

Kevin Short Church Warden & Site Manager [email protected] Mobile: 0409 362 097

Terry Thomson Head of Saint Peter’s Guild of Servers & Sacristan [email protected] Telephone: (02) 4934 2745

Parish Office For General Enquiries & Site Bookings [email protected]: (02) 4934 5303