St Luke’s Uniting Church Highton

Microsoft Word - Dec 6.docxSt Luke’s Uniting Church Highton 174 Barrabool Road, Highton
Ph. 5244 2997
Web: www.hightonstlukes.unitingchurch.org au
__________________________________________________________________
Minister: Rev. Tony Johnson (Joncevski) Phone 0421 331 894 Email: tjohnson@christologia.net
DUTY ROSTER DECEMBER 13, 2015
CLEANING M. & E. BAUM USHERS D. & J. JACKSON
M. BAIRD, P. GILL
READER M. ROBERTSON CAR DRIVING C. MANKS
J. & V. ENGLAND
ORGAN M. JOHN
SHARING THE JOURNEY: Noel Patchett will lead this segment of worship for
December. If you would like to promote an activity or share with the
congregation, contact him on 5241 9782.
If you have a need that you would like the Prayer Link to pray
for, please fill in a request form found in the pew and place
into the gold box in the prayer corner or email Jean Williams
at bijl.williams@gmail.com or phone Beth on 5243 6874.
ST. LUKE’S WHEELS: During December, Christine Ash will take all
‘first calls’. Her phone number is 5244-1473. Please ring Christine
if you require transport to Medical or Pastoral appointments.
Please give 2 DAYS NOTICE
CHRISTMAS CARDS:
A variety of Christmas Cards have been ordered from Share, The Leprosy Mission
and the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Details of their availability will be advised
shortly. If you would like more information, please speak with Jenny D’Altera.
EVERYTHING IN COMMON GIFT CARDS
Everything in Common Gift cards are available for purchase in the hall during
morning tea. Varying prices. Buy that special gift for the person who has
everything.
SERVICES NEXT WEEK THURSDAY 2.00 pm Midweek Service SUNDAY: 9.30 am Rev. T. Johnson _________________________________________________________________
LECTIONARY READINGS: DECEMBER 13, 2015 Zephaniah 3:14-20; Isaiah 12: 2-6;
Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:7-18. ___________________________________________________________________
BUDGET: $1830 Y.T.D. $86386 ________________________________________________________________
THIS WEEK’S DIARY: Mon Dec 7 10.00am English Class 5.30 pm English Class 7.00 pm Geelong Chorale Bella Mama 7.30 pm Mission Outreach Ministry Team Tue Dec 8 9.30 am Men’s Shed 5.00 pm Weight Watchers Wed 9 6.30 pm Welsh Ladies Choir Thurs 10 9.00 am Let’s Make Music 9.30 am Men’s Shed 4.00 pm Choir 4.30 pm Youth Choir Fri 11 9.30 am Let’s Make Music Sat 12 2.00 pm Sudanese Ladies Night Sun 13 12.30 pm Youth Choir
Church Office Hours: Wed - 10am to 12pm, Thurs – 10am to 12pm, Fri – 10am to 12pm
ADVENT BANNERS: Have you noticed a new set of banners going up on the west
wall of the church? They are a set of six Advent banners made by a group of St.
Luke’s ladies in 2000/01.
We thank Phil Phelan for removing and storing the “Passion in Pictures” banners
and erecting the six Advent banners in the coming weeks.
KINDER CHILDREN SINGING 2015.
On Wednesday 9th December at 9.30 am, members of the congregation are
invited to visit with the children at St. Luke’s kinder to listen to them singing their
little Christmas songs. If you are interested in sharing in this concert please see
Pam for details
funerals, musical afternoons and fellowship events that take
place at St. Luke’s.
At present we require help, pre and post these randomly
occurring events, to set up and pack up tables and chairs.
If you think you might be available to help please contact Pam on 5243 9575 or
see on Sunday morning. For this Pastoral opportunity to continue we need
support.
THE CHORAL ADVENT 9.30 AM SERVICE ON SUNDAY 13TH DECEMBER will
include the recent cantata Suddenly an Angel . . . written for and sung by St.
Luke’s Choir. This choral work follows the story of Jesus’ birth.
Set to music by Malcolm John, it includes solos and choruses, as well as well-
known songs and hymns sung by the congregation. Do bring a friend or two
along.
Noel! Noel! is a Christmas Concert presented by Geelong’s acclaimed Windfire
Chamber Choir, directed by Rick Prakhoff on Friday 18th December 8.00 pm. This
takes place at The Basilica of St.Mary of the Angels, 136 Yarra Street, Geelong. It
will include Haydn’s beautiful St.Nicholas Mass by Joseph Haydn, with soloists, as
well as the Geelong Youth Choir (who practice here in St.Luke’s on Thursdays),
and a new work for choir & soloists by Malcolm John. Tickets at the door $30 &
$25. School students are Free.
WORLD VISION CHILD SPONSORSHIP.
The open bowl appeal to support our World Vision child – Chalermpon Inrana -
during November raised $274.70
A cheque for $576.00, being the invoiced amount for continuation of the
sponsorship will be sent to World Vision this week.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this appeal.
YOUR FINAL CHOICE’: Hastening your death when terminally ill – eight questions
to ask yourself.
Kenneth Ralph is well known to us, having previously been a Minister in
Placement here at St Luke’s. Kenneth is a well-respected therapist and trained in
philosophy at Otago, in religion at Princeton USA and in psychotherapy in
Melbourne.
Kenneth’s book ‘Your Final Choice’ is about death control when terminally ill. It
is an invitation to have a decisive say in how the drama of our last days is played
out. When afflicted with a painful and terminal illness do we have to live as long
as we can or is there an alternative: Live only for as long as we determine for
ourselves?
The book describes the options available to us when death is near. And it
presents eight pastoral/ethical questions that can help us decide for ourselves
the manner or even the timing of our death.
Kenneth’s book is available for sale at $23.00 and can be purchased from Rae
Anderson at our trading table.
INFORMATION BOOKLET.
St. Luke’s offers many opportunities for members of the
Congregation to be part of a small group. A list of these
groups, along with their contact people can be found on the
notice board outside the Vestry on the West Wall.
Also available is an Information Booklet which, along with
additional information about each of these groups contains details of our Mission
& Vision statements, Bedrock Convictions and Core Values, plus details of office
opening hours, web page address and Church Council and Ministry Team
Convenors.
If you would like a copy of this booklet please see Des or contact Pam on 5243
9575. Limited copies are available on the desk outside the vestry under the small
group listing board.
CHRISTMAS MID-WEEK WORSHIP.
We invite you to join us in the Fellowship Room on December 10th
for our final mid-week service for 2015.
Those attending are invited to bring along a small gift or an item of
non-perishable food for distribution through Uniting Care.
The service commences at 2 pm and is followed by afternoon tea.
Our services take place on the 2nd Thursday of the month (except in January) and
are open to everyone who enjoys the more traditional style of service.
Family and friends are welcome to share in this Christmas service.
For details contact Pam on 5243 9575.
DUTY ROSTERS: The number of people currently available for roster duty has been reduced and it is necessary for “repeat performances” to be carried out. The pamphlet listing out the duties which are necessary to have our facility operating efficiently is on the table in the foyer. To have rosters done for the New Year it would be appreciated if we could get more new volunteers to lighten the load on those already volunteering. The completed forms can be left in the offering plate.
CLIMATE ACTION MARCH
FRIDAY 27TH NOV 2015
The atmosphere was electric. People jumping up and down to the drum beats,
talking excitedly to those near them, exchanging stories of who they were and
where they were from.
We were at the front of the march amongst an eclectic mix of Christians,
Buddhists and other religions. Many people remarking on how great it was that
we had come ALL the way from Geelong!!
We held the St Luke’s banner high as we marched with thousands of like-minded
people; all concerned with the changes in the climate and urging the world’s
leaders at the Paris Summit, (Nov 30 – Dec 11,) to put into action, the changes
required to keep below 2 degrees rise in the temperature of our planet.
Some of the noteworthy slogans on the banners were:-
It was very encouraging to see so many people coming together for the sake of
wanting to save the earth from overheating, destroying plants, animals and us
through overconsumption and corporate greed. If the world’s temperatures rise
more than 2 degrees, more low lying countries will be flooded. People will lose
more of their food crops and their homes. Coastal cities will be flooded including
parts of Melbourne.
We must keep the temperature of our world under a 2 degrees rise. Let us look
deep into our hearts – are we looking out for each other, are we looking after
God’s creation?
Jean Daw and Claire Ziegler (in Melbourne, getting ready for the march).
Uniting Church in Australia Commission for Mission Justice and International
Mission
Micah Challenge and those who support Helping to Make Poverty History, will be glad to read that progress has been made in order to
eradicate world poverty. The following extract comes from JUSTACT our
UCA Mission Unit – Nov Edition:
ENDING EXTREME POVERTY …The World Bank has estimated the number of
people living in extreme Poverty (below $2.60 a day), will drop to below 10% of
the world population in 2015. This builds on the work Governments have done
over the last 25 years in tackling poverty through actions like increasing access
to education, clean water, immunisation, and midwives to assist women to give
birth safely. Most of these actions have been funded by developing country
governments raising their own tax revenue. In 1990 1.9 billion people lived in
extreme poverty. In 2012, this had dropped to 902 million people and now in
2015 it is down to 702 million. These targeted government actions show that
poverty is a problem that can be solved, what is needed is the political will to
make it happen. Take a prayerful moment, or longer, today to reflect on
‘Helping to Make Poverty History.’ The Justice and International Mission (JIM) Unit exists to provide resources and to engage and educate others about issues of social justice
(Rae Anderson – for St Luke’s Micah Challenge)
TREKKIE/PRAYER GATHERINGS RECESS.
Friday Trekkies, New Generation Trekkies and the Prayer Gatherings will be in
recess until February 2016.
Weekly prayer requests can still be submitted by email to Jean Williams or via
the cards in the pews.
For more details contact Tony on 0421 331 894.
BLUE CHRISTMAS SERVICE
Pastoral Connections invite you to share in a service of remembrance and hope
for those who are hurting. The reflection will be held at St. Luke’s on Wednesday
16th December at 7 pm.
This service is open to the family and friends of those who have lost someone
close to them, missed sharing a special anniversary or birthday, had a separation
or divorce in the family, or perhaps having recently lost a job.
The service will be held in the Fellowship Room and will be followed by supper.
For more details contact Pam on 5243 9575.