Preparation in Action

Today is the Third Sunday in Advent. The overall theme of Advent is preparation, and on the first Sunday we looked at Our Preparation (commitment to God). Last Sunday we looked at God's Preparation (comfort). Today we look at Preparation in Action.

It is clear from the Isaiah reading today that Jesus began the ministry prophesied for Him after He had been anointed by the Holy Spirit. Once equipped in this way He began His work of healing and restoration of God's people.

And this is the challenge for us too: to commit ourselves individually to serve and follow Christ; then to seek the power of the Holy Spirit; and finally to reach out to others, to participate in God's work of healing and restoration in this world

David   

07h30 & 09h30 - Holy Communion ~ God's preparation   

Isaiah 61:1-4; 8-11

Psalm 45:1-7

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

John 1:6-8, 19-28

18h00 - Holy Communion ~ God's preparation  

Isaiah 61:1-4; 8-11

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Thursday Service - 09h30 - Holy Communion ~ What's in a Name?

Prayer for Africa

God bless Africa
Guard our children
Guide our leaders
And give us peace
For Jesus Christ's sake.
Amen  

Prayer for our Country and the World

• Wisdom for our leaders, especially President Jacob Zuma, and all those in government. 
• Teachers-that they will be faithful to the responsibilities they have to the children in their schools, and
• All people, pedestrians and drivers, who use our roads to be responsible
• For police men and women, especially for those who are Christians, for them to be strengthened & uplifted by the Holy Spirit.
• For us to be responsible stewards of the world God has given us
• Safety for all matrics going on Matric vacation

Prayers for this Christmas Season       

• God's protection on all our parishioners using the roads-whether travelling on holiday or just driving around the area

• A responsibility regarding spending

• Us to be aware of lonely people, and to let them know that they are loved and appreciated

• People to remember, and make proper arrangements for their pets if they go away

• The SAPS,  especially at this time of year-for patience wisdom and the ability to cope with all emergencies and problems 

• People not to be distracted by all the hype and commercialism-but to remember that Jesus is the reason for the season!

Prayer for the week:

Lord, you are so willing to teach me how to listen.  May I be willing to have my ears opened. Help me to listen to those who cross my path today, and give me a desire for them to be helped towards greater wholeness.  Amen   (Trevor Hudson).

Family Cross

This week's families (11 Dec):

07h30      Stuart & Daphne Payne

09h30      Elijah, Khushu and Mopedi Koloti

18h00      Margaret Dalgleish

First week in the new year(8 Jan):

07h30      Joy Powell

09h30      Shaldon, Lin, Malachai and Mika Kopman

18h00      Vanessa Dedlow 

Sermon Notes:

for Home Groups or for personal reflection on the website (under Home Groups) or from the office

Lectionaries

available from the office at R 16 each.  Please let Richard know if you would like one!

Coming up    

Prayer and Quiet Time ~ Monday evenings ~ 18h00 to 19h00

David will lead an hour of prayer and quiet reflection for our parish to be led and guided by the Holy Spirit in the ongoing renewal of our lives and our parish.

All welcome-please join us.    

Salvation Army

15 piece band playing Christmas carols at The Lamp Post on Tuesday 13th December 7-8pm. Hot chocolate, mince pies, all donations to the work of the Army. Please support this opportunity for neighbourhood outreach with the message of Christmas. Cnr Grant and Ivy (parking in Ivy offstreet secure)

Supper from 6pm - woolies chicken, home salads, drinks R40 per head please book 011 728 6388 with Ethel.

Buckets for Rose of Sharon

For those that would like to support the Rose of Sharon Christmas Outreach, please take a bucket from the back of the Church.

The Outreach covers Dhovo, Tshikuyu and Bent Mutali in Limpopo and Kliptown and Paddavlei in Gauteng.  There are no other missionary groups who work in these areas, and the buckets are given to the elderly and destitute.

Please return the filled buckets by  Sunday 11 December

Christmas Carol Service ~ 18 December

We are looking for singers and instrumentalists to take part in the Christmas Carol Service on Sunday 18th Dec at 7pm.  There will be two rehearsals: Wed 14th December from 7-8.30pm and Sat 17th Dec from 2 - 5pm.  ANYONE who would like to make a joyful noise to the Lord is welcome.  Please let the office know if you are interested so that music copies can be made.

Children's Christmas Service

16h00 on 24 December

We need adults (men!!) to help with our ‘Treasure Hunt' and a teenager or two to read.  Please contact Shirley if your would like to be part of the service

‘The Rabbi' a play about Paul

written by Philip Goble and performed by Eckard Rabe

Sat 28 January '12 @ 19h00  at St. Luke's Hall

Entrance free BUT booking essential to reserve your seat !!

Spaces limited.

Call 011-728-7015 or email shirley [at] stluke [dot] co [dot] za

eco thought

"The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, the world, and all those who live in it."

Psalm 24:1

News from the Portfolios

Communication and Outreach Portfolio

Have you had an Encounter with God?

Have you had an Encounter with God that would inspire and encourage others?

Then PLEASE share it with us!

Email your article to shirley [at] stluke [dot] co [dot] za or drop it in the "Office" box at the back of the church.

Parish Care: 

We are looking for more volunteers for Parish Care activities such as :

• Providing transport to carry people who can't otherwise attend Morning service at St. Luke's each Thursday or to take someone, needing assistance, to visit a friend in hospital
• Visits to people who may be ill in hospital or to read to, or just take an interest in, old folk resident at Pioneer House, for example
• Providing meals
• We are looking for limited, part-time involvement of a regular nature.

More about this will be written in the parish December Newsletter. In the meantime,  please look out for people distributing / collecting forms we would ask you to complete if you are willing to help as you leave the church at the end of the service today and again next week. 

David Legg

Name Tags

If you have a name tag, then please wear it so that we can greet you by name!  It also saves us making embarrassing blupses or having to ask your name after chatting to you for months J

If you don't have a name tag then you aren't yet on the Parish Roll.  Therefore, you aren't getting our communications and you are missing out on invitations to fun events! 

To order your name tag, please complete a Parish Roll Information Form, available from the Church Office, one of our Welcomers or on our website.  Please email it to the office (office [at] stluke [dot] co [dot] za) or place it in the "office" box at the back of the Church.

The Office Staff will arrange a name tag for you and leave it in the rack at the back of the Church.

Welcomers Wanted for all Services!

Do you like people? 

Are you warm and outgoing? 

Then we need you!

We are looking for Welcomers to greet people, help them find their name tag and welcome Visitors and Newcomers into the Church at the Services on Sundays and, occasionally, at other Events.

If you would like to be part of this important Team, please contact Chris Botha chrisjanb [at] mweb [dot] co [dot] za  082 949 4590 or Shirley  shirley [at] stluke [dot] co [dot] za  011 728 7015

We need

REPORTERS and PHOTOGRAPHERS to report back on the events and activities of our Church, capture the real life stories of the fascinating people in our congregation, etc.

Can you help?    Or do you know someone who could?  We'd love to hear from you!

Please contact Shirley in the Office (011 728 7015  editor [at] stluke [dot] co [dot] za (mailto:editor [at] stluke [dot] co [dot] za)) or Heather (082 417 6350
hdalgleish [at] groupfive [dot] co [dot] za).

St Luke's News

We are looking for articles for our Newsletters!!

• Do you have something you would like to share with others at St. Luke's?
• Have you read an interesting Christian book that you could do a review on?
• Do you know of someone at St. Luke's who is doing something in the community that needs to be shared?
• Do you have an interesting snippet about St. Luke's that you could tell us about?

Please email shirley [at] stluke [dot] co [dot] za with your contribution.  Deadline for the newsletter is the  last Wednesday of each month.

St. Luke's on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Community-of-St-Lukes-Anglican-ChurchOrchards/218935631465047

Other      

Congratulations

to Dr. Mary Hoffe, who has qualified as a fully fledged Doctor, and all the best for Pietermaritzburg where she will do her internship.

  

PRESS-ON  Ironing Service every Monday and Wednesday

As many are aware, Press-On is an initiative started to give work to unemployed people.  The ladies ‘employed' by Press-On rely on the money they make on a Monday and a Wednesday - and that money is dependant on the amount of laundry brought in to be ironed.  At the moment they have very little work and are therefore not earning much money.  If you know of any potential customers-please tell them about Press-On - 

» Drop off washed and dried laundry on Monday mornings between 07h30 and 10h00

» R 15 per kilo

» Collect (usually) the same day, either at lunch time or at 16h30.

Our New Driveway

Please note that this is a One Way system-and the gate will open and close automatically and will allow one car out at a time.  Please do not try and go out the way you came in.

Special occasions - Celebration Cross

If you have a special occasion:  a birthday, an anniversary or some other event and would like special prayer during the service, and to receive the Celebration Cross.  Please speak to one of the clergy in the office during the week preceding the occasion and he will make provision for it in the service.

Errors and Omissions

We have recently changed over to a new data base for our Parish Roll and a number of errors have popped up.  If we leave out your birthday or anniversary-or have the wrong dates-please let someone in the office know so that we can correct them.

Contacting the office . .

Please let us know if you are ill or going in to hospital, or if you are aware of this in someone else.  Please do not assume that we know, sometimes we don't.  We would rather be told more than once than find out afterwards.

Anglicare at St. Luke's

St Luke's has trained counsellors available to meet with you if you need to talk to someone about anything that might be troubling you.  There is no charge for this service and complete confidentiality is guaranteed.

Stroke-Aid Clinic

Thursdays 10:00-12:00

Paterson Park Recreation Centre

Call Sandra 011-728-2292

Alcoholics Anonymous

at St. Luke's every Tuesday @ 19h30 in The Lighthouse

All Welcome

Tough Love

at St. Luke's every Tuesday at 18h45 in the Parish Centre

All Welcome

Overeaters Anonymous

at St. Luke's every Tuesday @ 19h30 in the Crawford Centre

All Welcome.