The Baptism of Christ – Our Response

Approaching God.  You spoke, O Lord, over the deep at creation; you roared, God of Glory in the waters of the flood; you thundered, Mighty God, from the clouds on the mountain: your voice, O Lord, is powerful, your voice is full of majesty; all your people cry “Glory!”

Presenting Myself.  With the heavenly beings I ascribe to you, O Lord, glory and strength, I ascribe to you the glory of your name; before your holy splendour, O Lord, I worship you.

Inviting God’s Presence.  As you spoke to your beloved Son at his baptism, let me hear your voice this day; as the heavens opened to reveal your descending Spirit, open my eyes to your heavenly glory.  Amen

In focusing this week on the baptism of the Lord, this ‘anointing’ of the Christ, the Messiah, we have an opportunity to rehearse our own baptismal identity as beloved children of God who have received His very spirit.

Janette (adapted from Bobby Gross)   

07h30 & 09h30 - Holy Communion

Genesis 1:1-5

Psalm 29

Romans 8:14-17

Mark 1:4-11

19h00 - Holy Communion

Mark 1:4-11

Thursday Service - 09h30 - Holy Communion ~

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

A Prayer for the New year

Come, Holy Spirit,
Spirit of the Risen Christ, be with us today and always.
Be our Light, our Guide, and our Comforter
Be our Strength, our Courage, and our Sanctifier.
May this new year be a time of deep spiritual growth for us,
A time of welcoming your graces and gifts,
A time for forgiving freely and unconditionally,
A time for growing in virtue and goodness.

Come, Holy Spirit,
Be with us today and always. Amen

Family Cross

This week's families (8 January):

07h30 Joy Powell

09h30 Shaldon, Lin, Malachai and Mika Kopman

18h00 Vanessa Dedlow

Next week's families (15 January):

07h30      Ian & Lorraine Prodehl 

09h30      John Zoe, Sontae & Tyrall Kotzee

18h00      Andrew, Nicole & Hadassah Franks

The following week's families (22 January):

07h30      Greg & Claire Read

09h30      Themba & Allistar Kunene

18h00      David Fridjhon 

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! AND the Lectionary readings for January will be available on the Website under Home Groups and at the back of the church from Wednesday next week.

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.

Parish Consultation – 14 January 2012

All members of St Luke’s are invited to a parish consultation in the Lighthouse Hall between 09h00 and 12h00 on Saturday
14 January.

Some important decisions regarding the life of the Parish will be discussed.

This consultation is very important in the life of St Luke’s. Please make every effort to attend, but, more importantly, please pray for it.

‘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 !! 

Please Note:

The play will start at 19h00 sharp.  Please make sure that you are seated BEFORE that time! 

Spaces limited.

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

Dates to Diarise

14 Jan   Parish Consultation

28 Jan  The Rabbi @ 19h00

5 Feb   Vestry Service @ 08h30

12 Feb  Eco Services (morning)

19 Feb  Baptisms @ 09h30 (applications closing this week)

22 Feb  Ash Wednesday (services at 06h30 and 19h00)

25 Feb  Saul & David: A Study in Contrasts –+Duncan  (a SAINTS presentation—but open to all)

3 Mar  Lenten Quiet Morning led by Sue Tinsley

Service to God

How are YOU serving God?

‘We have many parts in the one body, and all these parts have different functions. In the same way, though we are many, we are one body in union with Christ, and we are all joined to each other as different parts of one body. So we are to use our different gifts in accordance with the grace that God has given us.’   Romans 12:4-6a (GNT)

There are many ways that you can serve God here, and the more people who come forward—the ‘lighter the load’. 

For Sunday services, we NEED projectionists (training provided), welcomers, sidespeople, hospitality (tea), as well as readers and prayers (for which training will be provided), Sacristans.

At YPC (youth and kids) we need leaders, teachers and other helpers.

For the Newsletter and the Website, we also need people to ‘report’ on functions they attend here—or other interesting events they may attend—or have you read a good book that could be shared? 

Do you have a skill or a talent in DIY ‘stuff’?

Please contact the office 011-728-7015 

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 (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 (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 (chrisjanb [at] mweb [dot] co [dot] za) 082 949 4590 or Shirley shirley [at] stluke [dot] co [dot] za (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 (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 (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

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.

Please note:

Press on will NOT be open on Monday 26 December or Monday 2 January. They WILL be open on Wednesday 28 December and Wednesday January 4.

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.