Saturday, May 16, 2015

Service details for 17th May and Church notices.

Ascension Sunday, May 17th
Morning Prayer 11:15am

Service leader – David Roche 
Worship Leader – Jonathan Acker
Preacher – Dr. Peter Ford
Readings     Acts 1: 1-11     1 Corinthians 15:3-8    John 16:5-16

Collect
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that as we believe your only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into the heavens, so we in heart and mind may also ascend and with him continually dwell; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Ascension Sunday
Last Thursday was Ascension Day, when many church traditions (including Anglican) celebrated the moment when Jesus made his final dramatic departure from his disciples. A special service was held here at All Saints Church, but since many would not have been able to attend, we are remembering the Ascension of Christ today. This event tends to be overshadowed by the two major holy days on either side of it, Easter and Pentecost (to be celebrated next Sunday). Our Scripture passages and reflection will focus on how Ascension Day fits in the church calendar, its meaning for the disciples, and its importance for the life and witness of the church today. Jesus may no longer be present with us physically, but the events surrounding his Ascension remind us that he is very present with us spiritually!


Notices

"Amazing Grace" Choir practice after Morning Worship today, preparing for performance next Sunday. All welcome.

Next Sunday: Bring and Share International Pot Luck Lunch after Morning Service. Sign up with Ruth and let her know what delicious treat you are bringing to share!!


All welcome for Refreshments downstairs after Worship.

Friday, May 08, 2015

Service details for Sunday 10th May, and Church notices.

Sunday 10th May 2015
Fifth Sunday after Easter
 11:15am Morning Praise
Service Leader: David Roche, Worship Leader: Andrea Smith
Preacher: Kristi Lonheim

Youth Group and Young Church will leave after the first set of songs.

Readings: Psalm 98   Acts 10:44-48     John 15:9-17

Collect
Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life: raise us, who trust in him, from the death of sin, to the life of righteousness, that we may seek those things which are above, where he reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit.

This week we are delving into John 15:9 -17 and what is means to have true and complete love and joy - to be chosen as Jesus’ friend.

ENORMOUS Thanks to our Youth Leaders, Guest Speakers and helpers for making Youth Camp last weekend such a HUGE success!! Please ask anyone from Youth Group to tell you all about it!

The Kitchen Club: Next class Thursday 14th May 10:30am—1:30pm Come and learn to cook traditional Lebanese family meals while we slice, dice, CHAT and eat!! All ages welcome, bring babies, kids, teens and grandma. Please see Ruth or Amy for details.

Date for your diaries: International Bring & Share Lunch Sunday 24th May after Morning Service. Please bring sweet or savoury dishes to share, see  Ruth or Kathryn to sign up. Strong folks please see John Stiefel if you can help with setting up of tables, chairs, and gazeboes before the service.

Would you like to be more involved at All Saints? Please see Ruth to sign up for  Welcome(includes handing out Bibles and Pew Sheets), readings, communion assistants, and offertory counters during May, June, July and August.

CALLING ALL SINGERS!  On 24th May (Pentecost Sunday) we are going to do a choral performance of Amazing Grace.
We will meet for 2 practices: this Sunday 10th, and 17th May directly after the church service (around 12.30-1pm). I’d love to include hearing a line of the song in as many different languages as possible!
Please join us if you can – all ages welcome!
Amy x


All are welcome for refreshments downstairs after the service.

Friday, May 01, 2015

Service details for Sunday 3rd May 2015 and Church Notices.

Sunday, 3rd May 2015
Fifth Sunday after Easter
11:15am Holy Communion
Officiating Communion: Rev Imad Zoorob
Service Leader & Preacher David Roche,
Worship Leaders: Jonathan Acker & Kristi Lonheim

Young Church will leave after the first hymn and continue downstairs.

Readings: Acts 8:26-40  Psalm 22:25-31   John 15:1-8

Collect
Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ have overcome death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: grant that, as by your grace going before us you put into our minds good desires, so by your continual help we may bring them to good effect; through Jesus Christ our risen Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Resurrection Fruit
In this Easter season we have studied the blessing of Unity (Psalm 133), and on the day of our AGM we considered our calling to care for each other as brothers and sisters in Christ, and to live in a way that blesses those outside our faith community (ACTS 3). The local church is the hope of the world (Bill Hybels). Today our focus is on the encounter between Philip and the Ethiopian; the fruit of remaining in Christ (John 15) leads to the fruit of telling others about Christ (Acts 8). Philip was obedient to share the good news about Jesus and invested time with the Ethiopian, who represents those who are geographically and ethnically far away. In Christ there is no discrimination and all are welcome! Although we are not all ‘evangelists’, we are all called to live out the gospel and bear resurrection fruit in the way we behave and speak. Scripture is clear, where opportunity arises, we should make the most of telling others the most important news anyone will ever hear. Who will you tell this week?

A huge “Thank you” to everyone who gave so generously to last week's Special Offering. We gave $765 to the  Assyrian Refugees via NEST. 
Thanks also to everyone who made the Jumble Sale such a success (especially Dorothy!), we raised $230 for the Relief Fund.

All are welcome to join us for Refreshments downstairs after the service.