“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven

over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons

who do not need to repent.”

(Luke 15:7)

This week, the sections of the email are:

• Opening reflection: God’s Joy!
• This Sunday: Luke 14:15-24
• Key notices: The Bible Course, Ride and Stride, Ladies Tea Party, Myriad Taster Event
• Coming Up: Heritage Open Days, Dare to Pray, The Harvest Appeal, The Birth of St. George’s, Men’s Night, Male Voice Choir
• Interesting Blogs: Immigration, The Old Testament Prophets
• Weekly Calendar
• Online Forms

Scroll on…

Opening Reflection

What makes you happy? What causes you real joy? When do you celebrate?

I have recently been reading a book about Artificial Intelligence and its recent developments. Interestingly, those developing Artificial Intelligence learnt a lot from human psychology, how we think and how our brains develop. Psychology has shown that what sparks feelings of happiness, is not being in a good situation, but discovering that your situation has improved.

This fits with the emotions of joy that Jesus describes in the parable of the lost sheep and lost coin. In the story of the lost coin, the woman who has ten silver coins loses one. She becomes £100’s poorer. So, she searches frantically for the coin and when she finds it her situation suddenly improves. She has suddenly regained £100s! Her joy is so great she throws a party.

Jesus applies this human psychological principle to God. God cares deeply about the condition of our souls and feels poorer when we, who are created in his image, go our own way and live life without reference to him. In a real sense we are lost to God.

But, when the situation changes, when people turn back to him and choose to live as belonging to him (the Bible calls this repentance), then Jesus says God is supremely happy. There is rejoicing in heaven.

If we love God, then we should want to make God happy. How do we do that? By encouraging others who are lost to God, to turn back to him.

Paul Worledge

This Sunday

God’s Joy (Luke 15:1-10)

This week is a baptism service, with all the normal children’s groups running. Continuing our series on the stories Jesus tells, we will be looking at the parables of the lost sheep and lost coin.

Key Notices:

The Bible Course – Not too late to Join!

We have had a great start to the Bible Course with 26 on Monday and another 20 on Thursday lunchtime. If you missed the first week, it is not too late to join, and it is easy to catch up with videos you miss through the Bible Course hub. So do join us either on Monday nights, 7:30-9:00pm in St. Luke’s Hall or Thursday’s 11:30am-1pm in St. Luke’s church.

Ride and Stride – Saturday 13^th September- Urgent!

We still need people to man the church during the day this Saturday to welcome those taking part. If you can sit in church for an hour or two on 13^th, then please email James: office@churchramsgate.org by Friday morning. We need someone from 10am to 11am and people in the afternoon slots.

Ladies Afternoon Tea Party

The recent tea party organised by Claire Pay and hosted by Beth Patterson raised £181 for Breast Cancer Research. Thank you to everyone who attended and for the tea and cakes!

Myriad Taster Event

Part of our Vision 2030 is to create new worshipping communities. One way that could happen is through the support of Myriad, which trains small teams of lay people to start small new worshipping communities. If you are interested in finding more about this, then there will be an online taster event for Myriad in Canterbury on either Thursday 25^th September or Tuesday 30^th September from 7:30-8:30pm. Please see Paul if you are interested. Why not also sign up to help develop this part of our vision on the New Worshipping Communities workstream. Go to form.

Coming Up:

Heritage Open Days – Saturday 13^th and 20^th

St. George’s will be open on Saturday 13^th and 20^th for the Heritage Open Days for Tower and Crypt Tours, and also on 13^th September as part of the Festival of Sound and with a Yard Sale.

Dare to Pray Prayer Meeting – Saturday 20^th, 9:30-10:30am

“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain!” Join us as we pray for the development of our vision. St. George’s Church.

Harvest Appeal – Mercy Ships – Sunday 28^th September

This year we will be celebrating Harvest on 28^th September. As is traditional we will be collecting non-perishable food for the Salvation Army food bank, but we will also be having a financial collection for this year’s chosen charity: Mercy Ships.

Mercy Ships operates two hospital ships that visit various ports in sub-Saharan Africa. As well as completing thousands of urgent operations onboard the floating hospitals, the Africa Mercy and the Global Mercy, Mercy Ships volunteers also work closely with host nations to improve the way healthcare is delivered across the country, by training and mentoring local medical staff, and renovating hospitals and clinics. Please consider giving generously to their work and enabling those in countries with no affordable healthcare to receive the kind of treatment we have come to expect in our country.

The Birth of St. George’s – Saturday 4^th October, 3pm

An illustrated talk by Margaret Bolton looking at how Ramsgate developed up to the Regency period and what prompted people to build a church. Why did they call it St George’s? Where did the money come from? Why was it designed to look as it did? Who worked on the project? How has it changed since?

Tickets are £5 on the door or in advance from the website. All proceeds to the St. George’s Restoration Fund. Fliers available at the back of church.

Men’s Night – Thursday 9^th October

Sadly, due to weather the Petanque evening was cancelled. The next event is the Pool Challenge at the Frames Snooker Club on Thursday, 9 October.

Thanet Male Voice Choir – Saturday 11^th October, 7:30pm

‘We Shall Overcome’ present Thanet Male Voice Choir in concert at St George’s Church. The proceeds will be shared between St George’s Church and East Kent Mencap. Tickets £9 + booking fee. Find out more…

Interesting Blogs to Share:

Immigration

Graham Tomlin explores how right and left use Christianity to bolster their arguments on immigration policy. The real solution, however, is to embrace Christianity… Read more…

The Old Testament Prophets – A message for Today

In this more academic article, Tony Watkins reveals how the Old Testament prophets are a powerful voice speaking to today’s world about finding human flourishing in God. Read more…

Weekly Calendar

Sunday 14^th September – Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity

Family Baptism Service (St. Luke’s Church), Luke 15.1-10, 11:00am-12:00pm

Monday 15^th   

Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

The Bible Course (St. Luke’s Hall) – 7:30-9:00pm

Tuesday 16^th

Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Christ Church Toddlers @ St Luke’s (St. Luke’s Church Hall) – 9:30-11:30am

Thursday 18^th   

Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Cafe4All (St. Luke’s Church), Coffee and Chat for all – 10:00-11:30am

The Bible Course (St. Luke’s Church) – 11:30am-1:00pm

Friday 19^th  

Play and Praise (St. Luke’s Hall) – 10:00-11:30am

Saturday 20^th       

Dare to Pray Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:30am

Sunday 21^st – Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity

Communion Service (St. Luke’s Church), Luke 16.1-13, 11:00am-12:00pm

Online Forms:

Under the ‘Contact’ tab on the website, there are now three forms that you can use to help us in managing the church:

• Events Application Form. Use this if you are organising a church event that needs a church room booked, advertising or ticketing.
• Submit a Notice. Use this if you want to ask us to include a prayer request or other notice in the church notice sheet or email.
• Maintenance Reporting Form.Use this to report any non-urgent issues with our buildings or grounds.

St. Luke’s Website

• What’s On – a page which lets you know what is happening this week and gives information about upcoming events.
• Notices – You can read the latest notices on this page.
• Sermons – Read a transcript of a recent sermon or watch the YouTube version recorded at St. Luke’s. You can also listen to the sermon through the podcast website castbox.

Safeguarding Training

If you volunteer in anyway at church the national authorities are strongly encouraging you to take at least the Basic Module in safeguarding training once every three years.

If you have not completed the training in the last three years, then the module can be completed online and takes about ninety minutes. You can access the training by following this link. You will need to first register, to access the training. Once the training is completed, you will be sent a certificate. Please forward that certificate to James (office@stlukesramsgate.org), so that we can keep records of who has done the training.

Finally, let’s dare to share our faith so that we can make God happy!

Yours in Christ

Paul Worledge

(Vicar, St. Luke’s Ramsgate)