“Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.”
(Mark 6:41)
This week’s email is a notice sheet for the whole of the summer. Do check below for important information about what is happening over the summer and what to look forward to in the autumn! There will not be any normal weekly emails until September but do watch out for occasional Summer Updates.
Imagine getting in from a busy day, where you’ve not even been able to stop for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and as you sit down to eat your hot plate of foot, feet up and telly on, KNOCK KNOCK goes the door.
Last week, we looked at Herod’s panic, thinking the man he was manipulated into killing, John the Baptist, had risen from the dead upon hearing stories of Jesus. In this passage, the disciples return from being sent out on their first mission in pairs. They eagerly tell Jesus of their preaching, driving out demons and healing the sick. However, as much as their spiritual hunger seems fed, their physical stomachs are rumbling.
Jesus sees this need and tells the disciples to come to a quiet place with him for rest, but before they even get there, the crowds descended, like sheep without a shepherd, to be by Jesus’ side. The peace and quiet that was almost within the disciple’s grasp is quickly taken away from them.
After Jesus teaches the people many things, the disciples say to him that he should send the people away to buy food from surrounding villages as its very late and the place is remote. However, whilst the disciples try to find a solution to everyone’s hunger with earthly logic, Jesus responds with heavenly abundance.
At the feeding of the 5000 the disciples’ role in organizing the people, distributing the bread and loaves, and collecting the leftovers teaches us to participate in God’s work to provide for others and to trust in God’s ability to meet our needs whilst working to show compassion and generosity to those around us.
Beth Keenan
This Week’s Sunday Service – 11am
Eating and Feasting (Mark 6:30-44)
This week is the first of our summer services. It is a Holy Communion and the children will be joining us for the normal part of the service, but will go out to watch a Friends and Heroes episode in the vestry for part of the service. This week we also have Beth, our new curate, preaching her first sermon at St. Luke’s on the feeding of the 5,000.
Summer Celebration Service – 21st July, 6:30pm, St. Luke’s
This is an informal contemporary service where we will be using the year of discernment psalm to help us focus on Seeking God and dwelling in his presence. All welcome.
Can you help? – Summer Services, starting this Sunday
During the school holidays our children’s groups take a well-deserved break. During the services we plan to show DVDs during part of the service for children to go out and watch. We need at least one person who has been safer recruited by St. Luke’s and one parent to sign up for each week.
Sailors’ Church Services
The Sailors’ Church will be holding evening services at 6pm on every Sunday in August. Everyone welcome. Bring a friend!
Coming Up…
Claire’s Last Sunday – Sunday 18th August
We will be arranging a lunchtime event to say farewell to Claire.
Summer Fair – Saturday 31st August, 1-5pm
Do support this great joint event with St. George’s at St. Luke’s. See Charlie if you would like to volunteer to help. Find out more…
Play and Praise restarts on Friday 6th September
Sunday Children’s groups restart Sunday 8th September
Tomas Visek Concert, 5pm, Sunday 8th September
A special concert at St. Luke’s with this international pianist and supporting quartet. Tickets £10, light refreshments included. Tickets available online. Find out more…
Ride and Stride, Saturday 14th September, 10am-6pm
Claire’s Licensing Service, 7pm, Thursday 19th September
In St. Martin’s, Dover. Come and support Claire in her new ministry.
New in the autumn:
We are planning to start an after-school club in St. Luke’s church on Thursday afternoons. See Tonya for more information.
There are also plans to start a new monthly men’s group. See Bruce for more information.
Other Summer Events and notices:
Minnis Bay Holiday Club, 29th July to 9th August
Ramsgate Neighbourhood Plan – Consultation
The Town Council is currently preparing a Neighbourhood Plan for Ramsgate. The Neighbourhood Plan will contain planning policies against which planning applications for development proposals will be considered.
There is an opportunity for you to let us know if you agree or not with the current draft vision. To do this please click here to find out more and complete the form or check out one of the leaflets at the back of church.
Church Door Challenge
Join the #ChurchDoorChallenge on social media this July and August, showcasing the hospitality, history, and diversity of churches across the country.
We have over 16,000 church buildings in England, including over 300 in our diocese, each with a unique community offering, surrounding, and story.
This summer, we’d love to see some wonderful photos and videos of your church doors and entrances posted on your social media channels. We’ll then share our favourites on our diocesan channels (don’t forget to tag us so we see them), and the national comms team will do the same on national Church of England social channels. The posts will encourage people to take a look for themselves or find a church service in their area using AChurchNearYou.com.
Share yours between 4 July and the end of August, using the hashtag #ChurchDoorChallenge.
Find out more at cofe.io/ChurchDoorChallenge.
Audio Visual Rota
We are looking to recruit and train more people to join a rota to run our audio-visual systems during the services. If you are interested in finding out more please talk to Paul or James.
Job Advert
Freelance Web designer / developer and Virtual Assistant needed to set up a new website and registration page for a Webinar series due to go live on 14th October 2024. If you have the relevant skills, please call Julia Arnheim 01843 31 91 66 (mornings or 5-6pm).
Links to Share:
Journey to the Promised Land
Watch this dramatization of the Israel’s journey to the Promised Land in the style of the Office sitcom. Watch the pilot episode (30 mins.)
Two Truths and One Lie about evangelism
In the first of a series of 60s videos from the Church of England Evangelical Council, evangelists answer the question: “What are two truths and one lie about evangelism?” The first one is from Glen Scrivener. Watch Video
Let’s look to Jesus for his heavenly abundance.
Yours in Christ
Paul Worledge
(Vicar, St. Luke’s Ramsgate)
Prayer Requests
Be assured I will do my best to check that people are happy for the requests to be shared before including them. Please pray for…
- Pray for families and teachers to be refreshed over the summer holidays
- Georges Colleague Oscar, who is currently struggling with illness and waiting on tests to see what is wrong
- Robert Orford who is recovering from a Deep Vein Thrombosis.
- Wendy Fuller recovering from a hip operation.
- Trish (friend of Andrew and Tina Gilham) who is being referred for possible throat cancer.
- Joy Smithers now in Brook Lodge care home in Deal.
- Audrey that she would continue to recover well after her fall.
- Norah and family whose husband, John’s died recently.
- Barbara Kail who has broken her wrist and fractured her pelvis
Please also continue to pray for Greg McMillan, Thomas Pay, Venna Styles, Caroline Perkins, Kelly Costello, Emily Gardiner-Harley, Lorraine (Julie’s friend), Kelly (Caroline’s sister-in-law), Michelle (Terry de Vere’s wife), Rosa, Mitch Styles, Jean Hann, Shirley Crabb, Pauline Emptage, Karen (Gloria’s daughter in law)
Summer Weekly Calendar
Sundays
Creative Group Singing Practice (St Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:30am
Family Service (St. Luke’s Church) – 11:00am-12:00pm
Mondays (aside from Bank Holidays)
Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Tuesdays
Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Wednesday 14th & 21st August
Depression & Anxiety Self-Help Group (Perry Room) – 6:00-7:30pm
Thursdays
Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Cafe4All (St. Luke’s Church), Coffee and Chat for all – 10:00-11:30am
Saturdays
Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Summer Sunday Calendar
Sunday 21st – The Eighth Sunday after Trinity
Family Communion, Mark 6:30-44, 11:00am-12:00pm
Summer Celebration, Mark 6:30-44, 6:30-8:00pm
Sunday 28th – The Ninth Sunday after Trinity
Baptism and All Age, Mark 6:45-52, 11:00am-12:00pm
Sunday 4th – The Tenth Sunday after Trinity
Family Service, John 6:24-35, 11:00am-12:00pm
Sunday 11th – The Eleventh Sunday after Trinity
Family Service, John 6:60-69, 11:00am-12:00pm
Sunday 18th – The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity
Family Communion, 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14, 11:00am-12:00pm
Sunday 25th – The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity
Family Service, 1 Kings 3:16-28, 11:00am-12:00pm
Sunday 1st September – The Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity
Family Service, 1 Kings 10:1-13, 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.
St. Luke's Church Ramsgate 