The LORD to David, “Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever.”

(2 Samuel 7:16)

The story of the Bible moves forward as a gradual fulfilment of God’s plan and vision. We saw that God promised to bless Abraham and to make him into a great nation. He started by turning his tiny family into a numerous people, then, with Moses as leader, he rescued them from slavery in Egypt, set up a special relationship with them and brought them into the promised land.

But Israel was still not a great nation. They kept forgetting their special relationship with the God who rescued them. So, a cycle developed. They forgot God and worshipped other gods, God allowed others to invade and oppress them, they turned back to God, and he rescued them once more. How could they break this cycle? They needed good leadership: a king.

So, God appointed a king. His name was Saul, but he did not fully trust God. So God raised up a better king who did fully truly trust in him, David. It was David who eventually succeeded in establishing Israel as a secure kingdom and led them to truly follow the God who had rescued them from Egypt all those centuries before. Under his rule, Israel was finally becoming ‘a great nation’.

King David had his own plan to secure Israel’s special relationship with God. He wanted to build a house for God, a temple in Jerusalem. “What a great idea!” said, the prophet Nathan. “No, it’s not,” said God. The story of the Bible runs to God’s plans, not David’s. So, God revealed a new plan and vision. He would build David’s house, that is his dynasty and establish his kingdom for ever. Only then, would David’s son build a temple in Jerusalem.

The story of the Bible does not move forward according to the plans of men, but the promises of God. In the same way, let’s pray we can distinguish between our plans and God’s vision for our churches.

Paul Worledge

This Week’s Sunday Service – 11am

Biblical Vision 3: Kingdom

We continue our series on Biblical Visions. This week we look at God’s vision for David’s kingdom. This week all the normal children’s groups are running and it is a Holy Communion service.

Harvest Sunday – 29^th September

We will be collecting money for our Tearfund Gaza appeal and non-perishable food for the Salvation Army food bank.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the wider region is worsening, with over 2 million people displaced and facing severe food insecurity. Tearfund is urgently responding to people’s needs by working with local churches and partners in the Middle East. We will be collecting donations to give towards their Middle Eastern Appeal.

• £24 could equip one church leader to lead lasting transformation in their community.
• £48 could help train two Transforming Communities facilitators.
• £160 could help a local church engage with the wider community, reaching as many people as possible.

We will also be taking a collection of non-perishable food items to donate to the Salvation Army’s food bank on Ramsgate High Street. The Salvation Army food banks distribute essential food supplies, and as a result of the cost-of-living crisis, have seen a dramatic rise in need.

Please consider what you could give or bring in for collection and pray for the great work these charities are doing in God’s name.

New Men’s Group – 7:30pm, Thursday 26^th, St. Luke’s Hall

This is a great chance to me to get to know each other and to share food and activities in a relaxed setting each month. Our first meeting will include hot food, a quiz and a chance to share ideas. For more information see a flier in church or contact Bruce Stokes.

Kent Womens’ Convention, 5th October, Sevenoaks.

A day of encouragement from scripture, worship and prayer just for the ladies. See Brenda Clarke for more information or click here.

Pastoral Care Team

We are exploring the possibility of setting up a pastoral care team, which would include arranging visiting, befriending schemes or offering prayer after services. If you are interested in being a part of a team, then please let Paul know by Tuesday 24^th September using this form, if you have not already done so.

Tear Fund’s Big Quiz

Put this exciting quiz evening to raise money for Tear Fund in your diaries: Saturday 16^th November, 7:30pm, St. Luke’s Hall.

Upcoming Baby Loss Support Service

On the 12th October at 11.30am, in Canterbury Cathedral, Mariposa Trust will be hosting one of their Saying Goodbye Services. This is for anyone who has either personally lost a baby at any stage of pregnancy, at birth, or in early years, or who has been affected by family members’ or friends’ loss. Whether the loss was recent or 80 years ago, everyone is welcome to attend.

Active Christianity in Thanet Schools

There is some exciting news for this charity with some recent appointments. Read the newsletter.

The Latest from Dick and Caroline Seed

It was great to have Dick and Caroline visit us back in July. Read the latest about their travels in this prayer letter.

Links to Share:

Just one this week, but a long one on…

The Israel-Hamas War

This is a more in-depth article. Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 and Israel’s response have pushed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the top of the international agenda and created an existential crisis for Israel. This paper attempts to explain the background to these events by surveying the history of Israel’s dealings with Gaza since 1948. After asking whether there should be a distinctively Christian approach to the conflict, it explores the possibilities for a just and peaceful resolution of the conflict. Read the article…

Finally, let’s seek to follow God’s vision, plans and agenda and not our own.

Yours in Christ

Paul Worledge

(Vicar, St. Luke’s Ramsgate)

Weekly Calendar

Sunday 22^nd – The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity

Creative Group Singing Practice (St Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:30am

Family Service (St. Luke’s Church), 2 Samuel 7:1-17, 11:00am-12:00pm

Monday 23^rd  

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

Study Group (South Eastern Road) – 7:15-9:30pm

Tuesday 24^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

Study Group (Lyndhurst Road) – 2:30-4:00pm

Wednesday 25^th  

Study Group (Langdale Avenue) – 10-12 noon

Study Group (South Eastern Road) – 7:30-9:30pm

Thursday 26^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

Men’s Group (St Luke’s Hall) – 7:30-9:00pm

Friday 27^th

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

Gather, Women’s Drop-In (St. Luke’s Church) – 12:30-2:30pm

Creative Group Singing Practice (St Luke’s Church) – 4:30-6:00pm

Saturday 28^th  

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

Sunday 29^th – Harvest Sunday

Creative Group Singing Practice (St Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:30am

All Age Service (St. Luke’s Church), Matthew 6:25-33, 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.