“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.”
(Psalm 51:1)
This week, the sections of the email are:
- Opening reflection: Seeking Mercy
- This Sunday: Luke 18:9-14
- Key notices: Audio-Visual Team, Clocks Going Back, Consultation Meetings, Generous Giving Sunday
- Coming Up: Light Party, Christianity Explored, Life Groups
- From the Wider Church: Thanet Winter Shelter, ACTS Newsletter, World Day of Prayer
- Interesting Blogs: Church on the move in North India, Have you seen the man in white?
- Weekly Calendar
- Online Forms: Event application, Submit a notice, maintenance report, access Safeguarding training
Scroll on…
Opening Reflection
King David was political leader, royalty, celebrity musician and military hero all rolled up in one. God chose him to establish the kingdom of Israel, which he did with great courage and faith.
Later in life, David failed spectacularly. He committed adultery, with one of his top soldier’s wives and to cover it up arranged for the soldier to be murdered. He thought he had got away with it, but God saw and God was angry. There were consequences for his crimes, including the death of one son and the rebellion of another. Yet, God forgives him. Nathan the prophet tells David, “The LORD has taken away your sin!”
How can God take away the sin of an adulterer and murderer? He does so, when the person in question comes to God in full acknowledgement of the reality of their sin and throws themselves on God’s mercy. The verse above, is the start of the Psalm in which David does just this in response to his sin.
God does not say that these sins do not matter – they are clear breaches of the Ten Commandments. The New Testament makes clear that a price has to be paid for sin and shows us how God himself pays the price through the death of his Son. So it is that when we acknowlege the seriousness of our sin and throw ourselves solely on God’s mercy made available by the cross, that we, like David, can have our sins taken away.
Paul Worledge
This Sunday (26th October)
This week is the last in our series on ‘Stories Jesus told’. This week we look at the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. As it is half-term week, we will be having an All Age service and there will be no children’s groups running, but the service will be simple and child friendly.
Key Notices:
Audio Visual Team
Our team who run the audio-visual on Sunday mornings, is becoming rather depleted. This is an essential role to enable people to hear the service and to ensure we can have a livestream. If you are interested in doing this as part of a rota, then please see Paul or Andrew Gilham, asap.
Clocks Going Back
Remember the clocks go back this weekend, which means you have an extra hour in bed on Saturday night. Don’t turn up to church an hour early!
Consultation Meetings – Ramsgate Plan for Neighbourhoods
The council are holding a number of consultation meetings about the Ramsgate Plan for Neighbourhoods programme, which involves spending a £20million grant from the government to improve the town over the next 10 years.
You can read more about this and see a full list of meetings and how to book to come on this website.
| Time and date | Group | Location |
| Friday 24th (4 – 6pm) | Shop Users in SEK shop Open workshop | St George’s Church Hall |
| Saturday 25th (12 – 3pm) | Community Soup (open drop-in session) | St George’s Church (Soup and Cake) |
St. George’s will be hosting some of these meetings. There are two more in the next couple of days!
Upcoming Generous Giving Sunday
Although we had a push for more giving in the summer, there was not a large response, so we are going to go back to our traditional pattern of asking people to consider their giving to St. Luke’s in November.
Next Sunday, there will be letters about our church’s financial needs and how you can give a one-off gift, start giving in a planned way or increase your planned giving. We are asking for responses on or before Sunday 16th November, which we are calling, ‘Generous Giving Sunday.’
Coming Up:
Light Party – Friday 31st October, 4:30-6:00pm
Our alternative to Halloween. A party event for all ages. This annual event is great fun and a good way to provide a positive alternative to the darkness that is the focus of Halloween celebrations. Do come and encourage both church and non-church friends to come. Everyone welcome and all is free.
If you would like to volunteer with running an activity, then please speak to Tonya or sign one of the lists at the back of church. We especially need people to sign up to offer to bring food for the event. Please do that this Sunday!
Christianity Explored – Starting – November
We are planning to run a trial version of the soon to be published new Christianity Explored in November and early December. This course is for you:
- if you are interested in Christianity or new to faith
- are looking to be baptised or confirmed
- have questions about faith or want a refresher of the basics
Filling in this form will help us to plan at what time of the week it is best to run the course or courses. It expresses and interest not a commitment to attend. Please fill in the form by the end of this Sunday, so we can plan when best to run the courses.
Life Groups – Small Groups relaunched in November
We are renaming our small groups, ‘Life Groups’. These groups, for up to twelve people, are to enable regular meeting outside of normal services to support and encourage each other in our day-to-day Christian lives. When the groups meet there is the opportunity to show care for one another, to pray with and for each other and to share encouragements as we dig into the Bible together. Why not think about joining one at the start of next month? Have a chat with Paul to find out more or fill in this form to express interest.
From the Wider Church:
Thanet Winter Shelter
Some of you will remember that in 2016 the churches in Thanet under the leadership of Ramsgate Salvation Army provided a winter shelter for rough sleepers. This was eventually taken over by the council with government funding. However, there is now a need for the churches to step up again. On Monday 6th October, a winter shelter for rough sleepers at St. Laurence Church Hall was started. Numbers attending are small at present, but expected to grow. Volunteers are urgently needed. If you want to offer some kind of support please go to the Volunteer Portal to sign up: https://portal.thanetsheltersupport.org
ACTS newsletter
The latest newsletter from ACTS is available to read on the World Mission Desk or using these two links: page 1, page 2. There is also an Update evening for ACTS on Monday 24th November, 7pm at St. Philip’s Church, Palm Bay. See poster for details.
World Day of Prayer Planning
If anyone is interested in representing St. Luke’s to help plan for the World Day of Prayer service in March 2026, alongside other churches in Ramsgate, then please let Paul know.
Interesting Blogs to Share:
This week, a couple of stories of Christian faith today, from around the world:
Church on the Move in North India
Eddie and George are like a modern-day Paul and Barnabas. They take God’s word to the very edges. They share the gospel, pastor, lead and disciple followers of Christ in situations where traditional church approaches cannot work. Read more (10 mins)
Have you seen the man in white?
Many people in North Africa and the Middle East are having dreams of a man in white. For some this is the first step in a journey to faith. Read more…
Weekly Calendar
Sunday 26th – Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity
All Age Service (St. Luke’s Church), Luke 18:9-14, 11:00am-12:00pm
Monday 27th
Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
The Bible Course (St. Luke’s Hall) – 7:30-9:00pm
Tuesday 28th
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
Wednesday 29th
PCC Meeting (St Luke’s, Perry Room) – 7:30-9:30pm
Thursday 30th
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 31st October
Play and Praise (St. Luke’s Hall) – 10:00-11:30am
Light Party (St Luke’s Church) – 4:30-6:00pm
Saturday 1st November
CTiR Prayer Breakfast (Salvation Army) – 9:00-10:00am
Sunday 2nd – Fourth before Advent
Family Service (St. Luke’s Church), 2 Thes. 1.1-12, 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@churchramsgate.org), so that we can keep records of who has done the training.
Finally, let’s rest in the mercy of God,
Yours in Christ
Paul Worledge
(Vicar, St. Luke’s Ramsgate)
St. Luke's Church Ramsgate 
