God to Abraham: “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

(Genesis 12:3)

This week, the sections of the email are:

• This Sunday: Livestream link and details -this Sunday and next Sunday
• Key notices: 2025 Annual Report (Extra Reminder)
• Coming Up: Doug Mackinney’s Celebration of Life service, Prayer Breakfast, Men’s Group Bowling, Ash Wednesday Service, Thanet Churches Together Prayer Gathering, Confirmation Service
• Wider Church: ACTS Update, Update from the Seeds
• Interesting Blogs: AI and the future
• Weekly Calendar
• Online Forms: Event application, Submit a notice, maintenance report, access Safeguarding training

Scroll on…

Opening Reflection

Over the last few weeks we have been going through the book of Numbers. The book starts with a lot of hope. Israel have been rescued from slavery in Egypt, have entered into a special covenant relationship with God at Mount Sinai, and set up the Tabernacle at the centre of their camp, a sign of God’s ongoing presence with them. So, they set out for the Promised Land.

Things don’t go to plan. The people lack faith in God and refuse to believe his promises. The result is that God condemns that whole generation to die in the wilderness over the following 40 years. What follows are a number of stories, where again and again God acts in judgement on the Israelites, because of their rebellion against him. They look like a nation under his curse, not his blessing.

But this is not the end of the story. God’s ultimate aim is always to bless. Yes, Israel have to learn the hard way to trust and obey God, but he will eventually bring the next generation into the land flowing with milk and honey.

Towards the end of the book, there is a long story about  Balaam, a mysterious figure who has the reputation as someone who can pronounce curses on others. Israel enemies hire him to curse Israel. But God has other ideas and (with the help of a talking donkey) makes Balaam bless Israel.

Despite Israel’s constant failures and God’s regular judgement, the story emphasises that God is committed to blessing Abraham’s descendants and through him the whole world. Like Israel in the wilderness we may find life tough at times, perhaps because we keep failing to live in God’s ways. Yet, we can know that God’s ultimate aim will always be to bless us and bring us into his ultimate promise of life, just as he brought Israel into the Promised Land.

Paul Worledge

This Sunday – 8^th February

Balaam’s Donkey (Numbers 22:21-41)

Join us this Sunday as we finish our series on Israel travelling in the wilderness. There will be all the normal young people’s groups.

Key Notices:

2025 Annual Report (Extra Reminder)

We have only had a few reports in so far. If you run any group or team in the church, then it would be great if you could submit a short report about what the group or team has been up to in 2025 to be included in our annual report. Please submit reports to Paul as soon as possible.

Coming Up:

Doug Mackinney – Celebration of Life Service – Tomorrow

Fri. 6^th Feb, 2pm, Salvation Army

Everyone who remembers Doug Mackinney, who with Pauline was a member at St. Luke’s for many years is welcome to attend this service.

Churches Together in Ramsgate Prayer Breakfast – This Saturday

Sat. 7^th Feb, 9am, Centenary Hall, Hardres Street

Men’s Group Event – Bowling

Thursday 12^th February, 6:15pm, 10-Pin bowling at Bugsy’s in Margate. Lifts available from St. Luke’s at 5:45pm. Trophy for the highest scorer and food available at the venue. Cost £10, please let Bruce Stokes know as soon as possible if you would like to attend (07708, bruce.stokes@btinternet.com )

Ash Wednesday Service

Wednesday 18^th February, 11am at St. George’s Church. Join us for this simple and reflective service at the start of the season of Lent.

Thanet Churches Together Prayer Gathering

Sunday 22^nd February, 6:30pm, St. Jame’s Church, Westgate, CT9 5JU

Confirmation Service

Sat. 28^th Feb., 5pm, St. Luke’s Church

Please come and support candidates from St. Luke’s, St. George’s and other local churches being confirmed and baptised at the end of February. Bishop Rose will be taking the service.

Wider Church

ACTS – January Update

Find out the latest from Active Christianity in Thanet Schools here.

Update from Dick and Caroline Seed

Dear friends

It’s been a whirlwind start to the new year! We were at Uganda Christian University for their annual integration of faith in learning and service workshop in the first week of January, just before elections (photo attached). We then returned to South Africa and Nicola Bassett joined us in the TEDS office as our new assistant programme manager. She has been working hard ever since to put the final arrangements in place for the start of the online Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Theological Education. We have registered 13 students from all over Africa and 1 from Chile. Please pray for the orientation meeting with the students tomorrow afternoon and for Dick as he teaches the first course in the afternoons from Monday 9th to Friday 21st February. Pray for a good learning and spirituality, for the students to get to know each other despite the distance, and of course, pray for good internet and reliable electricity.

I have a new role in 2026, as Nicola takes over the TEDS programme management. In addition to continuing to teach TALHITE courses and working with postgraduate students, I am giving more time to helping authors write Bible commentaries from Muslim contexts. Our team commentary on 1,2,3 John was published by Langham on 30th January (see attached photo). My new role is to help authors bring their commentaries to the point of publication and to encourge other authors to start writing commentaries. Please pray for the Jonah commentary that needs an introduction, and for the Genesis 12-50 commentary that is 80% complete. Pray too for the Daniel commentary that is about to start. These Bible resources are desperately needed in the theological colleges.

With Christian greetings,

Caroline and Dick

Interesting Blogs to Share:

AI and the Future

Watch this fascinating discussion between John Lennox and Glen Scrivener on the issues that AI raises. Watch the video (45 minutes)...

Weekly Calendar

Sunday 8^th February – The Second Sunday before Lent

Family Service (St. Luke’s Church) Numbers 22:21-41 – 11:00am-12:00pm

Confirmation Course (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 5:00-6:30pm

Monday 9^th   

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

Christianity Explored (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 7:30-9:00pm

Tuesday 10^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 12^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

Confirmation Course (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 11:30am-1:00pm

Friday 13^th 

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

Saturday 14^th  

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

Sunday 15^th – The Sunday next before Lent

All Age Service (St. Luke’s Church) Matthew 17:1-9 – 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 trust in God’s ultimate blessing.

Yours in Christ

Paul Worledge

(Vicar, St. Luke’s Ramsgate)