“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer” –
(Psalm 19:14)
This week, the sections of the email are:
- Opening Reflection: The Bible
- This Sunday: Bible Sunday (Psalm 19)
- Key notices: Planned Giving Review, Anni-verse-ries, Light Party, Working Group for Hall
- Coming Up: Men’s Group Film Night, World War I talk, People’s Emergency Briefing, Gathering in Support of the Persecuted Church
- Weekly Calendar
- Online Forms: Event application, Submit a notice, maintenance report, Safeguarding
Scroll on…
Opening Reflection
How many voices were you listening to before you left the house today? Between our phones, the news, the voices in our own minds and everybody’s opinion on everything, it’s a noisy world, and it isn’t always easy to tell which voices are worth listening to.
The Bible contains many people with loud voices. Goliath shouted at Israel every morning and evening for forty days, and a whole army was frightened by him. Delilah wore Samson down, day after day, until he gave in.
But the Bible also shows us how to listen to THE voice, not just the voice that’s the loudest, scariest, tempting or most persistent but the voice and the word that brings life, it shows us how to listen to God. Psalm 19 talks of God’s laws and instructions, which revive the soul, give joy to the heart and are sweeter than honey. It’s a voice we can trust, because it belongs to the God who rescued us, our Rock and our Redeemer. But we only get to know it by listening, and in a world that is shouting, that takes some deliberate choosing. By meditating on the word of God each and every day, the hope is that we will be like sheep following the voice of the one who leads us to safety.
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:27-28)
This Bible Sunday lets remind ourselves of our love for God’s word or perhaps discover it for the first time! Over the next week try to re-read your favourite story in the bible and then tell someone about it! If we believe God is good and his word brings light to dark places, let’s celebrate the Bible beyond our church building this Sunday.
Beth Keenan
This Sunday
This Sunday is an all-age service focussing on the Bible. It is the first in a four-part series on the basics of Christian growth.
Key Notices:
Planned Giving Review
It’s not too late! If you haven’t already, then please do not forget to return your response forms to our Planned Giving Review as soon as possible, whether you are changing your giving or not. It encourages us to know that you have at least thought about it. If you haven’t yet picked up a letter, then please check the back of church and respond as soon as you can.
Anni-verse-ries
For St. Luke’s 150th Anniversary, we are collecting everyone’s favourite verses. We are beginning to display them in church and on the church website. Please use this form to submit your favourite verse and if you can, give a brief reason why this verse is important to you. So far, we have 56, but it would be great to reach 150, by Sunday, so please submit now, if you have not already done so.
Light Party
Unfortunately, we are going to be unable to run a Light Party at St. Luke’s this year on 31st October, as an alternative to Halloween. However, we would encourage families to attend a Light Party run by one of the other churches in the area. There is one at Community Church Ramsgate (30th October, 6-8pm), St. Andrew’s, Reading Street (31st October, 5-7pm) and Holy Trinity, Margate (31st October, 4-6pm).
Working Group for Hall
This week we are giving St. Luke’s Hall a deep clean. If you would like to be part of a working party to help out with this, then please have a chat with Andrew McMillan.
Coming Up:
Tower and Crypt Tours
St. George’s will be running Tower (11am and 1:30pm) and Crypt tours (12pm and 2:30pm) on Saturday 24th October. It is too late to book online, but there are still spaces so just try turning up on the day at least 15 minutes before the tour is due to start. Tickets are £5. Find out more…
Men’s Group – Film Night
Join the Men’s Group for one of their occasional film nights. This event is free and there’ll be soup and rolls and other snacks, and then from 7:30pm they’ll be watching a film that at the time caused a great commotion. Wednesday 4th November from 6:30pm, St. Luke’s Church.
World War I Talk
An illustrated talk by Margaret Bolton looking at the lives of some of the men who served and the town they left behind. Saturday, 7th November, 3pm, St. George’s Church. Admission £5. Proceeds to the St. George’s restoration fund. Find out more…
People’s Emergency Briefing
St. George’s are hosting a community screening of the ‘People’s Emergency Briefing’. The film will be followed by a discussion led by Climate Resilience Expert Illana Adamson to explore the issues raised for us here in Ramsgate, such as fuel poverty, food security and summer heatwaves. St. George’s Church, Saturday 7th November, 6:15pm. Free to attend. Find out more and book.
Gathering in Support of the Persecuted Church
An invitation to the Churches & Christians of Thanet to gather in support of the Persecuted Church. In partnership with Open Doors. We’ll “be inspired by stories of faith under fire” & we’ll pray. It’s on Sunday 8th November, 4pm – 5.30pm at St George’s Foundation School, Broadstairs.
Weekly Calendar
Sunday 25th October – Bible Sunday
Family Service (St. Luke’s Church) Psalm 19 – 11:00am-12:00pm
Monday 26th
Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Tuesday 27th
Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Wednesday 28th
Gardening Group (St. Luke’s Church) – 10:30am-12:00pm
Thursday 29th
Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Cafe4All (St. Luke’s Church), Coffee and Chat for all – 10:00-11:30am
Saturday 31st
Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Sunday 1st November – Fourth Sunday before Advent
Family Service (St. Luke’s Church) Psalm 19 – 11:00am-12:00pm
Life Groups
Will you dare to share the Christian life with others? Life groups are a great way to meet together regularly with a small group of other Christians, for mutual support, to share in reading God’s word and to pray for one another.
They meet at the following times:
- Monday evening (two groups)
- Tuesday afternoon
- Wednesday morning
- Wednesday evening
- Thursday morning
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.
- Reporting Form. Use this to report maintenance issues, accidents or near misses, anti-social behaviour or safeguarding concerns.
Safeguarding
Our website is now updated with the latest information about Safeguarding and links to the Diocesan form for reporting concerns and accessing training.
Training
If you volunteer in anyway at church the national authorities you should take at least the Basic Module in safeguarding training once every three years. If you hold a role connected with vulnerable adults or children and young people, then you will also need to take the Foundation Module. Once you have completed your training, please forward that certificate to James, our administrator, (office@churchramsgate.org) so that we can keep records of who has done the training.
Finally, let’s celebrate all that God has been doing for the last 150 years.
Yours in Christ
Paul Worledge
(Vicar, St. Luke’s Ramsgate)
