St. Luke's Ramsgate - This Sunday...

This Sunday 22nd November 2020 Online: YouTube (from 6am Sunday) Sadly, no services in church until December On Zoom : Sunday 11:30am until 1:00pm "Jesus said, 'I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever.'" (Revelation 1:18a) In March we launched our YouTube channel on which we publish our video services and video talks each week. As of this week we have broken through the 100 subscribers barrier! In fact we now have 102 subscribers, which is fantastic. Even in the midst of lockdown and severe restrictions on how we can operate as a church, the church is still living! Indeed we look forward to the day when we can all gather together again without any restrictions or fear of infection. The church has its ups and downs, but it will last, because at its head is Jesus and he is alive for ever and ever. As we look at the different reports on the churches in Revelation, each one ends with an assurance that the future is secure and glorious for those who conquer, who hold on to Christ through their lives. Christ the Living One does indeed give us confidence for the future when we follow him. Whether the church has 10 subscribers on YouTube or 100 or even 1000, as the hymn puts it: 'In Christ alone our hope is found!" Remember, the Prayer Morning, this Saturday, 9am-1pm on Zoom (see below for details). Our Bible passage for this Sunday's service is: Revelation 2:12-29 We need some contributions for this Sunday's online service urgently... please see below. Please read on... Prayer: Contribution for this Sunday's service and a programme for this Saturday's Prayer Meeting. Care: Report on the Big Quiz and a reminder to respond to the letter from the church. Share: An idea for a book to read this Advent. Contribution for this Sunday - URGENT Thank you so much to all those who responded last week and sent in a video opener for our Sunday service. We would be really grateful if we could have a good number of people do that again this week! Please send the very short video in by Friday 10am. This week the response is very simple. I am going to say: "Jesus says, 'I am the Living One. I was dead...' and the response I want you to record yourself saying is: " ...and now look I am alive for ever and ever." Please send responses in by 10am tomorrow morning (Friday) via Whatsapp (07769 871520) or to [email protected] via wetransfer . We will be holding a prayer morning for St. Luke's this Saturday (21st November), 9am-1pm. Because of lockdown this year the meeting will be entirely on Zoom: Link to Zoom - Meeting ID: 541 875 3952 - Passcode: Matthew Join us for one or more half-hour blocks. Each block will include reflection on a piece of scripture, a chance for prayer for personal needs, prayer for the topic assigned to that block and a chance to listen or sing along to a hymn. 09:00-09:30 Our government and local authorities - Psalm 72 09:30-10:00 Services, Growth Communities and Reconnecting - Psalm 84 10:00-10:30 Our health service and workers - Psalm 86 10:30-11:00 Compassion in the Community (Food bank, Winter Shelter, Community Pastors, Food Club) - Psalm 103 11:00-11:30 Our economy, work and employment - Psalm 90 11:30-12:00 Creativity: Music and Christmas - Psalm 33 12:00-12:30 Our schools and teachers - Psalm 78:1-8 12:30-13:00 Children and Young People - Psalm 112 If you cannot join us on Zoom, then please use these headings and Psalms as a guide to your own prayers on Saturday morning. 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: For Nancy Brown, who fell and had to have an operation on her hip last Friday. Pray for a full and speedy recovery. For Shirley Crabb that an appointment for a hip operation would come soon. For St. Luke's financial challenges that we will be able to end the year without any debt and with increased planned giving for 2021. Thanet Winter Shelter. Starting 26th November. This year it will be run 24-7 in a single property, to ensure a covid-secure operation. Barb - Gloria's daughter's friend as she continues chemotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer Evelyn (Audrey's sister), who has now moved into a care home that she will settle there happily and be well looked after. Trevor Kenney. Thanks that his hip operation went very well on Sunday and he is now home. Pray that he makes a good and full recovery. The Big Quiz - Last Saturday Thanks to all those who took part in this fun event. We had 16 people attend on Zoom from afar away as New Jersey in the USA! So far St. Luke's has raised £210 for Tearfund through this event. If you would like to make a donation click here to use JustGiving. Response to the Recent Letters Thanks for all those who have already responded to the letters that were sent to church members this week. 20 households have now re-registered using the online form or returning their form in the post. If you have not done so already, please do respond as soon as you can, both to re-register and also to the request to consider financial giving if you received that. The online form can be accessed here. Last Week's Talk: The Inspector's Report (Revelation 2:1-11) What would Jesus say if he inspected our church today? We can’t know for sure, but we can read his inspection report for 7 churches in the first century AD. This week we look at the first two reports and the issues that Jesus speaks to them about. Recommended Book for an Advent Meditation: Love came down at Christmas , by Sinclair Ferguson Advent is the church season in the run up to Christmas. Many Christians are now seeking to use this season as a time of particular focus on their growth in faith and a number of Christian publishers are producing books of daily meditations to use. Think of them as like a spiritual advent calendar, with food for the soul rather than chocolate! In Revelation, we saw Jesus strongly challenge the church in Ephesus to return to an attitude of love. So, as I considered which book to use as an Advent meditation I was drawn to this one that reflects on the subject of love using 1 Corinthians 13 as its main Bible passage. I have also read Sinclair Ferguson before and found him to be a very helpful, Biblical and insightful writer. I would like to invite you to also consider getting hold of this book and more importantly committing to read it each day from December 1st to 24th. You are welcome to order it yourself (as an e-book or paperback) through the link above. However, if a number of people are interested and let me know by next Thursday, I can do a bulk purchase and so save money for us all. Remember Jesus is the Living One. Yours in Christ, Paul Worledge Vicar, St. Luke's Ramsgate www.stlukesramsgate.org ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

This Sunday

22nd November 2020

Online: YouTube (from 6am Sunday)

Sadly, no services in church until December

On Zoom: Sunday 11:30am until 1:00pm

"Jesus said,

'I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look,

I am alive for ever and ever.'"

(Revelation 1:18a)

In March we launched our YouTube channel on which we publish our video services and video talks each week. As of this week we have broken through the 100 subscribers barrier! In fact we now have 102 subscribers, which is fantastic.

Even in the midst of lockdown and severe restrictions on how we can operate as a church, the church is still living! Indeed we look forward to the day when we can all gather together again without any restrictions or fear of infection.

The church has its ups and downs, but it will last, because at its head is Jesus and he is alive for ever and ever. As we look at the different reports on the churches in Revelation, each one ends with an assurance that the future is secure and glorious for those who conquer, who hold on to Christ through their lives.

Christ the Living One does indeed give us confidence for the future when we follow him. Whether the church has 10 subscribers on YouTube or 100 or even 1000, as the hymn puts it: 'In Christ alone our hope is found!"

Remember, the Prayer Morning, this Saturday, 9am-1pm on Zoom (see below for details).

Our Bible passage for this Sunday's service is: Revelation 2:12-29

We need some contributions for this Sunday's online service urgently... please see below.

Please read on...

Prayer: Contribution for this Sunday's service and a programme for this Saturday's Prayer Meeting.
Care: Report on the Big Quiz and a reminder to respond to the letter from the church.
Share: An idea for a book to read this Advent.

Contribution for this Sunday - URGENT

Thank you so much to all those who responded last week and sent in a video opener for our Sunday service. We would be really grateful if we could have a good number of people do that again this week! Please send the very short video in by Friday 10am.

This week the response is very simple. I am going to say: "Jesus says, 'I am the Living One. I was dead...' and the response I want you to record yourself saying is: "...and now look I am alive for ever and ever."

Please send responses in by 10am tomorrow morning (Friday) via Whatsapp (07769 871520) or to [email protected] via wetransfer.

We will be holding a prayer morning for St. Luke's this Saturday (21st November), 9am-1pm.

Because of lockdown this year the meeting will be entirely on Zoom:

Link to Zoom - Meeting ID: 541 875 3952 - Passcode: Matthew

Join us for one or more half-hour blocks. Each block will include reflection on a piece of scripture, a chance for prayer for personal needs, prayer for the topic assigned to that block and a chance to listen or sing along to a hymn.

09:00-09:30 Our government and local authorities - Psalm 72

09:30-10:00 Services, Growth Communities and Reconnecting - Psalm 84

10:00-10:30 Our health service and workers - Psalm 86

10:30-11:00 Compassion in the Community (Food bank, Winter Shelter, Community Pastors, Food Club) - Psalm 103

11:00-11:30 Our economy, work and employment - Psalm 90

11:30-12:00 Creativity: Music and Christmas - Psalm 33

12:00-12:30 Our schools and teachers - Psalm 78:1-8

12:30-13:00 Children and Young People - Psalm 112

If you cannot join us on Zoom, then please use these headings and Psalms as a guide to your own prayers on Saturday morning.

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:

For Nancy Brown, who fell and had to have an operation on her hip last Friday. Pray for a full and speedy recovery.
For Shirley Crabb that an appointment for a hip operation would come soon.
For St. Luke's financial challenges that we will be able to end the year without any debt and with increased planned giving for 2021.
Thanet Winter Shelter. Starting 26th November. This year it will be run 24-7 in a single property, to ensure a covid-secure operation.
Barb - Gloria's daughter's friend as she continues chemotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer
Evelyn (Audrey's sister), who has now moved into a care home that she will settle there happily and be well looked after.
Trevor Kenney. Thanks that his hip operation went very well on Sunday and he is now home. Pray that he makes a good and full recovery.

The Big Quiz - Last Saturday

Thanks to all those who took part in this fun event. We had 16 people attend on Zoom from afar away as New Jersey in the USA! So far St. Luke's has raised £210 for Tearfund through this event. If you would like to make a donation click here to use JustGiving.

Response to the Recent Letters

Thanks for all those who have already responded to the letters that were sent to church members this week. 20 households have now re-registered using the online form or returning their form in the post.

If you have not done so already, please do respond as soon as you can, both to re-register and also to the request to consider financial giving if you received that.

The online form can be accessed here.

Last Week's Talk: The Inspector's Report (Revelation 2:1-11)

What would Jesus say if he inspected our church today? We can’t know for sure, but we can read his inspection report for 7 churches in the first century AD. This week we look at the first two reports and the issues that Jesus speaks to them about.

Recommended Book for an Advent Meditation:

Love came down at Christmas, by Sinclair Ferguson

Advent is the church season in the run up to Christmas. Many Christians are now seeking to use this season as a time of particular focus on their growth in faith and a number of Christian publishers are producing books of daily meditations to use. Think of them as like a spiritual advent calendar, with food for the soul rather than chocolate!

In Revelation, we saw Jesus strongly challenge the church in Ephesus to return to an attitude of love. So, as I considered which book to use as an Advent meditation I was drawn to this one that reflects on the subject of love using 1 Corinthians 13 as its main Bible passage. I have also read Sinclair Ferguson before and found him to be a very helpful, Biblical and insightful writer.

I would like to invite you to also consider getting hold of this book and more importantly committing to read it each day from December 1st to 24th. You are welcome to order it yourself (as an e-book or paperback) through the link above. However, if a number of people are interested and let me know by next Thursday, I can do a bulk purchase and so save money for us all.

Remember Jesus is the Living One.

Yours in Christ,

Paul Worledge

Vicar, St. Luke's Ramsgate

www.stlukesramsgate.org