Four Things to Know
I am using this week’s newsletter to make sure we are all aware of four important things happening around church.
Christmas is Coming
If you have not noticed, Christmas is coming! With the constant changes throughout this year and shops being closed for months it has been hard to keep track of where things are up to. Working from home blurred the boundaries between days of the week and our months did not have their normal rhythms. But I can confirm, Christmas is 16 days away.
We are looking forward to two big days of celebration and hope to see you at one or more of our services.
On Christmas Eve you can join us for:
4pm Kids Christmas
7pm Christmas Carols
11pm Christmas Eve service
On Christmas Day you can join us for
8am Christmas Day with organ and Lord’s Supper
9.30am Christmas Day with band
Covid is still a thing and if there are changes you will find all the details on our website.
Please don't come to an in-person service if you are unwell—everything will be live streamed. You will still have to check in with the Service NSW QR code, but at this stage you don’t need to book for any of the services. Just come.
A few people have asked about masks at Christmas. At Christmas we will not be limiting numbers in the building, so you might be seated close to others. While masks will not be compulsory, we note NSW Health advice that they are still an excellent way to reduce COVID risk. You are welcome to bring and wear a mask if you wish to—either to reduce your own risk or in consideration of others.
We are Supporting Anglicare
Each Christmas we encourage you to support a Christian organisation as an expression of our thankfulness to God. It is a great way to give to those who are less fortunate than ourselves and to enable the good work of caring for others to continue. This year we are encouraging you to support Anglicare. For over 160 years Anglicare has been serving people in need—providing care to older people and services to the vulnerable. They are one of the charitable arms of the Anglican Church in Sydney and you may have seen their nursing homes, op shops, mobile pantries or Toys ’n’ Tucker promotions. I have personally been involved with Anglicare for many years and strongly urge you to become a regular supporter of their work. You can give to the Christmas appeal and find out more on their website.
Changes to Morning Church in 2022
I hope you have heard by now of the changes we are moving forward with to our morning church services for 2022. Thanks to everyone who has been engaging with us over the change. We know that for some people this is distressing and for some exciting and there are many in between! We are very thankful for honest and open communication and if you want to chat more about it, please be in touch with a member of staff.
If you have not caught up yet, you can watch the presentation we gave last week. There will be more information on that page about the change and about how you can begin to get involved in the two new morning services. We have a great big God and we are praying that this change will give us the chance to continue to extend our reach in both discipleship and mission for his glory.
Share Life and Mission to the forefront
In 2022, we will be bringing mission into the centre of our church calendar. Practically, this means that you will hear more about and have more opportunities to engage in reaching people for Jesus throughout the year. Share Life is breaking out of the Term 3 box and expanding! Elliot has been working on a plan to provide new ways of connecting with unbelievers that will get them on the journey to knowing Jesus. There will be training and coaching opportunities for church members and more moments for you to invite your friends throughout the year. We also want to be more collaborative and will be seeking your wisdom and understanding of how best to engage your unbelieving family and friends. I am excited about this and looking forward to all that God might do through us in 2022.
So that’s four important things!
If there is anything also you would like to know about, please just ask. Give the office or call or contact me or a member of staff. And I look forward to seeing you at Christmas if not before!
