Last week I included a poem I wrote which is a meditation on that moment Bartimaeus sat by the side of the road calling out to Jesus for healing even though he was locked into all the things which made him a beggar, unworthy, unclean. In the moment he came to Jesus, he left behind his old life as a beggar and was healed and freed to follow Jesus as a man made whole. His beggar’s cloak – his security and his identification, was left on the side of the road where he threw it behind him. Bartimaeus is an example of what happens when we come to Jesus in faith and surrender our old life in repentance. In coming to Jesus each of us who believe in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour have been brought into a whole new way of living. ‘The old has gone, the new has come’ says Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:17. We step, at that moment, into our full potential as children of the Living God. Our inheritance becomes the kingdom of God: eternity with the Father, through the Son in the power of the Holy Spirit. We may not feel changed at that moment, or we may feel completely changed. How we feel isn’t the issue. What is important to understand is what God has done in us. In that moment we are adopted by the Father as fully accepted family members of his. No longer beggars but rich in the Lord, no longer slaves to the things of the world but free Sons and Daughters of the King of kings. No longer of the world but citizens of heaven living in a foreign land until we are called home. No longer sinners with no way to wash the stain of the things our consciences are afraid of away but saints who have the blood of Jesus to wash us clean day by day, and the righteous standing of Jesus as our new identity. This is what we celebrate on All Saints Day. We celebrate our community, both here in the foreign land called the world, and at home in heaven with the Lord. We celebrate our shared salvation in Jesus and the gift of Holy Spirit given to us to help us to keep walking by faith and living God’s way in the world. We encourage one another in faith to keep adding to our number by bringing our fellow beggars to Jesus so that the Father may be glorified and every one of them can also be saved.
Janice
This Week : 25th August to 1st September
| SUNDAY: | Holy Communion, 8.45am |
| Family Service, 10.30am | |
| Healing Service, 6.00pm: Topic : ’Reflections from my Porthole’ | |
| Speaker – Rev’d Janice | |
| MONDAY: | Prayer Group, St Marks, 9.15am |
| Contact: Kevin (0438 234 457) | |
| Bible Study Group, St Mark’s, 4.00pm | |
| Contact Kevin (0438 234 457) | |
| TUESDAY: | Zoom Prayer Meeting, 1.30pm |
| Contact John (0421426156) | |
| WEDNESDAY: | Holy Communion, 10:00am |
| Bible Study Group St Mark’s,11.00am | |
| “Women of the Bible” Contact Kevin (0438 234 457) | |
| Cuppa, Craft & Chat Group. St Mark’s, 12.30pm | |
| Contact Robyn (0409 425 044) | |
| THURSDAY: | Women’s Bible Study, St Mark’s, 9.30am |
| “Becoming a Woman of Strength” | |
| Contact Fay (0401 404 280) | |
| Men’s Coffee & Chat, Blackthorn Café, 10.00am | |
| Contact Steve (0437 984 679), Keith T (0413 319 327) | |
| or Kevin (0493 234 457) | |
| FRIDAY: | Janice’s DAY OFF |
| SATURDAY: | CHURCH FETE – 10.00am – 2.00pm |
| NEXT SUNDAY: | Combined service with Holy Communion, 10.00am |
| Followed by Annual Meeting, 11.30am |
Regular Worship Times
| SUNDAY: | 8.45am | Holy Communion |
| 10.30am | Family Worship with Children’s Ministry | |
| (Holy Communion – 1st Sundays) | ||
| 6.00pm | Healing Service – 1st Sundays | |
| WEDNESDAY: | 10.00am | Holy Communion |
Parish Contact Details
| Monitored contact points | 0493 280 691 |
| contact@stmarksdromana.org.au | |
| Parish Web Addresses | www.stmarksdromana.org.au |
| Facebook page | https://www.facebook.com/stmarksdromana |
| Pastoral Care Coordinators | Kevin and Anne Cranwell (0438 234 457 Kevin) |
Notices:
Annual General Meeting
Will be held at St Mark’s on 10th November at 11:30am after a combined service at 10.00am. All parishioners are encouraged to attend The Notice of Meeting has been posted. The Roll is being updated and will be available for viewing in the Narthex. Annual Reports, and a Budget for the 2024/25 year will be presented and the election of members of the Parish Council will take place. Nomination forms for Parish Council are available from Janice. Nominations which should be given to Janice will close 7th November. Please note that we need a new Treasurer as our current Treasurer, Cheryl King, is due to stand down having completed 6 years on ParishCouncil. Please talk to Janice if you are interested in nominating for this position. Please give your prayerful consideration to the elections and other matters to be raised at this meeting.
Alpha…
Thank you to all who have prayed for us and provided food. We have been richly blessed. Our CELEBRATION evening will be Thursday 28th November at 6-8pm in the Church. Please come and share food with us and hear testimony from those who have attended this course. Our next Alpha will take place in April/May next year as part of Hope25. Maybe you have friends you’d like to invite – bring them with you to share this evening. RSVP by Sunday 24th November for catering. Speak to one of the Alpha team (John, Helen, Steve & Carol) for more details.
Christmas Hampers…
As we have done in previous years, we would like to provide hampers for 10 local families this Christmas. If you would like to donate to the hampers, there will be a basket in the Narthex for contributions of non-perishable foods. These goods will be wrapped and distributed during the week beginning 9th December. Donations of money for items to be purchased for the hampers can be placed in the offertory bag clearly marked “hampers”. Please speak to Carol or Cheryl for more details..
Archbishop election process…
The website for those interested in how the Archbishop election process works is www.boardofnominators.org
Australian Anglican Calendar 2025…
Australian Anglican Calendar 2025 now available $15.00 each – see Janice
This Week’s Prayer Focus
In our country and the world:
- For all women in Afghanistan now banned from hearing each others voices.
- For those facing homelessness, hardship, anguish and despair amid rising costs.
- For all in Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine and Myanmar.
- For families affected by violence.
- For those affected by natural disasters in around the world.
- For King Charles III, the UK and the Commonwealth.
- For peace and unity in countries around the World.
- For aid agencies such as “Save the Children”, Oxfam, CARE, UNICEF, World Vision.
In our community:
- For teachers and students.
- For doctors, nurses, paramedics, Coast Guard, the CFA & SES.
- For local community outreach groups such as the Dromana Community House and “Food for All”.
In our Diocese and beyond:
- For Archbishop Geoffrey Smith’s ministry as Primate of Australia.
- For Archbishop Philip Freier’s ministry in the Diocese of Melbourne.
- For the ministry of Bishop Paul Barker in the Jumbunna Region and Archdeacon Rev’d Sam Bleby, in the Frankston Archdeanery.
- In our Deanery, we pray for the Parish of Sorrento & Rye and their Vicar Fr. Nicholas Wallace.
- For the work of the Church Missionary Society and Wei-Han the Victorian Director.
- For Anna Radkovic our CMS Link Missionary in Watamu, Kenya.
- For Christian churches around the world to be free to worship and be witnesses of the love of God as shown through the coming of His Son.
In our Parish:
- For our leadership and ministry teams.
- For Rev’d Janice O’Gorman as she regains full health.
- For the finances of our Parish.
- For our Parish, its people and those we reach out to every week.
- For the success of the new Family and Children’s Ministry.
- For the next Alpha program, the leaders and all who will attend.
- For the 9am at home prayer time for the Parish, Dromana & Mornington Peninsula.
- For our Op Shop staff and all who visit each week.
- For the AGM and those willing to be nominated for Parish Council.
- For Rev’d Janice, Pat, Lorna & Peter, Keith S, Harry, Jen, Mike, Joan R, Chloe, Ted, Monica, Jessica, Audrey, Backy, Fred, Robert, Jan, David, Guy.
