St Luke’s Uniting Church Highton 174 Barrabool Road, Highton

Ph. 5244 2997

Email: stlukes_highton@iinet.net.au

Web: www.hightonstlukes.unitingchurch.org au

DECEMBER 6, 2015 This news sheet is available on the website each Saturday evening

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Minister: Rev. Tony Johnson (Joncevski) Phone 0421 331 894 Email: tjohnson@christologia.net

DUTY ROSTER DECEMBER 13, 2015

CLEANING M. & E. BAUM USHERS D. & J. JACKSON

M. BAIRD, P. GILL

FLOWERS KIDS’ CHURCH

MORNING TEA M. & M. BATSON WELCOMER G. BECKHAM

READER M. ROBERTSON CAR DRIVING C. MANKS

J. & V. ENGLAND

SOUND C. MCAVANEY POWERPOINT J. DAW

ORGAN M. JOHN

SHARING THE JOURNEY: Noel Patchett will lead this segment of worship for

December. If you would like to promote an activity or share with the

congregation, contact him on 5241 9782.

If you have a need that you would like the Prayer Link to pray

for, please fill in a request form found in the pew and place

into the gold box in the prayer corner or email Jean Williams

at bijl.williams@gmail.com or phone Beth on 5243 6874.

ST. LUKE’S WHEELS: During December, Christine Ash will take all

‘first calls’. Her phone number is 5244-1473. Please ring Christine

if you require transport to Medical or Pastoral appointments.

Please give 2 DAYS NOTICE

CHRISTMAS CARDS:

A variety of Christmas Cards have been ordered from Share, The Leprosy Mission

and the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Details of their availability will be advised

shortly. If you would like more information, please speak with Jenny D’Altera.

EVERYTHING IN COMMON GIFT CARDS

Everything in Common Gift cards are available for purchase in the hall during

morning tea. Varying prices. Buy that special gift for the person who has

everything.

SERVICES NEXT WEEK THURSDAY 2.00 pm Midweek Service SUNDAY: 9.30 am Rev. T. Johnson _________________________________________________________________

LECTIONARY READINGS: DECEMBER 13, 2015 Zephaniah 3:14-20; Isaiah 12: 2-6;

Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:7-18. ___________________________________________________________________

LAST WEEK’S STATISTICS OFFERING: ACTUAL: $2005 Y.T.D. $84432

BUDGET: $1830 Y.T.D. $86386 ________________________________________________________________

THIS WEEK’S DIARY: Mon Dec 7 10.00am English Class 5.30 pm English Class 7.00 pm Geelong Chorale Bella Mama 7.30 pm Mission Outreach Ministry Team Tue Dec 8 9.30 am Men’s Shed 5.00 pm Weight Watchers Wed 9 6.30 pm Welsh Ladies Choir Thurs 10 9.00 am Let’s Make Music 9.30 am Men’s Shed 4.00 pm Choir 4.30 pm Youth Choir Fri 11 9.30 am Let’s Make Music Sat 12 2.00 pm Sudanese Ladies Night Sun 13 12.30 pm Youth Choir

Church Office Hours: Wed - 10am to 12pm, Thurs – 10am to 12pm, Fri – 10am to 12pm

ADVENT BANNERS: Have you noticed a new set of banners going up on the west

wall of the church? They are a set of six Advent banners made by a group of St.

Luke’s ladies in 2000/01.

We thank Phil Phelan for removing and storing the “Passion in Pictures” banners

and erecting the six Advent banners in the coming weeks.

KINDER CHILDREN SINGING 2015.

On Wednesday 9th December at 9.30 am, members of the congregation are

invited to visit with the children at St. Luke’s kinder to listen to them singing their

little Christmas songs. If you are interested in sharing in this concert please see

Pam for details

POSITION VACANT

Throughout the year ladies of the congregation cater for

funerals, musical afternoons and fellowship events that take

place at St. Luke’s.

At present we require help, pre and post these randomly

occurring events, to set up and pack up tables and chairs.

If you think you might be available to help please contact Pam on 5243 9575 or

see on Sunday morning. For this Pastoral opportunity to continue we need

support.

THE CHORAL ADVENT 9.30 AM SERVICE ON SUNDAY 13TH DECEMBER will

include the recent cantata Suddenly an Angel . . . written for and sung by St.

Luke’s Choir. This choral work follows the story of Jesus’ birth.

Set to music by Malcolm John, it includes solos and choruses, as well as well-

known songs and hymns sung by the congregation. Do bring a friend or two

along.

Noel! Noel! is a Christmas Concert presented by Geelong’s acclaimed Windfire

Chamber Choir, directed by Rick Prakhoff on Friday 18th December 8.00 pm. This

takes place at The Basilica of St.Mary of the Angels, 136 Yarra Street, Geelong. It

will include Haydn’s beautiful St.Nicholas Mass by Joseph Haydn, with soloists, as

well as the Geelong Youth Choir (who practice here in St.Luke’s on Thursdays),

and a new work for choir & soloists by Malcolm John. Tickets at the door $30 &

$25. School students are Free.

WORLD VISION CHILD SPONSORSHIP.

The open bowl appeal to support our World Vision child – Chalermpon Inrana -

during November raised $274.70

A cheque for $576.00, being the invoiced amount for continuation of the

sponsorship will be sent to World Vision this week.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this appeal.

YOUR FINAL CHOICE’: Hastening your death when terminally ill – eight questions

to ask yourself.

Kenneth Ralph is well known to us, having previously been a Minister in

Placement here at St Luke’s. Kenneth is a well-respected therapist and trained in

philosophy at Otago, in religion at Princeton USA and in psychotherapy in

Melbourne.

Kenneth’s book ‘Your Final Choice’ is about death control when terminally ill. It

is an invitation to have a decisive say in how the drama of our last days is played

out. When afflicted with a painful and terminal illness do we have to live as long

as we can or is there an alternative: Live only for as long as we determine for

ourselves?

The book describes the options available to us when death is near. And it

presents eight pastoral/ethical questions that can help us decide for ourselves

the manner or even the timing of our death.

Kenneth’s book is available for sale at $23.00 and can be purchased from Rae

Anderson at our trading table.

INFORMATION BOOKLET.

St. Luke’s offers many opportunities for members of the

Congregation to be part of a small group. A list of these

groups, along with their contact people can be found on the

notice board outside the Vestry on the West Wall.

Also available is an Information Booklet which, along with

additional information about each of these groups contains details of our Mission

& Vision statements, Bedrock Convictions and Core Values, plus details of office

opening hours, web page address and Church Council and Ministry Team

Convenors.

If you would like a copy of this booklet please see Des or contact Pam on 5243

9575. Limited copies are available on the desk outside the vestry under the small

group listing board.

CHRISTMAS MID-WEEK WORSHIP.

We invite you to join us in the Fellowship Room on December 10th

for our final mid-week service for 2015.

Those attending are invited to bring along a small gift or an item of

non-perishable food for distribution through Uniting Care.

The service commences at 2 pm and is followed by afternoon tea.

Our services take place on the 2nd Thursday of the month (except in January) and

are open to everyone who enjoys the more traditional style of service.

Family and friends are welcome to share in this Christmas service.

For details contact Pam on 5243 9575.

DUTY ROSTERS: The number of people currently available for roster duty has been reduced and it is necessary for “repeat performances” to be carried out. The pamphlet listing out the duties which are necessary to have our facility operating efficiently is on the table in the foyer. To have rosters done for the New Year it would be appreciated if we could get more new volunteers to lighten the load on those already volunteering. The completed forms can be left in the offering plate.

CLIMATE ACTION MARCH

FRIDAY 27TH NOV 2015

The atmosphere was electric. People jumping up and down to the drum beats,

talking excitedly to those near them, exchanging stories of who they were and

where they were from.

We were at the front of the march amongst an eclectic mix of Christians,

Buddhists and other religions. Many people remarking on how great it was that

we had come ALL the way from Geelong!!

We held the St Luke’s banner high as we marched with thousands of like-minded

people; all concerned with the changes in the climate and urging the world’s

leaders at the Paris Summit, (Nov 30 – Dec 11,) to put into action, the changes

required to keep below 2 degrees rise in the temperature of our planet.

Some of the noteworthy slogans on the banners were:-

It was very encouraging to see so many people coming together for the sake of

wanting to save the earth from overheating, destroying plants, animals and us

through overconsumption and corporate greed. If the world’s temperatures rise

more than 2 degrees, more low lying countries will be flooded. People will lose

more of their food crops and their homes. Coastal cities will be flooded including

parts of Melbourne.

We must keep the temperature of our world under a 2 degrees rise. Let us look

deep into our hearts – are we looking out for each other, are we looking after

God’s creation?

Jean Daw and Claire Ziegler (in Melbourne, getting ready for the march).

Uniting Church in Australia Commission for Mission Justice and International

Mission

Micah Challenge and those who support Helping to Make Poverty History, will be glad to read that progress has been made in order to

eradicate world poverty. The following extract comes from JUSTACT our

UCA Mission Unit – Nov Edition:

ENDING EXTREME POVERTY …The World Bank has estimated the number of

people living in extreme Poverty (below $2.60 a day), will drop to below 10% of

the world population in 2015. This builds on the work Governments have done

over the last 25 years in tackling poverty through actions like increasing access

to education, clean water, immunisation, and midwives to assist women to give

birth safely. Most of these actions have been funded by developing country

governments raising their own tax revenue. In 1990 1.9 billion people lived in

extreme poverty. In 2012, this had dropped to 902 million people and now in

2015 it is down to 702 million. These targeted government actions show that

poverty is a problem that can be solved, what is needed is the political will to

make it happen. Take a prayerful moment, or longer, today to reflect on

‘Helping to Make Poverty History.’ The Justice and International Mission (JIM) Unit exists to provide resources and to engage and educate others about issues of social justice

(Rae Anderson – for St Luke’s Micah Challenge)

TREKKIE/PRAYER GATHERINGS RECESS.

Friday Trekkies, New Generation Trekkies and the Prayer Gatherings will be in

recess until February 2016.

Weekly prayer requests can still be submitted by email to Jean Williams or via

the cards in the pews.

For more details contact Tony on 0421 331 894.

BLUE CHRISTMAS SERVICE

Pastoral Connections invite you to share in a service of remembrance and hope

for those who are hurting. The reflection will be held at St. Luke’s on Wednesday

16th December at 7 pm.

This service is open to the family and friends of those who have lost someone

close to them, missed sharing a special anniversary or birthday, had a separation

or divorce in the family, or perhaps having recently lost a job.

The service will be held in the Fellowship Room and will be followed by supper.

For more details contact Pam on 5243 9575.