Sunday 11th May 2025 – Fourth Sunday of Easter

WELCOME EVERYONE

To our service on Baptisms and Confirmations. If you are visiting with us, it’s great to have you here. We also welcome our regional Bishop Paul Barker who will be preaching and presiding at the 8am and 10am services as well as confirming people at the 10am service.

BAPTISM AND CONFIRMATION CANDIDATES

This Sunday we will be baptising and confirming Karen, Ethan and Alysia Nicholls and Miranda Bektas. We will also be confirming David Nicholls, Natalie, Hailey and Caitlyn Xavier, and Stewart, Joshua and Benjamin Winton. Congratulations to all of these people and their sponsors.

MORNING TEA

Our parishioners have been working hard to make our morning tea special this Sunday for those been baptised and confirmed and for all the mothers on this Mother’s Day. We do hope you can stay for a little while.

HOLY LAND OLIVE WOOD CARVINGS

This Sunday we will also have a special display of wooden handcrafts for sale. These are brought us by Palestinian Christian Families in Melbourne who are seeking to sell the handcrafts made by Palestinian Christians near Bethlehem that would normally be bought by tourists visiting Israel. Because of the conflict in Israel and Gaza, sales have evaporated. They will be available at the back of the Hall after the 10am service.

HYMNS

TIS 595 O Jesus I have promised

MP 1008 The Lord’s my Shepherd (I will trust)

MP 272 I have decided to follow Jesus

MP 924 Salvation belongs to our God

TIS 154 Great is your faithfulness

BUILDING FUND PROGRESS

When we stated planning for the new Parish Centre back in 2020, we had the finance for the building covered. Steep rises in the cost of construction and long delays in obtaining permits have caused considerable price rises. We are still $170,000 short of the estimated final cost and we invite you to consider contributing to our building fund to enable us to complete this beautiful new project debt free.

MEMORIAL FLOWERS

Memorial Flowers this week have been loving donated by Slyvie Matthys and family in everlasting memory of husband Roland Matthys. Forever in our hearts.

VOLUNTEERS

Would you be able to volunteer to help with cleaning or gardening? Please speak to Michael Willis or the vicar.

MISSION MOMENTS

Just a reminder that Mission Sunday, is 11th May, when Bishop Paul Barker will speak on Hope 25 at our Baptism and Confirmation service. If you have a mission box please bring to church over the next couple of weeks.

LAWN MOWING ROSTER: 17th May – Rusty & Heinz

ELECTION OF NEW ARCHBISHOP

The election Synod for our new Archbishop is scheduled for Friday 23rd of May and Saturday 24th of May. Please pray for the Archbishop Appointments board as they prepare the shortlist of candidates and pray for the Synod delegates who must vote. You can use this prayer as you pray.

PRAYER AT THE TIME OF CHOOSING A BISHOP Eternal God, shepherd and guide, in your mercy give your Church in this diocese a shepherd after your own heart who will walk in your ways, and in loving care watch over your people. Give us a leader of vision and a teacher of truth. So may your Church be built up and your name glorified; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

UPDATE ON BUILDING PROGRAM Things are advancing well with the construction of the new Parish Centre. This replaces our old centre which was falling apart and was full of asbestos. The new centre will feature a multipurpose area with a total capacity of 180 but divisible into smaller areas by opening up the operable walls. There will be easy access from the side exit of the church to toilets, fellowship areas, and Sunday school rooms. The front of the building facing McCrae Street will include new offices and meeting rooms and a reception desk. A new wider vehicle entrance will be built on McCrae Street leading into the new 32 space carpark. We expect the building to be completed by late September and we are planning an opening in November.

READINGS FOR NEXT SUNDAY 18th May: Acts 11:1-8; Psalm 148; Revelation 21:1-6; John 13:31-35.

THIS WEEK WE PRAY FOR: All Saints' Newtown/Geelong West; Hope25 diocesan events; Victorian Council of Churches; Anglican Church in Japan; St John’s Footscray–Pastoral service; Brimbank Anglican Parish–Pastoral service; St Paul’s Caulfield North–Confirmation service; St James’ Dandenong– Pastoral service; Diocesan Administrator Bishop Genieve and all our Bishops in their ministry this week.

THIS WEEK WE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR: Anthony, Nisha, Mike, Cecil, Ruth, Eva, Charles, Nigel, Jen, Ted, Natasha, Patty, Melenny, Shereen, Lorraine, Rebecca, Ken, Jim, Monty, Noel, Ashleigh, Mervyn, Tauren, Sylvia, Dean, Amy, & William & Chelsea.