Church News 

ALL WELCOME – WORSHIP AT ST PAUL

Everyone is welcome to join us on Sunday morning for worship. Worship times are 8.30am for a Traditional Service and 10.00am for a more Contemporary service with Godly Play on offer for primary school aged children. Tea and Coffee and a time of gathering is held most weeks after both worship services. 

LENT

Lent is a season of the Church Year, when we give particular focus to prayer and re-orientate our lives towards God.  During this season, we follow Jesus on his journey to the cross, where he died so that everyone who believes in him can live with him forever in heaven. Purple is the colour of Lent and represents the royalty of Jesus and the season ends with the celebration of Easter on Easter Sunday.

Lent provides a reflective opportunity to simplify our lives and as a way to savour and ponder God’s steadfast love and faithfulness.  Prayer, fasting and almsgiving (helping charities and those in need) are traditional Lenten practices.  You could consider some of the following faith practices in your daily routine:

• Pray daily and include the Lord’s Prayer. 
• Read the Bible regularly. 
• Sit in silence for prayer and meditation. 
• Eat meals with others and include a mealtime prayer. 
• Fast by eating smaller portions or simpler foods.
• Give up something significant for Lent (ie. chocolate or coffee) and use that money to help others.
• Nurture relationships by spending time together. 
• Listen to others as you engage in conversations. 
• Give a donation of time and/or money to a service organisation. 
• Commit to daily acts of kindness. 

PLAYGROUP @ ST PAUL 

Playgroup @ St Paul is on each Tuesday during term time in the Hall for children aged 0-5 and a parent/caregiver.  Playgroup runs from 9.00- 10:30am, but we welcome people anytime from 8:30am onwards to help set up. Join us for a coffee, playtime, story time and songs from 9-10:30am each week during school terms. Cost is $2 per family.  

Playgroup was the place to be this week, with a very big attendance!  With the warmer weather, it was good to play with water in the sensory play space and enjoy some beach related activities at the craft table.  Playdough is always highly popular and today children enjoyed exploring the new break out sensory tent filled with a fluffy blanket, fidgets, glitter tubes and other exciting objects.

Next week we will be looking at wombats as we read the book ‘Found you, little Wombat’ by Angela McAllister.

For more information about anything playgroup related contact Kylie Koelman in the Church Office on 8262 4690 or email at office@stpaul-church.org.au

ST PAUL YOUTH (SPY)

St Paul Youth for school Years 6-8 and runs the first and the third Friday evening of the school term.  The next date for SPY is Friday, 1 March at 7pm in the Church Hall.  Cost is $2 per family.  The SPY format is a time of fun and games, some devotional conversations and then a shared supper.  Feel free to come along and join with leaders Dan, Tom and Renate to see what SPY has to offer.  If you have any questions in the meantime, contact Dan Kitson on ypfministry@stpaul-church.org.au.

GROWING FAITH AT HOME 

This resource is developed by the Lutheran Church of Australia and is intended to be a guide in sharing faith activities with members of your family.

Here are a few ways you could introduce faith discussions in your home and day-to-day life.

This week the Bible reading is about following Jesus, with a particular focus during this season of Lent about looking to how God wants us to live our lives.  Do we put God first in our lives or do we look to earthly ‘treasures’?  Do we love others as we love ourselves?  In the reading, Jesus says “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.” (Mark 8:34). This means Jesus calls us to love God and others as we would love ourselves.

Mealtime Prayer: 

Thank you, God, for you are good – you call, you guide, you feed. Help us

to share from all we have with those who are in need.  Amen.

Prayer: 

Lord Jesus, help us to follow you today, putting your will ahead of what we want and others think. Amen.

Blessing: 

(Child’s name) May God give you a strong faith, so that you trust in his promises and live to please him.  Amen.

LUTHERAN CARE                

Did you know that Lutheran Care maintain a food pantry to help families in need?  This program is called Loaves and Fishes and they require new food donations each month.  For the month of March they are looking for donations of breakfast cereal, pasta, tin steak & veg, tinned sausage & veg, butter & margarine, sugar, toothbrushes, shampoo and conditioner. Donations are collected through the church office or can be donated directly to Lutheran Care, 309 Prospect Road.