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St David's Minister's Missive

Dear St David's Church Family 🌟

Welcome to our second Sunday in Advent - a season of waiting and expectation as we journey together to Bethlehem and the arrival of the Christ Child. This Sunday is also our communion Sunday, so if you are joining us from home you are invited to gather some bread and wine/juice so that you can share in communion. If you will be in church, we ask you to please byo cup (there are cups available, so don't worry if you forget).

Just a reminder that the following government rules apply in church:

• QR code check in (or sign in)

• wearing masks

• 1.5 metre distance

• singing allowed (for vaccinated)

• unvaccinated and vaccinated are able to attend

If you are feeling unsure or anxious about attending, our live stream will be continuing so there is a choice available to. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me.

You'll find the liturgy for this Sunday here. Please join us at 9.30am either in church or on livestream through our Facebook page or Youtube. We look forward to seeing you there!

Advent 2 Year C 5th December 2021

Here are the things that I would like to pass on to you this week:

AGM - is this Sunday, after the service. Here is an excerpt from my report:

The St David’s church council has shown wise and yet adventurous leadership over this time. They have faithfully listened and trusted God and their continued openness to new ideas and change when needed is a gift to us as a community. Thank you to you all.

I would like to take this time to thank a couple of members of our church council, who will be standing down this year. My sincere thanks to Adam who has contributed a good number of years on the council, in the last two, as Chair. I am deeply grateful both personally and on behalf of our community for his companionship, calmness, pragmatism and dedication through this ever-changing time.

Thank you also to Prue. We have deeply appreciated your thoughtful, compassionate and skilled presence on the council. We understand that The Ella is taking up more of your time now and we know that your leadership is greatly valued there.

Carols in the church yard - St David is joining with Leichhardt and Balmain UCs in hosting our Carols in the church yard on Sunday 12th December with a BBQ at 5.30pm and Carols starting at 6.30pm. We hope this will be a great celebration now that we can gather again as a community. All are welcome. Fliers have been sent out in the missive and there are copies at the back of the church. All are welcome. If you are able to bring food to share, please let Ellen know what you will be bringing, either by email: ellen@gfcomms.com.au or by writing in the sheet at the back of the church. Please contact Ellen if you are needing more information.

Advent resource - our advent resource this week is from the Henri Nouwen Society. You can sign up to receive their daily or weekly email reflections here: https://henrinouwen.org/read-nouwen/free-daily-meditation/

Join Our Community | Henri Nouwen Society

Join Our Community: Drawn from a wide range of Henri Nouwen’s writing, these short meditations will inspire and guide your mind and heart.

Prison Fellowship Christmas Gifts - would you like to contribute to gifts for children with a parent in prison? St David's has taken part in this in previous years. Prison Fellowship are taking financial donations via this link: https://prison-fellowship.secure.force.com/Donate

Blue Christmas Service - Christmas is a time of celebration, yet for many of us it is also one of deep sadness, for a variety of reasons, and particularly this year after nearly 2 years of COVID and the ramifications of lockdowns. Paddington Uniting Church is holding a Blue Christmas service to provide a space for lament and hope. This service will be held on Wednesday 8th December at 7pm, both in person at Paddington UC and also accessible on livestream through their facebook page. Please see attached photo for the details or find them on Instagram @ paddingtonuniting.

This week's photos of hope include:

- Kim's afternoon visitor

- a Christmas funny from Owen

- Blue Christmas flier

- Olivia and I celebrating the end of her HSC - thank you all for your prayers.

-this week's story book. (top)

Dates for the diary:

• 5th December - St David's AGM

• 12th December - baptism of Kaia

• 12th December at 5.30pm Carols on the lawn at St David's

• 25th December - Christmas Day service 9.30am

• 25th December - Open house lunch at the manse 🎄

• 26th December - Boxing Day Sunday service

• Joy on leave - 31st December - 30 January.

Advent Morning Prayer and Communion Service - We are back in church! It was wonderful to be together again for our midweek service where we find space to connect with God and each other. There is a Zoom link available for those who are unable to make it in person and the hybrid worship seemed to go ok as we did it for the first time this week. Cuppa at Garnish after the service. All are welcome at 9.30am.

Wednesday night Bible Study Group - are reflecting on the Act2 series looking at the Baisi of Union - where we have come from and where we are going. If you are interested in joining in, please contact David.

Mission of the church - please continue to pray for the people who use our Kindness Cupboard; for the work of The Ella Centre; and for Lenka as she prepares to start a playgroup for children living with a disability. Please also pray for Alice and Peter, who got married on 6th November and Kaia who will be baptised on 12th December.

Prayers for local churches - This week, please pray for the people and mission of St Oswald's Anglican Church

Joy's day off - Friday

If you would like to make a financial contribution to the work of our church, here are the bank account details:
Account Name: St David’s Haberfield Uniting Church in Australia
Bank: Commonwealth Bank BSB: 062 178 Account Number: 00800290

Story-time - Hello to our St David's kids! Dominic, Matilda, Harry, Frank, Sophie, Edie, Ella, Aiden, River, Sacha, Eli, Elise and Naomi. For the second week in Advent our story is called 'The Nativity' and we're looking forward to having Gretta read it for us. See you on the story mat in church or on our livestream 😊

This week's prayer is a prayer for Advent from Rev Jenny Ducker - our Pastoral Relations Minister (and part of our congregations at St David's):

I pray you will have hope: hope that opens your eyes to the miracle of new life in all its fragility and dependence. Hope that declares again, God is with us in this world and in this time.

I pray you will have peace: peace that encourages you to be a peace-maker in this world who stands up against anything that is not from God. Peace that creates sacred places for yourself and others to encounter God and find purpose in God’s love.

I pray you will have joy: joy that is deep-rooted in the core of your being. Joy that alerts you to the life and energy of God’s new creation, this “new thing” God is doing.

I pray you will have love: love that surrounds you and supports you and encourages you and nurtures you. Love that both gives you rest and urges you onward. Love that pulses through your body and overflows into the world around you.

This Advent, I pray that you will not feel a need to strive to be innovative and creative in ways that require much energy. Rather I pray that you will make time to look around for the signs of where God is being born, again, in this world. I pray that those signs of God’s birth will gently and persistently ease any fatigue you are experiencing, leading you to the life-giving hope, peace, joy and love of this new season.

Amen

The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it [John 1:5]

All are welcome in this place

Joy 🌟

UC National News 1-7 Dec - Assembly Circles Sharing Advent Joy, the Basis at 50, Act2: what we are hearing, Thursdays in Black quilt and more

Social Justice Forum Uniting Church