For Sunday the 3rd of December

This Sunday marks the beginning of Advent. Advent is a time of preparation for the celebration of Christmas, and it’s also a time that Christians set aside to focus on the fact that everybody will have to give account to God for the way they have lived.

This Sunday we will be hearing about the way that God has fulfilled the promise he made to his people in the past, and the way he strengthens us to live by faith in his promises here and now. In particular we will be hearing about how God’s promise to King David - that there would always be someone on his throne - has been kept in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. We’ll be thinking about the way God’s promise to David, fulfilled by Jesus, frees us to live lives of simplicity, celebration, and joy.

We will be meeting at 9:00am for a Service with Holy Communion. Our Sunday School will be meeting at about 9:45am.

This Sunday evening, at 6:00pm, our congregation will be hosting an ecumenical service for advent. It will be a service of advent reading and songs/hymns, and will include brief presentations by people from four different Christian traditions (Anglican, Catholic, Lutheran, and Uniting) on how Advent helps us prepare for Christ’s coming. All are welcome.



Samuel Anthony Manderson

Here are some photos of the new addition to the Manderson family -Samuel Anthony.

He's pictured with his brother, Edward, and his father, Stuart.

Please join with the Mandersons in giving thanks to God for the safe arrival of their little one!

For Sunday the 26th of November

This Sunday we are celebrating a festival called ‘Christ the King’. This festival only began being celebrated toward the beginning of the Twentieth Century, just at the time when totalitarian governments were making an impact on Europe and the world. One reason Christians celebrate Christ the King is because it reminds us that no merely human authority can make a total claim on our lives.

This Sunday we will be hearing readings from the Bible that show how Jesus’ kingdom is different from worldly kingdoms. We will be hearing how Jesus’ kingdom is based on his love for us – a love that was willing to undergo sacrifice. We will also be hearing how Jesus grows his kingdom through the message of God’s mercy toward all people.

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00am for a service with communion. The Sunday School, which is having its first practice for the Christmas service, will be meeting at about 10:45am.

God’s peace,

Fraser

Some Great News and Some People for Prayer

Great News! Stuart and Rachel Manderson now have a second son. Samuel Anthony was born on Wednesday morning at 5:40am. Rachel and Samuel are both well, and will be at St John of God hospital for the next few days.

Other news: Marg Bremner had a knee operation on Thursday, and she is recovering at St John of God. David Miller also had a knee operation on Thursday, and will be at St John of God in Ballarat until next week. Please remeber them in your prayers.

For Sunday the 19th of November

It’s not unusual to think that those people who attempt to lead a good life, and who try to help others, should be most confident and least troubled about the prospect of being judged by God. It’s also not unusual to think that those who have given up trying to lead a good life, and who look after only themselves, should be least confident and most troubled about God’s judgment. It’s not unusual to think in these ways, but when we grow in experience of God we realize that the reality of God’s judgment on human beings is not what we might expect.

This Sunday we will be hearing from the Bible about God’s judgment, and about what can give us real confidence as we approach God. We will be thinking about the way that those who are closest to God have a deeper knowledge of their need for mercy than those who are far from God. We will also be thinking about the way that God washes us clean from sin and evil so that we may provoke each other to love and good deeds.

This Sunday we will be meeting at 9:00am for a service with communion. We will also be celebrating God bringing a new child into his family through holy baptism.

God’s peace,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 12th of November

This Sunday we will be listening to a story from the Bible that deals with life during a drought. The story focuses on the fate of two vulnerable people – a widow and her young son - who suffer because of the drought, and who are at the point of despair. God saves these people, but not in ways that we would expect. He calls them to trust that he will provide for them, and he brings them hope as they serve God’s prophet, Elijah.

This story of drought and God’s provision for his people is very sophisticated, and is a call for those who listen with trust to understand the way God brings good out of evil; and the way God brings plenty when there is need. On Sunday we will be thinking about the way we live through times of drought, and that way that the Bible gives us encouragement to turn to God for all that we need, including the very basics of life; including rain.

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00am for a service with communion. Our church picnic will follow the service.



"Bethlehem" Lutheran Church, is a congregation of the Lutheran Church of Australia. The church is located at 94 Spring Gully Rd., Spring Gully (a suburb of Bendigo).

Our service times are:

1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays at 9:00am

and

2nd and 4th Sundays at 10:00am

On most Sundays we celebrate Holy Communion.

The two pictures are of the church, and of the tennis courts that are directly opposite the church. We've included the picture of the tennis courts because they can be a helpful landmark in finding the church!