“But thanks be to God, he gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

(1 Corinthians 15:57)

What counts as victory? Is it your team winning the FA cup or Premiership? Achieving that promotion or job you have always longed for? Winning the hand in marriage of the person you love? Overcoming a life-threatening illness? Or perhaps if you were Ukrainian finally forcing Russian forces to leave your country?

In many cases, victory requires someone or something to be defeated: an opposing football team, other candidates for the job, a life-threatening illness or the Russians. Sometimes those that need to be defeated are mere competitors, but other times they are enemies who are out to destroy us.

This week, we celebrate St. George’s day. In the legend, St. George rescues a maiden in distress from a fearsome dragon who is certainly an enemy out to devour her. His victory over the dragon achieves the maiden and her village’s salvation. His victory becomes their victory.

Paul ends his long chapter reflecting on the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15) by emphasising the victory Jesus has won. It is not a victory over a competitor, but over the ultimate enemy of all humankind: death.

Many people claim that religion is not for them. They conceive of the Christian faith as a take it or leave it pastime, only relevant to those who enjoy spiritual activity. But, whether due to illness, an invading army or a dragon, death is the inevitable fate of us all – our greatest enemy. If Jesus has indeed defeated death, then belonging to him so as to share in his greatest and most important of all victories is surely a worthy goal. Everyone should want this victory.

Paul Worledge

This Week’s Sunday Service – 11am – St. George’s Church

St. George and Victory

This Sunday is a joint service at St. George’s church. It will be an All Age service with interactive activities and talks for young and old. There will not be a service at St. Luke’s and unfortunately, we are not able to livestream this service.

After the joint service if you want to take part on the parade, please meet outside the main church door, where you will be directed by stewards down to the top of the pedestrianised part of the High Street. The parade will then set off from there by 12:30pm and will go to the bottom of Harbour Street, then back up the High Street. There will then be lunch available in St. George’s church hall at about 1:30pm.

Planning for Thy Kingdom Come

Thy Kingdom Come is an initiative encouraging churches to extra prayer between Ascension Day and Pentecost (9^th -19^th May, this year). We would love to mark this with different prayer activities. It would be great to gather a small group to make this happen. Contact Claire to show interest.

Firestarter Event, Friday 2^nd May, 7-9pm, St. Philip’s Cliftonville, CT9 3JJ

This event is seeking to unite churches across Thanet in mission for God. There are events for church leaders during the day and an evening event to which everyone is welcome. It will take place at St. Philip’s, Cliftonville, CT9 3JJ.

You can find out more and say you are planning to come using this Facebook Event page.

St. George’s Charitable Giving

The PCC wish to review who we give money two in the coming year. We plan to give 2.5% of our basic church income to three charities, one local, one national and one international. Over the last couple of years, the charities have been:

• St George’s community meal (local)
• Macmillan’s Cancer Support (national)
• Christian Aid (international)

We are open to suggestions for charities for the coming years. Please collect a form from the back of church, complete it and return it to Sue Martin. Alternatively use the attached form, fill it in and return to Sue by email.

BBC Sound Recording in the Church Yard

Last week Steve Ladner from the BBC conducted an interview about John Le Mesurier in the churchyard, where his ashes are buried. You can listen to the five-minute video on BBC Sounds.

Links to Share:

Marriage as Martyrdom

In this post a theology lecturer describes one of her seminars. What really provokes the students? The idea that marriage requires sacrifice. Read more (6 minutes)

Church of England Video on going Net Zero

The Church of England is committed to going Net Zero by 2030. But how might this be achieved. This video highlights some of the work already being done. Watch Video

Finally, let’s live our lives trusting and following the one who has won the victory over death.

Yours in Christ

Paul Worledge

(Priest in Charge, St. George’s Ramsgate)

 

Weekly Calendar

Sunday 28^th April

Joint Service (St George’s, 11:00am) – Reading: 1 Cor. 15:50-58

Monday 29^th    

Daily Prayer (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Craft Group (St. George’s Hall, Soup Kitchen) – 2:00-3:30pm

Tuesday 30^th    

Daily Prayer (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Coffee Morning (St. George’s Hall) – 11:00am-12:00pm

Study Group (Lyndhurst Road) – 2:30-4:00pm

Community Meal (St. George’s Hall) – 5:30-7:00pm

Wednesday 1^st May   

Study Group (Langdale Avenue) – 10-12 noon

Depression & Anxiety Self-Help Group (Perry Room) – 6:00-7:30pm

Study Group (South Eastern Road) – 7:30-9:30pm

Thursday 2^nd

Daily Prayer (St Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Saturday 4^th  

Churches Together Prayer Breakfast (St. Laurence Church) – 9:00-10:00am

Open Church (St. George’s Church) – 10:00am-12:00pm

Sunday 5^th    

Eucharist (St George’s, 9:30am) – Reading: Acts 10:44-48

Online Forms

Under the ‘Contact’ tab on the website, there are now three forms that you can use to help us in managing the church:

• Events Application Form. Use this if you are organising a church event that needs a church room booked, advertising or ticketing.
• Submit a Notice. Use this if you want to ask us to include a prayer request or other notice in the church notice sheet or email.
• Maintenance Reporting Form.Use this to report any non-urgent issues with our buildings or grounds.

St. George’s Website

• What’s On – a page which lets you know what is happening this week and gives information about upcoming events.
• Notices – You can read the latest notices on this page.
• Sermons – Read a transcript of a recent sermon or watch the YouTube version recorded at St. Luke’s. There are now videos for all the sermons over the summer.

Safeguarding Training

If you volunteer in anyway at church the national authorities are strongly encouraging you to take at least the Basic Module in safeguarding training once every three years.

If you have not completed the training in the last three years, then the module can be completed online and takes about ninety minutes. You can access the training by following this link. You will need to first register, to access the training. Once the training is completed, you will be sent a certificate. Please forward that certificate to James (office@stlukesramsgate.org), so that we can keep records of who has done the training.