“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient,

bearing with one another in love.”

(Ephesians 4:2)

This week, the sections of the email are:

• Opening Reflection: Patience
• Key notices: Electoral roll, Help on Sundays, Life Groups, 150^th Newsletter, Thanks
• Coming Up: Life in Tudor Ramsgate, Annual Parochial Church Meeting
• Interesting Blogs: Third Places; Faith, hope and autism
• Weekly Calendar
• Online Forms: Event application, Submit a notice, maintenance report, access Safeguarding training

Scroll on…

Opening Reflection

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient,

bearing with one another in love.” (Ephesians 4:2)

This week we are returning to our 10 part series on the Fruit of the Spirit. We started by looking at the list of characteristics as a whole as Paul gives it in Galatians 5, then we looked in turn at the first three of the nine traits that make up the fruit of the Spirit, the godly character that the Spirit works to form in us. Those first three were: love, joy and peace. Over the next few weeks we will be considering the next three in the list, starting this week with patience.

When I look at the fruit of the Spirit with a small group, I often ask people which of the characteristic they feel is their weakest. The most common answer is patience. Perhaps that is not surprising. We live in a world where we can order almost anything more or less instantly on our phone or even through our smart speaker. In the past you would find things out by going to the library and trawling through books. Now you just ask google.  We live in an instant world, where we don’t expect to wait for long and so we are not trained in patience.

In addition our world has become one of constant distraction, which means our attention span has shrunk. In the early nineteenth century, people would sit and listen to speeches that lasted for hours. Today, people watch 30 second videos on TikTok. We are losing the capacity for sustained engagement, let alone endurance in the face of hard times.

All of this matters, because real engagement with others, with God, even with ourselves takes time. Our lack of patience is leading to a deficit of relationship. We need to spend time in personal prayer and Bible study and in attending church if we are to grow in our relationship with Jesus. We need patience with the people in our lives, by being slow to anger and sticking with them, when it can be difficult and hard. We need patience, so let’s pray that God will grow it in our lives through the work of His Spirit.

                                                Paul Worledge

Key Notices:

Electoral Roll: Please fill in a form if you aren’t yet on it!

The electoral roll is a list of church members who have the right to vote at our annual meeting. Last year we had to create a new roll, and many people would have joined the electoral roll then. If you did not join last year or have started coming more recently, then you can now join the new roll, if you are 16 or over, have been baptised and have either been attending for six months or live in the parish. Please pick up a form at the back of church and return to Mark or fill in the online form. Forms must be completed by 3^rd May. The Annual meeting is on Sunday 31^st May after church.

Helping on Sundays

Making everyone feel welcome on Sundays and ensuring things run smoothly is an important task – as well as a privilege. Ahead of the Annual Meeting on 31 May, let’s renew and expand the list of : those who set out books and greet worshippers; those who read aloud, those who lead intercessions; those who open up and set up the church. Simple written guidance is available for each of these, and you’d be part of a team. Please consider being one of them and speak to Paul Worledge or Mark Ogden if interested.

Mark and Amanda will be AWAY on Sunday 3 May and Sunday 17 May. Extra opportunities to join in with your help!

Life Groups

Will you dare to share the Christian life with others? Life groups are a great way to meet together regularly with a small group of other Christians, for mutual support, to share in reading God’s word and to pray for one another.

Please see Paul if you are interested in joining one. There are now more groups available! They meet at the following times:

• Monday evening (two groups)
• Tuesday afternoon
• Wednesday morning
• Wednesday evening
• Thursday morning

There is also a youth life group on a Sunday afternoon.

 

Thanks from Mark Ogden

I wanted to express thanks to the many from St Luke’s worshipping community who turned up and turned out on Sunday 19th for what was a huge day in the calendar. I’m sure others would want to express the same sentiments. It was a good, colourful and interesting event and opportunity for collective witness.

Coming Up:

Life in Tudor Ramsgate

On Saturday 16^th May, 3pm, Margaret Bolton will be giving a talk about Tudor Ramsgate. It will include insights into school life, the work of a housewife, the jobs people did, visits by important people and the experiences of family life. Tickets will be £5 with all proceeds going to the St. George’s Restoration fund. Tickets available online, via the St. George’s website or on the door.

Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM)

The Annual meeting is on Sunday 31^st  May after church. There will be elections for two Churchwardens, two Deanery Synod reps and six PCC members. Please consider standing or encouraging others to stand.

Interesting Blogs to Share:

Third Places

By third places, we mean places which are neither the home nor the work place, but a different kind of place where people gather for conversation, commonality and conviviality. In our society they are in decline as we become increasingly individualised, isolated and polarised. Can the church become a more effective third place? Read more… (10 mins)

 

Faith, hope and autism

This is a review of a book on autism and the church. Do we understand how autistic people experience church? What gifts can they bring to the wider community? Read more… (5 mins)

Weekly Calendar

Sunday 26^th – Fourth Sunday of Easter

Eucharist (St. George’s Church) Romans 12:9-21 – 9:30am

Tuesday 28^th                

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

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

Wednesday 29th      

Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm

Thursday 30^th 

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

Saturday 2^nd                

CTiR Prayer Breakfast (St. Lawrence Church) – 9:00-10:00am

Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm

Sunday 3^rd – Fifth Sunday of Easter

Eucharist (St. George’s Church) Ruth 2 – 9:30am

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.

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@churchramsgate.org), so that we can keep records of who has done the training.

Finally, let’s learn a bit of patience.

Yours in Christ

Paul Worledge

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