“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”“He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation nor will they train for war anymore.”
(Micah 4:3)
This week, the sections of the email are:
- Opening Reflection: War and Peace
- Remembrance Sunday: Parade Service at 11am, no 9:30am service.
- Key notices: Special Meeting, Thanet Prayer Diary
- Coming Up: Churches Together Prayer Breakfast, World War I talk, People’s Emergency Briefing, Gathering in Support of the Persecuted Church, Christmas Baroque
- Blogs to Share: Why I am not a Muslim, Beyond Christian Nationalism
- Weekly Calendar
- Online Forms: Event application, Submit a notice, maintenance report, Safeguarding
Scroll on…
Opening Reflection
This week, Donald Trump’s Republican party suffered badly in the mid-term elections, with votes for Democrats surging across the USA. Why was that? Both J. D. Vance and Donald Trump blamed the war with Iran.
It is a war that has resulted in the death of around 3,500 people, mostly Iranians. Terrible as every death is, this is small compared with other wars. The Iraq war caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands, whilst the war in Ukraine has claimed around half a million lives. This Sunday, when we remember the fallen in our own wars, we are reminded of the terrible grief that war brings. The decision to go to war should never be taken lightly.
Yet it is not the death toll that makes Americans hate the Iran War so much. Rather, it is the economic impact. The war has led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant amount of the world’s oil flowed. This has resulted in rising prices across the world – including America. War is bad not just because people die, but because it destroys prosperity.
Even the fear of war creates a strain on the economy. Our own government is grappling with the need to increase defence spending in the light of increased threats in the world, when there is no money to spare.
How much better if there was no possibility of war? People would not die needlessly, economies would not be damaged and increased resources could be put into improving our world. That is a dream that has existed for centuries and is expressed so powerfully by Isaiah in the verse above. Jesus says, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers.’ Let’s do our bit to pray and work for peace.
Paul Worledge
Key Notices:
Special Meeting – Wednesday 18th November, St. Luke’s Church
With the creation of the new united parish of St. George, the Martyr and St. Luke’s Ramsgate, we need to have a Special Meeting. The primary aim of this meeting will be to elect members for the new PCC along with two church wardens for each church. If you were on the electoral roll for St. Luke’s or St. George’s before you will be automatically on the electoral roll for the new parish. Nomination forms to be PCC members or Church Wardens will be available at the back of each church.
We will also be reflecting on how well the 2030 vision is progressing and praying for the future.
Thanet Prayer Diary
Copies of this for November and December are available at the back of church or here.
Coming Up:
Churches Together Prayer Breakfast
Saturday, 9:00 to 10:00am run by the Ramsgate Pentecostal Church, meeting at Hardres Street Methodist hall.
World War I Talk
An illustrated talk by Margaret Bolton looking at the lives of some of the men who served and the town they left behind. Saturday, 7th November, 3pm, St. George’s Church. Admission £5. Proceeds to the St. George’s restoration fund. Find out more…
People’s Emergency Briefing
St. George’s are hosting a community screening of the ‘People’s Emergency Briefing’. The film will be followed by a discussion led by Climate Resilience Expert Illana Adamson to explore the issues raised for us here in Ramsgate, such as fuel poverty, food security and summer heatwaves. St. George’s Church, Saturday 7th November, 6:15pm. Free to attend. Find out more and book.
Gathering in Support of the Persecuted Church
An invitation to the Churches & Christians of Thanet to gather in support of the Persecuted Church. In partnership with Open Doors. We’ll “be inspired by stories of faith under fire” & we’ll pray. It’s on Sunday 8th November, 4pm – 5.30pm at St George’s Foundation School, Broadstairs.
Christmas Baroque
Tickets are now on sale for this year’s Ramsgate Baroque Christmas Concert, taking place on Thursday 17 December at 7 pm at St George’s Church. Tickets cost £15 and are available through St. George’s website.
Weekly Calendar
Sunday 8th November – Remembrance Sunday
Remembrance Sunday (St. George’s Church) Micah 4:1-4 – from 10:40am
Monday 9th
Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Tuesday 10th
Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Community Meal (St. George’s Hall) – 5:30-7:00pm
Wednesday 11th
Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm
Thursday 12th
Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Saturday 14th
Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm
Sunday 15th – Second Sunday before Advent
Eucharist (St. George’s Church) Hebrews 10:19-25 – 09:30am
Sunday School (St George’s, 10:30am)
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.
They meet at the following times:
- Monday evening (two groups)
- Tuesday afternoon
- Wednesday morning
- Wednesday evening
- Thursday morning
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.
- Reporting Form. Use this to report any issues or incidents to do with maintenance, accidents, anti-social behaviour or safeguarding concerns.
Safeguarding
Our website is now updated with the latest information about Safeguarding and links to the Diocesan form for reporting concerns and accessing training.
If you volunteer in anyway at church the national authorities you should take at least the Basic Module in safeguarding training once every three years. If you hold a role connected with vulnerable adults or children and young people, then you will also need to take the Foundation Module. Once you have completed your training, please forward that certificate to James, our administrator, (office@churchramsgate.org) so that we can keep records of who has done the training.
Finally, let’s keep praying for peace
Yours in Christ
Paul Worledge
(Priest in Charge, St. George’s Ramsgate)
