This Sunday – 14th December 2025

“I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people. Today in the town of David, a Saviour has been born to you.”

(Luke 2:10-11)

This week, the sections of the email are:

  • Opening reflection: Joy
  • Key notices: Parish Safeguarding Officer Role, Daily Prayer
  • Coming Up: Christmas Tree Festival, Christmas Baroque, Dare to Pray, Back after Christmas, Join Up Confirmation course, Churches Together in Ramsgate  United Service
  • Interesting Blogs: Grumpy Owl, Joy in the Bible, Christmas Karma
  • Weekly Calendar
  • Online Forms: Event application, Submit a notice, maintenance report, access Safeguarding training

Scroll on…

Opening Reflection

The theme for this year’s Christmas Publicity is ‘Joy!’ My hope and prayer for all of you reading this, is that you have a truly joyful Christmas. After all, everyone, Christian or not, believes that Christmas is a time to be happy.

Yet, joy can so easily slip away from us. The joy of giving becomes the stress of shopping; the joy of gathering slips into irritation with others and the joy of feasting dissolves into the pain of indigestion.

When our focus is on trying to make Christmas a happy time, then the pressure to be of ‘good cheer’ becomes just another cause of stress and anxiety. But when we embrace the Christian truths of the Christmas story, then we discover something that takes us above and beyond our day to day struggles and brings lasting joy to our souls.

When Jesus was born, shepherds were going about their day to day business. They no doubt had worries about the health of their family, the state of their flocks and how to pay their taxes. But suddenly an angel appeared to them with a message of good news of great joy. A Saviour was born. God was coming to help them and give them a reason for hope that would put all their other worries into perspective.

Life can be far more than worrying about possessions and politics, it can be a journey with God. A journey of transformation, hope and deep joy that lifts us beyond our immediate anxieties. The Christmas story is not meant to be a cute part of our Christmas festivities. When fully grasped it gives us joy for all of life.

Paul Worledge

Key Notices:

Parish Safeguarding Officer Role

Safeguarding in church is the responsibility of everyone. However, we need someone to champion and promote safeguarding in the church and to be a point of contact for any concerns raised. There is a lot of Diocesan training and support for this role. If you think you might be the person to take it on then please let Paul know and he can share more about what is involved.

Daily Prayer

Please note that there will be no daily prayer for the next two weeks. It restarts on Monday 5th January.

Coming Up:

Christmas Tree Festival at St. George’s, 2-5pm

Running from Friday 12th December to Sunday 21st. Come and view the beautiful Christmas Tree festival inside St. George’s church

Christmas Baroque at St. George’s – Tonight , 7pm

Tickets £15 on the door.

Dare to Pray – This Saturday 20th, 9:30-10:30am

There are lots of events happening over Christmas and it is a great opportunity to welcome more people into our churches to hear the good news about Jesus. But we need to pray for God to work. So please join us at our monthly Dare to Pray meeting at St. George’s church this Saturday.

Back after Christmas

  • Daily Prayer restarts on Monday 5th January
  • Cafe4All will then be closed for two weeks and re-open on 8th January.
  • Play and Praise restarts on 9th January
  • Community Meal restarts on 13th January

Join Up Confirmation Courses

We will be hosting a Confirmation Service at St. Luke’s on 28th February 2025. Paul will be running a course called, Join Up, from 8th and 12th January, which is both a follow up to Christianity Explored and a preparation for Confirmation. If you have not been baptised or confirmed or are just interested in taking part in the course, then please talk to Paul.

Churches Together in Ramsgate United Service

After the success of the united service at Pentecost last May, we are planning another united service at the Royal Harbour School, for Sunday January 28th at 6pm. This will be more traditional in style and there will be a joint choir for the event. If anyone would like to be part of the choir, please let Paul know.

Interesting Blogs to Share:

The Grumpy Old Owl and the Joy of Christmas

Check out this video for children from the Church of England, exploring the Nativity. Watch Video…

Joy in the Bible

This is a fast paced look at the theme of joy running through the whole Bible. All done in under 5 minutes! Watch the Video…

Christmas Karma

In this article by Graham Tomlin, we discover why the title to one of the latest Christmas movies, does not make sense. Read more (5 mins.)

Christmas Calendar

Sunday 21st December – Fourth Sunday of Advent

Carol Service (St. George’s Church) – 5:30-6:30pm

Wednesday 24th   

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

Midnight Service (St. George’s Church) – 11:30pm

Thursday 25th        

Family Communion Service (St. Luke’s Church) – 11:00am-12:00pm

Sunday 28th – First Sunday of Christmas

Eucharist (St. George’s Church) Matt. 2:13-23 – 9:30am

Saturday 3rd January       

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

Sunday 4th – Second Sunday of Christmas

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

Monday 5th         

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

Tuesday 6th          

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

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

Wednesday 7th   

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

Thursday 8th         

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

Saturday 10th       

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

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

Sunday 11th – First Sunday of Epiphany

Carol Service (St. George’s Church) Num. 11:4-6,16-34 – 9:30am

Confirmation Course (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 5:00-6:30pm

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, have a really joyful Christmas.

Yours in Christ,

Paul Worledge

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

Christmas Baroque (18th December, 7pm)

Join us in the beautiful setting of St. George’s, during its fabulous Christmas Tree festival for the delight of music from the Baroque Collective a group of eight professional musicians. The concert will feature Vivaldi’s four seasons.

Tickets are £15 on the door. Under 16s are free. (Advanced tickets no longer available).

Buy Advance Ticket

The programme for the evening is:

1st half

  • Johann Sebastian Bach: Harpsichord Concerto No. 4 in A major, BWV 1055
  • Johann Sebastian Bach: Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041
  • John Eccles: Aire from The Mad Lover

2nd half

  • Antonio Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, Laura Rickard leading

Doors open at 6:30pm and the concert starts at 7pm. Refreshments available.

Care for others (Matthew 25:31-46)

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:42)

Do we see Jesus when we see someone in need? If we say we are a Christian now, if we believe that Jesus gave his life, so that we can have the hope of eternal life, then how would we not help Jesus in need? Jesus says the way we need to do that is to help those we come across who find themselves in need.

As recorded at St. Luke’s
Listen on Castbox

Matthew 25:31-46, Care for Others

Aim: To embrace being a follower of Jesus by living out care for his family.

Assessment Day

A couple of months ago, my son went to an ‘assessment day’ for a job. The company were looking to expand and hire a number of people, so there were over twenty people invited to the assessment day. In the morning, they were given various team exercises with assessors watching how the applicants acted and behaved as part of a team trying to solve different problems.

Then at lunchtime something shocking happened. The group were split into two and taken to different rooms. The group my son was in were told you are through to the next stage of the process. In fact, depending on how you do at interview, we may employ all of you. What about the other group? They were being sent home with no hope of getting the job. Lunchtime it turned out had been a key moment in the day when the candidates had been divided between those sent away and those welcomed into the next stage.

Thankfully, my son did eventually go on to get the job.

In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus’ teaching consistently emphasises that there will come a moment when the world will be separated in two. Between those welcomed into his heavenly kingdom and those who are sent away.

Now in this last major section of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew’s gospel, the separation at the end of time is highlighted once more, but with a twist!

A Short Parable

This section is often called the parable of the sheep and goats. Indeed, in verses 32b-33, the image of a shepherd separating sheep and goats is used as a metaphor for what Jesus is teaching here.

It was again a typical scene in the rural life of first century Palestine. At the end of the day, the shepherd brings his flock home. In the flock are sheep and goats. At night the goats preferred to be taken inside to keep warm, whereas the sheep preferred to be in the fresh air. So, it was necessary for the shepherd to separate them each evening.

Jesus uses this image as another way of illustrating the division when Jesus returns, but although the structure of the section is like a parable, unlike most parables, the metaphor drops away and we have more of a simple description of the judgement at the end of time.

Yet, the shepherd, sheep and goats, gives us the framework in which to think about the parable and its meaning. Let’s begin by looking at the shepherd.

The Shepherd

The Awesome King

Let’s start by looking at the first verse of this section:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.” (Matthew 25:31)

Jesus has consistently referred to himself as the Son of Man and here as he describes the end of time to his disciples, he places himself in the very spot you would expect to see God: in glory, with angels on the throne.

Just consider the enormity of what Jesus, this first century, Jewish Rabbi is claiming for himself. Unlike, Buddha or many gurus down the ages, he is not simply claiming to have found the best way to live, but to be the one who will judge all who have lived. Unlike, Moses or Mohammed, he is not simply claiming to be bringing messages from God, he is putting himself in the place of God.

If Jesus was a fraud, he was the most audacious fraud of all time. Yet, what happened in the week after this claim proves that Jesus was not a fraud. Although the authorities had him crucified for making such claims, God raised him from the dead. These audacious claims were backed up by an even more audacious act, his death and resurrection!

This is the shepherd in the parable, the Son of Man. He is the awesome king of kings and lord of lords.

  • So, have you truly grasped the real identity of Jesus? As we prepare for the carol singing season, when we will sing phrases, like

“He came down to earth from heaven

Who is God and Lord of all,”

“Christ, by highest heaven adored,

Christ, the everlasting Lord,”

“God of God, Light of Light… Very God, Begotten, not created:”

Will you truly reflect on the true majesty of who it is we as Christians are called to follow? What kind of amazing king we are called to serve?

The Shepherd Identifies with his Sheep

And yet although Jesus starts this section with an incredible self-description, the great twist of this section is that the Shepherd fully identifies with his sheep.

At the end of time, Jesus is judging the people by how they have treated him. Whether they have served him or not. But the twist comes in verse 40 and is repeated in verse 45:

“”The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'” (Matthew 25:40)

 Notice, that Jesus is identifying himself with his family. He is saying that the way you treat my family, is the way that you treat me.

Who are his family? Those who are his disciples, who choose to follow him and live his ways. In other words, other Christians. Earlier on he said,

“Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers.” (Matthew 12:48-49)

 This idea of Jesus identifying with his family also occurs when Jesus appeared to Saul, who was to become Paul, on the road to Damascus. Saul had been persecuting the Christians. He couldn’t persecute Jesus he had died, risen and ascended to heaven. Yet, when Jesus appears to Saul he says:

“”Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4)

  • We’ll come back to this key point of the parable, when we think about the sheep and the goats, but first let’s just reflect on the encouragement that this should give us as Christians of the privilege of being in Jesus’ family.

 Jesus, who is the King of Kings, who will one day judge the whole world, identifies fully with us. To such an extent that when people fail to care for us, he will take it as failing to care for him.

 In short he sees us. He sees when people hurt us, he understands and identifies with our suffering and is with us in our grief. When the world does not seem to care, we can know that Jesus, the lord of the whole universe does care, does see and will ultimately do something about it.

 Surely, that must be an incredible encouragement to us as Christians.

The Sheep and Goats

So, we’ve thought a bit about the Shepherd. Let’s now turn to the sheep and goats.

The Test: True Faith, the Church and Service

Firstly, there is an assessment going on as the division between the sheep and the goats is made. The sheep, often symbolise he people of God, stand for the true Christians who are placed on the right hand of the shepherd, the place of honour. These are described as, ‘the righteous.’

On the other hand, the goats are placed on the left hand of the shepherd. They are given no description.

Now, the breeds in that place at that time looked very similar to each other. It was not easy to tell apart the goats and the sheep. The only way to tell was to check the tales. The sheep’s tale goes down, whereas the goat’s tail points up.

In the description at the end of time, the division is not made on the basis of people’s tails, but on how they have treated Christians, those who are part of the family of Jesus.

There are two obvious objections at this point.

  • Why is it just how Christians are treated and not all people?
  • Is Jesus preaching salvation by works and not faith?

Why care for Christians and not all people?

Let’s start with the first question: “Why is it just how Christians are treated and not all people?” For many people this is not what the parable is teaching at all. Surely, Jesus cares about how we treat all people. Isn’t everyone a child of God and part of his family?

Those things are both true. Jesus teaches us to love our enemies and to love our neighbours, which he makes clear in the Parable of the Good Samaritan includes loving our enemies. Even if you agree with me that Jesus is talking about how we care for other Christians, we also need to acknowledge that we do not always know who the Christians are or indeed, who may become a Christian, so in practice the encouragement to care for all remains.

Yet, I think it is important to see here Jesus’ emphasis on the family of Christians. It is fashionable today to say, “I love Jesus, but I hate the church.” But this parable teaches that if you love Jesus, you have to love his church. Jesus identifies so closely, with his followers, so much so that you cannot claim to be a follower of Jesus and not engage with his family. That does not mean just turning up on a Sunday morning, it means building relationships of care and support and mutual service as part of the family of Christ. If we make this parable just about caring for others, then we miss the important point Jesus is making about being part of his church.

Of course we are to serve and care for all people, but we have an especial responsibility to those in the church, just as we have a special responsibility to those in our earthly families. As Paul says,

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

(Galatians 6:10)

Is this salvation by works not faith?

So, what about the second question, “Is this salvation by works not faith?” The parable emphasises the active service or lack of active service as the reason they are welcomed into God’s kingdom or sent away. The list of six acts of service is repeated four times each. Clearly for Jesus, these practical acts of service really matter.

The Bible and Jesus are also clear. We are saved by faith, not works. As soon as we turn to Jesus our sins are washed away and we have complete forgiveness and a secure place in his eternal kingdom.

Jesus is also clear that newfound faith, if it is a true faith, will also show itself in newfound attitudes. We are not saved by good works, but we are saved to do good works. If our lives do not demonstrate the fruit of good works, if we do not show the kind of care, Jesus describes here, then we have not really found the saving faith we need.

Jesus puts it clearly in Matthew 7:

“Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” (Matthew 7:17)

True faith will show itself in the good fruit of service to fellow Christians.

The Destination: Blessing or Curse

All of this really matters, because of the eternal consequences. Jesus makes this abundantly clear in this final section of his teaching. There is a final separation.

Those who have truly believed are blessed. They are welcomed into the kingdom. They receive eternal life.

 Those who do not are said to be cursed and told to depart from Jesus into eternal punishment, the punishment reserved for the devil and his angels.

 Ultimately, the choice is to follow the devil in rebellion against God and share his punishment of being shut out from the blessings of God or of following Jesus in the way of faith and service to others as part of a church family and looking forward to a glorious welcome into His glorious kingdom.

The choice may seem stark, but it is the one that Jesus presents to us again and again in Matthew’s gospel. Which will you choose?

This Sunday – 14th December 2025

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”

(Matthew 24:42)

This week, the sections of the email are:

  • Opening reflection: Advent – “Do I treat other people, as though they are Jesus?”
  • Key notices: Christmas Publicity, Parish Safeguarding Officer Role, Sunday 21st
  • Coming Up: Christmas Tree Festival, Advent Doors, Christmas Baroque, Dare to Pray, Christmas Services,
  • Interesting Blogs: Australia’s Social Media Ban, God watches the way we work
  • Weekly Calendar
  • Online Forms: Event application, Submit a notice, maintenance report, access Safeguarding training

Scroll on…

Opening Reflection

Over the last few weeks we have been considering the great Advent question: “Am I ready for Jesus’ return?” It is a really important question to ask and as we have seen it needs to be considered from different angles.

One angle is to ask the question, “Do I treat other people, as though they are Jesus?” This is the thrust of the last of the stories that Jesus tells to help us consider whether we are ready for his return in Matthew 25.

Jesus uses a day to day image of sorting to illustrate the ultimate separation that will divide people between those who are in God’s eternal kingdom and those who are excluded. In this case the image is of a shepherd dividing the sheep and the goats. It was a common scene in the ancient middle east. However, in this parable the imagery quickly falls away and the reality that Jesus is trying to illustrate is put forward bluntly.

Jesus identifies himself with those in need and says that if you have helped them, then you have helped Jesus. In so doing you have shown yourself to be a true believer and you will be welcomed into God’s eternal kingdom. If, however, you refuse to help those in need, then Jesus says you have failed to help Jesus. So, naturally you will be excluded from God’s eternal kingdom.

Do we see Jesus when we see someone in need? If we say we are a Christian now, if we believe that Jesus gave his life, so that we can have the hope of eternal life, then how would we not help Jesus in need? Jesus says the way we need to do that is to help those we come across who find themselves in need.

Paul Worledge

Key Notices:

Christmas Publicity

This week is the last chance to take some fliers to deliver. It would be great if most of them could be taken out! If you can deliver to one or more roads, please grab enough leaflets from the pile at the back of St. Luke’s, check the roads are not already taken on the maps, then cross out the road(s) so that others do not deliver there. It would be great to cover as many roads as possible.

Parish Safeguarding Officer Role

Safeguarding in church is the responsibility of everyone. However, we need someone to champion and promote safeguarding in the church and to be a point of contact for any concerns raised. There is a lot of Diocesan training and support for this role. If you think you might be the person to take it on then please let Paul know and he can share more about what is involved.

Sunday 21st December

Please note that there will be no service at 9:30am on Sunday 21st December, because there will be a carol service at 5:30pm that evening.

Coming Up:

Christmas Tree Festival at St. George’s, 2-5pm

Running from Friday 12th December to Sunday 21st. Come and view the beautiful Christmas Tree festival inside St. George’s church

Advent Doors at St. George’s, 16th December, 5-7pm

Thanet Festival Choir, soup, hot drinks, mulled wine and mince pies.

Christmas Baroque at St. George’s – Thursday 18th, 7pm

We have now sold over 60 tickets online. If you cannot buy online, then tickets can be bought at church this Sunday for only £10 each or for £15 on the door. We are also looking for a small team of volunteers to serve mulled refreshments on the night. Let Paul know if you can help.

Dare to Pray – Saturday 20th, 9:30-10:30am

There are lots of events happening over Christmas and it is a great opportunity to welcome more people into our churches to hear the good news about Jesus. But we need to pray for God to work. So please join us at our monthly Dare to Pray meeting at St. George’s church this Saturday.

Christmas Services:

For more information see the fliers or website.

  • Carol Services (Sailors’ Church, Harbour), Friday 19th, 3pm and 5pm
  • Tree of Love Service (St. Luke’s), Saturday 20th, 6:30-7:30pm
  • Family Carol Service (St. Luke’s), Sunday 21st, 11:00am-12:00pm
  • Carol Service (St. George’s, Church Hill), Sunday 21st, 5:30-6:30pm
  • Crib Service (St. Luke’s), Christmas Eve, 4:00-5:00pm
  • Traditional Carol Service (St. Luke’s), Christmas Eve, 6:30-7:30pm
  • Midnight Service (St. George’s, Church Hill), Christmas Eve, 11:30pm
  • All Age Service and Communion (St. Luke’s), Christmas Day, 11:00am

Interesting Blogs to Share:

Australia’s Youth Social Media Ban – Brave Step or Overstep? There are lots of articles outlining the harmful effects of social media on young people. Should our country follow Australia’s lead and ban Social Media for under 16s? This article provides a brief summary of and a link to a much deeper article, that argues that the social media ban for under 16s in Australia is an overstep. It raises interesting questions about how much young people’s voices should play a part in policy development, rather than adults deciding what is best for them. Read more…

God watches the way we work

This article by John Lennox, tells the true story of a man in Hungary during the Communist era. He worked as a maths teacher and preached in local churches in his spare time, without being paid. The police forced him to make a decision. He couldn’t be both a maths teacher and a preacher. So would he give up his well paid job or give up preaching? Read more…

Weekly Calendar

Sunday 14th – The Third Sunday of Advent

Eucharist – (St George’s Church, 9:30am), Reading: Matthew 25:31-46

Sunday School (St George’s, 10:30am)

Monday 15th         

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

Christianity Explored (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 7:30-9:00pm

Tuesday 16th          

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

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

Advent Doors (St. George’s Church) – 5:00-7pm

Wednesday 17th   

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

Thursday 18th         

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

Christianity Explored (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 11:30am-1:00pm

Baroque Concert (St. George’s Church) – 7:00-9:00pm

Friday 19th       

Carol Services (Sailors’ Church, Harbour) – 3pm and 5pm

Saturday 20th       

Dare to Pray (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:30am

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

Tree of Love Service (St. Luke’s) – 6:30-7:30pm

Sunday 21st – The Fourth Sunday of Advent

Carol Service (St. George’s, Church Hill) – 5:30-6:30pm

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 make sure we are ready for Christ’s return.

Yours in Christ,

Paul Worledge

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

Use your gifts (Matthew 25:14-30)

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:42)

Last week we saw that Advent is a season for making sure we are ready. Not just to celebrate Jesus’ first coming at Christmas, but more importantly to be ready for when he returns again to bring both judgement and a new heaven and new earth. During this time we are encouraged to think about whether we are living lives that will please Jesus he returns. One of the questions I said we need to consider is: “Am I using the gifts and talents God gave me as I should?”

As recorded at St. Luke’s
Listen on Castbox

Use your gifts (Matthew 25:14-30)

Dragon’s Den:

Have you ever seen the programme, Dragon’s Den? The basic idea of the show is that you have five or six very wealthy investors who are looking for small entrepreneurial companies to invest in. These are the dragons. In each episode a handful of entrepreneurs come before them and try to persuade them to invest in their company, to help them to grow it and make it successful.

What the ‘Dragon’s care about’ is making a profit on their money. So, if they are not persuaded your company will be successful then you leave with nothing. But if they are persuaded that you will be successful, they will entrust you with a large lump sum in exchange for ownership of a percentage of the company. Confident that they will eventually receive more money in return.

An Entrusted Life

We like to think that our life is our own. But I want to invite you to see your life differently. It is not your own. Who you are and all that you have has been entrusted to you by God.

It is a radical idea, but it makes sense if we understand God to be the Creator of the world. After all, if I build something or create something, then I would expect people to see it as belonging to me. I would have the right to sell it on to someone else or do with it what I like. Why hasn’t God the same right over us as our Creator?

This idea is fundamental to the Bible, but it is expressed powerfully at the start of Psalm 24:

“The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.” (Psalm 24:1-2)

So just as the investors of Dragon Den will at some point come and settle accounts with those they have invested in and expect to receive more money back than they have invested, so the Bible says that one day, God will want to settle accounts with us and expect to receive back more than he has entrusted to us.

That is the point, Jesus is making in the story he tells in Matthew 25:14-30. It comes as series of parables all designed to encourage us to be ready for when Jesus returns to judge the world. Something Jesus says that could happen at any time, so we always need to be ready.

The Key to the Story:

To understand the point Jesus is making, we need to understand what the elements in the story stand for. So let’s look at the key to the story. 

  • The Master = Jesus

He is going away, but will come back one day to settle accounts, to see what his servants have done with what he has entrusted to them.

  • The Talent = What is entrusted to us

When we hear the word, ‘talent’, we often think of people’s abilities and skills. We might say he is a very talented painter or musician for example. That meaning of the word, ‘talent’ has actually developed from this story.

However, to the people first hearing this story and for the first people reading Matthew’s gospel, ‘a talent’ was literally a very large amount of money worth about 6,000 denarii. One denari was worth the days wages of a labourer. In modern terms a talent is about half a million pounds. Two talents is a million pounds and five talents is two and a half million pounds. The servants in the story are being entrusted with very large sums of money, much more than the investors give out on dragon’s den.

So, what does Jesus mean this large sum of money to refer to? The story does not make it clear, so I think it is best to see it as referring to all that God has entrusted to us. That will include our skills and abilities, it will also include our personalities, our bodies, our possessions, our money and even the family and relationships we are blessed with. Ultimately, everything belongs to God.

  • The First Two Servants = Those who seek to grow God’s kingdom

The first two servants then stand for those who live lives, that want to make the most of what God has entrusted to them to expand what belongs to God.

  • The Third Servant = Those who refuse to grow God’s kingdom

The third servant, however, has a completely different attitude. He buries the money. This stands for those who do not want to do anything with all that God has entrusted with them to grow God’s kingdom.

The Final Outcome:

The focus of the story is on what happens when the Master returns. Jesus wants us to be ready for his return, so he tells this story, both as an encouragement and as a warning.

The Encouragement:

When the Master returns, the first two servants report to him that while he has been away they have each doubled the amount he has entrusted to them.

Notice, that although they were not given the same amount originally and they made different amounts of profit to each other, God, nonetheless rewards them in exactly the same way. God does not care so much about the level of success, he understands that some are capable of achieving a lot more than others. What he cares about is that we are faithful with what we are entrusted with. It is the faithfulness not the success that is rewarded.

Secondly, notice the encouragement and generosity of God. As reward for their faithful service, God gives each three things:

Firstly, praise. We all like to be praised by others and as a general rule the more important the person praising you the better. After all if your next door neighbour tells you, “Well done, great job” that is one thing, but if you receive a letter of praise from the king then that is something far more wonderful. How much more wonderful, then to hear the God of the whole universe, the king of kings say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” That is the praise Jesus says we will receive for all that we have done for God in this life. Isn’t that encouragement in itself to serve God now.

 Secondly, promotion. The two servants are told, that having been faithful with a little, they will be put in charge of much more. Remember the amounts they were given were millions of pounds. So, the promise is to have huge responsibilities. This is a hint, that eternal life, is not so much like retirement as taking on even greater and more fulfilling work.

Thirdly, pleasure. The servants are invited to share in their master’s joy. To become part of a happy, joyful and wonderful team in God’s eternal kingdom.

All of this is deep encouragement to make the most of what God has entrusted us with and live to serve him in this life.

The Warning:

But alongside the encouragement, Jesus gives a warning. The third servant decides to bury the treasure entrusted to him, rather than work to invest it. He says he does it, because he is afraid of the master. He is afraid of failure, so he does not try.

 But this attitude is wrong for three major reasons:

Firstly, as we have seen the Master’s expectation was that the money be used to make more money. If you have half a million pounds, you do not bury it, you invest it to make more money.

Secondly, as we have also seen, the Master is incredibly generous towards those who do seek to make the most of what is entrusted to them. If we are seeking to be faithful, we have no reason to be afraid.

Thirdly, what he should have been afraid of was being judged for not even trying. If the investors on Dragon’s Den discovered that those taking their money do nothing with it, then they will be furious – they could have given it to someone who would seek to grow it.

We are all entrusted with so much by God. If we act as though we have no responsibility to use it for God’s purposes, to advance God’s kingdom in this life, then we are making a mockery of God’s will for us. If we do that in this life, Jesus warns that when it comes to his return, rather than praise, promotion and pleasure, we will lose the little we have and be locked out from God’s eternal kingdom and joy. Avoid this at all costs.

What to do with what is entrusted to us?

So, if we are to heed Jesus’ encouragement and warning, how can we live as good and faithful servants? Put simply we need to use what we have for God’s purposes.

 That means developing our gifts and talents, through hard work in our studies when we are at school and beyond.

It means doing our jobs, as though we were doing them for Christ. Do them for the good of others, rather than just as a way to make a wage. We need to seek to make a positive impact on the workplace, whilst being known as a Christian, so that seeing your good works, people may come to praise God.

It means caring for our families, with the love and compassion of God and encouraging our children and others to follow Jesus themselves. That is what Jack and Hannah you are promising to do for Eloise today.

 It means supporting the more obvious aspects of God’s work in the church and Christian agencies through financial giving and service.

In short it means accepting that all that we have has been entrusted to us by God and using it for God’s purposes and glory, confident that one day, the king of the whole universe will say to us, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Thanet Festival Choir @ Advent Doors

On Tuesday 16th December Thanet Festival Choir will be joining us at St George’s to participate in the annual Ramsgate Living Advent Calendar, Advent Doors.
The choir will be performing plenty of Christmas favourites as well as some choruses from Handel’s Messiah.
Please come along from 5pm until 7pm where there will be soup, hot drinks, mulled wine, mince pies, music and lots of festive good cheer.
The Christmas Tree Festival will be open so the church will be looking extra sparkly and beautiful.

© Vicki Couchman Photographer
vickicouchman.com

This Sunday – 7th December 2025

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”

(Matthew 24:42)

This week, the sections of the email are:

  • Opening reflection: Advent – “Am I using the gifts and talents God gave me as I should?”
  • Key notices: Christmas Publicity, Parish Safeguarding Officer Role, Sunday 21st, Let there be light
  • Coming Up: Churches Together Prayer Breakfast, Meal and Magic Evening, Carol Singing at Care Homes, Women’s Share & Care Group Get Together, Christmas Baroque, Christmas Services
  • From the Wider Church: Safe Family Events
  • Interesting Blogs: What’s the role of the Bible and Mission, Don’t mix children and AI
  • Weekly Calendar
  • Online Forms: Event application, Submit a notice, maintenance report, access Safeguarding training

Scroll on…

Opening Reflection

Last week we saw that Advent is a season for making sure we are ready. Not just to celebrate Jesus’ first coming at Christmas, but more importantly to be ready for when he returns again to bring both judgement and a new heaven and new earth. During this time we are encouraged to think about whether we are living lives that will please Jesus he returns. One of the questions I said we need to consider is: “Am I using the gifts and talents God gave me as I should?”

It is not a question about whether I am doing or giving more than others. All of us have different gifts, strengths, energy levels and wealth. Neither is it a question about whether I should be doing the same as others. We all have different callings or vocations in this life. Rather, it is a question about whether I am making the most of what I have to offer in the vocation I am called to, so that I do the good works God wants me to do.

The good works will include doing my job, whether paid, voluntary or family care in the best way I can and to glorify God. It will also include the part we play in the life of the church, both in the support we give in serving the church family, but also in giving financially out of the resources God has already given us. At times in our life we will be able to do and give more to the church, at other times other important responsibilities will limit what we can do. Advent gives us a chance to review whether we have the balance right at this stage of our life, given the skills, energy, wealth and gifts we have.

The ultimate aim is to be ready for Christ’s return. I want to be able to look forward to the day when Jesus will look at what I have done for him and hear him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21,23)

Paul Worledge

Key Notices:

Christmas Publicity

The Christmas publicity is now ready to deliver. If you can deliver to one or more roads, please grab enough leaflets from the pile at the back. Check the roads are not already taken on the maps, then cross out the road(s) so that others do not deliver there. It would be great to cover as many roads as possible.

Parish Safeguarding Officer Role

Safeguarding in church is the responsibility of everyone. However, we need someone to champion and promote safeguarding in the church and to be a point of contact for any concerns raised. There is a lot of Diocesan training and support for this role. If you think you might be the person to take it on then please let Paul know and he can share more about what is involved.

Sunday 21st December

Please note that there will be no service at 9:30am on Sunday 21st December, because there will be a carol service at 5:30pm that evening.

Let there be light

Thanks to all those who helped out with the let there be light event last Sunday. It was a fantastic event with over 700 people coming through the church doors.

Coming Up:

Churches Together Prayer Breakfast, Saturday, 9-10am

Join Christians from all over Ramsgate for the monthly prayer breakfast. This month it is at Newington Free church.

Meal and Magic Evening, Saturday 6th December, 7:00pm

The Men’s group will be hosting this fantastic event at St. Luke’s Hall. It will include a hot meal, a quiz and magic from Colin Hoult. This is open to everyone: children go free, adults only £5. For more information or to buy a ticket see Bruce (07708 682464, bruce.stokes@btinternet.com ) or Peter Erlam.

Carol Singing at Care Homes

We are planning to go into a couple of local care homes to sing some Christmas Carols for the residents. If you can join us for these events, then please let Paul know:

                Keele House, 2:30pm on Wednesday 10th December

                Ramsgate Care Centre, 2:30pm on Monday 15th December

Women’s Share & Care Group Get Together

Evening get-together for women on Friday 12th December at 92, South Eastern Road, Ramsgate CT11 9QD. 7pm to 9pm-ish. Drinks, nibbles and maybe a festive quiz or two! Please speak to Lesley or Willow. (Ask Paul for contact details)

Christmas Baroque at St. George’s – 18th December, 7pm

The Baroque Collective warmly invites you to the fifth annual Christmas Baroque Concert at St George’s on 18 December at 7pm. Tickets: £13 in advance, £15 on the door; free admission for children under 16. Find out more and buy tickets.

Christmas Services:

For more information see the fliers or website.

  • Carol Services (Sailors’ Church, Harbour), Friday 19th, 3pm and 5pm
  • Tree of Love Service (St. Luke’s), Saturday 20th, 6:30-7:30pm
  • Family Carol Service (St. Luke’s), Sunday 21st, 11:00am-12:00pm
  • Carol Service (St. George’s, Church Hill), Sunday 21st, 5:30-6:30pm
  • Crib Service (St. Luke’s), Christmas Eve, 4:00-5:00pm
  • Traditional Carol Service (St. Luke’s), Christmas Eve, 6:30-7:30pm
  • Midnight Service (St. George’s, Church Hill), Christmas Eve, 11:30pm
  • All Age Service and Communion (St. Luke’s), Christmas Day, 11:00am

From the Wider Church:

Safe Family Events

Christmas Zoom, Thursday 18th December, 12:30-1:30pm

This is a time for all our supporters in London and the South East to meet online, to share stories from this year and take part in a quiz (trivia). This will be an opportunity to meet our team and celebrate this year. Totally optional but we’d love to see you if you can make it! RSVP using this form.

Kent Celebration, Saturday 10th January 2026, 2-4pm, St. Christopher’s Newington

Please do bring your friends and family along to our celebration of Safe Families and Home for Good in Kent. There will be fun, food and friends – lots for both children and adults to enjoy and all free! Please do pop in, we would love to see you!

RSVP using this form

Interesting Blogs to Share:

What’s the role of the Bible in Mission?

How are people finding faith through Scripture? And how can the Church host honest discussions about the Bible? The Bible Society podcast highlights why church leaders need to be confident to share the Bible’s message. Listen to the Podcast…

Don’t Mix children and AI

This is a short article lambasting allowing children to interact with AI as a fake companion. It also looks to some other articles about AI. From Jon Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation. Read article (10 mins)

Weekly Calendar

Sunday 7th December – The Second Sunday of Advent

Eucharist – (St George’s Church, 9:30am), Reading: Matthew 25:14-30

Christianity Explored Youth (13-18s) (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 5:00-6:30pm

Monday 8th         

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

Christianity Explored (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 7:30-9:00pm

Tuesday 9th          

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

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

Wednesday 10th   

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

Thursday 11th         

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

Christianity Explored (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 11:30am-1:00pm

Saturday 13th       

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

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

Sunday 14th – The Third Sunday of Advent

Eucharist – (St George’s Church, 9:30am), Reading: Matthew 25:31-46

Christianity Explored Youth (13-18s) (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 5:00-6:30pm

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 make sure we are ready for Christ’s return.

Yours in Christ,

Paul Worledge

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

Advent Sunday (Matthew 25:1-13)

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:42)

Why not take time this Advent to prayerfully consider whether you are ready for Jesus’ return? The sermons will help. Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at three of the stories Jesus tells to help us in our Advent reflection. They pose the following questions for us to consider: Am I prepared to follow Jesus for the whole of life or is it just a fad? Am I using the gifts and talents God gave me as I should? Do I treat other people, as though they are Jesus?

As recorded at St. Luke’s
Listen on Castbox

This Sunday – 30th November 2025

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”

(Matthew 24:42)

This week, the sections of the email are:

  • Opening reflection: Advent
  • Key notices: Christmas Publicity, Carol Singing at Care Homes
  • Coming Up: Let there be light, Meal and Magic Evening, Christmas Tree Festival, Christmas Baroque, Christmas Services at St. George’s
  • From the Wider Church: Safe Families Events
  • Interesting Blogs: Resources for Advent
  • Weekly Calendar
  • Online Forms: Event application, Submit a notice, maintenance report, access Safeguarding training

Scroll on…

Opening Reflection

The Christmas decorations are already going up. Some have been up for weeks already and it is not December until Monday! However, Sunday marks the beginning of the church’s season that leads up to Christmas: Advent.

Advent is meant to be in part a season to prepare for celebrating Christmas, the festival that marks the Son of God coming among us as a baby. Yet, it is also a time to remember that Jesus will come again, not as a baby, but as the one who will judge, rescue and restore the world, so that God’s kingdom is fully realised and there will be a new heaven and new earth.

As such Advent is meant to be a time of reflection and repentance, when we ask ourselves whether we are ready for Jesus’ second coming. You may think the more urgent question is: “Will I be ready for Christmas? Have I bought the presents, made arrangements to visit family and prepared for the feasting?” Christmas is less than a month away after all.

Yet, not being ready for Christmas is not the end of the world. On the other hand, not being ready for Christ’s return means missing out on the next world. Christmas may feel imminent, but we do not know when Jesus will return. It could be another 2,000 years or it could be today. We need to be ready now.

Why not take time this Advent to prayerfully consider whether you are ready for Jesus’ return? The sermons will help. Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at three of the stories Jesus tells to help us in our Advent reflection. They pose the following questions for us to consider: Am I prepared to follow Jesus for the whole of life or is it just a fad? Am I using the gifts and talents God gave me as I should? Do I treat other people, as though they are Jesus?

Paul Worledge

Key Notices:

Christmas Publicity

The Christmas publicity is now ready to deliver. If you can deliver to one or more roads, please grab enough leaflets from the pile at the back of St. Luke’s (this week, next week we’ll have some at St. George’s). Check the roads are not already taken on the maps, then cross out the road(s) so that others do not deliver there. It would be great to cover as many roads as possible.

Carol Singing at Care Homes

We are planning to go into a couple of local care homes to sing some Christmas Carols for the residents. If you can join us for these events, then please let Paul know:

  • Keele House, 2:30pm on Wednesday 10th December
  • Ramsgate Care Centre, 2:30pm on Monday 15th December

Coming Up:

Let there be Light

This evening from 5pm at St. George’s Church, there will be the  Let there be Light event. This is a free event with refreshments and entertainment (see fliers for more information). Last year we had over 500 attend. If you can offer to help steward then please let Paul know, and come to the briefing at St. George’s at 4pm.

Meal and Magic Evening, Saturday 6th December, 7:00pm

The Men’s group will be hosting this fantastic event at St. Luke’s Hall. It will include a hot meal, a quiz and magic from Colin Hoult. This is open to everyone: children go free, adults only £5. For more information or to buy a ticket see Bruce (07708 682464, bruce.stokes@btinternet.com ) or Peter Erlam.

Christmas Tree Festival

This will be running from 12th December at St. George’s. If anyone would like to decorate a Christmas Tree on behalf of St. Luke’s, then please let Paul know.

Christmas Baroque at St. George’s – 18th December, 7pm

The Baroque Collective warmly invites you to the fifth annual Christmas Baroque Concert at St George’s on 18 December at 7pm. Tickets: £13 in advance, £15 on the door; free admission for children under 16. Find out more and buy tickets.

Christmas Services at St. George’s

Carol Service – Sunday 21st December, 5:30pm (note earlier time than previous years)

Midnight Service – Christmas Eve, 24th, 11:30pm

From the Wider Church:

Safe Family Events

Christmas Zoom, Thursday 18th December, 12:30-1:30pm

This is a time for all our supporters in London and the South East to meet online, to share stories from this year and take part in a quiz (trivia). This will be an opportunity to meet our team and celebrate this year. Totally optional but we’d love to see you if you can make it! RSVP using this form.

Kent Celebration, Saturday 10th January 2026, 2-4pm, St. Christopher’s Newington

Please do bring your friends and family along to our celebration of Safe Families and Home for Good in Kent. There will be fun, food and friends – lots for both children and adults to enjoy and all free! Please do pop in, we would love to see you!

RSVP using this form

Interesting Blogs to Share:

This week, some Advent resources that may help you be ready:

Bible Society Free Advent Resources

LICC resources: The infinite in an infant

Church of England: O Come, Emmanuel, reflections on the carol

Weekly Calendar

Sunday 30th – Advent Sunday

Joint Service – (St Luke’s Church, 11:00am), Reading: Matthew 25:1-13

Christianity Explored Youth (13-18s) (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 5:00-6:30pm

Let There Be Light (St George’s Church) – 5:00-7:00pm

Monday 1st December        

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

Christianity Explored (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 7:30-9:00pm

Tuesday 2nd         

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

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

Wednesday 3rd  

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

Thursday 4th         

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

Christianity Explored (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 11:30am-1:00pm

Saturday 6th       

CTiR Prayer Breakfast (Newington Free) – 9:00-10:00am

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

Meal & Magic (St. Luke’s Hall) – 7:00-9:00pm

Sunday 7th – The Second Sunday of Advent

Eucharist – (St George’s Church, 9:30am), Reading: Matthew 25:14-30

Christianity Explored Youth (13-18s) (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 5:00-6:30pm

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 make sure we are ready for Christ’s return.

Yours in Christ,

Paul Worledge

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