Find out what is happening at Ramsgate's Town Centre Church.
“When the wise men saw the star, they were overjoyed.” (Matthew 2:10)
Matthew’s gospel does emphasise, Jesus’ Jewish credentials. His coming is rooted in the work of God through Israel, its kings and prophets. But it also presents us with a bigger more universal vision for the Kingdom of God. As we start a New Year, let’s pray that God extends our vision of who God may be calling to share with us and the Magi the joy of being a disciple of Christ.
As recorded at St. Luke’s
“When the wise men saw the star, they were overjoyed.”
(Matthew 2:10)
Matthew’s gospel is often considered the most Jewish of the four gospels. Certainly, the book starts with a long genealogy of Jesus beginning with Abraham, the Father of the Jews, emphasising David, the most important king of the Jews and highlighting the exile to Babylon, the most traumatic moment in Jewish history. Then in the first two chapters, Matthew explicitly quotes four times from the Jewish scriptures.
Yet, these first two chapters also show that Jesus comes not just for the Jews, but to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). This is clear even in the genealogy, which mentions four women: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Uriah’s wife. All but the last of these were foreign women, whilst the last of these had been married to Uriah, also a foreigner, before David effectively stole her as his wife. Their inclusion in the genealogy shows that already, God is including people from all nations in his plan and as part of his people.
Then there are the Magi or Wise Men. Here are a group of foreigners, who come to worship Jesus as the newborn king. When they arrive in Jerusalem, the Jewish people are disturbed by the idea of a new king, who could potentially upset the status quo. King Herod the de facto ruler of the Jews does all he can to have the baby killed. The Jews are not happy about Jesus’ arrival, but the Magi are ‘overjoyed’ when they find Jesus. These foreigners worship him and present him with expensive gifts, demonstrating discipleship of Jesus before he has even grown up.
Matthew’s gospel does emphasise, Jesus’ Jewish credentials. His coming is rooted in the work of God through Israel, its kings and prophets. But it also presents us with a bigger more universal vision for the Kingdom of God. As we start a New Year, let’s pray that God extends our vision of who God may be calling to share with us and the Magi the joy of being a disciple of Christ.
Paul Worledge
Love Story will be another gala fundraiser night at St George’s church, featuring Coastal Choir and guests with the St George’s Community Meal and Speak Up sharing the proceeds. Tickets £8 from Beth Paterson, Brenda Clarke or online through St. George’s website.
The Men’s group January event will be bowling at Bugsy’s in Margate. There will be lifts available from Ramsgate at 5:45pm. The cost is £10. If you have not already signed up to go and would like to, then please contact Bruce Stokes on 07708 682464, or bruce.stokes@btinternet.com.
The group plans to meet monthly. The February date is yet to be confirmed, but other dates planned are:
As churches we are meant to have First Aiders at most of our meetings. Elim Oasis Church in Broadstairs are running a course on Saturday 8th February. Taking part in the course will give you a qualified First Aid at Work certificate. Refreshments and lunch are included. If you are interested in taking part in First Aid training, then please see Paul by Sunday 12th January.
A review of 2024 and possible Bible reading schemes for 2025:
In this thoughtful article, Graham Tomlin reviews the events of 2024 that suggest both a possible re-emergence of Christian faith in the West, but questions whether the church is in a state ready to capitalise on it. Read more.
Getting to grips with the Bible by reading themes, large chunks or the whole Bible can really help us connect with God and live for him. This page gives a selection of 30 different Bible Reading plans from the Bible Project. Why not try one out in the New Year? Find out more…
Finally, let’s pray we can increasingly share the joy of being a disciple of Christ in 2025.
Yours in Christ
Paul Worledge
(Priest in Charge, St. George’s Ramsgate)
Eucharist (St George’s, 9:30am) – Reading: Mt. 2:1-12 & Eph 3:1-12
Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Craft Group (St. George’s Hall, Soup Kitchen) – 2:00-3:30pm
Study Group (South Eastern Road) – 7:15-9:30pm
Prayer Meeting (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
Study Group (Langdale Avenue) – 10:00-12:00 noon
Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm
Study Group (South Eastern Road) – 7:30-9:30pm
Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm
Eucharist (St George’s, 9:30am) – Reading: Psalm 103
Sunday School (St George’s, 10:30am)
Under the ‘Contact’ tab on the website, there are now three forms that you can use to help us in managing the church:
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. of who has done the training.
“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:52)
A look at Jesus as he was growing up (Luke 2:41-52)
As recorded at St. Luke’s
A look at the history of places from the Christmas story leading to the New King
As recorded at St. Luke’s
‘For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’ (Isaiah 9:6)
Reflections on what is Truth? Who will you Trust?
As recorded at St. Luke’s
Join us for a traditional Midnight Service with Christmas carols and readings surrounded by beautifully decorated Christmas trees and welcome Christmas Day in in style. Christmas Eve, 11:30pm.
‘For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’ (Isaiah 9:6)
The Christmas message is about God’s gift to us – to all of us. The only question is will we unwrap the present or leave it sitting there until next year?
As recorded at St Luke’s
Join us for a traditional feast of Christmas carols and readings, creation of a Nativity Scene and all surrounded by beautifully decorated Christmas trees. Today (Saturday 21st at 7pm).
‘For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’
(Isaiah 9:6)
Christmas is a time of giving. Most people exchange gifts, piling up presents under the Christmas Tree, putting them in stockings by children’s beds or engaging in secret Santa with colleagues at work or as groups of friends.
There is nothing, particularly Christian about doing this at this time of year, the Romans used to do it as part of their December festival of Saturnalia. What Christianity brings, however, is the idea that by giving to one another we echo, the great theme of Christmas, God’s gift: “to us a son is given.”
But to whom is God’s gift given? People often say to me, ‘I’m not religious.’ Such a statement is designed to deflect any attempt to draw them into the faith or church, but it also assumes that Christianity is only for certain types of people, that God’s gift is only for those who fit into a particular category.
This is far from the truth. The Christmas story emphasises that God’s gift is for everyone. Mary and Joseph, a young couple are the first to be told about the coming miraculous birth. When Jesus is born, they take him to the temple and two older people, Anna and Simeon, celebrate his arrival. God’s gift is for the young and old. It is also for the poor. We see this when the angels proclaim the message to poor shepherds, doing arduous shift work on a hillside. Finally, it is for the rich and people from all nations. The wealthy Magi, foreigners to the Jews demonstrate this as they make a supreme effort to celebrate God’s gift.
The Christmas message is about God’s gift to us – to all of us. The only question is will we unwrap the present or leave it sitting there until next year?
Paul Worledge
Daily Prayer – the last one will be on Saturday 21st and they will restart on Saturday 5th.
Coffee Morning – restarts on Tuesday January 7th.
Community Meal – restarts on Tuesday January 14th .
As many of you know Beth has been off ill for the last week. There is some really good news behind this. She and Tom are expecting another child in the summer of 2025! However, the bad news is that Beth is suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarium, which is an extreme form of morning sickness, a medical condition needing hospital treatment and medication. As a result, Beth has been signed off work for the coming weeks. Do uphold Beth, Tom and Toby in your prayers over this difficult period.
Grand Finale to the Ramsgate Lumiere sets off from St George’s
On New Year’s Eve in the afternoon, Tuesday 31st December, St George’s will be the gathering place for the grand finale of the new Ramsgate Lumiere. The parade organised by GB Carnival will set off from the church at around 4.30/4.45pm and head down the High Street, through the harbour and onto the Ramsgate Main Sands beach. St George’s Regeneration Officer Jemima Brown is looking for volunteers to pull the St George’s lantern.
The 4 people needed to walk with the lantern should be strong enough to work together hold the weight of it, in pulling it uphill and stopping it from sliding downhill. Helpers would need to arrive at the church at 4pm
Is this something you can help with please? If you are interested in helping out and being part of the St George’s team in the parade please contact Jemima directly on 07971 782 477.
The parade is meeting at the church from 4pm and moves off at 4.45pm. The event will go on for just under 3 hours so we should be all finished by 7pm.
You can also get involved in making lanterns at the final workshops being held on the following dates:-
Saturday 28th December, 2 – 5pm, St George’s Hall
Sunday 29th December, 2 – 5pm, St George’s Hall
Monday 30th December, 2 – 4.30pm, St George’s Church
As we come to the end of the year, we have been looking more closely at our church finances. The bad news is that at present we are heading for a significant deficit in 2024 of around £14,500. Stripping out the hall running costs and Project 200, it costs nearly £30,000 a year to run St. George’s. Much of that, around £18,500 is covered by the generosity of people’s giving through planned giving, donations, money in the collection plate and the gift aid we can claim on these donations. We will write to people asking them to consider their planned giving to the church in the New Year, but it would be really good if we can significantly reduce this year’s deficit.
Could you consider giving a one off gift to the church before the end of the year to help us reduce the deficit? We know many people are struggling financially, but if you have the means to give generously to the work of the church this year, it would be a great help. You can give by putting a cheque in an envelope in the collection or online using this link: stgeorgechurchramsgate.uk/donate/
Thank you to all who helped put this on. It was a fantastic event, with around 80 people attending. It raised over £350 in profit for the church.
If you weren’t able to come on Monday night and missed the livestream, you can still watch it here. You can find the Vision 2030 document here. We are asking people to give us feedback on the vision using this simple and short online form by the end of the year. Then we will review the Vision and agree how to move forward at our PCC meetings in January.
Some deeper reflections on aspects of the Christmas message:
You’ve probably heard they weren’t really kings, but the wise men or magi had some impressive royal connections. Far from being one-off royal visitors to the infant Jesus, the magi had a long history of involvement with monarchy, crossing paths with illustrious kings including Cyrus the Great of Persia, Alexander the Great and the Roman Emperor Nero. Read more…
Reflecting on an appeal for toys over Christmas, this writer reflects on joy and how to find it. Read more…
Finally, let’s pray that we can celebrate God’s gift this Christmas and share it with all.
Yours in Christ
Paul Worledge
(Priest in Charge, St. George’s Ramsgate)
Eucharist (St George’s, 9:30am) – Reading: Luke 1:26-38
Carol Singing at Ramsgate Care Centre, 2:30pm
Traditional Carol Service (St. Luke’s Church), 6:30-7:30pm
Midnight Service (St. George’s Church), 11:30pm-12:30am
Christmas Day Communion (St. Luke’s Church), Luke 2:1-20, 11:00am-12:00pm
Eucharist (St George’s, 9:30am) – Reading: Luke 2:41-52
Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Eucharist (St George’s, 9:30am) – Reading: Mt. 2:1-12 & Eph 3:1-12
Under the ‘Contact’ tab on the website, there are now three forms that you can use to help us in managing the church:
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.
‘May the King live for ever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions.’ (Daniel 6:21-22)
This week we finish our series on Daniel, with perhaps the most famous story: Daniel in the Lion’s den.
Daniel’s unwavering integrity in worshipping the God he knows to be true is a profound example for us, showcasing the importance of standing firm in one’s convictions while remaining kind and respectful to all.
As recorded at St. Luke’s
St. George's Church Ramsgate