February St. Andrew s Uniting. Church News. To bring the Gospel of Christ to The People of the Hawkesbury.

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St. Andrew s Uniting February 2014 Church News Mission Statement: To bring the Gospel of Christ to The People of the Hawkesbury. Pastoral Leaders Team (PLT) Rev Je-Kon Oh 4578 3820 (Office, Bus. Hrs.

1 St. Andrew s Uniting February 2014 Church News Mission Statement: To bring the Gospel of Christ to The People of the Hawkesbury. Pastoral Leaders Team (PLT) Rev Je-Kon Oh (Office, Bus. Hrs.) After Hours: or minister@richmonduniting.org.au Lester Vincent ( ), Marcia Groom ( ) Justin Dacey ( ) Audrey Morgan ( ) Sandi Herbert ( ) Beryl Hedges ( ) Sandra Brown ( ) Margaret Bailey ( ) Margaret Wesmore ( ) Psalm 88 The person who prays like this, knows only God will save him/her. O Lord, the God who saves me, Day and night I cry out before you. May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry. For my soul is full of trouble. Sunday Service Times 8:30am Church Traditional worship followed by morning tea & fellowship. 10:00am Church In conjunction with our Kids Sunday program. A family celebration including programs from three years old to Secondary Year 9. Morning tea and fellowship follows. 6:00pm Sundays@Six; In the Auditorium. Modern worship with singers, drama and band, plus supper to follow.

2 Photos of the Christmas Eve Service The crowd at the Christmas Eve Service Enjoying carols on Christmas Eve Children Performing The Christmas story 2

Seniors Luncheon, Christmas 2013 Speaker: Rev Jeremiah Lim, Voice of the Martyrs By Cicely Sturgess The Wise Men at the Seniors Lunch sang We three Kings of Orient are.. bearing gifts we traverse afar.

Christmas is about birth and death. Jesus, is about being born again.

3 Seniors Luncheon, Christmas 2013 Speaker: Rev Jeremiah Lim, Voice of the Martyrs By Cicely Sturgess The Wise Men at the Seniors Lunch sang We three Kings of Orient are.. bearing gifts we traverse afar... While not a Christmas theme as we know it, to contemplate how many die for the love of Jesus is nearer to God s heart than the way in which we tend to celebrate nowadays. Christmas is about birth and death. Jesus, is about being born again. Suffering and death is bound up with His ministry which brings joy as people are set free from sin to experience the power of His Spirit. It is because of the relationship that converts have with their Heavenly Father that men and women are willing to die rather than denounce Jesus. Families are destroyed, Pastors and parents imprisoned and tortured. Congregations threatened, their possessions and animals confiscated. This is real life, occurring in our own times. When Russian soldiers were occupying his country, Romania, Pastor Wumbrand shared about Jesus with some of them who told others. The spreading Gospel story came to the notice of the KGB. He was arrested, blindfolded and pushed into a car. He did not know what would happen to his wife Sabrina or their son Michael. He prayed God I am going to put my trust in You. 3 For fourteen years he was tortured continually. Those experiences were written down in his book Tortured for Christ, a book which shook the complacency of many of us as young Christians. The question always was, could we be as faithful if called to account. Rev Jeremiah Lim After release from prison he wrote to 500 American Christians and with their support, Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) was founded in 1967 to alert the western world to the tragic circumstances occurring in restricted countries. (It is now International and serves Christians in fifty-five countries around the world.) In North Korea, one person in three is an informer. It is a duty to inform on others who are not conforming to the President s dictates. The President is god and has their best interests at heart. Children are taught to love and honour him. Brainwashed at school they are pressed to inform on their parents or suffer isolation and contempt. Rev. Lim showed a short video which told the story of Pastor Pao in Vietnam. He was made to crawl like a water buffalo, kicked and severely beaten. He was badly bruised on face and body. French VOM helped him with his medical needs. When released he asked for more books and Bibles for North Vietnam. He was offered a motorbike or a pushbike to help transport the books. He turned down the motorbike saying it is too fast for me.

4 Continued from page 3 He had previously been walking from mountain to mountain, planting churches in towns and villages. His burden was not for himself, but he wept for all lost souls. Re-imprisoned, he was placed in stocks and total darkness. He was made to walk with his feet chained, and was weak from starvation. He recited Bible verses in desperation to keep himself focussed on God his Heavenly Father. Eventually, as a good prisoner he was allowed to get firewood from the forest. He worked hard to gather wood. One bundle would be for the prison and one was hidden away. This he did for about six months. After release the firewood was sold for Bibles which were hidden in his home. As he travelled with the Bibles his wife was left alone, a dangerous situation for her. She eventually became a Pastor herself and trained others to lead services and evangelise. He says that God has answered all his prayers, but he knows that he must always be careful. He reads the Bible every chance he gets and has enjoyed receiving letters from many Christians who have learned of his story through the free newsletter published by VOM. To know that he is not forgotten has been an encouragement and joy. All who are at the forefront of persecution ask for prayer that they will continue faithfully as a witness for Christ. They are thankful that others know about them and care enough to give support through organisations such as VOM which are able to help prisoners families, provide safe houses and medical care along with Bibles and Christian teaching materials Rev. Lim says that the VOM Christmas Pack ($25) allows children from a selected country to receive two Gospel Stories (one to give away), sugar for parents to make special lollies or cake. Also toiletries, and other school necessities in a back-pack which is their very own. Parents appreciate this care of their children and many respond to the gospel through this ministry. Footnote: Rev Lim will be preaching at St.Andrew s, both morning services, on 9th March. IMAGES OF STILLNESS (A version of the 23 rd Psalm from Japan) The Lord is my pacesetter...i shall not rush; He makes me stop for quiet intervals. He provides me with images of stillness which restore my serenity; He leads me in the way of efficiency through calmness of mind and His guidance is peace. Even though I have a great many things to accomplish each day, I will not fret, for His presence is here. His timelessness, His all-importance will keep me in balance. He prepares refreshment and renewal in the midst of my activity by anointing my mind with His oils of tranquillity; My cup of joyous energy overflows. Truly harmony and effectiveness shall be the fruits of my hours for I shall walk in the Peace of My Lord and dwell in His house forever. (Contributed by Ron James) 4

Book Review By John Sturgess God s Secretaries By Adam Nicholson This book is thoroughly researched and begins by explaining the political situation in England, which was a big influence on how the

5 Book Review By John Sturgess God s Secretaries By Adam Nicholson This book is thoroughly researched and begins by explaining the political situation in England, which was a big influence on how the King James Bible was to be written. In the Spring of!603,queen Elizabeth of England was dying. She had begun to lose the affection of the country which now felt younger than its queen. None of the major political issues had been resolved. Religious differences were rife. Roman Catholics who wanted to return to the Roman Church, Extreme Protestants and Puritans who felt the Reformation had never been fully carried out in England, had been persecuted by the queen and her church, resulting in fines, imprisonment and executions. Elizabeth s death held out the prospect of peace with Spain, a new religious toleration with a resolution between the established church and Catholics and Puritans. In an age of personal rule, a change of monarch meant a new world. The King of Scotland, James Stuart the Sixth was not the most obvious choice for a King of England but he was next in line for the throne. It was said his tongue was too big for his mouth. But his virtues, learned in the brutal world of Scottish politics, were equal to the slurs. He wanted and believed in the possibilities of a peace. His motto was from the Sermon on the Mount, Blessed are the peacemakers. An English gentleman, Sir Robert Carey, was the first to arrive in Scotland carrying the news of the Queen s death and together with Carey, James began a royal tour as he travelled to London. He was well received and the coronation followed. Just one more small revealing of the story, before you, the reader, must go ahead to enjoy and be educated by this excellent book : James was looking for a means of pulling the quarrelling factions of his subjects together. He decided that the existing early Bibles ( e.g. written by William Tyndale and the Geneva Bible) should be re-written into a Bible by learned scholars and Translators, without making major changes of meaning, but using better English to add interest and understanding. All to be within King James rules. He wanted a Bible that would be the true Word and accepted by all his subjects. HAPPY READING... starting with the Preface is a good idea. Now available on loan at the Church Library 5

Holiday Greetings from Je-Kon Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Two weeks have gone since I departed from Sydney, But I feel like some months have passed already. We,Sung-Hee and I, miss you.

Suddenly, however, it snows heavily and mercury goes down to 6 degrees. This weather would continue in the next 2 3 days. So we have changed the plan.

6 Holiday Greetings from Je-Kon Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Two weeks have gone since I departed from Sydney, But I feel like some months have passed already. We,Sung-Hee and I, miss you. The two main events (one of my niece s wedding and my birthday party) have been held successfully, and I have caught up with some of my relatives and friends. Suddenly, however, it snows heavily and mercury goes down to 6 degrees. This weather would continue in the next 2 3 days. So we have changed the plan. We will visit Sung-Hee s family instead and decide what to do next. All depend on weather. I hope I would be able to do something exciting and share it with you later. Please keep well until we return. I do appreciate all those who take up extra ministries during my absence. I would like to thank all our friends for making my 80 th Birthday the Best yet! Thank you for all the phone calls, cards and gifts, but most of all, Thank you for your true friendship. What a Christmas What a Fabulous Birthday. Ted. 6

7 Worship Planner for February 2014 Date 8:30am 10am 6pm Remarks 2 February (Epiphany 4) Mike Faine Mike Faine TBA Kids Sunday begins 9 February (Epiphany 5) (HC) Rev John Rev John Café Dedication of Butler Butler Church Leaders 16 February Je-Kon Oh Je-Kon Oh Je-Kon Oh (Epiphany 6) 23 February (HC) Je-Kon Oh Je-Kon Oh Je-Kon Oh (Epiphany 7) * Note: This worship plan can be changed at any time Kids Sunday Texts 2 February: Matthew 5:1-12 (Awakening to God s Reality & Love) 9 February: Matthew 5:13-20 (Let your Light Shine) 16 February: Matthew 5:21-37 (Heart of the Matter) 23 February: Matthew 5:38-48 (Love Disarms) February Church Activities, Services See Page 1 Mon 3 9:30 Playtime Wed 5 9:45 T.O.F.M.S. Thu 6 9:30 Fellowship Meeting Fri 7 8:30 Friday Shop Fri 7 10:15 IDA Service Fri 7 7:00 Youth Group Sat 8 7:30 Blokes Breakfast Sat 8 Presbytery Meeting Mon 10 9:30 Playtime Tue 11 7:30 P.L.T. Meeting Thu 13 10:00 Seniors Get-together Fri 14 8:30 Friday Shop Fri 14 7:00 Youth Group Sat 15 Newsletter Items Mon 17 9:30 Playtime Wed 19 9:45 T.O.F.M.S. Thu 20 10:00 Seniors Get-together Fri 21 8:30 Friday Shop Fri 21 7:00 Youth Group Sun 23 2:00 Pleasant Sunday afternoon Mon 24 9:30 St. Andrew s Singers Mon 24 9:30 Playtime Thu 27 12:00 Seniors Lunch Fri 28 8:30 Friday Shop 7

Blokes & Sheds Breakfast, 14 December 2013 By John McIver It was a delight once again to have the ladies join us for the our pre- Christmas Men s Breakfast.

8 Blokes & Sheds Breakfast, 14 December 2013 By John McIver It was a delight once again to have the ladies join us for the our pre- Christmas Men s Breakfast. Carols were sung and some forty folk enjoyed the occasion ably catered and managed by Bob Thuaux and team. Hazel and John McIver, our guest speakers, gave us a retrospective of Christmases past, which moved from childhood to more than 45 years ministry with the Salvation Army! They've had a variety of appointments and lived in no less than 25 houses spanning the country from NSW to the far north and west of Queensland, the ACT and the North Island of New Zealand. They've served in nine churches, numerous social and health services, as well as marriage and relationship counseling with the Uniting Church. Hazel is a second generation Salvationist, her mother joining the Salvation Army in her early teens; her dad becoming a Salvationist in his early twenties, following the conversion of his alcoholic father, who about to commit suicide on the Sydney to Melbourne rail line, heard the Salvation Army band playing Nearer My God To Thee. In , like many other families, holidays were a luxury for Hazel, her two older brothers and younger sister. Her parents, by then pensioned Salvation Army officers, lived with the family in a tent in the grounds of the Salvation Army Collaroy Centre for some months until her parents were able to rent and later buy a house in Dee Why. Her dad, a padre with the 8 th Division AIF in Malaya and Singapore returned to Australia suffering extreme post-traumatic stress and unable to work. To help pay the mortgage, her mother leased the house each year for the Christmas school holidays, while the family took a cheap camping holiday just up the road at Narrabeen Lakes. In the earlier years it was always a mystery to the children how Santa knew where to find them! They loved their tent because it was so different to everyone else s! A large khaki American Army issue straight out of TV's Mash! A highlight for Hazel was Christmas caroling with the local Salvation Army band. She sung with the carolers and collected for the Christmas Appeal 8

9 Continued from Page 8 which helped the local church assist the needy have a happier Christmas! Hazel s mother, a cane farmer s daughter, prepared Christmas dinner with all the trimmings in a gas camp oven; right down to threepences in the pudding! After dinner, out came the cricket bat and all the other campers joined in. Those Christmas caroling days had a profound impact on Hazel s young life, culminating in her call to fulltime ministry. Ministry has been the ultimate of experiences. At times tough! Exciting! But the greatest of privileges watching people realize that there's hope, and that, by God s grace and their own initiative, they can become whole persons again. The Second World War dominated John's early years. His father left his job with Nestle at Smithtown and commenced dairying and mixed share farming with John's maternal grandfather at Collombatti. The barn on the property held a pack saddle and other equipment that would be used for evacuation over the mountains, driving the cattle and horses ahead of them. A scorched earth policy was being considered. His father was a member of the Voluntary Defense Corps (VDC) - mounted infantry. Living 14 kilometers from the coast, John remembers hearing the explosions, and seeing the rising plumes of smoke and steam of coastal steamers torpedoed by the Japanese. One morning a Lancaster bomber, running low on fuel, landed without incident on the low country. While the aircrew sourced fuel, the local farmers with 9 their horse drawn mowers cut a runway through the Scots thistles before the plane took off again in a slipstream of pure white Santa Claus beards. In the face of rationing, the garden yielded fruit and vegetables, and the hens kept laying! Milk, cream and butter from the dairy. Rabbits, wild duck, waterfowl (red-bills) and even Rosella parrots were fair game for the pot. Power kerosene kept the Willies Overland ute on the road and his mother used fabric from worn-out garments and bleached and boiled Anchor brand cotton flour bags to make their clothing! With no electricity; one kerosene lamp and two lanterns moved from room to room, and between house and dairy and hen coop. The thermal Halstrom refrigerator, with its water tank on top, was powered by a kerosene flame. The evening meal always concluded with Bible reading and family prayers! Christmas was heralded, not by the First Noel, but rather by the First Kohl; the Christmas Bird as they called it! The festivities coincided with the busiest season on the land! The week before Christmas, his father went out with the axe and cut down a box (eucalyptus) tree. Some years later John realized that those gifts under the tree were made by his parents! His mother baked cakes and steamed pudding (always with threepences) at the wood fuel stove! There was roast wild duck, pork (which had been butchered and shared with the neighbours) and vegetables! His mother's brewed ginger beer, and his dad's hop beer from the cask was drawn off before the alcohol content got too high! Carol service on the radio.

10 Continued from page 9 John had no difficulty relating to the pageantry of the Christmas story. He'd often sat outside with his father, watching those bright stars; identifying the planets and the Southern Cross; often times in awe of the Aurora Australis brilliant and high overhead. Cattle chewing the cud; riding and draught horses; feed troughs; their sheds were always clean and tidy; plenty of space for Joseph and Mary and the baby Jesus to find a bed. Seventy-odd years later, in a post postmodern generation, when sections of the church lurch from ultra literalism to liberalism, and many ordinary people struggle to see the church s relevance in the scheme of things, John says that he is less concerned with the details of the Christmas pageantry and more concerned with the truth behind that story. Like the Apostle Paul, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself (2 Cor. 5.19) and that we (are) workers together with Him (2 Cor. 6. 1). You see John continued, you and I may be the only Christ that many people will ever know! The Springwood Bush Fire Disaster. The support given by St Andrew's to the Springwood Bush Fire disaster was a total of $1, including loose plate Offerings from the three Christmas Services. An acknowledgement of the support has been received from Rev Janice Freestone of Springwood Uniting Church, who wrote : This is too good, thank you so much for this. I will make sure there is a letter of thanks for the congregation at Richmond. We are running a free Children s holiday program in January that the Assembly is funding and from that we will run the Kid s with Courage program in first term for kids struggling with the trauma from the fires. Your contribution will help with resources for that program. A Note of Thanks Thank you for your continued generosity in donating monies and items of food. We are able to help others in our community in their times of need. It was especially pleasing to be able to give hampers to many people at Christmas time together with some small gifts. Our giving helps to bring some joy to families and individuals in our Hawkesbury community at this special time of year. Since Christmas, with your help, we have begun to restock the pantry and are ready once again to help those needy folk in our wider community. A list of suitable items for the pantry is available; please ask Judith for a copy if you need one. Judith Dennis, Heather Chia, Sandi Herbert and Maggie Scott 10

The T.O.F.M.S. Christmas Party 11th December was the Christmas breakup. The carers performed the Christmas story for the children which was lovely.

11 The T.O.F.M.S. Christmas Party 11th December was the Christmas breakup. The carers performed the Christmas story for the children which was lovely. Then each child received a gift and we all sang some traditional Christmas carols. Thanks to Sandra and her team for a great ending to a most enjoyable year. Kerryn Johnson, TOFMS Coordinator Blokes Breakfast 7:30am Saturday 8th February Speaker: Our own Lester Vincent will talk about his visit to Norfolk Island and its many facets including The Faith Community. Our usual Great BBQ, sausages, eggs & bacon etc. PLEASE PLACE YOUR NAME ON THE LIST IN THE FOYER. A lady returned to her home from an evening church service when she was startled by a burglar. She caught the man in the act and yelled, Stop! Acts 2:38. (repent and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins may be forgiven. ) The thief stopped in his tracks. The lady calmly called the police and explained what she had done. As the officer cuuffed the man. He asked, Why did you just stand there? All the old lady did was to yell scripture at you. Scripture? replied the burglar, She said she had an axe and two.38s! 11 (Contributed by Robin Schmid)

WHAT S HAPPENING DURING THE WEEK SUNDAYS Paddlers Age 3 to Kinder 9:45-11:00am (Sandra House 4578 2064) Tweenies Years 1 to 5 9:45-11.

12 WHAT S HAPPENING DURING THE WEEK SUNDAYS Paddlers Age 3 to Kinder 9:45-11:00am (Sandra House ) Tweenies Years 1 to 5 9: am (Robyn Duignan ) GWU Junior High Youth Years 7 to 9 9: am (Robin Duignan ) MONDAYS Playtime 9:30-11:30am Parents and preschoolers (Sarah Jones ) Andy s Hands-on-Help 9:00-1 pm, Maintenance & Fellowship. (Bob Thuaux ) TUESDAYS Church Council 7:30pm 1 st Tuesday odd number month. Greg Inskip ( ) Pastoral Leaders Team 7:30pm 1 st Tuesday even number month. (Je-Kon Oh) WEDNESDAYS Time Out For Mums. 9:45-11:15am Fortnightly in school terms THURSDAYS for Mums and preschoolers. (Sandra Brown ) 1 st Thursday: Adult Fellowship 9:30am (Irene Milne ) 3 rd Thursday: Seniors All Together 10:00am 12 noon (Crafts) 4 th Thursday: Seniors Lunch 12 noon 1:45pm Senior s Bible Study 12 noon -1:30pm (except 4 th Thursday) For information on Thursday seniors activities contact Sandi Herbert ( ) FRIDAYS Op Shop and Mini-Market 8:30am 12 noon clothes and wares. (Anthea Inskip ) SMALL/HOME GROUPS are a valuable and integral part of St Andrew s ministry. We encourage all members to join a group. For further information please speak to our Minister Rev. Je-Kon Oh - Phone (Home) CHURCH OFFICE MAIL: Post Office Box 450, Richmond 2753 PHONE: (02) FAX: (02) HOURS: 10.00am 2:00pm most days Web: office@richmonduniting.org.au Centre Manager: Derek Scott: Please send the editor your news and views and other articles for the newsletter. jcsturgess@westnet.com.au Ph St. Andrew s Uniting Church 25 West Market Street, Richmond, NSW A congregation of the Uniting Church in Australia. St. Andrew s is a member of the Assembly of Confessing Congregations. 12

There s much to pray for. Come and join us!

There s much to pray for. Come and join us! St. Andrew s Uniting Church News October 2015 Mission Statement: To bring the Gospel of Christ to The People of the Hawkesbury. Pastoral Leaders Team (PLT) Rev Je-Kon Oh 4578 3820 (Office, Bus. Hrs.) After