South East: Strathfieldsaye Uniting Church’s family Christmas Eve service is on December 24 from 4pm to 5pm. 

There is a Christmas Eve family service at Holy Trinity, Keck Street, Flora Hill,  from 6pm. 

Strathfieldsaye Uniting Church’s Holy Communion Christmas service is from 7.30pm on December 24. 

On Christmas Eve at 11pm there will be a contemporary communion service at Holy Trinity, Keck Street.

 On Christmas Day, there will be an 8am communion service at Christ Church, East Bendigo, 9am communion service with kids’ segment at Holy Trinity, Keck Street, and at Strathfieldsaye Uniting Church a Christmas celebration service from 9am.

St Paul’s: This Sunday is the Fourth Sunday of Advent.

In this week’s gospel we sense that the coming of Jesus might be in a surprising form . The reading is one of reversals. The powerful Messiah will come as a helpless baby. 

Conversely, powerless Mary is filled with more power that anyone on earth when she consents to become the mother of our Lord. May we also consent to God’s work in us, however surprising it might be.  

At 11am this Sunday the children will present their Christmas play, then at  6pm all are welcome to join us for a traditional service of carols and readings.

Other services on Sunday are 8am – said Eucharist; 9.30am – choral Eucharist; and 11am – Eucharist with children’s play.

For details of all Christmas services and more information about St Paul’s, visit www.stpaulsbendigo.org.au or find us on Facebook.

Kangaroo Flat: This Sunday, December 21, at 6pm we are presenting our Christmas carols and children’s Nativity play. All are welcome.

Christmas services will be:

Wednesday, December 24, at 6.30pm – Christmas Eve at St Laurence Court, Kangaroo Flat.

Wednesday, December 24, at 11pm – Christmas Eve at St Mary’s.

Thursday, December 25, at 9am – Christmas Day at St Mary’s.

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign:

The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son,

And will call him Immanuel.”

– Isaiah 7:14

The star of Bethlehem shone when Christ was born. In the darkest nights, Christ’s love still shines the brightest. May His light and love shine on our parishioners and readers of the Bendigo Advertiser this Christmas.

For information on St Mary’s Church and the Anglican Parish of Kangaroo Flat, visit our webpage at http://stmaryskangarooflat.com/ or find us on Facebook.

Catholic

Sacred Heart: This Sunday, the cathedral welcomes the gift of the new icon which celebrates the life of St Marcellin Champagnat.

The Marist Old Boys Association in conjunction with Sacred Heart Cathedral commissioned the Redesdale based iconographer Ivan Russ.

During the 11am Mass, the icon will be blessed by Bishop Les Tomlinson and then hung in an appropriate position.

The Christmas Mass for Lilley Lodge will be held on Friday December 19 at 10.30am, Relatives and friends are welcome.

The primary school teachers are invited to give thanks for the 2014 school year by attending Mass this Friday at 8am.

On Tuesday evening, December 23rd, the last Advent Devotion will commence at 7pm and an opportunity for Reconciliation will be offered following the prayer.

Gifts for the St Vincent de Paul hampers need to be left at the Cathedral no later than Sunday Dec at 6pm Mass.

Connect Church

Transformation SOAK time will be in the supper room tonight at 7pm. This will include a Kris Kringle gift sharing. Please bring a gift to the value of $10 plus a plate of food to share for supper. Lots of fun and laughter guaranteed. All welcome.

Our church will once again be supporting the St Luke’s Children’s Christmas Day Appeal. Take a tag from the tree in the foyer and buy a gift $10 to $20 for the age and gender of the child and return unwrapped by this Sunday.  

This is an opportunity to give and make Christmas extra special for a deserving child. Donations of cash are also appreciated.  For more information, contact Nicole on 0409 040 716.

“Dave & Guido” is the theme for the Christmas Eve service in the church at 6.30pm. 

Preparations for Family Fun Day on Sunday, January 25, are well under way.  If you would like to be involved as a street performer, stall vendor, face painter or other areas that would help to make this day a success, phone Dave Annison at the church office on 5441 3133.

Sunday’s church service is at 10am at  35 Solomon Street, Bendigo. For more information on church programs, visit www.connectchurch.com.au

Oasis Christian Church

LAST Sunday Samuel Tshisekedi brought a deeper insight on the subject of “The works of Angels in the lives of the believer” from Hebrews 1:14.

“Angels are ministering spirits to those who shall inherit salvation.”  

Christians believe in angels because Jesus taught about angels. The nature of angels is: they are created beings, spirits, genderless and immortal. They are also obedient, reverent, wise, humble, mighty, holy, innumerable, and fit into many categories.   

God created angels for Himself to work for Him in many dimensions and purposes. He is the giver of principles and rules for the wellbeing of mankind. However, some angels who rebelled from God have established their own principles and rules to influence mankind to live in disobedience to God. These rebellious angels await the day of judgement. 

God’s ministering angels are sent to serve all people who have inherited salvation and thereby have rights in the new Will and Testament. 

The Old Testament was God’s first Will for His people. When He sent the gift of His Son Jesus, who died to activate God’s new Will and Testament, it was for all mankind.  

Therefore, without hesitation believers should activate the ministry of angels according to the will of God found in His word. 

All are welcome at our regular Sunday services on Sundays at 10am at the Long Gully Community Centre, 27 Havilah Road, Bendigo. 

Inquiries to 5443 1468 or 0402 087 083. 

Presbyterian

EAGLEHAWK: Last Sunday Pastor Steven told of our “Certainty of our faith”, Hebrews 11 V1-3.

How great and how strong is our faith? Do I trust in Jesus to take me to heaven? Do I fully believe I am going to heaven? We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ. What is faith? 

Faith stands in the surety of God’s word.

Our body connects to this world but our soul connects to the spiritual world. We are under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual faith is trusting in the divine truth of the Bible. Faith must centre on the living God.

Our faith is that we see God in His creation, which is everywhere.

By faith we see and feel His love for us, but woe to the unbeliever on judgement day.

This Sunday, December 21, there will be a worship service. 

On Wednesday, December 24, at 7pm there will be a Christmas Eve service.

All inquiries to Pastor Steven on 0408 990 903.

St John’s: When white man John Griffin made himself up and lived as a black man, he found out the hard way what many experienced in 1959 racist America. 

When Jesus came to earth as a human, He, too, experienced the nature of life as we know it. Hebrews 4:14-5:10 tells us of His experiences – how He endured human frailty, suffering and even death. 

Though He was fully God, He entered into the realm of our pain and through that pain and eventual death, secured an eternal salvation for His people. 

At Christmas time we remember the wonderful truth that God became man and as man He still lives to be our great High Priest in heaven – fully able to understand what we must endure. 

On Sunday, the Reverend John Sutherland will preach at the 10.30am service. Carols by Torchlight will follow at 8pm. The Reverend Russ Grinter will be speaking. Christmas Day service at 9.30am. 

For more information, contact 5443 6189 or visit http://bendigopc.org.au

Southern Gateway

LAST Sunday Pastor Dale Caldwell preached a chronology of the Christmas events and the wondrous event that our Heavenly Father sent a saviour in human form. God has always an astonishing plan in mind for us all to be saved.

Recently an “atheist” friend asked me to help him understand the supernatural wonder of Jesus. As his friend of many years and pastor of this church, I could only invite him to pray that Jesus would touch his life and reveal the awesome truth of his birth, death and resurrection. 

All are welcome at our Spirit-filled church to encounter Jesus and be saturated in the Word at our 10am service in the Y community hall opposite Aldi in Kangaroo Flat.

Our Christmas Day service will be at 9am around the crib and the cross. Men are invited to join in fellowship this Saturday at 8.30am for a fellowship breakfast in the Coffee Club. 

Prayer support and inquiries  to Pastor Peter Pritchard on 0413 682 999.

Uniting

ELM Cluster:

Eaglehawk: Everyone is welcome to join in our services on this fourth Sunday in Advent at 10am for the service in the church, led by the Reverend Cynthia Page, and for Cornerstone (Sunday school). Morning tea will follow.

The evening service at 6.30pm will be a Blue Christmas Service especially for people who may find Christmas a challenging time. The Reverend Cynthia will also lead this service.

Playgroup meets on Friday from 9.45am.

On Christmas Eve, next Wednesday,  there will be a family service at 7.30pm and on Christmas Day, the service will be at 9.30am and the Reverend Cynthia will be the leader.

Christmas Bowl envelopes are available in the foyer.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed over the Christmas season.

Long Gully: The service this sunday will be at 9.30am, led by the Reverend Tyrone Balfour. There will also be a service on Christmas Day at 9.30am, led by the Reverend Dale Pascall.

Marong: The service on Sunday will be at 9.30am, led by the Reverend Joe Wilson. The service on Christmas Day will be at 9am, led by Merrill Cole.

Weeroona Uniting Church Bendigo:

Arnold Street and White Hills congregations will have their church service at the White Hills Church at 11am this Sunday. The service will be led by the Reverend Ralph Clarke and will include Holy Communion and a Sunday school program for the children. 

There will be two morning services at Neale Street this Sunday, at 9.15am and 11am. The 9.15am service is family orientated and will be led by the Reverend Ralph Clarke. The 11am service is more traditional in its presentation and will led by the Reverend Dale Pascall. 

We also have a number of special Christmas services in the week to come. 

On Sunday you are invited to come along the Blue Christmas Service at Arnold Street at 5pm. This is where we recognise that times of celebration may be especially hard for people who are holding sadness and loss in their hearts. Come along to experience the wonder and hope of Christmas, even in the midst of uncertainties.

On Christmas Eve, you are welcome to come along to our candlelight service at Neale Street. This will be a special evening, beginning at 10.30pm for supper, followed by carol singing at 11pm, with the service beginning at 11.30pm. 

On Christmas Day there will be a combined Weeroona UC Service at Neale Street at 9.30am. Come along to a special Christmas celebration for all ages.

Wishing all a safe and happy Christmas, and every blessing for the New Year. 

Bendigo South Cluster:

This week’s Sunday services are:

Chum Street: At 11am with the Reverend Ian Stewart leading the service.

Kangaroo Flat: At 9.30am with the Reverend Ian Stewart leading the service.

Lockwood: At 9.30am with Rob Harris leading the service.

Christmas Bowl envelopes are now available. Envelopes can be placed in with offerings up to and on Christmas Day.

Central Bendigo Cluster:

Next Sunday at 9.30am, at St Andrew’s, Myers Street, the Reverend Julianne Parker will lead worship, and again at Axedale at 2.30pm. 

Starting at 9.30am at Forest Street, the Reverend Jim Foley will lead a family service followed by a special morning tea. Invitations have been sent to families whose children have been baptised over the past couple of years.

At 7pm this Sunday, the final discussion of The Making of the Messiah: Reflections and Studies for Advent will be held in the Forest Street Vestry.

 Uniting Threads thanks all for their support and advises that as a result of their Christmas stall and raffle a cheque for more than $1000 will be given to the Christmas Bowl Appeal. Uniting Threads is in recess until Wednesday, February 4.

Both congregations have responded with financial donations to an appeal for UnitingCare Bendigo’s Christmas gift program.

The church offices will be closed until January 21, but each congregation’s elders will receive calls should pastoral care be needed.