ANGLICAN
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St Paul’s: This Sunday is the Day of Pentecost when tongues of fire filled the apostles with the Holy Spirit. There is no escaping the reading from Acts which describes this event, but if placed later there is space for the fantastic reading from Ezekiel, the valley of dry bones.
The hope present there is the hope presented elsewhere: that which is dry and dead can have new life, wherever the Spirit touches. Pray and give thanks for all that breathes life into you.
Services this Sunday are 8am – said Eucharist, 9.30am – choral Eucharist; 11am – celebration Eucharist with children’s church; and 6pm – Taize.
For more information about St Paul’s, visit www.stpaulsbendigo.org.au or find us on Facebook.
Kangaroo Flat: The Merry Music Group is held every Thursday, during school terms, at 10am in the hall.
Children up to four years old and their parents are most welcome. Gold coin donation includes light snack. More information is available from Meredith Chilver on 5447 8312.
All inquiries regarding hall and facility bookings can now be directed to Shirley Austin on 5447 0097.
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.
BAPTIST
This Sunday, Dave Gillett will speak on “The Cost of Following Jesus” at Eaglehawk at 9.30am, and Junortoun at 10.30am and 6pm. Pastor Hae Bo will speak at Junortoun at the Htoo Moo Plaw church at 10.30am.
May is Mission Month and this year we will be focusing on a Global Interaction project in Thailand that is addressing community needs brought about by the impact of HIV/AIDS.
The church directory is now available at the Connect Desk at Eaglehawk and Junortoun in paper or digital form.
Shed Youth (years 11-12) meet on Friday nights at Junortoun from 7.30pm to 9.45pm. Contact Jenny McWilliam for more details or phone 5449 3033.
There will be a concert at the church at 7pm tonight. Levi McGrath, Luke Owens and Kingsdom will provide the music. Tickets are $5 single, $10 family and all proceeds go towards Project Uganda: visit www.projectuganda.org.au
There will be a barbecue tea from 6.15pm (gold coin donation) and merchandise and snacks will be available.
There will be a lunch in the Junortoun function room on Sunday, June 7, directly after the morning service. This will be a great opportunity to catch up with each other over a meal. For more information, contact Jocelyn Hall, Melissa Kemp or the church office.
Serving Christ Together meets on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Tuesdays of each month.
As part of the two-year Bible reading plan, the passages for this week are: Thu. Job 22,23, Psalm 93; Fri. Job 24,25, Ps. 94; Sat. Job 26,27, Ps. 95; Sun. Job 28,29, Ps. 96; Mon. Job 30,31, Ps. 97; Tue. Job 32,33, Ps. 98; Wed. Job 34,35, Ps. 99.
CATHOLIC
St Joseph’s: Come and celebrate Pentecost this Sunday, May 24, at St Joseph’s Church Community Centre, 44 Russell Street, Quarry Hill.
Guest speakers from Melbourne will be Maria Luff and Nan Deakin on the topics “New Life in God’s Spirit” and “Growth in the Spirit”. Starts at 9.30am, praise and worship at 10.00am and Mass at 12.30pm.
Please bring lunch to share. Cost via donation. For more details, contact Denise Ilott on 5441 1087.
CONNECT CHURCH
Transformations Soak time is tonight from 8pm. Everyone is invited to gather with the residents in a time of worship and refreshing to music, ministry and testimony.
Connect Youth years 6 to 12 are getting together for their next Tribe night in the church auditorium tomorrow from 7pm to 9.30pm. Come along and bring your friends plus a competitive attitude.
Young adults and families are invited to meet for a barbecue lunch at Melville Caves this Sunday, May 24. See Sarah Holden or Steph Valentine or contact church office for more details.
Hymns Alive meets next Thursday, May 28, in the hall at 1.30pm for hymn singing and fellowship. Guest speaker will be Virginia McDonald from Common Ground Church, Maiden Gully. There will be afternoon tea and free bus transport may be arranged – phone 5447 8161.
Sunday service is at 10am at 35 Solomon Street, Bendigo. The speaker will be Pastor Ian Parker.
For more details of weekly programs, phone the church office on 5441 3133.
OASIS CHRISTIAN CHURCH
The congregation last Sunday were richly blessed as Pastor Diane brought a message of insight and revelation about “The Secret Place”.
She began by asking the congregation to close their eyes and concentrate on her words as she sang a prophetic song about the Secret Place.
There is a place in God where a child of God can dwell. It is a gentle and Holy Place where the Lord dwells. A place where we are hidden in Him, where no outside presence, belonging either to this flesh and blood world we currently inhabit or to the unseen spiritual world, can touch or harm us, where we are encapsulated in His presence.
It is a place of adventures in God where, if we will abide and not just visit occasionally when things go wrong in our lives, we will truly not only understand the scripture “We are seated in heavenly places with Him”, but we will experience it and will transform how we live. The secret place is not hidden from the eyes of the child of God, but few really find it because to find it we must seek after the presence of the Lord with all our heart; such is the cost where worldly pleasures lose their attraction.
Pastor Diane will continue this message this Sunday, May 24.
All welcome at our Sunday services at 10am at the Long Gully Community Centre, 27 Havilah Road, Bendigo.
PRESBYTERIAN
St John’s: Last Sunday at St John’s, the Reverend Philip Burns continued his series on 1 Peter by preaching from chapter 3, verses 13-17.
Peter’s readers, who lived in the first century world, faced much hostility from all kinds of peoples who did not understand the truths of the Christian faith.
It was for this reason that Peter exhorted his readers to always be ready to give an account of the hope that they have in Christ. They were to do this with gentleness and respect, but yet be faithful to the gospel they had come to know and believe. Peter’s command remains a challenge for believers in this generation who often face a similar kind of hostility from this world.
Home groups meet tonight at 7.30pm and on Wednesday at 1.30pm.
Playgroup (sorry, no vacancies) meets on Fridays at 10am.
On Sunday the Reverend Burns will continue his series on 1 Peter at 10:30am. A shared lunch and a workshop on sharing the gospel will follow in the hall.
For more details or to hear this week’s message, visit http://bendigopc.org.au
Eaglehawk: Last Sunday was our Harvest Thanksgiving service. Pastor Steven thanked the congregation for the generosity shown in the number of items donated that will go to Salt Works for distribution to needy families.
His message for the day was from Matthew 5 V38-48. In these verses Jesus is telling us the way He wants us to live, loving our enemies and blessing those who curse us, just as Jesus did.
The donated goods are a sign that God is working in our hearts because we realise what He has given us, His Son the Lord Jesus Christ to suffer and die for us.
Consider what else He has given us through creation, He gives us the air we breathe, the sun by day, the moon and stars by night, the four seasons, one to sow and another to reap. Jesus said “Love your neighbour”. He has given each one talents so we may help others less fortunate than ourselves, in turn bringing honour and glory to His name.
SOUTHERN GATEWAY
"By faith" was the theme of Pastor Peter’s sermon.
Our faith, or lack of it, can be sorely tested at times. But we need to walk by faith and not by sight. We have to see things which are not as though they are in our Christian walk.
God has promised so much. Our faith in him reveals his promises for he always does that much more for us who believe.
In Hebrews 11 there are more than 20 examples of what God has done, and still does, for people to walk by faith. Amazing examples in those times and in modern times where men and women have achieved so much by stepping out in faith. Isn’t that enough evidence for you? Well, try stepping out without faith and see where you end up.
Our time of praise of God was led so well by Linda Fraser and Karolyn Webster. Linda also led us in our Communion reflection.
The next Lady Day is at June Mathews’ place on the last Wednesday morning at 10am. A men’s breakfast will be conducted in June.
All are welcome at our Word-focused church and the Holy Spirit anointing we receive. Join us in the Y Community hall opposite Aldi in Kangaroo Flat at 10am on Sundays.
Contact Pastor Peter Pritchard on 0413 682 999 for prayer support and inquiries.
THE LAMP CHURCH
A new Pentecostal church will begin services in the Revival Centre Chapel at 237 High Street next to BMW Golden Square starting this Sunday at 10am.
Len Cutting is the senior minister of the Lamp Church International and has been ministering The Word of God for more than 40 years, travelling all around Victoria, NSW and Queensland and extensively through the north island of New Zealand.
The Lamp Church is very much a Word based ministry. “I believe that the word of God empowers, equips and releases people.” says Len. He welcomes everyone to come and hear the uncompromised, powerful word of God.
Contact Len on 0432 354 230.
UNITING
ELM Cluster:
Eaglehawk: Everyone is welcome to come along this Pentecost Sunday at 10am for Cornerstone (Sunday school) and the service in the church when the Reverend Cynthia Page will be the leader.
Holy Communion will also be celebrated and as it is Pentecost, everyone is asked to wear something red! Morning tea will follow the service.
The evening service at 6.30pm will also be led by the Reverend Page and Holy Communion will again be celebrated.
After the morning service the monthly lunch will be held at the Colbinabbin Hotel followed by afternoon tea at the Cornella Estate.
Playgroups are on Fridays and Wednesdays from 9.30am.
The informal worship time, ”A Place to Start”, will be held on Friday from 6.30pm. Please bring some food to share.
The Women’s Get Together will be at Lets Get Saucy Cafe from 10am on Tuesday followed by the Missionary Action Group at noon at the church.
The Church Council Executive will meet on Wednesday from 5.15pm followed by the JAMM session for musicians and multimedia people.
The offering envelopes for the forthcoming 12 months will be available from this Sunday.
Long Gully: The service on Sunday will be at 9.30am, led by Jeff Bergmier.
Marong: The 9am service this Sunday will be led by Merrill Cole.
Weeroona Uniting Church Bendigo:
We are very excited to share the news that the Reverend Susan Malthouse-Law has accepted the call to be the new minister for Weeroona UCB. She will be inducted on Sunday, June 14, at 2pm at the Neale Street church.
This Sunday there will be two Weeroona Uniting Church services to celebrate Pentecost Sunday, at 9.15am and 11am, both at the Neale Street church.
The 9.15am service will be led by Robert Lees and will include a Sunday school program for children from crèche to grade 6. The 11am service will be led by the Reverend Kate Fraser and will be followed by a bring and share lunch.
Bendigo South Cluster:
This week the services are as follows::
Kangaroo Flat: At 9.30am led by Faye Fletcher.
Lockwood: At 9.30am led by the Reverend Ian Stewart, with Holy Communion.
Chum Street: At 11am led by the Reverend Ian Stewart.
Tomorrow at 1.30pm the Kennington Red Cross will present “A Tillow Ladies Fashion Show” in St Andrew’s Small Hall. Admission is $5, which will include afternoon tea and a lucky door prize. Details from Judith McCarthy on 5435 2099.
Running until June 8 is the “Nara Dreaming Exhibition” of Aboriginal painting, sculpture, painting and craft work at Avisford (Bill’s Shed), 1023 Calder Alternative Highway, Lockwood.
On Wednesday, May 27, at noon the monthly community lunch will be on at Kangaroo Flat Uniting Church. It’s $5 for a two-course meal and all are welcome.
To everyone who supports our Outreach Program, a big thank-you. Through the generosity of many this program is able to support many families in our district.
Items that are needed are sugar, tins of soup, small packs of cereal, small tins of fruit, small jars of Vegemite and dry and sweet biscuits. Thank-you everyone.
On Mondays from 9.30am to 11am there is a playgroup for children under five years of age at the Kangaroo Flat Uniting Church. Please bring a gold coin donation and a piece of fruit to share.
On Wednesdays from 9am to noon there is a craft group at Kangaroo Flat Uniting Church. All welcome.
On Thursdays from 1.30pm to 3.15pm there is indoor bowls at the Golden Square Hall (Laurel Street entrance). All ages and abilities welcome, $2 donation.
Central Bendigo Cluster:
This afternoon the cluster’s new Minister the Reverend Di Esbensen will attend “Coffee with our Minister” from 3pm to 4pm pm at the Café 11 Forest Street. This is an opportunity for the cluster’s three congregations to meet our minister informally and enjoy fellowship
Tomorrow at St Andrew’s Hall from 4.30pm to 6.30pm, the monthly messy church theme will be “The Holy Spirit”. Messy church is a time of fun and celebration. All welcome.
On Friday at 4.30pm the Forest Street choir resumes rehearsals. New members welcome.
On Sunday, worship at 9.30am at Forest Street will be led by the Reverend Doug Turnbull and at St Andrew’s at 9.30am by the Reverend Di Esbensen.
Longest Morning Tea on Thursday, May 28, at 10am in the Forest Street UC Hall is a fund-raiser for the Cancer Council. There will be raffles as well as a delicious morning tea; all welcome.
A trumpet and organ concert is on at St Andrew’s on Sunday, May 31, at 2pm. It is part one of a series of concerts and will include Louisa Trewartha (trumpet), David Castles (organ), Stephenie Ead (violin), Ryan Williams (recorder) and Josie Graham (cello). Admission via donation and funds raised will support Louisa’s Masters program in Ireland.
UnitingWorld has agencies working on the ground in Nepal and are assessing immediate needs. Donations can be made to your Church or the UnitingWorld Nepal Earthquake Appeal on 1800 998 122.