Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Sunday, October 4, 2026

Collect of the week

Generous God,

whose hand is open to fill all things living with plenteousness:

make us ever thankful for your goodness,

and grant that we,

remembering the account that we must one day give,

may be faithful stewards of your bounty;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

The Church of

St Peter the Fisherman

Anglican Parish of Bramble Bay

A: 13 Lucinda St, Clontarf

W: bramblebay.anglicanchurchsq.org.au

Stay In Touch

Father Ted Starr - Priest-in-Charge - 0451 929 180 - edward.starr@anglicanchurchsq.org.au

Mrs Liz Peters - Rector’s Warden - 0400 844 946

Mrs Gail Symons - People’s Warden - 0409 618 511

Mr Tony Hughes - People’s Warden - 0468 764 009

Zoom Church - 328 492 8300 - 548 747

Readings

for the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20

Psalm 19

Philippians 3

Matthew 21:33-46

 Printed copies of every sermon are on the back table 

Sermons from every service are available under “Homilies”

Giving

Offering - 704 901 - 0000 0780

Building Fund - 704 901 - 0001 4767

For online giving, go to the parish website and select “Donate”

For other giving, cards and recipe books are on sale at the back of the church.

Mission and Outreach

Woody Point Special School has been discerned as a focus for our new season of mission and outreach. The yellow lid bins at the back of the church are waiting for your extra groceries to donate to their pantry. Meals which are labelled with date and ingredients, packaged and frozen can be put in the church freezer for collection. For more information, contact Elizabeth on 0404 080 861, or Leisa.

BCA Boxes are due: please leave them on the back table, or hand to Elizabeth.

Spirited Generosity is an ongoing initiative in our parish. Please check the back table for information on our next steps. If anything has been raised in your spirit as a result, please continue the conversation with fellow parishioners, parish councillors, wardens, and Fr Ted.

We ask of your goodness, Lord, to comfort and sustain all who in this transitory life are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity, and especially Shirley and Alan Kimber, Rosina, Ann, Barbara, Kevin, Ian, Chris, Jeff Byrne, Karne, Greg, Aaron, Joanne, Grace and Faith, Fr David, Nina, Sophie, Lesley, Helena, Claire, Wayne, Janice, Carol, Shakiraia, Kristy and Martina. Please contact Fr Ted to be on this list.

We also give thanks for those whose year’s mind occurs at this time. Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them.

Ministry During the Week

Mother’s Union: Every third Wednesday at 9am.

Thursday Fellowship: every first and third Thursday from 9:30am to 11:30am. All welcome for a cuppa and a chat. Bring your craft to work on or just enjoy the company.

Caring and Sharing: every fourth Wednesday after Holy Communion.

Bible Study: Tuesdays at 9:30am and Thursdays at 7pm. All welcome; all materials supplied.

Beaumont Aged Care: Holy Communion every third Friday at 10:30am.

Recycling has resumed in the new location: the small white shed at the back of the property.  Any questions call Elizabeth Melvin on 0404 080 861

Services: Part of the priestly calling is that clergy “shall unite themselves with the unceasing prayer of the Church on earth and in heaven, being carried by this rhythm of prayer in peace and joy.” Various services throughout the week are offered to this end, and all are warmly encouraged to attend.

Safeguarding: We are committed to the safeguarding and care of everyone within our community. You can contact the Office of Safe Ministry for the Anglican Church Southern Queensland by calling 1800 242 544 or emailing safeministry@anglicanchurchsq.org.au

The Week Ahead

Tue, 06 Oct

8:00 am - Holy Communion for William Tyndale

9:30 am - Bible Study

Wed, 07 Oct

10:00 am - Holy Communion

Thu 08 Oct

6:00 pm - Solemn Evensong

7:00 pm - Bible Study

Sat, 10 Oct

9:30 am - LA Training

3:00 pm - The Blessing Of The Pets

Sun, 11 Oct

7:00 & 9:00 am - Holy Communion for the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

A Plug For Bible Study

Today’s Psalm sings of the joy of the Psalmist for God’s word, that it is “more to be desired than gold, even much fine gold.” (Psalm 19:10)

Where is your heart in relation to God’s word? Does it nourish you? Do you visit it regularly? Have you considered coming along to one of the Bible Study groups in your church? All the materials are supplied – a copy of the study, a Bible to read from, and a comfy seat. Why not come along this week?

Growth Committee Update 

The Growth Committee have been busy preparing for the second half of this year. Please see information below for events coming up in the life of the parish.

The Blessing of the Pets will be on the afternoon of Saturday, 10 October at 3pm. Donations this year will go to Happy Paws, a community-run animal shelter.

Melbourne Cup Afternoon Tea will be held on Saturday, 31 October from 2pm. Tix are $20 each.

Volunteers will be needed for all of these efforts. Please consider what your role could be, and how you might support these events.

Fisher Bags

Our Fisher Bags — Bags of Love are a simple way for our parish to extend Christ’s love beyond our church doors. They are designed to welcome those who are new among us, offer care and encouragement to those who may need a little support, and strengthen our mission of reaching out and connecting with our wider community.

If you know someone who might appreciate receiving a Fisher Bag — perhaps a neighbour, friend, someone who is unwell, lonely or simply in need of a little encouragement — there is an Expression of Interest form at the back of the church. Please add your name and the number of bags you would like to distribute.

 Parish Council Update on the Veranda Blinds

The Parish council has spent some time seeking a firm to replace the veranda blinds at a reasonable price. Ready-made blinds were not a suitable size. We have finally settled on a very reputable firm at Clontarf who make blinds. The blinds will be a see-through mesh with a handle for easy winding up and down. Plastic PVC blinds were $1000 more expensive. The Quote is for $3000 (made and installed) which includes a discount from the firm. Parish Council is pleased to announce we are over half-way there, having already raised $2300 towards this project. Bless you for your generosity.

Morning Tea Update

Our parish initiative of Spirited Generosity is already bearing fruit – fruit cake, that is. You may have noticed over the past several weeks that our faithful workers behind the counter brewing your cuppa have been reinforced by some faithful bakers to make Morning Tea even better.

 The Ladies Guild is famed throughout the wider parish for their sumptuous catering – and now they are putting the call out to the troops to join in the fun.

 There is no reason why we cannot have the best Morning Tea in the diocese – all it takes is your humble self, bringing a special treat to church once every so often to share after the service.

Invite A Friend

There are some occasions coming up in the church calendar to which you might like to invite a friend. There will be no “signing on the dotted line” expected of them; rather, it is an opportunity to share with someone you love the meeting place between everyday life and the kingdom of heaven.

Do consider inviting someone along to The Blessing Of The Pets. This is not a worship service; rather it is a time to celebrate the goodness of God in his creatures. Bring a pet (or their photo – not everyone is comfortable with bringing Fluffy the Boa Constrictor out of the home), receive God’s blessing upon it, enjoy some community fellowship with fellow animal lovers, and raise some awareness of the good causes in the area supporting animal welfare. Saturday, October 10 at 3pm on the church grounds.

We will also be making a special observance of All Saints/All Souls at the 8am service on Sunday, November 1. Indeed, this is not only for inviting a friend, but for all of us. We have all been touched by the tragedy of the death of a loved one. On this Sunday there will be a particular emphasis on the communion of saints, a belief we confess in our Creeds. At the Holy Eucharist there is a sense of the mystery that we share a meal not only with God, and with the saints beside us in the pews, but also with the saints in heaven who have gone before us. There will be the opportunity to renew our trust in God, and that he is holding our loved ones in his loving arms. Keep an eye out in the near future for more details on how you might like to make the most of this wonderfully pastoral occasion in the Church calendar. Perhaps you know of someone who might need a sacred moment to hold them in their grief – consider offering them a personal invitation to this service.

 Christmas boxes

These are now available at the back of the church. Brochures giving you details of the process are there also. Take some for yourself and friends. It would be lovely to see the front of the altar covered in packed Christmas boxes. They must be returned by 11 October.

 Pre-Melbourne Cup Party

The popular annual function is on again, and bookings are now open. Same price $20, at the church on Saturday 31 October. Book a table for 8 or as many tickets as you like. Please see Gail, Dale or Liz for bookings. No need to pay on booking. Brochures are available on cupboards at back of church. Please take them for your friends.

Prayer List Update

There have been several name-changes on our prayer list in the past few weeks. Rest assured – those names that have been removed are for a happy reason. God has been answering the prayers of our parish for healing, and as your priest I have been overjoyed to hear of these wonderful stories of God’s goodness.

 One such good news story is that of Beryl Old. Many of you know Beryl well. She has asked me to pass on her thanks to everyone in the parish for offering prayers on her behalf. She has the joyous news to share that she is now in remission, and is feeling well in herself.

 Please do continue to pray for those still on our prayer list. Please also take a moment or three to give thanks to God for his goodness to us in his response to our prayers. And if you, or someone you know, might be in need of our prayers, please get in touch and have them added to the list. There is no restriction on word count – I am happy to have as many names on our prayer list as the parish desires. - Fr Ted

Prayer Space with Leisa

This week Elizabeth Melvin has kindly shared this beautiful poem, Alpha & Omega. Written by an extended family member of Elizabeth, Marilyn Terlich, it takes us on a journey through God’s story – from creation, through brokenness and redemption, to the grace and hope we find in our Saviour. I hope you will take a quiet moment to read these words and reflect on the God who is, and always will be, our Alpha and Omega -our beginning and our end.

Alpha & Omega

The seed was sown, watered and

grown, reaped, winnowed and

Ground.

It was the spark that pierced the

dark, forging a future profound.

The Word, once spoken was never

broken by the Creator to the

created,

Yet a rift brought despair, needing

repair by a Saviour long a-waited.

Thus began the process, allowing

all access to liberating, redeeming

grace,

Before time began, this was the plan

for a broken human race.

With cosmic power released,

condemnation ceased, heaven and

earth’s bond restored.

Omniscient love shown by the

Creator above – the gift of an

incredible Lord.

© Marilyn Terlich

Beyond The Pew

 Faith. Life. Questions. Conversation.

Beyond The Pew is the beginning of a new parish ministry seeking your prayers and engagement. Beyond the Pew is a relaxed space for conversation about faith and life. Each gathering begins with one question. There are no prepared answers and no pressure to speak — just an opportunity to listen, share, pray and discover something from one another.

You may like to try this out with your church friends. Just ask the question and see where the conversation goes!  

Last week’s question: Who handed faith on to you - and what did they teach you that you still carry today?

This week’s question: If Jesus joined you for coffee, what would you ask him?

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Sunday, September 27, 2026

Collect of the week

 O God,

you declare your almighty power

chiefly in showing mercy and pity:

mercifully grant us such a measure of your grace

that, running in the way of your commandments,

we may obtain your gracious promises,

and be made partakers of your heavenly treasure;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

The Church of

St Peter the Fisherman

Anglican Parish of Bramble Bay

A: 13 Lucinda St, Clontarf

W: bramblebay.anglicanchurchsq.org.au

Stay In Touch

Father Ted Starr - Priest-in-Charge - 0451 929 180 - edward.starr@anglicanchurchsq.org.au

Mrs Liz Peters - Rector’s Warden - 0400 844 946

Mrs Gail Symons - People’s Warden - 0409 618 511

Mr Tony Hughes - People’s Warden - 0468 764 009

Zoom Church - 328 492 8300 - 548 747

Readings

for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Exodus 17:1-17

Psalm 78:1-4, 11-16

Philippians 2:1-13

Matthew 21:23-32

 Printed copies of every sermon are on the back table 

Sermons from every service are available under “Homilies”

Giving

Offering - 704 901 - 0000 0780

Building Fund - 704 901 - 0001 4767

For online giving, go to the parish website and select “Donate”

For other giving, cards and recipe books are on sale at the back of the church.

Mission and Outreach

Woody Point Special School has been discerned as a focus for our new season of mission and outreach. The yellow lid bins at the back of the church are waiting for your extra groceries to donate to their pantry. Meals which are labelled with date and ingredients, packaged and frozen can be put in the church freezer for collection. For more information, contact Elizabeth on 0404 080 861, or Leisa.

BCA Boxes are due: please leave them on the back table, or hand to Elizabeth.

Spirited Generosity is an ongoing initiative in our parish. Please check the back table for information on our next steps. If anything has been raised in your spirit as a result, please continue the conversation with fellow parishioners, parish councillors, wardens, and Fr Ted.

We ask of your goodness, Lord, to comfort and sustain all who in this transitory life are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity, and especially Shirley and Alan Kimber, Rosina, Ann, Barbara, Kevin, Ian, Chris, Jeff Byrne, Karne, Greg, Aaron, Joanne, Grace and Faith, Beryl Old, Fr David, Nina, Sophie, Lesley, Helena, Claire, Melissa Cameron, Janice, Carol, Shakiraia, Kristy and Martina. Please contact Fr Ted to be on this list.

We also give thanks for those whose year’s mind occurs at this time, and among them Marie Rogers, Diana Borgier, Greg Spann and Doug Moore. Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them.

Ministry During the Week

Mother’s Union: Every third Wednesday at 9am.

Thursday Fellowship: every first and third Thursday from 9:30am to 11:30am. All welcome for a cuppa and a chat. Bring your craft to work on or just enjoy the company.

Caring and Sharing: every fourth Wednesday after Holy Communion.

Bible Study: Tuesdays at 9:30am and Thursdays at 7pm. All welcome; all materials supplied.

Beaumont Aged Care: Holy Communion every third Friday at 10:30am.

Recycling has resumed in the new location: the small white shed at the back of the property.  Any questions call Elizabeth Melvin on 0404 080 861

Services: Part of the priestly calling is that clergy “shall unite themselves with the unceasing prayer of the Church on earth and in heaven, being carried by this rhythm of prayer in peace and joy.” Various services throughout the week are offered to this end, and all are warmly encouraged to attend.

Safeguarding: We are committed to the safeguarding and care of everyone within our community. You can contact the Office of Safe Ministry for the Anglican Church Southern Queensland by calling 1800 242 544 or emailing safeministry@anglicanchurchsq.org.au

The Week Ahead

***Please note the reduced timetable this week***

Tue, 29 Sep

8:00 am - Holy Communion for St Michael and All Angels

9:30 am - Bible Study

Wed, 30 Sep

10:00 am - Holy Communion for St Jerome (d. 420)

Thu 01 Oct

9:30 am - Friendship and Craft Group

6:00 pm - Solemn Evensong

7:00 pm - Bible Study

Sun, 04 Oct

8:00 am - Holy Communion for the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

A note from Fr Ted: Thank you to everyone in the parish for your patience during “conference season” this year. As you can see from the calendar, we are back to our regular worship program. I pray that we have a spiritually restful remainder of the church year, so that we may all enter into Advent and Christmastide with joy together.

Growth Committee Update 

The Growth Committee have been busy preparing for the second half of this year. Please see information below for events coming up in the life of the parish.

The Blessing of the Pets will be on the afternoon of Saturday, 10 October at 3pm. Donations this year will go to Happy Paws, a community-run animal shelter.

Melbourne Cup Afternoon Tea will be held on Saturday, 31 October from 2pm. Tix are $20 each.

Volunteers will be needed for all of these efforts. Please consider what your role could be, and how you might support these events.

Fisher Bags

Our Fisher Bags — Bags of Love are a simple way for our parish to extend Christ’s love beyond our church doors. They are designed to welcome those who are new among us, offer care and encouragement to those who may need a little support, and strengthen our mission of reaching out and connecting with our wider community.

If you know someone who might appreciate receiving a Fisher Bag — perhaps a neighbour, friend, someone who is unwell, lonely or simply in need of a little encouragement — there is an Expression of Interest form at the back of the church. Please add your name and the number of bags you would like to distribute.

 Parish Council Update on the Veranda Blinds

The Parish council has spent some time seeking a firm to replace the veranda blinds at a reasonable price. Ready-made blinds were not a suitable size. We have finally settled on a very reputable firm at Clontarf who make blinds. The blinds will be a see-through mesh with a handle for easy winding up and down. Plastic PVC blinds were $1000 more expensive. The Quote is for $3000 (made and installed) which includes a discount from the firm. Parish Council is pleased to announce we are over half-way there, having already raised $1900 towards this project. Bless you for your generosity.

Morning Tea Update

Our parish initiative of Spirited Generosity is already bearing fruit – fruit cake, that is. You may have noticed over the past several weeks that our faithful workers behind the counter brewing your cuppa have been reinforced by some faithful bakers to make Morning Tea even better.

 The Ladies Guild is famed throughout the wider parish for their sumptuous catering – and now they are putting the call out to the troops to join in the fun.

 There is no reason why we cannot have the best Morning Tea in the diocese – all it takes is your humble self, bringing a special treat to church once every so often to share after the service.

Invite A Friend

There are some occasions coming up in the church calendar to which you might like to invite a friend. There will be no “signing on the dotted line” expected of them; rather, it is an opportunity to share with someone you love the meeting place between everyday life and the kingdom of heaven.

Do consider inviting someone along to The Blessing Of The Pets. This is not a worship service; rather it is a time to celebrate the goodness of God in his creatures. Bring a pet (or their photo – not everyone is comfortable with bringing Fluffy the Boa Constrictor out of the home), receive God’s blessing upon it, enjoy some community fellowship with fellow animal lovers, and raise some awareness of the good causes in the area supporting animal welfare. Saturday, October 10 at 3pm on the church grounds.

 We will also be making a special observance of All Saints/All Souls at the 8am service on Sunday, November 1. Indeed, this is not only for inviting a friend, but for all of us. We have all been touched by the tragedy of the death of a loved one. On this Sunday there will be a particular emphasis on the communion of saints, a belief we confess in our Creeds. At the Holy Eucharist there is a sense of the mystery that we share a meal not only with God, and with the saints beside us in the pews, but also with the saints in heaven who have gone before us. There will be the opportunity to renew our trust in God, and that he is holding our loved ones in his loving arms. Keep an eye out in the near future for more details on how you might like to make the most of this wonderfully pastoral occasion in the Church calendar. Perhaps you know of someone who might need a sacred moment to hold them in their grief – consider offering them a personal invitation to this service.

 Christmas boxes

These are now available at the back of the church. Brochures giving you details of the process are there also. Take some for yourself and friends. It would be lovely to see the front of the altar covered in packed Christmas boxes. They must be returned by 11 October.

 Pre-Melbourne Cup Party

The popular annual function is on again, and bookings are now open. Same price $20, at the church on Saturday 31 October. Book a table for 8 or as many tickets as you like. Please see Gail, Dale or Liz for bookings. No need to pay on booking. Brochures are available on cupboards at back of church. Please take them for your friends.

 Green tree frog Luncheon

I am sorry to tell you that we are unable to hold this event this year due to Blue Card changes at the College. Hopefully we will be able to enjoy this event next year.

- Gail, with the Parish Council and Growth Committee

Prayer Space with Leisa

“Caedmon’s Hymn” (c. 7th C.)

This week we are going back more than 1,300 years to Caedmon’s Hymn, one of the earliest surviving poems in the English language. In just a few lines, Caedmon offers a beautiful and timeless expression of praise to God – Creator of heaven and earth.

Sometimes ancient words remind us that, although the world changes, our call to praise God remains the same.

If you would like to learn more about Caedmon’s Hymn and the commentary behind it, print pages from the book The Soul in Paraphrase are available on The Faith Table at the back of the church.

Now we must praise the keeper of Heaven’s Kingdom,

The might of the Maker and his wisdom,

The work of the Glory-Father, when he of every

wonder,

The eternal Lord, the beginning established.

He first created for the sons of earth

Heaven as a room, Holy Creator,

Then middle-earth the Protector of mankind,

Eternal Lord, afterwards made,

The earth for men, the Lord Almighty.

 

Let us pray.

Faithful God, thank you for those who came before us –

For the words they wrote, the prayers they prayed, the lessons they learned and the faith they shared.

Help us listen to their wisdom, learn from their journey and carry forward what is good and true.

And as others once passed faith to us, may the way we live today help someone else find their way to you.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Beyond The Pew

Faith. Life. Questions. Conversation.

Beyond The Pew is the beginning of a new parish ministry seeking your prayers and engagement. Beyond the Pew is a relaxed space for conversation about faith and life. Each gathering begins with one question. There are no prepared answers and no pressure to speak — just an opportunity to listen, share, pray and discover something from one another.

You may like to try this out with your church friends. Just ask the question, and see where the conversation goes!

Last week’s question: Do you believe in ‘soulmates’? Why or why not?

This week’s question: Who handed faith on to you - and what did they teach you that you still carry today?

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

Sunday, September 20, 2026

Collect of the week

 Loving Father,

whose Son Jesus Christ has taught us

that what we do for the least of our brothers and sisters

we do also for him:

 give us the will to be the servant of others as he was the servant of all,

who gave up his life and died for us,

and yet lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

The Church of

St Peter the Fisherman

Anglican Parish of Bramble Bay

A: 13 Lucinda St, Clontarf

W: bramblebay.anglicanchurchsq.org.au

Stay In Touch

Father Ted Starr - Priest-in-Charge - 0451 929 180 - edward.starr@anglicanchurchsq.org.au

Mrs Liz Peters - Rector’s Warden - 0400 844 946

Mrs Gail Symons - People’s Warden - 0409 618 511

Mr Tony Hughes - People’s Warden - 0468 764 009

Zoom Church - 328 492 8300 - 548 747

Readings

for the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

Exodus 16:2-15

Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45

Philippians 1

Matthew 20:1-16

 Printed copies of every sermon are on the back table 

Sermons from every service are available under “Homilies”

Giving

Offering - 704 901 - 0000 0780

Building Fund - 704 901 - 0001 4767

Other Stewardship

Cards are on sale at the back of the church.

Mission and Outreach

Woody Point Special School has been discerned as a focus for our new season of mission and outreach. The yellow lid bins at the back of the church are waiting for your extra groceries to donate to their pantry. Meals which are labelled with date and ingredients, packaged and frozen can be put in the church freezer for collection. For more information, contact Elizabeth on 0404 080 861, or Leisa.

BCA Boxes are due: please leave them on the back table, or hand to Elizabeth.

Spirited Generosity is an ongoing initiative in our parish. Please check the back table for information on our next steps. If anything has been raised in your spirit as a result, please continue the conversation with fellow parishioners, parish councillors, wardens, and Fr Ted.

We ask of your goodness, Lord, to comfort and sustain all who in this transitory life are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity, and especially Shirley and Alan Kimber, Rosina, Ann, Barbara, Kevin, Ian, Chris, Jeff Byrne, Karne, Greg, Aaron, Joanne, Grace and Faith, Beryl Old, Fr David, Nina, Sophie, Lesley, Helena, Claire, Melissa Cameron, Janice, Carol, Shakiraia and Kristy. Please contact Fr Ted to be on this list.

We also give thanks for those whose year’s mind occurs at this time, and among them Helen Rowlands and Noel Wanka. Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them.

Ministry During the Week

Mother’s Union: Every third Wednesday at 9am.

Thursday Fellowship: every first and third Thursday from 9:30am to 11:30am. All welcome for a cuppa and a chat. Bring your craft to work on or just enjoy the company.

Caring and Sharing: every fourth Wednesday after Holy Communion.

Bible Study: Tuesdays at 9:30am and Thursdays at 7pm. All welcome; all materials supplied.

Beaumont Aged Care: Holy Communion every third Friday at 10:30am.

Recycling has resumed in the new location: the small white shed at the back of the property.  Any questions call Elizabeth Melvin on 0404 080 861

Services: Part of the priestly calling is that clergy “shall unite themselves with the unceasing prayer of the Church on earth and in heaven, being carried by this rhythm of prayer in peace and joy.” Various services throughout the week are offered to this end, and all are warmly encouraged to attend.

The Week Ahead

***Please note the reduced timetable this week***

Wed, 23 Sep

10:00 am - Holy Communion with Caring and Sharing

Sun, 27 Sep

7:00 & 9:00 am - Holy Communion for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Growth Committee Update 

The Growth Committee have been busy preparing for the second half of this year. Please see information below for events coming up in the life of the parish.

The Blessing of the Pets will be on the afternoon of Saturday, 10 October at 3pm. Donations this year will go to Happy Paws, a community-run animal shelter.

Melbourne Cup Afternoon Tea will be held on Saturday, 31 October from 2pm. Tix are $20 each.

Volunteers will be needed for all of these efforts. Please consider what your role could be, and how you might support these events.

Fisher Bags

Our Fisher Bags — Bags of Love are a simple way for our parish to extend Christ’s love beyond our church doors. They are designed to welcome those who are new among us, offer care and encouragement to those who may need a little support, and strengthen our mission of reaching out and connecting with our wider community.

If you know someone who might appreciate receiving a Fisher Bag — perhaps a neighbour, friend, someone who is unwell, lonely or simply in need of a little encouragement — there is an Expression of Interest form at the back of the church. Please add your name and the number of bags you would like to distribute.

 Parish Council Update on the Veranda Blinds

The Parish council has spent some time seeking a firm to replace the veranda blinds at a reasonable price. Ready-made blinds were not a suitable size. We have finally settled on a very reputable firm at Clontarf who make blinds. The blinds will be a see-through mesh with a handle for easy winding up and down. Plastic PVC blinds were $1000 more expensive. The Quote is for $3000 (made and installed) which includes a discount from the firm. Parish Council is pleased to announce we are over half-way there, having already raised $1900 towards this project. Bless you for your generosity.

Morning Tea Update

Our parish initiative of Spirited Generosity is already bearing fruit – fruit cake, that is. You may have noticed over the past several weeks that our faithful workers behind the counter brewing your cuppa have been reinforced by some faithful bakers to make Morning Tea even better.

 The Ladies Guild is famed throughout the wider parish for their sumptuous catering – and now they are putting the call out to the troops to join in the fun.

 There is no reason why we cannot have the best Morning Tea in the diocese – all it takes is your humble self, bringing a special treat to church once every so often to share after the service.

Invite A Friend

There are some occasions coming up in the church calendar to which you might like to invite a friend. There will be no “signing on the dotted line” expected of them; rather, it is an opportunity to share with someone you love the meeting place between everyday life and the kingdom of heaven.

Do consider inviting someone along to The Blessing Of The Pets. This is not a worship service; rather it is a time to celebrate the goodness of God in his creatures. Bring a pet (or their photo – not everyone is comfortable with bringing Fluffy the Boa Constrictor out of the home), receive God’s blessing upon it, enjoy some community fellowship with fellow animal lovers, and raise some awareness of the good causes in the area supporting animal welfare. Saturday, October 10 at 3pm on the church grounds.

 

We will also be making a special observance of All Saints/All Souls at the 8am service on Sunday, November 1. Indeed, this is not only for inviting a friend, but for all of us. We have all been touched by the tragedy of the death of a loved one. On this Sunday there will be a particular emphasis on the communion of saints, a belief we confess in our Creeds. At the Holy Eucharist there is a sense of the mystery that we share a meal not only with God, and with the saints beside us in the pews, but also with the saints in heaven who have gone before us. There will be the opportunity to renew our trust in God, and that he is holding our loved ones in his loving arms. Keep an eye out in the near future for more details on how you might like to make the most of this wonderfully pastoral occasion in the Church calendar. Perhaps you know of someone who might need a sacred moment to hold them in their grief – consider offering them a personal invitation to this service.

 Christmas boxes

These are now available at the back of the church. Brochures giving you details of the process are there also. Take some for yourself and friends. It would be lovely to see the front of the altar covered in packed Christmas boxes. They must be returned by 11 October.

 Pre-Melbourne Cup Party

The popular annual function is on again, and bookings are now open. Same price $20, at the church on Saturday 31 October. Book a table for 8 or as many tickets as you like. Please see Gail, Dale or Liz for bookings. No need to pay on booking. Brochures are available on cupboards at back of church. Please take them for your friends.

 Green tree frog Luncheon

I am sorry to tell you that we are unable to hold this event this year due to Blue Card changes at the College. Hopefully we will be able to enjoy this event next year.

- Gail, with the Parish Council and Growth Committee

Prayer Space with Leisa

“A Prayer Shared with Love”

This week’s prayer space comes with a very special story. Geoff Wieland shared this prayer with me and told me that it belonged to his late wife Roslyn. Knowing that makes these words all the more meaningful. A prayer treasured and carried through one life is now being shared with our church family, and perhaps its words will be just what someone else needs to carry with them today.

May we receive it in the same spirit in which it has been shared – with love, remembrance and faith.

 

I said a prayer for you today

And I know God must have heard,

I felt the answer in my heart

Although He spoke no word.

I didn’t ask for wealth or fame,

I knew you wouldn’t mind,

I asked Him to send treasures

Of a far more lasting kind.

I asked that He’d be near you

At the start of each new day,

To grant you health and blessings

And friends to share your way,

I asked for happiness for you

In all things great and small,

But for His lasting, loving care

I prayed for most of all.

Beyond The Pew

Faith. Life. Questions. Conversation.

Beyond The Pew is the beginning of a new parish ministry seeking your prayers and engagement. Beyond the Pew is a relaxed space for conversation about faith and life. Each gathering begins with one question. There are no prepared answers and no pressure to speak — just an opportunity to listen, share, pray and discover something from one another.

You may like to try this out with your church friends. Just ask the question and see where the conversation goes!

 

Last week’s question: How does God want us to live?

This week’s question: Do you believe in ‘soulmates’? Why or why not?

A Prayer of Thanksgiving

Today’s readings all reflect something of the Christian approach to thanksgiving. Here is a prayer of thanksgiving from the devotional The Valley Of Vision.

O My God, Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects, my heart admires, adores, loves thee, for my little vessel is as full as it can be, and I would pour out all that fullness before thee in ceaseless flow.

When I think upon and converse with thee ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up, ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed, ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart, crowding into every moment of happiness.

I bless thee for the soul thou hast created, for adorning it, for sanctifying it, though it is fixed in barren soil;

for the body thou hast given me, for preserving its strength and vigour, for providing senses to enjoy delights, for the ease and freedom of my limbs, for hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding;

for thy royal bounty providing my daily support, for a full table and overflowing cup, for appetite, taste, sweetness, for social joys of relatives and friends, for ability to serve others, for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities, for a mind to care for my fellow-men, for opportunities of spreading happiness around, for loved ones in the joys of heaven, for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly.

I love thee above the powers of language to express, for what thou art to thy creatures.

Increase my love, O my God, through time and eternity.

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Sunday, September 13, 2026

O God,

without you we are not able to please you:

mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit

may in all things direct and rule our hearts;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.


Stay In Touch

Father Ted Starr - Priest-in-Charge - 0451 929 180 - edward.starr@anglicanchurchsq.org.au

Mrs Liz Peters - Rector’s Warden - 0400 844 946

Mrs Gail Symons - People’s Warden - 0409 618 511

Mr Tony Hughes - People’s Warden - 0468 764 009

Zoom Church - 328 492 8300 - 548 747

Readings

for the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Exodus 14:19-31

Psalm 114

Romans 14:1-14

Matthew 18:21-35

 Printed copies of every sermon are on the back table 

Sermons from every service are available under “Homilies”


Giving

Offering - 704 901 - 0000 0780

Building Fund - 704 901 - 0001 4767

Other Stewardship

Cards are on sale at the back of the church.

Mission and Outreach

Woody Point Special School has been discerned as a focus for our new season of mission and outreach. The yellow lid bins at the back of the church are waiting for your extra groceries to donate to their pantry. Meals which are labelled with date and ingredients, packaged and frozen can be put in the church freezer for collection. For more information, contact Elizabeth on 0404 080 861, or Leisa.

BCA Boxes are due: please leave them on the back table, or hand to Elizabeth.

Spirited Generosity is an ongoing initiative in our parish. Please check the back table for information on our next steps. If anything has been raised in your spirit as a result, please continue the conversation with fellow parishioners, parish councillors, wardens, and Fr Ted.

We ask of your goodness, Lord, to comfort and sustain all who in this transitory life are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity, and especially Shirley and Alan Kimber, Rosina, Ann, Barbara, Kevin, Ian, Chris, Jeff Byrne, Karne, Greg, Aaron, Joanne, Grace and Faith, Beryl Old, Fr David, Nina, Sophie, Lesley, Helena, Claire, Melissa Cameron, Janice, Carol, Shakiraia and Kristy. Please contact Fr Ted to be on this list.

We also give thanks for those whose year’s mind occurs at this time. Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them.


Ministry During the Week

Mother’s Union: Every third Wednesday at 9am.

Thursday Fellowship: every first and third Thursday from 9:30am to 11:30am. All welcome for a cuppa and a chat. Bring your craft to work on or just enjoy the company.

Caring and Sharing: every fourth Wednesday after Holy Communion.

Bible Study: Tuesdays at 9:30am and Thursdays at 7pm. All welcome; all materials supplied.

Beaumont Aged Care: Holy Communion every third Friday at 10:30am.

Recycling has resumed in the new location: the small white shed at the back of the property.  Any questions call Elizabeth Melvin on 0404 080 861

Services: Part of the priestly calling is that clergy “shall unite themselves with the unceasing prayer of the Church on earth and in heaven, being carried by this rhythm of prayer in peace and joy.” Various services throughout the week are offered to this end, and all are warmly encouraged to attend.


The Week Ahead

Tue, 15 Sep

8:00 am - Holy Communion

9:30 am - Bible Study

6:30 pm - Parish Council

Wed, 16 Sep

9:00 am - Mother’s Union

10:00 am - Holy Communion for St Ninian of Galloway

Thu, 17 Sep

9:30 am - Friendship and Craft Group

6:00 pm - Solemn Evensong for St Hildegaard of Bingen

7:00 pm - Bible Study

Fri, 18 Sep

10:30 am - Holy Communion at Beaumont

Sat, 19 Sep

10:00 am - Child Safety Training

Sun, 20 Sep

7:00 & 9:00 am - Holy Communion for the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost


Fisher Bags

Welcome • Care • Mission

Our Fisher Bags — Bags of Love are a simple way for our parish to extend Christ’s love beyond our church doors. They are designed to welcome those who are new among us, offer care and encouragement to those who may need a little support, and strengthen our mission of reaching out and connecting with our wider community.

Thank you to those that assisted with the packing of the Fisher Bags last Sunday.

If you know someone who might appreciate receiving a Fisher Bag — perhaps a neighbour, friend, someone who is unwell, lonely or simply in need of a little encouragement — there is an Expression of Interest form at the back of the church. Please add your name and the number of bags you would like to distribute.

Thank you Leisa


Growth Committee Update 

The Growth Committee have been busy preparing for the second half of this year. Please see information below for events coming up in the life of the parish.

The Blessing of the Pets will be on the afternoon of Saturday, 10 October at 3pm. Donations this year will go to Happy Paws, a community-run animal shelter.

Melbourne Cup Afternoon Tea will be held on Saturday, 31 October from 2pm. Tix are $20 each.

Volunteers will be needed for all of these efforts. Please consider what your role could be, and how you might support these events.

 

Prayer Space with Leisa

When life feels overwhelming. S.O.S. can become a simple prayer: Seek Our Saviour. Open our hearts. Surrender our worries.

 

S.O.S. – Seek Our Saviour

 Lord Jesus,

when life feels too loud,

too heavy

or too uncertain,

teach me to seek you first.

 Seek Our Saviour –

draw my attention back to you.

 Open my heart –

Make room in me for your peace,

your wisdom and your grace.

Surrender my worries –

help me release the things

I cannot control.

 You do not promise a life without storms,

but you promise to be with us in them.

 So today,

before panic,

before overthinking,

before trying to carry everything alone,

let my soul send out one simple S.O.S.

 Jesus, I need you.

Stay close to me.

Amen

  

Beyond The Pew

 Faith. Life. Questions. Conversation.

 Beyond The Pew is the beginning of a new parish ministry seeking your prayers and engagement. Beyond the Pew is a relaxed space for conversation about faith and life. Each gathering begins with one question. There are no prepared answers and no pressure to speak — just an opportunity to listen, share, pray and discover something from one another.

 You may like to try this out with your church friends. Just ask the question, and see where the conversation goes!

 Last week’s question: What is your favourite Bible story – and why?

 This week’s question: How does God want us to live?

 Invite A Friend

 There are some occasions coming up in the church calendar to which you might like to invite a friend. There will be no “signing on the dotted line” expected of them; rather, it is an opportunity to share with someone you love the meeting place between everyday life and the kingdom of heaven.

 Do consider inviting someone along to The Blessing Of The Pets. This is not a worship service; rather it is a time to celebrate the goodness of God in his creatures. Bring a pet (or their photo – not everyone is comfortable with bringing Fluffy the Boa Constrictor out of the home), receive God’s blessing upon it, enjoy some community fellowship with fellow animal lovers, and raise some awareness of the good causes in the area supporting animal welfare. Saturday, October 10 at 3pm on the church grounds.

 We will also be making a special observance of All Saints/All Souls at the 8am service on Sunday, November 1. Indeed, this is not only for inviting a friend, but for all of us. We have all been touched by the tragedy of the death of a loved one. On this Sunday there will be a particular emphasis on the communion of saints, a belief we confess in our Creeds. At the Holy Eucharist there is a sense of the mystery that we share a meal not only with God, and with the saints beside us in the pews, but also with the saints in heaven who have gone before us. There will be the opportunity to renew our trust in God, and that he is holding our loved ones in his loving arms. Keep an eye out in the near future for more details on how you might like to make the most of this wonderfully pastoral occasion in the Church calendar. Perhaps you know of someone who might need a sacred moment to hold them in their grief – consider offering them a personal invitation to this service.

 Parish Council Update on the Veranda Blinds

The Parish council has spent some time seeking a firm to replace the veranda blinds at a reasonable price. Ready-made blinds were not a suitable size. We have finally settled on a very reputable firm at Clontarf who make blinds. The blinds will be a see-through mesh with a handle for easy winding up and down. Plastic PVC blinds were $1000 more expensive. The Quote is for $3000 (made and installed) which includes a discount from the firm. As soon as we have the finances to purchase these blinds, we will give the firm the go ahead.

 Morning Tea Update

Our parish initiative of Spirited Generosity is already bearing fruit – fruit cake, that is. You may have noticed over the past several weeks that our faithful workers behind the counter brewing your cuppa have been reinforced by some faithful bakers to make Morning Tea even better.

 The Ladie’s Guild is famed throughout the wider parish for their sumptuous catering – and now they are putting the call out to the troops to join in the fun.

 There is no reason why we cannot have the best Morning Tea in the diocese – all it takes is your humble self, bringing a special treat to church once every so often to share after the service.

 Culture’s Anti-Ageing Messaging

In 2025 the anti-ageing industry in the United States was valued at more than seventy-seven billion dollars, an eye-popping number that is predicted to almost double by 2034. To put it mildly, there’s big money in vilifying the ageing process. And money talks. What message does it shout about how the modern world feels toward ageing? Anti. Against. Hard pass.

But is that altogether wrong? Isn’t ageing a part of dying and, therefore, against God’s original design? If death is an enemy, isn’t ageing also an enemy that we should rail against with all our might? Is it possible that to be against ageing is a form of longing for an afterlife in which we will no longer be subject to the ravages of age? To answer these questions, we need a brief theology of time. What exactly is the true story of the Bible regarding ageing and the passage of time?

Ageing from the Beginning

The creation account of Genesis 1 shows us that time was functioning from day one. We know this because of the repeated time stamp of “there was evening and there was morning,” and because on the fourth day God created the sun, moon, and stars “for signs and for seasons, and for days and years” (Gen. 1:14). The celestial bodies were created for the express purpose of marking the passage of time. It follows that the humans formed from the dust on day six were time-bound, experiencing the passage of time and being impacted by it. But how? What would time’s impact have been in a world before the fall of Genesis 3?

The fact that humans are charged to be fruitful and multiply—to birth and raise children—implies ageing: growing older developmentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Though in Eden humans exist in time, time is not an adversary. It simply marks another day, month, or year of God’s faithfulness to their flourishing. Every birthday is evidence of greater maturity, wisdom, skill, and fruitfulness. We don’t know exactly what full development of a body that’s both time-bound and uncorrupted would look like. What we do know is that Adam and Eve were taken from the dust, but to it they and their descendants would not have returned. Rather, the curve of human life in Eden would have simply arced up and to the right from the origin point, extending into eternity. Their bodies—uncorrupted by sin’s corrosive effects—would have never suffered the decline and death with which we are all too familiar.

But then comes Genesis 3: the serpent, the fruit, the fall. How does creation’s relationship to time change after the sin of Adam and Eve? Time becomes an enemy. Pre-fall we had all the time in the world. Post-fall our days are numbered, and our bodies are implicated in that new maths. Rather than arcing up and to the right from the origin point, our lives now map as an arc with an origin and a terminus: birth, growth, decline, death. Rather than grow unhindered in wisdom and knowledge with every passing year, enjoying, labouring, and serving others with an incorruptible body, humans experience in their flesh the effects of a creation subjected to futility.

But remember: Ageing existed before sin entered the world, and that means ageing itself is not a penalty of sin. The penalty of sin on the human body is not that it ages but that as it ages, it declines toward death. It suffers increasing physical and cognitive failure with each passing year on the downward slope of the curve. Before the fall, people simply developed; they became more able, mature, wise, loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, and so on, with every year that passed. After the fall, people still have the capacity to develop spiritually and emotionally for all of life, but our bodies steadily decline toward death. Humans once formed from the dust know with absolute certainty that they will return to it. 

Simply put, we were created to age but not to decline in our ageing. We were created for eternal life uninterrupted by decline and death, and those united to Christ will one day look back on decline and death as rude interruptions on our journey toward eternity. But for the present, we have traded a curve up and to the right for an arc with a beginning point and an end point. We all know the shape of this curve. The expression “over the hill” reflects our awareness of it. The false story of anti-ageing says we can thwart the curve, that we can have that pre-fall curve up and to the right indefinitely, or at least far beyond what previous generations ever imagined.

By contrast, the true story says not just that the curve is our reality, but that wisdom is discovered by learning that curve. Perhaps nowhere is the true story of ageing captured more beautifully than Psalm 90. After reflecting on the eternal nature of God and the fleeting nature of human life, Moses asks of God in verse 12: “Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

What is the wisdom of numbering our days? It is to pay attention to the passage of time and to live as though each day, each season, each moment on the curve matters for eternity. It is trusting God to help us unlearn the original sin of self-reliance as the ageing process gradually, even faithfully, reteaches us dependence. It is living in hope-filled submission to God, bearing witness to the world around us in our declining bodies that “my flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Ps. 73:26). It’s the proof that we are living out of God’s true story. That wisdom is ours for the asking, according to James 1:5: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

This wisdom is necessary for faithful stewardship of the time we are given: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:15–16).

Competing Narratives

How does the Bible speak of aging? Is it anti? Is it against? Scripture’s insights sound far distant from the way we speak of it today. Consider Proverbs 16:31: “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.” Or Job 12:12: “Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days.”

Based on these two verses alone, the yawning chasm between the world’s view of aging and the Bible’s begins to open before our view. To the world, grey hair is a sign of impending irrelevance, and wisdom is found among the young.

But the gap gets bigger.

The Bible tells us that youthful beauty is fleeting (Prov. 31:30) but the world tells us it must be maintained at all costs. The Bible speaks of aging as a gift (Prov. 3:1–2) but the world tells us it is a disease to be fought off. The Bible tells us that care for the elderly is a sacred charge (Ex. 20:12; Lev. 19:32), but the world tells us the elderly are a burden. The Bible says our days are numbered and are to be counted with care (Ps. 90:12). The world says age is just a number, and that you’re only as old as you feel.

Don’t miss the underlying motivators of these two narratives. The world’s false story of anti-ageing is motivated by fear: Don’t get old. You’ll be invisible, irrelevant, a has-been, a burden. The Bible’s true story of aging is motivated by joy: Embrace ageing. You’ll grow in wisdom, depth, and value. No one is a has-been in God’s family.

 Jen Wilkin, 22/8/2026, www.crossway.org