Sunday, September 6, 2026
O God,
you know us to be set in the midst
of so many and so great dangers
that by reason of the frailty of our nature
we cannot always stand upright:
grant to us such strength and protection
as may support us in all dangers
and carry us through all temptations;
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 Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Exodus 12:1-14
Psalm 149
Romans 13:1-10
Matthew 18:10-20
Printed copies of every sermon are on the back table
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 Marcia Elliott, Raymond Smith, Lynette Hastings, Betty Bray, Edward Stanton and Joahn Barter. 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 Fr Ted has a Low Week this week.
Wed, 09 Sep
10:00 am - Holy Communion
Sat, 12 Sep
7:30 am - Men’s Breakfast
Sun, 13 Sep
7:00 & 9:00 am - Holy Communion for the Sixteenth 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.
With thanks Parish Council
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.
Men’s Breakfast will be held on the church deck on the morning of Saturday, 12 September. Details to follow.
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.
Parish Finances
At the August Parish Council meeting, the Parish financial reports were considered.
For the year to date (January to July) the Parish has incurred a deficit (expenditure exceeding income) of over $44,000. Repairs on the Rectory of about $19,000 (paid during the current year) have been largely financed from funds accumulated in the Building Fund during the previous year. Building Fund Receipts during 2026 total $5,300. The Building Fund has a balance of about $2,200 at end July. This is after Rectory Repairs in 2025 and 2026 of about $21,000 and $4,300 for tree removal at the Church.
On the other hand, the General Account for the Parish is operating at a significant overdraft. As the Rectory repairs have been completed and the Rectory is now rented (at $950 per week), it is hoped that the situation will improve. A concern is that Offerings (Open Plate, Envelopes, Direct Deposit and Parish Direct) to date (this financial year) at $44,242 is $5,458 below Budget (of $49,700).
Prayer Space with Leisa
“God Bless the Dads”
Today we celebrate the gift of fathers and all those who have shared a father’s love. We give thanks for their strength and guidance, their encouragement and laughter, and for the countless ordinary ways their love has shaped our lives.
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, on this Father’s Day, we give you thanks for the gift of fathers, grandfathers, stepfathers and all who have loved and cared for us with a father’s heart.
Bless the fathers who walk beside us today. Give them wisdom when answers are difficult, patience when days are challenging, strength when they are weary, and plenty of reasons to laugh and rejoice.
May they know how deeply they are loved and how much the seemingly ordinary things they do can make an extraordinary difference.
We give thanks, too, for the fathers we now carry within our hearts. May the stories, laughter, lessons and love they gave us continue to bring warmth to our memories and gratitude to our lives.
For those who find this day difficult, surround them with your gentle love.
And above all, we thank you, our heavenly Father, whose love never leaves us.
Bless our fathers. Bless our families. Bless the memories we treasure.
And help us to never miss an opportunity to say thank you, I appreciate you, and I love you.
May this Father’s Day be filled with love, laughter, gratitude and joy.
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!
This week’s question: What is your favourite Bible story – and why?
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.
Anglicare Sunday is fast approaching: Sunday, September 13 at the 9am service will feature guest speakers from Anglicare. We will have the opportunity to celebrate what we are doing as a Church, and pray for God’s blessing on this important ministry. Not every parish has an Anglicare office onsite – we have the special privilege of being able to bless these workers directly. Please consider bringing a plate to share afterwards – let’s show off the best of St Peter’s famous hospitality! People you know may be interested to discover what happens here, and an invitation from you could be just what they were waiting for.
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 particular 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.
Prayer for the People of Nepal and Tibet
The Liturgical Committee would like to offer this prayer for the people of Nepal and Tibet, for use in the Diocese. The Archbishop has approved its circulation.
Gracious and loving God, our lives are in your hands. When we are overwhelmed with grief and shock, confronted by mortality and the fragility of life, for others and for ourselves, remind us of your presence with us. We pray for the people of Nepal and Tibet, for all whose lives were suddenly taken; for those who remain lost in the turmoil; for their families and friends, nearby and across the world; for first responders and aid workers reaching out in care; for generosity and compassion from world leaders and all who have capacity to respond; and for those who will commit to the long term rebuilding of lives.
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.
