Sunday Service 8:30am (Church) Traditional worship followed by morning tea & fellowship 10:00am (Church) In conjunction with our Kids’ Sunday program A family celebration including programs from three years old to Yr 6. Morning tea and fellowship follows 6:00pm Sundays@Six (Auditorium) A friendly & relaxed creative service held in the auditorium with great music, followed by a light meal. Mission Statement: St. Andrew’s Uniting Church News Pastoral Leaders Team (PLT) Rev Je-Kon Oh 4578 3820 (Office, Bus. Hrs.) After Hours: 0410 596 991 or 4578 3421. Email: [email protected]Lester Vincent (4575 1507) Justin Dacey (4574 1312) Audrey Morgan (4578 4421) Beryl Hedges (4571 2087) Margaret Bailey (4776 1487) Sandi Herbert (4573 1517) Kerryn Johnson (4571 4198) Anthea Inskip (4573 1002) To bring the Gospel of Christ to The People of the Hawkesbury. December 2016 Please send newsletter articles to the office & Julie will in- clude them in the next edition: [email protected]
Transcript
Sunday Service 8:30am (Church)
Traditional worship followed by morning tea & fellowship
10:00am (Church) In conjunction with our Kids’ Sunday program
A family celebration including programs from three years old to Yr 6.
Morning tea and fellowship follows
6:00pm Sundays@Six (Auditorium)
A friendly & relaxed creative service held in the auditorium with great music, followed by a light meal.
Lester Vincent (4575 1507) Justin Dacey (4574 1312)
Audrey Morgan (4578 4421) Beryl Hedges (4571 2087)
Margaret Bailey (4776 1487) Sandi Herbert (4573 1517)
Kerryn Johnson (4571 4198) Anthea Inskip (4573 1002)
To bring the Gospel of Christ to
The People of the Hawkesbury.
December 2016
Please send newsletter articles to the office & Julie will in-clude them in the next edition: [email protected]
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What is Alpha?
Alpha is a series of sessions exploring the Christian
faith, typically run over several weeks. Each talk looks
at a different question around faith and is designed to create
conversation. Alpha is run all around the globe, and everyone's
welcome. It runs in cafés, churches, universities, homes, bars – you
name it. No two Alphas look the same, but generally they have three
key things in common: food, a talk and good conversation.
First up there's Food
Whether it's a group of friends gathered around a kitchen table, or a quick catch up over coffee and cake, food has a way of bringing people together. It's no different at Alpha. Most sessions start with food, because it's a great way to build community and get to know each other.
Then a Talk
The talks are designed to engage and inspire conversation. Usually around thirty minutes long, they can be given as a live talk or played as a video. They explore the big issues around faith and unpack the basics of Christianity, addressing questions like
“Who is Jesus?”,
“How can we have faith?”
“Why and how do I pray?” and “How does God guide us?”
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Then we discuss it around the table
This is probably the most important part of any Alpha: the chance to share thoughts and ideas on topics, and simply discuss it in a small group.
There’s no obligation to say anything and
There’s nothing you can’t say (seriously)
It’s a chance to hear from others and say what you think in an hon-
est, friendly and open environment. We can all learn from each
other in these discussion.
What Does it Achieve?
Alpha is a personal experience, and it can be very different for each
one of us. Therefore, trying to measure results in the short term is
almost impossible. The leader/helpers will put in a huge effort and
commitment, but they will be filled with joy as they witness God
working in the lives of their
friends who participate.
Because we know it will be
a terrific time for you, we
are looking forward to
working with you on this
Alpha programme in the
coming months.
“If you take nothing else away from this course, know that you are
loved by God”.
Those are not my words. That is a direct quote from our main
Speaker, Nicky Gumbel.
Nicky and wife, Pippa
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Now, just a few words about Nicky Gumbel.
Nicky Gumbel is the pioneer of Alpha. He is Vicar of HTB in
London, one of the largest Church of England churches in the UK.
He is the author of many books and is married to Pippa.
His qualifications are outstanding. He has a Masters degree in Law,
at Cambridge University, practised as a Barrister for three years,
then, in 1983 went to Oxford University and gained another
Masters degree – this time, in Theology. In December, 2007 he
received an Honorary Doctorate for his contribution to church life,
from the University of Gloucester.
Nicky’s Involvement with Alpha
Alpha was initially developed as a short internal course at his London church. When Nicky took over running it in 1990, he found that many people outside of the church wanted to explore the Christian faith, and that was when Alpha began to grow some legs. In 1993 the first Alpha conference for church leaders was held at Holy Trinity Brompton. It was attended by 1,000 leaders. It then began to spread all over the UK in churches of every denomination. Since 1993, more than 29 million people in 169 countries have experienced the Alpha Course. Alpha now runs in every part of the global church, including the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church and all mainline Protestant denominations. This year, the Alpha Programme has been held at St Matthews Anglican Church, and – at the same time – at St Matthews Catholic Church (just around the corner). Wow!! I recently visited Koorong and found some of his books were available in the Korean language!!
So we plan to have our own Alpha Course at St Andrews, but it is for all of the churches in our Zone, and anyone, of any or no denomination who would like to join us and discuss how they feel about Jesus. When Will Alpha be Happening Here? It will commence with a light meal at 5.30pm on Sunday, 5th February, 2017 and will be held weekly until Sunday, 9th April, 2017. These sessions will replace the normal Sundays @ Six church service during that 10-week period.
**** The following programme will take place at each of the
ten sessions: - 5.30-6.00pm Light Meal 6.00-6.15pm Introductory Worship/Prayer 6.15-6.45pm Alpha Video Talk 6.45-7.30pm Table Discussion 7.30pm Finish and “Restore” Auditorium
**** We need some helpers to say they will join our Alpha
Team to make this programme run smoothly, so it will be a genuine blessing for all of us. Please ask Lester Vincent, Justin Dacey, Sandi Herbert or a PLT Member for an Alpha Helpers Sheet. What Topics will be Covered in the Alpha Sessions? Week 1 “Is there more to life than this?” (Alpha Guide Session 1)
Week 2 “Who is Jesus?” (Alpha Guide Session 2) Week 3 “Why Did Jesus Die?” (Alpha Guide Session 3) Week 4 “How Can I Have Faith?” (Alpha Guide Session 4)
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Week 5 “Why and How Do I Pray?” (Alpha Guide Session 5)
Week 6 “How and Why Should I Read the Bible?”
(Alpha Guide Session 6)
Week 7 “How Does God Guide Us?” (Alpha Guide Session 7)
Week 8 “How Can I Resist Evil?” (Alpha Guide Session 12)
Week 9 “Why and How Should I Tell Others?”
(Alpha Guide Session 13)
Week 10 “What About the Church?” (Alpha Guide Session 15)
There are 15 sessions in the Alpha Guide series, but our course will
include only ten of these sessions. The remaining 5 sessions could
be covered later, in subsequent small groups, or something
similar.
Alpha Guide booklets ($9.99) are a very useful tool for the
discussions, and participants are encouraged to have one each for
the course. Please let us know in advance if you need one. If you
can pay for it, that would help our church finances.
