St Bartholomew's 125 Years Anniversary Worship Services

On February 21, it will be 125 years since the first "Divine Service" was held at a new Anglican Church built at Mt Gravatt. This original service represents the beginnings of what we know as St Bartholomew's Anglican Church, Mt Gravatt. It is a reminder that this church has had a long history of committed and faithful ministry and mission to the broader community. On Sunday, February 20, we are going to take the opportunity to celebrate this history while at the same time we turn to the consideration of how God is now calling us to "Be the Anglican Church in Mt Gravatt; To Know Christ and To Make Christ Known."

These celebrations will be low key, reflecting the context we are currently in. I believe there is an opportunity to use this anniversary to ask the question "Where are we now?" as part of the first steps of developing our Mission Action Plan. We will do this in a few ways, which I am inviting the church community to be a part of.

This Sunday, you will see a timeline has appeared on the church's back wall. It invites people to reflect on the history of this parish. You might even like to add your historical memories. Most importantly, it will ask what we are currently doing in the church and our community. In this section, we will ask you to contribute so together we can paint a picture of our current mission and ministry as a church and as individuals. There will be pens and post-it notes that you can use to make your contribution.

Also, on this day, we hope to commission what we are calling MAP reflection groups. These groups are intended to facilitate aspects of our Mission Action Plan process as we ask where God is calling us and how we get there?

We are also taking further steps to provide more regular live streams of our worship. We intend to stream the 9 am service on this anniversary celebration day. I hope that you can join in this celebration in whatever ways are possible for you at this time.

God’s Peace

Michael Stalley

News for Sunday 30 January

In last weeks readings, Paul wrote about the significance of communities who find their unity through God's Holy Spirit. The reading reminded us that diversity in the Church is a gift necessary for building up our life together. He also reminds us that if anyone is missing, we are the lessor for it! These words of Paul's in the First Letter to the Corinthians resonate in me regularly; "If one member suffers, all suffer together with it (them); if one member is honoured, all rejoice together with it (them)." At this time, we are aware of those who are missing or are experiencing illness or isolation.

Last Monday, we celebrated the life of Fr. Michael Ingall in a memorial service led by The Rev'd Gary Smith at St Bart's. We were again reminded of Michael's determination to share the Good News throughout his life and ministry. The memorial service was recorded and can be watched by following this link.

I am aware of seeking to remain connected to those who are more isolated at the moment. This seeking connection means both providing ways of staying connected to the worship life of our Church and seeking to meet the pastoral needs as they arise.

We continue to provide some online worship resources on our website. These resources include a liturgy for use at home, some music links, and recordings of the latest sermons as they are available. These resources are most easily accessed by following the "Church Online" menu link at the top of the page. You can also find other resources such as prayer resources from the Church of England and other live-streamed services.

Finally, we seek to make sure that each member of our Church is connected to others. This connection might be through home groups, home visits, delivery of the Focus or a pastoral care team member. Can I encourage us as a community to be intentional in connecting to those around us? You can assist them in accessing our online resources, or perhaps let me know if you think we can follow up on any particular pastoral needs?

God’s Peace
Michael