Dear friends,
Violence in the home, we are reliably told, has been increasing during COVID19. Violence in the home, sadly, is well-documented as increasing during sporting finals time. It is, of course, just one way humans both experience and find ways to abuse one another. We may be surprised, but almost every church has within it folk who are or have been both abusers and abused. Can I ask you to stop right now and pray for those you may be aware of in your circles, or pray God will give you the courage to speak to someone appropriate about what you know or experience?
Besides many other ways, we can all support the improvement of the ways churches help and care for past or present victims by participating in a General Synod i.e. Anglican Australia-wide online survey. Here are the details:
National Anglican Family Violence Project: Invitation to participate
Help us to build a safer and more supportive Anglican Church for people who have experienced domestic violence. Join a research project aimed to help improve church practices. If you have had an experience of domestic violence and a current or previous link with the Anglican Church, please share your perspective. The online survey is anonymous and anyone can take part. To find out more go to surveys.ncls.org.au/NAFVP/experience
More information about the research is available here: https://anglican.org.au/our-work/family-violence/
COVID19 news
Junior Jivers, Friday Youth, and now Friday Arvo Kids have returned to meeting onsite, with Junior Jivers planning an extra morning to accommodate more people who want to join. We continue to work on how best, besides online services, which will continue, we can provide for all our Sunday services to be face to face. Plans are afoot for a return to face to face meeting of both 10am and 6pm church on November 15. We are working on how best to cater for our 8 o’clock-ers. And plans are starting to be drawn up for appropriate Christmas celebrations. Please pray for wisdom and love in all of our church-wide thinking and planning. The Archbishop is in constant touch with the Minister for Health, most recently about the inconsistencies of numbers who can be present at church gatherings and other venues. Pray for his wisdom and gracious firmness in urging change.
Prayer
For our schools: Continue to pray for all the Year 12’s at Broughton College.
Continue to pray for the planning of the 2021 academic year.
Continue to pray that all members of our community remain in good health and are not found to be positive for COVID-19.
St Peter’s. Pray also for all members of our school will experience good health. Pray for wisdom and care in planning for next year. Pray for both schools to continue to teach, demonstrate and experience life through the Lord Jesus.
For our staff: Mick Bullen has ended up in hospital having his appendix removed. He’s on the mend, but recovery will take a while. Pray for Kat and the girls as well.
“Finally, my brothers and sisters, always think about what is true. Think about what is noble, right and pure. Think about what is lovely and worthy of respect. If anything is excellent or worthy of praise, think about these kinds of things.” (Philippians 4:8)
Yours in Christ,
Deryck
Acting Rector