WEST EPPING UNITING CHURCH

Will our Children have Faith?

The National Rugby League tells us Victoria Bitter is the official

beer of the NSW Blues while Carlton Draught is a major partner

with Australian Football League. Alcohol companies enjoy a

lucrative association with major sporting bodies across

Australia.

Children are particularly vulnerable to the rampant promotion

of alcohol. In a recent study three quarters of a group of

children surveyed recognized “Bundy Bear” (associated with

Bundaberg Rum) and identified it with an alcoholic product.

Meanwhile, in another study, 31% of boys and 14% of girls

aged 15 to 17 years were recorded as already drinking at

rates exceeding safe drinking levels for adults.

This is troubling news. Alcohol is promoted to children through

the prowess of our sporting heroes. Such a mantra is clearly

destructive to young people.

In ancient Israel a different kind of mantra was promoted

among children. It’s called the “Shema” and it’s a powerful,

life-giving, life-enhancing statement recorded in the Book of

Deuteronomy:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall

love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your

soul, and with all your might.”

Last year, when visiting Jerusalem, I remember watching an

orthodox Jew recite this text to his child. It was a heartening

scene as these rich, profound words were spoken to a most

attentive little girl. For me they put everything into perspective.

For you see, this is what we should be teaching our children.

There is far too much rubbish and far too many distractions

around these days. Our children are constantly being

bombarded and short-changed. Their formation as God’s

people and their growth as disciples of Christ is getting

swallowed up in the midst of everything else that is going on.

My hope is that children of all ages will be offered the best of

all there is in life. And this is the call to grow and develop in

the knowledge of the God who loves and cherishes them!

The commercial world may be enticing our children to drink.

But we are in a different business. What matters more than

anything else is that our children have faith in God.

My hope is that this will continue to be a priority for us here in

West Epping – now and always!

John Barr

Sunday 16 August 2015

Welcome 환영합니다

സ്വാഗതം 欢迎

Ki ora Malo elelei

Our Vision We are people sent to share the love,

hope and compassion of Jesus Christ with

all the world

A prayer for today

Almighty God, you have set before

us the path but we wander trying to

find our own way.

Help us to seek you every day, to

acknowledge that we need your

wisdom and guidance.

And help us to return to the path and walk with you. In

the name of Christ, who is our companion on the

journey, Amen.

PASTORAL CARE:

For any Pastoral Care needs

please contact

Pastor Lois Rees 9876 1743 or

Rev John Barr 0457 879 099

Prayer Points

We come before our gracious, loving God with our

prayers:

For the work of peace advocates and peace

builders around the world. We especially pray for

Joy Balazo and her ministry in the southern

Philippines. Continue to inspire and equip Joy is this

vital ministry

For an appropriate, responsible response to climate

change. May we faithfully care for the environment

you have entrusted us with and may we learn to live

sustainably with a special commitment to those who

do not have adequate means.

For those whose lives are caught up in substance

abuse and addiction together with those who suffer

from various forms of mental illness. May they find

comfort and healing in the embrace of your caring,

compassionate hands.

For our children, grandchildren and great

grandchildren as they live a world full of distractions

and demands. May they be nurtured in the love of

God and may they grow strong in the fullness of

Christ.

For this West Epping community, its ministers, leaders

and all those who share in the ministry of this place.

Give us wisdom and courage as we respond to your

call to be a generous, caring, just people in a

society preoccupied with self-preservation,

prosperity and the yearning to be content

For people who have special needs, especially

those who are sick or are recovering. We especially

remember Shirley Rae, Betty Watkins, Rosemary

Williams, Enid Graham, Shirley Brown, Peter Brewin,

Von Roden, Ken Barrett and Maurie Wilson.

A MESSAGE FROM THE KIDS AT JAM

In JAM last Sunday, we thought about ways we could

make prayer an everyday, all-the-time part of our lives.

Prayers don’t have to be long & complicated & they don’t

have to be planned; they can be as simple as ‘Thank you’

or ‘Help!’

Here are some of our suggestions.

Maybe you could try some of them…

When you hear a siren, pray for the ambulance, fire or

police officers and for the people they’re going to help

Say ‘thank you’ when you see something amazing in

nature (e.g. a beautiful sunset, a flower, an ant…)

Pray for God’s help when you’re worried about doing

something hard, like a test

Pray for bullies & for the people they’re bullying

Say ‘thank you’ when you achieve something, like

scoring a goal in soccer

When you wake up in the morning, say ‘thank you’ for

your life

Say ‘thank you’ when you’ve just had an awesome day

and you’re really happy

Pray when people are going away to a new school, a

new home or a new job

Say thank you for everything

Say thank you whenever a good thing happens

Pray for family & friends whenever you think of them

Just say ‘Thank you, God’ when a good thing happens

When you make eye contact with someone, pray for

them

Before you play a game, pray for the people in your

team and for the opposition

Before you meet with someone or ring them up, pray

for them

If you are sick or in hospital, pray for yourself and for

the other people who are sick too

Pray for your children

Before you walk into your classroom or office, pray for

everyone inside

You can also pray when

you’re in bed and can’t sleep

you see bad stuff on the news

you see homeless people

you see someone who is hurt

you’re cleaning your teeth

you’re putting the washing out

you do well in a test or…when you don’t do so well

you’re about to eat something yummy

Community News LADIES FELLOWSHIP ~ Tuesday

18 August at 7.45pm. Please join us for

a fun game of Trivia. This is always a

great night of friendly ‘rivalry’ and much

laughter. All ladies very welcome.

Enquiries: Lyn MacGregor 9871 5701

FRIDAY DISCOVERY ~ Friday 21 August

Join us at 10am for morning tea. This

month’s topic is ’School Days’. We will

have a ‘Sharing Morning’ of our school

memories. Please bring along

something to show eg school

photos, school reports, sport

ribbons, trophies, graduation

photos, year books etc

Everyone is welcome.

Enquiries: Joan Ross 9873 3713

LAMINGTON DRIVE

30 September

Order forms are now

available on the stewards

cupboard in the foyer.

Price is unchanged at $10 per dozen

The Treasurer’s Report for the

2014/15 Financial Year is

available on the table in the foyer.

WELCOME JOY BALAZO

Today we welcome Joy Balazo, an International

Peace Advocate and Peace Builder, to West Epping.

Joy has spent a life time working for justice and

peace, both in her country, The Philippines, and

throughout the world from Palestine to East Timor to

North Korea.

In 2001, Joy devised a model of workshops and networks to sow ‘seeds of

peace’ among young people living on opposite sides of conflicts. The

program has changed lives and laid foundations for peace in Papua New

Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Burma, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India and East

Timor.

Joy received the World Methodist Peace Award in 2013 in acknowledgment

of her peace-building efforts. Previous winners include Nelson Mandela and

Kofi Annan.

Joy will share with us today about her current work in the southern Philippines

on the island of Mindanao among the indigenous Subanen people of the

Zamboanga Peninsula. Here Joy has implemented a program to build

peace and create a sustainable livelihood among poor, displaced people.

West Epping is supporting this important project and there will be an

opportunity for you to contribute today through a retiring offering after both

services.

Joy’s remarkable story has been told in a recently

published book, Live Peace, by Margaret Reeson.

Copies of this book will be available today at a cost

of $25.

The Lord is our God!

Pray for Cheltenham Girls’ and Epping Boys’ High Schools

A group of parents from local churches

have started to meet together for one

hour, once a term, to pray for our

children at Cheltenham Girls’ and

Epping Boys’ High Schools. We would

love more people to join us in

supporting the students and staff of

these schools by praying for them.

Please join us on Thursday 20 August

from 8-9pm at 9 Gloucester Road

Epping. We finish promptly at 9am.

Enquiries: Katrina Collins 0400 488 459 /

ckjsge@gmail.com

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord

your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite

them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when

you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on

your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the

doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Matthew 5:13-16

‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness

be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled

under foot.

‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one

after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand,

and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine

before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your

Father in heaven.

Bible Readings

신명기 6장 4-9절 (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

4 “이스라엘아 들으라 우리 하나님 여호와는 오직 하나인 여호와시니

5 너는 마음을 다하고 성품을 다하고 힘을 다하여 네 하나님 여호와를 사랑하

라

6 오늘날 내가 네게 명하는 이 말씀을 너는 마음에 새기고

7 네 자녀에게 부지런히 가르치며 집에 앉았을 때에든지 길에 행할 때에든지

누웠을 때에든지 일어날 때에든지 이 말씀을 강론할 것이며

8 너는 또 그것을 네 손목에 매어 기호를 삼으며 네 미간에 붙여 표를 삼고

9 또 네 집 문설주와 바깥 문에 기록할찌니라”

마태복음 5장 13-16절 (Matthew 5:13-16)

13 “너희는 세상의 소금이니 소금이 만일 그 맛을 잃으면 무엇으로 짜게 하리

요 후에는 아무 쓸데 없어 다만 밖에 버리워 사람에게 밟힐 뿐이니라

14 너희는 세상의 빛이라 산위에 있는 동네가 숨기우지 못할 것이요

15 사람이 등불을 켜서 말 아래 두지 아니하고 등경 위에 두나니 이러므로 집

안 모든 사람에게 비취느니라

16 이같이 너희 빛을 사람 앞에 비취게 하여 저희로 너희 착한 행실을 보고 하

늘에 계신 너희 아버지께 영광을 돌리게 하라”

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Matthew 5:13-16

Monday 17 Aug 10.00am Conversation English Classes

Tuesday 18 Aug 9.30am 2.00pm 7.45pm

Men’s Shed at Arrunga Singing at Wesley Rayward Ladies Fellowship

Wednesday 19 Aug 9.30am 9.45am 4.30pm

Men’s Shed at Arrunga Mainly music OurSpace Mid Week

Thursday 20 Aug 9.30am

10.00am Playgroup & Men’s Shed at Arrunga Thursday Craft

Friday 21 August 10.00am Friday Discovery

Saturday 22 August 9.30am Worship Leaders meeting

Sunday 23 August 8.00am 9.45am

Worship Worship : JAM & Junior JAM

Ministry Team

Team Leader Rev John Barr 0457 879 099 Ministry to Seniors Rev Young-Dae Lee 0410 464 311 Pastoral Care Co-ordinator Pastor Lois Rees 9876 1743 Office Administrator Helen Tattersall 9868 3574 Safe Church Contact Person Erica Harrison 9873 3989

Church Office 35 Orchard St Epping 2121

Office Hours Monday to Friday 9am—3pm Email weppinguca@gmail.com Website weppinguca.org.au Phone 9868 3574 WEUC Bank Account Westpac BSB 032 081 Account 961263

What’s on this week!

Serving Next Sunday 23 August 2015

8.00am 9.45am

Welcomers John Norman

Lorraine Jones Joan Ross

Elaine Ferris

Stewards David MacGregor

Ivan Drury Helen Davey, John Ferris

Wes Gibbons

Ministers Assistant Betty Taylor Peter Brown

Reader Doug Blunden Cheryl Lee

Prayer Ministry John Planner Elva Harris

Sound Jan Venn-Brown

Computer Brian Essex Mabel Li

Flowers Alison Anderson

Grounds 29 Aug Vic Vorobieff & Steve Boorman

The West Epping Uniting Church uses information and news provided by its members, adherents and officers for the purposes of conducting its pastoral ministry. In the course of that ministry, material published in this bulletin may reach an audience wider

than the membership of the congregation.

Saturday 22 August: Worship Leaders Meeting

9.30am to 12.30pm in the Cottage

Sunday 30 August: Intergenerational Service

at 9.45am – ‘The Good Samaritan’ (note: there

WILL be an 8am service on this day)

Sunday 30 August: Congregational Meeting

at 11am.

Wednesday 2 September: Seeking God

Together – discover different ways of

connecting with God between 2pm and 9pm

Sunday 13 September: Spring into Action

Thursday 17 September: 7.30pm

Guest Speaker Nic Newling

Monday 21 September: International Day of

Peace Interfaith Service – Leigh Memorial

Uniting Church, Parramatta 2pm

Sunday 27 September: 8am Worship Service

Preacher will be Rev Young-Dae Lee (Seniors’

Minister)

Wednesday 7 October: Social Justice

Information Night – ’Homelessness among

Women in Western Sydney’ 7.30pm in Maurice

Davies Hall

Saturday 10 October: Mystery Coach Tour

Cost $45pp. See Dorothy, Joan, Jenny or Tess.

We are committed to protecting children, young people and those who are vulnerable from harm and abuse

West Epping Uniting Church is committed to providing safe places where people are

cared for, nurtured and sustained. We seek to provide a safe environment for children,

young people and vulnerable adults to encounter God, to develop relationships as part

of a community, and to grow in faith.

To ensure this, the Synod of NSW and ACT requires each congregation to develop a Safe Church Policy. Such a policy

has been prepared and endorsed by the Church Council. Today this policy will be launched. A Code of Conduct is

included for all people who engage in working with children, young people and vulnerable adults. This needs to be read

and endorsed by those working in these areas. Let’s ensure we are a safe place for everyone!

Copies of the policy and the code of conduct form for signature, are available in the foyer.