Our Vision: We are people sent to share the love,

hope and compassion of Jesus Christ with

all the world

WEST EPPING UNITING CHURCH

THE BEST DAY OF HER LIFE!

Weddings are special and my daughter’s wedding last

Saturday was no exception. Preparations seemed to go on

forever while the actual day was just perfect despite some of

the imperfections that occurred.

Clouds moved in to threaten a light shower. The bride was

late for the ceremony. My one year grandson, who was to be

the ring bearer, got stage fright. Then word came through

that the person delivering the wedding cake was involved in a

car accident. While no one was injured, the wedding cake

was destroyed!

But my daughter and son-in-law took it all in their stride.

Determined to make this the best day of their lives, they

delighted in this special day and simply enjoyed it. Meanwhile,

for the rest of the family, it was a lovely time of catching up,

sharing stories and relishing in the good things of life.

Life is like that. There are always imperfections. They pop up

to surprise us, to way-lay us and to simply make life difficult for

us. But such things should not prevent us from living every day

to the fullest.

It really depends on how you approach life. Is the glass half

empty or half full? Do we focus on those matters that are

working against us, the things that are making life difficult or

are constantly tripping us up? Or do we concentrate on those

matters that are good, those things that enrich life and make

it all worthwhile?

Imperfections haunt us. But they shouldn’t stop us from living

life and making the most of each day.

I am constantly inspired and encouraged by a number of

people in this congregation who face enormous

imperfections in their lives. But, despite these set-backs, you

simply get on with the business of living life and celebrating all

that you have. Such an approach is a powerful witness to us

all that life is precious, life is to be valued, life is to be

celebrated.

And most importantly life is to be received and appreciated

as a wonderful gift from God.

Imperfections haunt us. But don’t let such things prevent you

from living life – and, most importantly, don’t let them stop you

from constantly giving thanks to God for this most precious gift.

My eldest daughter was married amidst a number of

imperfections. But this was still, and will always be, the best

day of her life!

Rev John Barr

Sunday 29 April 2018

Welcome 환영합니다

സവ്ാഗതം 欢迎 Ki ora Malo ē lelei

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

God of all blessings, source of all life, giver of all grace:

We thank you for the gift of life: for the breath that

sustains life,

for the food of this earth that nurtures life,

for the love of family and friends without which there

would be no life.

We thank you for the mystery of creation: for the beauty

that the eye can see,

for the joy that the ear may hear,

for the unknown that we cannot behold filling the

universe with wonder,

for the expanse of space that draws us beyond the

definitions of our selves.

We thank you for setting us in communities: for families

who nurture our becoming,

for friends who love us by choice,

for companions at work, who share our burdens and

daily tasks,

for strangers who welcome us into their midst,

for people from other lands who call us to grow in

understanding,

for children who lighten our moments with delight,

for the unborn, who offer us hope for the future.

We thank you for this day: for life and one more day to

love,

for opportunity and one more day to work for justice and

peace,

for neighbours and one more person to love and by

whom be loved,

for your grace and one more experience of your

presence,

for your promise: to be with us, to be our God, and to

give salvation.

For these, and all blessings, we give you thanks, eternal,

loving God,

through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

Vienna Cobb Anderson

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land upon which we gather, the Wallumedegal people of the

Eora nation and give thanks for their care of the land over many generations.

MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIP ~ Wednesday 2 May

10am to 11.45am. All welcome.

Speaker will be Ali Cooke from UnitingWorld.

Enquiries: Jan Dunstan 9876 3344

PRAYER GROUP ~ If you would like prayer for

yourself or for others please contact Lois Rees,

Helen Campbell, Annabelle Avern or Rev John

Barr who convene a weekly Prayer Group each

Thursday in the Cottage 12.15-1.00pm. During

this time we pray for all members of the West

Epping Community and for the

needs of others.

New members of the Prayer Group

are always welcome.

CONTINUOUS FOOD DRIVE ~ is part of the Ladies

Fellowship outreach into the community. Start

collecting an extra packet or tin of

non-perishable foods when

shopping and bring them in on the

first Sunday of each month. The

food collected is given to Christian

Community Aid at Eastwood.

WELCOME TO OUR MODERATOR

The Moderator of the Synod of NSW and the ACT, Rev Simon

Hansford, is our guest today. Installed on 29th September, 2017,

Simon will serve in this role for three years.

The Moderator is elected to give prophetic and pastoral

leadership to the people and congregations of the Synod, by

assisting and encouraging expression of our hope in Jesus Christ,

offering challenge because of that same hope, and reminding

the church of its call and the God who calls each and every

person.

As Moderator Simon said of his vision for the Uniting Church:

“Our Church has a vital place in our community, and we have a

long experience of seeking to engage our community with the

gospel, through advocacy, service, and the ministry of individuals

and congregations.

Our lives – and our words – proclaim the hope we have found in

Jesus, and this echoes in our worship together, in our challenges

for our community and in our service for all those around us.”

Simon has served in ordained ministry for more than twenty-five

years, serving in rural and regional communities across New South

Wales.

He grew up in Sydney was formed for ministry at the United

Theological College, North Parramatta. Simon was ordained in

1990 and moved with his wife Fiona to Dubbo in 1991. It was in

Dubbo where their two daughters were born and here that he

developed his deep love for regional, rural and remote Australia.

In 2003, Simon and his family were called to Queanbeyan

Congregation and he served there until 2006. From 2006 until

2012 he served as the Presbytery Minister for the New England

North West Presbytery, and it was in this Presbytery where he

completed his most recent placement in Tamworth Southside

Congregation in August 2017.

Simon sees this time as an opportunity for us to articulate our

experience of God, who is deeply committed to our entire

creation; it is not simply serving those who need it, but sharing the

hope which places us with those in need, living the story of Jesus

Christ, in whom we find ourselves made whole.

Welcome, Simon,

to West Epping!

COTTAGE CAFE ~ Thursday 10 May from 2pm.

Come and join us for a relaxed

cuppa and a chat in the cottage.

All welcome! Bring a friend.

MEN’S FELLOWSHIP ~ Monday 14 May at

6.30pm followed by speaker at 7.45pm

Dinner Bookings to: Bruce Elliott 0438 180 342

NEXT SUNDAY 6th MAY

Next Sunday, 6th May, will be Ruth Budge’s final

day as our regular organist. We will sing some of

Ruth’s favourite hymns (which are many of our

favourites!) and acknowledge Ruth’s 40 years of

faithful service to this congregation.

You are all warmly welcome to attend this service

of worship and the morning tea afterwards as we

give thanks to God for Ruth’s wonderful

contribution over so many years.

Sunday 6th May at 8am.

“Sing and make music from your heart”

Ephesians 5:20

FRIDAY DISCOVERY ~ Group for Seniors

Friday 18 May, 10am. All welcome! Join us for

morning tea, followed by our speaker Rev Bruce

Noble, who will tell us stories of his interesting

ministry over many years.

Enquiries: Joan Ross 9873 3713

PRAYER POINTS

Pray for our Moderator, Rev Simon Hansford, our

General Secretary, Rev Jane Fry, our President, Pastor

Stuart McMillan, and all those offering leadership in the

Assembly, Synods, Presbyteries and Congregations of the UCA

across NSW/ACT and Australia.

Pray for the upcoming triennial Assembly of the Uniting Church

which will take place in Box Hill, Melbourne, on 8th to 14th July.

Participants will be drawn from six synods, 30 presbyteries and

various Assembly agencies and working groups. Discussions will

focus on directions and priorities of the Uniting Church for the

next three years.

Pray for all those who have particular needs today – the sick, the

lonely, the grieving, the anxious and the broken-hearted.

WEUC is committed to protecting children, young people and vulnerable adults from harm and abuse.

Acts 8:26-40

Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Get up and go towards the south

to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ (This is a wilderness

road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a

court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her

entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning

home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the

Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over to this chariot and join it.’ So Philip ran up to it

and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, ‘Do you understand

what you are reading?’ He replied, ‘How can I, unless someone guides

me?’ And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. Now the passage

of the scripture that he was reading was this:

‘Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,

and like a lamb silent before its shearer,

so he does not open his mouth.

In his humiliation justice was denied him.

Who can describe his generation?

For his life is taken away from the earth.’

The eunuch asked Philip, ‘About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet

say this, about himself or about someone else?’ Then Philip began to

speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good

news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to

some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water! What is to prevent

me from being baptized?’ He commanded the chariot to stop, and both

of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip

baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord

snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way

rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing

through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he

came to Caesarea.

John 15:1-8

‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every

branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes

to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word

that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the

branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can

you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those

who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me

you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a

branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and

burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever

you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you

bear much fruit and become my disciples.

How will we commend the faith in Australia today?

Rev Dr Chris Walker will lead a series on how we can speak about our

faith in today’s world.

Day 1 – Saturday 26th May, 9am-1pm

Day 2 – Saturday 2nd June, 9am -1pm

Day 3 – Saturday 16th June, 9am- 1pm

All sessions at the Centre for Ministry, North Parramatta

For more details and registration:

http://ume.nswact.uca.org.au/upcoming-courses/course-registrations/

or contact Ian Robinson ianr@nswact.uca.org.au

Ministry Team Rev John Barr 0457 879 099 Rev Radhika Sukumar-White (on maternity leave) Tau’alofa Anga’aelangi (Lofa) 0403 283 756

Office Administrator Helen Tattersall 9868 3574 Safe Church Contact Person Erica Harrison 9873 3989

Church Office 35 Orchard St Epping 2121 p: 9868 3574

Office Hours Monday to Thursday 8.30am—3.00pm Friday 8.30am—12.30pm Email weppinguca@gmail.com Website weppinguca.org.au Facebook facebook.com/weppinguniting WEUC Bank Account Westpac BSB 032 081 Account 961263

What’s on this week!

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.

Sunday 29 April ~ Together Service, 9am

Visit by the Moderator of the NSW/ACT Synod Rev

Simon Hansford

Thursday 10 May ~ Ascension Day

Sunday 13 May ~ Mothers Day

Tuesday 15 May ~ Mid-week Communion, 10am

Sunday 20 May ~ Pentecost

Sunday 27 May ~ Trinity Sunday

Wednesday 11 July ~ Lamington drive

Saturday 22 September ~ Mystery bus tour

Diary Dates

West Epping Uniting Church is a member of an Ecumenical Covenant

with the Anglican Parish of Epping,

the Catholic Parish of Epping and

Carlingford, Epping Baptist Church and

Epping Uniting Church.

For Pastoral Care needs

please contact:

Rev John Barr 0457 879 099

Serving next Sunday 6 May

Tuesday 1 May 9.30am Men’s Shed at Arrunga

Wednesday 2 May 9.30am 9.45am 10.00am

Men’s Shed at Arrunga mainly music Missionary Fellowship

Thursday 3 May 9.30am 10.00am 12.15pm

Men’s Shed at Arrunga Thursday Craft Prayer Group

Sunday 6 May 8.00am 10.00am 4.00pm

Worship HC Worship HC : JAM for children CSI

DEDICATION AND BLESSING OF ANNA PRIYA SUKUMAR-WHITE

Baby, Anna Priya Sukumar-White, will be Dedicated and

Blessed on Sunday 13th May during the 10am service.

You are all warmly welcome to attend this service to

support Adrian and Radhika as we give thanks to God

for this child. A special morning tea will follow.

8.00am 10.00am

Welcomers Annabelle Avern

Betty Taylor Jean Chapple Jan Williams

Stewards John Planner John Norman

Morris Ross So Young Paik

Ministers Assistant Margaret Leivesley Peter Brown

Communion Assistants

Mavis & John Hall Ruth Budge

Pete McAndrew, Lois Rees, Margaret Gibbons

Reader Doug Blunden Jean Chapple

Prayer Ministry Annabelle Avern Sue Elliott

Prayers for Others Jan Venn-Brown Jan Venn-Brown

Sound/Computer Bruce Sheldrick Nick Ostle

Flowers Dot Plannet

A SERVICE OF HEALING will be held on Sunday

27 May at 4.00 pm in the Cottage.

You are warmly invited to attend as we seek God’s

wholeness together.

Worship and Faith Development Team