Prayer Page

 

The Time to Pray

is

Right Now!

         

 

 

  
April 3 2011
      		 Lent 4 Brighton Trinity;  Uniting Care "Connections"
April 10 2011 Lent 5  Mulgrave UCA,  Mulgrave Indonesian UC
April 17 2011  Palm Sunday Defence Force Chaplains in our Presbytery
April 24 2011 Easter Day St.Leonard’s, Brighton Beach,                                                             Growth Corridor Ministry-Alan Mathews
May 1 2011 Easter 2 Indonesian Congregation, Caulfield,
May 8 2011 Easter 3  St Kilda East (St Georges)
May 15 2011 Easter 4 St. Mark’s congregation, Chadstone; Bayview Homes; 

Cheltenham-Mentone congregations: Charman Road & Herald Street,  Davies Memorial Mentone

Wow! Facing the future with hope and fear. These congregations are looking at radical and exciting changes.With their minister Rev Siotame Paletu'a Cheltenham is looking at a very significant project to build socially inclusive housing, which will address a critical need in our community  they are currently looking to partner with one or two of our agencies particularly with Prahran Mission in the development of the project.

No doubt about it the Holy Spirit is moving among us in surprising ways. Possibilities for Mentone have recently taken an exciting turn. There is also the possibility that one of our many ethnic communities may be involved. If all of that sounds a bit cryptic, please count it as God moving in mysterious ways, wonders to perform.

Pray God's blesing on their way ahead and that God will grant them the courage to seize the moment.

Caulfield Indonesian Congregation,

Without a  Minister at Present we have  a few prayer points that we are keen to share:

1. Praying for our lovely city Melbourne so that the the Fire and Grace of God always be upon this city and His revelation and breaktrough are always with the Melbournians. Let the Holy Spirit touch lots of people in this city through our ministries and missions.
 
2. Praying for rain in Melbourne as well as a rain of blessings so that more more people come and return from their lost way to true LIFE.
 
3. Praying for our  New  Church Councillors that have just been chosen by the congregation . We do believe that God has choosen the right people to serve and lead our Church and brings His disciples to right direction according to His Will.
 
Thanks so much. Have a fully blessed day in Jesus Christ.
 
Blessings
Samuel
Secretary – CIUC

Mordialloc-Parkdale UC Parish

comprises two congregations – Parkdale and St David's.  Our parish ministry team of Rev Malcolm White (Minister of the Word) and Suzanne White (Christian Counsellor) will be finishing up in December.  Therefore as a parish we have started looking at our future directions, and have recently started involving the Rev Steve Terrell from Presbytery in helping us to review and renew our sense of participation in God's mission in our area.  Through April and May we would appreciate prayer for this process as we seek to discern what God wants us as his servants in this area to be involved in, and from that discerning what type of ministry team would best enable ua to carry on God's mission in our area.  Please pray that we may feel as a parish a stong leading from God in this work, and that we find unity in the articulating of a renewed vision and mission.  May Christ's Spirit be with and in us.

Regular questions for Alan Mathews and courageous members of the UC
congregations who offer ministry in the 40km long growth corridor from
Pakenham to Drouin are "Which of the many opportunities will we respond to?"
and "Where are the places where God is active that we may join with what's
already happening?" Ministry in areas ravaged by the Bunyip Ridge bushfire
continues: with a change from primarily personal care to supporting
community recovery and re-development. The recent Easter Arts festival at
Drouin was attended by nearly 400 people from nearby communities; and with
60 exhibits in our art show, worship services, food and hospitality, music,
singing, storytelling, poetry and dance, there was a rich mix of creative
arts with which to engage. Please pray for continuing opportunities to 'be
present' with people, growing relationships with artists, encouraging
connections between faith and life and the arts; and for surprising outcomes
from ministries.

Shalom,

Alan

Pilgrim Prayers

Trinity congregation in Brighton is an exciting place to Worship. You will see from the website that they are culturally engaged with their community. As we pray for them it is important to remember that they were, prior to union, a Congregational congregation. It is't often we get to reflect on the heritage of this part of Church Union which makes us the Uniting Church. Heritage abounds in this church as it is the venue in which The Congregational Union of Australia signed the Basis of Union to join with the Methodist and Presbyterian Churches. It is a great venue for Weddings and the Minister of the Word, Rev Ian Cayzer has often followed on with a baptism for children of the marriage.

Mulgrave Uniting Indonesian Congregation, is a vibrant worshipping community, and you don't have to worry if your Bahasa Indonesian isn't all that good because the whole service is translated in real time to wireless headsets, which I must say are very comfortable. The Minister Rev Dr Benyamin Susilo, is an inspirational preacher. Their work with young people is absolutely fantastic, and they have second generation services and many prayerful opportunities for young people. So much so, that a candidate for Ministry of the Word has emerged from that ministry.

This week in your Prayers of the People, please pray for these congregations and their great and diverse ministries in the name of Christ.

dp

 

Prayer the Communication Imperative.

The Presbytery of Port Phillip East is a group of people who are constantly at prayer.

The diversity of our prayer practices is amazing. There is prayer in public worship services. There is prayer in private homes and workplaces. There is prayer in recreational and aesthetic venues.

 

Some people like written out or printed prayers with formal responses. Other people like extempore prayer in which the person praying "tunes in" to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Others like a meditative prayer practice using scriptures or some other focus for reflection, contemplation or meditation. All of course being open to the presence of God through the Holy Spirit.

Port Phillip East is blessed with many excellent venues for prayer. At a Recent meeting of Presbytery we were made aware of the Merricks Camp Site, near the beach,it has many wonderul locations for personal prayer retreats.

Ministers are encouraged to attend Eucharistic Quiet Days at Rosebud, and nearby at St Andrews Beach one of our Ministers offers the opportunity to Pray the Labyrinth.

Formal or informal, individual personal or corporate prayer is available at every church in our presbytery. However, not all churches are open all the time. So people come seeking to prayer in what they perceive to be the sacred spaces that churches provide often to find the doors well and truly locked and nary a minister/pastor/priest to be spotted.

Perhaps churches need to have a notice on their locked doors, a prayer hotline number which could at least  allow people to leave a message they need prayer.

Some congregations use the prayer calendar on this site under resources

 

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