Sunday 28 November 2021
Advent—Hope FOCUS NEWS St Martin’s & St James Anglican Church
stmartinsstjames.church
Together cultivating a culture of discipleship, mission & regeneration Nau mai, haere mai, welcome to St Martin's St James. WELCOME TO THE SEASONS OF ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS While our culture rushes noisily toward Christmas, Advent invites us to slow down, quiet down, that we may savour this season of preparation and enter more deeply into the Christmas mystery of God with us in Christ. “Advent” means “coming” and “arrival” and focuses our attention on Jesus the Christ: a baby born in Bethlehem, sign of God’s kingdom of justice and peace breaking into an aching world; And again, at the end of all time, the risen Christ bringing God’s kingdom of justice and peace to fulfilment; Daily, in each present moment, in friend and stranger, in the ordinary and extraordinary moments of everyday life, in the church gathered for worship, in justice and peace-making actions of faithful people throughout the world. In the midst of holiday bustle and extravagance, the Advent church looks with yearning and expectation not only to Christmas but also to the ultimate fulfilment of God’s purpose in Jesus. Series on Healing and Emotional Health. Today in Advent Hope we will be teaching week 2 of 2 around helpful ways to get free of Worry and Anxiety. That we don’t have to live with it forever. In this series we hope this encouraged you and gives you HOPE that things can get better. That you know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Thank you to counsellor and qualified Strengths Finder coach Belinda Stott for material. Evensong Choral Advent: This year we will be introducing a choral advent on the four Thursdays leading up to Christmas at St Martin’s St James, Thursday 7pm-7.45pm 2,9,16,23 December. Accessibility Review: Vestry are currently reviewing how the entrance/exit flow around the back of the church could be more accessible and welcoming. The font is not being moved btw. In the next couple of weeks you may notices the sound desk moving forward to where the nametag board is situated (and Our Purpose . . . To make Christ known 1 Agents in our communities! St Martin’s & St James — the Soul