From the St George’s Battery Point newsletter Sunday 10 January 2010 for your prayer and encouragement:

Welcome

A special welcome this morning to the representatives of the parish of Southern Midlands without whom we would not have the opportunity to employ the Revd Luke Isham and benefit from his ministry, or their partnership in outreach to rural Tasmania. A special welcome also to Bishop John Harrower whose support, encouragement, guidance and blessing has been crucial for the development of all these ministries. It is great to have Bishop John celebrate with us in this new year of opportunity.

 A New Thing !  Today is a celebration of new beginnings. Mind you, some have been in process for a long time.

But today we celebrate Luke joining our staff and the expansion of our outreach to children at school, and after school, and to seafarers; we celebrate our partnership with the Southern Midlands parish which has given us  an opportunity to work with them as together we reach out to the  Southern Midlands community; we celebrate the licensing of Andrea Ward as a hospital chaplain – a recognition of an already fruitful ministry, and the licensing of myself as Network Chaplain to clergy in the “City South Network”.

For the smallest geographical parish in Australia, this spread of ministry, I think, is amazing. Add to the  above our existing outreaches to families through play group, to children through Scripture in school, to various communities through the donkey ministry, concerts and recitals and the other occasional events, and the relationships we have individually in our community, there is a clear testimony to the power of the living God among us.

As we face the challenges of this new year, and there will be many, let us always revel in the comforting presence of Christ Jesus and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit in every aspect of our lives.

John Langlois (Rector)

PS.  A prayer for our partnership with the Southern Midlands as we recall that Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in the synagogues, preaching the good news of the Kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’ Matthew 9.35

Lord of the Harvest

The world exists because of your grace and love.
May you send workers, because the harvest is great but the workers are few.
In St Oswald’s, St Peter’s, St Michael’s, St Mary’s and St George’s give us your grace and love for one another as we together seek to bring you glory.

Give us patience and understanding, as we join together in your Kingdom’s harvest work.

Give us hearts filled with zeal for your glory, mouths that encourage, and the compassion of your Son Jesus as we become all things to all people so that by all means possible we might save some.

Give us perseverance to run the race that is set before us,
looking only to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

And bring us at last to your eternal peace.

In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.