For this week’s news, including information on worship this week, please click HERE for a downloadable document format, or read on below:
Good morning everyone. By the time you read this you may have received a copy of High Street Times – they were posted to those who normally pick up a printed copy on Thursday. It is also available on this website under the NEWS tab. This month only, we are also going to send a printed copy to anyone else who receives an email alert about it. This special High Street Times contains information about the Easter Services and some devotional materials for each day of Holy Week. If you don’t receive a printed copy, consider printing the devotional materials for next week from the website version.
There will not be Holy Communion this week (5 April). The Uniting Church Assembly Standing Committee is actually considering the question of appropriate ways for us to conduct communion when we are gathered through phone and video links, and will be providing advice later today, which may set us up for future ways of sharing the sacrament together under these conditions.
Don’t forget that Daylight Savings ends this Sunday morning (5 April)
WORSHIP LINKS
The 9am and 10:40am links are the same as the last two weeks, and it is anticipated that they will continue that way. Easter Sunday services will be at 9am and 10:40am.
TRADITIONAL (9:00am) Phone (03) 7018 2005. Meeting ID 616 254 006If you want to join using a video link that is also possible by going to https://zoom.us/j/616254006, but the focus will be on people linking by phone.
CONTEMPORARY (children from 10:25, main worship from 10:40) Link: https://zoom.us/j/556610676 Or phone: (03) 7018 2005 with meeting ID 556 610 676
WEBSITE:The website will be updated with information about linking to worship. Reflections will also be accessible in text format there, usually from the Sunday afternoon. https://www.frankstonuniting.org.au/
HOLY WEEK
Please refer to High Street Times and the website for details, and for daily devotions through Holy Week. There will be gatherings by video and phone Maundy Thursday at 7:30pm and Good Friday at 10:00am; the links is https://zoom.us/j/926042521 or phone (03) 7018 2005 Meeting ID 926 042 521
ORDERS OF WORSHIP
Those who receive this by email will also receive copies of the Orders of Worship for the Traditional and Contemporary services. The Traditional order includes the words of songs which will be sung during the worship (as a trial) – the words are also available in Together in Song or the Australian Hymn Book. For the Contemporary service, the order of worship includes the Bible reading and the words of one of the songs which will not be on the screen (although we hope to put the words up in the chat box, for those who have a screen big enough to have that open too).
OFFERINGS
If you are not connected to regular direct debit, one-off or regular offerings can be made to the church – see the details under the RESOURCES tab on this website. Alternatively, keep a bowl for your offerings at home. Another alternative that has been suggested is to mail a cheque to the church office, 16-18 High Street, Frankston 3199.
PHONE NUMBERS
A list of phone numbers of the leaders in the church (Ministry Team, Church Council, Elders, Contemporary Oversight Group, and Retired Ministers) and a link to the Prayer Chain is being circulated with both the print copy of High Street Times, and on the emails to those who receive High Street Times electronically. This list is not going to be published on the website, but is being provided for the benefit of all member in case you need to make contact with one of us.
NEWSBEAT
The latest copy of the Presbytery’s Newsbeat is available under the NEWS tab on our website. It includes stories of the migration of churches around the Presbytery onto various forms of connection while we cannot gather within our buildings.
FUNERAL FOR STEPHEN MARR
A small funeral will be held on Wednesday morning for Tom’s son Stephen, who died unexpectedly on Sunday. This is not an invitation to attend, but an invitation for prayer. Please also note other prayer requests recorded in High Street Times.
FINAL NOTE
This week we will make more of singing in both of our online services. Who knows how it will go? In the Psalms, the Psalmist learnt to sing songs “in a strange land” (Some homework for you: which Psalm was that?). In the midst of a different kind of exile, we sing, we pray, we phone each other; and God is with us.
God’s peace, David
