Riverwood-Punchbowl Anglican Churches  -  What do we do?

There are activities for everyone
 

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Church Services at St Andrew's Riverwood

At St Andrew's Riverwood, we hold three church meetings every weekend.  Each has a distinct style,  so that there is a meeting suitable for everyone.  Though most members 'identify' with one of these meetings,  quite a few people come to more than one of them,  or change from week to week.

(1) Traditional Service    -    Sunday at 8.30 am.

This is a Traditional Anglican Service following the Australian Prayer Book.  It is suitable for all those who appreciate the reverence of this style of worship.  Holy Communion is celebrated 3 weeks per month,  with the Service of Morning Prayer being followed on the other week.   The worship is enhanced by a choir and organ accompaniment.

(2)  All Age Church     -    Sunday at 10.00 am.

This meeting is less formal, using keyboard music and a variety of modern Christian songs along with selected classsic hymns.  There is a parallel Sunday School catering for age 3 to year 12, and we have a supervised creche for infants below age 3.  This is typically the meeting of choice for families, though people of all ages find this meeting suits them.

(3)  Night Church    -    Sunday at 7:00 pm

A modern service with choruses accompanied by a selection of keyboard, flute, guitar, bass, trumpet, sax, violin and drum.  This caters  for people of a wide age range.
 

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Church Services & Sunday School at St Matthew's

St Matthew's Beverly Hills North

Church meets at 9.30am.  This is a contemporary all age service with a concurrent Sunday School (K-6).

         

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Sunday School, Creche & Breakfast Club (at St Andrew's)

Sunday School is held from 10:00 am to 11:15 am each Sunday,  in parallel with church (first 15 minutes in Church).  This provides fun activities for children, including bible stories, craft and games.  There are separate activities in age groupings from age 3 to year 4.  Occasional outings and an annual picnic are held.  Contact Kerrie via the church office for more details.

A supervised creche for children under age 3 operates every Sunday.  Contact the church office for more details.

Breakfast Club (Year 5 - Year 12) meets every Sunday during school terms, 10.00am - 11.15am.  Cost $2, includes breakfast.

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Home Church Groups

A Home Church Group consists of a number of people who meet together to discuss the Bible, to pray and to care for each other.   It is an ideal way of getting to know a small group of Christians (up to 12 people).

Home Church Groups are a key focus of St Andrew's.   It is here that people really grow in their love for each other and for Jesus.  It is here that people help and pray for each other.  In some cases,  a  Home Group is a person's first or only contact with St Andrew's.

All groups are eager to have new members.

Most groups are held in private homes and are led by lay members.

Many groups base their discussions on the topics covered in the Sunday services.  Others discuss subjects of special interest to the members of the group.

Many Discussion Booklets are available on-line.  If not attend church and pick up a paper copy of the booklets.

To find previous Discussion Booklets,  go to the Discussion Books link on the Site Map.

If you would like to join a group ...   look at the table below to see a group that would suit you.  Then contact the leader,  Neil or Allan.

The table below indicates groups which were functioning in 2004.  A more up-to-date list will be posted once it is made available to the webteam.

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Social Groups/Activities

1.  Riverwood Lunch and Leisure Club

This club provides recreational and leisure activities for people from the local community who experience a mental illness.  Though suitable particularly for men in the age group 25-60, the club is also open to women, and there a number of women who attend regularly. 

The club has a strong consumer focus, with members determining the recreational and leisure activities that are held.  To date there has been a weekly sausage sizzle at St Andrew's basement each Wednesday  (1:00 to3:30p), with a sporting activity  (currently tennis) each Monday.

The club has been formed under the guidance of a committee from Riverwood Community Centre, St George Mental Health Services, St Andrew's Anglican Church and Blakehurst Uniting Church.  It is funded through St Andrew's Anglican Church, by Anglicare.

For more details, including the programme,  click here .
 

2.  The Upper Room Club

The Upper Room club has been functioning since 1992.  It provides stimulating fellowship and experiences for the growing number of active retired folk in the parish (but anyone who can make the daytime timeslot is welcome).   There are about 36 members.  They meet on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month, in the Upper Room at 12 noon,  unless an outing is arranged.

There is a varied programme of outings to such interesting or relaxing places as

• May Gibbs cottage,
• the Holocaust Museum,
• Loftus Tafe (to enjoy a cheap but classy meal prepared by chefs-in-training!),
• Palm Beach, and
• lunch at the restaurant on Parramatta River wharf.

When meetings are at home in the Upper Room  lunch is combined with an interesting activity or a guest speaker on a topical subject such as

• Safety for Seniors,
• Genetics and children's health,
• Time, clocks and the History of Time,
• Riverwood Police,
• the activities of Anglicare.

Details of up coming activities are published in the weekly St Andrew's Bulletin, which you can pick up at church each Sunday.  When possible, activities are advertised in the online diary .  But to make sure, contact the church office, or the group organiser.

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K-6 (Infants/Primary) Groups

Kids Plus 

Kids Plus meets at St Matthew's on Wednesday afternoons after school, during school term.  Cost is $2 for each child, Family $2 for the first child, then $1 for each subsequent child.  Caters for K - Year 6.  Currently (March 2006) around 26 children attend.  Please contact the church office for more details. 

 

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Youth Groups

Youth .  An up-to-date list of all youth activities will be posted as soon as the info is made available to the webteam.

Youth groups in general.

Our youth activities constantly change,  as the members and their interests change.  For instance, the high school age groups have been called Senior and Junior Teens,  Cell Groups,  Fellowship Group,  Wild Ones, Breakfast Club,  Youth Unlimited, Legends and Zest.  The activities have been just as varied as the names!  At St Andrews we adapt to the needs of the Youth who are here!

But underneath all this diversity,  the groups always aim to help young people to have fun while building relationships,  growing up together and learning to live out the Christian life.

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The Choir

Most Sundays at the 8:30am Service,  the Choir inspires our worship of God by presenting an item in song.   They also boost the congregation as we 'bring a joyful song to the Lord'.  Many people find that the Choir really lifts their experience of Sunday Worship.

Once or more each year,  the Choir performs a major work which occupies the whole Church Service.   Last Christmas,  the Choir sang  "Joy in This Place".  These are so popular that extra 'performances' are held, outside church times and at local venues besides St Andrew's.  In this way,  many more people benefit from our choir.

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Christianity Explained

This is a series of six 1 hour meetings designed to explain Christianity: Who is Jesus? What happened on the cross? Why did Jesus come to earth? What happens after death?

The meetings can be in your home, at the church or wherever convenient.  They can be in groups or individual.  You are not obliged to complete the course,  but we encourage you to finish it and then decide for yourself about Jesus.

At the meetings you can ask as many questions as you like, but you will not be asked to answer questions or read aloud.

For more information, contact Bruce Southwell or Barry Macalister via the church office.
 

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Prayer

The most vital work of St Andrew's goes on behind the scenes,  not the least being in prayer.  God urges us not to be anxious, because he knows our needs.  As our Heavenly Father,  he bids us to ask, that we might receive.  We pray and thankfully rest in his love for us.

(1) The Prayer Chain

This was formed in the early eighties after the 8 year old daughter of one of the parish families suffered a serious accident.  Since then there have always been 12 or 13 'links' in the prayer chain.  They are always ready at a moment's notice to pray for you as the need arises.

Prayer needs are shared over the phone.  If you haven't contacted the Prayer Chain previously,  please obtain a contact phone number from the church offfice.

(2) Home Church Groups

The Home Church Groups pray for the needs of their own group members,  as well as the needs of St Andrew's as a whole.  Groups also pray for our community and the wider world, in particular supporting the particular missionary efforts.  One of the best ways to participate in prayer is to join a Home Church Group.

(3)  Church Service

Prayer is an essential part of each Service.  If you would like special personal prayer, please make your needs known to the leaders of the service.  People are eager to prayer with and for you. You can also make your needs known on the Yellow cards found in the back of the church seats.  Just fill it in and put it in the collection plate, or give to a service leader.

(4)   Pastoral Worker

The Pastoral Worker is available to pray with you,  over the phone, in the office, or at your home.  Contact her at the church office.

(5)  Community Prayer

St Andrew's promotes participation in the twice-a-year regional Prayer Gatherings for Spiritual Awakening.   These are currently held at St Bede's Beverly Hills.  They focus on the needs of our communities to hear and respond to the Gospel of Jesus.
 

(6)  Quarterly Prayer Breakfast
 

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English Classes - E.S.L.  English as a Second Language

Classes are run by qualified E.S.L teachers to help people wanting to improve their English.

Friday Mornings at 9 Litttleton St Riverwood.  10.00am - 12.00pm.   Cost $2.00 per class.

(Classes originally started on Saturdays -  24 July 1999).

  For more details,
   click here.
 
 

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Christian Study

All our activties and groups have an underlying purpose that people will come to know Jesus better,  and come to understand themselves more fully as part of God's family, as someone for whom Jesus died.

In most years we run a series of study/discussion groups intended to help you to

• think more precisely about your faith, and so live out your faith better;
• explain your faith to others; and
• avoid being swept away by fashionable but false ways of thinking about God.

Every thoughtful Christian needs to do some systematic study of the Bible and Christian beliefs.  These groups provide a supportive structure in which to do this.

The groups typically meet about 12  times,  and study one of  following areas:

• the overall message of  the Bible from its beginning to end, and how its parts fits together;
• closer studies of particular sections of the Bible;
• Christian Beliefs - ie attempting to summarise the teaching of the Bible, under headings which the Bible itself suggests;
• the history of Christian beliefs,  particularly the events and issues of the Reformation in 16th Century Europe,  when Protestant churches separated from the Roman Catholic church; and
• Christian worship and the Anglican prayer book.

The courses are part of the external studies programme of Moore Theological College,  and are led by one of the St Andrew's ministy team.  Discussions are based around short study booklets produced by Moore College (for which there is a small fee).  There is an optional exam at the end of the course.

If you complete all 9 subjects, you will gain the "Preliminary Theological Certificate".   But whether or not you complete all the subjects, and even if you do none of the optional exams,  joining one of these discussion groups will certainly be a valuable experience and help you to grow in the knowledge and love of God.

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