Calling all junior budding lego creators, enthusiasts and casual builders.

Emmanuel UCA is excited to launch lego club, commencing Wed 27th September from 10am (softstart date) and then every second Tuesday afterschool during term4, commencing Tuesday October 3.

Primary school aged participants (prep - gr 6) are invited to come and discover, fun, friendship and faith - mum's and dad's are welcome to hang out around our cafe / lounge too

Drinks and nibblies are available to our participants too - so just come straight after school has finished and join us.

This is a ticketed event with limited numbers. Registration for the participants (children aged 5 - 12) is essential. Adults do not need to register.

Please be aware of the following safety information:

- Participants will be invited to engage with lego to create and play. Lego pieces are small and present a choking hazard for children 3y.o. and under. Therefore infants and toddlers (3 and under) are not permitted in the hall for the duration of the event. They are welcome to remain under parents direct supervision in the foyer or in the outside grassed area.

- Lego assembly requires finger dexterity. If your child has special needs, please let us know so that we can provide appropriate assistance.

- Lego supplied by Emmanuel UCA remains the property of Emmanuel UCA and is not to be taken home. If your child brings their own lego from home, they do so at their own risk and no responsibility is taken to any loss or damage of your child's lego.

- Our normal sign in and sign out process will be required for all participants in Lego Club. For those participants who are signed in, they are to remain in the hall (or traverse directly to and from the toilets) for the duration of the event. Please do not leave the event without signing your children out.

- If your child becomes sick, please do not attend the event.

- Limited parking will be available in the church carpark. On-street parking will be available in Laurel St and South Pine Road.

We look forward to welcoming you to Lego Club

Photo by Amélie Mourichon on Unsplash

Are you ready to get together with other men, have a hot cooked breakfast and chew the fat. The come along to our men's breakfast, bring a mate, share together and have a great time. They are held every two months on the first Saturday of the month starting at 7am held in the hall at Emmanuel Uniting Church, 92 Laurel St Enoggera. Spread the word to your mates and tell your wives you have a man date. The cost is $10, $5 for juniors and free for first-time attenders. Please pay on the day either with cash or by eftpos. RSVP is essential for catering purposes by Thursday 5th October.

7 October our guest speaker will be John Maloney sharing some of his love and passion around all things orchid. John is an avid orchid grower and involved in the local orchid society

Any items of Business for the congregational meetig should be shared with the Chairman or Secretary by 1 October 2023

Below is the timeline for elders election for 2023

Beginning 19th September –nominees will be contacted advising them of their nomination, including the names of those who nominated them. Nominees will meet with the Minister to discuss nomination and share in discerning God’s calling.

1th October Nominees announced and the profiles of those who have accepted nomination will be displayed in the foyer and on the website.

15th October Congregational meeting and election of elders.

Join with other families for some fun and food.

Come and go as you need

All families with kids of all ages welcome

Bring a potluck meal or dessert to share

Chapter 32 is about seeing the place of your story in God's Story.

Its about preparing and beling able to share your story.

(Realistically this may take more than one week to do but feel free to do that. If you meet over the school holidays you can take several weeks to do this.

When it comes to sharing your story, a lot of people, don’t know where to start…

Like the bible… they try and explain everything and end up rambling about events that aren’t helpful.

This might sound something like:

Well I was born in 1932 and I rode my pet dinosaur to school, it was a different era back then you see… and then we moved from timbucktoo to Wangaratta or was it warnambool, now I think of it It might have been woolloongabba…

The hearer quickly loses attention.

Remember everyone’s favorite subject is – themselves! Which means we find it easy to talk a lot about our lives in all their detail… but when it comes to sharing our testimony, we are trying NOT to do that.

So, if you ever are having a conversation with someone, and they ask you, “why do you go to church?”, or “I have no idea why a person would want to be ‘religious?” Then ask them, directly, “do you mind if I spend 2 – 3 minutes sharing with you my story, in response to your query?”

Most people are happy for you to share your story, as it’s your story – it’s personal. It isn’t threatening. In fact, your story is often the most powerful ‘living’ testimony to Jesus, and as such, is a valuable tool in the kit-bag of sharing faith.

So how do we do that?

The attached guide are notes I took about sharing your testimony. Sometimes this is done in the public setting – like a church – but we want to be able to do this as part of an everyday conversation with whosoever, and so it needs to be easily shared, and relatable.

Remember the goal is to keep it succinct, to the point and include a brief description of the gospel.

The general gist is:

1) Introduction – something attention grabbing ‘I should have died but…’ you know that feeling when?’

Think of a one line introduction that’s a bit out there… (keep it truthful!)

For example, one of my prison chaplains lived in South Africa and took a photo of Nelson Mandela which was published in the New York times. So he (truthfully) would go around and tell people that he was a published international photographer of head’s of state!

2) Your life before coming to faith (or maybe, your life coming to faith…)

We don’t want to glorify in the sinfulness of our lives. We want to acknowledge that and share about what life without Jesus is like – the goal here is to make your life ‘relatable’ to the hearer; not putting them down and coming across as judgmental but simply recognizing that you had a need for God’s salvation. It could be something like:

I found life was incredibly hard work. There is a relentlessness to it – work, houses, kids, politics. I found that I was forever working but I felt like I was not getting ahead – you know?

I lived for myself. I pursued money and pleasure and ultimately that’s all that mattered to me.

I struggled with confidence and found that I couldn’t deal with people…

The point is not to talk about ‘our issues’ or try and present the gospel as a magic wand that ‘fixes’ everything, but rather to simply share your life experience in a way that is succinct and relatable to the hearer.

3) The Gospel – explain where you heard the gospel, what it is (this needs to be concise, not the whole 31 weeks of the story!) We also want to include the key-points of the gospel:

I remember hearing about a God who loves me and seemed to answer my question of purpose.

Or

At a church service I heard about a God who loves enemies – not good people – but people who were opposed to God and lived as if He didn’t exist … like I was living – but he loved them so much that his son took their place and that really struck me. No one does that! I discovered that -

· God created,

· we had all rebelled,

· God promised and delivered in Jesus.

· His death in my place…

· I had to make a choice to follow him…

4) What’s changed – I now live as a follower of Jesus (and that’s a good thing!)

Even though it looks like going to church and ‘following rules’, it’s actually all about a relationship with the one who made me, who knows me - where I am free and able to be vulnerable about life and find meaning and purpose…

5) The challenge / invitation. That’s my story, but what about you? A simple bible verse such as John 3:16, or Romans 10:13 or another Scripture would be helpful to share.

Can I share this one verse with you? “whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved“ (Romans 10:13) All we have to do is ‘repent and accept’.

God is good and invites us to discover our true meaning and purpose in him. In fact, God so loved the world that he gave …

Take some time now to think through your story following the above guidelines. It might be helpful to spend some time to write this out.

If it takes up more than 1 page, it’s probably too long. Remember our goal is to keep it simple, relatable – so 3 minutes max.

If you think you can keep it to that, take turns sharing your story as part of your small group.

Let people give you feedback – if you’re waffling or drifting down a tangent – don’t be offended! It takes PRACTISE!

And remember – in our small group, we can share in a way that is more intimate and vulnerable. This isn’t about perfection, or who has the ‘better’ story.

Take the time to share with one another (be brave!) and pray for opportunities to share your story.

Chapter 31: Revelation / The End of Time

Timeless Truth: Jesus wins the ultimate victory; he’s coming soon.

Bible Basis: Revelation 1:1–19, 4:1–11, 5:13–14, 19:11–15, 21:10–18, 21–27, 22:7–14, 16–21

Key Verse: “Look! He is coming with the clouds. Every eye will see him” (Revelation 1:7).

Parent Tips:

Use the Table Talk questions to start a discussion around the dinner table during the week. The Living Faith activity demonstrates how God will separate those who believe in him from those who were never his followers. The Extra Mile has your family watch videos of worship songs based on this chapter of The Story and a video about the importance of telling others about God.

Get the Point:

Preschool: Jesus is coming again. I can live in his kingdom forever.

Elementary: Jesus is coming again. I can live in his kingdom forever.

Middle/High School: Jesus is coming to establish his kingdom. Everyone creature on earth will praise him.

Table Talk

Preschool/Elementary

- John says the time that all these things will happen “is near,” but that was around 2,000 years ago. Why hasn’t Jesus returned yet?

- It helps to understand that God isn’t bound by time. He’s infinite. Second Peter 3:8 explains it this way: “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years. And a thousand years are like a day.” What would it be like if time didn’t matter?

- Have you ever wanted to go back in time? If you could visit any point in time, where would you go?

- John describes Jesus in a funny way—wool hair, blazing eyes, metal feet, voice like a river and a sword for a tongue. In your own words, describe Jesus. Why do you think John used these words to describe the Savior?

- Take turns as a family describing each other as John might describe you.

- How does it feel to get to the end of The Story and know that God wins?

Note: Young readers will enjoy “A Dream of Heaven” in the Jesus Storybook Bible on page 342.

Middle/High School

- What do you think Jesus means when he tells John, “I hold the keys of death and Hades”? How has Jesus demonstrated that?

- Jesus warns the churches about their behavior. Look at several of them. Do churches battle these same problems today?

- Church in Ephesus—forgotten first love

- Church in Sardis—live according to what you know about God

- Church in Laodicea—lukewarm; need to live on fire

- Which of the above problems do you deal with the most?

- Now that you’ve completed The Story and know more about God, do you think it’s going to be easier or harder to live for him? Why?

- Are you ready, because Jesus says he’s “coming soon”?

Living Faith

Some scary things happen in this chapter of The Story. Battles are fought. Strange looking creatures appear. God judges everybody and separates those who know him and people who never followed him. The Bible says, “Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will enter the city.” When you pray to accept Jesus into your heart, God’s Lamb writes your name in his book. God knows everybody’s heart, so he can easily separate out his followers.

Do a fun experiment that allows you to separate salt from pepper. You’ll need a paper towel, salt, pepper and a balloon. (If you don’t have a balloon, a comb can work, too.) First, create a small pile of salt and pepper. Make sure they’re well mixed together. Second, blow up the balloon and rub it quickly back and forth against your hair. Rubbing it against a wool sweater works, too. Once you’ve created enough static electricity, move the balloon slowly toward the pile. The pepper should “jump” up and stick to the balloon, while the salt will be left behind. Try the same experiment using a comb. Create your pile and salt and pepper, then comb your hair. Put the comb about an inch from the pile and separate out the pepper.

- Is the pepper better than the salt and that’s why it jumps to the comb? (No, the pepper is lighter and more easily attracted.)

- As Christians are we better than people who don’t believe in Jesus? (No, we just followed the Holy Spirit’s prompting and made the decision to follow Jesus.)

- Because God’s judgment day is going to happen, don’t you think it’s super important to share God’s love with everybody?

Extra Mile

Jesus is coming again. It’s a fact! Only those who believe in him will receive eternal life. Those who reject Jesus will suffer forever. The consequences are huge. This video from illusionist Penn Jillette shows the impact that living a real life for Jesus can have on an atheist. It may not be appropriate for every family, but it has a powerful message. Search YouTube for “Penn Jillette gets a Bible” (3:42). Discuss what Jillette says.

- What were some of the things the man did that made Jillette receptive to his gift of a Bible?

- What do you think of Jillette’s question, “How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize [try to convince others about your beliefs]?” Does that change the way you feel about sharing your faith with your friends?

As we conclude, look back with your kids at The Story. What is something they learned during this time that changed their life? What was their favorite part of The Story?

Movies are great because they tell a story, much like the narrative of Scripture and the parables that Jesus uses to each his disciples. Often in movies, we can find rich plots, interesting characters, and complex moral dilemmas and in those things, we can often find just the right opportunity to share with our kids how we can live out our faith or how God can meet our deepest needs. They provide great ways for us to help our kids connect the story of Jesus to their world.

One of the resources attached can be used to start conversations with your family or household about any movie that you watch.

the Other 3 relate specifically to the Cars Movies.

Emmanuel Playgroup offers a safe place for children 0-5 to play and develop social skills with their peers and other children and adults. It is a great place to make new friends, learn new things, and become part of a community. We welcome all young children and their carers including stay-at-home, work-from-home, and work outside the home; mums, dads, grandparents, and nannies.

We meet each Friday during school terms at 9:30 - 11:30am. Each week we have a different theme and activities to engage children. A large range of toys helps provide new experiences every week.

Cost: gold coin donation per child, per session. Bring your own food and drink.

Before attending Playgroup, all participants including children and adults MUST complete an online enrolment form here

Girls' Brigade is great for primary and high school-aged girls looking for fun and friendship in a safe and supported environment.

We meet Thursday nights during school terms at Emmanuel Uniting Church

Prep - Grade 2 (Cadets) 6pm - 7:30pm

Grade 3-5 (Juniors) 6pm - 8pm

Grade 6-8 (Seniors) 6pm - 8pm

Grade 9-11 (Pioneers) 6pm - 8pm

All girls have the opportunity to earn awards and participate in leadership development appropriate to their age in smaller groups:

Girls' Brigade empowers girls and young women to be themselves, to develop and use their gifts and skills, and to discover what it means to have life to the full in their generation. Our weekly program includes a wide range of activities that supports the spiritual, physical, and emotional growth of girls and is committed to the values of:

- Living: We live our lives with God at the centre. Our relationships are centred on Him and rely on His word and direction.

- Community: We promote a sense of Community and belonging within Companies

- Partnering: We partner with churches to reach local communities with the good news of Jesus Christ

- Uniqueness: We accept the uniqueness of each girl & leader, using our individual talents to serve others as we grow

- Safety: We require safety for all girls and leaders

- Fun: We have fun in everything we do!

We would love to welcome you to Girls' Brigade soon.

Before attending Girls' Brigade, all participants including children and adults MUST complete an online enrolment form here, and must check-in every week.

Boys' Brigade provides Fun, Challenge and Adventure for boys aged 5-18 years

We meet Wednesday nights during school terms at Emmanuel Uniting Church

5-7 years (Anchors) 6:30pm-8pm

8-11 years (Juniors) 6:30pm-8pm

12-18 years (Seniors) 6:30pm-8:30pm

We offer a weekly program that challenges Boys spiritually, physically, socially, and educationally. Our focus is on friendships, leadership, the self-discipline needed to achieve excellence, and understanding the Christian faith. All Boys have the opportunity to earn awards, badges, and participate in leadership training, working towards their Queen's badge (the highest award a boy can receive).

Our company also participates in other activities such as camping and inter-company competitions.

We would love to welcome you to Boys' Brigade soon.

Before attending Boys' Brigade, all participants including children and adults MUST complete an online enrolment form here, and must check-in every week.

Sunday School runs during school terms within our 9:30am Sunday Service and provides a time where children can share in fun, faith, friendships, and learn about Jesus.

Our leaders provide a range of varying experiences to help children draw closer to God through music, bible teaching, prayer, games, and creative activities. All our leaders are screened and trained and will love your kids almost as much as you do.

All children aged 3 - 12 are welcome and meet as one group in the Church Hall. A range of activities including games, craft, challenges, and small group time are provided to enhance age- and developmental- appropriate learning and connection for all.

Children will start each service in the church auditorium with the congregation for songs, prayers, videos, communion, and announcements and will move to the hall with their leaders when advised. In 2023 we will continue to follow the same readings and themes as Sunday Worship, learning more about the heart of God, and how to follow him.

To enhance child learning and discipleship, weekly Dig In @ Home materials are available at www.emmanueluca.org.au/dig-in-at-home, and we encourage you to connect with and talk about life and faith with your children during the week.

We look forward to "digging in' and connecting with your family soon.

Before you or your family attend Sunday School you MUST complete an online enrolment form here

We are also still encouraging households to continue with Faith at Home practices whether they attend weekly Worship and Sunday School or not. Dig in at Home resources that match and complement worship and Sunday School are available at www.emmanueluca.org.au/dig-in-at-home

Community Helping Hand is one way we can connect with our local Community by offering Help, using our Hands and Hearts.

What we offer is not fancy gourmet food, but basic things: baked beans, rice, noodles, milk, tea bags, toothpaste, etc.

COMMUNITY HELPING HAND HOURS ARE

THURSDAY 9am - 12 noon only.

This is an emergency service only.

Due to the current Coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic Community Helping Hand has had to reduce it's service hours and had to put other guidelines in place to try and keep everyone safe. We ask that if you are unwell that you do not come for a face to face consultation and call and we will try to deliver to you if we can. (this is will depend on volunteer capacity)

Youth Discipleship is a collection of young people who are connected to each other, the church, and God. Journeying together as the church these young people care for one another and are so excited by God working in their lives and being part of this community, that they invite others to join too.

We meet fortnightly on a Sunday from 5-7pm at the Church to share a meal, read the bible and hang out.

All participants and leaders must complete an enrollment form before attending.

For further information about participating or leading Youth Discipleship please contact Jesse.

An Explore Group is an intentional gathering of people who meet to study the bible and apply it to their daily lives and to pray for and support each other. As expressed in Acts 2:42 – 47, Explore Groups meet to develop authentic Christian Community. Explore Groups meet weekly or fortnightly.

Each Explore Group is unique. Each group will have a time of bible study and discussion, where the passage being studied is understood and applied in our contemporary setting. In addition there will be a time of prayer. There may also be times of sharing and eating. Each Explore Group works out together how they will spend their time.

Due to the current Coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic our Explore groups are meeting both face to face and in online modes to keep connected during this time.

If would like to join one of these Explore Groups and would like to know more information please contact the church office and we will get the group leader to give you a call.

Current Explore Groups

Solfa

2nd & 4th Mon 9:30am

KYB

Tues 9:45am

Wednesday Morning

Wed 9:15am

Bunnies Explore Group

Tues 7:00pm

Wednesday Wonderers

Fortnightly Thurs 7:00pm

Thursday Thinkers

2nd & 4th Thurs 7pm

Women’s Bible Study

Mon 12.45pm

If none of these times suit please also contact us there may be other like minded people and we can start a new group.

Uniting Early Learning Enoggera is a small and nurturing child care and kindergarten with mixed age, family style groupings of 2-5 year olds. We accommodate up to 27 children daily at our Enoggera centre on the north side of Brisbane.

Our diverse team of experienced and qualified educators are dedicated to giving your child the best educational start in life. They provide an inclusive, play-based, nature-based environment; encourage a sense of wonder and adventure; and create an understanding of lived Christian values. Here, children learn the meaning of love, forgiveness, respect, service to others, equality, inclusiveness and care for the environment – ideals, important to healthy friendships, families and society.

Book a tour of our centre now!

We are happy that the Enoggera Eisteddfod has completed a successful 2023. Thank you to all the competitors, volunteers judges and families that have this such a great event.

Information for 2024 will come available in March/April so stay tuned. Thank you again everyone for your support.

What is the Enoggera Eisteddfod

The Enoggera and District Eisteddfod has been an annual activity since its inception in 1960. It runs in August every year.

It provides an opportunity for young people up to 18 years of age to perform in front of an audience and to get feedback on their performance from highly qualified adjudicators in a friendly and safe environment.

Categories are

- PIANO

- VOCAL

- INSTRUMENTAL

- SPEECH AND DRAMA

The Eisteddfod relies on volunteers and sponsors to remain viable and to keep entry fees as low as possible.

If you can help in either way, please contact the secretary Laurel Muirhead.

Please email the secretary at eisteddfod@emmanueluca.org.au with any questions.

Laurel Muirhead

(Secretary)