The Uniting Church

in Australia

Macquarie Darling Presbytery

NSW/ACT Synod

C O N T A C T S www.mudgeerylstoneuniting.org.au Rev Greg Smith

PO Box 388 Mudgee 2850 0429 916 191

PO Box 112 Rylstone 2849 revgregsmith@hotmail.com

Term 4 - 2019

Congregations of the

Cudgegong Cluster

~ connecting with each other

and the community ~

Mudgee ~ Gulgong ~ Rylstone

Christmas is almost upon us and as usual the year seems to have flown by and it won’t be long

until we hear the carols in the supermarkets. As I look back at the past year, I would like to

take a moment to thank all the fantastic volunteers who support the many activities of the

church communities in our Cluster. Sometimes it is easy to overlook the 100’s of hours of time

and commitment that makes our faith community function. To everyone who gives so freely, I

say a big heartfelt thank you.

Amongst all this busyness it’s often easy to forget that Christmas is a time to reflect on the

coming of Jesus into our world over 2000 years ago. In that one act, God interacted in human

history in a new, exciting and often challenging way. The message to us this Christmas is one

of joyful celebration of God’s love poured out on us through this child. It is a message of hope

for our fractured world and something that I encourage you all to take a few moments each day

to reflect on and pray about.

If you haven’t been to church for a while, we would really

love to see you during this Advent/Christmas period.

Don’t forget if you would like a chat don’t hesitate to

call me at any time on 0439 916 191.

Blessings, Rev Greg.

Mudgee

Uniting

Community

Garden

What a wonderful weekend was enjoyed by everyone

on 19/20 October when the Mudgee Uniting Community

Garden was one of 6 gardens open as part of the

Mudgee Rotary Open Garden Spectacular.

We say a huge ‘thank you’ to all the Garden volunteers,

both regulars and new ones who prepared the Garden

over many months, with weeding, watering, mulching,

mowing, edging, pruning and harvesting. It has been a

challenge to use our water storage in the garden tank

wisely through this relentless and prolonged drought in

our country.

Over 200 people meandered through the Garden, many

locals discovering it for the first time, whilst others from

afar were surprised

and excited by the

versatility and the

convenience of its

location. It was named ‘The Secret Garden’ by lots of people

because it is not visible from the road, but it is surely no secret any

more!

During both days, children and adults were able to participate in

workshops that show and share ideas for your own garden or help

in ways to improve the Community Garden. These workshops

included building a bean tee-pee with the children; constructing a

bath-tub’ garden; converting an IBC (water cube) to a water-saving

garden bed; installing a large wicking bed; learning about seed

saving; and growing micro greens in your kitchen!

Visitors were also able to purchase morning & afternoon teas, a

light lunch and some seedlings to take home for their own gardens.

For more information about the Garden and our opening times, contact:

Angela 0412 159 591 Veronica 0400 284 755 Lynne 0402 948 514 OR

OR email us at: mudgeeunitinggarden@gmail.com

There is always something happening in the Garden. Why not come along, learn new skills,

share yours, keep fit and.... ‘Share in the Growing ~ Share in the Harvest’

M

o

n

d

a

y

s

~

w

e

e

k

l

y

!

M

o

n

Mudgee Uniting ‘Kids in the Garden’ during school term

10am-12noon: games, stories, cooking, crafts, outdoor play, gardening, harvesting! ~ gold coin donation ~ for children, mums, dads, grandparents, carers ~

Contacts: Angela Middleton 0412 159 591 or Lynne Waller 0402 948 514

Mondays ~ weekly @ Mudgee!

Rylstone Uniting ‘Pop-in Playgroup’ during school term

10am-12noon ~ games, stories, crafts, cooking, outside play. Gold coin donation. For children, mums, dads, grandparents and carers!

Contact: Elizabeth Merz 6379.5292

Wednesdays ~ weekly @ Rylstone!

Contact: Elizabeth Merz 6379.6292

Exploring the Lectionary (Bible Study)

3-4pm ~ Rylstone Uniting 7-8pm ~ Mudgee Uniting Opportunity to explore the readings from the previous Sunday, discover and learn from each other, and be surprised at new insights from familiar passages. The studies each week stand alone, so if you have to miss for some reason, you are not out of the loop. All are welcome!

Contact: Rev Greg 0429 916 191

Nitter Natter @ Mudgee

2-4pm: Here’s your opportunity to enjoy knitting with with friends, have a good chat, laugh and some

afternoon tea. Don’t know how to knit? That’s ok, the ladies will gladly teach you.

Contact: Vera Langshaw 6372.7249

Tuesdays – weekly

Wednesdays ~ weekly

Playgroups finish mid December for the summer break!

Lectionary studies finish on Tuesday 17 December for this year.

Nitter Natter finishes on Wednesday 18 December to enjoy a break over Christmas and New Year.

8am Saturday 30 November @ B.Ash in Town Hall Arcade, Byron Place Mudgee. All ladies welcome! Contact: Lynne 0402 948 514 At Rajarani’s Indian Restaurant on Wednesday 14 November @ 6.30pm. All men

are welcome. Contacts: Rob 0408 426 414 or Peter 0403 151 590.

Crossroads Christian Fellowship 6-8pm: Crossroads meet on the first Sunday of the month to encourage and support people who are differently abled in our community. They share a meal, worship and fellowship together and enjoy social outings. Crossroads offers support to families, friends & carers.

Contact: Judy Blackman 6372.2187 or 0419 610 693

Special Religious Education in Primary Schools We are thankful for the ministry of Elizabeth Merz who teaches SRE during school term and for the prayers offered for this ministry each week.

Once a term

in Mudgee!

6.30pm Join the blokes for a night out at the Courthouse Hotel in Market Street Mudgee on Wednesday 20 November.

Contact: Rob 0408 426 414 0408 426 414

Fridays ~ weekly @ Rylstone and Kandos

Contact: Elizabeth Merz 6379.6292

At Rajarani’s Indian Restaurant on Wednesday 14 November @ 6.30pm. All men

are welcome. Contacts: Rob 0408 426 414 or Peter 0403 151 590.

Weekly @ Mudgee

Mondays & Saturdays

Sundays ~ monthly @ Mudgee Uniting

Mudgee Uniting Community Garden ‘Share in the growing Share in the harvest’

Share your skills, learn new ones, enjoy the fruits of the harvest, meet new friends and keep fit!

Contacts: Angela 0412 159 591 Veronica 0400 284 755

Elizabeth will enjoy a well-earned break come mid December.

The garden continues year round – new members always welcome!

Crossroads has a break over the month

of January.

Our last breaky

and dinner dates for this year. Hope you can join

us!

Just in case you missed this special event,

it was lovely to send congratulations to

Jo & Barry Neale from the Mudgee

Congregation who celebrated their 60th

Wedding Anniversary (diamond) on 3rd

October. We continue to pray God’s

blessings, peace and love to Jo & Barry for the years ahead.

November

Birthdays Peggy Burnett, Jo Neale,

Nola Shepperd, Elizabeth

Merz, Lola Yates, Ken Keech.

December

Birthdays Arnold Benson, Matilda

Blackman, Lurline Brown,

Bonnie Campbell, Angus

Danson, Trevor Moody,

Margaret Payne, Kel Merz,

Natalie Merz.

January

Birthdays Yvonne Benson, Flynn Bryant,

Melanie Freudenstein, Annie

Jackson, Margaret Jackson,

Shirley James, Peter Seaman.

Where has the year gone. Christmas is just around the corner and our thoughts are turning to thinking about presents for family and friends. How can we as Christians, ever say thank you to the best present that we could ever have, Jesus Christ. He who had so little, gave so much, because He loved every one of us. As at 31 October, we have $41,500.00 in our working accounts. Together, our offerings, our rental properties, and the hall hiring are continuing to help us maintain our mission within our communities. Congratulations to Angela Middleton and her incredible team of volunteer workers in the Mudgee Community Garden. Open on the weekend of 19/20 October as part of the Rotary Open Gardens weekend, they raised $454.30 through the sale of plants and the delicious food available over the weekend. Those pulled pork & salad rolls were amazing. This money will go towards essentials that are always needed in an evolving garden. As a church we are here to not only serve each other, but to also serve our local communities. Farmers are doing it extremely tough during this long drought, so if you know of anyone who is finding it hard to either provide feed or water for their animals or agricultural crops, would you please let Rev Greg know so that we can help them. We have some drought vouchers available from the Macquarie Darling Presbytery specifically for this situation. Again, below are banking details for those who would like to use direct deposit for your giving:

BSB: 634634 A/c No: 100028735 A/c Name: Giving Direct This is entirely anonymous as no other information is required. It is also a great way of not having to worry as to what might be in your purse or pocket on a Sunday morning! As 2019 comes to a close, I wish you all a holy and peaceful Christmas.

Merilyn Mosher – Cluster Treasurer

You can contribute to our Cluster through direct deposit for your weekly giving. This is entirely anonymous as no other information is required. It also saves you from remembering to have money in your purse or pocket on Sunday mornings! BSB: 634 634 Account No: 100028735 Account Name: Giving Direct

Merilyn Mosher – Cluster Treasurer

An opportunity to gather and worship as a Cluster!

Date: Sunday 24 November Time: 9.30am Place: Mudgee Uniting Church

Highlights of the day: Worshipping together! The Annual General Meeting ~ Annual Reports! Election of Cudgegong Cluster Church Council! Scrumptious lunch – Mudgee will provide the

main course and Rylstone the desserts!

So, don’t stay away or eat at home alone. Hear what has happened in our Cluster over the past year and what will be happening next year. Your presence and contributions are welcome, encouraged and appreciated. See you there!

Christmas Day

Lunch

Organised by Mudgee

Ministers’ Association

12noon @ Mudgee

Baptist Church

Christmas

@ Gulgong

Sunday 15 December

@ 2.30pm

Gulgong CWA Rooms

Led by Rev Greg

Mudgee Rotary

Christmas Carols

Saturday 14 December @

Mudgee Showground

from 4pm

Carols, Food, Fireworks

Christmas Day

Worship Services

9.30am Mudgee

9.30am Rylstone

‘Carols in the

Mudgee Uniting

Community Garden’

Sunday 22 December

@ 6pm

BBQ tea & Carols Christmas Eve

Tuesday 24 December

‘Carols & Candles’

Rylstone Uniting

@ 8pm

Matthew 2:7-12 NRSV

7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” 9 When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped] they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt

down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

A woman from Bethlehem speaks....

It still hurts when I think about it. Even now,

whenever I hear a horse galloping I feel frightened.

They came at dawn: a few on horses and the rest marching,

and spreading out through the village. I can hear the shouting now,

and the screaming and swearing. Worst of all was the crying

of the children. My young brother Nathan

was among the ones the soldiers killed.

It was the king’s order, apparently. They were to kill all the children.

And they did. That’s power for you.

Kings! They crush the poor and destroy the opposition.

Someone said that he hoped that the child Herod was after,

had escaped and would come back one day for revenge.

Well, if he escaped, good luck to him! But we don’t need revenge.

What good would that do? We don’t need another king.

Not unless he is a king who lives with the likes of us.

Not unless he knows what it is like to feel so tired he could drop;

and to go to bed hungry.

Not unless he is quicker at giving than he is at making demands.

Not unless he can heal people rather than bleed them.

Not unless he has a real way of making peace.

Not unless he is willing to die for his people and not just rule over them.

Not unless he can overcome hatred and death

rather than just destroy his personal enemies.

But what kind of king would that be? By David Osborne - from Dandelions & Thistles

Iona Community Scotland

A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE UNITING CHURCH AT LITHGOW!

The Lithgow Uniting Church Parish is blessed to worship in the Hoskins Memorial Church, which is surrounded by stunning gardens. The Hoskins Family Trust continues to maintain the grounds and the Church as they have done for over 90 years.

The Hoskins Memorial Church Calendar has proved to be an ideal way to celebrate this gift, and the funds from the sale of the calendar assist with financing the ever increasing costs of ministry and outreach of the Parish. The calendars are high quality A3 and ring bound. Cost: $20 which includes postage anywhere in Australia. Lithgow Uniting Church seeks your support in purchasing one or more calendars, perhaps as unique gifts for Christmas. Orders are needed by Monday 18 November 2019.

Orders from:

Lithgow Uniting Church PO Box 343 Lithgow 2790

6351.3134

lithgowuc@gmail.com

Cudgegong Cluster Uniting Church Worship Plan November & December 2019 and January 2020

Mudgee Uniting Church: Rylstone Uniting Church:

Worship: Every Sunday @ 9.30am Worship: Every Sunday @ 9.30am

Holy Communion: 1st & 3rd Sunday of each month Holy Communion: Monthly on various Sundays

Morning Tea: Every Sunday Morning Tea: Every Sunday

4th Sunday: Alternate with St James Anglican

Gulgong Worship: Gulgong CWA Rooms @ 2.30pm 15 December – Holy Communion and afternoon tea

Date Place Worship Leader & Helpers Music Steward M/Tea November 3 Mudgee (HC) Rev Greg Smith Andrea Rob Margaret &

Vera

November 10 Mudgee Denise Wood Denise Adrian Melanie

November 17 Mudgee Angela Middleton and Tiana Bailey Neil Brian Angela

November 24

AGM & Elections

Cluster Worship

@ Mudgee (HC)

Team led by Rev Greg Smith Denise Colin Shared

December 1

Advent 1

Mudgee (HC) Peter Bryant Andrea Laura Laura

December 8

Advent 2

Mudgee Rev Greg Smith and Laura Neil Lynne Melanie

December 15

Advent 3

Mudgee

Gulgong 2.30pm

Melanie Freudenstein

Rev Greg Smith

Denise

Neil

Adrian

-

Sue

-

December 22

Advent 4

Mudgee (HC)

Mudgee 6.00pm

Denise Wood

Carols in the Community Garden

Denise

-

Rob

-

Lynne

-

Christmas Day Mudgee 9.30am Mudgee Worship Team Denise Lynne -

December 29 Mudgee Rev Greg Smith Andrea Brian Lynne

January 5 Mudgee (HC) Rev Greg Smith Neil Lynne Angela

January 12 Mudgee Peter Bryant Neil Rob Sue

January 19 Mudgee (HC) Rev Greg Smith Denise Adrian Denise

January 26 Mudgee Denise Wood Andrea Laura Laura

Date Place Worship Leader November 3 Rylstone Merilyn Mosher

November 10 Rylstone (HC) Rev Greg Smith

November 17 Rylstone Rev Greg Smith

November 24 Cluster Worship, AGM, Church Council Elections, Lunch @ Mudgee

December 1 Advent 1 Rylstone Rev Greg Smith

December 8 Advent 2 Rylstone (HC) Merilyn Mosher

December 15 Advent 3 Rylstone Project Reconnect

December 22 Advent 4 Rylstone Joint with Anglicans at the Uniting – Rev Greg Smith

Christmas Eve 8.00pm Rylstone Rev Greg Smith ‘Carols & Candles’

Christmas Day 9.30am Rylstone Jayne Johnston

December 29 Rylstone Project Reconnect

January 5 Rylstone Merz Family

January 12 Rylstone (HC) Rev Greg Smith

January 19 Rylstone Merz Family

January 26 Rylstone Joint with Anglicans at St James

You’ve reached the end of

Like us on facebook OR

check out the website: www.mudgeerylstoneuniting.org.au

The Editor, ‘The Grapevine’

C/- PO Box 388, Mudgee 2850

or email: rolymud@mail.com

Until next time... take care

and may God’s peace be with you.