Announcements & Lesson - 28 December 2014

Announcements:

- Happy New Year -

 

We have our Ward New Years Eve party this week on Wednesday starting from 9pm.  This has a 1920's theme with optional fancy dress.

We have been asked to bring sweet and savoury refreshments.  There will also be a great range of music and a photo booth.

On Tuesday 30th December we have a Youth Temple Trip - please ensure if your youth are attending that their youth leaders / Bishopric are aware of this.  Any queries please speak to Ros Lafevre or Rui Sousa.


Lesson:

Sisters we didn't have any notes taken from todays lesson in Ipswich Ward however the same lesson was taught throughout the Stake so for today please refer to the Stake Relief Society blog (link below) for the lesson notes:

Ipswich Stake RS Blog

Announcements & Lesson - 21 December 2014

Announcements:

This evening we have our Ward 'Music and the Spoken Word' from 6.30pm - 8.00pm.  Please have your Primary children there on time as they are singing at the start of the service.

Our Christmas Day Service will be held from 10.00am - 11.00am, all are welcome to attend.

On Boxing Day we have the baptism of Ana Fila at 6.30pm.  Please come along and support this family, the service will be in Portuguese.

Tuesday 30th December, our youth have a Temple Trip.  If your youth are planning to attend please ensure the Bishop / Youth leaders are made aware as soon as possible.

We are sad to announce the death of Brother Brian Clarke, one of the pioneer members of the Cambridge Ward this week.  His funeral will be held at the Cambridge Chapel on Christmas Eve at 11am.  All who would like to pay their respects to Bro Clarke are welcomed to attend.

Lesson:

Cristina Torres gave our lesson today based on Chapter 26 of Teachings of Joseph Fielding Smith - 'Preparing for the Coming of our Lord'.

She began by asking us how we felt about the 'end of the world'...it was a general consensus that although the events that need to happen before the Lord can come again may cause fear, we can look forward to His return.  President Smith once told a group of Latter-day Saints that he was praying for the end of the world...he taught: "Do you not want the end of the world to come?...When Christ comes there will be an end to the world...There will be no war, any turmoil, envying, lying, there will be no wickedness.  Men will learn to love the Lord and keep His commandments and if they don't they will not stay there...That's what I am praying for."

But it very much becomes OUR duty to make sure both ourselves and our familes are ready for that day.

We watched the following video clip: Be Not Troubled

The Saviour taught the parable of the Wheat and the Tares which teaches us of the Last Days in which we live.  "According to the story a sower planted good seed in his field but while he slept the enemy came and sowed tares in the field.  When the blades began to show, the servants desired to go and pluck up the tares but the Lord commanded them to let both grow together until the harvest was ripe...At the end of the harvest they were to go forth and gather the wheat and bind the tares to be burned." Sisters - the tares and wheat as they grew looked alike, the servants would not have been able to see the difference but the Lord can.  The Lord knows our hearts, He knows how we live in our homes and in our personal lives, and it is our duty to ensure we are living righteous lives in preparation to once meet Him again.

We too must ensure our families are living righteous lives so they too will be ready to meet Him when He comes again.  We do this by our example.  By teaching them very clearly what is right and what is wrong, and by living that way ourselves.

As we listened to President Smith's account of how the Millennium will be at the end of the lesson, our hearts were touched by his words - what would we not do to ensure both us and our families and friends can be a part of this:

"The righteous will rejoice when he comes, because then peace will come to the earth, righteousness to the people and that same spirit of peace and joy and happiness...shall again be established among the people...and Christ shall reign as Lord of lords and King of kings for a thousand years.  We are looking forward to that time.

"For one thousand years shall this happy time of peace prevail and in due time all the inhabitants of the earth shall be brought into the fold of the church.

"The gospel will be taught far more intensely and with greater power during the Millennium until all inhabitants of the earth shall embrace it.

"Instead of being a time of rest, the Millennium is to be a time for all to labour.  Idleness will not be found, better methods will be employed, not so much time will be consumed in the daily pursuits and more time will be given to the things of the Kingdom.  The saints will be kept busy in the temples which shall be built in all parts of the land.  In fact, so busy will they be that the temples will be occupied most of the time."

What a wonderful time we have to look forward to.  May we decide now to make the changes we need to ensure we are a part of that day.

Announcements and Lesson - 14 December 2014

Announcements:

Sunday 21st December 6.30pm - 8.00pm we have our Ward Music and the Spoken Word (with carols and readings) and is a great opportunity to bring along friends and family to celebrate the Christmas season together.

Christmas Day - we have a Christmas service from 10-11am.  All are welcome to attend.

Tuesday 30th December - the Youth are having a temple trip to perform baptisms - more details to follow.

Also sisters, the Stake Relief Society have now started a blog for all Sisters in the Stake.  This is a chance for us to unite as a Stake and to learn and love one another. It will over the coming months include messages from the Stake RS Presidency, news of events and service projects we can work on together.   The web address is as follows, if you wish to receive an email each time an update is added please go to the blog and add your email address:

http://ipswichstakereliefsociety.blogspot.co.uk/


Lesson:

Today's lesson was given by Sister Graca Serra, Chapter 25 of The Teachings of President Smith 'The Birth of Jesus Christ: Good Tidings of Great Joy.

President Smith said 'Christmas is a time for families...I now pray that as this Christmas season, we may centre our faith in the Son of God and gain for ourselves that peace which passeth understanding.'

Graca asked what Christmas traditions we have as families?  One many of us have done is to dress up and perform the nativity.  President Smith stated that our Christmas traditions should centre on the story of the Saviour's birth as there is no story quite so beautiful.

A discussion was held about the challenges that Christ had to face growing up on the earth and how He chose to deal with these.  Jesus although born the Son of God, like us had to learn line upon line - he chose to study and learn, and he chose to do those things that brought him closer to His Father.  Could this be a lesson in how we handle the challenges in our own lives and how we progress to be more like Him?

The question was posed: what was the main reason Christ came to the earth?   President Smith explained it this way 'the true reason for the coming of Jesus Christ into the world...was first to redeem all men from the physical or mortal death, which Adam brought into the world, and second, to redeem all men from spiritual death or banishment from the presence of the Lord on conditions of their repentance and remission of sins and endurance to the end of the mortal probation.'

When the Saviour has given so much to us Sisters, what are we doing in our lives to show our heartfelt gratitude to Him?  Are we attending church devotedly each week?  Are we willing to spread the joy of this wonderful message?  Are we willing to do the difficult things He asks of us?

Think about these questions as you watch this short video clip 'Good tidings of Great Joy'  HERE

President Smith asked of us: 'How can anyone read this touching story of the

birth of Jesus Christ without wishing to forsake his sins?  At this season of the year it is well for one and all - the king in his palace, the peasant in his humble cottage, the rich and the poor alike - to bow the knee and pay honour to Him who was without sin, whose like was spent in sacrifice and sorrow for the benefits of his fellow man, whose blood was shed as a sacrifice for sin...

'...What of this wonderful story?  Have we permitted it to permeate and influence our lives?  Have we accepted it in its full meaning without reservations?  Do we believe that this babe was in very deed the only begotten Son of God in the flesh?  Do we have abiding faith in His mission and are we willing to obediently follow Him?'

Sisters, this Christmas season, how will you celebrate the birth of Christ?  How will you show the Saviour your gratitude for all He has done?  May we all lay before Him the gift of a broken heart and contrite spirit.

Announcements and Lesson - 7 December 2014

Announcements:

There will be no sports evening this Friday.

Our Ward Christmas Party is this coming Saturday starting at 6pm.  It will include lots of stalls where children can come and along and get creative so a great time to invite friends.  Each family has been asked to bring along a small gift (costing no more than £5) which will be given to FIND who distribute presents and food parcels to those in the area most in need.  Please do not wrap them up and if possible bring them in a gift bag. We have also been asked to bring food for the party.  All families with surnames A - L have been asked to bring a plate of sweet foods and surnames M - Z to bring a plate of savoury foods (please bring finger food only).

FIND have asked if any members would be willing to go to the food bank this week and help with wrapping the presents which have so far been donated.  The times they are open for wrapping are:

Monday 8 Dec - 1.15pm to 4pm
Tuesday 9 Dec - 10.30am to 4pm
Wednesday 10 Dec - 10.30am to 3pm
Thursday 11 Dec - 10am to 2pm
Friday 12 Dec - 10.30am - 4pm

If you would like to go along for an hour or so and need details of where to go etc please speak to Sara McCullum or Gloria Watson.  Please wrap up warm as it can get a bit chilly in the food bank.

18th December we have our Stake Temple Evening.

21st December is our Ward Christmas Music and the Spoken Word- again a great example to share the Christmas spirit with our friends and families.

Also this is a great time to remember the missionaries serving from our ward. Elder Donker is not in need of anything yet but we are asked to please prepare a letter which will be collected together and sent to him.  Also please write letters ready to be sent to the Bob & Margaret Benmore - if you would like to include a small gift for them they would love Cadbury's or Galaxy chocolate!!

Lesson:

Hans Donker gave a presentation to the RS and P'hood today as directed by the Area Presidency:

He is the Gift - Christmas Initiative 2014

The Christmas season brings a variety of thoughts and emotions to God's children throughout the world.  People grow increasingly weary of the stress and commercialization associated with Christmas.  Many sense the true meaning of the Christmas season has been lost.  Around the world, the Christmas season causes the honest in heart to reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ.

Under the direction of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the He is the Gift initiative focuses on the love of God for His children made manifest in the first gift of Christmas - the Lord Jesus Christ.

"Christmas is a time of reflection on what we can become because of God's sacred gift.  As we discover the gift, we learn of the immeasurable love of God and our absolute need for a Saviour.  As we embrace the gift, we strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ, and desire to become more like Him.  As we share the gift we follow in the Master's footsteps who invited all to hear his message."  Elder Russell M Nelson.

As members of the Lord's Church, we can share the gift inviting family and friends to learn more of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

The initiative launched on 28th November and will include:

• He is the Gift video
• Extensive internet and social media messaging and advertising throughout the world.
• Promotion at the Hyde Park visitor's centre
• Christmas pass a long cards
• Christmas.mormon.org website

HERE IS THE LINK TO WATCH THE VIDEO

Please take time to ponder and act on this invitation from Elder David A Bednar:

"I invite each of us to flood the earth with the messages of righteousness and truth found in the He is the Gift initiative.  Visit Christmas.mormon.org to find inspiring content to help discover, embrace and share the gift of God's love for us, made manifest in His Only Begotten Son. By using the hashtag #Sharethegift, we can sweep the earth with timeless - and timely - messages of the Saviour Jesus Christ."  Elder David A Bednar.





We spent a few moments in Relief Society afterwards considering the gifts we could offer the Saviour.  Cristina shared with her the following ideas:

Gift One - We can give Him the gift of doing for others what He would do for them. (Matthew 25:37-40)

Gift Two - We can give Him the gift of praying always, thereby remembering him in all things. (3rd Nephi 18:19-20)

Gift Three - We can give Him the gift of sharing the gospel and be a good example to help bring others to Him. (John 21:15-17 / Matthew 5: 14-16)

Gift Four - When we make mistakes, repent quickly and improve! (Alma 34:32-33)

Gift Five - We can give Him the gift of keeping His commandments. (John 14:15, 21)

Gift Six - Let Christ lift you up when the world weighs you down. (Moroni 9:25 / John 14:27)