Announcements & Lesson - 29 June 2014

Announcements:

We are excited to have another sister join our RS this week.  Lois, with her daughters Bethany and Star, will be baptized on Saturday at 12.00 - please come along and support Lois and her family on this wonderful occasion.

Next Sunday there will be a Stake Standards evening for all youth (and parents) who will be attending this years FSOY at 6.30pm.

Our next RS Activity will be on Wed 9th July at 7.30pm where we will have an exciting evening looking at how to become Sister Scriptorians and learn to LOVE studying our scriptures.

Helping Hands:

We are really excited about this years HH project where we will be contributing to the Billion Graves Project - this is a worldwide project which is attempting to collect photos of graves around the world and index the information to make a searchable index of all graves to assist with family history work.  Although it is not a church owned program the church are supporting its work and encouraging us to get involved and photos can be automatically uploaded to Family Search.  It is incredibly important as so many graves are becoming unreadable due to age and condition.

On Saturday 12th July we will be meeting at the Ipswich Old Cemetery at 9.30 / 10am where Brother & Sister Benmore will be co-ordinating all our efforts and giving further instructions.  We will be working in families / small teams to clean the graves up a little, photo the graves and then upload them online and index the information on them.  There will be parking available and toilets and water on site.

There is a couple of things we need you to do before the day:

1. For each family if you have a smartphone (Android or Iphone) please download the Billion Graves App on at least one phone. This is free and can be done in Play Store or whichever programme you would normally download apps from.  You can also put this on an Ipad or Tablet but this will only be of use on the day if you have access to GPS as this will be required.

2. Please visit the Billion Graves website: http://billiongraves.com/login.php#register where you will need to register, so you will be able to upload photos.  Once you have registered you will receive an email - you MUST click on the link in this email to complete your registration.

On the day each family will need to bring a few items:

1. Bucket
2. Sponges
3. SOFT brush (this must be soft or it can cause more damage to the graves)
4. Shears / Scissors - to help clip away grass or weeds around the graves
5. Smartphone - with the app already loaded.  As GPS will need to be switched on this uses more battery so please make sure they are fully charged.
6. Pen & paper to record the information on graves which are hard to photo.  We will also provide large sheets of paper and crayons so children can help by doing rubbings where the writing is not clear.

The primary presidency have kindly offered to have children from nursery aged children up to age 6 at the chapel for the two hours we will be at the cemetery - however when we return to the chapel it is essential you collect your children immediately to free the sisters up to join the activity.

At 12.00 we will return to the chapel for a BBQ and a chance to upload the photos we have taken and to transcribe these on the site.  There will be people at church who will be able to assist with this.

Please wear your HH tabards / T-shirts.  And please use this as an opportunity to invite friends and serve together in the work of family history.

If you have any problems please let Sara or Neil Klotz know and we will try and assist.  We are really excited about the project and hope you will all join us at the cemetery.

Lesson:

Today was our joint R/S and P'hood lesson as it was the 5th Sunday of the month and it built on the subject of love for our ancestors and doing our family history.

Bishop related that he loves Fathers Day and particularly receiving home-made cards from his children.  This year Isaac's card said how much he loved his dad telling him stories.  Bishop taught us the benefit of stories and time with their families.  In fact children who feel loved and part of a family and are told stories do better than other children, they feel a part of something bigger, their self-confidence is greater and they have more resilience to face the world.  There is great power in story telling and in families.

We watched the following lovely video:  Find Our Cousins

Whilst we are aware of the hastening of the work here we were reminded by Brother Green that this hastening is also happening the other side of the veil - spirits are being prepared to accept the work we are doing for them, and to accept the gospel.

We watched part of the conference talk 'Roots and Branches' by Elder Quentin L Cook who told us that:

51% of adult members do not have both parents added to Family Search and
65% of adult members do not have all four grandparents added

Are we part of that percentage? 

Today we were introduced to a wonderful booklet that can help us with our family history as well as helping us record family stories and through this strengthen our own families: My Family, Stories that Bring Us Together.

It is a wonderful booklet to record stories about our ancestors, add photos and record dates temple work is completed.

With the booklet came 2 challenges to each of us:

1. Finish filling the booklet in by the end of the year and take the names to the temple

2. Share a booklet with a friend, use it as a missionary opportunity.

For those of you serving in Primary or who were not at church today and do not have a copy of the booklet, please let us know and we will ensure these reach you.

Alison reminded us that we all will soon have free access to Ancestry, My Heritage and Find My Past and that those who serve in the FHC are more than willing to teach you how to use these tools as well as Family Search so that our homes really can become Family History Centres!

Bev spoke to us to remind us also of those who serve in the ward as Family History consultants and are always willing to help:

Those currently called are: Bev Roddie, Annie Green, Keith and Maxine Adams, Ken and Marian Biggs, Norman and Trish Read, Diana Nunes and Jonathan Rumbold.  Please call on them - they want to help!!!

Bishop summed up the presentation with a wonderful thought - When you were baptized your ancestors looked down on you with hope.  Those who had never had the chance to accept the gospel and receive the ordinances and had waited centuries for help - now had hope through you!  When you are reunited, they will meet you with either with gratitude or with terrible disappointment.  Their hope is in your hands.

Do you want to help their hopes be realized?  Do you want to keep your children safe and resilient in a troubled world?  Do you want to be one of those who has their family safely on family Search and their work being done.  You can be!  We have all the tools to help, we just have to decide to move forward.

Announcements & Lesson - 22 June 2014

Announcements:

A huge big welcome to Shanice - our newest member of Relief Society - on her baptism this week.  We are all excited to get to know you better.

This coming Saturday is the Stake Family Temple Day - details of timings etc are on the previous blog posts.  The Stake Primary will be holding an activity for all children aged 3-12 from 9.30-12.30 so that parents can do a session in the temple.  If your children will be taking part please let Sis Sue Kennedy know as asap.

Next Sunday at 6.30pm there will be a Family History Workshop in the FHC at church.  If there is any aspect of family history you need help with please come along and Alison Pentreath will ensure there is someone to assist you.

Thank you to those sisters who came and supported our June activity this week - we had a fabulous and uplifting evening.  Our next Activity 'Sister Scriptorians' will be on Wednesday 9th July and will be based on getting us excited about the scriptures.

One announcement from our Compassionate Service team - Sister Pat Bines has not been well and is struggling at the moment.  We are providing some assistance and a sister is needed who could take a meal for three people on Friday this week.  It needs to be suitable for a diabetic.  If you can help, please contact Miriam, Sarah S or Cristina.

Lesson:

Todays lesson was given by Sister Annie Green (with a little help from Alison Pentreath!!) taken from Elder Quentin L Cook's talk from April conference 'Roots and Branches'.

You can watch the talk by clicking HERE

As individuals approach the end of their lives here on earth, they begin to consider what is most important to them and as Sister Lo Bianco shared when she has within her employment sat with many as they were dying, it becomes clear that what is most important is family.  It is the Spirit of Elijah reaching out and connecting us with our families and those we love which usually includes those who have gone before us - our ancestors.

Elder Cook shared the words of Sister Vilate Kimball as she heard the wonderful news of being able to do the work for our families:

"We had the largest and most interesting conference that ever has been since the Church was organized...President Joseph Smith has opened up a new and glorious subject...that is being baptized for the dead.  He says it is the privilege of members of this church to be baptized for all their kinsfolk that have died before this gospel went forth....I want to be baptized for my mother...is not this a glorious doctrine?"

Do we still feel this same excitement for the work of family history?

It is clear to see the Lord's hand in this work of turning the hearts of the children to their fathers with the expansion of interest in family history and the ever increasing resources so freely available on the internet.  As one 36 year old mother said "just think we have gone from microfilm readers in dedicated family history centers to sitting at my kitchen table with my computer doing family history after my children are finally asleep. 

"Brothers and Sisters, family history centers are now in our homes".

So what will we do about it? 

Each member of the ward will shortly be receiving a copy of the booklet 'My Family' where we can learn to record not only dates and names but stories as we come to love our ancestors and find those connections of roots and branches.

It is a work we can all be involved in, the church are especially encouraging our young people who so ably use technology.

Will we take our family names to the temple this coming Saturday?  Will we go to the Family History Workshop next Sunday if we need help?  Will we use the Family History Centers in our homes? 

Will we be connected as roots and branches? What will we do with it? 

The Shoe Fits

Just like our favourite shoe, our Patriarchal Blessings fits only us....

What a wonderful night we had last night as we learnt more about our blessings and enjoyed a wonderful meeting with our Stake Patriarch Barry Lowater.



Ipswich Stake Patriarch Barry Lowater and his wife Shirley

Following an interesting and insightful view into the experiences of Patriarch Lowater, the sisters had a chance to spend some time with their own blessings....contemplating what the Lord needs them to do and the wonderful blessings that will come as they do their best.

If you want to join in, this is what we did:

Get 3 coloured pencils and mark any words / phrases in your blessing using the following key:

 

1. Colour One - Counsel and Warnings

2. Colour Two - Blessings Promised

3. Colour Three - Talents / Gifts

 

Use this information to make goals for your life, to hearken to counsel, to follow direction and to build on talents given.

 

Write down your goals.  "An unwritten goal is only a wish" and refer to them often.

 

As you do this two things will happen:

 

1. You will feel the love of the Lord in your life.

2. You will know every day what to do and where to turn for help.

It was a wonderful evening with friends new and old and of course cake....lots of cake!!!

Come and join us for our next activity - Sister Scriptorians on July 9th at 7.30pm

 

A quick reminder too Sisters of 2 baptisms we have coming up this weekend.  Shanice will be baptized at 6pm this Saturday and Sister Ana Marques' friend will be baptized after church on Sunday.

 

Please come along and welcome them to our wonderful, growing ward!!!  If you are able please bring along a plate of refreshments.

 

Announcements and Lesson: 15 June 2014

Announcements:

This Wednesday is our RS Activity at 7.30pm and is going to be great.  We have our Stake Patriarch Barry Lowater coming to speak with us about our Patriarchal Blessings and how to use them in our lives.  There will be time for him also to speak with those sisters who do not yet have their blessings or whose youth are preparing to receive theirs.  Please bring a COPY of your blessing with you for an activity.

Saturday we have the baptism of Shanice at 6pm.  Shanice is a young sister with a wonderful smile and we are really looking forward to her joining our RS.

It was great to have so many of you sisters come and practise with us today ready for our musical item next Sunday.  A reminder to all we will be singing prelude music Hymn 129: Where can I turn for peace.  Please be at church and sitting on the stand by 9.45. 

Today we also welcomed the remainder of the Giles Family , many of you will already know Bro Giles who came to the ward a couple of months ago.  This week Sister Bernice Giles and her children arrived in the ward and we are so excited to get to know them better. 

On 28th June we have our Stake Family Temple Day - the details are on the last post.  The Stake Primary are organising activities for those aged 3-12 from 9.30 - 12.30 to allow their parents to enter the temple.  Please let Sister Sue Kennedy our ward Primary President know if your children will be attending - they will need the name / age of the children.  The meeting place is the dining room (next to the distribution center).  Some activities will be outside so please bring sun hat / rain coat as necessary.  Our children aged 8-11 will also be having a Faith in God activity as part of the morning with Sister Kim Spencer.

A note for your diaries - our next RS Activity 'Sister Scriptorians' will be held on Wed 9th July at 7.30 and will follow on from our lesson given by Sister Louise Lamb on effective scripture study.  The response from you sisters was great and this evening will build on that and show lots of examples of how to study and some goodies to take away to help.

Also just a thank you from the Turner family - they have been so grateful for all the help they have received this week with meals.  Hugh is going into respite for a week whilst Betty stays with her family for a rest.  We will let you know if further help will then be needed while the family try and find a longer term solution.  It is likely that we will have several sisters / families who will be needing assistance over the next month or so as we have several due to go into hospital for various procedures.  Thank you in advance for the care and love you show one another - we appreciate you all so much.

Lesson:

We had a real treat today as Sister Ana Marques taught the lesson from Chapter 12 of Joseph Fielding Smith 'The Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood' building on the lesson we had with Cilla last week.

President Smith said '...the blessings of the priesthood are not confined to men alone.  These blessings are also poured out upon our wives and daughters and all the faithful women of the Church.  These good sisters can prepare themselves, by keeping the commandments and by serving in the Church, for the blessings of the House of the Lord.  The Lord offers to His daughters every spiritual gift and blessing that can be obtained by his sons, for neither is the man without the woman, nor the woman without the man in the Lord.'

We may not hold the Priesthood but we certainly are able to have the blessings that come from it. 

Ana asked today about the blessings that come to us from the examples of great Priesthood holders - a blessing that we can all see in our lives through wonderful bishops, great Home Teachers and righteous men which several sisters shared, just as we heard too in Sacrament meeting today. But equally as Pres Smith shared there is something WE need to do to.  Just as the brethren must live righteously to be able to receive these blessings we must too.

Ana shared examples of the need for us to serve and we were reminded of the wonderful and numerous examples we have to do so - in our specific callings, as Visiting Teachers and in fact even just by looking around and seeing a need in a sister by our side.  Ana shared a personal experience about a homeless man she would often see in her journeys who unlike many wasn't asking for money but simply for some food to eat.  Ana shared her food on numerous occasions but knew she couldn't serve this man alone.  She prayed for help and over time saw more and more people stopping and serving this man.  What a lovely example of the difference one Sister can make.

President Smith also made a lovely comment we can all learn from:

'There is nothing in all this world as important to each of us as putting first in our lives the things of God's kingdom, as keeping the commandments, as magnifying our callings...as going to the House of the Lord and being offered the fullness of the blessings of our Father's kingdom. 

'The blessings of the Lord are offered to the Saints and to the world through the ministrations of those who hold His holy priesthood, who represent Him, who are in fact His servants and agents and are willing to serve him and keep his commandments.'

Sisters - what a blessing the priesthood is.  There is much we can do to support the righteous men in our lives as they continue to serve our Father in Heaven and much we can do to ensure we are worthy and able to receive those blessings.

What difference will that make in your life this week?

Announcements & Lesson - 8 June 2014

Announcements:
Have you handed out your 'Come and See' invites to your friends to join us for church this month?  There is still time to pray and ask the Lord who you should invite.


The sisters are singing in Sacrament Meeting on 22nd June.  We will are singing Hymn 129 Where Can I Turn for Peace and will be having a rehearsal straight after church next Sunday.  We would love the sisters who serve in Primary and YW to come to rehearse and sing with us.


Wednesday 18th June 'The Shoe Fits' enrichment at 7.30pm.  The Stake Patriarch Barry Lowater will be coming to spend the evening with us and sharing how we can use our Patriarchal Blessings to direct our lives..  Please bring a COPY (not original) of your Blessing with you.  We will have someone translating the evening so all sisters will be able to join in.


Saturday 28th June - Stake Temple Family Day. We now have some further information on this as follows:


10.30 am Ipswich Youth baptisms
1.00 pm Ipswich Youth and Adult baptisms


Endowment sessions: 8am / 9am / 10am / 10.30am / 11.15am / 11.45am / 12.15pm / 12.45pm / 2pm / 3pm.

Stake Primary will be hosting an activity for all 6-11 year olds between 9.30am - 12.30pm.  See Sarah Garnham for more information.


The goal is that 100% of the ordinance work performed on this day will come from family file names from the Ipswich ward.  If you need help with preparing names please see Beverly Roddie.


Transportation - if you need assistance for youth please see Rui Sousa or Leeanne Benmore.  If you need assistance for all others please see Kurt Green.


It has been suggested that each person who is receiving a lift to the temple pays a £5 voluntary contribution on a tithing slip (under Other: Temple Transportation).  Drivers can then request reimbursement for those who they take to the temple if desired - please see John Folley.


Please bring food for your own family.


Lesson:


We had a real treat today as we had a guest teacher - Sister Cilla Owen who taught Chapter 11 from the Joseph Fielding Smith manual 'Honouring the Priesthood Keys through Joseph Smith'.


Cilla has a clear love for this subject and shared her joy of living in a time when we have the full and restored priesthood on the earth.  She taught of us the many years where 'spiritual darkness' reigned on the earth and how in contrast now the priesthood shines and can give light to all around us.  There is nothing that the priesthood cannot shine light and joy upon.


We discussed the beautiful and magnificent world we live in - discussing the magnitude of the creation, the many galaxies and stars that surround us.  All created by the power of the priesthood.  What a wonderful and magnificent power the men in our home and lives hold.  What a privilege. 


Cilla talked of the keys of the priesthood.  The Lord has such a perfect plan for His church. 


After years of darkness the Lord ensured the priesthood was returned to the earth, through such heavenly messengers as Moses, Elias and Elijah, each returning the much needed keys.  A short time before Joseph Smith was martyred he bestowed these keys of the priesthood to the Twelve Apostles, knowing that then the church would safely continue with all the power and authority it needed from the Lord, no matter what happened to Him.  Today we too know we are secure and safe as the First Presidency and Twelve Apostles too hold those keys, that allow all ordinances to be performed that will take us safely home to Jesus Christ.  It is a perfect plan as each priesthood leader in the church across the world is given the keys needed to care for their ward and stake.  As long as ordinances are done under the correct priesthood approval we can know they will be acceptable to the Lord.


There is safety in the priesthood.  As President Smith said:


"I think there is one things which we should have exceedingly clear in our minds. Neither the President of the church nor the First Presidency, not the united voice of the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles will ever lead the Saints astray or send forth counsel to the world that is contrary to the mind and will of the Lord....I testify that if we look to the First Presidency and follow their counsel and direction, no power on earth can stay or change our course as a church and as individuals we shall gain peace in this life and be inheritors of eternal glory in the world to come."

Announcements & Lesson 1 June 2014

Announcements:


Sisters please do not forget this month is the month of invitation as requested by the Area Presidency.  Please do not forget to hand out the fliers we have been given and share with our friends, family and neighbours.   We would love you to share with us any good experiences that come from it.


Saturday 7th June is Seminary Graduation


Wednesday 18th June is our next RS Enrichment 'The Shoe Fits' where we are having a visit from our Stake Patriarch Barry Lowater.  We would love you to make an effort to come and hear some wonderful words of wisdom from him to help us each on our personal journeys through life.  We will be doing an activity during the evening with our Patriarchal Blessings (if you have had one) so please bring a COPY of your blessing (not the original).


Saturday 28th June - Stake Family Temple Day.  More details to follow.

As we mentioned the Sisters have been asked to sing a musical item in Sacrament Meeting on the last Sunday in June.  Sister Ashlea Sousa has chosen hymn 129 Where Can I turn for Peace.  We would love the sisters who work in YW and Primary to come and join us.  We will be singing the soprano and alto parts - so get practising !!!


Lesson:
Our lesson was given today by our RS President Louise Lamb.  Louise told us that in her time in serving she has heard many sisters struggles, including trying to be a good mum, being unmarried and desiring a family, financial worries, health issues, depression and feelings of being overwhelmed.  She told us life sometimes feels like we are constantly fighting a war that we cannot seem to win - but that for us it is time to get back to the basics and claim those blessings which can be ours if we do.  Today Louise particularly chose to talk about Scripture Study:  the purpose of it, the blessings of it and how to make it worthwhile.


Purposes:
1. It fills our souls with faith
2. They help us know truth
3. They help us draw close to Christ
4. They enable us to receive personal inspiration


"In the end the central purpose of ALL scripture is to fill our souls with faith in God the Father and in His Son Jesus Christ - faith that they exist, faith in the Father's plan for our immortality and eternal life.  Faith in the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ which animates this plan of happiness.   Faith to make the gospel of Jesus Christ our way of life and faith to come to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent." Elder Todd D Christofferson


Blessings:


1. Stronger testimony
2. Greater obedience
3. Spiritual & Physical Healing
4. Knowledge - including who we are
5. Comfort, counsel and guidance


"However diligent we may be in other areas, certain blessings are to be found only in the scriptures, only in coming to the word of the Lord and holding fast to it as we make our way through the mists of darkness to the tree of life."  President Ezra Taft Benson


Making Scripture Study Effective:


Sister Sara McCullum gave a short presentation to show ways which she has used to make her own scripture study fun and effective including how to mark scriptures and the use of various different types of scripture journals.


Sisters - scripture study will not just happen.  We need to give it some priority in our lives.  Elder Russell M Nelson said "Time for scripture study requires a schedule that will be honoured. Otherwise, blessings that matter most will be at the mercy of things that matter least."


Make it happen sisters.  The blessings for you and your families will be immense.


We are excited to say the reaction from you Sisters has been so immense to this lesson and the ideas shared of how to study that we will be running our Enrichment meeting on scripture journals and other ways to study in July.  Watch this space!