Devotion – Gather

‘On the first day of the week we came together to break bread’ (Acts 20:7a).

How do we respond to God’s initiative of inviting us into a relationship? We gather in the name of Jesus, to be in relationship with each other.

And in the name of Christ, miraculous things happen. Sometimes we see healing miracles like the one in this text, where the young man fell from the window to his death, and Paul, with Jesus’ power, restored his life.

When we gather to give thanks for Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, we always experience the miracles of faith grown, hope restored, and the community that only the Holy Spirit can bring.

As we have faced various restrictions on our ability to gather this year, have you reflected on what gathering means for you as a Christian, as a human?

My daughter has friends who have not grown up in the tradition of gathering weekly to worship God. As loneliness is a significant concern for young people, they think that the fact that she has a group, such as a congregation to which she belongs, is really special. It is a place where, no matter what else is going on in your life, you have something bigger than yourself in which you can turn up and be part.

And God keeps taking the initiative and says: ‘Come; you are welcome here. You are my precious child; you belong, and you are always welcome at my feast’.

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for giving yourself so that we may know what it is to live life to the fullest. As we gather in whatever way we can, help us to grow as your body. Amen.

Prayer Points

We give praise to God that we have been able to return to school this term

We pray that all our community may continue to remain virus free and healthy

We ask God to bless and give encouragement to all people who are struggling and facing difficulties during the lockdown

We pray for the Romero, Sae-Yip and Sang families

Micah Award

To KungThang for demonstrating quality and courage in completing his work.

On the first day that students returned to learning at school, I stood in the school courtyard for a minute and listened. During this brief moment, I realised one of the best sounds one can ever hear is the sound of students engaged in learning at school! The buzz of excitement coming from the classrooms was clearly evident. It was the excited sound of students engaging in conversation with their teachers, chatting away with each other, the exchange of heartfelt greetings and the delightful sound of laughter.

It is truly wonderful to be able to open the school again to our students. It is a blessing, but with that blessing comes responsibility; the responsibility to ensure that the students are safe and their health and wellbeing are cared for. The school has taken many steps to ensure this. There has been an increase in cleaning regimes and continued education of the students on healthy hygiene practices.

This term, the school’s focus will continue to be on the wellbeing of all our community members. We understand and acknowledge that the lockdown in Melbourne has been incredibly difficult for many in our community. If you feel that your child or any member of your family needs support, please reach out to the school so we can assist you in accessing help.

Prep / 1

In the Prep/1 classroom this week we talked about how we are feeling about being back at school.

You can ask us what our most favourite activity that we did this week.

Year 2/ 3

In the Year 2/3 classroom we are doing a book study of ‘Esio Trot’ by Roald Dahl. You can ask us what this title means, who are the characters and what this book is about.

Year 3/ 4

In the Year 3/4 classroom we have been learning about ‘Our Place’. We have learned about Australian States and Territories and where they are located on a map! Ask us to tell you some fun facts about the places we have been looking at!

Year 5/ 6

In the Year 5/6 classroom we have been learning about our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems and how this knowledge can help us manage stress. We have made some posters outlining what we have learnt! Ask us about it at home!