1. New Testament STUDY GROUPS have begun — Wednesdays April 21 and Fridays April 23. This is a great course on the New Testament from a contemporary scholarly perspective, using online video (lectures), complemented by printed transcripts. Details of the discussion groups and how to register can be found here (registration helps!). Join with members from 5 or 6 other congregations for great conversation and learning together — late starters most welcome!
2. REMINDER — it is now mandatory that attendance at MtE services is registered electronically; you can make this easier for the door steward by having the ‘Service Victoria’ app installed on your smartphone and scanning yourself in. If you can’t do this, we’ll have a system in place to add you to the attendance list!
3. News from the Justice and International Mission Cluster (April 20)
4. Check out what’s happening at Hotham Mission
5. Please note the change of time for Audrey Larsen’s funeral – now to be at 10.30am on Monday April 26.
6. This coming Sunday April 25 we continue to focus on the Sunday selections from Acts. Some comment on the readings for this week can be found here.

Old News

1. Religion in the University – a one-day symposium at Newman College, Parkville; details

1. Please note that it will be mandatory from April 23 that attendance at MtE services is registered electronically; you can make this easier for the door steward by having the ‘Service Victoria’ app installed on your smartphone and scanning yourself in. If you can’t do this, we’ll have a system in place to add you to the attendance list!

1. New Testament STUDY GROUPS commence next week, Wednesday April 21 (7.45pm) and Friday April 23 (1.30pm). This is a great course on the New Testament from a contemporary scholarly perspective, using online video (lectures), complemented by printed transcripts. Details of the discussion groups and how to register can be found here (registration helps!). Join with members from 5 or 6 other congregations for great conversation and learning together!
2. The next meeting of the newly-forming UCA CBD Justice Action Coalition will be next Tuesday April 20 at 7.30pm via Zoom — contact Craig if you’ve not already received the meeting link (different from last time!)
3. The MtE AGM will be conducted following worship this Sunday April 18.
4. The most recent Synod eNews (April 15)
5. This Sunday April 18 we continue to focus on the Sunday selections from Acts. Some comment on the readings for this week can be found here.

Old News

1. Religion in the University – a one-day symposium at Newman College, Parkville; details

1. STUDY GROUPS — Commencing Wednesday April 21 and Friday April 23. This is a great course on the New Testament from a contemporary scholarly perspective, using online video (lectures), complemented by printed transcripts. Details of the discussion groups and how to register can be found here. Join with members from 5 or 6 other congregations for great conversation and learning together!
2. Religion in the University – a one-day symposium at Newman College, Parkville; details.
3. This coming Sunday April 11 we move into the Easter-season readings. For this present Easter season, we will be looking mainly at the Sunday selections from Acts. Some comment on the readings for this week can be found here.

Advance Dates

1. AGM — April 18, following worship

1. Our Holy Week and Easter services details are here, including TONIGHT night, Friday morning, Saturday morning and Easter Day. Please note that only the Good Friday and Easter Day services will be live-streamed. Our focus texts on Good Friday will be Mark 15 and Job 23; on Sunday (Easter) the texts will be Job 38 and Mark 16.1-8. Maundy Thursday will feature a reading of St John’s Passion, and Saturday’s service will be a sequence of readings, psalms and hymns.
2. The most recent Synod eNews (April 1)

Old News

1. The next study series will be a survey of the New Testament, commencing online after the Easter school holidays, Wednesday night and Friday afternoons. This is a great course using online video (lectures), complemented by printed transcripts. Details of the NT studies can be found here. We are also looking at the possibility of running an online series again on the Old Testament if there is interest

Advance Dates

1. AGM — April 18, following worship; papers available from April 4.

1. News from the Justice and International Mission (March 23)
2. Our Lenten studies finish up this week. The next study series will be a survey of the New Testament, commencing online after the Easter school holidays, Wednesday night and Friday afternoons. This is a great course using online video (lectures), complemented by printed transcripts. Details of the NT studies can be found here. We are also looking at the possibility of running an online series again on the Old Testament if there is interest
3. Our Holy Week and Easter services details are here
4. This coming Sunday March 28, being Passion/Palm Sunday, will feature a reading of the Passion of the Christ according to St Mark, with psalms, hymns, prayers and Eucharist. Some comment on this text (Mark 14-15) can be found here.

Old News

1. AGM — April 18, following worship

1. The most recent Synod eNews (Mar 18)
2. The most recent Presbytery News is here. (March 16)
3. See the Hotham Mission home page for information about a new program for young women, at Kensington.
4. This coming Sunday March 21 we will give Job a rest in view of the baptism to be celebrated, and hear several of the readings set for the day; details and some comment can be found here.

Old News

1. Lenten study details are now finalised (with a recent, slight change t the presenters!): Wednesdays 10, 17 and 24, and Fridays 12, 19 and 26, and possibly others. The Friday series will be online — easy to get to, and a great conversion! The audio recordings and other materials are available via the above link.

Advance Dates

1. AGM — April 18, following worship

1. Congregational Meeting — THIS SUNDAY March 14, following worship.
2. WORSHIP UPDATE: From this Sunday March 14 we will only wear facemasks during the singing of the principal hymns (usually at the opening, before communion and at the end). Masking for the quieter communion sung responses will not be necessary. 
3. News from the Justice and International Mission Cluster  (March 9).
4. The most recent Synod eNews (Mar 4)
5. Lenten study details are now finalised (with a recent, slight change t the presenters!): Wednesdays 10, 17 and 24, and Fridays 12, 19 and 26, and possibly others. The Friday series will be online — easy to get to, and a great conversion! The first audio recording is now available via the above link. It’s NOT TOO LATE to join the Friday group for the whole series, or to join in Wednesday nights for the two remaining sessions!
6. This coming Sunday March 14 worship we will return to more thought about Job (24.1-17), although with a focus on the set gospel reading as a ‘resolution’ of Job’s question. Some background on this week’s readings can be found here.

Advance Dates

1. AGM — April 18, following worship

1. The most recent Synod eNews (Mar 4). This features news about the Synod’s new ‘Moderator-elect‘ (2022+) and an invitation sign an online petition regarding climate change and associated issues sponsored by a network of faith communities (follow the links in the ‘Tackle climate change’ section).
2. The second meeting of the proposed UCA City Churches justice network will be on Tuesday March 9, 7.30pm by Zoom. For the connection details (if you’re not already on the list!), contact Craig. 
3. Lenten study details are now finalised (with a recent, slight change to the presenters!): NEXT WEEK Wednesdays 10, 17 and 24 (gathered at 7.30pm), and Fridays 12, 19 and 26 (online at 1.30pm), and possibly others. Being onine the Friday session will be easy to get to, and a great conversion!
4. Study-Discussion Groups. Following Easter, our online study groups will pick up where we left off last year, now commencing the New Testament series from Yale University. If there is sufficient interest we may also do a re-run of last year’s OT series. Basic details with links to the materiasl are available here (dates yet to be finalised).
5. This coming Sunday March 7 worship will be led by Peter Blackwood and Robert Gribben, featuring the set lectionary with a focus on the Psalm. Some background on this week’s readings can be found here.

Old News

1. Friends of MtE organist Donald Nicholson may be interested in his upcoming concert (March 10), Lord Willoughby’s Welcome Home!
2. Book Launch: There will be a book launch at St Mary’s on Saturday 10 April at 4 pm: Dorothy A. Lee, The Ministry of Women in the New Testament. Reclaiming the Biblical Vision for Church Leadership (Baker Academic, 2021). The book will be launched by Bishop Kate Prowd and will be on sale for 20% discount. The event will include refreshments by the Hospitality committee. All are welcome!

Advance Dates

1. Congregational Meeting — March 14, following worship
2. AGM — April 18, following worship

1. News from the Justice and International Mission Cluster  (February 22) AND February 24.
2. The most recent Synod eNews (Feb 25)
3. The nascent UCA City Churches justice network will be meeting again on Tuesday March 9, 7.30pm by Zoom. For the connection details (if you’re not already on the list!), contact Craig. 
4. UCA Assembly ‘Circles’. The UCA Assembly sponsors ‘circles’ of interest across a range of areas including justice, theology, worship and ecumenics (among others). More information can be found here.
5. The Assembly also has a new repository for reports, historical documents and such: ‘illuminate’.
6. Lenten study details are now finalised: Wednesdays 10, 17 and 24, and Fridays 12, 19 and 26, and possibly others. The Friday series will be online — easy to get to, and a great conversion!
7. This coming Sunday February 28 Job will be on hold, with Rob Gallacher and Bruce Barber leading the service. Some background on this week’s gospel reading can be found here.

Other things of interest

1. Book Launch: There will be a book launch at St Mary’s on Saturday 10 April at 4 pm: Dorothy A. Lee, The Ministry of Women in the New Testament. Reclaiming the Biblical Vision for Church Leadership (Baker Academic, 2021). The book will be launched by Bishop Kate Prowd and will be on sale for 20% discount. The event will include refreshments by the Hospitality committee. All are welcome!

Old News

1. Friends of MtE organist Donald Nicholson may be interested in his upcoming concert, Lord Willoughby’s Welcome Home!

Advance Dates

1. Congregational Meeting — March 14, following worship
2. AGM — April 18, following worship