Parramatters - 10th February 2023

Hi Parramatta Salvos, 

This week we wrap up our 'Summer on the Mount' series. If you've missed any messages along the way, we invite you to catch up on our Youtube channel. 

Next Sunday is Vision Sunday at Parramatta Salvos, where we will reflect on 2022 and look forward to all we hope to achieve as a faith community in 2023! We really hope you can join us in person at 9:30am and 11am. 

We are excited to see you and gather in worship together this week!

Kylie & Sarah
(Corps Officer Team)

Worship Night
This Sunday 12 February is our first Youth & Young Adults Worship Night for 2023. Sadly, it's also Jayne's last Worship Night at Parramatta, so it would be great to see lots of people there as Jayne shares a message with us. The night will begin at 5:30pm and will be followed by a light supper at 7pm. 

Corps Retreat 2023
We are very excited to let you know about our Corps Retreat this year! We will be joining together at the Tops Conference Centre from Friday night 30 June to Sunday 2 July under the leadership of Lt. Cols. David and Sandra Godkin. All are welcome to attend as full delegates or day delegates (prices listed in registration link below). The weekend will be a mix of sessions (worship, prayer, teaching), fun activities (theme night, board games, walks and coffee) and time to hang out and relax. 

We need registrations ASAP, so please follow this link to register: https://forms.office.com/r/xiTWnxV99n

Alpha
We are wanting to launch Alpha this term, but we need helpers to facilitate and organise supper. Alpha is an introductory course about Christianity, where people can come and ask questions and explore what faith is, who Jesus is and what this means for their life. 

Alpha will run on Wednesday nights over 9 weeks (1 March- 26 April) from 7pm-8:30pm with supper. 

If you are interested in helping, please speak to Sarah or Kylie as soon as possible. 

If you would like to do Alpha as a participant, registration will be available from next week!

Jayne's Farewell Lunch
We will be holding a special 'pot luck' lunch at 12pm on Sunday March 12 to celebrate and say 'farewell' to Jayne. If you would like to attend, please bring a plate of food to share with everyone for lunch. Drinks will be provided. 

Ladies Fellowship
All ladies are welcome to attend fellowship from 10am each Wednesday in the function hall! This week we will be joined by special guest Mj. Kylie Collinson. 

Sewing Group Restarts
Our community sewing group will be recommencing this Tuesday 14 February at 10am. This is a partnership with the Community Migrant Resource Centre here in Parramatta and aims to provide additional skills to new migrant women in our community. If you would like more information, please contact Thushy, our Community Engagement Worker. 

YAYA Next Friday Night
Our first Youth and Young Adults social night is coming up on Friday 17 February at 7pm at Parramatta Salvos. All youth and young adults (school year 6 and up) are invited to join us for our RELAUNCH PARTY. YAYA nights are a gold coin donation per person. 

An email regarding Youth and Young Adults was sent out this week. If you did not receive it, please reach out to Sarah this week. 

Life Groups
We are about to launch a new sermon and Life Group series! We would love to see our existing groups recommence in the next couple of weeks, and open up the opportunity for new groups to form. We would love it if everyone who is part of a Life Group or who is interested in being part of a Life Group to complete this short survey by Sunday 19 February: https://forms.office.com/r/pRnYHe2tL4

Government Day
On Thursday 9 February, The Salvation Army Parramatta was proud to host the first NSW Government information day. The Salvation Army and sixteen NSW Government agencies are joining together in one location to showcase support and services available to the citizens of NSW to help them save money, learn about their rights and enhancing their safety. Over 150 people came through our Market and engaged with the Government stalls. Stalls included NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Revenue NSW, Better Regulation Division, Transport for NSW, Cyber Security NSW, NSW Fire & Rescue, Liquor & Gaming, Sydney Water and NSW Communities & Justice.

The day was a fantastic community collaboration - thanks to Thushy and our brilliant team of volunteers for organising the day! This will be an ongoing partnership with the NSW Government and Parramatta Corps. 

If you would like to read the press release from the Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government, you can find it here.

Defibrilator 
We are pleased to let you know, that we have purchased and installed an automatic defibrillator at Parramatta Salvos. It is located in the reception area, and easily accessible. Anyone can use this machine if needed, as it talks you through the steps required. However, several people have been trained to use the machine and can be called upon in the event of a medical emergency. These people are: Karen Stewart, Jayne Combremont, Sarah Walker, Kylie Collinson, Richard Eden, Anthony Eden, Jeffery Parker, Rachel Betteridge and Thushy Kailanathan.

Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to Heather Savage who recently turned 80, and Joyce Offeriens who turned 95 this week! We hope you both had a great time celebrating! 

New Cafe
We hope you've had the chance to to check out our revamped cafe over the past couple of weeks! We are very excited to be able to open our Connect Site across more days of the week once we fill our new concierge position. To help us operate the Cafe and Connect Site we are in need of volunteers! If you have been on our Connect Site roster, or are interested in volunteering with us, please chat to Sarah this week. Here are the types of volunteers we are in need of: 

Cafe Volunteer
Make tea and coffee and chat with Community Members. Help needed Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. 

Gift Voucher Distributor 
Give out gift cards allocated to community members. This roles involves using our SAMIS system - all training will be provided. Help needed Monday and Friday. 

Community Connector
Help with our food market, chat to community members, other general jobs during Connect hours. Help needed Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 

Name Badges
We will be ordering name badges for Parramatta Salvos soon, and would love as many people as possible to order them and wear them to church and during the weekday activities here. Name badges are a helpful way to connect and get to know one another. The badges are magnetic and are $10 each. If you would like to order one, please take an envelope from the foyer, write the correct spelling of your name on the front, insert your payment and return to Dot Griffin by March 5. 

Craft Group
In 2022, $600 was raised by the Craft Group through donations / goods purchased at Craft on Fridays; this was sent to Major Wilson Boddula, Divisional Commander Divi District, India. Clothes were purchased for 15 needy children for Christmas and 50 blankets were purchased for poor families, many who do not have electricity connected to their homes.
  
Numerous items made by group members or friends of group members were gifted to various places including over 110 booties and 120 beanies to Westmead Children’s Hospital NIC ward; 9 bed blankets, 14 knee rugs, 6 babies cardigans and over 100  beanies to Parramatta Salvation Army; and adult beanies to homeless people in Penrith.

Craft Group welcomes new members and loves to see what others are making. Some knit and others crotchet, paint, do cross stitch or do scrapbooking.  It is a very casual, relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Join us at 10am each Friday in the function hall!

Thank you!
We'd like to say thank you to Ray Haule for setting up and packing down our morning tea each week in January, and to Colin Parker who has been faithfully tending to our gardens surrounding our building. We appreciate you both and the work you continue to do here at Parramatta Salvos!

February Prayer Room
Please find attached the national prayer room resource for February this year. Click this link to read. 

A call to prayer from Territorial Commander, Commissioner Miriam Gluyas
Territorial Leader for The Salvation Army in Australia, Commissioner Miriam Gluyas, has urged all Salvos around Australia to pray for those impacted by the catastrophic earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

“We pray for people who have lost loved ones, who are suffering, who are separated from family and are facing overwhelming loss. We will continue to pray for the people of these nations as they recover and rebuild, and we also pray for all those responding to this tragedy.”

Rosters

Sunday Cafe
12/02/23 - John & Kerrie Acocks

Sunday Welcomes
12/02/23 - 9:30am Dot Griffin, 11am Ray Haule

Connect Site (Cafe)
13/02/23 - Will Heap & Kerry Bonny
15/02/23 - Will Heap & Kerry Bonny
17/02/23 - Help needed

Connect Site (Vouchers)
06/02/23 - Jayne Combremont
08/02/23 - Jayne Combremont
10/02/23 - Jayne Combremont

Car Park
11/02/23 - Wanderers v Sydney FC - 6:15 - 7:45pm - Sarah Walker & Marty Bust
19/02/23 - Matilda’s v Spain - 5:00 - 6:00pm - John Acocks & Richard Eden
25/02/23 - Wanderers v Macarthur - 6:30 - 7:45pm - Marty Bust