Parramatters - 31st March 2023

Hi Parramatta Salvos, 

This Sunday we begin our series 'Crown Him', as we make our way towards Easter through the lens of Matthew's gospel. 

We want to encourage you to both consider joining us and inviting someone new to join us for our Easter Weekend at Parramatta Corps.

HOLY THURSDAY | 6 APRIL AT 7:30PM 
Interactive experience followed by supper

GOOD FRIDAY | 7 APRIL AT 10AM
Service followed by morning tea

EASTER SUNDAY | 9 APRIL AT 10AM
Service followed by morning tea

As we approach this Holy Week, we pray that God will speak to us in fresh ways, reminding us of his great love for us each through the sacrifice of his son, Jesus. 

Kylie & Sarah
(Corps Officer Team)

Corps Retreat 2023
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).

We don't want the cost to be a barrier for anyone, so please let us know if you would like to receive sponsorship. To make the camp more affordable for families, under 18s will be able to attend at a discounted rate (50% less for full delegates).

We would also ask that if you are able, you consider giving a little extra to sponsor another delegate.

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
Please note that no payment is required upon registrations - we just really need to know numbers! Also, paper registrations forms are now available in the foyer. Please place them in the 'letterbox' in the foyer. 

Ladies Fellowship
Ladies Fellowship is on each Wednesday from 10am in our function hall. All women are welcome to attend! This Wednesday we will be led by Kylie and Sarah in a special Easter morning of reflection. 

Easter Invitations 
We have plenty of Easter invites available in the foyer, so we encourage you to take a pile and invite your friends and family to join us for the Easter Weekend. 

Self Denial Appeal 
We want to say thank you to each and every person who contributed to our Self Denial Appeal offering last Sunday. We are pleased to announce that we have already contributed close to $35,000 to the appeal this year.

We are still aiming to reach our target of $55,000, so we encourage you to give if you missed out last weekend. Envelopes are available in the foyer and we invite you to place them in our regular offering basket over the coming weeks. 

Kids Church Altar Service
Our children took part in their own Self Denial Altar Service, where they watched their special "Kids" Self Denial video, then spoke about the things they did to save the money that was to go into their Self Denial Money Boxes.

They shared a quiet moment thinking about how The Salvation Army helps so many people throughout the world with money given through Self Denial. Our kids brought their money boxes to the Altar and shared a prayer together.

Planned Giving Envelopes
We are consistently overwhelmed by the generosity of so many in our corps community at Parramatta. For those who give via envelopes, you will note that you are almost out. New envelopes will be available in the foyer from this Sunday, and we ask you to collect them to assist with reducing postage costs.

Over the past 6 months, we have been delighted to welcome new faces into our community at Parramatta Corps. If you would like to be part of our Planned Giving (tithing) program, please email us at parramatta@salvationarmy.org.au and we can provide you with a pledge card and giving number. You can give via envelops, direct debit or bank transfer, or through our open plate. Whilst there's no obligation to be part of the program, we believe in the principles of tithing and contributing to the Kingdom-Building culture at Parramatta Corps through our financial giving, and want to extend the invitation to join us.

Once again, we're so grateful for the many regular givers who are so generous with their resources each week!

First Aid Course 
We are excited about the first of many training partnership with Parramatta College that launched this week at Parramatta Salvos. On Thursday, 19 participants gathered for First Aid training. Parramatta Community College is partnering with us to provide free or low cost training to upskill our volunteers and other community members. We look forward to this relationship developing further in the months ahead! 

New Collecting Opportunity
We have been given the opportunity to collect at Carlingford Court fortnightly on a Wednesday between 10am and 2pm. If you think you may be able to to help by collecting on a roster, please take a look at the roster in the foyer this Sunday to see where you can help out. Please pray for this opportunity as we collect much needed funds and also have the opportunity to be present in our community. 

April Prayer Room
You are invited to read and use these prayer resources in your quiet time. Click here to access April Prayer Room. 

Lionel Stowe
Please continue to pray for our friend, Lionel Stowe who turned 93 last week!

Rosters

Sunday Cafe
02/04 -  Maryanne C & Montana SB

Welcomes
02/04 - 9:30am Barb B, 11am Ray H

Salvos Connect
03/04/23 - Cafe: Will & Kerry, Vouchers: Judith W
05/04/23 - Cafe: Will & Kerry 
07/04/23 - Connect Site Closed (Good Friday)

Car Park
31/03/2023 - Wanderers v Adelaide - 6:30 - 7:45pm - Richard Eden
15/04/2023 - Wanderers v Melbourne Victory - 6:30 - 7:45pm - Marty Bust