Activities at St Thomas Anglican Church

The community of believers at St Thomas’ exists to help people live out their faith in the world. This happens in a variety of different ways and at many different times throughout the life of the parish and the individual lives of parish family members.

As we respond to the good news of Jesus Christ, as we enter into a relationship with God the creator through faith in his son Jesus, as we receive Jesus as our personal Lord and Saviour, so we begin a journey of faith that changes our lives.

We need help in this journey and God has supplied this in His Word, contained in the scriptures. The Holy Spirit fills and continues to fill the believer which allows fellowship with God and other believers so we can be strengthened for life in the world.

Following is a description of the activities and ministries at St Thomas’. One or two of these may be of benefit for you on your journey.

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St Thomas' Growth Groups

There are a wide variety of small groups in operation at St Thomas’. There is a small group that meets almost every day of the week. Some groups are Bible Study groups with a serious agenda of getting to know the Word of God better and allowing that knowledge to transform lives. There are home groups that meet for fellowship, mutual support, prayer and study. There are other groups that are task focused with a particular interest and meet together to further the interest in a context of Christian fellowship. There are still other groups that meet with the express purpose of supporting a particular group of people, for example the healing support group. What ever your need, you are sure to find a small group that suites you and will encourage you in your faith journey and your commission to go and make disciples. For further information please contact our minister for small groups Mike Perrott through the parish office.

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St Thomas' Prayer Groups

‘Someone has said that when we work, we work; but when we pray, God works.’
The community of faith at St Thomas’ understands the truth of the above statement evidenced by the high priority given to prayer, both individual and corporate, in the everyday activities in the life of the parish. We endeavour to be obedient to our Lord’s command, “ My house will be a house of prayer' (Luke 19:46)

Preaching is the exclusive role of the preachers. The missionary’s task is not for everyone. But anyone can pray! We believe God longs for those who work at prayer. His Word declares, “… the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16) Prayer is a cry of the heart with a promise from our Lord Jesus, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. (Matt 7:7)

St Thomas’ has a prayer minister whose role is to encourage and raise up the personal prayer life of every parishioner (Matthew 6:6). The prayer minister also promotes the corporate prayer life in the church (1 Timothy 2:1).

We currently have 3 intercessory prayer groups meeting throughout the week. The healing ministry is another important part of the parish prayer life. We have over 30 people trained to offer prayer for healing at both the 8am and 10am Sunday services.

Rev’d David Curtis is the prayer minister and can be also be contacted through the parish office.

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St Thomas' Kids Club

Kids Club is a blast. The kids and parents love it. It runs twice a year in the July and Christmas holidays. It caters for primary school kids, ages 5 to 12 years. It’s a week long program that typically commences at 9.30 in the morning and runs through to 12 noon.

The program is a carefully balanced blend of activities encouraging growth in the mental, physical, spiritual and emotional development of the participants. The program is so popular with both kids and parents, recent times have seen the week almost fully subscribed by early registrations before the weeks activities start.

So get in early. The kids have a heap of fun, are well feed, do great craft activities, play great games, sing fun songs, and learn about the God of the bible who loves them.

With child protection issues in the forefront of thinking, the leadership team is screened and trained for the benefit and welfare of the kids. St Thomas’ Kids Club is simply one of those ‘must do’ things during the holidays. For further information contact Robyn Cohen the coordinator or Mel Hanger our Young Families Minister through the parish office.

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St Thomas' Play Centre

Playtime started on the 4th February 2008. Playtime is great opportunity for parents with kids age 0-5 (pre-kindergarten) to enjoy time with their kids and other families.

Playtime has a simple & flexible structure:

9.30 Free Time

10.30 Morning Tea

10.45 Story Time (including a sing-along)

10.50 Craft

11.05 Free Time

There is play dough, painting, puzzles, dress ups, building blocks, all you need to play 'homes', and much more. We enjoy providing a relaxed, casual and safe environment for all families so that they may grow closer together, as well as build new friendships and support networks. Fabulous slices and cakes are also provided for parents.

WHEN: Mondays during school term 9.30am - 11.30am

WHERE: St Thomas's Anglican Church Hall

COST: Gold coin donation

WHAT TO BRING: drink bottle and morning tea for kids. Hats & shoes.

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE ARE A PEANUT-FREE ZONE please do not bring any food that contains peanuts.

We look forward to seeing you there :) Leanne Smith & Mel Hanger (Team Leaders)

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St Thomas' Soup Kitchen

The soup kitchen operates every Wednesday from 11.30am to 1.15pm. A three course meal is served with tea and coffee. This service is an outreach to the homeless and less fortunate although everyone is welcome. There is no charge but small donations are accepted.

We are happy to receive produce from any who like to donate to this outreach. A very happy band of people run the day, creative cooks and chefs enthusiastic waiters and waitresses caring from entry to exit, all working for the Lord in a volunteer capacity. Some of our volunteers were previously customers and are proving to be very reliable.

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St Thomas' Ladies Fellowship

The Ladies Fellowship at St Thomas’ has been in operation, doing its thing, for decades. Tuesday Mornings in the Worship Centre the group gets together to share with each other and encourage each other in their journey. No issue is too big or too small as the group gathers around the Word of God with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit as Guide and Friend.

This humble gathering of women has had a profound impact on the parish and the lives of many people of Port Macquarie over the years and continues to do so in its own quiet and unobtrusive way.

If you’re a woman that would like to be encouraged, challenged and stretched in your faith and journey, in an environment of love and acceptance, where the Word of God is honoured and Holy Spirit Guidance is accepted, then do come along. If you would like more information the person to speak to is Pauline Grant through the parish office.

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St Thomas' Prayer Breakfast

St Thomas’ Women’s Prayer Breakfast is one of those special events where women both young and old come out of the wood work to enjoy the morning. Great breakfasts, powerful guest speakers, wonderful prayer times and special bonds of fellowship are regular features. There are several Women’s Prayer Breakfasts every year and all are very well attended with numbers up to 100 quite common. Each breakfast has a theme and focus and all who come are encouraged, challenged, and strengthened as multigenerational sharing, caring, teaching and praying equip participants for life as Christian women. For more information speak with Diana Charlesworth or Sue Lewis, both contactable through the parish office.

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St Thomas' Men’s Prayer Breakfast

A men’s prayer breakfast is held in one of the CMR rooms each Friday morning between 7.00 and 8.00am It is open to all denominations and we currently have members from St. Thomas’ Anglican and Church of Christ, Port Macquarie and Wauchope Baptist Church. Numbers range from 10 to 18 depending on the time of year and who is out of town.

A light breakfast is served consisting of various cereals, toast and marmalade or jam, with tea or coffee. After breakfast, a period of singing praises to God is followed by a short message and discussion. The meeting concludes with corporate prayer as those present feel led by the Spirit.

It is a time of great warmth and brotherly love amongst those who attend with humour, compassion, support and service being key elements of its longevity as it has now been running for over twenty years. We would welcome new faces.

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St Thomas' Healing Support Group

The Healing Support Group is an ecumenical Christian group which believes in the healing power of Christian prayer and which meets fortnightly from 10:00 am to 12 noon in St. Thomas’ CMR Room every other Monday morning.

The members of this small group all either suffer from chronic conditions themselves or are carer’s for those who do. We meet to discuss the issues and concerns of these individuals, to report progress over a cup of tea and to offer emotional and practical support for one another. The very nature of this group is to support one another, not only in the bi-weekly meetings but whenever we need each other. The meetings end with a Bible Reading and a short period of meditation and prayers.

If you are interested, please telephone Ivan or Jenelle Francis on 6583-7731

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St. Thomas’ Friendship Morning

St. Thomas’ Friendship Morning is held on the third Thursday each month, from February to November inclusive, and offers morning tea, friendship and entertainment to older members of our community. The function commences at ten o’clock and concludes at eleven thirty. Our November meeting also includes a Christmas luncheon.

Most of our guests are from hostels and nursing homes but anyone who feels isolated or alone is welcome to attend. There is no charge but small donations are accepted.

At the commencement of our function a member of the clergy team reads a passage from the bible and says grace. Morning tea is then served and entertainment is provided by talented local groups and individuals. Community singing is led by our master of ceremonies.

The group endeavours to provide a friendly and welcoming atmosphere for our guests, many of whom would otherwise have few outings.

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St. Thomas’ School of Christian Studies

Under the leadership and guidance of the Rev’d John Dyer the opportunity to study a Diploma of Theology has been available through St Thomas’ for the past 10 years. The course comes out of the Robert Menzies College from the School of Christian Studies, Macquarie University. The Diploma is recognized across Australia and is issued under the auspices of the Australian College of Theology (A.C.L.). The course can take 7 years to complete the 14 units with study notes and audio tapes of lectures provided. There is a weekly seminar hosted by John Dyer which facilitates the learning process by group discussion and students questions being answered. Many people have completed the course and a number have gone on to ordained ministry as a result. Many other people use the course as a structured form of personal and spiritual edification. The weekly seminars occur Thursday nights during term between 6.30 and 8.30. If you have ever wondered about the many benefits of the formal study of theology don’t hesitate to have a chat with John Dyer. He can be contacted through the parish office and will be more than happy to answer any more detailed questions you might have.

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St. Thomas’ Parish Socials

If there is one thing St Thomas’ does well it’s our parish socials. They may not happen all that often but when they do – they go off. It’s nothing for well over 100 parishioners across all age groups to get together to have a great time of fun and fellowship. The socials are often associated with some parish event or other like the welcome of a clergy person or the farewell of a long time member. What ever the reason, when they happen, we do them well. The huge effort put by a small band on the social team is just astounding and on the day all the work pays of as the events are always nothing short of brilliant. There is no time better to meet up with fellow St Thomas’ people who you may not know so well than at a social event. People from all the various services get together and the church family is seen as one. It’s also a great time for new folk to get involved, break the ice, meet a few people and build a social network of fellow St Thomas people.

Keep you eyes on the Coming Events page of this site for the next social event and if you want further details Sue Lewis and Dianna Charlesworth are the ones to speak to. They are always on the look out for helpers and can be contacted through the parish office.

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The Friends of St. Thomas

“The Friends” were inaugurated in 1987 and these volunteers have kept the Church open on weekdays, both mornings (9.30am to noon) and afternoons (2pm to 4pm) ever since.

Through the Friends, visitors from diverse backgrounds learn about the history of St Thomas Church, and the associated buildings on Church Hill dating from 1822. The church history book ($5) provides a detailed description of past events. As well, a CD presenting a brief history with a background of organ music, is activated as visitors arrive. And the 360 degree view from the tower, of well known landmarks, is stunning.

A friendly face and manner is all that is required of the volunteers, apart from having studied the Church’s fascinating history. And our expert historians are always delighted to address school and visitors’ groups. People from all over the world sign the visitors’ book: St Thomas’ is a drawcard of Port Macquarie, chiefly because of its’ convict beginnings.

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St Thomas Ministry to the Elderly

As part of St Thomas overall ministry to the people of Port Macquarie we seek to provide spiritual support to those who through age or ill health are unable to continue to be part of an active church community by taking church to these people.

The ministry includes pastoral visiting to the many nursing homes and other aged care facilities within the Port Macquarie Area, and the holding of regular communion services in these facilities.

The aim of this ministry is to enable those who have been active in their faith to be able to maintain that connection with God and his people. Also the aim of this ministry is to provide a space, in which those who have not had an active faith to explore the possibilities, and to provide a place where those in the last period of their earthly life can prepare for their time in eternity.

The ministry also provides assurance and comfort for family members through the ongoing support of their loved ones.

The ministry is provided by a team of Clergy and Laity.

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