St Peter's Mar Thoma Church

Worship Schedule

Date	Time	Service Type

Sunday November 17th Parish Mission Sunday Last day of Parish Convention	10:30 AM	Holy Communion - English Annunciation to Zechariah: God who fulfils promises
Sunday November 24th	10:30 AM	Holy Communion - Malayalam Annunciation to Virgin Mary: Virgin Mary – The model of dedication for the people of God Diaspora Sunday
Sunday December 1st Thanksgiving Sunday	09:30 AM	Holy Communion - English Beginning of 25 Days Lent; Meeting of Virgin Mary and Elizabeth – Mutual acceptance of two partners in God’s salvation plan Bible Sunday
Sunday December 8th	10:30 AM	Holy Communion - Malayalam Birth of John the Baptist: the child set apart for the divine plan and the family that nurtures him accordingly
Sunday December 15th	10:30 AM	Holy Communion - English Annunciation to Joseph: Joseph – the Model of discipleship for the People of God
Sunday December 22nd	10:30 AM	Holy Communion - Malayalam Arrival of the Savior of the World
Wednesday December 25th Christmas Day	09:30 AM	Holy Communion - English Yaldo – Feast of Nativity Birth of Jesus Christ: Peace on Earth; End of the 25-days Lent
Sunday December 29th	10:30 AM	Holy Communion - Malayalam God who led us till now
Tuesday December 31st Watchnight Service	09:30 PM	Holy Communion - Malayalam Into the New Year with the God of Hope

Vicar's Message

Rev. T.S. John
shajanachen2008@gmail.com

Dearly beloved,

Greetings to you one and all in the matchless name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Dearly beloved, we are at the last lap of this year. Looking back is remembering the wonderful ways God has done. Many shocking events flashed before our eyes, but God's care is incalculable and immeasurable. Let us repeat that our God is great, because He is faithful. In the shadows of God's grace, let us move forward in the following days of this year, relying on Almighty God. May the coming days be days of repentance, renewal and submission.
God always asks us to live a life of humility, meekness and quietness. That is the example He set before us. For that, we have to become a community of believers who are obedient and submissive to the interests of the Lord the Master. The first parents were created by God and put them in Eden to take care of it, according to divine instructions. But man defied it and the consequence was that he was expelled from the garden. The Lord is again demonstrating His love for us, as we prepare to share the memories of God being born on earth as a human to redeem the out cast. Let us prepare ourselves to preserve the purity and purpose of Eden, so that our parish and homes become a place of pleasure or a place of delight. That is why the psalmist reminds us that in his presence is full of joy forever and in his right hand is joy forever.
"GROW IN FAITH " which was this year's theme and its meaning may help us to lead a fruitful spiritual journey throughout our life. Surely I believe that from the meditations of the Word Of God, we will get sufficient spiritual nutrition. So please consider this year's convention very seriously. In the same way, I pray that God will help us on Christmas days to decorate us spiritually with the fruit of the Holy Spirit beyond the external decorations of Christmas . Dear ones, everyone knows that these are the last months of the financial year. Until now you have all had your sincere cooperation in the financial needs of the parish, express my heartfelt thanks to each one of you. A humble request is that all families should take care to pay the other amounts due to the parish by December 15th , this is helpful in settling the accounts to the Trustees on time. Requesting all families to participate in the Thanksgiving Special Offertory on Sunday, December 1st by remembering the blessings received from the Lord Almighty.
As a parish let us give thanks for everything that God has given us this year and prepare ourselves to enter the New Year with dedication. May God bless everyone.
WISH YOU ALL HAPPY THANKSGIVING. CHRISTMAS AND BLESSED NEW YEAR
With Much Love and Prayers,
sd/-
John Achen

Youth Chaplain's Message

Rev. Jess M. George

Dearly beloved in Christ,

As we enter November, the lectionary themes remind us of many significant events. One of these is World Sunday School Day, a time to thank God for the ministry of Sunday School, where our children learn more about His Word and are equipped to follow Him throughout their lives. Our challenge is to ensure that this instruction extends beyond just one hour a week; we are called to teach our children daily how to live in love and reverence for God. Something I have seen throughout my life, not specific to one parish is that it is concerning to see some parents dropping their children off at Sunday School without staying for service themselves. Our actions speak louder than words, and our children learn from what we model in our own lives. Let’s embrace the Sunday School experience as a lifelong commitment and demonstrate our faith genuinely to our children.
As we approach the Christmas season, we also commemorate the annunciations to Zachariah and the Virgin Mary, and the sharing of the Good News through Mary’s visit to Elizabeth. This month, let us meditate on the message of hope that the coming of our Savior brings. His arrival assures us that God is always with us. Let us continue to place our trust and hope in Him and be thankful in every circumstance, knowing we are here because of His boundless love.
In December, as we look forward to the Advent season and the coming new year, let us reflect on the gift of God’s grace in Jesus Christ. As we close 2024, may we also examine our lives and consider how we can grow and change for the better. Christmas is a season to live gratefully, and through this gratitude, may we respond by transforming ourselves, sharpened for His purpose.
Wishing everyone a blessed Thanksgiving and a joyful Christmas.
May God bless you abundantly.

Much love,
Jess Achen