Message from the Rector

Christ is risen; He is risen indeed, Alleluia, Alleluia! We celebrate this joyous and important event in the Church’s calendar by giving praise to God, for bringing back to life our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the King of heaven and earth.

Our Lord Jesus’ earthly ministry can be divided into two parts between his work in the northern region of Galilee and his ministry south of the county in Judea. In the north, we hear the Lord’s teaching in the form of the beatitudes, ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven’ (Matthew 5v3), in the Sermon on the Mount, one of the enduring sites in the Holy Land. In the south, we learn of the Lord’s visits to the Holy City of Jerusalem especially his entry on Palm Sunday, where he rode on a donkey.......:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

Our new Bishop, the Right Revd Dr Ian Coutts, was consecrated at an inspiring ceremony at St George’s Cathedral, Perth last Thursday 1st November. The Most Revd Kay Goldsworthy presided at the service in her capacity as the Archbishop of Perth and Metropolitan of the Anglican Province of Western Australia. The Archbishop was assisted by several bishops of the Anglican Church of Australia as well as those from other parts of the Anglican Communion. When a new bishop is consecrated, they are presented with three symbols of office. First, they are given a mitre which they wear on their head. Second, the new bishop is presented with a staff or shepherd’s crook and, third, a cross or crucifix attached to a long chain which is worn around the neck so that it rests on......:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

This weekend the First Session of the Fortieth Synod (20182020) are meeting in Bunbury. As part of Synod business several motions, questions and petitions have been put forward. Here is an example: Motion Seeking Asylum and Refugees Mover The Hon. Murray Montgomery Seconder Mrs Marie Ham TEXT OF MOTION – ‘That this Synod: Acknowledges people seeking asylum living in our community are entitled to human rights, dignity and social support. Opposes the current placement of asylum seekers and refugees into the off-shore detention centres in Manus Island, Nauru and Christmas Island and seeks an end to these arrangements and closure of these centres and the people held in these centres be brought to Australia for processing......:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

In its early days, the Anglican Parish of Dunsborough was part of the Parish of St Mary’s, Busselton which is one the oldest churches in Western Australia. This year St Mary’s Anglican Church will be giving thanks to God for nearly two centuries of ministry in this beautiful part of WA by celebrating 170 years of spiritual growth, mission and service to the community of Busselton. Planning for the church in Busselton began in 1841. However, it was not until 1844 that the foundation stone was laid, marking the beginning of the construction of the church building. The service of consecration took place on the 4th of November in 1848.

Exactly 170 years later, our friends at St Mary’s are planning a weekend of celebrations from Friday 2nd November to Sunday 4th November........:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

Last Sunday I had the privilege of introducing our Pastoral Partners to the congregation as well as offering some special prayers; assuring them of our constant and prayerful support in all they do for God as members of the church in Dunsborough. We also prayed for those who could not be present on the day. Please join me in saying the following Pastoral Partners prayer: Christ has no body now on earth but ours; no hands but ours; no feet but ours; our eyes are the eyes through which Christ can look with compassion on the world; ours are the feet through which he is to go about doing good to God’s glory. Amen. Thank you for supporting the 8.45am Joint Service on the third Sunday of the month........:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

Through his teaching, life and work Christ modelled friendship as a means of staying close to God and to one another especially through prayer and worship. In church life one way of practicing and promoting friendship is through the ministry of our church Pastoral Partners – whom we pray for today especially – who often serve as the first level of offering caring support for members of the congregation. The Pastoral Partner is a good friend, neighbour and fellow disciple of Jesus Christ. Since Jesus is the Shepherd who cares for the sheep, sometimes even leaving the larger part of the flock behind to find one sheep which is lost (Matthew 18: 12-14).......:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

Next Sunday we will have an opportunity to recognise and thank our Pastoral Partners during the Joint Service. Friendship can be exercised and lived through pastoral partnerships and this understanding of pastoral care is based on Christ’s teaching to abide in his love and follow his lead. In John 15:9-11 Jesus says, ‘As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.’ As the good shepherd of the sheep, Jesus also says, ‘“… anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit.......:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

More prayers of intercession from the PRAYER TREE at the front of the Church:

'Thank you, Lord, for my eye success and neck movement. Thank you for the rescue of the boys and this world we live in; that modern science can do so much to help people.'

'Dear Lord, thank you for your care and love for my family and I pray they may return to you and come to trust in you once more. To you be the glory for ever.'

'Thank you for being our Father, the One who recognized and dealt with our sin in the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.......:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

This week we continue with intercessions from the PRAYER TREE: 'Dear Lord, we pray for the mental healing of our dear Sister .... and the removal of all evil spirits and thoughts. We pray for the restoration of her body, to the fullness and happiness of life; in Jesus' name we pray.' 
 
'Dear Lord, we thank you for your care as well as your demonstration of your love for the world through the Thai boys' rescue.' 
 
'Jesus, we thank you for the rain, creation, our homes and families.' 
 
'I love you Lord! Open my eyes Lord to see......:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

I have been reading the prayers of thanksgiving pinned on the PRAYER TREE at the front of the Church and its amazing how these prayer points highlight key responses to God’s grace, love and care experienced by members of our congregation. While the incredible cave rescue in Thailand has been the focus, the PRAYER TREE also demonstrates people’s commitment to God and their love of neighbour, as some of the prayers show. Here are a few extracts from the ‘tree’......:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

News about the new Bishop:  Archdeacon Julie says, ‘I am delighted to say that after some negotiations the Revd Dr Ian Coutts will be consecrated bishop by The Most Revd Kay Goldsworthy at St George’s Cathedral, Perth on Thursday 1st November 2018. This will be an evening service in order to fit in with the many demands on the time both of the Archbishop and the Cathedral staff, and we are most grateful to them for making these arrangements, for what is a considerable service and will take some serious planning and preparation. Following the consecration, the new bishop will be installed at St Boniface Cathedral on Saturday 3rd November 2018 at 11am. The seating arrangements, invitations etc., are being organised......:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

Today we are delighted to welcome Thomas and Hayley McNeil and their family and friends for the baptism of their son Bodhi James. The McNeil’s live in Dunsborough and we are very pleased to share in their celebration as members of the church family in this beautiful part of south west WA. It is always a great joy to welcome God’s children in church through the Sacrament of Baptism, through which God bestows each one of us with the gift of the Holy Spirit, but what makes the day extra special is that Bodhi is also celebrating his birthday – young Mr McNeil turns one this week! Congratulations on your baptism Bodhi and a very Happy Birthday to you too!

At the front of the church we have a new ‘prayer tree’ adorned with......:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

Several of our fellow Australians who took part in the Thai Cave rescue operation earlier this month were honoured last week at a ceremony led by the Governor General, Sir Peter Cosgrove. Each of the divers and officers who were recognised at the ceremony was presented with a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) and two also received what is known as the Star of Courage, for their bravery and compassionate service. The Governor General noted that in gathering the information supporting such recognition and award, those who had done the research had reported two invariable elements of responses pertaining to the rescue: the role played by other divers and volunteers from other parts of the world who also did wonderful work, and the exceptional contribution of the Australian folk who played their part well. Their remarkable skills, courage and tirelessness......:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

 ‘And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things’ (Mark 6v32-34). The passage from Mark’s gospel raises a few questions for us: how should we respond when our colleagues, neighbours, family or friends interrupt our rest? Should we contact people when they are away on holiday and how easy is it to reach to them? Jesus and his disciples went to a deserted place. They were all tired ......:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

The FIFA World Cup comes to an end today, so who is going to win? Whilst the international football tournament has been going on in Russia an amazing rescue operation has also been taking place at the mountain cave system in northern Thailand, where divers performed one of the world's most daring rescue operations in recent years, after twelve young footballers and their twenty-five-year-old coach got trapped underground. The operation included several missions involving some of the best cave divers in the world. Negotiating four kilometres of flooded, dark and narrow passages by swimming, wading and using scuba equipment for half a day was very challenging. But the operation also depended on ......:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

There are many signs to the Kingdom which include Christ’s presence among God’s people explained in terms of the doctrine of the Incarnation. Christ is the manifestation or personification of God the Creator of the universe. Therefore, being a friend and disciple of Jesus Christ, and his messenger too, makes one a fitting herald of the good news of Christ’s saving grace and work of transformation that God establishes on earth, beginning in the land of Christ’s birth and extending to the ends of the world. The one receiving the message has two options: either to accept the good news or reject it......:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

‘He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease”’ (Mark 5.34). 
 
In the passage from Mark’s Gospel we are presented with a picture of a very busy healer and teacher as Jesus travels by boat from one side of the Sea of Galilee to another. In the passage we reflected on recently, we saw Jesus calming a storm and restoring peace and quiet in the waters of the Sea. He brought order in a time of chaos as much as he restored hope in the lives of those who were scared and confused about the extremities of life; about nature and her power over us. But Christ’s power is much greater than that of any part of the created order. Therefore, he could perform miracles, bring healing to the sick and even raise the dead back to life. 
 .....:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

Our new Bishop is to be the Revd Dr Ian Coutts who was elected recently as the 10th Bishop of Bunbury. We are asked by the Diocesan Administrator, Archdeacon Julie Baker, to share the news with others in the parish and beyond and to pray for our Bishop Elect and his wife Anne as they prepare to leave behind their work and home in Canberra to lead us in mission here in this Diocese. 
 
The Bishop Elect currently works for both Anglicare NSW/ACT and is also a lecturer at St Marks Theological Centre, in the ACT. Originally from the United Kingdom, Dr Coutts qualified as a social worker and holds several qualifications in the fields of Social Work, Education and Sociology, with expertise in the areas of .....:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

‘So, we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him’ (2 Cor 5v6-9). 
What are the signs of a healthy church? St Paul would say that we are closer to God and one another when we seek to engage with the world through faith rather than experience, assumptions or inferences.....:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

I have always been fascinated by this thing called the rainy season; when it starts, when will it end, the questions are many. Growing up in southern Africa one always waited for the coming of rain towards the end of October and the arrival of the first storm was something to celebrate about. I have very vivid memories of watching rain clouds building up in the sky, the storm approaching from the distance and mums scurrying for cover with buckets of water on their heads and babies on their back, coming from the village well and striving to get home hastily as the heavens opened. ....:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

‘We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh’ (2 Cor 4:811). 
 
Jesus taught his followers to seek the Kingdom of God and, in so doing, help others live as people of faith – members of the Church of God....:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

Today the Church observes the Feast of the Holy Trinity. This day is known as Trinity Sunday because as Christians we worship God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. There are many ways of illustrating this point. One example is to use the symbolism and physical description of an egg. The egg has a shell on the outside, a white in the middle and the yellow york right in the centre. None of these three attributes can individually present as an egg and each require the contribution and existence of the other two in order to fulfill the designation of an egg. In the same way, it is possible to describe God as One in Three and Three in One....:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

Our friends at St John’s Church in Osmington are very grateful for our prayers and support as they come to terms with the ‘murder-suicide’ that happened in that area last week. I am told by colleagues in the Augusta-Margaret River parish that various meetings are being held with the shire and other churches aimed to providing care and support for bereaved family members and friends and other members of the community as they try to find comfort and make sense of what has happened. The Osmington church is open all day as a place of prayer for the rural community out there, a reminder to visitors and residents that the church seeks to be at the centre of the community and to provide help and support...:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

In John’s Gospel we are reminded about the nature of discipleship in a Church where God, who is the vinegrower, sends his Son Jesus Christ to serve as a model for us of what it might mean to live and work for the Kingdom as a branch that bear fruit. Jesus says, ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower’ (John 15v1). Our role as disciples of Christ is to bear fruit for the Kingdom by worshipping God in spirit and in truth so that we can be guided and strengthened for the wider mission work of the Church as we reach out to those around us..:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

This week all the clergy of the Diocese will be gathering together for their annual Retreat which is to be held at the St John of God Retreat House in Shoalwater south of Rockingham, commencing Monday 7th May and going through to Friday 11th May. It is an opportunity to spend time in silent prayer and reflection. While all clergy and ordinand in active ministry are expected to be there, retired priests and deacons are also encouraged to attend, and most ministers do find inspiration and renewal from the spiritual experience of spending time with colleagues in silence before God.:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

In the passage from Acts chapter 8, we are told about a baptismal experience involving one of the Apostles of Jesus, Philip, who is keen to carry forward the Lord’s injunction to baptize people in the name of God. On the road to Jerusalem, Philip meets a man who is visiting Palestine from Ethiopia in North Africa. Described in the passage as an Ethiopian eunuch and court official at the palace of the Queen of the Ethiopians, the man is also.:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

This morning we welcome our friend Rick Pekan from the Bible Society. Rick has visited our church before and will be speaking at both services. There will be a retiring collection at the end of each service in support of the work of the Bible Society. He will also be sharing some media/video information on the work of the Society. It’s a great opportunity for Rick to.:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

‘And he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things”’ (Luke 24v46-48).

Prior to this account of his appearance to the disciples, the Risen Christ had already been seen by some of his followers including Mary Magdalene. Jesus had also appeared to Cleophas and another disciple.:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

“Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you’” (John 20v19). 
 
As we continue with the Easter story this week we encounter a man called Thomas, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. Well, their total number is eleven at this point – Judas Iscariot having taken his own life after his betrayal of Jesus. So, when the Risen Lord appears, on the evening of the day of his resurrection, he finds ten of his disciples meeting is a closed room. They are still very frightened yet rejoice at the sudden appearance of their Master when Jesus comes and stands among them saying, ‘Peace be with you’.:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page

Message from Fr Melusi

The Easter story starts at a tomb in Jerusalem where some of the disciples of Jesus, arriving very early in the morning, are shocked to find an empty crypt. Christ’s body is not in the grave anymore and the disciples are stunned by the sudden turn of events. The stone at the mouth of the tomb has been rolled away. What could have happened; has someone stolen the body of the Lord – the disciples begin to speculate in fear and confusion. As John’s Gospel tells us, among the people who are worried and concerned is a woman called Mary Magdalene, someone who followed Jesus in his Judean ministry and a friend of the other disciples including Simon Peter.:...... To read more download the Pew Sheet

To view times of services, go to our Contact Us page