Almighty God, in these times of conflict and uncertainty, please give your wisdom, guidance and strength to our Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, and our Premier, Chris Minns, that they may provide good and wise leadership.

Please strengthen and lead us as we reach out to our communities with your words of truth and love. We pray that hearts will be opened, your Word planted deeply. Lord, may we further your Gospel not only by words, but also by actions that reflect faith, love, joy and peace.

Gracious Father, we pray for your blessing on all families – that they would be places of safety and warmth, where each may grow in grace and knowledge of you.

Lord of the Nations, we thank you for the growth in Explore’s ministry, praying for Simon in his oversight of the Southern Region in South Africa; for Isaac, leading the South Central Region in Malawi and Zambia; and Misheck in the Eastern Region. Lord, may your blessing strengthen these ministries.

We thank you, Father, that we can offer mission support to Explore, at George Whitefield College in Cape Town, spreading your Gospel in Africa. Thank you for the recent visit to our church by Nevil Carrington, and the chance to meet him and hear about Explore’s progress. We pray that Explore will receive additional prayer and financial support to continue its important work of training African pastors and church leaders.

Let us pray for Bible Society Australia, asking that people everywhere will have access to God’s Word and be transformed by the message of love, hope and joy found in it.

Great God of the spoken word, help us to hear your word afresh and may it fall on ‘good soil’; on perceptive minds and  hearts, and seeking spirits.

We praise and thank you, Father, that we can offer mission support to CMS missionaries Lachlan and Candy Grice. The Grices are now settling in to their ministry in Taiwan. Lachlan is at language school, and adjusting to driving among a host of motor scooters. Son Beau is learning Mandarin. Please pray for good health and guidance for the whole family. Please pray, too, for all CMS missionaries in training.

Thank you, Father, for the growth of Indigenous Ministry and for a new home for the Shoalhaven Community Church. Lord, please guide and strengthen Michael Duckett in his role as Director of Indigenous Ministry.

Father, we thank you that we can offer mission support to James and Brittany Daymond, serving with BCA. Please bless and strengthen James in his role as Archdeacon in the North-West, Diocese of Bathurst. We thank you, too, Father for Samuel and Grace Ogg preparing to take up BCA’s Ministry Trainee position at Lightning Ridge.

Father, we thank you for the dedicated and needed work of  Anglicare’s Food and Financial Services team. We thank you for counsellors offering free support under Anglicare’s Emotional Wellbeing Program. We pray for Mike Clarke as he runs the Anglicare ministry in Cobham Youth Justice Centre near Penrith; and for Andrew Ford and all his team in Anglicare’s Foster Circle, caring for at-risk children.

We thank you, Father, that we can offer mission support to Anglicare, praying for your guidance for its Board and CEO.

We thank you, Lord, that we can support Margie Powell, working with Mentac in south-west Sydney. We pray, Lord, that you will guide Margie every day during her Women’s Groups, meetings with community members and  conversations about faith.

Please thank our Father that at Lavender Bay Preschool, in our church grounds, Laura and her team are teaching the Christian faith to the children in their care.

Father, please guide and bless all Scripture teachers, especially those in our church. Please give them wisdom as they teach by word and example. And we thank you, Father, for Christian witnesses, teachers and examples in our schools.

Lord, we thank you for recent evidence of growing faith in our communities, and our schools. Thank you, especially for the many dedicated Christian schools. Please help us, Father, to live as you would have us: loving You and our neighbours as ourselves, that we may encourage faith in our community by our caring and kind Christian example.

Please pray for our Archbishop, Kanishka Raffel, and our Bishop, Chris Edwards. Please pray too for our new Anglican Primate, Archbishop Mark Short. We thank you for the words of our Archbishop Kanishka:  “Jesus is in the midst of his people, as we pursue the mission on which he has sent us.”

May our music and song honour you, Lord. And please blessLouie, our organist, and JoAnn, Hans and all who praise you with music andsong. Father, we pray for your blessing on James Paterson as he takes somestudy time in Italy.

Great Father, we pray for your Holy Spirit to lead andguide us as we reach out to our neighbours in this city. Please give us wisdom,vision and words to say. Help us, too, to express your Gospel in lovingactions. We especially ask your wisdom in building the Tuesday lunch group andWednesday Refresh peace and prayer group. May we live out and share the love, joy and peace that are fruits of your Spirit.

We thank you, Father, for our Bible Study groups, our Home Groups, Mens Groups, special times of prayer and Coffee times, that they may honour you and strengthen our faith. Please guide us, Father,  in joyfully living out our faith day by day.

Father, we thank you for all who join us in worship, both new and long-term believers. Help us to grow in our faith, knowledge and love of you.

Lord, we seek your loving mercy to enfold former Christ Church members, and family members, in full-time care, including Betsy, Warwick, Graeme and Val; for those house-bound, Enid and Norman, and for others known to you, asking that they will be comforted by your presence.

Please continue praying for our Wardens: Glenn Crichton,Ian Davidson and Philippa Armfield, our Treasurer Maggie Springett, our ParishCouncil and Nominators. Please ask for God’s guidance, wisdom and energy forthem all.

Father, as we come together today in our combined Family Service on Father’s Day, please help us to build up our church family, with commitment to your Gospel truth. Help us to grow in spiritual strength and inner peace, and joyfully to express our faith in our care for our human families, our church family and all with whom we come into contact.

We praise and thank you, Father, for our church and for the dedicated contribution of the many who volunteer in service leadership, assisting at Communion, in leading prayers, in catering, bringing and serving refreshments, in welcoming  those who are new, and encouraging church fellowship.

Father we thank you for all who assist in our worship, thanking you especially for Elijah Watson’s valuable service as Verger, and praying for your blessing on all his future plans. Please guide us in seeking ministry help with our church activities.

Let us thank God for Cath’s contribution to our church fellowship. And let us pray for safety and guidance for Cath in her role as Chaplain in the Australian Navy, and wisdom in her role as a Board member of Anglicare.

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Let us pray for God’s guidance for Andrew in his work as Anglican Chaplain at RNS Hospital. We ask that you will guide Andrew’s words and actions as he listens to patients, shares times of personal significance with them, and prays with them. Let us also pray for blessing for all the Osborn family.

Lord, we thank you for Di’s faithful leadership and direction. Please bless and uphold Di in all her work: in her devoted pastoral care, visiting, serving and encouraging; and in her leadership of Bible Study classes. We ask that you keep Di in good health and happiness.

Please pray for our Rector, Greg Webster. Please pray that Greg will be refreshed after his annual holiday, and that God will bless, strengthen and lead Greg in his ministry to us of preaching, teaching and leading by dedicated Christian example. Please pray that, led by Greg, we may all be living examples of Christian faith and love.