Tuesday at 2pm is a special time at Moran Village. It’s the time we hold our Christian service in the James Bull Bar. Today we had a new sign put outside the door by one of the Moran staff, Alex. It said “Christian service 2pm. All welcome”. The sign worked its magic, as we were joined for a while by a mum and baby, who had popped in to Moran for a coffee. We had a lovely chat before the service and though she couldn’t stay for too long, she knows she’s welcome to come back anytime.

We want everyone at Moran to know they are welcome at our low key and inclusive service.

The South Head team consists of Tim Edwards, Catherine Kalokorinos, Verity Thomson, Tanya Bosch and myself, along with Ann and Ian Loveridge (Moran residents) who have had an amazing ministry of connecting with everyone at Moran and are responsible for just about everyone at the service being there.

They are also our liaison for Community Lunch each month, inviting, collecting names and passing on numbers to Doreen. Consequently we get one or two busloads of Moran folk at Community Lunch most months.

Today, for instance, Tim led the service, with input for readings, prayers and ‘what’s on’ from the team. Our theme for the term is Faith in Action, and each week one of us speaks about someone who has lived out their faith in practical ways. Today Verity told us about Florence Nightingale. Last week Tanya told us how Eric Liddell of Chariots of Fire fame lived his faith in both his athletics and his missionary career.

Here’s what two of our Moran friends said just today following our service.

“You don’t know how important this service is to me, Meg. It’s my favourite time of the week.”

And from another, “Today was so lovely. I loved the music and the calm tone. Tim is so nice and I enjoyed Verity’s talk about Florence Nightingale.”

Both of those ladies are in their nineties.

The 25 or so regulars have become a church family. It’s interesting how quite a number have made comments like, “You know I’d not have considered myself religious, and I haven’t really been much to church since school, but I like coming here. I try not to miss it now.”

For others, faith has been part of their life journey for a long time. As we get to know each other, it’s proven a privilege to share in their life and faith journeys; faith that has often been forged amidst great life sadnesses.

I want to thank Matt Aroney for so valuing ministry to seniors, both in his own commitment to coming regularly last year and now monthly, but also in the excellent appointment of Tim Edwards to take carriage of this vital ministry. We could not have wished for anyone other than Tim to come into the ministry, so ably filling the shoes of our most recent fabulous seniors’ ministry men Jeff Ware and Paul Perini. Everyone took quickly to Tim, and it’s common for me to be asked several times before the service, “Is Tim coming today?” And it’s clear that Tim loves this ministry… he told me today that Maddy always says he’s at his happiest when it’s his seniors’ ministry day. And he’s now stepped up as the official welcomer and dad joke teller at Community Lunch! He is such a warm and genuine person, exactly right for this ministry. Thank you Lord for Tim, and thank you Matt for an insightful appointment.

I took a couple of shots from the back at Moran today, showing both Tim and Verity up front.

We value your prayers for Seniors ministry, and ask you to join us in praying that more friends from Moran join us and find for themselves a faith to live by, as well as friendship and fellowship weekly.