Dear SHAP Family and Friends,

In 2024, we’re celebrating the 160^th anniversary of St Peter’s Watsons Bay. The Church was set on the head as a spiritual lighthouse on South Head and named after the great “fisher of men”, St Peter. It plays an essential geographical and spiritual place in this part of our city. Prayer is a big part of our life together as God’s people At SHAP. In this 160^th year, we hope to bless St Peter’s as a place of continual and ongoing prayer. By doing this, we will put prayer at the heart of who we are and create a place of spiritual refreshment.

Gap Park, adjacent to St Peter’s, can be a place of great hopelessness and irretrievable pain. Along the walk, these days are “mindful activities” that summon someone to attend to themselves and their surroundings. It makes sense that we, too, seek to “plant hope on the headland” by establishing a place for prayer on the grounds of St Peter’s.

We envisage developing a spiritual oasis around St Peter’s. A trail of park benches that allows anyone to sit and enjoy the natural beauty of South Head while prayerfully contemplating verses like: “Come to me all you who are weary and I will give you rest” or being summoned to “cast all our anxieties on God.” Anyone who walks the grounds of St Peter’s will be able to see God in creation and hear his voice in scripture.

At the beginning of scripture is a garden where Adam and Eve enjoy the presence of God and scripture ends with a picture of the world flooded with God’s presence. A prayer garden points us back to the beginning of creation and forward to the finale. It was the Lord Jesus who: “withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16). We are summoned to do likewise, to prayerfully engage our God in the midst of the hurried nature of life.

To do this, we need to raise $34000 for the cost of enduring benches, scripture plaques and their installation. If you can contribute to this work, we’d love your help. Either by giving or pledging an amount over the next 6 months to the work. Details of amounts to give and how to give or pledge are on the accompanying sheet.

Grace and Peace

Matt Aroney

Rector

St Peters Prayer Garden

The seats and benches are made from aluminum casting arms/legs, with Spotted Gum treated Colourguard stained timber (made in Australia). You can see one of the seats outside of IGA in Rose Bay. They will be affixed to reinforced concrete slabs for security and stability. They are constructed to last for several decades without ongoing maintenance.

The plaques are made from bronze, by the company who supplies plaques for the Columbarium, you can see examples of plaques there.

The costs of the project are as follows:-

6 x seats (with backs) @ $3725 fully installed $22,350

2 x benches (without backs) @ $3205 fully installed $ 6,410

6 x A5 bronze plaques @ $385 each $ 2,310

2 x A4 bronze plaques @ $600 each $ 1,200

Misc – landscaping, stonework etc $ 1,730

Total $34,000

We would welcome any donations towards this project, no matter how small, or perhaps you would like to fully sponsor a seat, bench or plaque.

Donations can be made by cheque, made out to South Head Anglican Parish with a note that it is for the Prayer Garden, or by direct deposit to the SHAP general account:-

South Head Anglican Parish

BSB: 032 058

A/C: 222 171

Please put in the details that it is for the Prayer Garden.

If you wish to make a pledge for any amount (to be paid within the next 6 months) please email Elaine.Kaye@southheadanglican.org.

If you have any queries, please to not hesitate to contact Matt Aroney, Irene Jackson, or Doreen Laforest.

Thank you for your assistance with this SHAP project.