Church Exercise - experiencing cultural diversity

I've encouraged everyone at church to visit part or parts of Sydney they don't normally go to and experience the cultural diversity of the place. I have come up with a list, but you might have some good ideas as well (post your ideas as a comment).

Don't just rush in and rush out, take a seat and try to meet someone. Just sit and observe for half an hour. Pray for the people that if they don't know Jesus they might come to know him as their Lord and Saviour.

The places I had in mind were:

• Barakat Butchers at Belmore
• ALDI Canterbury
• Croydon Park McDonalds
• Marrickville: the Metro or along Marrickville Rd
  
• Ashfield Mall
• Big W, Campsie
• Lakemba Pizza
• Dulwich Hill shops
  

Have a think about the following questions as you think about your experience:

1. What makes this experience different to what I am used to?
2. What makes this experience the same as what I am used to?
3. How deep do you think the differences go?
4. Did you feel at home here. Why or why not?

All the best! Let me know how you go since once we have 15 people complete the exercise I will give out the next one!

Community Working Bee - Sat 8th Dec

Invite everyone you know to lend at hand at our community working bee. It will be a great day to meet people in the community, hear a little about our church and get some important jobs done around the place.

Click on the picture for a larger version.

Kids Craft Club

Next week we will be having the Craft Club for this term. It will be a bit different from last time with more time spent making and finishing earlier. Please secure your spot by calling me or Beth on 9798 5300.

Click on the picture for a larger version.

Safe Ministry training

It was great to have Janene Lewers from Youthworks visit us this week and complete the Safe Ministry training with more of our congregation. Looking after the children in our care is really important to us and we give praise to God for those who serve in this way!


"I don't turn my back on God's undeserved kindness. If we can be acceptable to God by obeying the Law, it was useless for Christ to die." Galatians 2:21 (CEV)

Dulwich Hill Street Fair - Sun, Dec 2

After church on Sunday you might like to head up to Dulwich Hill for their street fair. Marrickville Road and Seaview Street will be closed and all kinds of things happening. Click on the photo for more information or check out the information at the Marrickville Council website.

Pray for your politicians

It must be tough being a politician. Pray for them that they would do what is right before doing what is popular.

Bible Talk from Sunday

We didn't get the first few minutes of the Bible Talk on Sunday, but here is the rest of it... Ephesians 5:15-21.

Golden Compass?

What have people heard about the religious aspects of the film "The Golden Compass?"

12 Steps to avoid

Here are the 12 steps to an affair. Twelve steps to avoid like the plague.

"Excuses might be found for a thief
who steals because he is starving.
But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole,
even if he has to sell everything in his house.
But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool,
for he destroys himself. "

Proverbs 6:30-32 (NLT)

Be filled by the Spirit

This Sunday we pick up our Ephesians series: "Called by God to Walk his Way". as we look at Ephesians 5:15-21. This is a great little passage encouraging us to be filled by the Spirit. What that looks like is not what you might expect!

can't get enough

I don't care too much about most things in church, but one thing I do - that we preach Christ crucified. As Christians we follow a king who came to serve and die so that we could have life. When you move on from Jesus' death and resurrection you have moved away from Jesus and from his Father. For me, I can't get enough of basking in what Christ has done and sharing it with others.

"For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel — not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power." 1 Corinthians 1:17

Ordering John Paton V.C. "Hero of Lucknow"

You can order the book by Stuart Braga on John Paton V.C. by downloading an order form here.

Please send it together with a cheque for $12 for each copy (includes $2 postage and handling). It is a great piece of history that our church is proud to have as part of its heritage.

Self-sacrificial service

Jesus was someone who put the interests of others before his own. His passion to see others saved meant he gave his life to rescue them. Jesus describes himself in this way in Mark's gospel:

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:45 (NIV)

That same self-sacrificial service is to characterise Christian people. We are not often called upon to give our lives in the service of others, but that is exactly what Christ calls on us to do:

"Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it." Mark 8:34-35

Zeal, the missing factor?

I think since 9/11 and the whole terrorist thing it has become very uncool to zealous about anything religious. The most intolerable thing is someone who believes something passionately. Jesus was passionate. As Hebrews says:

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)

Something I think we are often missing is our enthusiasm for Jesus and the gospel. Paul instructs us to..

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. " Romans 12:11 (NIV)

The reality is that we often forget the goodness and grace of God and caught up in our own lives. Being zealous is about being caught up in the gospel of Jesus and living for him. It is about knowing the mercy of God in Christ and giving our very lives in his service. The Diocesan mission points us to God to ask for this sacrificial compassion/zeal. It's primary strategy is to pray "for an outpouring of God’s Spirit so that his people will be assured of his love through his word and develop a sacrificial compassion for the lost. "

Do we really believe how lost people really are? Do we consider other's interests before our own? Do we have a sacrificial compassion for the lost that will motivate us to mission? Do we have a zeal for the gospel of Jesus? My prayer is that as a church we would.

More....John Sandeman makes some good observations about the issue on the Diocesan website here.

Make a home and then help make a home

Often it feels as though the value of our work is measured by the pay-packets we get. However the work of building a home is one of the most important things you can ever do. It is real work and if neglected it means our families suffer, our church life suffers and our community suffers. Christians need to be really good at investing not in houses but in making homes.

It is not something you can do on your own but something others need to value and help with as well. One of the goals we should have is to make a home and then help others make a home. This will stand in contrast to our world where making your own house is everything. As the Apostle Paul says:

"Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God. " Titus 2:3-5

Open Day goes great

Thanks to everyone for a great Open Day. Jesus was honoured as the gospel was preached and we all had a great time afterwards. After a week of rain the sunshine was a welcome addition too.

Ageism

I think one of the biggest cross-cultural gaps we have in our society is between generations. Check out this article from 9Marks Ministry about what the Bible has to say.

Booklet Launch at Open Day

After our church meeting at Open Day we will be having a short Remembrance Day ceremony where we will be launching a booklet on John Paton V.C. written by my dad, Stuart. The Inner West weekly picked up on the story and you can find their write up here. (Pity they called it 'mass'!)

We will be selling the booklet for $10 and all the proceeds will be going to the ministry of the church.

Jesus forgives our sin

At Church Open Day I will be speaking on Mark 2:1-12. It is a great incident that gives us a picture of who Jesus is and what he came to do. Like always there are those that reject Jesus but those who go on to listen to him more carefully.

I would love you to visit this Sunday and find out more as I speak on the topic: "Who on Earth does Jesus think he is"? Have a read of the passage below:

"When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”

Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!” (NLT)

Grass mown

What a crazy day. Rain, shine, overcast, downpour, shine, drizzle, shine. Thanks to Neale for mowing the grass out the back of church during the overcast/downpour bit.

Posters for Church Open Day

Posters are going up about Church Open Day. The photos Michael Lim took look great!

Download the pdf here and send it on to someone you know.

Joy to the world and peace in church

Check out this website called PeaceWise about being a peacemaker in your church life.

Baptism of Sophie and visit from Rev Chris Allan

On Sunday we will be baptising Sophie, daughter of Grant and Sharlene. It will be a great occasion of praying for Grant and Sharlene as they raise Sophie in the discipline and instruction of the Lord and as we pray that God would enable her to see clearly who Jesus is. She's pretty cute too.

Rev Chris Allan from MBM Rooty Hill will be speaking to us this Sunday from Exodus and thinking about the greatness of God. It is going to be great to have him with us.