Preaching through January
Posted on October 29, 2024
Filed under Encouragement, Resources
“This year, the quieter period of church life when families are away and thoughts turn to cricket test matches, begins on Sunday 29 December and continues through 5, 12, 19 and 26 January.
A total of 5 Sundays before life returns to normal on 2 February.
Some preachers use these Sundays to give younger preachers an opportunity to preach, others take a series on Psalms at each holiday period, so they continue with the next consecutive Psalm.
Why not make a special event of these Sundays because it is a special time as we turn the page on one year and get ready for 2025. …”
– At The Expository Preaching Trust, David Cook has some helpful suggestions for preachers.
Church of England accused of ‘virtue-signalling’ after laying into small parish for not meeting ‘bureaucratic’ Net Zero demands
Posted on October 28, 2024
Filed under Church of England, Culture wars
“The Church of England has been blasted after it reprimanded a small Newcastle parish for buying gas heaters rather than a Net Zero-compliant boiler.
The Consistory Court of the Diocese of Newcastle said the Holy Cross church in Fenham, in the city’s West End, was ‘embarrassing’ over the eco-fracas – with the CofE pushing for net zero carbon emissions by 2030. …”
– Story from GB News, via Anglican Mainstream.
Related:
Going net zero by 2023 – video from the Church of England. (It would be nice to preach the cross of Christ too.)
Christianity is not Colonial: An Autobiographical Account
Posted on October 27, 2024
Filed under Opinion, Resources
“ ‘Christianity is colonial!’ I’m sure we’ve all heard variations on that theme. It’s a useful way to demoralise and demonise Christians in both the minority ‘western’ world and the majority world.
In our current historical moment, the nations in Europe and North America as well as Australia and New Zealand are reckoning with the consequences of 400 years of international influence – of ‘colonising’ the rest of the world. This colonialism, so it is said, was advanced through the following mutually reinforcing attitudes. …”
– At The Gospel Coalition Canada, Sydney-based Kamal Weerakoon answers the charge of ‘colonialism’ from personal experience.
Justin Welby claims ‘Gay sex is not sinful’
Posted on October 26, 2024
Filed under Church of England, Culture wars
“The Archbishop of Canterbury has shocked evangelicals in the Church of England by publicly abandoning the Church’s historic teaching on sexual ethics.
While the CofE officially maintains that sexual activity should only take place within marriage, and that marriage is the union of one man and one woman, Justin Welby has now said sexual activity is permissible within ‘committed relationships’, and that the ‘majority’ of bishops are in agreement.
The remark has deepened fractures in an already divided CofE, with some suggesting he is no longer fit to lead it if he is not prepared to uphold its doctrine. …
Lambeth Palace said the Archbishop’s views are his own, and are not the official stance of the Church of England.”
– from The Christian Institute in the UK.
See also:
Welby’s comments on gay sex will only deepen divisions in the Church of England and Anglican Communion – Julian Mann at Christian Today.
Lambeth Palace statement – 22 October 2024.
Photo: Justin Welby, via The Archbishop of Canterbury’s website. Credit: Jacqui J. Sze
Welby and Wambunya : a Warning for the Alliance
Posted on October 25, 2024
Filed under Church of England, Culture wars, Opinion
“This week the Alliance published the eighth letter in their campaign to persuade the bishops and General Synod to create a permanent, structural space in the Church of England for orthodox Anglicans.
As this blog sets out, the events of the past few weeks show that despite their best efforts, the Alliance is being undermined and thwarted at every end and turn and some serious rethinking is required. …”
– Anglican Futures has this commentary on the increasingly bleak future for evangelicals in the Church of England.
It would be good to continue to pray for wisdom for all in the Church of England who are committed to ‘contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints’ (Jude 1:3)
J. C. Ryle’s Revival Lessons — Andrew Atherstone
Posted on October 25, 2024
Filed under Church of England, Evangelism, History
From Church Society’s Fellowship of Word and Spirit Conference –
“Andrew Atherstone examines the lessons on revival to be learned from J. C. Ryle’s writings and ministry– at the 2024 FWS Conference.”
Fascinating, encouraging and well worth hearing as we seek to reach Sydney for Christ.
– Listen here.
Archbishop of Canterbury: an arresting admission
Posted on October 25, 2024
Filed under Church of England, Culture wars
From The Church of England Evangelical Council:
“In a staggering set of statements recorded by The Rest is Politics podcast, the Archbishop of Canterbury has laid his cards on the table with regards to sexual ethics in the Church of England.
In a wide-ranging interview where the Archbishop of Canterbury courageously discusses his own struggles with mental health, his upbringing, and his view on religion and politics, among other things, he also publicly admitted:
“What the Archbishop of York and I, and the bishops, by a majority, by no means unanimous…Where we’ve come to is to say that all sexual activity should be within a committed relationship and whether it’s straight or gay.”
Provoking widespread disbelief, the Archbishop of Canterbury has used this interview to indicate his view that:
- Sexual intimacy is no longer limited to marriage;
- Sexual intimacy in gay relationships is ok;
- The church should bless sexual relations outside of marriage. …”
– Read Dr Andrew Goddard’s post here.
Latest letter from The Alliance
Posted on October 24, 2024
Filed under Church of England
On Tuesday, The Alliance sent this letter to the House of Bishops of the Church of England, prior to their meeting yesterday:
“Dear Archbishops and Bishops,
Thank you so much for the generous invitation to pre circulate a letter to the House of Bishops ahead of your meeting on Wednesday.
We continue to lament the pastoral pain and division the current LLF debate and its subsequent direction of travel is causing to the fabric of the Church of England at a local, national and global level, and at deep personal cost to many on all sides of the debate.
We gratefully welcome this opportunity to communicate the scale of pain and confusion felt by those we represent while seeking to bring clarity about who the Alliance represents and what we are prayerfully seeking to achieve for the sake of the future flourishing of the whole church in our nation. We humbly appeal to each of you to seek to understand us and, in your episcopal leadership as focal points of Christ’s unity, to find a way to support those we represent. …”
– Read the full letter here on The Alliance website.
Archbishop Steve Wood on where the ACNA has been, and where it’s headed
Posted on October 24, 2024
Filed under ACNA, People
“Before he was elected as the third archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, Steve Wood was one of the earliest COVID-19 patients in the United States, placed on a ventilator for 10 days in March 2020.
Two years earlier, as bishop of the Carolinas and rector of St. Andrew’s Church in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, Wood watched as his church building was engulfed in a fire.
‘I wouldn’t trade any of those experiences for where I am right now, because God has been so extraordinarily gracious to me through every one of them,’ said Wood. …”
– Religion News Service speaks with ACNA Archbishop Steve Wood.
Photo: ACNA.
Does the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship have a Better Story?
Posted on October 24, 2024
Filed under Australia, Culture wars, Opinion
“The Alliance for Responsible Citizenship is a new and impressive organisation which in its own words is ‘an international community with a vision for a better world where every citizen can prosper, contribute and flourish’. A key member, Os Guinness, argues that we are at a ‘civilisational moment’ in the Western world, and that we need to act, not despair.
It was with some degree of anticipation that I, and 700 other delegates, attended their first Australian conference. …
I loved the whole day – and as I write this on the train home to Newcastle – I am deeply thankful to the Lord for such an inspiring time and the leadership provided by John Anderson and Philippa Stroud. The aim of the day was to tell a better story – or rather to encourage us to tell a better story. Did it succeed? Yes and no. …
– At AP, David Roberston shares his thoughts.
Reaching doubters and sceptics in Cambridge
Posted on October 24, 2024
Filed under GAFCON
At The Anglican Convocation in Europe, the Rev. Andrew Fellows writes:
“Three years ago, we began as Panton Street Church, a small group dedicated to creating a welcoming space for honest questions. We felt called to the mission of reaching doubters and sceptics in Cambridge with the truth of the gospel. We also felt the growing need to deepen our discipleship by bringing the Bible into a conversation with cultural trends. We are so grateful to the Lord for the joy of seeing people come to faith, and young Christians growing in the faith. …”
North Sydney Rector speaks about meeting the King and Queen
Posted on October 23, 2024
Filed under People, Sydney Diocese
St. Thomas’ North Sydney Rector Mickey Mantle was interviewed by Matthew Pantelis on 5AA Adelaide earlier this week. He took the opportunity to share the good news.
Related:
Mr Eternity: The Story of Arthur Stace, launched in Sydney – November 2017.
Link thanks to SydneyAnglicans.net.
Image: Mickey Mantle at St. Thomas’ on 20 October 2024.
Archbishop of Perth approves changes to Faithfulness in Service
Posted on October 23, 2024
Filed under Australian dioceses, Culture wars
“The Archbishop of Perth, Kay Goldsworthy, has written to members of the diocesan synod to confirm that she has assented to the motion passed earlier this month to approve changes Faithfulness in Service that effectively approve of extra-marital sexual activity.
In her letter she sets our her argument…”
– David Ould has the details.
Photo: Diocese of Perth.
Church Society Podcast: Tim Chester on Psalms
Posted on October 23, 2024
Filed under Resources, Theology
“Tim Chester gives an introduction to his new Hodder Commentary on Psalms 42–89. He talks about praying, and singing the Psalms as Christians and how we don’t do it nearly enough. Also other insights into the purpose and shape of these central Psalms and how they point to Christ.”
– Listen here.
David Moore on Ministry teams: Are they worth the pain?
Posted on October 23, 2024
Filed under Resources
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“How to best structure ministry teams in your church? And how to equip your team leaders for joyful service?
Team leaders do the bulk of their ministry in between events not at events.
How can someone become a more fruitful team leader?
Why all conversations with your team fit into four categories – and how most team leaders get this wrong.
David Moore is the executive pastor of Hunter Bible Church in Newcastle, New South Wales.
He has written a new book, The Team Leader’s Handbook, which will be widely read by churches and ministry teams all around.”
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…