Marriage Petition to the 2011 ALP National Conference

Resolutions calling on the Australian Government to retain the current definition of marriage have been passed by –

Members of churches are being urged add their voices through a petition being circulated by the Australian Christian Lobby. It affirms the current definition of marriage as “the union of a man and a women to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life”.

The hope is to have 100,000 people sign the petition before the ALP’s National Conference in December. Read more

Is God a Delusion?

Three weeks ago, at the invitation of the Oxford University Christian Union, William Lane Craig addressed the challenges of Richard Dawkins’ book The God Delusion. See his lecture at BeThinking.org, run by the UCCF.

(Dawkins had been invited to debate Craig, but declined to take part.)

Rick Lewers elected Bishop of Armidale

Rick Lewers, currently Rector of Engadine, and well-known to many in Sydney, has been elected as Bishop of Armidale at this weekend’s Armidale election synod in Moree. Rick will take up the reins after the retirement of Bishop Peter Brain in April.

Please uphold in prayer Rick and his family, the people of Armidale diocese, and the church at Engadine, as they serve the Lord Jesus in the days ahead.

(The Synod began with a short-list of three: Rick Lewers, David Hanger from Woolgoolga, and John Tongue from Ulverstone in Tasmania.)

Update: Here’s a media release from the Diocese of Armidale:   Read more

Planning a Christmas sermon series

At the 9Marks Blog, Michael McKinley has some suggestions on planning sermons for Christmas.

Might come in handy!

The Columbo plan — Do you mind if I ask you a question?

A few years ago we pointed to an interview with Greg Koukl from Stand to Reason ministries in the US. Now Justin Taylor has links to a video presentation where Koukl explains his approach to apologetics. Entertaining and encouraging.

A Tale of two colleges

“Shorter University and Mercer University are institutions of higher education in Georgia, and both have been historically related to the Georgia Baptist Convention — the state’s largest Baptist group. Both schools have been in the news in recent days over the issue of homosexuality. Seen together, the actions taken by the schools point backwards to critical decisions made in the past, forward to issues that will be faced by every college, and directly to the present, where the future is taking shape before our eyes.…”

– A cautionary tale from Georgia – by Albert Mohler.

Jesus and Richard Dawkins

In a recent lunchtime gathering at St Helen’s Bishopsgate, William Taylor addressed the challenge of the ‘new atheists’. This is a six minute video clip from a longer message.

Big Porn Inc

At The Centre for Public Christianity, Justine Toh interviews Melinda Tankard Reist on her new book (‘Big Porn Inc’) exposing the destructive forces of the Mega porn industry. See the interview here.

(She’s also speaking in Sydney on 21 November. For more information and to register, see the Centre for Christian Living at Moore College.)

And Steve Kryger at Communicate Jesus has a list of online safety resources.

2012 Priscilla & Aquila Centre conference

The Priscilla & Aquila Centre at Moore College is holding its 2012 conference, ‘Side by Side’, on Monday 6th February. Looks to be very encouraging.

The conference is aimed – (i) to encourage women in a variety of biblical appropriate ministries; and (ii) to think more seriously and creatively how men and women can work better together in ministry. Details here.

A sweet and bitter providence

This album, inspired by John Piper’s book A Sweet & Bitter Providence, is worth checking out:

“Big truth and beautiful sounds are a powerful combination. The Joy Eternal has touched me both ways. One of my biblical sieves for what is real is the apostolic word ‘sorrowful yet always rejoicing’. I hear that in these songs, and they ring true. Beautifully true. May God give them wings.” – John Piper.

Get it here. (And you can leave a tip.)

His Story is History and History is His Story

“Tacitus the great historian of First Century Rome leaves us in no doubt about the main historical outlines of the New Testament. Tacitus, a leading politician and a provincial governor, reports that the ‘Christians’ took their name from a person called ‘Christ’ who was executed by Pontius Pilate in Judea in the era of Tiberius Caesar.

Tacitus expected the movement to die with its founder but instead it spread to Rome where, by the time of the great fire in AD 64, it had become ‘immense’.

Tacitus’s history tell us (a) Jesus was known as ‘Christ’, (b) that he was therefore a genuine figure of history, (c) when and where he was executed, and (d) that in spite of his death as a disgraced felon within thirty years his movement spread from Palestine on the edge of the empire to its heart, Rome…”

– Read it all – at Dr Paul Barnett’s blog.

9Marks eJournal — Revitalize

The latest 9Marks eJournal is on the theme of “Revitalize: Why We Must Reclaim Dying Churches – and How”. Editor Jonathan Leeman writes:

“Church planting is a great thing, and there’s no need to take anything away from it. But there should also be a default setting in a Christian’s heart that always longs to see dying churches revitalized.”

See it at the 9Marks website.

A creative approach to reaching people

“Mission happens wherever Christians find themselves. Pilgrim Hill is an example of a very creative approach to reaching people with the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ.

Pilgrim Hill, which is not yet opened, will be a family-run hostel for travellers in Tasmania’s Huon Valley…”

– The Mission Partners website reports on this innovative venture to help pilgrims lose their burdens. (HD version of the opening video here.)

The Sydney Family Album — 7

Mark Thompson has returned to his theme of Sydney’s Family Album with the story of Nathaniel Jones, Moore College Principal 1897–1911:

“Jones’ legacy was a determined evangelicalism, determined equally to live out the faith in quiet godliness and to resist the liberalism (a.k.a. modernism) that would seek a foothold in the diocese over the next two decades.”

Nathaniel Jones, Principal of Moore College from 1897 until 1911, must be included in any reckoning of those who shaped contemporary Sydney Anglicanism. He influenced a generation of Sydney clergy during his fourteen years as principal of the college. He was also instrumental in the establishment of the Katoomba Christian Convention. It would be Jones’ men who would promote Howard Mowll for Archbishop in 1933.  Read more

US Diocese asked to rehabilitate Pelagius

“The Diocese of Atlanta has been asked to rehabilitate Pelagius.

Delegates to the diocesan convention will be asked to reverse the condemnation of the Council of Carthage upon Pelagius, and to explore whether the Fifth century heretic may inform the theology of the Episcopal Church…”

(Of course, they may vote No…)

– George Conger writes for the Church of England Newspaper. Photo: Diocese of Atlanta.

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