IVCF ‘re-creating campus ministry’
“The California State University (CSU) system has issued a nondiscrimination policy that requires InterVarsity to allow non-Christians to be chapter leaders. InterVarsity has always required chapter leaders to agree to our Doctrinal Basis, a summary of basic, historic Christian beliefs.
While InterVarsity invites and welcomes all students as participants, we believe a Christian group should have the right to expect and even require their leaders to be Christian – just as any student group, club or Greek organization should be able to require their leaders to be like-minded…”
– press release from InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.
Related: When Your Campus Ministry Is “Derecognized” – Desiring God.
MTC Prayer Support Group
The next Moore College Prayer Support Group meeting is on 15th September.
“The Prayer Support Group is a group of women from all over Sydney that meets together to pray for the needs of the College, its faculty, students and staff.”
Another bite of the Apple
“The excitement is building and the tension is mounting. We have been eagerly anticipating this day, a day on which we get to consider marvels and receive blessings…”
– If you are planning on getting up at 3:00am to partake of the live stream, maybe this would be good to read.
Greg Anderson consecration date set
“The date for the Consecration of Reverend Doctor Greg Anderson, the 6th Bishop of the Diocese of the Northern Territory, has now been finalised.
The Service and Installation will take place on Saturday 29th November 2014 at 9 am in Christ Church Cathedral in Darwin. A Morning Tea will follow in the grounds of the Cathedral.”
– from the Diocese of the Northern Territory.
Moore Matters, Spring 2014
Moore Matters, the newsletter from Moore College, is now out for Spring 2014.
You can download your copy here as a 3.7MB PDF file.
Don’t leave us Fatherless
“The calendar of modern Australia carries some of the old, Christian celebrations such as Easter and Christmas as well as some modern, religious celebrations such as ANZAC day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
Both Mother’s and Father’s Day, as we now celebrate them, were started by American Christians and began as celebrations in their churches. Mother’s Day was begun by Anna Marie Jarvis in 1908, and Father’s Day was started by Sonora Smart Dodd in 1910…”
– Dean of Sydney, Phillip Jensen, looks at the key role of fathers.
Abp Davies to preach at Bathurst Synod service
“The Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Glenn Davies, will preach at the annual Synod Eucharist in All Saints’ Cathedral, Bathurst, on Friday evening, September 19, commencing at 6:30pm.
Dr Davies will also attend the beginning of the Synod meeting at Bathurst Goldfields the following morning. The occasion will be the first official visit of the Archbishop to this diocese, in his capacity as Metropolitan of NSW…”
– from the Diocese of Bathurst.
Abp Welby and Orthodox Coptic Bishop host meeting on Iraq and Syria
“In an unprecedented ecumenical gathering at Lambeth Palace hosted by The Most Revd Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, and initiated by His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom, a joint statement was agreed by leaders and representatives of the Churches of the Middle East and the wider Christian Church in Britain…”
– Press release and photo from the Coptic Orthodox Church.
(h/t Anglican Mainstream.)
First reflections on ‘Living With the Enemy’
“So what to say? I woke up this morning to an inbox full of responses; facebook tags, twitter responses and a number of emails…
So many people have so many opinions but the truth is that there’s really only three of us who have the fullest reflection upon what actually happened and how well the show reflected it…”
– David Ould reflects on his appearance on SBS TVs “Living With the Enemy”.
Northwest Network — Pray for the DNWA
“I write this from Tom Price – the highest town in WA, under the shadow of Mt Nameless.
Christine and I are on a six week, 7000km safari visiting our more northerly churches. But what a blessing to journey through the spectacular country of North West Australia. How thankful to God for such a blessing! Yet the greater blessing comes from meeting the saints in the churches and spending time with ministers and their families. We are very grateful for their faithfulness and perseverance.”
– Bishop Gary Nelson writes in the September 2014 edition of Northwest Network, the newsletter of the Diocese of North West Australia. Download it as a 950kb PDF file.
The Osteen Predicament
“America deserves the Osteens.
The consumer culture, the cult of the therapeutic, the marketing impulse, and the sheer superficiality of American cultural Christianity probably made the Osteens inevitable.
The Osteens are phenomenally successful because they are the exaggerated fulfillment of the self-help movement and the cult of celebrity rolled into one massive mega-church media empire. And, to cap it all off, they give Americans what Americans crave — reassurance delivered with a smile…”
– Albert Mohler comments theologically on that video of Victoria Osteen.
The work of the Lord
“But what does Paul mean by ‘abound in the work of the Lord’? In this article I want us to simply do two things – work out what this phrase actually means, and then think through its implications.”
– Looking at 1 Corinthians 15, Peter Orr at Moore College explains that all Christians do gospel ministry – and then turns to an encouraging example. Here.
New Rockhampton Bishop to be consecrated
“In a first for the Anglican Diocese of Rockhampton, the consecration of new Bishop David Robinson will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral tomorrow. Previously, the new bishop was either already consecrated or the consecration took place in Brisbane. People are travelling from all over the diocese to witness the historic occasion, including as far afield as Winton…”
– from The Rockhampton Morning Bulletin.
End of The Briefing?
“With some considerable wistfulness, we’ve come to the decision that the next issue of The Briefing (number 414) will have to be its last.
We’re sad about this, obviously, but not too sad – because although the medium of communication now has to change, the theology and vision of Christian life and ministry that The Briefing has always championed has not changed, and must not change. We have some exciting plans in motion to keep spreading and promoting and encouraging that Bible-based vision of Christian life and ministry – plans that take advantage of the very wave of digital publishing that has helped make the current form of The Briefing no longer viable.…”
– Sam Freney and Tony Payne write to explain what’s happening with Matthias Media’s flagship publication.
How Should We Then Live?
Francis Schaeffer’s classic work, “How Should We Then Live?” is September 2014’s free audiobook from Christian Audio.
It’s a 230MB download, and is read by Kate Reading.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…