Bringing people back to church: A pastor’s word

“In one of our congregations, we recently conducted an online poll of the challenges people are facing as we head towards re-opening church.

One of the most commonly identified challenges was learning to manage our fears and anxieties as we step back into meeting in person. …”

– At The Australian Church Record, Nathan Walter looks at what is a very real pastoral question for many people at the moment.

The End of Humanity Would Result in End of Meaning?

In his The Briefing for 21st October 2021, Albert Mohler begins by considering a recent statement by Professor Brian Cox (pictured) about humans and meaning.

Perhaps a good conversation-starter.

Have we domesticated service?

“A few times every year in our church we have ‘welcome suppers’ for people who are new to our church. During those times we talk about the things that define us and invite people to come on board. On each occasion we open up various passages of Scripture to talk about different aspects of church life and one passage we always look at is Mark 10:42-45 …”

– At The Australian Church Record, Phil Colgan reflects on the radical nature of Christian service.

(Photo taken at the 2018 ACL Synod Dinner.)

A Swiss Army knife for evangelism

Tony Payne writes about the forthcoming updated Two Ways to Live booklet:

“The new booklet has a number of … design changes that I think really improve its appeal as a give-away resource – a ‘modern classic’ look-and-feel, new versions of the drawings in badge form, a reworking of how text and graphics interact on the page, and a revision of all the explanatory text.

What of the updates to the 2WTL framework itself?

Apart from numerous small tweaks to the language here and there, these are the three main changes to the outline itself…”

– Read it all here.

Melbourne Retirement ages for clergy could be abolished

“Clergy’s retirement age would be abolished under proposed changes to the legislation that governs their employment by the diocese, a review group has told synod.

Abolishing the Diocesan Stipends Committee and keeping the term of appointment for vicars to 10 years were other key points in the Clergy Legislation Review group’s proposal. …”

– Story from The Melbourne Anglican.

Encouragement to pray for the Gafcon Theological Education Network

“The Gafcon Theological Education Network is led by Dr Peter Jensen. The purpose of this network is to give every bishop in the Anglican Communion access to excellent theological education.”

– Today’s topic for prayer from GAFCON.

(Photo: Archbishop Ben Kwashi with Archbishop Peter Jensen at GAFCON 2018.)

A Hope and a Future for Anglicans

“It is an understatement that Anglicanism is not always neat and tidy.  The very nature of our decision making in councils, as ancient as it may be, is messy.  Things don’t always go as planned.  Sometimes people don’t respect what the whole decides together in scripture, prayerful study and discussion, and waiting on the Lord’s timing.  Sometimes a part demands that the whole adjust to it and runs ahead rather than waiting on the counsel of the whole church.

That seems to be at the heart Bishop Michael Nazir Ali’s decision to leave the Church of England to join the Anglican Ordinariate in the Roman Catholic Church. …

We have included a few articles in today’s weekly newsletter responding to his departure, but I want to offer some good news with some cautious optimism.  On Sunday, October 17, the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) issued their Communique (“The Eighth Trumpet”) after a four-day conference on Zoom attended by 90 delegates from 16 Provinces and one diocese (Sydney), including the Anglican Church in North America.

In the words of the Communique, the purpose of this GSFA gathering was to “address the unchecked spread of revisionism” among all the Churches of the Anglican Communion by enacting a “covenantal structure” that will “enhance ecclesial responsibility” and mutual accountability among the churches of the GSFA …

Now there is an ecclesial body, a Communion to which the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (GAFCON) can bring distressed, biblically faithful, orthodox Anglicans from heterodox dioceses and provinces for membership.  GAFCON can authenticate and recognize those in distress and gather them for membership in GSFA—just as St. Paul gathered Gentile converts into churches that enjoyed communion with the established church in Jerusalem under St. Peter.”

– In his weekly newsletter from the American Anglican Council, Canon Phil Ashey sees hope for a genuinely orthodox Anglican communion.

He mentions the just-concluded 8th Global South Conference and its Communiqué (“The Eighth Trumpet”) from the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches.

Statement from Gafcon GB and Europe (GBE) on Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali

“The Trustees of Gafcon GBE (formerly known as Gafcon UK) give thanks to Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali as he steps down from the role of President, which he has held since the formation of the regional Gafcon branch in 2016. …

While respecting Bishop Michael’s decision to join the Roman Catholic church, we remain committed to the vision of a renewed, biblically orthodox, global Anglicanism here in Britain and Europe under the ANiE leadership of Bishop Andy Lines and those that we stand with under the Jerusalem Declaration.”

– from a statement issued several days ago by the Trustees of GAFCON GBE.

NSW voluntary assisted dying bill delayed until 2022 after referral to Upper House committee

“Opponents of the voluntary assisted dying bill in New South Wales have been accused of playing politics after a vote on the legislation was delayed until next year…”

– Report from ABC News.

Joint Mission in Guinea-Bissau

“The Anglican Church in Brazil has been developing missionary work in Guinea Bissau for two years.

Recently, Bishop Marcio Meira was sent from Brazil to view the work on the field and to ordain Rev Justino, the first-ever native to the diaconate. …”

– Great encouragement in this brief video from Guinea Bissau and GAFCON.

CMS Summer School 2022

As many will be aware, due to uncertainties about COVID-19, the NSW CMS 2022 Summer School will be held entirely online, 8–14 January 2022.

Registration, at the reduced rate of $50 per person ($25 concession), is now open.

“In 2022, The Rev Dr Andrew Shead, Moore College’s Head of Old Testament and Hebrew, will be teaching us from the Psalms. It will be a time where we reflect on the journey of our Saviour into glory, and consider what it means to walk in the path of his righteousness – to Walk His Way. We will also be considering our role in going to the nations and teaching others to Walk His Way.”

Summer School is always encouraging and extremely worthwhile.

80% opening date for churches brought forward a week in NSW – with Bishop Michael Stead

“Churches will be free to open for vaccinated and unvaccinated people a week earlier than had been expected in New South Wales.

With 80% of NSW adult population fully vaccinated, a new Public Health Order comes into force from Monday 18 October 2021.

We talk with South Sydney Anglican Bishop Michael Stead about the implications of the new PHO, contradictions between it and the COVID safe plan, and what to do about ventilation.”

– Here’s an extra edition, released this afternoon, of The Pastor’s Heart.

Sunday morning encouragement

With thanks to Emu Music.

The Final Stone – A Response in Defence of Bishop Rod Chiswell

“Last weekend the Australian published a deeply disturbing piece about an Anglican bishop and a revolt against him from one small church in his diocese. …”

– David Robertson at The Wee Flea shares his take on last weekend’s front page story in The Weekend Australian Magazine.

The Question of Our Day

“What is a human being? That is the most important question of our day. If we do not answer that question then our neighbours cannot access the Gospel.

Ignorance of human nature prevents people from understanding the good ends for which we are created, and therefore from understanding actions and habits that destroy those ends, and therefore from understanding sin, and therefore from understanding the Gospel. …

… I pray that my feeble words will help you to understand a small measure of the depths and power of the darkness around us, and that the way out is to run toward the darkest place, the ground where the enemy is even now digging his trenches.”

– In a confronting post at the American Anglican Council, Adam J. MacLeod, Professor of Law at Faulkner University in Alabama, outlines the difficult circumstances in which we must proclaim Christ.

It’s also a reminder that, without Christ, we can do nothing. (John 15:5)

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