Be careful how you build
Andrew Heard spoke from 1 Corinthians 3 at Moore College chapel yesterday on being careful how you build.
Most encouraging and challenging – for theological students and pastors in particular.
– Watch here.
The Bible Abhors Domestic Abuse
“I’ve appreciated the insights shared on the difficult topic of domestic violence by advocates, police, practitioners, counsellors, chaplains, doctors and especially victim-survivors over the years. …”
– With a revised Domestic Abuse Policy and Guidelines to be discussed at Synod next month, Dean of Sydney Sandy Grant reminds everyone that the Bible abhors domestic abuse. At SydneyAnglicans.net.
Book review — Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation
“This is the best book I’ve read this year. Once I picked it up, I struggled to put it down and went through it front-to-back in three days. It is not a biography in the traditional sense. It does chart aspects of Tim and Cathy’s story but is more interested in tracing the formative influences that shaped their lives and ministry. …”
– At Church Society’s blog, Martin Salter reviews Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation by Collin Hansen.
From Campus Talks to Bookshelf: Reviewing “The Coming of the Holy Spirit”
“I think the highest compliment I can pay Phillip Jensen’s The Coming of the Holy Spirit is to say that I found it pretty much what I was expecting because the author had already convinced me of it at an AFES national conference in 1992.
I can’t remember a lot of talks from my university years, but I can remember that series very clearly…”
– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Andrew Moody hopes that Phillip Jensen’s book will be widely read.
It’s available from Matthias Media.
“Lord, have Mercy” — new song from Emu Music
Emu Music have released a new single, “Lord, Have Mercy”.
– Listen here.
Vilification claims based on critique of drag queens event dismissed
“The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal, in its decision yesterday in Valkyrie and Hill v Shelton [2023] QCAT 302 (18 August 2023), has dismissed claims of vilification based on sexual orientation or gender identity, made against conservative commentator Lyle Shelton. …”
– At Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster looks at one decision affirming free speech.
Getting to know CityAlight
Recently, Sol Fenne, Music Coordinator at 20schemes music in Scotland, spent some time with Rich Vassallo to get to know CityAlight, a music ministry which has blessed many people – at St. Paul’s Castle Hill, across Sydney, and right around the world.
A most encouraging video and a great reminder to pray for the team of CityAlight.
Nungalinya College celebrates 50 years
Today (Saturday 19th August), Nungalinya College in Darwin celebrates fifty years of working to empower Indigenous Christians for a life of faith and service.
“Nungalinya is the premier Combined Churches Training College for Indigenous Australians. The College is formally supported by the Anglican, Uniting and Catholic churches of the Northern Territory and is situated in Casuarina, a northern suburb of Darwin.”
– There’s an outline of today’s events on the College website.
A new film, Freedom: The Nungalinya Jubilee Story will be shown at the event. Here’s a very encouraging teaser (Facebook).
Freedom to preach, pray & counsel under attack in NSW
The Australian Christian Lobby’s Wendy Francis warns of the NSW government’s reported intention to introduce ‘conversion therapy laws’.
– Watch here.
See also:
Report from The Sydney Morning Herald, 11 August 2023.
In another move, this one by the federal government:
Why bureaucrats can’t be left to censor free speech under Labor’s ACMA bill proposal – David Coleman, Opposition communications spokesman. The Australian. (Subscription.)
– New ACMA powers to combat misinformation and disinformation – Australian government. Submissions on the proposal close on 20 August 2023.
Moore College Open Week 21-25 August
Moore College is holding an Open Week 21-25 August.
Pakistan church attacks: The Anglican Communion calls for justice and prayers
“In the wake of the violent attacks on churches and Christians in Pakistan, the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Bishop Anthony Poggo, has called for justice to be served. …”
– News from the Anglican Communion News Service.
The Alphabet Bible
“When I was at uni, we read an article about memory. It argued that pen and paper, computers and smart phones have erased our reliance on memory. …”
– At The Australian Church Record, Jeanette Chin has a simple way to help memorise Scripture – it’s ‘the alphabet Bible’.
All About Jesus: Tim Keller’s Memorial Service
“‘You may have noticed this isn’t the usual sort of memorial service,’ Kathy Keller told about 2,000 guests gathered today to remember Tim Keller. She meant there were few tributes and no videos or photos of her husband.
‘That’s because Tim wrote it himself, just the way he liked to do funerals for other people,’ she said. ‘You mention the dead person, certainly, but then you talk about the God that person is now facing.’
That’s exactly what happened in Keller’s final service. …”
– The Gospel Coalition has this report on the memorial service for Tim Keller.
‘Intolerable corruption’: Anglicans warn euthanasia may force exit from aged care
“The Anglican Church has advised its aged care homes to discourage residents from using voluntary assisted dying when NSW’s laws take effect this year, and has warned the practice could become so morally corrupting for church-run facilities that it may have to exit the industry. …
‘The Board of Anglicare Sydney decided … VAD will not be available at its residential aged care homes, and the organisation and staff will not actively participate in the provision of any VAD services,’ said the report to the Synod, an Anglican parliament…”
– Story by Jordan Baker in WA Today.
Image from a video by St. Helen’s Bishopsgate.
The challenges, struggles and opportunities of small church leadership
On The Pastor’s Heart this week:
“What are the issues that senior pastors of smaller churches face – personally and to do with church culture, mission and identity.
What are the joys and tensions? What is ministry success?
What are the common pastoral frustrations?
How is long term ministry fruitfulness helped or hindered by our ecclesiology?
The reality is that most churches are small churches …”
Dominic Steele chats with Stephen Anderson. He also provide a link to Stephen’s Encouragement for the Small Church website.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…