Dark day as MPs vote in favour of assisted suicide Bill
“MPs have voted in support of the principle of Kim Leadbeater MP’s assisted suicide Bill.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill intends to allow those in England and Wales deemed to be terminally ill and with less than six months to live to receive help to kill themselves. MPs have now voted by 330 to 275 in favour of legalisation.
The backbench MP’s Private Member’s Bill will now proceed to Committee Stage, where it will be considered further. …”
– Reaction from The Christian Institute to the vote in Westminster this morning Australian time.
Women in the Anglican Diocese of Armidale
From the Diocese of Armidale:
“At the recent Synod (September 2024), the Bishop presented a position paper on the Role of Women in the Anglican Diocese of Armidale.
In the paper he seeks ‘to explore the way Christian men and women can partner together in ministry, to grow and build Christ’s church in accordance with the Scriptures’ (Bishop’s synod address, p9).
This was in preparation for employing a Diocesan Deacon for Women. Everything is now ready for the role to begin in January 2025 – the new Deacon for Women will be announced in December…”
– This page has links to Bishop Rod Chiswell’s Position Paper here and his Synod Address.
Image: The Synod of the Diocese of Armidale.
Growth and Change and Preaching
“Recently during a week of study leave I had the privilege of reading Andrew Heard’s excellent new book, Growth and Change: The danger and necessity of a passion for church growth (Matthias Media, 2024). It receives the commendation of numerous respected pastors and scholars. D. A. Carson, reluctant to call any book the ‘best’ in its field, suggests in the Foreword that Growth and Change might serve as an exception to his rule.
Reading through it over three consecutive days, I found myself praising God for its zealous, ambitious, and what I believe to be a scripturally faithful perspective. …”
– David Burger writes at The Expository Preaching Trust. This is Part 1 of his reflections on the book.
Mothers Union Sydney annual seminar 2025
Mothers Union Sydney has details of their 2025 Annual Seminar coming up on Friday 28th February.
Speakers and topics:
Shining Like Stars – Anna Brotherson
Living in a Secular Age – Steve McAlpine
Equipping Our Children – Al James and Beth Braga
It’s free, but registration is required. Read about it and register here.
Rejoice in the Lord — John Mason reflects on Thanksgiving
“‘Thanksgiving’ in America is one of the delights Judith and I experienced when we moved to New York in 2001. Despite the evil events of September 11, 2001 people at our first Thanksgiving Dinner expressed their thanks for the way the Lord had used the events of 9/11 to build their trust in him.
When we think about it, thanksgiving is a theme that permeates the Bible – especially the Psalms. And while we do live in an uncertain world, there is still much for which to be thankful.
Come with me to Paul the Apostle’s Letter to the Philippians, chapter 4, verses 4 through 9…”
– As Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, the Anglican Connection’s John Mason reflects on what Scripture says on the topic.
Moore College’s “Give Praise to the Lord Appeal”
“The good news of Jesus is still the very best news you could ever share and it changes lives. There are churches in Sydney with no full-time gospel workers. With so many living in the darkness the need for more workers for the harvest is paramount.…
Tim, and his wife Leanne, were prompted to pursue theological education when their greater Sydney church struggled for years to secure a senior minister. …”
– Moore College’s end-of-year appeal.
Sydney and Tanzania Celebrate Over a Century of Mission Work
“This year Synod celebrated 130 years of partnership between the Anglican Diocese of Sydney and the Anglican Church of Tanzania, a fellowship that dates back to 1893. ‘We have sent about 400 missionaries to Tanzania,’ said the Rev Canon Peter Sholl, international director of the Church Missionary Society Australia, adding: ‘About 250 of those have been from NSW.’ …”
– A cause for thanksgiving – story from Tara Sing at SydneyAnglicans.net.
All the families of the earth – Genesis 11:27-12:9
Last week, Moore College Principal Dr Mark Thompson spoke about the Promise to Abraham as the College comes to the end of the academic year.
It’s not only Moore College students who need to be reminded of God’s promises and why we’re here.
Watch or listen at the Moore College website.
Jesus was not born in a stable—and it really does matter!
From Ian Paul at Psephizo –
“What do you find most irritating about this time of year? The drawing in of dark and cold nights? The hideous adoption of that consumerist import ‘Black Friday’? People putting up Christmas trees when we have only just started Advent? Being urged to spend more money by means of schmaltzy human interest mini-dramas?
For me, it is the repeated but ill-founded claim that Jesus was born in a stable, alone and isolated, with his family ostracised by the community—despite the complete lack of evidence for this reconstruction. It will be repeated in pulpits, real and virtual, up and down the land, so I do not apologise for reposting once more this annual feature. …”
A wonderful gospel resource you might not have seen
We first posted this in 2022, but it’s worth revisiting since so few people seem to know about this valuable (free) resource:
“Have you ever been in a situation where you would love to leave a gospel message with someone but had nothing with you to give? Or the person didn’t read English and that’s the only language you have available?
Global Recordings Network has a unique solution to this dilemma: 5fish! …
The International Orality Network tells us that 4 out of 5 people in the world communicate primarily or exclusively through oral, not textual means. This means that only 1 out of 5 people are happy when you give them something to read – regardless of whether it is a book, magazine, or tract. Everyone else wants to listen or watch!
The Australian Bureau of Statistics conducted a survey in 2006 that informs us that approximately 7 million (46%) Australians aged 15 to 74 years did not reach the minimum standard required for individuals to meet the complex demands of everyday life and work in the emerging knowledge-based economy. Almost half of the Australian population would struggle to read and understand the Bible if you handed them one.”
– At AP (The Australian Presbyterian), Global Recordings Network’s Christine Platt makes a case for 5fish.
Watch the 75 second video below to see how 5fish works.
Consider sharing the video, and links to 5fish, with members of your church.
(We understand the app will soon be updated to add even more functionality.)
Rico Tice comments on the Makin Report
“My heart aches for all the victims of John Smyth, some of whom I know personally. I remember them as people who were enormously kind to me as a schoolboy, at a difficult time in my life. It’s devastating to discover that people who showed me such compassion were victims of Smyth’s cruel abuse.
These victims have a right to the truth about what happened. I also know that media attention on this issue will be intensely painful to some, and that in speaking about it I have a responsibility to consider both of these things. I hope that in sharing what I know with The Times earlier this week, and again here, I am honouring them. That is certainly my intention. …”
– Rico Tice writes at Honest Evangelism.
See also:
‘I didn’t leave the Church of England. It left me’ – Premier Christianity.
(Thanks to Anglican Mainstream for the links.)
Being more intentional in discipleship
From The Pastor’s Heart this week:
“How do we encourage our staff teams and members to be more intentional in Jesus’ mission of making disciples?
Disciple making is entering into relationships to help people trust and follow Jesus – the whole journey from conversion through maturing and multiplication.
There’s a formal teaching component. But there’s so much more.
Peter Mayrick, from Partners in Ministry, says he wants us to be more intentional.”
Dr Veronica Hoyt joins the Moore College Faculty
“On Friday evening the Governing Board approved the Principal’s nomination of Dr Veronica Hoyt to become a member of the Moore College Faculty. Veronica will take up the post of Lecturer in Ministry and Director of the Priscilla and Aquila Centre.
Veronica and her husband Berwyn are members of St Thomas’ North Sydney where she has been the Women’s Minister. …”
Men Meeting the Challenge conference 2025
The “Men Meeting the Challenge Conference” 2025 is set for Saturday 29th March at The King’s School.
Rory Shiner and Dave Jensen are speaking. Details here.
I am so grateful my husband ignored those who would have assisted his dying
“In 2011 my husband was diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. This is one of those illnesses for which people such as Anne Turner, whose death was portrayed in a BBC documentary, have sought assisted suicide.
It never entered my husband’s head that he would like to die early. To the contrary, he set about doing all the things he could possibly do to live as long as possible and I helped him. We had a young daughter, we loved each other very much and we wanted to be together for as long as possible, come what may. It never entered either of our minds.
But a point came when that changed. …”
– At The Conservative Woman, Gabriella Dunn shares her story – and that of her husband.
It’s written in light of the British Parliament’s upcoming vote this week on the Assisted Dying Bill. Important reading, even here in Australia where similar laws are already in place.
Related:
Britain’s religious leaders unite against assisted dying in major intervention – Telegraph via Anglican Mainstream.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…