Win the complete set of Donald Robinson’s Works! — ACR

The Australian Church Record is giving away one set of the five volumes of Donald Robinson’s selected works.

Find out how to enter here.

Preaching through January

“This year, the quieter period of church life when families are away and thoughts turn to cricket test matches, begins on Sunday 29 December and continues through 5, 12, 19 and 26 January.

A total of 5 Sundays before life returns to normal on 2 February.

Some preachers use these Sundays to give younger preachers an opportunity to preach, others take a series on Psalms at each holiday period, so they continue with the next consecutive Psalm.

Why not make a special event of these Sundays because it is a special time as we turn the page on one year and get ready for 2025. …”

– At The Expository Preaching Trust, David Cook has some helpful suggestions for preachers.

Christianity is not Colonial: An Autobiographical Account

“ ‘Christianity is colonial!’ I’m sure we’ve all heard variations on that theme. It’s a useful way to demoralise and demonise Christians in both the minority ‘western’ world and the majority world.

In our current historical moment, the nations in Europe and North America as well as Australia and New Zealand are reckoning with the consequences of 400 years of international influence – of ‘colonising’ the rest of the world. This colonialism, so it is said, was advanced through the following mutually reinforcing attitudes. …”

– At The Gospel  Coalition Canada, Sydney-based Kamal Weerakoon answers the charge of ‘colonialism’ from personal experience.

Welby and Wambunya : a Warning for the Alliance

“This week the Alliance published the eighth letter in their campaign to persuade the bishops and General Synod to create a permanent, structural space in the Church of England for orthodox Anglicans.

As this blog sets out, the events of the past few weeks show that despite their best efforts, the Alliance is being undermined and thwarted at every end and turn and some serious rethinking is required. …”

– Anglican Futures has this commentary on the increasingly bleak future for evangelicals in the Church of England.

It would be good to continue to pray for wisdom for all in the Church of England who are committed to ‘contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints’ (Jude 1:3)

J. C. Ryle’s Revival Lessons — Andrew Atherstone

From Church Society’s Fellowship of Word and Spirit Conference –

“Andrew Atherstone examines the lessons on revival to be learned from J. C. Ryle’s writings and ministry–  at the 2024 FWS Conference.”

Fascinating, encouraging and well worth hearing as we seek to reach Sydney for Christ.

– Listen here.

Does the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship have a Better Story?

“The Alliance for Responsible Citizenship is a new and impressive organisation which in its own words is ‘an international community with a vision for a better world where every citizen can prosper, contribute and flourish’. A key member, Os Guinness, argues that we are at a ‘civilisational moment’ in the Western world, and that we need to act, not despair.

It was with some degree of anticipation that I, and 700 other delegates, attended their first Australian conference. …

I loved the whole day – and as I write this on the train home to Newcastle – I am deeply thankful to the Lord for such an inspiring time and the leadership provided by John Anderson and Philippa Stroud. The aim of the day was to tell a better story – or rather to encourage us to tell a better story. Did it succeed? Yes and no. …

– At AP, David Roberston shares his thoughts.

Church Society Podcast: Tim Chester on Psalms

“Tim Chester gives an introduction to his new Hodder Commentary on Psalms 42–89. He talks about praying, and singing the Psalms as Christians and how we don’t do it nearly enough. Also other insights into the purpose and shape of these central Psalms and how they point to Christ.”

– Listen here.

David Moore on Ministry teams: Are they worth the pain?

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“How to best structure ministry teams in your church? And how to equip your team leaders for joyful service?

Team leaders do the bulk of their ministry in between events not at events.

How can someone become a more fruitful team leader?

Why all conversations with your team fit into four categories – and how most team leaders get this wrong.

David Moore is the executive pastor of Hunter Bible Church in Newcastle, New South Wales.

He has written a new book, The Team Leader’s Handbook, which will be widely read by churches and ministry teams all around.”

– Watch or listen here.

John Newton to William Wilberforce, 15th November 1786

At St. Thomas’ North Sydney yesterday, King Charles and Queen Camilla signed the The First Fleet Bible and the Book of Common Prayer which were carried here by the Rev. Richard Johnson, the first Chaplain to the Colony. Those books are tangible reminders of the commitment of Johnson and those who sent him to bring Good News to these distant shores.

Not long before the Fleet sailed, John Newton wrote to his friend William Wilberforce of their hopes in sending a Chaplain –

“Who can tell what important consequences may depend upon Mr Johnson’s going to New Hollands! It may seem but a small event at present. So a foundation stone, when laid, is small compared with the building to be erected upon it; but it is the beginning and the earnest of the whole.

This small beginning, may be like the dawn, which advances to a bright day, and lead on to the happy time, when many nations, which now sit in darkness, and in the region of the shadow of death, shall rejoice in the light of the Sun of Righteousness.” [Referring to Isaiah 9:2 and Malachi 4:2.]

– From a letter from John Newton to William Wilberforce, 15 November 1786.

(With thanks to Marylynn Rouse – who has more here – at The John Newton Project.)

Video screenshot with thanks to St. Thomas’ North Sydney.

Weddings and Marriage

“I am currently part of a diocesan committee looking into the issues of marriage, divorce and remarriage. …

Flowing out of these meetings, I have been struck by something.

In some ways it’s a relatively minor point, but I wonder if it reveals more than we realise. What dawned on me was the great disparity nowadays between how we prepare for a wedding, and how we prepare for marriage. …”

– Jay Behan, Bishop of the Church of Confessing Anglicans Aotearoa NZ, writes in his current e-mail newsletter.

Photo: Jay speaking at the ACL Synod Dinner in 2019.

Church Revitalisation

“The Presbyterian Church in Australia has a new minister – yours truly!  I have signed the formula and have officially become the minister of Scots Kirk in Hamilton, Newcastle. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity and wrote a letter reflecting on the journey that has taken us to this place – Letter from Australia 122 – A Return to my Radical Roots.

Some people felt that the basic principles for church revitalisation I listed in that letter might be worth sharing in a wider context so I have added to them a little and hope that they will indeed prove helpful.

I have no great plans. I have dreams and visions – for without that I would perish. But I also have this certainty  that God’s word will not return to him empty and will accomplish the purpose for which he sent it. I don’t know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future. I do have some basic principles/aims/ideas which are as follows …”

– At AP, David Robertson – not Minister at Scots Kirk, Newcastle – shares his thoughts on church revitalisation. Doubtless, many Anglican churches would benefit from at least some of his suggestions.

A Cloud of Witnesses: Australian Anglicans in Tanzania – Rev Dr Colin Reed

“The Letter to the Hebrews encourages us with the account of the great cloud of witnesses in the Old Testament – people who lived by faith looking forward to Jesus. The Moore College Archives encourage us with some of the witness of people of more modern times who have stepped out in faith looking to Jesus as they went to serve God in Tanzania. How do they encourage and challenge us today? What shaped their faith? What shaped their passions? What were their aims in mission? How do they ‘strengthen our feeble arms and weak knees’?”

Colin Reed spoke at a Moore College Library Lecture earlier this month. His fascinating lecture will be of great interest to anyone wanting to know more of the history of CMS in East Africa, and many people he mentions will likely be familiar to our readers.

Rev Dr Colin Reed grew up in Africa and (along with his wife Wendy) served with CMS as a missionary in Tanzania, on staff of the NSW & ACT Branch, and as Principal of St Andrew’s Hall.

Over many years, Colin has studied and written on the history of the Church in East Africa.

Watch here.

And on YouTube, there are timestamped links to topics mentioned in the lecture.

Lausanne – with Mark Thompson and Chris Edwards

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“5,000 believers gathered from more than 200 nations last month in South Korea.

It is 50 years since Billy Graham and John Stott first launched the Lausanne movement in Switzerland.

Anglican Bishop of North Sydney Chris Edwards has described the congress as like an all you can eat buffet – ‘where some parts tasted amazing / fantastic and I kept wanting more and yet other parts even a mouthful made me feel nauseous’.

Principal of Sydney’s Moore Theological College Mark Thompson says there were some great highlights including a presentation by Vaughan Roberts on sexuality but also areas of concern.”

– Watch or listen here.

Related:

The photo of Billy Graham and Jack Dain mentioned in the conversation can be seen here on the Lausanne website.

Read the original Lausanne Covenant here.

Update:

The challenges of mid-life – a spiritual buffet for a 50-year-old – Bishop Chris Edwards at SydneyAnglicans.net.

The Good News in the Original Meaning of “Catholic”

“From within seventy years of Jesus’ death early documents show that his followers were keen to call themselves catholic. According to the Vatican in 2021 1.3 billion people called themselves Roman Catholic.

There is a significant difference between what the work originally meant and what it means today. There is good news in rediscovering its original meaning. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Mark Gilbert reminds us what being “catholic” is all about.

Masterful exploration of New Testament context

“For several decades, Dr Paul Barnett delivered lectures on the background to the New Testament to first-year students at Moore College. Generations of future ministers have thereby been exposed to his masterful examination of the geopolitical context in which the New Testament came into being.

Now, with the publication of his latest book, The Trials of Jesus: Evidence, Conclusions, and Aftermath, the fruit of his study of the sociopolitical background to the trials and subsequent crucifixion of Jesus is available for all. …”

– Bishop Glenn Davies reviews Paul Barnett’s latest book – at SydneyAnglicans.net. Anything Paul Barnett publishes is worth reading.

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