Put on your glasses
“On our recent trip to the UK we went on two Christian Heritage walking tours, one in Edinburgh and one in London. Both were excellent.
In Edinburgh we followed the path of the Reformation and the brutal treatment of the faithful Covenanters.
In London we visited John Newton’s church, St. Mary, Woolnoth, as well as many other significant evangelical centres in the square mile which makes up the city of London.
I was struck at the value of having a guide who can give so much extra background information. …”
– At The Expository Preaching Trust, David Cook draws attention to the importance of knowing history.
(David mentions this book.)
What to do with Santa?
“Personally, I have been thinking about how I should relate to the character of Santa for many years now.
As a child, I was taught that Santa was real. I believed that he lived in the North Pole and on Christmas Eve he somehow entered our house (we had no chimney) and gave me presents if I had been a good boy. I would even leave him cookies and a glass of milk, and the proof of his existence was the fact that these had been consumed by Christmas morning. …”
– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Simon Camilleri (author of “When Santa Learned the Gospel”) has some simple advice for Christian parents.
Photo: simoncamilleri.com
New song for Christmas from Emu Music
Emu Music has released a beautiful new song for Christmas – Jesus is His Name.
Watch at the link – and audio tracks and sheet music are also available.
Expository Preaching Trust opportunities in 2023
“Lord willing, the EP Trust is planning the following opportunities in 2023…”
– At The Expository Preaching Trust, David Cook shares what they hope to be doing to promote preaching in 2023. Lather and Shave Preaching Clubs, Mentoring, Preaching Workshops.
Take a look and register interest.
Photo: David Cook speaking at St. Helen’s Bishopsgate, August 2022.
Launch 2023
From Phillip Jensen:
This Sunday is the vital time to invite your Year 12 students to join us at Launch 2023.
The final exam will be over, they are thinking about what’s next and this is much more important than schoolies.
Launch starts with a Launch Day in December.
Launch Day
– Tuesday 13 December at Moore College
– meet other year 12s and leaders going to Launch camp
– a great Bible talk to focus priorities before the long break
– fun, friends and food provided
Launch Camp
– 30 January – 2nd February 2023
– Katoomba, KCC and CMS sites
Launch camp has been an enormous help to so many students as they begin uni days with Christian friends and enfolded in uni Christian ministries.
The aim of Launch is to work out together what it means to live for Jesus in the transition to post-school life – years that are likely to be the most formative years of life.
Details and registration. And download a flyer.
‘Sexuality and holiness’ – a review
“An excellent new resource on a faithful Christian response to sexuality and gender controversies courageously goes further than many standard evangelical treatments of this challenging topic.
‘Sexuality and holiness: Remaining loving and biblically grounded in a rapidly shifting culture’ is written by Mike Williams, the senior minister of Reigate Baptist church, and it is rooted in a pastoral heart, as well as clear biblical understanding and also unusual spiritual and prophetic insight. …”
– At Anglican Mainstream in the UK, Andrew Symes reviews a new and very topical book.
In his review, Symes writes,
“There is a need for widespread repentance – again, for all sin not just homosexuality – as we recognise the right of God to send tribulation. Will faithful women and men stand in the gap, in intercession, pleading for God’s mercy on the nation and the church, hoping for revival?”
Image: Christian Concern.
A breakdown of the Australian National Church Life survey – with Peter Mayrick and Ruth Powell
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“Sunday Church attendance across Australia is down, but decline has slowed.
The Australian National Church Life Survey results are out. Worryingly the key newcomer indicator has dropped to 5.7%.
While evangelism is down, engagement in church based service groups is up. Mid week small groups are up.
We take a hard look under the bonnet of the top level results.
Ruth Powell is National Director for the National Church Life Survey.
Peter Mayrick is with Partners in Ministry and the Center for Ministry Development at Sydney’s Moore Theological College and is a board member of the National Church Life Survey.”
Family Bible Reading – Interview with the Windsors
The Australian Church Record asks Bronwyn and Lionel Windsor about their family, prayer, and reading the Bible.
“To begin with, we read a children’s Bible with our baby daughter before bedtime, even though ‘reading’ meant she only wanted to find all the pages with pictures of camels.”
– Encouragement for families in all stages of life.
New 9Marks Journal – The Pastor and Church Administration
Here’s the latest issue of 9Marks Journal with a topic that’s close to most pastors!
Persistent Prayer
“Prayer is a very special privilege for the people of God. Why don’t we pray more consistently than we do?
Come with me to the parable in Luke chapter 18, verses 1 through 9. It is about a powerful judge and a powerless widow. …”
– In his Word on Wednesday at Anglican Connection, John Mason writes to encourage us to pray.
David Cook — Letters to the Editor
“I am a mostly frustrated letter writer to the Editor of the Australian newspaper, about 1 in 5 of my letters get published and then sometimes, with unacceptable editing!
Recently I wrote a letter in response to a column by Tony Abbott in which the former PM quoted Margaret Thatcher as saying that, ‘reality will always trump ideology’.
Abbott’s 3 examples of ideology were the virus hysteria, the emissions obsession and cultural self loathing …”
– At The Expository Preaching Trust, David Cook reminds us how the Scriptures bring us back to reality.
Essendon-Thorburn: How to join the conversation
“What happens when a Christian’s values clash with workplace values? Andrew Thorburn decided to resign from his new job at a football club one day after starting work.
Kamal Weerakoon, a GS&C committee member, takes up the issue, provides the facts behind the Essendon Football Club-Andrew Thorburn imbroglio and offers some helpful conversation primers for you to consider.”
– Some helpful tips from the Presbyterian Church’s Gospel, Society and Culture Committee.
Photo; Christ College Sydney.
‘Don’t be selfish. That’s the secret to being a husband’ — Al Stewart on The Pastor’s Heart
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“Marriage is a great opportunity for selfishness. But Al [Stewart] challenges husbands and fathers to use power for the good of others, especially our wives and children.”
The past, present and future — Southern Cross October-November 2022
From Russell Powell at Anglican Media Sydney:
“Southern Cross should be in your churches by this weekend [or next], seeking to encourage Sydney Anglicans about the past, present, and future.
The past is the great impact of John Chapman, through a new book on his ministry and influence from Dr Baden Stace.
The present includes stories on what happened at Synod and the new Album by Sydney’s own City Alight, with great new music for our churches.
The future is the new ministry areas in the Greenfields (as well as the changing face of Brownfields).”
You can download your PDF copy now at magazine.sydneyanglicans.net.
Healing Australia’s gambling disease
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“Australia has the world’s worst rate of gambling losses per capita, being home to less than half a percent of the world’s population but with 20 percent of its pokies.
And Sydney and NSW are worst of all, with about double (or worse) the rate of poker machine losses compared to every other Australian state and territory.
About 40% of all pokies losses come from problem gamblers.
Anglican Dean of Sydney Sandy Grant and Wesley Mission’s Stuart Cameron are asking both sides of politics to come together to address the crisis.”
Photo:
Stu Cameron and Sandy Grant – with thanks to SydneyAnglicans.net where you can read this article on the topic.
SydneyAnglicans.net also has a copy of the letter sent to Dominic Perrottet, MP, Premier of NSW and The Hon. Chris Minns, MP, Leader of the Opposition. (PDF)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…