Our trust vindicated at Christmas
“At Christmas, God proved himself worthy of our trust.
Having put the world on notice that he was going to pay us a visit, he told us where. …”
– Neil Percival, Rector of the Parish of Young, has had this Christmas message published in The Boorowa News.
Bringing Jesus to a needy city
“It may have been a stormy night under COVID restrictions, but masks could not hide the enthusiasm as Canon Andrew (Sandy) Grant was installed as the new Dean of Sydney. …”
– Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net has this report on the Installation of Dean Sandy Grant.
Watch the entire service here.
Paul Sampson to be BCA’s NSW/ACT Regional Officer
Bush Church Aid Society’s National Director, Greg Harris, has this announcement:
“I’m pleased to announce that The Revd Paul Sampson has accepted the role of BCA NSW/ACT Regional Officer.
Paul and his wife Cathy have three adult children – Marsden, Anastasia and Geneva.
Born and raised in Gunnedah in country New South Wales, Paul became a Christian in his early twenties after being invited along to church in Wollongong where he heard the Gospel clearly preached. …”
– Read it all here. Photo: Paul and Cathy Sampson.
December 2021 Southern Cross magazine
The December 2021 issue of Southern Cross magazine from the Diocese of Sydney is now available online – as well as in printed form from parishes across Sydney.
You can download your own PDF copy at magazine.sydneyanglicans.net
Synod steps into the “greenfields”
“When Bishop Peter Lin spoke to the Archbishop’s Election Synod this year, he shocked the audience with a series of big numbers. …
The future shock of the speech stirred a move to bring the Synod to the so-called ‘greenfields’ areas of southwestern Sydney. So, for the first time since 1866, the church parliament of the Diocese will not begin its meeting in the city centre.…”
– At SydneyAnglicans.net, Russell Powell highlights the massive changes planned for Sydney – and what the Anglican Church is doing.
Ordained for far and wide
“It’s a very great joy to be settting aside these men and women for this ministry,” said Archbishop Kanishka Raffel as he took his first ordination service as Archbishop. “I am reminded of my own deaconing service in St Andrew’s cathedral and I’m so grateful to God for his faithfulness.”
The Archbishop spoke as ordinands prepared to embark to ministries as wide afield as suburban Sydney to Darwin, Norfolk Island and the Seychelles. …
– Encouraging story from Russell Powell about the latest ordinations at St. Andrew’s Cathedral.
Armidale Synod meets Saturday 20 November 2021
The Synod of the Diocese of Armidale meets on Saturday in Tamworth.
You could pray for the members of the Synod, and Bishop Rod Chiswell, as they seek to proclaim the saving news of Christ in their part of NSW.
New CEO for Anglicare Sydney announced
“This morning the chairman of Anglicare Sydney’s board, Greg Hammond, announced that the organisation’s new CEO is business consultant Simon Miller.
Mr Miller is managing director and senior partner at the Boston Consulting Group, and has many years’ experience advising company boards, executives and CEOs on everything from strategy to artificial intelligence. …
In addition, Mr Miller has been executive officer for the Sydney Diocese’s Social Issues Committee.”
– News from Judy Adamson at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Bishop Grant Dibden on Defence Sunday
From Defence Anglicans – and a great reminder to pray.
Related:
Running a Remembrance Day service on Thursday?
Christmas comes early!
“Density limits have been lowered to 2m2 and singing is back for churches from Sunday November 14, according to an easing of restrictions announced by Premier Dominic Perrottet.
Freedoms for the fully vaccinated in New South Wales that were to be introduced on Dec 1 have been brought forward to Monday, Nov 8. But freedoms for the unvaccinated will now not be introduced until Dec 15. …
Singing will return but masks are still mandatory indoors until December 15. From the intial government information, it appears that those not yet vaccinated, although they can attend church, will not be allowed to sing. See the government timeline here.”
– Read the latest at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Defence Sunday 7 November 2021
This Sunday is Defence Sunday, and Grant Dibden, Anglican Bishop to the Australian Defence Force, has recorded a 3’30” video message.
A copy can be downloaded from the Anglican Media Sydney Vimeo account for use in church services – and do pray for this important ministry.
Southern Cross November 2021
In December, printed copies of Southern Cross, the magazine of Sydney Diocese, will again be available in churches.
The November issue is online-only, and is now available. Download your copy at magazine.sydneyanglicans.net
Be sure to read “Christians speak out against assisted suicide” –
Archbishop Kanishka Raffel has urged Christians to speak up against the assisted suicide bill, which he calls “a momentous shift in medical practice and community expectation”
The bill, introduced into the NSW Parliament in October, uses the terminology of “voluntary assisted dying” but the Archbishop says it goes beyond the physician-assisted suicide it would legalise.
“It marks the final abandonment of one of the cornerstones of Western civilisation: the sanctity of life,” the Archbishop says. “Advocates of Voluntary Assisted Dying – a deeply misleading cluster of words – have emphasised not the sanctity of life, but quality of life as subjectively experienced, and the primacy of autonomous choice.”
The Archbishop, senior bishops and Christian medical groups have pointed out several ways the bill would not provide extra choice, as proponents argue, but would have a flow-on effect to all those battling terminal illness. …
– Read it all on page 5.
New Zealand Assisted Dying Bill comes into force on November 7
“In a salutary piece of information recently, I learned that doctors assisting the death of pertinent patients in New Zealand would receive the sum of $1087.20 … to bring about the death of these people. I was shocked…”
– Charles Tyrell, former Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Nelson, writes to The Church Times (copy via Anglican Mainstream).
Strengthening the ministry of Bathurst Cathedral
From the Diocese of Bathurst’s Facebook page (23 October 2021):
“Bishop Calder announced today the impending move of the Rev’d Steven Klouth from Kelso to the Cathedral parish to mainly work with the Rev’d Phil Howes to grow the new contemporary service. Please pray for Steven and Caitlin in this new chapter commencing end of November.”
– Yes, do pray for this strategic work.
Fuel for Prayer from the North West — November 2021
The North West Network for November 2021 is now available from the Diocese of North West Australia.
Bishop Gary Nelson writes,
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said,
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” [Acts 16:30f ESV]
As Paul and Silas preach the good news of Jesus Christ in the Greek city of Philippi, lives are changed, and a church is established. As a result, a gospel partnership [fellowship] springs into life. So, Paul writes,
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. [Philippians 1.3-6 ESV]
Now this gospel partnership between the Christians in Philippi and the apostle Paul, continues to grow. And it is a fellowship expressed in prayer, kindness, and financial support [see Phil 4.14-20].
When Paul writes to ‘the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi’ he seeks to encourage them in their gospel partnership. In 1.27 the Philippian Christians are urged to let their,
… manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel…
Friends, our fellowship as a diocese is grounded in the gospel. For the gospel is at the heart of those who come to serve; it’s the motivation for financial and prayer support; and it’s the hope people long for, and find proclaimed clearly, in our churches. That’s why we are so thankful to God for all who stand firm with us, striving side by side, for a gospel shaped ministry across the North West.
Please continue to pray that we will remain steadfastly committed to the gospel, for it is ‘the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes’ [Romans 1.16].
(On page 1 we see that St. James’ Kununurra is looking for an assistant minister.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…