Timeless gospel meets changing world

“Archbishop Glenn Davies has used his Presidential Address, delivered within days of the 500 year anniversary of the start of the Reformation, as a rallying call to stand firm in proclaiming the gospel. (download full address in PDF) …”

– Story from SydneyAnglicans.net.

From the Archbishop’s address:

“Brothers and sisters, as the penetration of the gospel diminishes in our society, we find ourselves being moved in a more libertarian direction under the influence of those who want to abandon the mores of the past. Yet at the same time these permissive forces who espouse the virtue of ‘tolerance’ are seeking to impose restrictions upon those who wish to maintain the values on which our nation has been founded.

This has become nowhere more apparent than in the current debate surrounding the postal survey on same-sex marriage.

While the advocates of the ‘Yes’ campaign have been unrelenting in their attempts to redefine marriage, they have also been virulent in their opposition to those who hold a contrary view.

The innocent inclusion of drinking Coopers beer in the Bible Society’s promotion of an informed and civilised debate between two politicians, each holding opposing views on same-sex marriage, is a case in point. It resulted in an uncivilised, unwarranted and malicious campaign through social media to boycott Coopers Breweries.

Similarly, a Christian doctor who appeared in an advertisement opposing same-sex marriage was subject to a campaign to have her medical registration withdrawn.

Witness also the ludicrous attempt to rename Margaret Court Arena, merely because Margaret Court, one of our greatest Australian athletes, went public on her opposition to same-sex marriage. …”

Read it all.

Christ amongst the crayons – reaching out through a multicultural, multigenerational kids ministry

“In September 2016 my husband and I planted a new multicultural service at Chester Hill Anglican. We started with 8 kids under 4 (not all ours!). Now we regularly have 30-40 kids on Sunday and many more at mid-week activities. Our kids come from very diverse ethnic backgrounds, many are refugees. My role in the church plant was to establish and grow this kids ministry. …”

– At The Australian Church Record, Beth Webb shares from encouraging news from the parish of Chester Hill.

Service for Las Vegas

“A special service will be held at St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney on Thursday, October 5, in commemoration of those affected by the Las Vegas massacre at the weekend. …“

– Details from SydneyAnglicans.net.

Wanniassa to Holbrook: City-to-Country Mission

“In July St Matthews, Wanniassa, ran a mission to Holbrook. Praise God for an abundance of opportunities to share the saving news of Jesus with kids, teens and adults. The program allowed the team to make connections with all people through door-knocking, a Trivia/Games night and a Big Brekky, in addition to the usual host, social and church settings. …”

– Good news for Holbrook – from the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn website.

Dogs, donkeys, cockatoos head to annual Pet Blessings in Newcastle

“The Anglican Parish Telarah Rutherford and Christ Church Cathedral held their annual Blessing of the Pets this week.

A bearded dragon, delightful donkeys, cackling cockatoos and a pack of pooches were just some of the purrfect pets who attended with their human companions.”

– News and photos from the Diocese of Newcastle.

Meanwhile, also in Newcastle Diocese, “Anglican Priest Rod Bower brands Peter Dutton a ‘Sodomite’ in social media post” – Sydney Morning Herald.

Developing Rectors Program at Moore College

“In March, Moore College’s Centre for Ministry Development (CMD) launched the Developing Rectors Program – a program to equip new Rectors across the Diocese…”

– Read about the program at the Moore College website.

Moore College Open Day on Saturday October 28

The next Moore College Open Day is set for Saturday October 28.

“The day includes a sample lecture from one of our faculty, a campus tour and plenty of opportunities for questions. You are welcome to drop in at any point during the day, lunch is provided at 12 noon.”

– Details from Moore College.

Lisa, Bruce & Co @ Parramatta

“What does complementarian ministry look like?

We chat to Lisa Boyd & Bruce Morrison of St John’s Cathedral, Parramatta about the ins-and-outs, ups-and-downs of working as a team. …”

– new from The Australian Church Record.

John Howard criticises Malcolm Turnbull over handling of postal survey

“Former prime minister John Howard has criticised the Turnbull Government’s handling of the same-sex marriage survey, calling for the details of any bill to be released before the vote. …”

– Report from ABC News.

Praying together this Sunday

“Archbishop Glenn Davies has urged churches to set aside this Sunday as a day of Praying together for Marriage.

The Archbishop foreshadowed the initiative in this month’s edition of the Diocesan magazine, Southern Cross, which includes a prayer Dr Davies wrote for the day.

The Australian newspaper last week reported the initiative, set down for this Sunday, September 17th. …”

– Read the story from SydneyAnglicans.net, and please be encouraged to pray.

Related: Archbishop Davies’ prayer.

Christchurch Cathedral to be rebuilt

“More than six years after being destroyed in the deadly earthquake that struck Christchurch, the city’s iconic cathedral will be rebuilt by the Anglican Church in New Zealand. …”

– Report from ABC News.

Assisted suicide opposed

“Anglicans in New South Wales and Victoria have been urged to contact their MPs to oppose euthanasia and assisted suicide legislation.

The General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia, which met in Queensland, passed a motion opposing the legalisation of ‘assisted dying’. …”

– Report from SydneyAnglicans.net.

Related:

Dr Megan Best’s Synod speech on the Euthanasia motion – from Sydney Synod 2010.

Albert Mohler’s The Briefing, 08 September 2017, from 9’40”.

General Synod news – 7 September 2017

Stories from SydneyAnglicans.net –

Domestic violence ‘first priority’

“The General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia has condemned domestic and family violence in all its forms, saying churches are committed to being safe places for all people, especially children and vulnerable adults.

In a motion moved by Melbourne’s Bishop Stephen Hale and seconded by Sydney’s Archdeacon Kara Hartley, Synod described domestic violence as sin, saying Scripture should never be twisted to justify or excuse any abuse. …”

Scots ‘impair’ communion with Australia

“The General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia has acknowledged that relationship with the Scottish Episcopal Church has been impaired by the SEC removing gender from its marriage canon.

In June, the General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church voted in favour of altering the church’s Canon on Marriage to remove the definition that marriage is between a man and a woman allow same-sex couples to marry in church.…”

On the vote concerning the Scottish Episcopal Church:

Read Dean Raffel’s speech (PDF file):

“Across the Anglican communion churches are trying to work out how best to love people of diverse sexual orientation.

This is important because all people are made in God’s image; and God hates nothing that he has made.

It is important because all people are to be valued honoured and loved not only because they are created in God’s image but because of Christ’s costly redeeming love for them.

It is important because Christians have often failed to love same sex attracted people, making it difficult or impossible for them to hear and experience the welcome and power of Jesus in their lives.

And it is important because same sex attracted people are our friends, our family members, our colleagues, members of our churches, and we might assume, members of this Synod. …”

Bishop Richard Condie’s speech (via David Ould).

“We want to express a deep welcome to homosexual people in our church. We should treat all people with love and respect. We shun actions and words that demean and marginalise; we reject discrimination, and especially grieve the way people who identify as homosexual have been treated in our society and churches.

While the SEC’s action is ostensibly about the inclusion of homosexual people in the church, it actually undermines the Biblical witness to the ultimate trajectory of salvation, our union with Christ. We must not fall for the world’s view that holding to the teaching of Christ on marriage means we can’t be welcoming to homosexual people in the church. …”

General Synod Day 3 – More bills, less lunch, less Jesus

“As the afternoon kicked in we turned to considering issues surrounding future ministry, particularly two related debates around future structures and what are being called “pioneer ministries”. …

As we heard about the need to being doing ministry beyond the Sunday service it seemed like some people were, for the first time, grappling with what many of us simply call “evangelism”. But even then the struggle to actually be clear on the overall aim was soon going to manifest itself. …

I moved the following amendment:

after the words “The General Synod”, add:

“, captivated by the declaration of Christ that repentance for the forgiveness of sins be preached in his name to all nations”

Readers will recognise the language as being a direct citation from Jesus’ final charge to his disciples in Luke 24.47. Not controversial, surely?…”

– David Ould reports on the third day of General Synod, meeting in Maroochydore. Tragically, it seems the gospel of the Lord Jesus was narrowly voted down.

General Synod passes National child protection measures

“Binding rules on all clergy and church workers have been passed during a debate on child protection at the Anglican Church of Australia Synod, meeting this week in Queensland. …”

— News from SydneyAnglicans.net.

Photo courtesy Anglican Media Melbourne.

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