A Prayer for the people of Sydney and the Illawarra

As Sunday’s Day of Prayer for the Spread of the Gospel (including a prayer gathering in the Cathedral on Sunday afternoon) approaches, Archbishop Kanisha Raffel has written this prayer which you may wish to use –

A Prayer for the Spread of the Gospel in Sydney and the Illawarra

Dear heavenly Father

We praise and thank you for sending into the world, your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ to be the world’s redeemer.

Thank you that by his death and resurrection you have opened the way to life abundant and life eternal through the forgiveness of ours sins. Thank you that by repentance and faith, we are adopted by grace into your family, and given the gift of your Holy Spirit who assures us that we are your children, and enables us to call you Father, not because of anything we have done, but because of your great mercy and love.

Gracious God, we pray for Sydney and the Illawarra, from the Hawkesbury to the mountains, from the new growth corridors to the coastal suburbs and the inner city, from the southern highlands to Wollongong and the towns and villages of the south Coast – would you pour out your Spirit to bring many of our neighbours, friends, families and colleagues to saving knowledge of your Son.

Would you equip all your people, in our families, churches, schools, agencies and organisations, in every community across our diocesan fellowship to fulfil the works that you have prepared in advance for us to do so that in every way we make known the excellencies of your Son, who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Dear Lord, hear our prayer for all those who do not know you, and do not know your love for them in the gospel of your Son. Please open blind eyes, please soften hard hearts, please lift the veil from those blinded by the god of this age so that all may see the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Dear heavenly Father, by the proclamation of your gospel, by our ready answer for the hope that we have,  by our lives and in our fellowship, bearing witness to the transforming power of the risen Lord, would you make known the truth, beauty, majesty and mercy of your Son and call many from death to life, from darkness into his wonderful light, from slavery to sin and death, into the Kingdom of the Son whom you love.

Even as you have been merciful to us, pour out your mercy in the gospel of your Son and bring many more we pray to repentance and faith in him; build your church from every tribe and people and language and nation, to the praise and glory of the Lamb who was slain, who by his blood purchased a people for himself, who alone is worthy of all praise and honour and glory and blessing forever and ever, Amen.

Reminder: Before the Throne – Diocesan Day of Prayer for the spread of the gospel – Sunday 4th May 2025

A Day of Prayer for the spread of the gospel.

2:30pm – 4:00pm, Sunday 4th May 2025,  St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney.

From Tara Sing at Anglican Media Sydney:

“We’d love to see every Sydney Anglican church represented at St Andrew’s Cathedral that afternoon, visibly demonstrating our unity in Christ as we lift up the mission of our diocese in prayer. How special it will be to experience a glimpse of heaven, as people from all cultures and generations gather to pray.”

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel on the death of Pope Francis

“Anglican Diocese of Sydney
Statement from Archbishop Kanishka Raffel
The passing of Pope Francis

I offer my deepest condolences to the family of Pope Francis, and those closest to him.

The example of the humility that characterised his life will be his lasting legacy.

On behalf of Sydney Anglicans, I extend our profound sympathy to Archbishop Fisher and the Catholic community in Sydney.

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel

April 21, 2025.”

– Media release from the Diocese of Sydney.

Don’t sleep through Easter — the Resurrection of Jesus is a bolt from the blue

Archbishop of Sydney Kanishka Raffel preached at this morning’s Easter Day service at St. Andrew’s Cathedral. He spoke from 1 Corinthians 15:12-22.

– Watch here.

Are we post Christian or post Secular? – with Mark McCrindle

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“The new McCrindle report ‘An undercurrent of faith’ says:

Founder and Principal of McCrindle research, Mark McCrindle, says his report shows a new search for purpose and meaning and asks is ‘Australia Post Christian or are we now Post Secular?’

Plus we compare the findings of the national McCrindle report with the recent Sydney Anglican report on Church attendance.”

– Watch or listen here.

Now is the time to find forgiveness through Jesus

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel’s Easter message 2025.

Good to watch – great to share.

Don’t let prayer be our last resort

From Archbishop Kanishka Raffel:

“On Sunday, May 4, I have invited all of our churches to share in a day of prayer for the spread of the gospel across our Diocese – from the Hawkesbury to the Blue Mountains, the Southern Highlands to Wollongong and the South Coast, and Greater Sydney. A day of prayer for our friends, family, neighbours and colleagues who don’t know Christ, to come to know him and his redeeming love. …”

– Read it all at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Southern Cross magazine March — April 2025

The latest issue of Southern Cross magazine (March – April 2025) is now available in churches.

If you miss out on getting a printed copy, a digital version is available from sydneyanglicans.net.

St. Andrew’s Cathedral Open Day — Saturday 12th April

From St. Andrew’s Cathedral –

“Join us Saturday 12th April, 9am-12pm and 1:30-4:00pm.

Guided tours on the hour, every hour. Browse in between.

Limited behind-the-scenes access to parts of the Cathedral rarely accessible to the general public. (Details to come!) …”

– Read all the details here.

Win-win on housing and ministry

“More than 250 new affordable homes and critical ministry infrastructure are set to be developed in Bankstown and Regents Park, providing a much-needed boost for west and southwest Sydney.

The projects secured funding under the Federal Government’s Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF). …”

– Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net reports on projects in the parishes of Bankstown and Regents Park.

Giving thanks for Campus Bible Study — 50 years on

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“Today we review the 50 year impact of The University of New South Wales’ Campus Bible Study on Christian ministries across Australia and around the world – in raising up gospel workers, sending missionaries, planting churches and in Christian publishing.

Former Anglican Dean of Sydney Phillip Jensen led the ministry for thirty years till 2005.  Since then Paul Grimmond and Carl Matthei have been senior chaplains.

Alan Stewart started studying at the University of New South Wales just two years after Phillip Jensen arrived as Anglican Chaplain. Alan was saved by Jesus in 1979 and went on to assist in the ministry, before becoming CEO of Anglican Youthworks, Bishop of Wollongong, head of Church Planting for Sydney Anglicans and then national director of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches.

Tony Payne and Tracey Gowing started as undergraduates a few years after Alan.  Tony went on to run the influential Christian publishing house Matthias Media, while Tracey led the Christian ministry at  Cumberland College Christian Group before returning to UNSW as a senior staff member at Campus Bible Study.”

– Watch or listen here.

100 Ministry stories — Peter Jensen interviews Lloyd Bennett

From Moore Theological College:

“Former Archbishop of Sydney, Peter Jensen, sits down with Lloyd Bennett – pastor, chaplain, and Moore College graduate.

Lloyd shares how he came to know Christ, his journey into ministry, and the ways God used his time at Moore to shape a lifetime of faithful service. From classrooms to chaplaincy, his story is one of God’s grace and guidance every step of the way.”

– This is a most encouraging interview. Watch or listen here.

Nexus 2025: Post-conference reflections on personal and team-based evangelism

“With the measure you use, it will be measured to you, said Jesus.

It’s so often like that, isn’t it?

What you bring to a thing is very often what you end up getting out of it. The questions and attitudes you have at the outset usually determine how you hear, what you hear, and what you come away with.

So in the following reflections on the Nexus Conference that was held a couple of weeks ago, I must ask the reader to bear with the questions I turned up with. They have been on my mind for some little while, and they no doubt determined why I found the conference to be a vastly encouraging and stimulating day. …”

– At The Australian Church Record, Kirsten McKinlay shares her reflections on Nexus 2025.

Thanks to the Nexus team, you can hear the talks yourself!

Illawarra’s Wave of Hope

“Christians in the Illawarra have prayed high and low for the coming Hope for the Illawarra events, from Mount Keira to Wollongong Harbour.

‘It’s a combination of 18 months of endeavour,’ says Bishop Peter Hayward, chairman of the committee that has organised three major opportunities to share Jesus on March 28 and 29. …”

– Food for prayer – from Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Can we remain silent? — a ‘Must Read’ post

From SydneyAnglicans.net, writing about a proposed bill coming before NSW Parliament,

“As the NSW Parliament considers widening access to abortion and forcing doctors to facilitate it – regardless of their conscience – two medical professionals urge Christians to speak out.”

‘I’ve been a doctor for 15 years and I love my work – I just love it. In general practice I’m in the privileged position of doing something I love, helping people and caring for them through all stages of life. …

if the Bill being considered by the NSW Parliament passes unamended … Christian GPs will be faced with the alternative of compromising either their faith and beliefs or their medical qualifications, and that’s a fairly nasty position to put people in.’

– Do read the whole thing.

And this would be very good for congregations to know about / pray about this weekend. Image: SydneyAnglicans.net. Bold added.

See also:

Statement on Abortion Law Reform proposals – Media release from the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, 20 March 2025.

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