Pray for Congo as atrocities echo those of the Rwandan genocide

“Horrific reports are emerging from the Democratic Republic of Congo as the nation is being torn apart by fighting which has echoes of the Rwandan genocide in the 1990s…

In the isolated city of Goma, rebels have conducted a campaign of looting, rape and indiscriminate killing.

The Archbishop of Sydney’s Anglican Aid has launched an emergency appeal to provide food, clothing, and medicine to those in extreme need. …”

– At SydneyAnglicans.net, Russell Powell shares something of what is happening in Congo, and what you can do to help those suffering (including by praying).

Related:

Back in 1997, ACL News spoke with Bishop Peter Dawson, then recently returned from DR Congo (then Zaire). He called for prayer for the churches of Congo. It would be good to pray such prayers now. (See the prayer included in today’s Sydney Anglicans report.)

Read the interview here.

Bringing Hope to the Illawarra

“March 2025 will see one of the largest evangelistic campaigns for many years in the Illawarra region.

‘Hope For The Illawarra’, a partnership between the US broadcast ministry Leading The Way and churches in the Illawarra, will culminate in outreach events. …”

– Russell Powell has news of good news for the people of the Illawarra.

At SydneyAnglicans.net.

Nexus 25 coming up on 17th March

The Nexus25 conference is coming up on Monday 17th March at Village Church Annandale:

“Nexus25 is about how we can reach our city with the life-giving gospel of our Lord Jesus.

Our conviction as a Nexus network is that the death and resurrection of Jesus, and his imminent return, means that our lives and churches must be driven by the urgent proclamation of our Saviour and Lord. And yet if we’re honest with ourselves, this conviction often wanes and does not flow into concerted, effective action in our churches.  We believe that God is not done with Sydney. Christ still has many people in this city—people who have not yet heard and believed the gospel of Christ—and we long to see them saved and gathered around his throne.

Together under God, let’s think about what we need to do in our churches as we strive to reach this city for Christ.

Dave Jensen and Phil Colgan are going to help us think about how we can help everyone in our churches be on board with the mission that drives us.  What are the convictions we need to sharpen in ourselves and encourage in others if we are going to be evangelistically effective? Are there things holding our churches back?  Are there better ways to do things that flow more truly from our convictions?  Those are the sorts of questions we’re going to consider.

Of course, along with this, we’re going to do what we always do at Nexus – come together for encouragement, fellowship and prayer, to spur one another on to persevere in the noble task of serving God’s people as pastors, teachers and evangelists.”

– Learn more, and register, at the Nexus25 website.

Southern Cross magazine February – March 2025

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

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

• Ministry to bubs and preschoolers
• Welcoming
• Positive masculinity
• Outreach in your suburb
• SRE teachers

PLUS: news, views, reviews and more

Advancing Indigenous Ministry

“In a boost for ministry to Indigenous peoples, Archbishop Kanishka Raffel has announced the landmark appointment of the Rev Michael Duckett as the first Director of Indigenous Ministry in the Sydney Diocese.

Synod last year voted overwhelmingly to create the position after a recommendation from the Sydney Anglican Indigenous Peoples Ministry Committee (SAIPMC) that it would greatly impact the growth and oversight of ministry by, among and for Indigenous people in Sydney and the Illawarra. …”

– Good news from Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Photo: Michael Duckett thanks to SydneyAnglicans.nrt.

Back to school in East Africa

“As kids are heading back to school in Australia, the school year is also beginning in East Africa where there are over 2000 children in schools and education programs supported by Anglican Aid.

We praise God that Tarime Girls Secondary School in Tanzania is due to open this week. …”

– Anglican Aid has this news for your encouragement and prayers.

‘Religious groups split on changes to hate-speech laws’

“A proposal to criminalise hate speech in NSW has split religious organisations, with Australia’s peak Jewish body welcoming it as long overdue, but the Anglican and Catholic churches warning it could have unintended consequences of criminalising expressions of doctrine. …

Michael Stead, the Anglican Bishop of South Sydney, said his church was ‘deeply outraged and appalled’ by the spate of attacks against the Jewish community, but cautioned against the ‘unintended consequences‘ of such a law.”

– Report from The Sydney Morning Herald.

Image of Bishop Michael Stead courtesy of The Pastor’s Heart.

Mothers Union Sydney annual seminar 2025

Mothers Union Sydney has details of their 2025 Annual Seminar coming up on Friday 28th February.

Speakers and topics:
Shining Like Stars – Anna Brotherson
Living in a Secular Age – Steve McAlpine
Equipping Our Children – Al James and Beth Braga

It’s free, but registration is required. Read about it and register here.

Action on anti-semitism

“Archbishop Kanishka Raffel and the Bishop of South Sydney, Michael Stead, have held consultations with Jewish and other faith leaders, as well as Government, as anti-semitism reaches a new level.

Firebombing of cars, graffiti hate attacks on homes and synagogues in Sydney’s east, and now the arson attack on a preschool in Maroubra, have created fear in Jewish communities. …”

– Story from Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Image: The burnt-out Maroubra childcare centre (photo by Judy Adamson)

Anglican Aid’s 2025 Prayer Diary

Anglican Aid have published their 2025 Prayer Diary as a PDF file on their website.

If you don’t receive a printed copy at church, this is a great alternative.

And don’t forget that you can also subscribe to Anglican Aid’s feed in the PrayerMate app for the content from the Prayer Diary.

2025 Summer Prayer Diary

Tara Sing at SydneyAnglicans.net has produced a very helpful resource:

“It’s summertime and we’re getting out into the sunshine, sharing the good news of the gospel and diving deep in understanding the word of God.

With the weeks packed with camps, conferences and missions, we’ve put together an eight-day prayer diary featuring some of the great kingdom initiatives that we can bring before the Lord. …”

– Find it here.

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel’s 2024 Christmas message — God does not leave us alone

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel has released his Christmas message for 2024 — God with us in our loneliness.

Good to watch – good to share — good to play in church!

See also this post from Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net, which includes a link to the text of the Archbishop’s message (PDF file).

Southern Cross December 2024 – January 2025

The latest issue of Southern Cross magazine is now available from the Diocese of Sydney.

Surfing and serving
Summer prayer diary
Baptism testimonies
Teachers and preachers
Grandparents
Faithfulness
Movies and summer reading
PLUS: news, views, reviews and more.

Download, or read online.

Antisemitic attacks — Statement from the Archbishop of Sydney

Here is a Media release from the Diocese of Sydney:

Anglican Diocese of Sydney

Statement from the Archbishop of Sydney

Antisemitic attacks

The latest attack on the Jewish community in Sydney is egregious, cowardly and despicable.

All people of good will, faith or none, will condemn this outrage. It follows the terrorist attack on the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne, and more than a year of increasing hostility and intimidation of the Australian Jewish community in multiple, grotesque ways.

This is totally unacceptable.

The Jewish community in Sydney is resilient and peace-loving, contributing to the welfare and harmony of our city in myriad ways. Jewish people arrived in Sydney with the First Fleet. Sydney is the home we all share.

I urge all political, community and religious leaders to unite and I offer the support of Sydney Anglicans as together we stand against hate.

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel

11 December 2024.

Source: SydneyAnglicans.net.

Raising the Next Generation of Leaders

“I was privileged last month to spend an afternoon watching our prayers being answered.

It is a constant prayer point of our Diocese to ask the Lord to raise up workers for the harvest field.

In my recent Synod address (see SC, Sept-Oct), I said that if we were to succeed in establishing one new church for every 30,000 people in greenfields areas, we would need far more men and women training for ministry than are currently in our system.

I asked for every parish to be intentionally prayerful about sending or supporting at least one suitable person to train for full-time ministry at Moore College or Youthworks College in the next three years. …”

– Archbishop Kanishka Raffel writes at SydneyAnglicans.net.

He also reveals that a diocesan Day of Prayer for Mission has been called for May 4, 2025.

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