Bring lasting hope
Through their Lasting Hope Appeal, CMS Australia is seeking the help of its supporters to bring lasting hope to Buddhist Asia.
To sustain their work, they are praying to reach their $1.5 million goal by the June 30th deadline!
David Robertson at the Spring Senior Ministers Conference
David Robertson (Minister at St Peter’s Free Church in Dundee) spoke at the recent Spring Senior Ministers Conference in the UK.
His talk, and a following Q&A, (each >60 mins) have been posted on the Proclamation Trust website. Most encouraging, especially for those involved in full time ministry.
The ‘No Compromise’ tour
An upcoming series of concerts featuring the music of Keith Green will help support the ministry of The Bush Church Aid Society around Australia.
Download the flier (PDF) and links to buy tickets via the BCA website.
GoThereFor.com 2.0 now live
The new GoThereFor.com from Matthias Media was launched last night, with lots of resources available, and they’re offering a free trial sign-up.
(“Sign up for a free trial by June 30 and receive an exclusive free ebook, Can we talk about Islam? by Tony Payne.”)
Here’s what ACL Council member Dr. Lionel Windsor says about it:
“I’m thinking GoThereFor.com is a bit like Netflix, but better.
It’s like Netflix because – a simple subscription gives you access to lots of content.
It’s better because – the content is all excellent quality, the subscription is cheaper, and subscriptions help people in the developing world to access resources for making disciples who wouldn’t otherwise be able to.”
Expositional Preaching – new 9Marks Journal
The latest 9Marks Journal is out. It’s on expositional (otherwise called expository) preaching.
Pray through Ramadan
As the month of Ramadan begins, Christians around the world are being urged to pray for their Muslim friends and neighbours, that they may hear the saving news of Jesus Christ and to put their trust in him.
Open Doors is one of several organisations providing prayer resources. Another is 30 Days Australia.
Did you forget the Cross?
At the recent NEXUS Conference, Chris Braga gave a very helpful 18 minute exhortation.
Does your church or Christian organisation explicitly speak of the Cross of Christ and what it means?
Or is it assumed?
Encouragement: It’s not too long – watch the video in your Parish Council meetings, committee meetings, home groups, staff meetings – at GoThereFor.com.
Related: Mission Minded.
Two Ways Ministries launch (updated with video)
When Phillip Jensen resigned as Dean of St. Andrew’s Cathedral at the end of 2014, it wasn’t so that he could retire.
His new venture, Two Ways Ministries, was launched at Moore College on Saturday 30th May, with the help of a large group of friends.
The tag line of Two Ways Ministries is “Preaching the gospel by teaching the Bible”. Phillip explains that his aim is to promote the strong connection between faithful exposition of the Bible and preaching the gospel. He, and a few consultants, aim to model evangelistic preaching from the Bible. As well, he plans to continue recruiting and training young preachers, and writing.
Watch or listen:
Richard Chin asks Phillip Jensen about the new ministry. (video)
Two Ways Ministry and book launch – Phil Colgan. (video)
Phillip spoke on 2 Timothy 4:5, “Do the Work of an Evangelist” (video) or audio only.
The ministry was launched with prayer.
As well, a book of 20 essays in honour of Phillip – Let the Word do the Work – was also launched by The Australian Church Record.
The offices of Two Ways Ministries are inside Moore Theological College and can be contacted here.
Please do pray for this new ministry, at the same time giving thanks for tools such as Two Ways to Live – which has been such a blessing to so many over the years.
Let the Word do the Work
At the launch of Two Ways Ministries on May 30, Phil Colgan also launched a new book of twenty essays by friends and colleagues of Phillip Jensen.
Entitled Let the Word do the Work, Essays in honour of Phillip D. Jensen, it’s published by The Australian Church Record.
Contributors to the volume:
Peter Blowes, Peter Bolt, D.A. Carson, Chris and Mona Chia, Richard Chin, Paul House, R. Kent Hughes, Matthew D. Jensen, Peter Jensen, Paul and Sandra King, Simon Manchester, Colin Marshall, Joshua Ng, Tony Payne, Carmelina Read, Rob Smith, William Taylor, Mark Thompson, Tim Thorburn, Jane Tooher.
Here’s the Preface, by ACR Editor Peter Bolt:
“When Phillip Jensen announced his resignation from St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney, the Directors of the Australian Church Record immediately requested me to commission a volume of essays in his honour.
It is no exaggeration to say that Phillip, with his focus on clear Bible teaching and gospel proclamation, has been an enormous influence in maintaining and shaping Sydney’s evangelicalism. It is equally clear that his ministry has influenced good, evangelical change throughout Australia and in significant places across the globe.
Of course, the thanks and praise must go to the Lord Jesus Christ, who called Phillip to himself in order to thrust him out as yet another labourer into his harvest field. But because his ministry has brought so many benefits to so many people and also to the evangelical cause, it would be an act of ingratitude to Christ if we did not also thank Phillip himself for his faithfulness to the Saviour. Rejoicing in the Lord’s work, and in the work of his servants ought to go hand in hand.
These essays are offered in this double thankfulness, and with the hope of more good things to come as Phillip enters the next phase of his service of the Lord Jesus.”
You can order Let the Word do the Work from Matthias Media.
Praying for those who serve those who serve
The 2015 Defence Anglicans Prayer Diary is now up on their website.
Use it to help you uphold in prayer those who minister to members of the Australian Defence Force.
Don’t miss the ACL Georges River Region Information Night Monday 15th June
Don’t miss our ACL Georges River Information Night –
• What is the Anglican Church League?
• What do we do? Why is this worth your interest and support?
• Why do many consider consider the League to be vital for the life of the Diocese of Sydney?
Please be encouraged to invite others in your church (clergy or lay) who may be interested in the work of the ACL.
Anglican Future Conference videos
Videos of talks from the Anglican Future Conference in Melbourne in March 2015 (programme) are now available, thanks to the Peter Corney Training Centre.
They are terrific resources – check them out and consider how you might use.
30 Days of Prayer
Food for Prayer. 18 June – 17 July 2015.
Leland Ryken and Sam Storms on J I Packer
Justin Taylor sat down recently with Sam Storms and Leland Ryken – both of whom have written books on J. I. Packer. It’s a 20 minute video.
J. I. Packer is best known for his books Knowing God, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God.
The Bible and same sex relationships: A review article
“The reason that homosexual relationships make so much more sense to people today than in previous times is because they have absorbed late modern western culture’s narratives about the human life.
Our society presses its members to believe ‘you have to be yourself,’ that sexual desires are crucial to personal identity, that any curbing of strong sexual desires leads to psychological damage, and that individuals should be free to live as they alone see fit…”
– Tim Keller responds to two celebrated books which argue that the Bible allows for, or supports, same sex relationships.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…