The ACR speaks with Jane Tooher about the Priscilla and Aquila Conference
The Australian Church Record recently spoke with Jane Tooher, Director of the Priscilla and Aquila Centre at Moore College, about the upcoming P&A Conference for 2020.
On Preaching, the Supper, and the Unity of the Church
“Recently, the well-known pastor and author Francis Chan made some alarming comments about preaching, the Lord’s Supper, and the unity of the church.
In this episode of Pastors’ Talk, Jonathan Leeman chats with Mark Dever, Bobby Jamieson, and Mark Feather about Chan’s comments in particular and the topics of preaching, the Supper, and unity more generally.”
– Listen here.
Should we trade in Funerals for “Celebrations of Life”?
“Over the last decade of serving the local church, I’ve noticed a trend: people don’t like thinking about death. In every conceivable way, we dismiss, ignore, and refuse to acknowledge our mortality. In the words of the blues artist, Albert King, ‘Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.’
Nobody wants to die and nobody wants to think about death…”
– At 9Marks, Jason Hill considers a question many Sydney Anglican ministers also confront.
Prayer: the heart of evangelism (Ephesians 6:17–20)
“One of the best things we can pray for is that the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ will go out to the world, both through us and through others.”
– Lionel Windsor nears the end of Ephesians and comes to a key passage.
(Photo: GAFCON.)
Abuse in the marriages of ministry leaders
“This week on the Pastor’s Heart, we address the complex issue of domestic abuse within the relationships of ministry leaders.”
Dominic Steele speaks with Jenni Woodhouse, pastoral care coordinator for the Church Missionary Society NSW & ACT, and previously chaplain for the Sydney Anglican Church’s Professional Standards Unit.
GAFCON ‘Life up your hearts’ devotions continued
GAFCON has been continuing to publish “Lift up your hearts“, a devotional which began in Advent.
See all that have been published here.
The importance of being a struggling Christian (Ephesians 6:14–16)
“Do you ever feel like the Christian life is a struggle? Struggling is normal for Christians. In fact, it’s not just normal. Christians should be struggling!”
– Lionel Windsor continues his exposition of Ephesians.
Showing your church the beauty of 1 Timothy 2, with Simon Manchester
“Simon Manchester explains to Dominic Steele how he prepares to teach at a major conference and how to show your congregation the beauty of 1 Timothy 2. …
Simon is opening the Bible this week … at the Church Missionary Society Summer School in Katoomba in Sydney’s bushfire impacted Blue Mountains.”
– Watch or listen at The Pastor’s Heart.
Church Society Best of 2019: Written Word
Ros Clarke, Acting Director of Church Society in the UK, writes,
“While audio and video continue to expand their reach, at Church Society we have not abandoned the written word!
We were excited to publish Gospel Flourishing in a Time of Confusion, Fight Valiantly! and Reach Build Send …
We’ve published a number of excellent articles on the blog this year. Among the most widely read and shared were…”
– Read the list (with links) at Church Society’s website.
Anglican Aid NSW Bushfire Appeal
“The Archbishop of Sydney’s Anglican Aid has launched an appeal to allow immediate response to the devastating bushfires raging in NSW.”
Image: worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov/
NSW/ACT CMS Summer School under way
The CMS Summer School is under way at Katoomba.
For anyone planning to go, but who missed the first couple of talks (on 1 Timothy) by Simon Manchester, CMS has made them available here.
Opposing same-sex marriage is not “vilification”
“The recent NSW decision of Passas v Comensoli [2019] NSWCATAP 298 (18 December 2019) provides an example of someone who has been penalised for “homosexual vilification” as a result of comments concerning same-sex marriage.
However, it does provide clarification that merely to express disagreement with the introduction of same sex marriage does not amount to such vilification under NSW law.”
– At Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster’s latest post is worth reading in full.
A Prayer for protection amid bushfire emergency
“Archbishop Glenn Davies has appealed for Christians to be in fervent prayer as New South Wales enters a State of Emergency because of bushfires raging around the state.
As the state of emergency was declared, at least 17 people had died in Australia and more than 1,400 homes have been destroyed in bushfires since October. Three bushfire fighters have lost their lives in New South Wales.
Archbishop Davies wrote to churches noting that many, especially in the Wollongong Region have been arranging special prayer meetings as well as practical offers of support to those affected.
“Our January Sunday services will give us all an opportunity for bringing our prayers to God for his mercy to flow, and indeed for rain to fall.” Dr Davies said.
The Archbishop issued a special prayer, which asks for protection for the firefighters…“
– The full prayer is available at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Related: At the time of writing, the CMS Summer School at Katoomba is still going ahead.
Stand your ground (Ephesians 6:10–13)
“It’s easy to ignore the spiritual realities of life. But Paul reminds us we should live our ordinary, everyday lives in light of spiritual realities. …”
– Lionel Windsor turns to this key passage in Ephesians 6, with a reminder of important spiritual realities at the start of 2020.
Bible Reading Plans for 2020
“Many Christians take the beginning of a new year to evaluate their Bible reading habits and then change or begin a Bible reading plan.
For your convenience, we’ve compiled a list of Bible reading plans for you …”
– Ligonier Ministries has published this comprehensive list.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…