Not as good as we hope to be? — Leadership effectiveness and ministry blindspots

Posted on March 9, 2022 
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“Senior leaders long to be effective leaders, but we may not be as good as we hope to be.

Leadership in a church context has become much much more complex, with increasing demands on the senior pastor to be excellent in leadership, managerial, and administrative on top of preaching, teaching and pastoral care. …”

– This week at The Pastor’s Heart.

Bathurst Anglican e-News — March 2022

Posted on March 8, 2022 
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The Diocese of Bathurst’s e-News for March 2022 is now up on their website.

It’s a “newsletter for the Anglican Church in Central & Western NSW”, but will be of interest to many who are praying for the eternal good of men and women across that diocese.

In this issue Bishop Mark Calder writes –

Encouraging signs of growth

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind towards each other that Christ Jesus had so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the same mind towards each other that Christ Jesus had; a humility of servanthood and of sacrifice, so that with one voice and one mind we may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom. 15:5-6)

I’ve been sharing those verses with you since before I began here and I think that under God we are slowly seeing our prayers answered in that regard. …

Read it all on page 2 – and download the whole issue here. (3.7MB PDF file.)

In an e-mail to newsletter recipients Bishop Calder writes:

“Please give thanks with us for the grace of God at work among us and pray that the Lord will raise up more gospel workers for our 16/29 parishes without clergy.”

Praying at the foot of the Cross

Posted on March 8, 2022 
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“The pain of the world, the reality of death and the uncertainty of life has been made acute by the long struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic and by the war that has broken out in Ukraine just this past week. That is the context in which Christians across the world are called to be faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ.

So now like never before we need to personally know the transforming love of Christ and the living hope we have in Him. And there is no place to experience these powerful realities than at the foot of the Cross.

As we gather at the foot of the Cross and behold our Lord, there are three dimensions that shape our posture. …”

– The Rt Revd Rennis Ponniah, former Bishop of Singapore, calls Christians to worship at the foot of the Cross. This Lent devotion was published by the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches.

(Image courtesy St. Andrew’s Cathedral Singapore.)

Diocese of the Northern Territory Prayer Cycle for 2022

Posted on March 7, 2022 
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From the Diocese of the Northern Territory –

“We covet your prayers for the work of the Gospel in the Diocese of the Northern Territory.

Please keep praying that God will raise up the next generation of leaders in all the parishes here in the Northern Territory, for additional resources for our urban and remote parishes and that we will use the resources that God has given wisely.”

– Download the Prayer Cycle for 2002 here.

Law and Religion elective for later year Law students

Posted on March 7, 2022 
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“This is an announcement which may be of interest to readers of this blog who are, or who know, later year Australian law students. Please feel free to pass this on to others who may be interested.

Students in the final 2 years of their law program are invited to consider applying for cross-institutional study with Associate Professor Neil Foster at the University of Newcastle, NSW, who will be offering the course LAWS6095 “Law and Religion” in semester 2, 2022. The course is open to both postgrad JD students and LLB students in their final 2 years of study.”

– As noted at Law and Religion Australia, perhaps you may know a law student who would benefit from this.

Shane Warne and our own mortality

Posted on March 6, 2022 
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“I think it is fair to say that the whole nation is in mourning. The cricket world is in shock. At the age of 52, Shane Warne is dead. This legitimate Aussie larrikin and cricket legend (and legend is no exaggerated term) died suddenly on Friday night, apparently from a heart attack. …”

– Murray Campbell writes of mortality and Christian hope.

Peter Jensen: The Challenges of Global Anglicanism — The Mission of the Church

Posted on March 6, 2022 
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From Church Society:

“In this first of our 2022 Lent series on the challenges of Global Anglicanism, Rt Revd Peter Jensen former Archbishop of Sydney and General Secretary of GAFCON, speaks about the challenge of taking the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ to the world.

He identifies three challenges: identity, truth and relationships.”

Good to watch and share.

The Real Cost of Social Media

Posted on March 4, 2022 
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“Like it or not, we live in a world dominated by social media. While many older forms of media continue to exist and to exert their influence, all have in some way had to bow before the ascendancy of new media. It is pervasive, it is ubiquitous, it is addictive, and it is changing everything.

Yet because social media rose with lightning speed and so quickly became nearly omnipresent, we may already have lost sight of the influence it has over us. …”

– Tim Challies commends “Terms of Service: The Real Cost of Social Media” by Chris Martin.

A word from Bishop Gary Nelson

Posted on March 4, 2022 
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Bishop of North West Australia, Gary Nelson, writes –

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” [ESV, 2 Tim 47]

Paul writes these words to Timothy as he nears the end of his life and ministry. They certainly encourage us all to finish well, to remain faithful to our Lord.

Friends, as I write, it’s only a few months before I conclude my ministry in the North West on May 15. For Christine and I, it has been, and still is, a wonderful privilege to serve the Lord in this part of remote Australia. It seems only yesterday we were leaving Sydney to drive across the continent to Geraldton. Now, we find ourselves preparing to do the reverse trip, 10 years later. We find it hard to believe our time in the North West is rapidly drawing to a close. So, Christine and I, want to thank you, whether family, friends or supporters [across Australia, and overseas, especially in America], for your constant prayer, generous giving and continued encouragement to press on. Read more

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel’s message to churches — March 2022

Posted on March 3, 2022 
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“Archbishop Raffel has written to churches, and spoken on video, about the remarkable week which has seen the invasion of Ukraine and flooding in two states.”

– Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net has more.

In a letter to Rectors, Archbishop Raffel also writes,

“The Rev Mark Charleston has also written a prayer for those affected by floods. It is available online at sydneyanglicans.net/news/a-prayer-for-those-affected-by-flood.”

Winding up order issued for Christian Democratic Party

Posted on March 3, 2022 
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“A winding-up order to dissolve Fred Nile’s Christian Democratic Party (CDP) has been issued by Justice Black of the NSW Supreme Court. …”

– Report from Eternity News.

Numbulwar Restoration Project

Posted on March 3, 2022 
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From the Diocese of the Northern Territory:

“The Diocese is seeking financial support for the restoration of the church building and rectory in the remote community of Numbulwar.

We hope to continue to enable culturally appropriate worship activities in the region by improving its facilities. For further information, please review the project presentation or contact Lee Walton at the Diocesan Office…”

Numbulwar is a remote community on the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Southern Cross magazine, March 2022

Posted on March 3, 2022 
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Anglican Media Sydney has just released Southern Cross magazine for March 2022.

Printed copies will be available in parishes from this weekend, but you can download a PDF version now at magazine.sydneyanglicans.net.

APWM Ukraine news and appeal

Posted on March 2, 2022 
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Australian Presbyterian World Mission has released this video with some news of the Ukraine from neighbouring Hungary. Plus they are running an appeal in Presbyterian chureches.

“APWM Associate missionary, and Presbyterian Church of Australia minister, The Rev Dr Granville Pillar and his wife Ibolya, live just 50km from the Hungarian-Ukrainian border. They have been providing assistance for refugees.”

‘Two faces …?’ — an Ash Wednesday reflection

Posted on March 2, 2022 
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“Human relationships on the personal and international level must rate as the greatest challenge for the world’s future. The cold-blooded invasion of Ukraine reveals an oft unspoken issue that confronts us: flawed human nature.

The Russian author, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn once commented, If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?

Robert Murray McCheyne, who was a great influence on CS Lewis, observed, The seeds of all sins are in my heart, and perhaps all the more dangerously that I do not see them.

Let me make a suggestion. Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the season of Lent that continues through to the day before Easter Day. …”

– Read (or listen to) John Mason’s Word on Wednesday reflection for Ash Wednesday from the Anglican Connection.

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