Anglican Church of Canada ‘gone by 2040’
Posted on October 6, 2019
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“In 2018 General Synod was able to collect a complete and mostly reliable set of data for from the dioceses for the first time since 2001. The data is for the year 2017 and it shows that the decline observed in earlier data has continued.
Projections from our data indicate that there will be no members, attenders or givers in the Anglican Church of Canada by approximately 2040.”
– Anglican Samizdat highlights a sobering report just presented to the Anglican Church of Canada’s House of Bishops.
Also from the Anglican Church of Canada:
Get your pet blessed this Sunday in Vancouver – Vancouver Courier.
“Annual Blessing of the Animals ceremony welcomes creatures of all types to Shaughnessy church.” [This is the Anglican Church of Canada congregation now using the building vacated by St. John’s Vancouver.]
Resilience
Posted on October 4, 2019
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“Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart (2 Corinthians 4:1). The trouble is, in ministry it can be only too easy to lose heart.
So begins Birkett’s short and incisive work that details her research into the idea of resilience and Christian ministry. This is much needed, given that burnout is all too common in ministry.
What sets Birkett’s work out from the crowd is that she is not writing a survival plan. …”
– At Church Society’s blog, Aled Seago commends Resilience, a new book by Kirsty Birkett.
Seven ways you can contribute to better Public Discourse
Posted on October 4, 2019
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“Paul D. Miller, professor of the practice of international affairs at Georgetown University, recently authored a white paper for the ERLC [Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention] on ‘Faith and Healthy Democracy.’ …
Here are their seven encouragements for individuals and families to be healthier contributors for the common good.”
– From Justin Taylor at The Gospel Coalition.
One encouragement: Put down your smart phone, and don’t give them to kids.
Forgiveness and a hug for his brother’s murderer
Posted on October 3, 2019
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“If you haven’t seen this anywhere else, watch it now.
If you have seen it, watch it again. …”
– This video is being posted on multiple websites. Well worth watching.
Doctor’s Biblical belief ruled ‘incompatible with human dignity’
Posted on October 3, 2019
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“A Christian doctor has been told that his belief in the Biblical view of what it is to be male and female is ‘incompatible with human dignity’.
Dr David Mackereth, who had been an NHS A&E doctor for 26 years, was forced out of his job working for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) after refusing to use ‘transgender pronouns’…”
– Christian Concern in the UK highlights a ruling from the Employment Tribunal which states that the doctor’s Christian beliefs are not ‘worthy of respect in a democratic society’.
What do you want to become? (Ephesians 5:5–7)
Posted on October 3, 2019
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“What do you want to become? When you close your eyes and picture yourself in 5 years, 10 years, 20 years, what will you have become? What do you hope for, pray for, and plan for? …”
– Don’t be deceived, Lionel Windsor at Moore College has some encouragement for you from God’s word.
Books of the Reformation: An Interactive Exhibition
Posted on October 2, 2019
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On Monday, 28 October 20129, from 6:30 pm, Moore College is running a free event as part of the NSW State Library’s Sydney Rare Book Week.
Dr Peter Jones on The Arrival of the Post-Secular Age
Posted on October 2, 2019
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Reformers Bookshop in Stanmore is hosting an event with Dr. Peter Jones, Executive Director of TruthXChange in Los Angeles, on Monday 21st October at 7:00pm.
Dr. Jones is also speaking at the Australian Christian Lobby’s “Not Ashamed” 2019 National Conference in Sydney on Saturday 19th October. See the short video of Dr Jones on this page.
Religious discrimination bill so flawed it cannot be supported, Anglicans say
Posted on October 1, 2019
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“The flaws in the Coalition’s religious discrimination bill are ‘so serious’ it cannot be supported in its current form, the Sydney Anglican diocese has warned. …
In a separate submission, the Freedom for Faith group has claimed the bill fails a commitment by the prime minister, Scott Morrison, ‘that the law would not take faith groups backwards in terms of protection of religious freedom’. …”
– Story from The Guardian.
Crowd Madness and The New Religion of The West
Posted on October 1, 2019
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“ ‘There are 2 gunman at the university – tell your friends on campus’.
The text arrives from a friend, who knows I’m often on campus. But I can’t believe it: surely this is spam?
So I ring my friend to confirm. Yes, the text is legit: A collegue of his has a contact at the university.There really are gunmen at Southern Cross University in Lismore.
I well up with anxiety. My head starts racing. Is this really happening?…
But the herd mentality isn’t limited to stressful rumours about active shooters (as bad as they are). Any idea can lead to herd mentality, as it spreads among a population.”
– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Akos Balogh draws some helpful ideas for Christians from a new book about western culture.
Submission on the Religious Freedom draft laws
Posted on September 30, 2019
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Associate Professor Neil Foster shares his personal submission on the Government’s package of draft laws on Religious Freedom – at Law and Religion Australia.
If you would like to make your own submission, you have until 5:00 pm on Wednesday 2nd October 2019.
Archbishop Henry Ndukuba elected as new Primate on Nigeria
Posted on September 29, 2019
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“The Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion has elected Most Rev’d Henry Ndukuba as the new Primate of the church for the next ten years.
Archbishop Ndukuba who is currently the Bishop of Gombe Diocese and Archbishop of Jos Province, respectively, took over from His Grace, the Most Rev’d Nicholas Okoh. …”
– Story from The Vanguard (Nigeria).
And some biographical details via Anglican Ink.
Serving God or Mammon in the Anglican Communion?
Posted on September 29, 2019
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“What role does money play in the continuing struggle for biblical faithfulness in the Anglican Communion? The sharp warning from Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 6:24) about the impossibility of serving both God and Mammon alerts us to the reality that money can become a spiritual power when it seduces us into materialism. Rather than being used in the service of God, it can become a god.
But this power of money does not normally manifest itself in a simple and unsubtle appeal to greed…”
– GAFCON’s Membership Development Secretary, Canon Charles Raven, wrote this article for Evangelicals Now.
The Moon is Always Round
Posted on September 27, 2019
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“In one of those wonderful gifts of God in the midst of darkness, I received a copy of Jonny Gibson’s book The Moon is Always Round only a day before hearing that the New South Wales parliament had failed to protect the most vulnerable in society and had passed its Abortion Bill.
Though the Bill received some significant amendments, its basic thrust remains and we have descended further into a culture of death where life has no intrinsic value, only what we decide to give it. If you want this child, that’s OK. Go ahead and carry the child to full term and share your life with her or him. But if you do not want this child, for whatever reason, then this life is expendable, disposable. It was a tragic piece of news to hear that this Bill had been passed. The darkness encroaches even further.
Enter Jonny Gibson’s book. …”
– Moore College Principal Dr Mark Thompson commends a book about a sensitive and important topic.
It’s available locally from Reformers Bookshop.
David Ould also has a review.:
“In The Moon is Always Round Jonathan Gibson has given us a fine gift – the tragedy of the stillbirth of his daughter turned into a book to help children process suffering.
Illustrated beautifully by Joe Hox, Gibson takes us through the story of that loss through the eyes of his son Ben, using the waxing and waning of the moon as an illustration of something that we can’t always see but we know is always there.”
Why one Minister left the Church of England
Posted on September 27, 2019
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Julian Mann, who has recently joined the Free Church of England, explains why he finally decided to leave the Church of England.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…