Southern Cross May – June 2025

Posted on May 11, 2025 
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The latest issue of Southern Cross magazine (May – June 2025) is now downloadable from SydneyAnglicans.net.

If you attend a Sydney Anglican church, you should be able to pick up a printed copy there.

 

Bishop of Bathurst’s Newsletter: HOPE25 Edition – May 2025

Posted on May 10, 2025 
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Bishop of Bathurst Mark Calder has released the latest Bishop’s newsletter for your prayers and encourgament.

– Read it online here. Or download the PDF file.

 

Albert Mohler on the new Pope

Posted on May 10, 2025 
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In his The Briefing broadcast of 09 May 2025, Dr Albert shares his thoughts on the new Pope and what his election might mean for the Roman Catholic Church.

– Listen here.

See also:

9 Things You Should Know About Pope Leo XIV – How Carter at The Gospel Coalition.

Alistair Begg on his preaching ministry

Posted on May 10, 2025 
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“Alistair Begg has been in pastoral ministry since 1975. He graduated from the London School of Theology and subsequently served in Scotland at Charlotte Chapel in Edinburgh and Hamilton Baptist Church. In 1983, he became the senior pastor at Parkside Church near Cleveland, Ohio, where he continues to lead the congregation and teach God’s word Sunday by Sunday.

Alistair is also the Bible teacher on the daily and weekend program Truth for Life. Truth For Life is distributed through 1,900 radio networks across the United States and can also be heard on the Truth for Life website, through YouTube, via podcast, and by way of numerous other listening platforms. Alistair is the author of several books. He and his wife Susan were married in 1975 and have three grown children and eight grandchildren.

The following is a transcript of a section of an interview with Alistair conducted by the ACR during the 2025 CMS Summer School, Katoomba, where Alistair was speaking on the book of 1 Peter. …”

– Read the full interview at The Australian Church Record.

Sydney Diocese Media release: Abortion Bill amendments

Posted on May 9, 2025 
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The Archbishop of Sydney is grateful for progress made, and urges Lower House MPs to reject the amended bill.

Anglican Diocese of Sydney
Archbishop’s statement re the amendment of the Greens’ abortion Bill

I am thankful to those MPs who upheld freedom of conscience for doctors and amended the Greens’ abortion bill in the NSW Upper House.

But the burden will now also fall on nurses and midwives to be involved in something at odds with their vocation.

So, I urge lower house MPs to protect the unborn and reject the bill entirely.

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel

9 May, 2025.

NSW Abortion bill ‘gutted’

Posted on May 9, 2025 
Filed under Culture wars, NSW Comments Off on NSW Abortion bill ‘gutted’

From John Sandeman:

“The debate over the Abortion Law Reform Amendment (Health Care Access) Bill 2025 introduced by Greens’ member Amanda Cohn into the NSW Upper house, has seen several amendments.

Lyle Shelton reports: ‘I’ve been watching the NSW Parliament live feed as MLCs have debated the Greens’ abortion bill. Amendments carried tonight seem to have all but gutted the bill. It seems pro-life hospitals will now not be forced to perform abortions and pro-life heath practitioners will not have to be complicit in them.’…”

– at The Other Cheek.

Image from NSW Parliament website.

The Gift of Rebirth into a Living Hope

Posted on May 9, 2025 
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“The Buddhist faith in which I was raised teaches rebirth. The Christian faith into which, by God’s grace, I was rescued, teaches that you must be born again.

It might sound like these two faiths have something in common, but in fact, this is not so. …”

– At the Moore College website, Archbishop Kanishka Raffel reflects on the living hope we have in Jesus Christ.

The Woman Who Saved Capitol Hill Baptist Church

Posted on May 9, 2025 
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“In 1944 America was in the throes of an existential crisis. With World War II still raging, the nation’s future felt uncertain. But amid the global turmoil, another crisis – less dramatic but no less significant – was unfolding in a church just a mile from the US Capitol.

After forty-one years as pastor of Metropolitan Baptist Church (later renamed Capitol Hill Baptist Church), Dr. John Compton Ball had finally decided to retire. …”

– Crossway has published this excerpt from Caleb Morell’s book, A Light on the Hill: The Surprising Story of How a Local Church in the Nation’s Capital Influenced Evangelicalism.

(The book was reviewed by Tim Challies last month.)

Photo: The U.S. Capitol in Washington.

Abortion bill protest draws fired-up crowd

Posted on May 8, 2025 
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“A Greens bill to require doctors who object to abortion to be forced to formally refer patients to somone who will perform a termination, and allow midwives and nurse practitioners to prescribe abortion pills, drew a large protest outside the NSW Parliament last night. Religious leaders, and a former prime minister addressed the 6,000 strong crowd. …”

– At The Other Cheek, John Sandmen reports on the Abortion bill protest we mentioned previously.

Photo: John Sandeman.

Everyone needs (to be) a mother

Posted on May 8, 2025 
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“When someone becomes a parent – whether to biological, adopted or fostered children – it means, among other things, that they have the privilege and responsibility of teaching that child about God. Because God has revealed himself in the Bible, it means teaching their child God’s word and modelling to them what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus Christ. The child’s parents are primarily responsible for this teaching and modelling (Prov 1:8-9; Eph 6:1-4).

Yet the gospel is also taught and modelled by members of the church family more generally. …”

– As Mother’s Day approaches, The Australian Church Record team have dug into their archives to hear again from Jane Tooher on what it means to be a spiritual mother.

Preaching Mentoring – new semester begins Sunday 27 July

Posted on May 8, 2025 
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From The Expository Preaching Trust:

“Mentoring of preachers is one of the most effective inputs the Trust has into the ministry of preachers.

The Trust is pleased to offer mentors free of any charge to preachers.

Mentors can be accessed on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis.

Mentors available include: Don Barker, Graham Barnes, Jono Buesnell,  David Burge, Elizabeth Burns, David Cook, Stuart Coulton, David Jones, Michael Leong, Simon Manchester,  Jim Mobbs, Janet Riley, Jenny Salt and Marshall Scott.

A pastor writes, ‘Nothing has helped my preaching  more than the encouragement and correction of a preaching mentor who speaks with grace, truth and a deep grounding in God’s word’. …”

– Learn about this encouraging ministry at their website.

Malawi: A graduate’s holistic ministry

Posted on May 7, 2025 
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“Visiting Anglican Aid projects at the end of last year was a joy! I witnessed how God is working through your support to grow and strengthen his church in some of the world’s poorest nations. I could see how our long-term partnerships in the gospel were bearing fruit.

I was encouraged to meet Rev. David Mponda, Pastor of Thyolo Parish in the Anglican Diocese of Southern Malawi …”

– Canon Tim Swan shares great encouragement from Malawi.

What’s really going on in the faith lives of young Australians?

Posted on May 7, 2025 
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From The Pastor’s Heart:

“We explore the findings of the Your Story Research Report — a significant national study that listens to the voices of more than 400 young people as they reflect on their spiritual journeys.

We find out who and what has, and is, shaping young people’s faith from their childhood, though to adolescence, to right now.

There are insights into the eight “faith journeys” —from Embracing to Reconstructing to Disengaging— highlighting the importance of relationships, trust, and belonging in shaping faith over time.

Plus advice for churches, families, and schools on how to nurture young people in ways that are both personal and sustainable.

Graham Stanton is Director of the Centre for Children’s and Youth Ministry. He lectures in Practical Theology at Melbourne’s Ridley College.”

– Watch or listen here.

In Praise of Mothers

Posted on May 6, 2025 
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From Phillip Jensen:

“Motherhood and apple pie is no longer the foundation of Western civilisation. Apple pie is still pretty important, but motherhood has now been challenged. Peter and I had the privilege of the same mother, whom we loved and admired, and remember with great fondness. Yet the kind of family life in which we were raised has undergone considerable change during our lifetime. Mother’s Day brings us to reconsider family life.”

– Phillip and Peter Jensen discuss mothers and family life in the latest Two Ways News podcast.

Broken plates illuminate gospel message

Posted on May 6, 2025 
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“Broken plates transformed with gold helped participants explore Easter’s redemption story at a workshop hosted by St Jude’s Parkville last month.

More than 40 people attended the kintsugi workshop where they repaired cracked plates while reflecting on how Christ’s sacrifice mends human brokenness. …”

– At The Melbourne Anglican, Hannah Felsbourg shares news of an innovative way of sharing the gospel.

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