Luke’s Acts as a Historical Source for Paul

Posted on December 14, 2012 
Filed under History, Resources Comments Off on Luke’s Acts as a Historical Source for Paul

“The Acts of the Apostles is critical to historians for establishing (a) the connection between Jesus and earliest Christianity, and (b) a chronology of the life of Paul and its relationship with his letters. In this brief paper we will direct our attention to (b). …”

– Bishop Paul Barnett explores New Testament historicity – at his blog.

New Centre for Ministry Development

Posted on December 12, 2012 
Filed under Sydney Diocese Comments Off on New Centre for Ministry Development

News from Moore College –

Moore College’s campus in Newtown is becoming a “ministry training and theological education precinct”. A growing number of organisations, devoted to serving the churches in these ways – are being located on the campus, enabling closer cooperation and partnership. Part of this development has been the creation by Moore College of the Priscilla and Aquila Centre and the Centre for Christian Living.

The College is pleased to announce plans to establish a new centre: the Centre for Ministry Development (CMD). CMD will partner closely with other best practice ministry training practitioners to help pastors and ministers strengthen their ministries through training and support that is personal, localised and practical.

“Faithful Christian ministers always long to serve Christ and his people with more insight, improved skills and greater effectiveness. We believe that full-time theological education builds a firm foundation, and that ministers then need ongoing development to be the most faithful and effective ministers they can be. CMD will support this development with the best possible coaching and training tools,” said Principal John Woodhouse.

“I am delighted to announce that the experienced pastor and church planter, Archie Poulos, will lead this new initiative,” said Dr Woodhouse. “Archie is currently the head of the Ministry Department at Moore College and is widely known for his pastoral care and wisdom as well as his wealth of perceptiveness and ability in ministry matters.”

The Centre for Ministry Development will be officially launched in the first half of 2013. More details on the centre and it’s activities will be made available in the New Year.

– Source.

Tears as Tron congregation leave church for last time

Posted on December 12, 2012 
Filed under News Comments Off on Tears as Tron congregation leave church for last time

“The pews of St George’s Tron in Buchanan Street were busy as 500 worshippers came to hear its minister, the Rev Dr Willie Philip, deliver the final sermon. …

Before beginning his sermon yesterday, the minister told members that all further services were being held at a hall in nearby Bath Street.” – Story from The Scotsman.

Meetings now to be held at 25 Bath Street, Glasgow.

Related:

Oak Hill magazine – Winter 2012-13

Posted on December 11, 2012 
Filed under Resources Comments Off on Oak Hill magazine – Winter 2012-13

The latest Commentary magazine from Oak Hill in London is now on their website – it’s downloadable as a 12MB PDF file. Individual articles are also available – from this page.

Well worth a read.

Reform Newsletter December 2012

Posted on December 11, 2012 
Filed under Church of England Comments Off on Reform Newsletter December 2012

Reform has posted excerpts from their current newsletter, with a focus on ‘the Women Bishops Measure’.

Death and Life and your Tongue

Posted on December 11, 2012 
Filed under Opinion Comments Off on Death and Life and your Tongue

“Proverbs warns us of the power of the tongue, which is to say, the power of our words…”

– Tim Challies has some good advice for all of us.

AnglicanTV Interviews Bishop Mark Lawrence

Posted on December 11, 2012 
Filed under Anglican Communion Comments Off on AnglicanTV Interviews Bishop Mark Lawrence

45 minutes, here. And a good reminder to pray for the people of the Diocese of South Carolina.

St George’s Tron last Sunday in Church of Scotland

Posted on December 10, 2012 
Filed under News Comments Off on St George’s Tron last Sunday in Church of Scotland

“The congregation of a Glasgow church has held its final service before leaving the Church of Scotland. …”

– BBC News report.

Assisted suicide: No room for error!

Posted on December 9, 2012 
Filed under Resources Comments Off on Assisted suicide: No room for error!

Bishop of Tasmania John Harrower writes –

“Sobering, indeed frightening letter (I have bolded some text for clarity): Friday, December 7, 2012.” – See why here.

Twitter Christmas sermons for Anglican bishops

Posted on December 9, 2012 
Filed under Church of England Comments Off on Twitter Christmas sermons for Anglican bishops

“Britain’s senior Anglican bishops will be tweeting their Christmas Day sermons for the first time this year. …

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Rowan Williams, his soon-to-be successor the Bishop of Durham, the Right Reverend Justin Welby, and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu will be tweeting. …”

– BBC News.

How evil was Herod the Great?

Posted on December 9, 2012 
Filed under History, Resources Comments Off on How evil was Herod the Great?

“Tony Reinke has a helpful podcast interview with Dr. [Paul] Maier about the paranoid tyrant who ended up killing three of his sons on suspicion of treason, putting to death his favorite wife (of his ten wives!), killing one of his mothers-in-law, drowning a high priest, and killing several uncles and a couple of cousins.

They also talk about Herod’s plot to kill a stadium of Jewish leaders, and whether there are any doubts in Dr. Maier’s mind about the historicity of the slaughter of the innocent male children recorded only in Matthew 2 — and why there isn’t any collaborating evidence in the historical record.”

– Justin Taylor draws attention to an illuminating interview. In addition, John Piper speaks about his Hope for the Hurting This Christmas video.

Feed My Lambs

Posted on December 7, 2012 
Filed under Resources Comments Off on Feed My Lambs

“Simon Peter, you will recall, was a fisherman, not a shepherd by training. He was used to nets and boats and water. Now he is called to feed sheep. These are very different tasks. The fisherman does not stay up at night, protecting his fish from slaughter. He does not lovingly tend the fish, knowing that they will surely perish without a fisherman. As a matter of fact, the fish should rightly fear the fisherman, who hardly takes their personal welfare to heart.…”

– At today’s Commencement of Ministry service at Southern Baptist Seminary, Albert Mohler will remind graduates of the nature of Christian pastoral ministry. Here’s the text of his charge.

Preaching resources from Tassie

Posted on December 6, 2012 
Filed under Resources Comments Off on Preaching resources from Tassie

The Diocese of Tasmania has posted some new preaching resources on its website – most recently a section to help a local church incorporate Scripture Union’s E100 Bible reading challenge into a twenty week preaching programme.

How the Incarnation humbles me

Posted on December 5, 2012 
Filed under Opinion, Theology Comments Off on How the Incarnation humbles me

Tim Challies on the Incarnation –

“This is not the Mary of Roman Catholicism who was without sin and, in that way, the most suitable mother in all of human history. No, she is a sinful girl who stands in desperate need of the very Savior she is carrying. …

Of all I love about God—and there is a lot I could list!—this is very near the top, that he chooses such unlikely people to benefit from his gifts and his grace.” – Read it all here.

Understanding Sydney Diocese

Posted on December 4, 2012 
Filed under Anglican Communion, Sydney Diocese Comments Off on Understanding Sydney Diocese

What is it that makes Sydney Diocese what it is?

Between March and August 2012, Dr Mark Thompson, then President of the ACL, penned a series of articles on the topic.

We’ve also added them to our Resources page.

“Here I want to look at some of those things which, while not by any means unique to Sydney Anglicans, nevertheless are important characteristics of the diocesan ethos.”

Sydney Anglicans I. Biblically confessional
Sydney Anglicans II. The congregation as the centre
Sydney Anglicans III. Complementarian ministry
Sydney Anglicans IV: The Primacy of the Word
Sydney Anglicans V: A commitment to mission
Sydney Anglicans VI: An evangelical episcopate
Sydney Anglicans VII: The value of theological education

← Previous Page — Next Page →