Hearts for pastors’ kids – with James Galea

Posted on March 26, 2024 
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From The Pastor’s Heart:

“We explore the delicate dynamics of faith, family, and identity in the world of church leadership.

As pastors most of all we want our kids to love Jesus. And yet Barnabas Piper says so often pastors kids are messed up.

What are the unique experiences, joys and challenges of being pastors kids? And how can we better parent as pastors?

There are issues of awareness, assumptions and expectations. Plus confusion about identity.

This episode isn’t just about the challenges; it’s also a treasure trove of wisdom for Pastors kids themselves. Whether you’re feeling the weight of a congregation’s gaze or struggling to carve out your own identity.

We discuss the power of parental apologies and the healing they can bring.

James Galea grew up as a pastor’s kid in Western Sydney and now leads the ministry team at Freshwater Anglican Church on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.”

– Watch or listen here.

Bathurst Diocese: Two more Ordinations coming up in April

Posted on March 25, 2024 
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“Dear brothers and sisters across our diocese,

It is with gratitude to God that I announce today that Mr Joshua Taylor and Mr Stuart Border are to be ordained as Deacons at All Saints Anglican Cathedral on Saturday 20 April at 11am.

This follows the unanimous recommendation of the diocesan ordination discernment panel, following their recent final discernment interviews with Josh and Stuart, both candidates having been prayerfully and carefully discerned for these orders over the past 12 months. …”

– More encouraging news from the Diocese of Bathurst, and a cause for thanksgiving. The Bishop’s Commissary, Dean of Bathurst James Hodson shares the news. (PDF file).

Don’t give up on physical Bibles

Posted on March 25, 2024 
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“Last year, when my son went to college, I gave him one of my most precious earthly belongings—the Bible I used from the time I was in high school until I was almost 50 years old.

That Bible went through at least two rebindings, and most of its pages were creased, tattered, or coffee-stained. A few pages were even partially torn. It held almost three decades of markings and notes made from sermons, Bible studies, and personal devotions. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition (US), Chris Polski has some simple encouragement.

Easter 2024 at the Cathedral

Posted on March 24, 2024 
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Easter Services at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney – as well as Handel’s Messiah (ticketed event) on Good Friday.

Details at the Cathedral website.

Bathurst Diocese: Lay Stipendiary Minister for the Narromine Parish

Posted on March 24, 2024 
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“Thanks be to God that today in the parish of Narromine it is being announced that Mr Luke Merriman is to commence there during May 2024 as Lay Stipendiary Minister. …”

– More encouraging news from the Diocese of Bathurst. (Via the Bathurst Diocese Facebook page.)

Challenges to Religious Freedom: Conversion Practices law passed, ALRC report released

Posted on March 23, 2024 
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From Neil Foster at Law and Religion Australia:

“A brief update on two significant challenges to religious freedom which have emerged over the last few days.

First, in NSW, the Conversion Practices Ban Bill 2024 has been rushed through both Houses of Parliament, receiving final approval on Friday March 22 after an all-night debate in the Legislative Council, and is now awaiting the Royal Assent.

…

The second concerning development is that on Wednesday 21 March the Australian Law Reform Commission released its report Maximising the Realisation of Human Rights: Religious Educational Institutions and Anti-Discrimination Laws (ALRC Report 142). Far from “maximising” human rights, the report (as expected by those who spoke to some of its researchers) would have the effect, if adopted, of seriously impairing the operation of faith-based schools around Australia.”

– Read here.

Related:

Response to the Australia Law Reform Commission report on Religious Educational Institutions – Media Release from the Diocese of Sydney, 21 March 2023 –

“The ALRC deserves a fail for the report and recommendations produced.

We are deeply disappointed that the recommendations fail to understand the ethos of faith-based schooling and would, if implemented, significantly impair schools’ ability to carry out their charter. …”

Federal ALRC Report Released – Freedom for Faith, 22 March 2024,

“On Thursday 21 March, the Attorney General, Mark Dreyfus tabled the final Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) Report following their Inquiry into Religious Educational Institutions and Anti-Discrimination Laws (see below).

On Tuesday 19 March, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was reported saying that he would not act on the ALRC report or a Religious Discrimination Bill without bipartisan support.

A draft of the Religious Discrimination Bill has been shown to the Opposition and key faith leaders, but is not public. …”

Praying for the Royal family?

Posted on March 23, 2024 
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God’s word calls us to pray – 1 Timothy 2:1-4

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” – ESV.

Image: Facebook post from the Church of England.

Latest edition of The Link from Armidale Diocese

Posted on March 23, 2024 
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The latest (Feb – March 2024) issue of The Link from the Diocese of Armidale is now up on their website.

Food for prayer.

NSW Parliament passes Conversion Practices Ban Act unamended

Posted on March 22, 2024 
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From Freedom for Faith:

“On March 22, 2024, the NSW Parliament passed the Conversion Practices Ban Act, a week after revealing the legislation. Despite a strong push from faith leaders and communities for improvements and clarifications, the legislation passed unamended.

We thank the Liberal Party, Shooters and Fishers, One Nation and Liberal Democrats who all moved amendments to improve the bill.

The legislation was the result of an extended campaign beginning before the 2023 election, and negotiations with the Government. While we do have strong concerns about the Act, it is also significantly better than the legislation in Victoria, and the proposals that were around in 2023. …”

– Read the details here.

More issues with the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Bill 2024

Posted on March 22, 2024 
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Associate Professor Neil Foster writes at Law and Religion Australia:

“I am happy to present a guest post today from Associate Professor Mark Fowler, raising more issues of concern from a religious freedom perspective with the recently released proposed Anti-Discrimination Bill 2024.

Dr Mark Fowler is Principal, Fowler Charity Law, Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Notre Dame, School of Law, Sydney and an External Fellow at the Centre for Public, International and Comparative Law, University of Queensland. …”

– Read it here.

No agreement on ‘least-worst’ laws

Posted on March 21, 2024 
Filed under Australia, Opinion, Sydney Diocese Comments Off on No agreement on ‘least-worst’ laws

“More than a half a decade before the NSW government brought on its ‘Conversion Practices’ bill being debated this week, the Sydney Anglican Church expressed its opposition to harmful ‘conversion therapies’. It had become apparent from the testimony of survivors that some groups, including Christian faith groups, have employed harmful practices in an attempt to change or suppress feelings of attraction to the same sex, or gender dysphoria.

Our decision to speak out came in 2018, before the move to legislate against such practices across Australia. Since then, such legislation has moved beyond these now rare and bizarre practices and in some jurisdictions encroaches unnecessarily and ominously into areas of orthodox religious belief and ordinary faith practices including teaching and preaching, prayer, conversation and mutual encouragement.

There have been comments that churches and faith groups have been consulted and are happy with the bill now on the table. This is not the case. …”

While grateful for the government’s engagement with faith communities on legislation, the Archbishop concludes that,

“What we have ended up with is a ‘least worst’ version of such legislation compared to some other Australian jurisdictions but cannot be regarded by biblical Christian churches as representing good law.”

– The Daily Telegraph has today published this op-ed by Archbishop Kanishka Raffel – and SydneyAnglicans.net has a copy.

Good to read and share – and do pray for the Members of Parliament as the proposed legislation is scheduled to be debated today.

Remembering Archbishop Thomas Cranmer

Posted on March 21, 2024 
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On 21 March 1556, Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer died at the stake in Oxford.

Learn about this towering figure of the English Reformation:

In 1989, Canon Allan Blanch wrote this appreciation of Archbishop Cranmer for ACL News.

In 2001, ACL News interviewed Dr. Ashley Null, recognised expert on Cranmer.

Further reading:

Masters Of The English Reformation by Marcus Loane (published 1954) is an excellent introduction to the English Reformation and five key figures: Bilney, Tyndale, Latimer, Ridley and Cranmer.

Portrait of Thomas Cranmer by Gerlach Flicke. (This is a re-post.)

Brian Rosner to finish as Principal of Ridley College at the end of 2024

Posted on March 20, 2024 
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“During the chapel service on 19 March 2024, Brian Rosner announced to students that he will be finishing up as principal of Ridley College at the end of this year.

After this, Brian will spend 2025 on research leave and then return in 2026 as a lecturer at the college, focussed on teaching, speaking and writing.

Brian will be giving a concluding, not-to-be-missed public lecture as principal on the evening of Wednesday, 16 October 2024.

Brian has led Ridley since mid-2012. …”

– Announcement and video at the Ridley College website. And food for prayer. Brians asks for prayer for three things —

  1. The Ridley Board as the search for Ridley’s tenth Principal gets underway.
  2. The College – that God would continue to provide for them that they would conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
  3. That he will finish well as Principal and serve God fruitfully in the years to come.

Bible Society Australia to close Eternity News

Posted on March 20, 2024 
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“It is with a heavy heart that I announce the difficult decision made by Bible Society Australia Group to end Eternity News in its current form, marking the closing chapter of a significant era.

This means that effective 30 April 2024, the Eternity News print magazine, website, weekly newsletter and social media platforms, along with the Eternity Jobs website, will cease. …”

– Announcement from BSA Group CEO, Grant Thomson.

Theologically rethinking youth ministry

Posted on March 20, 2024 
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From The Pastor’s Heart:

“How do we speak to children about sin? How can we help youth understand themselves as sinful and in indeed of forgiveness?

What to make theologically of the sense of entitlement in youth culture?

Plus how do we think theologically about the important issue of vibe in youth and childrens’ ministry and in regards to how kids engage with church.

A new book is launched this week ‘Identity, Church Culture and Discipleship in Youth and Children’s Ministry – Australian Evangelical Perspectives on Youth Ministry’.

The papers in the book were first presented at the HOUSE conference for youth and children’s ministers in Sydney.

Three of the thirteen contributors are with us including Ruth Lukabyo, who leads the Youthworks Institute, teaches church history at Youthworks College and has edited this book.

Also with us is Bill Salier, a former Principal at Youthworks College and now heads up the Anglican GAFCON Theological Educators Network.

And Tim Beliharz is on the ministry support team at Youthworks.”

– Watch or listen here.

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