Coming up this weekend 9th – 10th September 2017

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This weekend we continue our series on 2 Samuel. In the next talk, Jodie will be speaking on the topic, “The kindness of the King”, from 2 Samuel chapter 9 verse 1 to chapter 10 verse 19.

We will also be having a special prayer time for marriage in light of the upcoming postal plebiscite, so be sure to join us.

During our 5pm Saturday service, we’ll have our weekly question and answer time, and Jodie will be answering these questions:

  1. Would the Moab prophet have been executed since he disobeyed orders and blessed the people of God?
  2. What happened to Tou?
  3. Why doesn’t God like chariots?
  4. Was bronze worth more than silver in David’s time?
  5. Given that our wealth is irrelevant on Judgement Day, then why did David take all the gold and riches after each conquest?
  6. Why did the surrounding nations hate God’s people?
  7.  Did David completely wipe out all his enemies?
  8. How many of David’s men died during the conquests?
  9. Given that most politicians don’t believe in God, then isn’t it pointless for them to pray to him?
  10. How did David’s sons come to serve as priests when they belonged to the tribe of Judah?

Our 8am Sunday service will be a Holy Communion First Order AAPB service.

If you’re wanting to check out our church we’d really love you to visit us on Saturday at 5pm for a contemporary service with kids’ program and dinner afterwards, or come along on Sunday at 8am for a Prayer Book service.

Church news for the week beginning 2nd September 2017

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2 Samuel series continues

This weekend we continue our series looking at 2 Samuel as Jodie preaches from chapter chapter 8 verses 1 to 18 with the title, “Just, right”.

Mission of the month: CMS

CMS (Church Missionary Society) is our mission of the month. Support this ministry through the ‘Mission Table’ in the Hall.

Dinner at the Bowlo

Join us this Thursday at 6pm at the Jamberoo Bowling Club for a relaxed meal together at the ‘Wok and Grill’ restaurant, for great steaks, tasty Chinese, and lots of laughs.

Combined Celebration Service

On Saturday 7th October we are bringing our two services together for a celebration night at 5pm. We will be officially welcoming Rayne Orange to our church as our Youth Minister, and will be enjoying special Canadian-themed dinner and entertainment. We’ll also be having some special speeches of farewell and thanksgiving to some members.

This combined church service will replace our 8am service on the 8th October which will not be held this weekend. Keep the date free, and bring along your friends and family for this great night of celebration!

New roster coming soon

If you’re unavailable to serve on a roster from 18th September through to 17th December please let us know via comment card, email office@jamberooanglican.com or even better go to www.jamberooanglican.net.

Giving update

Each week we need to receive $6300.00 in order to meet our commitments. In the last calendar month, our average weekly giving was $5402.00, leaving a gap of $898.00.

Olimometer 2.52

Up to the end of the last calendar month we needed to have received $81,900. Compared to that total we received $71,624, leaving a gap of $10,276.

Olimometer 2.52

Electronic giving is a great way to give! It helps us prayerfully plan our giving, and then the bank will help us keep that commitment, even when we may be unable to attend. To give by direct transfer then these are the details. Account name: Church of England Jamberoo. Account number: 10081274. BSB: 062562 .

What matters more than marriage

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CREDIT: Wendy Longo via Flickr.com

Our Federal Government has asked us to say what we think about changing the legal definition of marriage to include same-sex unions.

As I have engaged with the hundreds of Facebook comments on our post from last week, it is clear that most of us wish this discussion would go away.

Some people want the Government to just make the changes without holding a plebiscite so that this painful discussion can stop.

Many Christians would rather we didn’t have to be distracted from sharing the news of the real hope that comes from knowing the real Jesus.

Yet, either way, it’s an important discussion to have, and we need to keep talking in a respectful way about this major change to this core unit of our society.

But in the end, there is something that matters more than marriage… and that is eternity.

Life is short, and there will be a time when everyone of us will stand before God to give an account for our life.

On that day, many people will say to God that they deserve his acceptance because they’ve done good things in life, and have tried hard to be nice.

But the problem is that no human is able to do enough good things to pass this test. Nobody.

And we all deserve eternal punishment from God, which the Bible calls ‘Hell.’

Yet, the best news of all is that if we ask God, then he will transfer our personal judgment from us to Jesus.

And because Jesus was punished on the cross in our place, it means any one of us can now have a certainty for eternity if we trust in Jesus as our loving ruler.

We need to talk about marriage, but eternity is far, far more important.

Do you have certainty for eternity?

Jodie.

Coming up this weekend 2nd – 3rd September 2017

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This weekend we continue our series on 2 Samuel. In the next talk, Jodie will be speaking on the topic, “Just, right”, from 2 Samuel chapter 8 verses 1 to 18.

During our 5pm Saturday service, we’ll have our weekly question and answer time, and Jodie will be answering these questions:

  1. In Psalm 6, was David right to tell God what to do?
  2. Was Solomon anointed as king?
  3. Why did God say he didn’t need a temple, and yet Solomon ended up building him one?
  4. When it comes to the return of Jesus, what is the difference between shock and surprise?
  5. Since Jesus is God, why doesn’t he know when he will return?
  6. When we have natural disasters like floods, should we interpret them to be punishment from God like in the time of Noah?
  7. What would you say to someone who thinks that killing in war is wrong for a Christian?
  8. What will be your response if the Government changes the marriage law and then demands ministers conduct same-sex marriage ceremonies?

We will also share the Lord’s Supper at 5pm Saturday, so come along and be reminded again of the great service of Jesus Christ, who died for our sins.

Our 8am Sunday service will be a Morning Prayer AAPB service.

If you’re wanting to check out our church we’d really love you to visit us on Saturday at 5pm for a contemporary service with kids’ program and dinner afterwards, or come along on Sunday at 8am for a Prayer Book service.

If you can’t make it in person, you’re welcome to jump online to watch the service (with the same sermon and many other items) at www.oakflats.tv.

Church news for the week beginning 26th August 2017

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2 Samuel series continues

This weekend we continue our series looking at 2 Samuel as Jodie preaches from chapter 7 verses 1 to 29 with the title, “Keeping promises”.

Mission of the month: CMS

CMS (Church Missionary Society) is our mission of the month. Support this ministry through the ‘Mission Table’ in the Hall.

Parish Council

Our Parish Council meets this Monday, 28th August at 7.00pm at the church. Please remember them in your prayers.

Pie Drive for KBECET – last opportunity to order

The annual KBECET Pie Drive is on again. To support Nigel’s ministry, sign up to purchase some tasty pies by adding your name and choices to the form in the Hall before 27th August. Pies will be delivered in early September.

New roster coming soon

If you’re unavailable to serve on a roster from 18th September through to 17th December please let us know via comment card, email office@jamberooanglican.com or even better go to www.jamberooanglican.net.

 

Giving update

Each week we need to receive $6300.00 in order to meet our commitments. In the last calendar month, our average weekly giving was $5402.00, leaving a gap of $898.00.

Olimometer 2.52

Up to the end of the last calendar month we needed to have received $81,900. Compared to that total we received $71,624, leaving a gap of $10,276.

Olimometer 2.52

Electronic giving is a great way to give! It helps us prayerfully plan our giving, and then the bank will help us keep that commitment, even when we may be unable to attend. To give by direct transfer then these are the details. Account name: Church of England Jamberoo. Account number: 10081274. BSB: 062562 .

It’s loving to vote ‘no’

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(CREDIT: Evan Forester via Flickr)

One of the most powerful arguments used by those who wish to change the definition of marriage is that it is morally wrong to deny someone the opportunity to marry the person they love.

And yet, changing the definition of marriage is not the most loving thing to do for the children of our society.

The ‘What has God joined together?’ booklet by our Anglican Diocese makes the important point that “man-woman marriage is actually at the heart of United Nations documents about the family.”

It goes on to quote Article 23 of the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which declares that “The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.”

It is most loving to the children of Australia to maintain the definition of marriage that says that the normal group unit of our society consists of the biological father and mother of the child.

Even though there are some exceptions such as adoption, foster care, and donor-assisted reproduction, it is still best to have children living in a stable, recognised, relationship with their own biological mother and father.

God created marriage for the benefit of all people, and the move to distort this is unloving to all children of Australia.

For, we should embrace the gift that God has given us all, as we read about in the first chapter of the Bible:

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it’” (Genesis 1:27-28).

I encourage you to join with me in voting ‘no’ in the upcoming marriage plebiscite, as an act of love.

Jodie.

Coming up this weekend 26th – 27th August 2017

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This weekend we continue our series on 2 Samuel. In the next talk, Jodie will be speaking on the topic, Keeping promises”, from 2 Samuel chapter 7 verses 1 to 29.

During our 5pm Saturday service, we’ll have our weekly question and answer time, and Jodie will be answering these questions:

  1. Why was God angry with Uzzah touching the Ark?
  2. Would David have died if he touched the Ark, and if so, wouldn’t that mean that God was killing his Messiah?
  3. Does the Ark still exist today, and if so, where is it located?
  4. Did David leave the Ark with Obed Edom as a ‘wait and see what happens’ exercise?
  5. Since the Ten Commandments tell us not to murder, then why was it OK for King David to kill his enemies?
  6. When we pray, is there a difference in ‘declaring’ or ‘decreeing?’
  7. Are we in the ‘end times’?

At our 5pm Saturday service we will have an opportunity to meet one of our church members, which is always a great encouragement to us all.

Our 8am Sunday service will be a Holy Communion Second Order AAPB service.

If you’re wanting to check out our church we’d really love you to visit us on Saturday at 5pm for a contemporary service with kids’ program and dinner afterwards, or come along on Sunday at 8am for a Prayer Book service.

Church news for the week beginning 19th August 2017

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2 Samuel series continues

This weekend we continue our series looking at 2 Samuel as Simon Chaplin preaches from chapter 6 verses 1 to 23 with the title, “Rejoice with trembling”.

Mission of the month: CMS

CMS (Church Missionary Society) is our mission of the month. Support this ministry through the ‘Mission Table’ in the Hall.

Ladies Guild Meeting

The Ladies Guild are meeting this Wednesday, 23rd August in the church hall at 2pm.

Pie Drive for KBECET

The annual KBECET Pie Drive is on again. To support Nigel’s ministry, sign up to purchase some tasty pies by adding your name and choices to the form in the Hall before 27th August. Pies will be delivered in early September.

Last Chance to Register for the Postal Vote on Marriage

Australia will soon have a postal vote on whether to change the definition of marriage to enable same-sex marriages.  This is a change that affects marriage for everyone, and it is important that everyone’s vote counts.  If you have moved house, or recently become eligible to vote in Australian elections, you must update your electoral enrolment by 24 August 2017 to participate. Go to the AEC website (http://www.aec.gov.au/) to check or change your registration, or to register online.  More information and the relevant links are also available at the Coalition For Marriage website (http://www.coalitionformarriage.com.au/anglican).

Support the Coalition for Marriage

The Coalition for Marriage is coordinating the campaign to oppose changes to the Marriage Act. The Diocese of Sydney is a lead partner in the Coalition for Marriage, joining with over 80 organisations in support of the campaign to defend Australia’s man-woman definition of marriage. If you would like to support the Coalition for Marriage, you can sign up as a volunteer or provide financial support at http://www.coalitionformarriage.com.au/anglican.

What has God Joined Together?

The Diocesan booklet entitled What has God Joined Together? is now available online at  http://www.sydneyanglicans.net/marriage. It explains God’s pattern for marriage, why it is best for society as a whole, and the negative consequences of same-sex marriage. Please make use of this resource.

Giving update

Each week we need to receive $6300.00 in order to meet our commitments. In the last calendar month, our average weekly giving was $5402.00, leaving a gap of $898.00.

Olimometer 2.52

Up to the end of the last calendar month we needed to have received $81,900. Compared to that total we received $71,624, leaving a gap of $10,276.

Olimometer 2.52

Electronic giving is a great way to give! It helps us prayerfully plan our giving, and then the bank will help us keep that commitment, even when we may be unable to attend. To give by direct transfer then these are the details. Account name: Church of England Jamberoo. Account number: 10081274. BSB: 062562 .

Who is the greatest?

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The Andromeda Galaxy. (CREDIT: Joel Tonyan, via Flickr)

We Aussies love our sport, and we love to see one person or team compete against another to try and work out who is the greatest.

And yet beyond any comparison, the Lord, our God, is truly the greatest of us all.

I was reminded this as I read Psalm 104 this week, and experienced a catalogue of God’s greatness.

He created the universe, and shows his beauty in the stars and all the objects that fill the sky.

He controls his creation, providing water and greenery for plants and animals.

He cares for his world, sustaining every part of this living planet.

It is beautifully summarised in these verses:

All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. (Psalm 104:27-28)

And this is why the writer of this Psalm begins with these words:

Praise the LORD, my soul. LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. (Psalm 104:1)

God is, indeed, very great, and because of this, he is worthy of our praises to him:

May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works— he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke. I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD. (Psalm 104:31-34)

When we feel that our world is spinning out of control, it is important to stop and mediate on the greatness of God, and to rejoice in him for all he has done.

Praise the Lord… he is very great!

Jodie.

Coming up this weekend 19th – 21st August 2017

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This weekend we continue our series on 2 Samuel. In the next talk, Simon Chaplin will be speaking on the topic, “Rejoice with trembling”, from 2 Samuel chapter 6 verses 1 to 23.

During our 5pm Saturday service, we’ll have our weekly question and answer time, and Jodie will be answering these questions:

  1. If we should not judge, then whey were some of the books of the Bible ‘judged’ not to be needed? How do we know that God did not want these books in the Bible?
  2. Was David arrogant to call the city after himself?
  3. Is it pushing the link between the Old and New Testaments too far to say that the Israelites were the body of Christ?
  4. When we go through difficult times, how can we know if it’s the work of Satan leading us away from God, or whether it’s the work of God strengthening our faith in him?
  5. What happens to a person who dies without believing in God, even though they’ve lived a good life? Will praying for them help them get to Heaven?
  6. Is it hypocritical for Christians to vote in the same-sex marriage plebiscite, given that we will not want to accept an outcome that is against the Bible’s teaching?

Our 8am Sunday service will be a Morning Prayer Sunday service and at both our services, we will have a special update about CMS (Church Missionary Society) which is our Mission of the Month.

If you’re wanting to check out our church we’d really love you to visit us on Saturday at 5pm for a contemporary service with kids’ program and dinner afterwards, or come along on Sunday at 8am for a Prayer Book service.

See you at 5pm this Saturday or 8am this Sunday, God willing!