Church News for the week beginning 22nd December

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OUR BIBLE TALK

This week we will hear from the Jodie on the last sermon from our series on Acts, ‘Launching the Church’ as we look at Paul’s surprising journey into ‘Rome at last’, and the beginning of the end of his ministry in the new era of the church as we look at Acts chapters 27 and 28.

MISSION OF THE MONTH

Our mission of the month is Scripture in Schools (SRE). You can support the SRE ministry by donating and buying from the mission table in the hall.

UPCOMING ROSTERS

New rosters for January and February have been published. To change a date you have been rostered on, email office@jamberooanglican.com or let us know via your response slip.

CHRISTMAS SERVICES

This year we will be having our first-in-a-long-time Christmas Eve service! Come join us this Tuesday night at 6pm on our new church lawn for a free sausage sizzle, then an open-air night of carols and fellowship… followed by icy poles!

Our regular Christmas day service will be at 9am in the church with a service of Holy Communion with traditional hymns and readings. Plan to come to both for a full, Christmas experience!

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.

Flags at Half Mast

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We woke this morning to hear the tragic news of the deaths of two RFS volunteers from Horsley Park Brigade, who perished in a vehicle accident whilst firefighting near Bargo.

For me it was particularly sobering, given that only four days ago I was on the same stretch of road, in the same uniform, in the same type of fire truck, serving in an out-of-area deployment to fight the same Green Wattle Creek fire that continues to rage.

Even though I felt somewhat powerless this morning, I knew that I could still pray that God would bring comfort to the many people who are grieving the loss of family, friends, and fellow brigade members.

This kind of tragic incident reminds us of the shortness of life, and that any day might be our last.

Whether you’re responding to a fire with lights and sirens, or simply crossing the road outside the shops, every activity brings risks that can lead to death.

When I conduct a funeral service, I read these words of comfort and assurance from the Bible:

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
Our life is like grass, we flourish like a flower of the field; the wind goes over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children. (Psalm 103:8, 13-17)

At at time like this we pray for the comfort of those who mourn, and we also pause to reflect on our own mortality as we know that one day every person will stand before Jesus to give a personal account for their life.

The good news in this time of sadness is that Jesus has promised to give each of us certainty for eternity if we simply trust and obey him as our loving ruler and rescuer.

Today all RFS brigades will fly their flags at half mast as a mark of respect for the firefighters.

As you see the flags, pray for comfort for those who are grieving, and reflect on the fragility of life this side of eternity.

JODIE McNEILL

(I took this photo on Monday on a firetrail between Balmoral and Buxton, only a short distance from where the tragedy occurred last night.)

Coming up this weekend 21-22 December

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This week is our last sermon from our series on Acts, ‘Launching the Church’ as we look at Paul’s surprising journey into Rome at last, and the beginning of the end of his ministry in the new era of the church.

Each week during the school terms we have a question and answer segment in our services. To ask a question, simply email us at office@jamberooanglican.com or via your response slip at church. Here are the questions we’re answering this week:

1. Why did Paul go to the temple in Acts 21:26, given that he is under the New Covenant?

2. How can we prepare ourselves for the second coming of Christ?

3. Does it hurt God when we deliberately hurt ourselves?

4. If God answered our prayer for no fires in the Illawarra, does that mean He didn’t answer the prayers in fire affected areas?

5. Is it a sin to use plastic because it is wrecking God’s environment?

6. How do we get the balance right between busyness and rest?

7. Is it bad to miss a day of church occasionally to attend a party?

Come along on Saturday night at 5pm for our family service. We have a kids program for the children, followed by dinner and a youth group for the teens after the service. Or why not try our Sunday morning service at 9am for a more classic Anglican style, and we can share morning tea and hot espresso afterwards.

Grace and peace,
Jodie

Church News for the week beginning 15th December

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OUR BIBLE TALK

This week, Trevor Lucas will be speaking from Hebrews 5 & 6 about growing in spiritual maturity, asking the question ‘Are We There Yet?’.

Next week we will hear from the Jodie on the last sermon from our series on Acts, ‘Launching the Church’ as we look at the surprising journey into Rome, and the beginning of the end of Paul’s ministry in the new era of the church.

MISSION OF THE MONTH

Our mission of the month is Scripture in Schools (SRE). You can support the SRE ministry by donating and buying from the mission table in the hall.

UPCOMING ROSTERS

Please advise us of any unavailabilities for the months of January and February via Elvanto or your response slip as new rosters will be out soon.

WORKING BEE

Grounds preparation for the upcoming Christmas services will be on Saturday 21 December from 8am. Everyone welcome to come and get our grounds looking awesome for the festive season.

CHRISTMAS SERVICES

This year we will be having our first-in-a-long-time Christmas Eve service! Come join us at 6pm on our new church lawn for a free sausage sizzle, then an open-air night of carols and fellowship. Our regular Christmas day service will be at 9am in the church with a service of Holy Communion with traditional hymns and readings.

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.

Are We There Yet? Hebrews 5:11-6:20 Trevor Lucas – 13 and 14 December 2019

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Babes in Christ

Trust God and Get Going!

Trust God and Keep Going!

Trust God! He loves you!

Trust God! You really can!

Download a copy of the PDF of this flyer (with some pics to colour in) here: Download

More Than a Meal

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As yuletide arrives in full force, we receive a fresh reminder that food and festivities go together like pork and crackling… or turkey and stuffing!

It’s hard to imagine Christmas without excesses of fancy fare, with plates full of food to enjoy.

At a recent event at which I was saying ‘grace’, I thanked God for creating food with such a variety of tastes to enjoy.

Like so many aspects of his creation, God could have given us limited colours or sounds or smells… but instead he lavishly poured out for us a smorgasbord of sensory experiences.

Yet whilst there is pleasure in fine food, the greatest joy is the experience of eating with others, in the same time and place, enjoying a break from the busyness of life to share a meal.

It should come as no surprise for us to note how many times Jesus ate meals with his disciples.

Throughout the New Testament he ‘broke bread’ with people, marking out moments in time when he would make an announcement or share a significant occasion together.

The most famous meal of the Bible was the Lord’s Supper, which was based on the second-most famous meal of the Bible, the Passover.

These meals recounted extraordinary moments of salvation, which found full fulfilment in Jesus’ resurrection from the tomb.

Meals were a special time to be absorbed in a moment of remembrance, and to enjoy a multi-sensory experience of food and fellowship, in the framework of faith.

As you enjoy the season of festal food, give thanks to God for the joy of experiencing the wonder of his lavish creation… but above all, for the greatest gift of Christmas, the birth of a son who would die for our salvation.

JODIE McNEILL

(Photo credit Ruth Hartnum via Flickr.com)

Coming up this weekend 14-15 December

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This week, Trevor Lucas will be speaking from Hebrews 5 & 6 about growing in spiritual maturity, asking the question ‘Are We There Yet?’.

Next week we will hear from the Jodie on the last sermon from our series on Acts, ‘Launching the Church’.

Each week in our services we have a question and answer segment. To ask a question, simply email us at office@jamberooanglican.com or fill out a response slip.

Join us this Saturday from 5pm for our family service. We have a kids program and share a meal together afterwards, then the teens are invited to stay from 7:30pm-9pm for a youth service. On Sunday mornings at 9am we have a more classic Anglican style service, followed by morning tea and hot coffee!

Acts: Launching the Church 17: Paul on Trial Acts 24:1-26:32 Jodie McNeill – 07 and 08 December 2019

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Faith on Trial.

Anytime, anywhere, our _____ can be on trial.

Paul is in a maximum security ______.

The Jews bring a top-gun ______ to attack Paul.

Paul says he has lots in ______ with the Jews.

How we live before God and others really _______.

Felix kept Paul locked up without ________.

Felix and Drusilla listen to Paul about ____________.

Paul spoke about _____________.

Paul spoke about ____ _______.

Paul spoke about the coming _________.

Felix was __________ when he heard God’s word.

The right response is to seek _________.

Felix ____ Paul away.

All Felix wanted was a _____.

Paul is ________, yet treated as a criminal.

Paul _______ to Caesar.

Agrippa and Bernice were a ___-________ couple.

They can’t work out why Paul is ______.

We’re scared to speak about the ____________.

Paul knows that Jesus will ______ him.

You get ___________ and a place in God’s family.

Paul now _______ on King Agrippa.

Paul prays that every person would ______ a Christian.

During his trial, Paul has been ____________.

Paul cared for his _______, not himself.

Download a copy of the PDF of this outline with drawings to colour in here: Download

Church News for the week beginning 8th December

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OUR BIBLE TALK

This week is our second last talk on our series in Acts, ‘Launching the Church‘. We will see Paul put on trial as he is accused of stirring up trouble amongst the Jews, but his hope in God continues to shine through. The section from the Bible is Acts 24:1-26:32 and it would be great if you could have a read of it before you come to church.

MISSION OF THE MONTH

Our mission of the month is Scripture in Schools (SRE). You can support the SRE ministry by donating and buying from the mission table in the hall.

LADIES GUILD

The next Ladies Guild meeting will be on Saturday December 14th at 3pm. All the youth are also invited as it will be a planning meeting for our Christmas Eve service on the lawn.

UPCOMING ROSTERS

Please advise us of any unavailabilities for the months of January and February via Elvanto or your response slip as new rosters will be out soon.

INTER-CHURCH CAROLS

Our famous ‘Carols in the Park’ events is on Tuesday 10th December in Reid Park at 6.30pm. Pack a picnic rug and a hamper, and be prepared for some joyful singing about Jesus!

CHRISTMAS SERVICES

This year we will be having our first-in-a-long-time Christmas Eve service! Come join us at 6pm on our new church lawn for a free sausage sizzle, then an open-air night of carols and fellowship. Our regular Christmas day service will be at 9am in the church.

Free To Speak

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It is a great relief to see a resolution in the lengthy dispute between Israel Folau and Rugby Australia.

Folau has been given an apology by RA, as well as a confidential financial payout.

It all stemmed from Folau’s post on Instagram of a paraphrased quote from the Bible that warned people to repent of their sins and turn to Jesus Christ.

The specific reference to homosexual acts was the comment that brought the offence that led to his dismissal and the termination of his contract.

Thankfully, the outcome of this dispute is a recognition that it is important for individuals to be able to speak freely about issues that really matter to them, even if it is not necessarily aligned with some views in government and corporations.

I stand with Israel in wanting everyone, everywhere to turn away from their past lives and turn to Jesus as loving ruler and rescuer.

I stand with Israel in calling all people to repent and believe the good news about Jesus.

And this call to ‘repent’ will naturally cause offence.

Jesus offended people everywhere when he called out their rebellious acts and their sinful hearts.

But Jesus gave people a way to be fully forgiven of everything in their past, and to offer a fresh start in his safe arms.

It will be a tragedy for our nation if individuals are not free to say what they like about matters of religion and belief.

We need to be able to hear every opinion, and be ready to debate what is right and wrong.

We need to be free to have ‘dangerous’ ideas heard, so that we can respectfully listen, and where needed, powerfully discuss and refute.

And we should follow the call of the Apostle Paul to “speak the truth, in love” in every sphere in which we live.

JODIE McNEILL

(Photo credit: Georgie Pauwels via Flickr.com)