Bad Things Happening

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“You might have seen bad things happening on the TV news… you might be worried ‘bout the world and wonder what will happen to you.”

That’s how Colin Buchanan started his famous song ‘The Lord is King’ more than 20 years ago… and nothing has really changed.

Even though we get less of our news from the TV, we still are bombarded through social media with things that make us sad and lead us to wonder why there’s so much pain.

The tragic events of Westfield Bondi Junction, and the church in Wakeley in Sydney’s West, both show us the chaos of this world in which we live, and prove it’s impossible to be truly safe, even in a sophisticated city like Sydney.

Acting Premier Penny Sharpe said of the first attack, “this is not who we are,” which although is generally true, ignores the reality that it was an everyday Australian who committed this evil act against other, everyday Australians.

The world in which we live is a tragic mess, and though there are many, beautiful acts of kindness and heroism, we know that evil always lurks, waiting to explode before our very eyes.

This is why we put our trust in the Lord Jesus, who is king… and who is going to look after everything in this world.

It doesn’t mean that when you put your trust in God that life will be easy and safe, but it does mean that you have a certainty for eternity, and that no matter what you go through in this life, there will be justice for those who do evil, and hope for those who trust in Christ.

Blessed are all who find their place in the shelter of his grace.

JODIE McNEILL

Coming up this weekend 21st April 2024

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This Sunday we join together again for ‘Schools Out, Kids In’ as we continue to work to help make our intergenerational services even more age-appropriate for those who are Kindergarten through to Year 6, who will stay with us during the slightly-shorter sermon. Our creche will still run with a special holiday crew caring for the kids who haven’t yet started school, and that will operate during the sermon.

The sermon we’re hearing from Brad Vidilini who is preaching from Leviticus chapter 16 on the topic ‘Life in the Presence of God.‘

During these three weeks of school holidays we won’t be having a question time, but keep asking your questions so that we can store them up for Term 2 when we resume.

Every day (except Sundays) we meet at 7am online for an online half-hour morning prayer time at zoom.jamberooanglican.com and you’re very welcome to join us!

After church we’ll have brunch in the morning and dinner in the evening, so there’s plenty of time to chat and chew, together!

See you on Sunday, God willing!

Church news for the weekend of 14th April 2024

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‘The Spirit of Christ’

This term, Jodie is preaching a series called ‘The Spirit of Christ’ as we look at what Jesus said on the night before he died. On Sunday we finish the series by looking at ‘The Spirit of Mission’ from Acts 9:43-11:18.

Anzac Celebration

Jamberoo remembers Anzac Day next Saturday 20th April with the march stepping off at 10:30 then a service outside the School of Arts. Jodie will be speaking to the village and valley during the service.

Book of the Month

Our book of the month for April is ‘Caring For One Another’ by Ed Welch. Physical copies are available at our bookstall or buy online at: wanderingbookseller.com.au

Friday Kids and Youth

We’re taking the next two Fridays off during school holidays, but we normally meet for SPARK (Years 3 to 6) at 4:30-6pm, or Youth Group (Years 7 to 12) from 7-9pm at the church hall. 

KYCK is nearly here!  

Our youth are heading up to Katoomba in two weeks’ time for the annual KYCK Conference on Friday 26th to Sunday 28th April.

Gong Men’s Day  

Join with men from around the region at Figtree Anglican on Saturday 1st June 9am to 2:30pm with speaker Dave Jensen on the topic ‘The Cross-Shaped Man.’ Register at facebook.com/gongmensday $55/$45 (concession)

Kids Ministry Training Day 

Join us in our hall as we participate in the livestream of the SMBC Children’s Ministry Conference on Saturday 4th May with keynote speaker Sandy Galea. Register at smbc.edu.au and see Rach Bemmer for other details.

Safe Ministry Matters  

Our Safe Ministry Representative is Gemma Bartlett. Speak to her about everything related to safety in ministry on 0414 425 639 or email gemma.bartlett@jamberooanglican.com .

New Officeholders 

Our new Treasurer is Barbara Stephens. Our Rector’s appointment for Parish Council is Rowena Clarke. Our Nominators are June Bock, Philippa Cleall, Ben King (replacing Adam Vidilini), John Rosten, and Barbara Stephens.

Catch up on Sermons and Questions

Listen to sermons and our Question Time on Apple Podcasts or Spotify by searching ‘Jamberoo Anglican’. You can also watch previous services at watch.jamberooanglican.com 

Giving update

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

Olimometer 2.52

Up to the end of last 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: Jamberoo Anglican Church. Account number: 356831. BSB: 032605.

School’s Out, Kids In!

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We love having an intergenerational church that welcomes and includes people of all ages within our everyday church, every week.

Normally, everyone begins in church together, and after around 45 minutes, the children from babies through to year six head out for their own, age-specific Bible teaching whilst the high school youths and older remain in church for the sermon.

However, during these school holidays we’re going to trial something new called ‘School’s Out, Kids In,’ where the kindergarten, infants and primary-aged school students will remain in church for the whole time, as we tweak our service to make it even more suitable to younger people.

This will mean that during these school holidays we’ll skip our normal Question Time, we’ll aim to have the sermon a little shorter, and we’ll make a number of minor tweaks that will help our younger people participate more with us all.

Our prayer is that this will help our kids feel that attending church is a normal experience for everyone, so that they will never know a time when they’re not welcomed and embraced fully during church.

The other benefit of this is that it means our children’s ministry team will have a break during the school holidays, allowing some holiday kids helpers to enjoy serving the younger kids in the creche program during the sermon.

We also will be blessed as our children’s minister Rach Bemmer is able to creatively shape church, as she leads the services, and works hard behind the scenes to help church be even better for kids as well as grown ups.

This holiday it’s just a trial, so we’d love your feedback as we seek to strengthen our ministry to younger people, as well as all of us as we enjoy life together, all ages and stages together in church.

JODIE McNEILL

Coming up this weekend the 14th April 2024

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This Sunday we are trying something a little different… it’s called ‘Schools Out, Kids In’ and it’s an opportunity during the next three weeks of school holidays for us to make our intergenerational services even more age-appropriate for those who are Kindergarten through to Year 6, who will stay with us during the slightly-shorter sermon.

Our creche will still run with a special holiday crew caring for the kids who haven’t yet started school, and that will operate during the sermon.

The sermon will be the final in our ‘The Spirit of Christ’ series, as Jodie looks at the other coming of the Holy Spirit during the book of Acts, when through the extraordinary events surrounding a Gentile called Cornelius, the Spirit led Peter and his friends to realise that the gospel was for all nations and peoples, not just for the Jews. The talk is called ‘The Spirit of Mission’ and it’s from Acts 9:43-11:18.

During the next three weeks of school holidays we won’t be having a question time, but keep asking your questions so that we can store them up for Term 2 when we resume.

Every day (except Sundays) we meet at 7am online for an online half-hour morning prayer time at zoom.jamberooanglican.com and you’re very welcome to join us!

After church we’ll have brunch in the morning and dinner in the evening, so there’s plenty of time to chat and chew, together!

See you on Sunday, God willing!

‘The Spirit of Christ’ 11: The Spirit of Power Acts 2:1-41 – Jodie McNeill 7th April 2024

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Better than before

Pentecost was a _______ day for God’s people

The Holy Spirit led them to _____

It’s a gift to hear words in your own ________

Pentecost reversed the _____ of Babel

The hearers were _______

They’re not _____, they’re prophesying

Joel said that God would pour out his ______

God used signs and wonders to _______ his son

God _________ his sovereignty and our responsibility

_____ could not hold onto Jesus

Psalms are _________ about God’s king

The resurrection was a ____, supernatural event

The hearers had to _______

We all must ______ of our sins and turn to Christ

We long for _________ to know Jesus!

Church news for the weekend of 7th April 2024

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‘The Spirit of Christ’

This term, Jodie is preaching a series called ‘The Spirit of Christ’ as we look at what Jesus said on the night before he died. On Sunday we extend the series by looking at ‘The Spirit of Power’ from Acts 2:1-41

Anzac Day

Jamberoo remembers Anzac Day on Saturday 20th April with the march stepping off at 10:30 then a service outside the School of Arts. Jodie will be speaking to the village and valley during the service.

Book of the Month

Our book of the month for April is ‘Caring For One Another’ by Ed Welch. Physical copies are available at our bookstall or buy online at: wanderingbookseller.com.au

Friday Kids and Youth

Fridays during school terms join us for SPARK (Years 3 to 6) at 4:30-6pm, or Youth Group (Years 7 to 12) from 7-9pm at the church hall.

KYCK is coming!  

Our youth are heading up to Katoomba in just over a month for the annual KYCK Conference on Friday 26th to Sunday 28th April. For details and a link to the online form, contact our Youth Minister, Brad Vidilini on 0478 623 617.

Safe Ministry Matters  

Our Safe Ministry Representative is Gemma Bartlett. Speak to her about everything related to safety in ministry on 0414 425 639 or email gemma.bartlett@jamberooanglican.com .

Midweek Small Groups 

Join a Small Group and help us all care for each other as we grow in our knowledge and love of God. Join a group by filling in the Connect Card or contacting a staff member.

Catch up on Sermons and Questions

Listen to sermons and our Question Time on Apple Podcasts or Spotify by searching ‘Jamberoo Anglican’. You can also watch previous services at watch.jamberooanglican.com 

Giving update

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

Olimometer 2.52

Up to the end of last 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: Jamberoo Anglican Church. Account number: 356831. BSB: 032605.

An Unexpected Journey

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Sometimes when we look back on difficulties, the blessing of hindsight enables us to see just why it is that God took us on an unexpected journey that was more difficult and less obvious than the main road.

But sometimes it’s only when God’s word specifically explains a situation that it’s possible to know why God did what he did.

When God brought his people out of slavery in Egypt, the most obvious way for them to travel on their exit route was to take the main road that was easiest and shortest.

Yet, God had other plans for his people, and so instead he took them a more difficult route, which if they didn’t know better, might have been interpreted as being a sign of God’s lack of love or wisdom.

However the Bible tells us exactly what God was thinking, for we read in Exodus:

When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” (Exodus 13:17)

God didn’t take them the obvious way, but instead they went through the wilderness so that they might avoid a confrontation with another enemy which might then lead them to return back to where they were slaves in Egypt.

We might not know why it is that the Lord is taking us on a longer and harder journey than normal, but we do know that the Lord disciplines his children (Hebrews 12:7) and that everything works together for the good of God’s people (Romans 8:28).

The Lord might take us on the longer, harder path, but wherever he leads us, we know he’s good and that he loves us.

JODIE McNEILL

Coming up this weekend 7th April 2024

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This Sunday we have the first of two ‘bonus talks’ from our series by Jodie called The Spirit of Christ as we look at two other passages about the Holy Spirit in the Bible. This week it’s ‘The Spirit of Power’ from Acts 2:1-41, the famous coming of the Spirit at Pentecost.

Here are the questions that Jodie plans to answer during our church services:

1 Who did Hosea prophesy his message to?
2 When will the covenant of Hosea 2:18 be experienced?
3 Is it OK that ‘The Chosen’ uses words that aren’t in the Bible?
4 Why are there so many different Christian denominations?
5 Is our earthly knowledge eternal?

If you’d like to add a question to the list, there’s still time… send and email or message and we’ll get Jodie to answer it this weekend.

Every day (except Sundays) we meet at 7am online for an online half-hour morning prayer time at zoom.jamberooanglican.com and you’re very welcome to join us!

After church we’ll have brunch in the morning and dinner in the evening, so there’s plenty of time to chat and chew, together!

See you on Sunday, God willing!

Jesus is Alive!

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The empty tomb of Easter Sunday is the greatest miracle of history, for at that moment it was clear that Jesus’ mission to conquer death was a complete success.

If he remained dead then everything he promised was false, and his death on the cross was a tragic waste.

But now that he’s alive it means that when a person trusts in Jesus as their loving ruler, then he promises to forgive their sins and give them the certainty of eternal life.

Nonetheless, even though Jesus told his closest friends that he was going to come back to life after he died, they still found it hard to believe him.

There are many examples of when Jesus’ friends had serious doubts, and it wasn’t really until the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost that they really ‘got it.’

But after that, they couldn’t keep quiet, because they knew that Jesus really did rise, and that because he’s risen, there is now a certain hope for the future.

This Easter is the perfect time for you to personally reflect on whether you have this iron-clad assurance about your future.

There is nothing certain about your future unless you trust in Jesus, because unless you know him and have been forgiven by him, then you face judgement.

Why would you take the judgement from God that you deserve, when Jesus has offered to take it from you… and has proven his success with the empty tomb?

This Easter, come to Jesus, say ‘sorry’ for rejecting him, and simply ask to follow him… and his resurrection will be your resurrection, too… for his empty grave will be your guarantee for the future.

Your future awaits you… if you come to the one who conquered death.

JODIE McNEILL