What makes conflict so uncomfortable?

CREDIT: gracewell533 via Flickr.

Why does conflict make us so uncomfortable? Often it’s because I feel that others can’t see just how right I am.

It would be so much easier if they could just recognise my superior arguments, apologise and we could all move forward!

At a conference this week I was challenged by a series of seminars on how to deal with general disagreement, or conflict, as a Christian.

I won’t pretend to be an expert, but I would like to quote a general principle that was shared at the conference: “Conflict is part of your God journey”.

In a conflict situation you don’t have power over what the other parties will do. Yet, we do have power over ourselves and our own reactions.

Conflict is a moment which we can use to bring God glory, yet this seems so unlikely, doesn’t it?

In a conflict we are often so consumed by the other person and what they have done or said. But if instead of starting with the other person we start with God, then we can reframe the whole situation.

And we start with the understanding that we are in the position that God has put us in.

Instead of blaming God, we can ask how in this situation we can seek to glorify him.

I don’t think that this means the next steps are easy or obvious.

It doesn’t even mean that conflict can be solved: you are only one part of the equation. But you can change the equation: you can make the impossible a possibility.

By starting with God, not only can you grow in your relationship with him, you can ask how he wants you to bring love to others.

Simon Chaplin

Coming up this weekend 2nd – 3rd June 2018

This weekend we continue our series ‘The Heart of Truth’ as Simon Chaplin preaches on the topic ‘By faith alone’ from Romans chapter 3 verse 27 to chapter 4 verse 25.

It’s the right time for us to recognise many of the needs of our missionaries, so at both our services, we will have a special update about KBECET (Kiama Board for Employing Christian Education Teachers) which is our Mission of the Month.

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. Our youth group ‘Alive’ runs straight after dinner on Saturday night. 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.

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

Church news for the week beginning 26th May 2018

This weekend’s Bible talk

This weekend we continue our series ‘The Heart of Truth’ as Jodie preaches on the topic ‘Not guilty’ from Romans chapter 3 verses 9 to 26.

Mission of the month

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

Kiama High SRE Pie Drive

The annual KBECET Pie Drive is on again. To support Nigel’s ministry, please order your choice of tasty, family size savoury or fruit pies on the order form in the Hall for $10 each. Order before 20th June for delivery on 9th July.

Gong Men’s Day

Join us on Saturday 16th June, 8.30am to 2pm at Dapto Anglican for a great day of teaching and encouragement for the men of our region. Register at www.gongmensday.org.

Announcing New Serve Teams

In response to your surveys, we’re hoping to launch some new Serve Teams in the next few weeks. We’re considering having groups that will meet 10am Monday (fortnightly), 7pm Monday (weekly), 11am Wednesday (3rd of the month), 7pm Wednesday (weekly), and 3pm Saturdays (weekly). We’ll be in contact to find out which one suits you the best, but if you’ve not yet filled in a form, please try and do that this weekend.

Richard Chin at Men’s Dinner

For your diaries: Richard Chin will be our guest speaker at our next Men’s Dinner on Tuesday 7th August. Don’t miss out!

Monthly Midweek Service coming up

Our next service is on Wednesday 6th June at 11am, followed by a light lunch in the hall.

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 $5513.00, leaving a gap of $787.00.

Olimometer 2.52

Up to the end of the last calendar month we needed to have received $54,600. Compared to that total we received $48,216, leaving a gap of $6,384.

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 .

Better news for the royal couple

It’s rare for a church sermon to make the front page of a newspaper, but the message from Bishop Curry made world news, as his royal wedding message got people talking.

Unlike the typecast, pompous wedding preacher, he enthusiastically addressed the billions of people who tuned in for the occasion.

It was refreshing to hear a royal wedding sermon speak about Jesus and his death on the cross with such gusto.

Sadly, many wedding sermons seem to forget they’re in a church, and they end up rolling out the kind of worldly wisdom you’d expect to hear from Oprah or Dr. Phil.

But Bishop Curry brought the focus of the event to the love of God shown at the cross of Christ.

I’m delighted that people are talking about Jesus and his death, but, sadly, Bishop Curry missed the most important point about the cross of Christ.

Whilst it is true that Jesus showed his love for dying for us on the cross, it was not so that he could be an example of true love.

If all we’ve got from the cross of Christ is an example we can try to follow, then Jesus has done nothing to help us with our sin and guilt for disobeying God’s rule.

No, the most important thing about the cross is that Jesus died as a sacrifice, taking the punishment we deserve, in our place, so that we might be forgiven by God.

As we read in 1 John chapter 4: “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

It was good for the royal couple to hear that Jesus died on the cross: but it’s much better news for them to know that Jesus died as an atoning sacrifice for sin.

JODIE MCNEILL

Coming up this weekend 26th – 27th May 2018

This weekend we continue our series ‘The Heart of Truth’ as Jodie preaches on the topic ‘The new age of innocence’ from Romans chapter 3 verses 9 to 26.

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.

Also during that service, we’ll have our weekly question and answer time, and Jodie will be answering these questions:

  1. Should it concern us that The Jewish Historical Museum claims there is no historical proof for the Exodus?
  2. What does the creed mean when it says ‘the Communion of Saints’ and ‘the Holy, Universal Church”?
  3. Do the Jews who were entrusted with the Law blame their disobedience on the Babylonians?
  4. What does the Bible mean by “good”?
  5. Romans 2:7-8 says that those who do good receive eternal life, but doesn’t this contradict Ephesians 2:8-9?
  6. Doesn’t predestination show that God actually does show favouritism?
  7. What does God want from us?
  8. Why can’t the ladies’ hear Richard Chin, too?

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. Our youth group ‘Alive’ is taking a break for the holidays. 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.

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

Church news for the week beginning 19th May 2018

This weekend’s Bible talk

This weekend we continue our series ‘The Heart of Truth’ as Jodie preaches on the topic ‘No excuses!’from Romans chapter 2 verse 1 to chapter 3 verse 8.

Mission of the month

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

Parish Council

Our Parish Council meets this Monday, 21st May at 7pm at the church. Please remember them in your prayers.

Kiama High SRE Pie Drive

The annual KBECET Pie Drive is on again. To support Nigel’s ministry, please order your choice of tasty, family size savoury or fruit pies on the order form in the Hall for $10 each. Order before 20th June for delivery on 9th July.

Gong Men’s Day

Join us on Saturday 16th June, 8.30am to 2pm at Dapto Anglican for a great day of teaching and encouragement for the men of our region. Register at www.gongmensday.org.

Richard Chin at Men’s Dinner

For your diaries: Richard Chin will be our guest speaker at our next Men’s Dinner on Tuesday 7th August. Don’t miss out!

Serve Team Serve-ey

We’d love everyone member in our church to be part of a Serve Team. Whether you’re already in a Serve Team or Bible Study Group or not, please fill in the ‘Serve-ey Form’ to help us help you connect in the best way possible so that you can serve and be served in our church.

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 $5513.00, leaving a gap of $787.00.

Olimometer 2.52

Up to the end of the last calendar month we needed to have received $54,600. Compared to that total we received $48,216, leaving a gap of $6,384.

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’s wrong with extremism?

CREDIT: Abdulsalam Haykal via Flickr.

This week Ramadan began for the followers of Islam, a month of fasting and prayer.

For those who keep this practise it shows a level of extreme devotion to their religion.

Millions of people across the globe will spend their daylight hours without any food or water in order to serve their god.

An interview with an Islamic academic from the University of Wollongong put a different spin on it.

Five sessions of prayer were explained as 5 sessions of mindfulness, a way to centre one’s life during the day.

Fasting was explained as a process of discipline and exercising self control.

In our anxious, busy and often unrestrained society this practise seemed like a good idea.

I found my self nodding along until I realised what was going on here.

Any idea of extreme devotion to a god was downplayed.

It was a clever interview, because it took ideas that were foreign to Australians (like set prayers and fasting) and explained them in terms that are now readily acceptable.

This is exactly what our society wants from adherents to religion: moderate ideas that can be explained in social terms.

This is why liberal Christianity has flourished in western society, where the Bible has been interpreted though the lens of our world.

This kind of God leads to a nice and moderate religion that rocks no boats, and one our society is happy with, because they created it.

The pressure to fit in is intense but we must remember that there is nothing wrong with being extreme itself. The question is for what cause it is, and how do you implement it.

Christians are called to give up our lives for our God.

We do so for he is the the one who gave his life for us, And so the way we do this is in love and service of others.

Simon Chaplin

Coming up this weekend 19th – 20th May 2018

This weekend we continue our series ‘The Heart of Truth’ as Jodie preaches on the topic ‘No excuses!’from Romans chapter 2 verse 1 to chapter 3 verse 8.

This week we’re going to have a short video from CMS (The Church Missionary Society) about their ongoing activities in the world, and hear about the impact of global mission.

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

  1. Is Jesus God or the Son of God?
  2. Is God’s wrath revealed by him giving humans over to their sin?
  3. Did God harden Pharaoh’s heart and then ask Moses to ask him to set his people free, all so that he could show his power?
  4. Why is there so much violence in the Bible, even from God?
  5. Is it OK for Christians to use hypnotism to treat a medical problem?

Our 8am Sunday service will be a Morning Prayer Sunday 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. Our youth group ‘Alive’ runs straight after dinner on Saturday night. 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.

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

Church news for the week beginning 12th May 2018

This weekend’s Bible talk

This weekend we continue our series ‘The Heart of Truth’ as Simon Chaplin preaches on the topic ‘God’s wrath is revealed’ from Romans chapter 1 verses 18 to 32.

Mission of the month

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

Ladies’ Dinner

The second of our new-look quarterly Ladies’ Dinners will be held this Tuesday 15th May with guest speaker Sue Milne, a Christian Psychologist who will speak on the topic of Fear, Anxiety  and Depression. 7pm in the church, cost $15. Please RSVP to office@jamberooanglican.com.

Market Day – 19th May

Join us on Saturday 19th May, 9am to 12pm as we host Market Day.  A great day for the Jamberoo community. What can you do to help on the day?  What do you have to contribute? Can you pot some plants? Can you start thinking about a cake or slice or lollies, etc? Can you get your vegetables to be ready for 19 May? What about jewellery or craft items? Please note that we are not having a second hand “white elephant” stall this year. Keep the day free! Contact Helen 4236 0158 or Graham 0430 043 765 for further information.

Gong Men’s Day

Join us on Saturday 16th June, 8.30am to 2pm at Dapto Anglican for a great day of teaching and encouragement for the men of our region. Register at www.gongmensday.org.

Serve Team Serve-ey

We’d love everyone member in our church to be part of a Serve Team. Whether you’re already in a Serve Team or Bible Study Group or not, please fill in the ‘Serve-ey Form’ to help us help you connect in the best way possible so that you can serve and be served in our church.

Give to GAFCON

There are just 37 delegates from Third World nations who still need financial support to get to the GAFCON Jerusalem Conference in 5 weeks. Please give at www.gafcon.org/send-one-more-delegate-to-Jerusalem.

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 $5513.00, leaving a gap of $787.00.

Olimometer 2.52

Up to the end of the last calendar month we needed to have received $54,600. Compared to that total we received $48,216, leaving a gap of $6,384.

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 you good enough to be forgiven?

Are you the kind of person who would be acceptable to Jesus?

In Luke chapter 7, we read about a dinner that Jesus attended at the house of some very religious people.

While they’re having dinner, a woman comes into the room, and starts washing Jesus’ feet with her tears, kissing his feet, and pouring perfume over his feet.

But there was something even stranger about it, and that was the kind of woman this woman was.

One religious man said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

This woman was a public sinner, maybe a prostitute, and this religious guy thought that Jesus must have been clueless to have anything to do with him.

Because if Jesus was really a prophet of God, then he wouldn’t have had anything to do with such a godless woman, and what’s more, he’d have the supernatural powers to know that she’s the kind of woman who religious people stay right away from.

But Jesus is more than a prophet: he is God, himself, and he knows everything, including how sinful she really was.

And yet, she came to Jesus, showed her love and adoration to him, and he totally forgave her.

And so Jesus said to the religious man:

“I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven… Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Jesus didn’t just know that her sins were forgiven, he did the forgiving himself.

All she did was come to Jesus and seek his forgiveness.

And so, if Jesus will forgive this sinful woman, he offers to forgive anyone like you and me.

Jodie McNeill