Church news for the week beginning 14th April 2018

This weekend’s Bible talk

This weekend we conclude our series ‘Jesus is___’ as Jodie speaks on the topic  ”Jesus is… returning” from Acts chapter 1 verses 1 to 11.

Mission of the month

Bush Church Aid (BCA) is our mission of the month. Support this ministry through the ‘Mission Table’ in the Hall.

Annual General Meeting

We give thanks to God for our new office holders in 2018. Our Wardens are Robert Curll, Trevor Lucas and James Rosten. Our Parish Counsellors are Paul Massey, Tim Orange and Julie Rosten, with one more person to be selected by Jodie.

Anzac Day March

Join the community of Jamberoo for an Anzac Day Service on Saturday 21st April at 10.15am for a 10.30am start. Fall in outside RSL Hall, Allowrie St. Graham and Rayne will be involved in the service.

Children’s and youth programs in holidays

During school holidays our normal midweek children’s and youth programs take a break until 5th May. However we plan to continue a mini-program during the 5pm Saturday service as required.

Men’s Dinner 1st May

Next term’s men’s dinner is not to be missed. Special guest Marshall Ballantine-Jones will address the critical issue of ‘Purity in a Porn-filled Planet.’ Central Hotel Shellharbour.

McNeills away

Jodie and his family will be on leave from 16th April until the 24th April.

Office arrangements for holidays

Valerie will be absent from the office from Tuesday 17th April to Wednesday 25th April. In the meantime, our other staff will be monitoring our church phone and emails.

Jo is coming!

Jo, our Middle East missionary from CMS is joining us for two, special events in May. Saturday 5th May we’re going to have a special ‘Middle East Feast’ for our evening dinner, after Jo shares in church about her mission work. On the following Wednesday 9th May it’s an extended Prayer and Support Night where we’ll hear more details about Jo’s ministry, and join for extended prayer. Be there!

Gong Men’s Day – save the date

Join us on Saturday 16th June, 8.30am to 2pm, or 5pm to 9.30pm at Dapto Anglican for a great day of teaching and encouragement for the men of our region. For more information check out www.gongmensday.org.

 

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 an awesome church!

CREDIT: James Cridland, via Flickr.

Imagine what it must have been like to have been a part of the first gathering of Christians, just after Jesus sent his Spirit?

The book of Acts tells us that

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42)

They were passionate about hearing the Biblespoken and taught.

They were energetic in giving money and possessions.

They were focused on sharing together in meals.

They were passionate in prayer.

These four things were at the heart of their church, and these four things are also at the heart of our church.

We thank God that we are a church that also deeply loves God’s word, that is generous in partnership with each other, that loves to eat and drink with each other, and that is passionate about prayer.

And yet as we continue to grow, we will encounter challenges.

So, let’s keep being thankfulto God for all that he’s done for our church and for our people.

Let’s continue to offer ourselves for leadership, as we serve in the ever-growing ministries of our church.

Let’s keep on being financially generous, as we grow our giving to provide for ministry locally and globally.

It’s great to be part of this church, and in God’s strength, and for his glory, our best years are ahead.

And we pray that in our church it would be as it was in those first days of the early church, where:

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:46-47)

 Jodie McNeill

Coming up this weekend 14th – 15th April 2018

This weekend we conclude the ‘Jesus is___’ series as Jodie preaches on the topic ”Jesus is… returning” from Acts chapter 1 verses 1 to 11.

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

  1. Should Christians be friends with non-Christians?

We will have a special video presentation, to see how we can help send others to GAFCON 2018 in Jerusalem.

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 7th April 2018

This weekend’s Bible talk

This weekend we continue our series ‘Jesus is___’ as Jodie speaks on the topic ”Jesus is… alive” from John chapter 21 verses 1 to 25.

Mission of the month

Bush Church Aid (BCA) is our mission of the month. Support this ministry through the ‘Mission Table’ in the Hall.

AGM and Pot Luck Lunch

Our AGM will be held on Sunday 8th April, with a BYO Pot-luck lunch starting at 1pm. This is a great opportunity to meet people from across our two congregations, with the formal meeting from 2pm to 3.30pm. An important time to review the past and plan the future, as we also elect representatives to serve our church. Please pick up a nomination form at the front desk.

‘Jesus Is___’ talks online

Head to oakflatsanglican.com/jesus-is-shellharbour-2018/ to listen to all three talks by Ben Pfahlert as presented at the ‘Jesus Is___’ public sessions in March.

McNeills away

Jodie and his family will be on leave from 16th April until the 24th April.

Jamberoo Markets – save the date!

We will be once again hosting mini-markets on Saturday 19th May, 9am to 12pm. Keep the date free and plan to be there!

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 missing from the Opening Ceremony?

The opening ceremony of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games was a spectacular piece of stadium art, filled with all the light, colour, sound and dance that you would expect.

Opening ceremonies have definitely carved out for themselves their own genre – it is a chance to tell the narrative of a nation and the distinctives of their city.

The opening scene was the dawn of time, where our world was united as one land. A traditional dance showed that from the birth of our continent, our land has been looked after by the indigenous people.

The shift was then made to the distinctives of the Gold Coast – the stadium was turned into a spectacular scene of our fun-filled beach culture.

It certainly captured aspects of out past and current culture. However, was it a true narrative of Australia?

Imagine if we put God in the picture, how would that change things? It’s hard to imagine that in secular Australia.

Romans 1:18-19 says “what can be known about God is plain to us” but “we suppress the truth.”

When we deny the truth of our maker for long enough we can then no longer even remember him at all.

Imagine an opening ceremony where God was on display – where it was his hand that formed our world, our continent, our beaches – where we remembered that God created us all in his own image, so that all people should be treated with care and dignity.

Indeed, it was these very Christian beliefs that helped form the social and justice systems of Australia that have allowed us the freedom to enjoy our beautiful country.

At the end of the opening ceremony, without God in the picture there’s not much response to make. But with God in the picture, as the creator of all those wonderful things the response is one of thankfulness to Him.

Why don’t you take a moment this week, to notice what God has given us and give thanks to him.

Simon Chaplin.

Coming up this weekend 7th – 8th April 2018

This weekend we continue our series ‘Jesus is___’ as Jodie preaches on the topic ‘Jesus is… alive’ from John chapter 21 verses 1 to 14.

We will share the Lord’s Supper at 5pm Saturday, so be sure to join us for this important reminder of the death of Jesus.

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 Bush Church Aid (BCA) which is our Mission of the Month.

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

  1. What does the Bible teach about Christians dating non-Christians?
  2. Could Judas have chosen not to betray Jesus?
  3. Since Sunday is two days after Friday, why do we say Jesus rose on the third day?
  4. Why does John call himself “the other disciple” and “the disciple Jesus loved”?
  5. Does the Bible tell us if mankind has ever left Earth?
  6. How can some Anglicans have a woman bishop when 1 Timothy 3 prohibits it?
  7. Would it be possible to run a marriage teaching weekend?

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. 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.

Church news for the week beginning 31st March 2018

This weekend’s Bible talk

This weekend we continue our series ‘Jesus is___’ as we have Simon Chaplin, the Assistant Minister from Oak Flats Anglican speak on the topic ‘Jesus is… risen’ from John chapter 20 verses 1 to 18.

Mission of the month

Anglicare is our mission of the month. Support this ministry through the ‘Mission Table’ in the Hall.

Interact Dinner

You’re invited to the first, new-look Interact dinner, at the Central Hotel, 3rd April 6.30pm. Special guest speaker, Deryck Howell, on the topic ‘These ARE the best years of our life!’  $31 per person ($23 for pensioners and students.) Register with your comment card or office@oakflatsanglican.com

Monthly midweek service

This Wednesday at 11am join us for our monthly, midweek service.

AGM and Pot Luck Lunch

Our AGM will be held on Sunday 8th April, with a BYO Pot-luck lunch starting at 1pm. This is a great opportunity to meet people from across our two congregations, with the formal meeting from 2pm to 3.30pm. An important time to review the past and plan the future, as we also elect representatives to serve our church. Please pick up a nomination form at the front desk.

Jamberoo Markets – save the date!

We will be once again hosting min-markets on Saturday 19th May, 9am to 12pm. Keep the date free and plan to be there!

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 .

Jesus is not a cheat

CREDIT: Photo NAPARAZZI, via Flickr.

It must be very hard to be a professional sportsperson, with the constant pressure to perform for supporters and sponsors.

No doubt this contributed to the decision this week by disgraced Australian male cricketers to undertake a premeditated and coordinated act of ball tampering.

The level of public outcry has been extraordinary, and the call for punishment and justice has been deafening.

Yet no matter how tempted the players were to cheat, their temptation dwarfs that felt by Jesus in his life.

We read in the Bible in Luke chapter 4:1-13 that Jesus was tempted by the Devil after he spent forty days without food in the desert.

Jesus was tempted by the Devil to bow down to him, instead of trusting and worshiping his heavenly Father.

But Jesus knew that it was vital that he obey God’s word, and resist temptation.

For, if Jesus had cheated in his mission, he would have failed to have dealt with our sin on the first Good Friday.

For, it was only because Jesus was truly sinless that he could take our sin upon himself, and be punished for those sins in our place.

But more than that, by resisting the temptation to cheat in his mission to redeem his people, he also showed that he knows what it is like for us to be tempted, too.

As we read in Hebrews 2:18, “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

As Smith, Warner and Bancroft make the long and lonely flight back to Australia, it is worth remembering that Jesus’ death brings forgiveness to everyone who asks him, no matter what the crime.

It is only by Jesus’ strong resolve not to cheat in his mission that sinners like you, me, and the Aussie cricketers can be saved from the punishment we deserve from God.

Jodie McNeill.

 

 

Coming up Good Friday and Easter Weekend 2018

We’d love you to join us at church this Easter.

Our Good Friday service is at the special time of 9.30am, where we’ll be coming together to reflect on Jesus’ death on the cross as Graham Errington speaks on the topic of ‘Jesus is… sacrificed’ from Luke chapter 23 verses 32 to 56.

We’ll be meeting at our normal times of 5pm on Saturday and 8am on Easter Sunday. Simon Chaplin, the Assistant Minister from Oak Flats Anglican will be speaking on the topic ‘Jesus is… risen’ from John chapter 20 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. How would you respond to someone who said that Jesus is just a demigod?
  2. is it a sin to wish to kill a very bad person?
  3. Does the Bible tell us if it’s OK for a girl to ask out a guy, or should the girl just wait?

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

If you don’t regularly attend church then you are especially welcome this weekend. We love it when people drop in to join us at church, and you’ll be made to feel very much at home.

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.

We wish you a special Easter as we reflect on the wonder of the cross and the miracle of the empty tomb!

Church news for the week beginning 24th March 2018

This weekend’s Bible talk

This weekend we continue our series ‘Jesus is___’ as we have Moore College lecturer, Lionel Windsor preach on the topic ‘Jesus is… compassionate’ from Mark chapter 1 verses 29 to 45.

Mission of the month

Anglicare is our mission of the month. Support this ministry through the ‘Mission Table’ in the Hall.

Parish Council

Our next Parish Council will be held on Monday night 26th March.

Interact Dinner

You’re invited to the first, new-look Interact dinner, at the Central Hotel, 3rd April 6.30pm. Special guest speaker, Deryck Howell, on the topic ‘These ARE the best years of our life!’

Good Friday Service

Join us at 9.30am for a special Good Friday service on Friday 30th March, with Graham Errington speaking on the topic ‘Jesus is… sacrificed’ from Luke chapter 23 verses 32 to 56. We’ll be meeting at our normal times of 5pm on Saturday and 8am on Easter Sunday.

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 .