Jamberoo Anglican

Bridging the gap in our youth

January 27, 2018/in News Sheet Blurb/by Jodie McNeill

CREDIT: Photo Vanova, via Flickr.

One of the most significant bridges for our young people is the gap between youth group and church.

Research presented by the Moore College’s CMD reports that there is a significant drop off in church involvement in the later teen years.

We all know that this is a fragile time, with all kinds of pressures.

So what do we do? Firstly, we pray. For what appears fragile from our perspective is not at all from God’s. Those he has hold of are secure in his vice-like grip.

Secondly, we work hard to develop the faith of our young people in ways which will help them bridge the gap to adulthood.

This will only be done through his word in their hearts in the fellowship of Christian community.

The fellowship we have as Christians is crucial, and helping our youth thrive in community is vital. That’s why we make our youth group, ‘Alive’, as good as possible.

But there’s also another factor that can help our youth stay connected to church: the time of the group.

We run ‘Alive’ on Saturday nights at 7.30 to 9.30pm because we want the youth of our church to first attend an intergenerational church at 5pm and then have an all-age dinner at 6.30pm with people young and old.

It means that it’s a big night for our teenagers, but it also means that there is a healthy integration between the generations.

Plus, we’re strengthening the discipleship that happens at times other than Saturday night, so that the youth can be further strengthened to go the distance.

Being part of church is being part of God’s family, with everybody of all ages. We are looking forward to helping our young people experience that as they grow into a lifelong of faith in Christ.

Simon Chaplin and Jodie McNeill

Coming up this weekend 27th – 28th January 2018

January 22, 2018/in Coming Up this Weekend/by Val O'Regan

This weekend we welcome Michael Williamson, the director of Year 13. Michael will be talking on the topic ‘Shout for Joy to the Lord’ from Psalm 100.

At both our services, we will hear a special update, and see a presentation about Year 13, and all that the Christian gap year program provides.

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 20th January 2018

January 20, 2018/in News Headlines/by Val O'Regan

This weekend’s Bible Talk

This weekend we welcome our own Tim Orange, who will be speaking on the topic ‘Self control by the Spirit’ from 1 Samuel chapter 24.

Next week’s Bible Talk

Next weekend we welcome Michael Williamson, the director of Year 13. Michael will be talking on the topic ‘Shout for Joy to the Lord’ from Psalm 100.

Erringtons away

Graham and Lesley are still on leave until Wednesday 24th January.

Office arrangements for January

Valerie will be absent from the office from Monday 8th January to Friday 26th January. In the meantime, our other staff will be monitoring our church phone and emails.

Liana and Bram’s Engagement

Congratulations to Liana McNeill and Bram Leslie, who have announced their engagement to be married.

Monthly Midweek Service

Our first Monthly Midweek Service will be on the new day of Wednesday 7th February at 11am, followed by a light lunch. Please join us and share the news with your friends.

Regional Men’s Dinner

The Men’s Dinners will now be quarterly, and the first will be held on Tuesday 6th February at 6.30pm at the Central Hotel Shellharbour, with guest speaker, Bill Salier.

Mission of the month

Nungalinya College, Darwin is our mission of the month. Support this ministry through the ‘Mission Table’ in the Hall.

‘Jesus is___’ Prayer night

Join us on Tuesday night 30th January at 7pm in the Shellharbour Civic Centre for a prayer night. We’d really love you be there to join with Anglicans from our region to pray that we’d be fired up to talk about Jesus.

‘Jesus is___’ key dates

Special training and prayer nights at 7pm in the Shellharbour Civic Centre: 30th January, the 13th of February and the 13th March.

Public meetings at the Shellharbour Civic Centre at both 11am and 7pm: 20th, 21st and 22nd of March 2018.

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 $5509.00, leaving a gap of $791.00.

Up to the end of the last calendar month we needed to have received $273,000. Compared to that total we received $245,588, leaving a gap of $27,412.

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 .

Is it Christian to take holidays?

January 19, 2018/in News Sheet Blurb/by Jodie McNeill

Since Jesus is returning soon to judge the world, is it right for us to just sit around and enjoy a holiday?

Well, when we hold to the truth that God is sovereign over everything, then it means that it’s OK to stop and enjoy a break.

This is why God originally created a Sabbath day, so that his people might recognise that he runs the world, not us.

Plus, it’s worth reflecting that God designed us to spend a third of our lifetime sleeping, so that whilst our eyes are closed, we can show that we know that God is still ruling from his throne.

God also instructed his people to enjoy special holidays, when they would remember God’s actions in history.

With this in mind, we should demonstrate our dependence on God’s loving rule by enjoying holidays, and by taking a day off each week to remember that he is god, not us!

Even as we rest, we should naturally make the most of every opportunity to talk about the most important person in the universe.

In fact, holidays can be wonderful times to enjoy chatting with friends and family about the joy of knowing Jesus.

Plus, it can also be a great time to spend sharing your faith with others on a ‘Beach Mission’ or holiday camp.

God created this world to enjoy, and because we believe in his loving rule over every, single aspect of his universe, we can rest and relax in peace.

And as we rest and relax in his creation, we should naturally express our gratitude to God with the people we’re around.

And, God willing, he will use our words of genuine thankfulness to show the beauty of knowing Jesus to those we are with, so that they might be saved when he returns.

Jodie.

Coming up this weekend 20th – 21st January 2018

January 15, 2018/in Coming Up this Weekend/by Val O'Regan

This weekend, we welcome our own Tim Orange, who will be speaking on the topic ‘Self control by the Spirit’ from 1 Samuel chapter 24.

Jodie will be presenting an update on the Wollongong Regional ‘Jesus Is___’ mission. Be sure to join us to hear about the month long campaign to help people consider the most important question facing the world: who is Jesus?

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. Or come along on Sunday at 8am for a Prayer Book service.

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

Imagine a world that knows Jesus

January 13, 2018/in News Sheet Blurb/by Jodie McNeill

For as long as I can remember I’ve known about Jesus.

My grandparents were followers of Jesus, and they brought me up knowing that it was really important to know him personally.

When I was ten I decided to follow Jesus myself, and I am now more convinced than ever that this is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.

That’s why I want every person in the world to also know Jesus.

Over this past week, I attended a week-long conference run by CMS, the Church Missionary Society.

CMS prays that we might have a world that knows Jesus, and it works to recruit, send, and support people throughout the world to do this.

This week I have heard many stories of people who have heard about Jesus and now follow him as loving ruler and saviour.

It is both humbling and exciting to hear about the fruit of their labours, and to know that we partner with them in prayer and giving.

As we pray for our own partner missionaries, it will naturally inspire us to think about our own opportunities to help the people in our own neighbourhood know Jesus.

This year, we have a special opportunity to help locals know Jesus as we begin a focused campaign leading up to Easter.

Our ‘Jesus Is___’ mission seeks to bring the knowledge of Jesus to our neighbourhood through personal chats and combined events.

As we pray for a world that knows Jesus, we’re also praying for an Illawarra that knows Jesus.

For God “wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.” (1 Timothy 2:4-6)