This is the latest blurb that is published on the front of our weekly bulletin

Pastor’s Desk for Sunday 26th January 2025

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Mad Fad or Bad?

In Mark 3 the Gospel highlights both the success of Jesus’ ministry and the growing tension that would eventually lead to His crucifixion. The chapter also begins to clarify who Jesus is: not just a healer or teacher, but the Son of God with authority over spiritual and physical realms.

So there is the question whether Jesus is Mad, Fad or Bad?

Who is Jesus really?

Jesus demonstrates His authority over the Sabbath, healing, demons, and even the religious leaders. As Jesus gains followers, He also faces increasing opposition from the Pharisees and religious elites, leading to conspiracy against Him.

Jesus calls His disciples to be His closest companions and representatives in His mission and He redefines the concept of family, emphasizing that spiritual obedience to God transcends biological relationships.

Today I just want to explore who Jesus is?

That is the question most unbelievers are dealing with.

The answer to that question will help us in our mission to our family and friends.

Tony Galea

Australia Day

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Australia Day, celebrated annually on January 26, marks the arrival of the First Fleet at Port Jackson in 1788, when Captain Arthur Phillip claimed the land for Britain.
For many Australians, it is a day of national pride, reflecting on the country’s history, achievements, and multicultural identity.
However, for Indigenous Australians, the day is often referred to as Invasion Day, as it represents the beginning of British colonization, which had devastating impacts on their cultures, land, and communities.
As a result, Australia Day is a day of mixed emotions.

For many Christians in Australia, Australia Day provides an opportunity to reflect on the nation’s values, history, and the role of faith in shaping the country’s culture and identity.
It is a day to celebrate the diversity and freedom that characterizes Australia, often with a focus on gratitude for the peace and prosperity enjoyed in the nation. But also, not to repeat the failures of the past.

Ultimately, for Christians, Australia Day is a time to celebrate the blessings of living in a free and diverse nation, where the gospel is still able to be preached, while also considering how to live out the values of compassion, justice, and love toward all people, especially those who have been marginalized.

Tony Galea

Pastor’s Desk 12th January 2025

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Introducing The Servant King!

Matthew’s gospel is written for the Jews, so he opened his book with the genealogies to prove that Jesus is the rightful heir of Davids throne. He mainly writes about Jesus’ teachings.

Luke mainly writes for the Greeks; he is a doctor & historian & he wants to write an accurate record of events to show Jesus’ humanity.

John is also written mainly for the Greeks & he writes to prove that Jesus is the Son of God who brings eternal life.

Mark’s gospel is an announcement to everyone! It’s simple & to the point. It has in mind the Romans & those with little religious background. Mark is an action book where he is more interested in what Jesus does.

Jesus is the Servant, but He is a most unusual Servant, because at the same time Jesus is the King of heaven.

Tony G

New Year New Opportunities

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Coming to the end of a year, and the beginning of a new one, many of us set New Year’s resolutions, hoping to make positive life changes.
It can be helpful to reflect on what has been and to consider future plans.
In fact, according to Proverbs (3:5-6,16:3;9), the wise person sets goals and prepare for the future.

These verses are a reminder from God, telling us to give Him all our plans and worries. It’s like God is saying to us, “Trust me with your life, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
And this isn’t just about the big dreams we have, but also about the small choices we make every day.

In a world that tells us that we can do whatever we want, whenever we want, however we want, under our own strength, we should find this reminder from God a comfort.

The weight and burden people place upon themselves to succeed in everything they do can and does lead to increased worry, stress, anxiety, burnout and more.

For Christians, the idea is that we completely give our plans to God in dependence upon Him. When we commit our work to the Lord, we offer everything we do completely to Him.

When we fully depend on God in all we do and live according to His ways in complete dependence on Him, we can generally expect that He will bless our efforts.
This does not mean we will never have trouble in our lives or that God will give to us everything we want in the way we expect it!
Rather, we can expect God to fulfill His promise of Romans 8:28, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

As we embrace the possibilities of this new year, let’s hold onto the wisdom found in Proverbs, allowing it to guide our actions and intentions.

Sandee Batelic

Hope for the Illawarra

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In John’s gospel, chapter 1, Jesus called Phillip to follow him. Phillip did, then went to find his brother Nathaniel, urging him to come and see the Messiah. John reports it this way, in verses 43 to 46:

” The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.”

This gospel dynamic applies to us, in that Jesus has called us to follow him, and once we are trusting Jesus, we invite another person that we are connected with to “Come and See” Jesus the Lord and Saviour. Why? That your friend may also trust Jesus, knowing that they, like you, have “certainty for eternity”.
With the new year having started, so our church mission gains momentum- that every man, woman and child in our village, valley and region may know Jesus and why it matters.
A great resource we have right now is the “Come and See” foundation of the regional mission- Hope for the Illawarra.
That resource is in the form of the prayer pamphlet. I have plenty, and our church needs more than a handful of members to follow through with this. Rather, the whole church is called to action.
I’m a coffee, surf or phone call away from personally supporting you in this, as is Tony Galea and Josh Wales, both of whom “share my stoke” in this mission.

May your hearts be on fire !!!

STEVE BLIGH

Find Life This Summer

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The summer holidays are generally a good time for some R&R. Get-togethers with friends and family, time at the beach, backyard cricket and time off work are just some of the reasons we love summer.

Each summer, thousands of tourists come to the Kiama area for a holiday. Together with locals, they pack out the cafes and beaches in town, and the surrounding area.

And each summer, a few dozen Christians from Sydney come to our area to talk to people about Jesus.

These people are part of the Summerlife (Kiama Beach Mission) team. They are in the area from the 28th Dec – 5th Jan.

The goal is to get people to spend time chatting and reflecting on who Jesus is, and what he’s done for them. It’s fantastic to see the Holy Spirit working amongst these chats.

This year, some of the team is staying at Jamberoo Anglican. This is part of an ever-increasing partnership between Jamberoo Anglican and the Kiama Summerlife team.

For us at Jamberoo, there’s 2 things we can do to support the mission.

1. Pray. Pray for the team to lead people to Christ through conversations.

2. Be a local contact. The team will be encouraging people they talk to, to head along to a local church. They would be much more likely to do that if they already had someone they knew at the church – perhaps you?

So be praying! And if you can, head down to surf beach and support the team, each day at 1pm, or 6pm. What an encouragement to the team, and what a great way for Jamberoo Anglican to be amongst our community.

Hope to see you there, as we partner with Summerlife to tell people in our area the great news about Jesus our Saviour!

BRAD VIDILINI

One Final Thing

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It’s hard to work out what to write in my final news sheet article as we farewell you this weekend after our ten years serving at Jamberoo Anglican Church.

I trust the Lord will give me the right words to speak in my final sermon and in our speeches after dinner, but for now, I thought I’d take some inspiration from the closing words of the Apostle Paul as he wrote to the Christians in Philippi, from chapter 4:

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9)

These words beautifully sum up the sentiment of a man who sought for his flock to be focused on what matters most.

Paul wanted his church at Philippi to focus on things that are “excellent and worthy of praise.”

As we approach change and uncertainty, we can easily be distracted by worldly matters, and drift into worldly behaviour.

But instead, let us keep imitating the Apostle, who imitated Christ Jesus.

As we look to the future, let us fix our thoughts on Christ and live lives that truly follow his example, so that in doing, we will have with us the God of peace, himself.

What’s more, we will experience the peace of God, “which exceeds anything we can understand”, knowing for certain that “his peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)

JODIE McNEILL

Christmas 2024

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Christmas is a wonderful time for us to reflect on the coming of Jesus… and it’s also a great time for people to come to Jesus!

This year we’re having our Christmas Eve carols at 6pm on the lawn, and we’re also starting the afternoon with some all-age games from 5pm, along with our classic sausage sizzle… including the famous ‘Zooper Dooper Wheelbarrow!’

After the outdoor service we’ll be sharing supper from 7pm, along with more, all-age games, together.

Then the day after join us on Christmas Day at 9am in church with a normal feel, but with an extra-special opportunity to reflect together about the miracle of God becoming human to save us… the thrill of hope!

We’re praying that this will be a really special Christmas at Jamberoo Anglican, and that through the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day events that even more people in our village, valley and region will know how to follow Jesus and why it matters… especially at Christmas!

New Beginnings

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It has been said that most people don’t like change. I know I don’t! I like the familiarity of routine and structure.
Change makes us uncomfortable because of the unknown. Change is generally viewed from a negative perspective and some changes are more difficult to bear than others.

Embracing change can be a scary concept, but it can also strengthen our faith.

Change shakes us up, pushes us out of our comfort zones, and challenges us to grow. But during that, it also offers us a unique opportunity to deepen our faith.

At Jamberoo Anglican, we are heading into a period of change with Jodie and Mandy heading off to the exciting world of GAFCON.
For most of us, this will be a difficult change.

Change often requires us to let go of what we know, to make space for what could be.
It’s a process of surrendering, of trusting that there’s a greater plan at work.
And our faith can provide the strength and courage we need for this process.
Change challenges us, but it also encourages us to lean more heavily on our faith. It pushes us to seek answers, to pray more earnestly, and to dive deeper into our beliefs.
It’s during these times of change that we should find ourselves turning to our faith for guidance and comfort.
Embracing change is an opportunity for spiritual growth.

Sometimes, the shared experience of change can bring us closer to others.
It can be comforting to reach out to others who are facing the same changes. To share our fears, hopes and questions.
As we head into this time of change, we can lean on each other with understanding and support.

As we face this change together, we can be comforted by knowing this is an opportunity for new blessings, both for us at church and for Jodie and Mandy as they also leave the familiar for amazing new opportunities.

We can be comforted by remembering that it’s not an end.
It’s the beginning of something new.

Sandee Batelic

A Lifestyle of Thanksgiving

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This week, the people of the United States of America celebrated their annual Thanksgiving Day holiday.

In November 1621, following their first successful corn harvest, the Plymouth colonists from England invited the Native American Wampanoag people to share a celebratory feast which is acknowledged as the first Thanksgiving celebration in the colonies.

For Christians, Thanksgiving should be more than an end-of-November feast – it should be a lifestyle. Thanksgiving for Christians should mean that we maintain an attitude of gratitude towards God every day.

It is more than just saying “thank you.”

Acknowledging God and His blessings, and giving thanks is deeply rooted in the Christian faith.
Throughout the Bible, we are encouraged to give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for us. (1 Thess 5:18)

The first thanksgiving feast we see in the Bible is mentioned in Deuteronomy, called The Feast of Weeks where God instructed the Israelites to establish a thanksgiving festival to honour the Lord.

More applicable to us today is The Lord’s Supper – a Christian custom that commemorates Jesus’ final meal with his disciples and is a central act of Christian worship.
It is a ‘meal’ of remembrance and hope with an underlying expression of thankfulness for the saving death and resurrection of Christ.

By remembering what Jesus did for us, our lives are grounded in his finished work for us.
It isn’t a way you can earn your salvation; it is a thanksgiving meal for those who are saved. It doesn’t add anything to the finished work of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice but confirms it and strengthens us in him.

Because of all that it is, we come to the Lord’s Supper with both humility and joy as God’s dearly loved children to be reminded of who we are in Christ.
To be strengthened by him as we meet with him by faith, and to whet our appetite for that day when we will enjoy with our Saviour the ultimate Thanksgiving Day feast.

Sandee Batelic