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

Christmas 2024

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

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

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

In the Beginning

Genesis 1-3 contains some of the most powerful and amazing stories of the Old Testament, and possibly even the whole Bible as we see the power of God as he creates the universe!

Right from the very beginning, we see the mind-blowing character of God.

The Genesis creation story is a story that is so familiar to us. We hear over and over again “And God said’ ‘And God said’ ‘And God said’.

However, how often do we stop to reflect on this? To consider the magnitude and awesomeness of God.

God is so powerful that when he spoke, creation happened! When he speaks, light comes where there was only darkness before. When he speaks, creatures start crawling.
This is the power of God’s word.

How amazing to think that God spoke everything into existence out of nothing.

Everything except for humanity.

When God made man there was something very personal and intimate that took place.

From the earth, God created man with His own hands, in His own image.

Nothing else in all of creation carries the privilege of being created in the image of the Creator God.
Creation is a clear and compelling depiction of the undeniable and unconditional love of God. We were intimately made to be the image-bearers of the One True God.

In these first few chapters of the Bible we learn that God is good.
He is thoughtful and caring and kind and generous. He loves his creation – He gives us good gifts. He gives us community. He provides for our needs. He gives us life and blessings. He delights in us. He shows amazing grace and mercy to us.
He has a plan and provides a Saviour in Jesus, who is the image of the invisible God, the only one who perfectly reflects all of God’s attributes and fulfills His will.

As we enter the busy Christmas season let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of our faith.

Sandee Batelic

Square One Camp

Last weekend we attended the Youthworks Square One camp at Port Hacking.

There were over 300 kids from 19 churches from grades 3-6 from all over NSW coming together to and sit under God’s awesome and true word!

We had 5 boys from Jamberoo who were a part of the weekend where we looked at ‘the second-best rescue’.

In the second-best rescue, God rescued his people from Pharaoh as slaves, and we recreated the first Passover to help us to understand and feel what it might have been like for God’s people.

We first ate some lamb (beef jerky) representing the lamb that died instead of the firstborn son. Then we ate the bitter herbs (ginger) to help remember the bitterness and harshness of slavery in Egypt.
I must say when we tried the ginger it was so bitter that we had to have a lolly afterwards to get the taste out!

Then we ate bread without yeast (rice crackers) remembering how the Israelites ate in a rush, ready to escape Egypt.

There were some great questions from the boys, thinking deeply about this symbolism and why it matters for us as forever friends of Jesus today.
We were able to understand that Jesus is our Passover lamb who died in our place and be thankful.

There was also time to have tons of fun joining other church groups in activities such as going down the waterslide, playing water base baseball, going on a mini bush walk, and doing an Egyptian hieroglyphics scavenger hunt!
The weekend was filled with joy, laughter and a deeper growth in knowing one another and Jesus bigger and better than before.

Rach Bemmer

Proverbs 3:5-6

These verses are a cornerstone of biblical wisdom literature, offering profound guidance on how to navigate life with faith and reliance on God – teaching us to trust in the Lord wholeheartedly and refrain from relying solely on our own human understanding.
To trust in the Lord with all our heart means to place our confidence in His character and promises.
It requires us to believe that God is good, loving, and faithful, even when we don’t fully understand His ways. This kind of trust is rooted in a personal relationship with God, nurtured through prayer, reading Scripture, and experiencing His faithfulness in our lives.
Next, we are instructed to “lean not on your own understanding.”
Human understanding is limited and often flawed. Our perspectives are shaped by our experiences, emotions, and biases, which can lead us astray. This is why the Bible warns us against relying solely on our own reasoning.
Leaning not on our own understanding means acknowledging our limitations and seeking God’s wisdom instead.
The third part of the verse requires us to “in all your ways submit to him.”
Submission to God involves recognising His authority and allowing His will to influence every aspect of our lives. Submitting to God in all our ways means seeking His guidance in both major life decisions and daily choices, knowing that our actions reflect our faith. 
The final part of the verse promises that “he will make your paths straight.”
This is a reassurance that when we trust in God, lean on His understanding, and submit to His will, He will guide us and direct our steps.
This doesn’t mean that life will be free from challenges or that we will never face difficulties. However, it does mean that God will provide us with the direction and strength we need.

As we grow in our trust and reliance on God, allowing Proverbs 3:5-6 to guide our daily lives, we will experience the peace and direction that comes from living in alignment with God’s will.

Sandee Batelic

Safe Ministry Matters

As the Safe and Accessible Ministry Officer at church, my job is to ensure that our systems and practises at Church ensure the safety of everyone involved in our ministries and to think and act strategically to make those ministries accessible to all.

It’s a big job description, involving encouraging people to be trained in Safe Ministry, checking and keeping details of various checks and standards and liasing with our Senior Minister and Parish Council and Wardens to ensure that we have systems and audits to keep a check on our property and programs being safe and accessible for anyone who comes on site.

Recently I met with our amazing Parish Council to seek their assistance in actioning some important points. One of the areas in which we have agreed needs some action soon is making our services even more accessible for anyone who attends.

Some things on the table for consideration are:

  • Large print bibles available at the door (NLT) upon welcoming
  • Adjusting some of the rows to accommodate children being able to move around safely during services
  • Auditing our hall to ensure safety compliance and the best use of our space for fellowship purposes
  • Adjusting some things to make them more accessible for anyone with mobility issues or height limitations

Making our ministries safe and accessible is EVERYONE’s job, my job is to champion you doing those things! If you have any thoughts about this or suggestions about how we could improve things promptly – I’d love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to call me, email me or chat with me at church (9am during term time or 4pm in school holidays)

Gemma Bartlett

Pray a Little Prayer

Prayer is vitally important in the life of a Christian.

When we pray, we are opening our hearts to God and He is able to work in us and through us which helps us to grow in our relationship with God.

And God calls us to pray …‘in every situation’ (Phil 4:6), ‘without ceasing’ (1 Thess 5:17) and without giving up (Luke 18:1). Your heavenly Father wants you to talk to Him – regularly, continually and persistently.

If you have joined us for church over the past couple of weeks you would have heard about prayer buddies!

Prayer buddies is an idea we are trialling this term where, if you would like to participate, you select a random person or family and pray for them over the whole term. You can contact your prayer buddy to let them know you are praying for them and to ask what they might like you to pray for.

How good is this! Each of us praying for 10 weeks for one another as a church family – all generations across all services joyfully praying for each other.
This opportunity presents us with a powerful way of loving one another that is not a lot of work but can yield big rewards. And if this trial is successful and continues, over the course of time we will have prayed for many different people who are part of our church family. So good!

There are so many benefits we can gain from participating in prayer buddies.

Having a prayer buddy encourages you to pray!

It gives you the opportunity to serve and support another member of your church family and also to be supported in prayer yourself.

It is a powerful way to bear one another’s burdens (Gal 6:2-5), to build one another up (1 Thess 5:11) and encourage each other (Heb 10:24-25).

It will help to build relationships.

And it will help us gain confidence in our own prayer life.

If you haven’t already, can I encourage you to join in the prayer buddy ministry this term.

Sandee Batelic

Rest for the Soul

Scenario – you have a day off work. What do you do? Do you have plans to fill in the day? Do you feel like you need to use your time wisely? Running errands maybe or catching up on things to do?

When was the last time you had a day for yourself, and you did nothing? You just rested.

Or have you ever asked someone how they are doing and received the quick response, “Busy!”? Sadly, being busy has become a status symbol in our society, and many people equate being busy with feeling important. 

As a society we have forgotten how to rest. Societal values are in the things we do. We are defined by our work, the hobbies we choose to participate in, sport, and the list goes on.

We struggle to rest because rest is not our priority, because rest cannot measure our worth.

However, rest really is one of the most important things you can do to thrive in the world.
In the beginning, God made rest. It is a beautiful gift God created for His beloved children because He knew we needed it.

God desires rest for us because it does not come naturally to us.
To rest, we must trust that God will take care of things for us. We must trust that, if we take a day off, the world will not stop turning!

In Matthew 11 Jesus says “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest … Let me teach you … and you will find rest for your souls.”

Jesus doesn’t just offer us rest; he models it for us!

He took time to be alone with God so that he could:
Hear God’s voice
Seek God’s direction and
Rest in God’s presence.

We too can follow Jesus’ example and rest in God’s presence so we can be refreshed, restored, renewed.

Sandee Batelic

Every Person Matters to God

Do you ever feel overlooked, invisible?
I am just one person in a world of eight billion people. There’s nothing special about me to make me stand out. In a large group (or maybe even a small one) you probably wouldn’t even see me.

What role can one single person play in God’s great plan?
Does God truly have a purpose for each one of us?
Can one, small, insignificant person make much of a difference in the kingdom of God?

The Bible says yes, one person can make a difference!

We all know the stories of Moses, Noah, David and Jonah. We know the impact their lives had.
We need to read the story of creation, Noah’s Ark, and Paul’s conversion experience. They contain powerful lessons for strengthening our faith.

But what about the lesser-known people? People like Ehud, Jethro, Rhoda or Dorcas? Or the woman who saved the entire kingdom of Judah when she stole a child and hid him for six years?
There are many people in the Bible who are mentioned only once, some are not even named!
Often overlooked they have valuable lessons to teach us about faith, courage, and God’s power in the lives of ordinary people.
These lesser-known characters are all vitally important. In fact, some of them played a pivotal role in God’s plan.
All of God’s Word is important. If He took the time to write about the seemingly minor characters, there is a reason – they are all a part of the big story of God.
They teach us invaluable lessons like the importance of forgiveness, never giving up, and how one brave person can make a difference in a whole kingdom.
But more than that, these obscure Bible characters show us God sees every little thing we do, and He cares.
In the eyes of the Lord, every one of us has an important job to do.
When you feel overlooked, invisible or unimportant, remember God has a plan for your life and you never know how He might use you!

Sandee Batelic