As a church with more than one minister, we need to work out how to share the pastoring of paid and volunteer leaders.

For next year we’re looking for a replacement for Jacob as he heads off to Moore College, so our staff and Parish Council have been considering ways to best define our different responsibilities.

We’ve chosen to adopt and adapt a popular church leadership strategy called ‘Team Pastoring’ that breaks up the responsibilities of our church into seven portfolios, each beginning with the letter ‘M.’

So, these key things we need to do together are to glorify God in our gatherings and devotions (Magnification), reach people outside the church (Mission), integrate, connect and and care within the church (Membership), grow in the knowledge and love of God (Maturity), equip and recruit for service (Ministry), foster intergenerational unity and distinction (Multigenerations), and manage people and resources (Mechanics).

To help us do this, we’re assigning these portfolios to our ministers, so that I will look after Magnification, Maturity, Mission, and Multigenerations as your Senior Minister, Sandee will look after Membership as the new ‘Care and Connections Minister’, Steve will look after Mission as the new ‘Evangelism Minister’, and Brad will continue to work across the whole church as Youth Minister.

To complete the team, we’re now looking to find an all-new, part time ‘Executive Minister’ who will manage our Mechanics, and lead and support our all-new team of volunteer Ministry Coordinators, whom we look to appoint soon.

Please pray that we successfully find a new ‘Executive Minister,’ and that we will identify and recruit an all-new team of ‘Ministry Coordinators’ as we work together to see each person in our village, valley and region know how to follow Jesus and why it matters.

JODIE McNEILL

Almost three years ago to the day, we invited everyone from our church to gather for a ‘Vision Day’ to consider our mission, vision, and values.

As a result, we identified six values that have defined who we are and, most significantly, what we consider to be important.

We decided that we were orthodox, Anglican, missional, intergenerational, village and heritage.

Using these values, we have explained to people what our church is like and why we do things the way we do.

It’s also helped us as we’ve considered change, so that we could work hard to do things that were ‘us’ and not things that went against our grain.

Since that day three years ago, God has kindly lead us through lots of change, and we’ve grown in many ways, especially as we’ve welcomed so many of you to be new members of our church.

And so it seems wise to have a fresh look at our values so we can consider whether these values are still the best six words to sum us up… and we’d love to hear from every current member of our church so we can consider your thoughts.

So, to help us review things, we’d love it if you could take just a few minutes to write down what you think is important and special for our church… and even to consider what might make you unhappy if we changed it.

Please email your thoughts (or write them down) so we can draft some refreshed values to help redefine who we are, so we might grow and change in a way that’s consistent with how God has formed our church.

It’s such a joy to be a part of our church at this time, and we pray that the Lord might continue to lead us to glorify him, as we keep loving each other.

JODIE McNEILL

(photo credit: Mike Cohen via Flickr)

It’s 80 days since Mandy, Barbara and I returned from Africa, and although life has largely returned to normal, there is a sense in which I continue to see things differently since visiting Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania in April.

Like any cross-cultural experience, there’s learning to be gained from both those who visit and those who host, and this was certainly what we experienced in our journey.

Whilst there were many cultural differences, we had a fresh reminder that we worship the same Lord, and we know him by the same Spirit, through the same Bible, even if it’s in a different language.

At the same time, it’s hard to ignore the differences in wealth between our country and those that welcomed us, which challenges us to consider how to partner with our brothers and sisters on the other side of the globe.

Over the coming months I’m looking forward to establishing a partnership between our church and with ministries in Northern Tanzania, especially since three of us from Jamberoo have experienced this life and ministry firsthand.

What’s more, other local Anglicans have also been involved in ministry in this same area of Tanzania, which opens the possibility of creating partnerships with other local churches and organisations in our area.

Jesus has told us that it is more blessed to give than to receive, and we have experienced this ourselves as we have been blessed by the sacrificial ministry of our brothers and sisters in East Africa as they hosted us.

May he lead us to also bless them as we partner together as the one body of Christ, loving and serving to the glory of the God. 

JODIE McNEILL

This week Sydney has welcomed international musicians Keith and Kristyn Getty, and their full band, who served us with a conference and a concert that helped inspire us to enthusiastically sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.

At Monday’s conference we were reminded of the importance of saying and singing Psalms in church, as local evangelist David Robertson urged churches to use the Psalms each week, as we currently do here at Jamberoo.

Other than the fact that the Bible tells us to, we were reminded that Jesus, himself, sang the same Psalms when he gathered with his people, and that ultimately, they are about Jesus, himself, great David’s greater Son.

Another reason is that they help us have a more authentic view of God, especially now that many modern songs seem to avoid some of the themes that the Psalms mention so often about God’s character, including his anger and judgement, and his glory.

Also, the Psalms express the full range of human emotions, so that we are able to speak and sing together words that connect with our deepest reality, no matter how we’re feeling.

To illustrate this, David shared about someone who, after reading out the Psalms in church, felt that she had been given permission to be depressed, instead of having to show a ‘happy clappy’ attitude that can often feel disconnected from how we’re truly feeling.

Finally, he showed us that Psalms are great for people exploring Christianity, for they can help newcomers see that what we’re saying and singing are the same things that people from other places and times in history have also sung… which gives a unique connection with the saints throughout history.

The Psalms are a rich gift to us from God, and it’s a pleasure and privilege to sing and speak them each week in church!

JODIE McNEILL

Possibly the most remarkable hour of my week is spent at Jamberoo Public School each Thursday afternoon as I enjoy the privilege of teaching SRE (Scripture) to 18 kids from Kindergarten through to Year Two.

Within my class there are some children from church members, some kids who have attended our church once or twice in the past, as well as a bunch of kids who can’t remember ever having set foot in a church.

My role is simple: to help every child in my class have a deeper understanding of what it means to be a Protestant Christian… which is what their parent or carer has nominated as their faith.

I sometimes find it hard to teach students across the educational span of three school years, and it can also be a challenge to instruct children with almost no foundational understanding of their faith.

But what makes this hour so remarkable is the number of times that I see the children experience significant ‘aha’ moments about Jesus and what it means for them.

For example, this Easter as we considered the death and resurrection of Jesus, I asked the class, “did Jesus really die,” to which half said, “no,” and the rest said, “yes.”

From this, I explained why Jesus really died, and why he really rose from the dead; from which I explained what that meant for them if they trust in Jesus as their king.

Scripture is such a great part of our state school system, as it means that families can take advantage of public education, whilst still having the opportunity to have tailored religious education for their children.

Keep praying for the kids we teach each week, and ask our Father to use our words to bring these young people to a genuine faith in the Lord Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.

JODIE McNEILL

(Photo: Our special Easter Scripture Assembly this year in our church, with our special guests from Moore College)