This Christmas, we’re collecting food and gifts for those who are doing it tough. We are partnering with Anglicare in “Toys ‘n’ Tucker” which aims to share the joy of Christmas with families who would otherwise go without. This is a practical way we can share the love of Jesus with others in our local community, and we pray that this will lead to many knowing the hope found fully and only in Him.

Would you like to join me on a small team to organise our church partnering with Anglicare in this way?  The team would be an ‘event team’ – just established for the purpose of facilitating, empowering and supporting our church to be part of Toys n Tucker 2025.  Please see me if you’re interested – I reckon that being on the team will be fun, enlightening and meaningful as our church makes great impact in the lives of others.

The challenge is, to find someone who you don’t usually read the bible with and meet with them 6 times for ½ hour.

Is it a Gimmick?

YES! Of course it is. You don’t need to do Spring Challenge to be a Christian or part of the church?

But is it a Good Thing?

YES!

Why?

Because:

- It is God’s word

The best way we can care, encourage, help each other is through God’s word, for he is our ultimate help. It is only through him that we will find hope and courage that will help us through. We must use every opportunity we can to bring each other before his word.

- We are His church

We have a responsibility to each other, and not just the smaller group of people we normally mix with. This is an opportunity to go up to someone and ask if they would like to read the bible with you.

- It’s a good Habit

Over time we can fall out of good habits like reading the bible with each other. Having a set time (Gimmick) can be just the thing to help us back into good habits. It is good for us to learn how we can encourage each other in the word in the situation.

- It’s Easy

10-minute discussion on the bible passage is not meant to be too deep. But it is meant to be encouraging none the less. This isn’t about teaching each other, but encouraging each other through the word.

- There is a finish

There is always a fear to sometimes once you start something you will be trapped forever, or at least until Jesus comes back. This is meant to go for only 6 weeks. If you want to do it again because it was so good, you and the person you are with might choose different partners.

How?

If you are not sure how, contact the office and we’ll send you information to give you some clear ways forward.

Looking forward to our Challenge. I hope we take it up as a church and God uses this to deeply encourage us.

I found this insightful and challenging. I hope you do too:

God’s eternal purpose “concerns the church, the creating of a new and reconciled humanity in union with Jesus Christ”. p127

“The good news of the unsearchable riches of Christ which Paul preached is that he died and rose again not only to save sinners like me (though he did), but also to create a single new humanity; not only to redeem us from sin but also to adopt us into God’s family; not only to reconcile us to God but also to reconcile us to one another”. p129

“If the church is central to God’s purpose, it must also be central to our lives. How can we take lightly what God takes so seriously? How dare we push to the circumference what God has placed at the centre? No, we shall seek to become responsible church members, active in some local manifestation of the universal church…. we must keep before us the vision of God’s new society as his family, his dwelling place and his instrument in the world… – be ready to pray, to work and if necessary to suffer in order to turn the vision into a reality”. p129,130

Quotes by John R.W.Stott, “The Message of Ephesians: The Bible Speaks Today” 1989.

My hope is that we, as God’s gathered people, grow in a rich love and dependence upon the word of God – because through his word, empowered by his Spirit, God does his work even now.

So I hope grow to encourage each other constantly in reading and hearing God’s word together. That we become a community where reading the bible together when we meet, is just a natural thing we do. The bible is always open, not just for the down hearted, or the new Christian, but in our everyday dealings with each other. Husband and wives; parents and children; friends; the old and the young, are all reading the word of God and growing in their relationship with God together. I picture, within our church, a growing chaotic web of personal relationships of prayer and Bible reading – more of a movement than a program.

It’s an exciting thought!

But like forming many good habits, at first we need to decide and be deliberate.

That is why we are doing the Spring Challenge. Our hope is that we can make reading the bible with each other as easy and accessible as possible.

Last year there were many stories of people taking the opportunity to read the bible together. Why don’t you take it up this year, or find someone you haven’t read the bible with yet.

The Challenge is simple.

Find someone you haven’t yet read the bible with.

Choose to meet together 6 times for ½ hr through Spring.

If you are unsure what you would read or how you would read the bible with someone for ½ hr., we are going to go through it on Sunday 17th August at 3pm.

We all know there are great things God is doing in our church family: People are coming to Jesus, and faith is growing in in so many lives. Confirmation is one expression of these good things. In November our Bishop, Gary Koo will be coming to our church to confirm those who are ready that declare their faith.

Confirmation is an opportunity for those who were baptised as children to publicly confirm the commitment to the Christian faith that was made on their behalf by their parents and godparents. This is a special opportunity for some to publicity show that they themselves stand with the risen Christ.

I think even more profoundly, it is a time of celebration. We come together as God’s people to recognise God’s work in lives of those around us! Our Father is preparing many for full life through Jesus, and as we see the faith of some we marvel at God’s goodness and kindness. No one is a Christian through there own effort or even their ability to make a better choice. We are so thankful for God’s grace in many lives!

Confirmation is something we rejoice in and take seriously. Those that seek confirmation will receive some training, think through what the Christian faith is and reflect on what it is to declare publicly that Jesus is the risen king.

Come and chat to me if you think you want to be confirmed and even if you just want to know more. If you’re not sure if this is for you come and chat to me anyway, I’d love to hear your story. You might be a teenager, a young adult or someone that was baptized long ago as a child and this is a helpful next step.

Amongst all the things happening at the end of the year, confirmation will be one of the best.