Wasn’t it great to meet together all in one place!
Just over 180 of us met together for Celebration Sunday at Wollondilly Anglican College last week to share, pray, sing and hear from God’s Word. From the Connect card feedback it was clear that everyone loved gathering all together as one, hearing some interviews to get to know a few people and particularly having Ajax the puppet help with the sermon. We hope to continue Celebration Sunday as an annual event.
It was certainly strange for me to have Sunday evening free!
The sermon from Colossians 1:28 encouraged us to be part of God’s great plan to save the world through Christ. It challenged us to consider how we are growing and how we can encourage others to take the next step of growing and maturing in Christ.
He is the one we proclaim!
How are you going? How are you growing?
Yours in Christ,
Ben
Page 4 of 42
What is it that unites us as a Church?
If you came along to St Mark’s at 9am on a Sunday morning you’d hear the traditional sound of the pipe organ, you’d take your seat on a pew and you’d recite with us the wonderful prayers and truths that have sustained God’s people for centuries. If you come along to Wilton at 10am you’d bustle in among the prams and playing children, sing along with the guitar, hear the Word of God preached and share in coffee and conversation afterwards. If you come along to Wilton at 5pm you’d find a seat behind a gaggle of teenagers and struggle to see the words on the screen over their heads. You’d sing along with the band, hear the Bible taught and look forward to our monthly pot luck dinner afterwards.
We are all things to all people but we are deeply united. Not just by a common minister, but by our union with Christ and the wonderful reality of Colossians 1:24-29.
The wonderful truth that was kept hidden for ages and generations, but has now been disclosed to us, the Lords people. The wonderful truth of Christ in you – the hope of glory. This Sunday we’ll gather as one – the Lord’s people in Picton and Wilton to celebrate and declare the wonderful news of Christ in you – the hope of glory. I can’t wait to see you there – 10am at Wollondilly Anglican College – don’t miss it!
Yours in Christ,
Ben
On a rainy day, when your plans are cancelled: a good book, or podcast or movie might be just what you need.
Our current sermon series on ‘Relationships’ might be raising questions for you? That’s fantastic! Let’s be serious about God’s Word and keep encouraging each other to think theologically. Grab a friend, buy a book and dig a little deeper into some of these important topics. This link (https://pwac.org.au/resources/) will take you to a list of recommended books on these important topics, or you might have one you’ve read that you want to recommend to others – let us know by reply email.
If books overwhelm you, maybe you’d enjoy a podcast, here are some good ones:
SALT podcast is a series of wonderful testimonies (https://omny.fm/shows/salt-conversations-with-jenny/playlists/podcast).
The Deep Dish is an American podcast inviting women into deep conversations about the deep truths of God (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/deep-dish/)
Holy Ghost Stories retells Old Testament Stories – really easy to listen to (https://www.holyghoststories.org/).
With All Due Respect is a podcast engaging with big issues from different perspectives (https://undeceptions.com/wadr/).
Or maybe a Christian movie or series might be what you’re after:
The Chosen is a great series depicting Jesus life (https://www.thechosen.tv/en-us).
Unsung Hero is a great encouraging Christian movie about the upbringing of Christian artists For King and Country (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt23638614/).
What will you be reading/listening/watching on this rainy day? – reply to send me your recommendations.
Yours in Christ,
Ben
Do you turn to Christ?
This is the first question our confirmation candidates will be asked this Sunday evening as they stand up publicly to confirm the promises made on their behalf at their baptism.
They’ll be asked whether, by God’s grace, they will strive to live as a disciple of Christ, loving God with their whole heart, and their neighbour as themselves, until their life’s end?
We will have a chance to support them in this public commitment to follow Christ and be encouraged in our own life in Christ. So please come and support our confirmees this Sunday evening 5pm at Wilton and be encouraged to stand for Christ in your life!
Peter Hayward, our regional Bishop, will be preaching at all 3 services, but the confirmation service will only be happening at Wilton 5pm.
Yours in Christ,
Ben
*Photos of last few years confirmees.
Greetings from Tanzania!
My work is almost finished for this visit. On Friday, I will stay with Helen Hoskins overnight then Saturday travel the rest of the way to Mwanza for my journey home.
It is with mixed emotions when I leave. So much we can do here.
A small percentage of the population are Christian and the harvest is huge.
The parishes are so welcoming and hospitable. It is hard to accept their food and gifts because of their poverty but I would not offend them. It is their culture.
The training went very well. Over 120 in attendance each day. We have reached 80 villages so the expected impact is exciting. My work now is to monitor success and direct help where needed.
The parishes know I could not do this work without support of others. They thank you and praise God for all at PWAC.
Ann Shephard (W10 member and President of Community Development Projects)
It’s a common refrain when visiting poor communities to exclaim, ‘they don’t have much, but they are so happy.’ How have we in the Western world become so advanced and so wealthy and yet so unhappy? So many things that we pursue in life do nothing to contribute to our wellbeing or level of happiness.
One of the key areas that we ought to focus on is relationships. God made us for relationships – and positive and purposeful relationships are key to our flourishing and our happiness.
Over the next 6 weeks* at Church we’re going to be looking at relationships: friendships; family; romantic relationships; parenting, sexuality and gender; to uncover how God made us and how he wants us to live.
Some of you will be excited and interested to hear God’s wisdom on relationships, others of you might feel nervous or ashamed or guilty because of your experiences or perhaps the way Christians or the Church have dealt with you in the past. All of us have baggage we carry, and sins we’re ashamed of, but we all need to hear God’s guidance because God loves us and his way is best. My intention is to speak directly, carefully and sensitively from the Bible about this subject, and I pray that you will find it helpful, challenging and encouraging.
Yours in Christ,
Ben
*with a few interruptions in between.
We can’t wait to see our wonderful CMS Link Missionaries this weekend (27th July 2025) at Church. Unfortunately, due to security precautions our weekend Church services will not be livestreamed. If you are able, plan to be there in person: to hear about the work in the Middle East; to get to know them a little better; and to pray for and support them in their work.
What a joy it is to partner in helping people find Life in Christ all around the world!
They will also be visiting most of our Bible Study groups during the week ahead. If you’re not part of a group already, then you might consider joining us on Thursday morning 10am at Picton or Thursday evening, 7:30pm at Wilton to connect further with our friends.
We’re part of something so much bigger and greater than our little Church. We’re part of God’s Kingdom growing as Jesus’ gospel is proclaimed throughout the earth and people from every nation, tribe and tongue gather round his throne to worship!
Yours in Christ,
Ben
**This is an interview with fictional congregation member Arthur Anderton as a part of a series to commemorate 175 years of St. Mark’s Anglican Church.**
The foundation stone of St. Marks was laid in 1850 by Reverend E. Rogers.
The church was completed in 1856 but was at first just a tiny building, receiving extensions over subsequent years. A little over 100 years later, I began attending services at St. Marks with my family after moving to Picton from northern NSW. St Mark’s had its centenary celebration in 1958, and I had the pleasure of unveiling the new communion table which served as a memorial to the Larkins, a founding family of St. Marks. Ms Jane Eva Larkin was the beloved Superintendent of the Sunday School for many years until she passed away in 1944. Some former attendees of the Sunday School were present during the unveiling of the communion table, now adults with children of their own. It felt a very special occasion to be a part of.
At the celebration, I was introduced to some of the most faithful long-standing members of St. Mark’s, including a very expressive one: the organ. Did you know that before electricity, the organ was operated by a manual blower? Yes, the church employed a person whose job it was to stand near the back of the organ and work the handle of the pump so that it delivered air to the organ. That’s something we can’t quite picture happening at today’s services! The organ continues to be a part of the worship music ensemble at St. Mark’s. Although its absence in the future would in no way take away from the legitimacy of worship on Sundays, it is still a nice little nod to the past.
In the two decades after the foundation stone of St. Marks was laid, Picton’s population almost tripled, and with that came a growing need for more worship meetings, not only at St. Mark’s but in other areas making up what we know as the Wollondilly. In the 1920’s, the parish Reverend Powys wrote of travelling 4,000 miles in one year by motor car and horse to attend various services within the expansive Picton parish! Fortunately, we don’t have to cross rough tracks for miles or flooded rivers to attend services. I like to think of this as a reminder of how earnest and faithful people were about meeting together as Christians in worship of God.
The building and grounds at St. Marks carries with it an abundance of priceless history about its pioneering members, architecture and purpose. Brick-by-brick the church was built, and underwent multiple changes in structure over time – several new roofs, for instance. The people of St. Mark’s have also been built up, have changed, have been reinforced and renewed by our good God, the best architect and planner of our lives. A lot changed in Picton over 100 years, and more still over the 75 years that followed on. You can imagine how bustling Picton town is today in comparison to when the site for St. Mark’s was first considered by Major Henry Antill. I take comfort in what will never change – what is eternal, regardless of how a building might weather; how faces will change and populations will grow. God will always remain with his people.
Written by Rachel Winn
As we conclude* our 7 week series looking at the book of Titus: what have you learned? What have you been encouraged by? What have you been challenged by?
Paul concludes his book with this challenge in chapter 3 verse 14:
‘Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives.’
Our Bible study group was surprised to read about productivity in the Bible. It follows on from a description of what is excellent and profitable for everyone in verse 8. Productivity and profit are good aims – but our productivity and profit is not for ourselves, but for the benefit of others.
One way to think about this is that we each seek to be a contributor to others. We aim to be givers, not takers. We want to be in community, not just individuals. Please take a moment to read over the book of Titus and think about what you’ve learned. Come prepared to share something at Church, or come prepared with a question to ask.
Yours in Christ,
Ben
*We conclude Titus on 13 July at Picton and 20 July at Wilton.
When you’re living week-to-week, it doesn’t take much to start pushing you into debt. Even a small expense can force you to make impossible choices… especially when they come out of the blue.
The car that you drive to get to work every day breaks down… do you pay for repairs or your rent? Your child is outgrowing their uniform… do you send them to school embarrassed or pay your power bill? You need to see a specialist… but how can you afford to take care of your health as well as feeding your family this week?
And bigger setbacks like job loss or rent increases can have even more dire consequences for families who are already struggling to make ends meet. That’s where your kindness comes in!
Today your compassionate gift through Anglicare means urgently needed practical help for families who are doing it tough. So they can stop making impossible choices!
Click here to find out more and to give to the work of Anglicare: https://www.anglicare.org.au/ways-to-give/
Yours in Christ,
Ben
All donations over $2 to Anglicare are tax deductible
