This is the second in a series of articles by Rachel Winn (member of St Mark’s, Picton), helping us to get to know other Church members.
“It was always a dream of mine to own a horse and to live on property. After Dave & I were married, we eventually had the opportunity to move out here to Wilton in the year 2000, the Olympic Year. We bought our first horses, with varying degrees of success! I’ve had a few accidents on horses that weren’t suitable for me. Now we have two beautiful stock horses we named Reuben and Maggie, after Dave’s grandparents. Horse riding is a big part of my leisure time. We don’t compete or anything, it’s just recreational riding and we train them in natural horsemanship, building a relationship with the horses and asking them to partner with us rather than forcing them to do the things that we want to do. It’s something that I love, and Dave loves, and we do it together.
As a child I was quite shy. A bit of a loner, I wasn’t one to have lots of friends; I sort of clung to one or two. I hated getting in trouble. One of my earliest memories is from kindergarten, sitting on the mat with Mrs. Pasfield. I was fiddling with the fringe on the mat and she smacked my hand. I’ve always been one to follow the rules since then. And maybe that’s got something to do with why I chose to be a Police Officer as a profession! I joined the Police Force pretty much straight after leaving school, so I was only 21 when they gave me a gun to protect the world. I did about 2 or 3 years in general duties around the Sutherland Shire and then got sent to the Court Unit section. I had the choice of working in the prison van transporting prisoners, or working in the cells feeding the prisoners. And the other choice was court. I’ve been a Police Prosecutor now for probably 25 years, currently still working part-time, attached to the Narellan / Camden police area (which incorporates Picton). I mostly work out of Picton court. If you ever go to Picton court on a Wednesday – I hope you don’t – you might see me there!
I always believed in God, so bible verses that talk about being chosen, I can sort of relate to because neither of my parents were Christians. They always wanted us to have good friends, and I suppose to be morally taught well, and encouraged us to go to youth groups and church and things like that. Much to their annoyance in later years, my sisters and myself were all Christians and our parents weren’t, though we were always encouraging them to think about God and to come to church and investigate what God had to offer. I remember, at different times as a teenager, going to church and committing or recommitting my life to God after a particular sermon or something really touched my heart. In GFS (Girls Friendly Society), I remember the first bible verse I learned, where God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.””. Verses about light and being a light always were extra meaningful to me. I think my faith is something that has grown over the years as I’ve learned what it means to put my trust in God.”
How am I going: “I’m in a bit of a transition period at the moment in quite a few different respects: in work, in my health and spiritually a little bit too. Health-wise, I’ve just had a few incidents which I’m getting investigated at the moment and I feel a bit up in the air about where that’s going to head. But that’s okay, God’s got all of that under control! Work-wise, I’m in the process of thinking about retiring from the police and transitioning out of the workforce into something else. Last year I did a course in professional pastoral supervision. I have a passion for helping ministers and church workers to reflect on their ministry and work life so that they can stay serving God for the long haul and not burn out. Spiritually, I’ve just been thinking about where God wants me to serve this year and about different creative ways that I can serve… phone call ministry, or something like that! We’ve had our granddaughter and our daughter living with us for a few months while they prepare to move overseas. We’ve been able to have really quality time with them. That’s another transition moment and we feel that we just want to spend as much time with them as we can while they’re here with us. Being a grandparent has just been the biggest blessing ever and something to give thanks to God for every day.”
How am I growing: “Because of all these challenges and changes I’ve been growing spiritually. I think that always strengthens your faith a little bit. I’ve started this little thing: I’ve got into the habit of looking up words that I don’t understand and I often find that words mean something totally different to what I thought they meant in their written context. Even just words that I read in the bible – like peace and joy and comfort – I’ll look up their meaning. What does it actually feel like to feel joy and what does joy mean as a Christian? Or peace? Or comfort? So I think that’s been really good for me, growing in that way and understanding those simple words that you take for granted. Dave and I both do a morning and night bible meditation on an app. That’s been really helpful for reflecting on our day and how God’s been working in our lives, how we can serve him, as well as reflecting on forgiveness and confession and things like that. I feel like I’ve been growing and moving closer towards God and trusting him through the uncertainty that I feel at the moment. And I’m sort of excited a bit too by what God’s got in store – because I just have no idea what the year is going to look like!”
— Carol Parnell, member of 5:00pm @ Wilton Anglican Church
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“I came out from England in 1949 at the age of 9, soon to turn 10. I went to Mowbray Park, serving 9 years as a Doctor Barnado’s Homes boy, after previously spending 3 years in England at a home for boys (my two brothers and I). My sister was sent out and was adopted. Another brother died on the operating table during the Second World War. I was a very accepting child – because I knew nothing else. Everything that happened to me was “normal”. Nothing else, just normal. During wartime we had a lot of bombing around us. Quite a few people lost their lives. Quite often we were taken to air raid shelters, to shelter from the bombing. Churches were the object of the Nazi bombing. So, we never, ever went to church. Never heard about God or Jesus at all. I typically spent my time during my youth looking for food. We would walk the streets, and if any bushes had anything that looked like food we would take that and eat it, no matter what. There was one time when we hadn’t had much to eat and I found a moldy crust in the yard and I picked it up and ate it… and was sick as a dog afterwards!
Growing up, we had to be Anglican, or Church of England, before we were accepted into Doctor Bernando’s homes. We never went to church, so I have no idea what religion we were supposed to be. (Today) Jesus means everything. He’s my rock. Two of my children attend church regularly. The other two don’t.
I’m passionate about mentoring young students in high schools. I mentor in Picton High School and Mount Annan High School, a total of 3 days a week. I’ve been doing that for 16 years. It’s fantastic because those things that I’ve experienced going through the system at the boys’ homes helped me a lot to understand where the students are at nowadays. An awful lot of students nowadays are in dire straits, simply because of abuse, suicide, and students’ mothers and fathers in jail because of drug offences or murder, or whatever. I look after those students and I also get them out of the bubble that they’re in, that it’s all about “me, me me”, and get them to share their life.
What does church mean to me? Church means brotherhood, and sisterhood. I love coming to church to hear the sermons, to sing (I’ve done a lot of singing in my life) and to be with people. And hopefully, to share my points of view.”
— John Bicknell, member of 9:30am @ St Mark’s Anglican Church, Picton.
* This is the first in a series of articles by Rachel Winn (member of St Mark’s, Picton), helping us to get to know other Church members. *
Three Sunday afternoons in May-June 2024.
19th, 26th May and 2nd June
5pm @ Wilton Anglican Church.
(with Kids program and Creche, same time as 5pm Church)
Join us for a three week free introductory course. Contact us now to reserve your place. You can contact us by calling 02 4630 8888 or through our website: https://pwac.org.au/contact/
What’s the best future you could ever imagine?
There are few emotions more powerful than hope. But these days, hope often feels hard to come by. Where can we find a hope that won’t disappoint us?
Hope Explored looks at the life, death and resurrection of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel, this three-session series shows that Christianity is about real hope: a joyful expectation for the future, based on true events in the past, which changes everything about my present.
You can contact us by messaging this page, calling 02 4630 8888 or messaging through our website: https://pwac.org.au/
Do you realise that the birth of Jesus Christ was not his beginning? And I don’t just mean that he had already spent 9 months in Mary’s womb.
The incredible thing about Christmas is not just the birth of a cute baby who would do incredible things. It’s also the fact of who Jesus is. He is the eternal Son of the Father, second person of the Trinity, Creator of the Universe, as we read in Colossians chapter 1:
“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
Colossians 1:15-17
It is incredible that the eternal Son of the Father would come down among us out of love, as we read in Philippians 2:
“He did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross!”
Philippians 2:6-8
Praise God for his Son Jesus Christ, God become man on Christmas day, so that man might be redeemed back to God!
Yours in Christ,
Ben
I was speaking to some ‘oldies’ in a Retirement village this week and they were lamenting the fact that [some of] their children only come to visit them for their birthday. ‘Just come anytime,’ they said. I’m ashamed to say that I most frequently call my parents when I need something (babysitting?) – but I love them and I want to spend more time with them. Sadly, we often relegate the ‘oldies’ in our lives to the occasional birthday visit, instead of being involved regularly in each others lives.
Is that the sort of relationship you have with Jesus? You turn up for his birthday (Christmas), but don’t ever see him or even call him up (prayer) in between times?
Jesus doesn’t resent your visits at Christmas time – he loves to see you. But he has so much more to offer if you’ll live your whole life with him in mind. In fact, Jesus promises his disciples in Matthew 28 – ‘and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’
If we become one of Jesus disciples we have the blessing of his promised Holy Spirit, and we have the wonderful promise of eternal life in him. Don’t relegate Jesus to just a ‘birthday visit’.
Yours in Christ,
Ben
Some welcome it. Others resist it. Still others haven’t noticed. Let me tell you plain and clear: Our church is growing. In the mere 4 years I’ve been connected with Wilton Anglican Church I’ve seen so much growth.
The church has grown. The suburb has grown. The kids and youth ministry has grown. The petrol price has grown. Wilton Christmas Carols has grown. The traffic has grown. The roster has grown. But best of all, gospel ministry in and among us has grown as God has worked in us to glorify himself and grow his kingdom.
And so, with all this growth comes change. Good change. Soon, our Wilton Anglican Church will grow out of one and grow into two in 2023. It’s still early days but we thought it was a good time to share with you our plans for the launch of a Wilton morning service in 2023.
In some ways, growing from one Wilton congregation into two is the plan – not to cut ourselves in half, nor to be stretched twice as far and neither to be spread half as thin – but to healthily and faithfully grow from one into two. More foundationally than that, we’re aiming for every single one of us (whatever church service you call home) to grow up together in Christ to face the challenges ahead of us, and to faithfully bring the gospel to a world that desperately needs Jesus.
Here’s the nuts-and-bolts plan that we’re moving ahead with for a Wilton morning congregation in 2023:
- January to February – Gather a Wilton Mornings Team
- March to June – Meet as a team regularly to pray and plan
- July to September – Final preparations for launch
- October – Launch Wilton Mornings
So, what now? Please pray, dear reader. Prayer warriors, bible study groups, congregational pray-ers – please pray that we would healthily and faithfully grow out of one and into two. Pray for the gathering of a launch team. Pray that we might reach our neighbours with the gospel, and love our neighbours like Christ, and for many, many more to find life in Jesus.
Yours in Christ,
Scott
How do you prepare for Christmas?
For many of us its a mad scramble to finish off projects at work, buy the presents, arrange the food, plan the end of year parties. Sometimes the mad scramble distracts us from what Christmas is all about. We call this season Advent because it is a time of preparing to celebrate Christ’s birth, and also of putting life in perspective and being prepared for Christ’s second coming.
Lets make the most of this advent season by reflecting, reading, praying and giving thanks for our Saviour Christ and preparing our hearts for his return.
Here are a few resources that you might choose to use this advent:
– Youthworks are putting together some advent devotionals (https://youthworks.net/advent).
– Grab an Advent book, such as The One True Story, by Tim Chester (https://www.thegoodbook.com.au/the-one-true-story).
– Instead of Mariah Carey (or maybe as well as) – listen to a Christian Advent Playlist (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1LaIzZ2YCSbX6YlqMK9S0t).
– Pick a Christian Advent Calendar to use with your household (like this ‘Names of Jesus’ one – https://au.lacewingcreative.com/products/names-of-jesus-advent-calendar).
If you have used some other resources that you recommend, I’d love to hear about it.
I look forward to singing with you once again on Christmas Day:
‘Joy to the world, the Lord is come!’
Yours in Christ,
Ben
As we open up 1 Corinthians 14 this week at Church you might be surprised to hear Paul in verse 1 encouraging everyone to take up prophecy. Isn’t prophecy just for people with crystal balls and tarot cards? Or crazy guys from the Old Testament who did strange things like Ezekiel lying on his side and cooking his food over cow dung?
No – prophecy is speaking Gods word into a persons life. It’s taking the unchanging truths of God and applying them to the particular circumstances of our lives so that we can live it out. This is one of the greater gifts (1 Cor 12:31), this is something we should all eagerly desire to do (1 Cor 14:1) and it’s something we CAN all do, with practice.
Here’s a tip from me: this week as you read your Bible, find an interesting verse and think about how you could share it with someone else. In particular, think about how that verse helps you or challenges you to live for God in your daily life. If you share that with someone else on Sunday at Church, then you are a prophet.
And if we are sharing God’s Word with each other and encouraging each other to live it out in our daily lives, that’s when Paul says unbelievers will ‘fall down and worship God, exclaiming, ‘God is really among you!’ (1 Cor 14:25).
And won’t that be exciting to be a part of!
Yours in Christ,
Ben
The Bible tells us that the Church is like a body. The body has many parts that work together to achieve a purpose. Right now, my brain is thinking of words to tell my fingers to type into the computer and send to you. Without my brain, I couldn’t come up with the words, without the fingers I couldn’t type them, and without eyes I couldn’t ‘chkec taht I wsa tpying tehm rgiht’.
Each part of our bodies plays a different function and all of them need to work together. In the same way each member of our Church family is different and unique, and we all work together to serve Jesus Christ our Lord, who is the ‘head’ of the body, which is the Church.
Church is not a consumer activity, its a working together with a common purpose activity. Some people in Church serve in up-front ways like preaching a sermon, or leading a service, or leading us in song. Some people serve in behind the scene ways like washing the dishes, or cleaning the toilets, or making sure the bills get paid. 1 Corinthians 12 tells us that the gifts and skills we have doesn’t matter nearly as much as how we choose to use the gifts and skills that we happen to have. This weekend we’re celebrating the many different ways that each person in our Church serves and loves each other.
I’m wondering if you could share who you are thankful for in our Church. It could be the person at Church who asks you how you’re going each week and really wants to know the answer. It could be the person who puts particular thought into the way they lead the prayers. It could be the person who takes a real interest in your children and takes the time to play with them. It could be the person who has faithfully taught Scripture and prayed for their Scripture class.
Whoever it is, why not go and tell that person just how thankful you are for them – they’ll be so encouraged.
Yours in Christ,
Ben
