Category: Uncategorized (Page 2 of 5)

A couple of weekends ago seven of our members headed up to Katoomba for MTS Recruit, which is a conference for people considering full time vocational ministry. We heard from Andrew Heard, who is the Lead Pastor at EV church on the Central Coast and also serves as the Chairman for Reach Australia which helps to plant new churches. His first talk made it abundantly clear the consequences of not following Jesus (hell!) and then questioned whether, as saved sinners, our true motivation for considering ministry work is so that people can be saved from this awful judgement. It was a challenging message to hear first up but his later talks were also very encouraging in the examples he used describing how God has worked through so many kinds of people. 
The conference was also a great place to meet people from all over NSW in many different church contexts and share stories and experiences of Christ growing and moving through his church. Our members were challenged to think about if they might do full time ministry and if they were to do so then what that might look like. Have you ever considered part/full time ministry? What might the next step on that path be for you?
Yours in Christ,
Jake

Have you ever thought about the impact it makes when someone deliberately makes a decision to come and sit next to you? 
Perhaps you can recall that time at the high school dance, where that special someone boldly strode across from the boys (or girls) side of the room to sit with you!  Or perhaps you remember the friend who came to sit with you for the bus ride on the way to school.  Sitting next to someone is more than just an act of physical proximity.

Where you sit at Church is also very important.  Not just for a good view, or to feel comfortable about being in the same spot each week, but for the sake of others.  Sitting next to someone lets them know you want to spend time with them and that they are important.  It speaks volumes to both a newcomer and a regular at Church when somebody deliberately makes a choice to sit with them.  Those of us who come to Church on our own will be especially helped by someone joining us, but at the same time we shouldn’t assume that a family grouping wants their ‘space’ more than our company.
When you arrive at Church each week, why not pray on the way in about who you might be able to sit next to and encourage or welcome.  Share with them how you’ve been encouraged by God and his word and ask them how they are going.  Of course there are plenty of opportunities to welcome and encourage one another after Church, but who you sit next to is an important decision.  Sit with love.
Being a welcoming Church is not just about who’s on the roster at the door – it’s about setting a culture of welcoming newcomers, seeking to build them up in Christ and incorporate them into our family.  It’s our responsibility – all of us.
Yours in Christ,
Ben.
‘Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.’ – Heb 10:25

This week I’ve been staying in the city for synod meetings of the Sydney Anglican Diocese. Synod is like a giant AGM meeting for our whole network of Anglican Churches – a meeting of 700 or so people with strict rules – if you’ve ever accidentally stumbled across the broadcast of federal or state parliament on TV, then you have a bit of an idea of what synod is like.

Our Archbishop Kanishka Raffel used his presidential address to challenge us to mission. In the context of the booming populations of North-West and South-West Sydney he said, ”Will you help the crowds see Jesus?’

“The great need of Sydney is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ,” he said. “I do not mean that Sydney does not have many other pressing and important needs. Our churches and agencies are constantly engaged in responding to the real-life impact of cost-of-living pressure, the housing crisis and the wickedness of violence against women. Motions and reports in our business paper range across these issues as well as the scourge of online gambling.

“Our churches, schools and agencies engage with the felt and physical needs of Sydneysiders throughout the Diocese, and I am very thankful for all the ways in which so many respond to the needs of others with practical and financial assistance, the truth and comfort of God’s word, in prayer, compassion and personal support.

“But Jesus said to the paralysed man who was brought to him by his four excellent friends, ‘son, your sins are forgiven’. In doing so, he taught that beyond our visible and felt needs are our deepest needs – our need for reconciliation with God, forgiveness, freedom from the chains of the world, the flesh and the devil, rescue from God’s just judgement on sin, and hope in this world and the next.”

This is our urgent challenge and opportunity in Picton and Wilton – will we help people see Jesus and find life in his name? I pray you will join me in meeting this challenge by sharing with our friends and family about our hope in Christ and inviting them to Church.

Yours in Christ,

Ben

Grandparents come in all shapes and sizes, ages and stages, and proximity and distance from their grandchildren. The 2024 Grandparents Conference covered all this variety. Nine folk from across all three PWAC congregations gathered together recently to attend a ‘live-stream’ of the conference. Liz and Peter appreciated hearing ‘practical ways that grandparents can help and pray for their grandchildren.’

Robyn and Barry took away the encouragements ‘to have positive (not negative) conversations with our grandchildren, and be models of love and care.

All of us went away with a greater awareness of the detrimental impact of smartphones, social media and digital technology on our grandchildren and their mental health. With that awareness we were also given practical ways to spend time with our grandchildren, being both present and engaged.

Many of us also appreciated the acknowledgement of the pain and sadness that many grandparents experience, being separated or kept from spending time with their grandchildren in situations of family and relational breakdown.

Myrtle said ‘I hope to speak to my grandchildren about some of what I have learned.’ She has already put the 2025 conference in her calendar!

All of us hope to attend again next year, and would encourage all grandparents to join us!

Yours in Christ,

Sharon Hall (52 year old Granny and Picton 9am Congregation Member)

More info: https://ngmlegacy.com.au/

Happy Fathers Day for this weekend. While Father’s day won’t be the focus of our Sunday Church services, I hope you can join us this Sunday. Let me encourage you to read this excellent article by Sandy Grant on Positive Masculinity. https://sydneycathedral.com/news-blog/positive-masculinity

Did you know that every week nearly a thousand children and youth in our local public schools are taught about God’s love for them in Christ and how to live as his disciples?
It’s an incredible joy to be part of this ministry myself, and also to see our volunteers faithfully and joyfully preparing and teaching in these classes. 
This year at Picton High School the Year 7, 8 and 9 classes have had a steadily growing attendance as they have learned about the Big Picture of the Bible and also about the life and work of Christ through the gospel of Mark. The lunchtime group have been focussed on thinking about what real love is – understood through the sacrificial love of Christ!  Jake Berry has been doing a great job with these classes, along with his trainee, Miriam.  I hope that you have been praying for this work and will pray for Jake and Miriam.
I want to present you with a great opportunity to further support this work:
During June, any donation towards the Wollondilly Schools Ministry Board will not only be tax deductible (as it always is), the first $10,000 donated before 25th June will also be doubled by campaign backers!  That means if you donate $100, it will be matched by a $100 donation from our campaign backers, and you get a tax deductible receipt for your donation!
All donations will support Jake’s ongoing teaching of Picton High School SRE, as well as paying for Primary School SRE resources.
To donate, simply go to this website: https://sre.org.au/wollondilly.
Yours in Christ,
Ben

Would you like to be baptised or (if you were already baptised) make a declaration of faith?  Let us know by the end of February (earlier the better) so we can prepare you for baptism on 10th March.  We’re planning to gather down at the Bargo River (car park from Charlie’s Point Rd, near the intersection with Rockford Rd) at 2pm on Sunday 10th March for a baptism celebration.

Today, let me introduce you to the next exciting phase of our Church life together!
I call him Jake (well, that’s actually his name).
Jake represents the next exciting phase of our Church life together because he’s undertaking a two year Ministry Training Apprenticeship starting in January. We are a Church that strives to help all people find life in Christ and we do that by equipping our members to serve and love one another with the good news of Jesus.  Our greatest asset is our people and we need to be investing in training and developing leaders across all areas of our Church life.
The Ministry Training Apprenticeship is not about what we can get out of Jake, its about giving Jake experience and training across a broad range of Christian ministry to help him consider how he might serve the Lord with his life.  
You’ll recall that Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” – Matt 9:37-38.  Would you join me in praying that the MTS programme will allow us to raise up and send out workers into Christ harvest field from among us?  
It will cost approximately $50,000 to employ Jake as a Ministry trainee next year.  Half of this will be paid for from our Church budget, the other half will be fundraised by Jake himself.  You can support Jake by signing up to pray for him or by contributing to our MTS Support Fund.
Blessings,
Ben