Category: Uncategorized (Page 3 of 5)

Celebrate Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) with us by enjoying some FREE pancakes and a cuppa at Wilton Anglican Church. 4-5:30pm on Tuesday 1st March.

We’re so excited to finally be able to share news with you of our Church Reopening plans!  It is such a joy to gather as God’s people, to hear from his word, to sing and pray and love and encourage one another.  While many of these aspects (singing!) will only come back in a staged way, there is now a very bright light at the end of the COVID-tunnel. 

You might be excited too, you might also be feeling frustrated, or nervous and worried, or any number of other things.  That’s OK.  This time has not been easy.  It affects all of us differently, and we all have different circumstances and concerns to deal with.  I hope and pray we can support and love each other well in this staged re-opening process.  Consider checking in how others are going.  Perhaps give them a call and a gentle encouragement to join you in coming back to Church.

Please take time to read and reflect on these reopening plans and to pray and plan for when you will be able to re-join us for Church services.  If there is anything unclear or if you want to discuss anything with us, please don’t hesitate to call.

Join us in praying for our nation and our state as we step our way cautiously out of this COVID-19 pandemic.  Pray most especially that in a time where many of the things we’ve trusted and relied upon have been shaken, people will be drawn to the unshakeable truths and hopes of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

²⁸Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, ²⁹for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Hebrews 12:28-29

We have so much to look forward to as a Church family!  Scott and Britt Williams will join us early next year; we continue our focus on training and developing leaders; and we encourage every single one of us to be growing in our faith in Christ and serving one another in love.

Yours sincerely,

Ben, along with Nick, Milton and Andrew (wardens).

Picton & Wilton Anglican Churches

See below both pdf and jpg versions of our Church reopening plans:

Job is a book that raises more questions than answers.  God’s speeches in the final chapters of the book consist of a long series of questions.  I counted 72 question marks in my English Bible.  These questions range from ‘Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?’ to ‘Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?’ and ‘Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?’
One of the main purposes of the book of Job is to put us humans back in our place and to give us realistic expectations of life.  We cannot expect to understand everything about life or the mind and purposes of God in his dealings with us.
However, when Job is humbled and repents, we find his fortunes are restored.  This reinforces our understanding of God whom Mary describes as ‘lifting up the humble’ (Luke 1:52).  We can’t expect to receive this restoration of fortunes in this life, but we do know that God has promised us resurrection eternal life in Christ that will be more than we can ever dream of.
We will not always understand the mind and works of God, but we can trust that he is working of our good, and we can in patience wait upon his faithfulness.
If you’ve missed part of the Job preaching series, you can always catch up here: https://pwac.org.au/sermons/series/job/
Yours in Christ,
Ben

I’m so excited to have Kevin and Karen Flanagan with us this weekend!  What a joy and privilege it has been to partner with them as they share the gospel and equip God’s leaders in Tanzania.
The most inspiring moment for me was when Kevin and Karen joined us for a Zoom prayer meeting in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.  When asked whether they were looking to come home to Australia they shrugged their shoulders and said no.  They were planning to stay in Tanzania, come what may.  If God were to give them an early mark to heaven then so be it.
However, we ought not idolise our link missionaries as if they had some additional calling or level of spirituality beyond ourselves.  We too are called to take up our cross daily and follow Jesus.  We too are called to make the most of every opportunity and be ready to give an answer for the hope we have in Christ!
Mission is not something exclusive to Africa, or some other exotic place.  Mission is our everyday life as Christians representing Christ in our families, workplaces, schools, soccer clubs, retirement homes etc…
Join me in this prayer:  ‘Lord, give me opportunities to share the hope I have in Christ, and give me the boldness and words to say.  Lord, may my life and words bring glory to my Saviour Jesus Christ.  Amen’
Yours in Christ,
Ben

Recently, parish council voted unanimously to offer a full time assistant minister position to Scott Williams for next year! This is a very significant moment in the life of our Churches and I’m so excited about the opportunities for our Church and the gospel that this will bring!

Scott’s main roles will be to continue to develop our youth ministry and to gather a team to plant a new congregation in the mornings at Wilton.

Parish Council are so encouraged by the wonderfully generous financial response to our call to meet budget. We take that response as a pledge of confidence in our mission and plans to employ Scott, continue to grow God’s Church and our capability to proclaim his gospel!

In the midst of celebration, I must offer a word of caution. I have heard that over the past 15 years Sydney Anglican Churches have doubled the amount of staff they employ, but this increase has not necessarily corresponded with growth in those Churches. We are not paying Scott to do ministry for us, we are employing him to equip and inspire us all to minister the Word of God to each other, to serve our community in love and to proclaim the good news of Christ to a community in desperate need of hearing it. God gave pastors and teachers to his church to equip God’s people for works of service and God has gifted every one of us in unique ways as part of his body.

Would you join me in praising God for this great news, and praying that each one of us would steward our gifts and lives in service of our great King Jesus Christ!

Yours in Christ,
Ben

Green shoots from blackened earth.  Easing restrictions from COVID pandemic.  Blue skies after flooding rains.  These are symbols of relief and hope. 

The green is greener after the fire.  The singing is more joyous after the silence.  The skies are clearer after the rain. 

Through suffering grows resilience and gratitude.  From endurance and perseverance springs hope.  Through judgement comes salvation.

“the Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

Jesus in Luke 24:46-47

It is only through the suffering and death of our Messiah, Jesus, that forgiveness of sins can be won for us.  His resurrection is the glorious moment of victory over death and certain promise of resurrection life to all who trust in him.

You may be spending your Easter long weekend playing video games, renovating the house, or camping down the coast.  But don’t miss the opportunity to reflect on the glorious hope of resurrection that can be yours in Christ Jesus.

At Easter we celebrate that ‘He is Risen’ – and he promises resurrection life to you too, if you will trust and follow him!

Yours in Christ,
Ben