Ministers Desk 29 April

In our congregational meeting today we receive the annual reports for our church’s activities in 2011.  These reports highlight the activity that many people have been involved in, through Emmanuel Uniting Church in the past year.  But this has not just been the case of a lot of people doing a lot of things.  We have been participating in the work of God. 

Through our worship we have gathered together with all creation on heaven and earth, throughout time and space and have acknowledged the greatness and worth of our creator, redeemer God.  Those involved in worship leadership have involved us in the timeless response that all creation makes to God.

We have people who faithfully lead groups for children, youth and adults.  These groups provide friendship and build healthy relationships amongst the group members.  Our explore groups provide a perfect setting for spiritual growth to occur.  We can never underestimate the commitment that is required by the leaders of these groups.  Many require significant weekly preparation that involves much prayer, thought and attention to detail.  The leaders of these groups need to cultivate teams and take into account the needs of different members.   

Many of our groups are devoted to reaching out to people from our community who do not yet know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.  Through friendships and interesting activities these groups are living out the great commission of witnessing to the life of Jesus Christ through their own lives. 

Our annual reports give us the opportunity to reflect on these activities and recommit ourselves to the work of God into the coming year.  The church exists to be the ongoing presence of Jesus on earth.  It is the task of the church to make Christ known to all people, those who know him and don’t yet know him.  As you recommit to the work of God through our church, resolve to see Christ in all you do and grow in your relationship with him through your service.

Our annual reports also give us an opportunity to appreciate the people who serve diligently and faithfully in the church.  Sometimes these people are very high profile, many fulfil equally necessary task, but are not so prominent.  I want to express my thanks to each person in our congregation who serves where God has called them.  I appreciate and value the time you commit, the energy and prayer you devote and your availability to God.  You may want to express your thanks to someone in our congregation for the service they give in worship, in leadership of the congregation, in maintaining the building, in your group or in a group that your child participates in. 

In all of this though, remember that we are instruments of God.  “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain” (Ps 127:1).

Ministers Desk 22 April 2012

One of the four pillars of our purpose is that we will grow as disciples as we embody our faith by each having at least one area of service that stretches us to a God only spot where we must rely upon the Holy Spirit and the gifts that he gives us.

The idea of service in the kingdom of God is one that people often misunderstand.  Some will work because they think that it is required to earn salvation, appease God or demonstrate a worthiness to receive what has been given.  When we act like this we become like the older son in the parable of the prodigal God.  Others find an outlet for their abilities, interests and skills through serving in the church in a similar way to serving in a community group or paid employment.  Others again see it as an optional extra if they have time or the inclination.

As disciples of Christ however, we are called to the privilege of serving so that God’s work of salvation may become seen throughout the world.  Service is therefore a sharing in the work of Jesus Christ.  In Galatians 2:15 - 16 Paul writes about his conversion.  “But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being.”  Paul sees a direct connection between him receiving the gift of salvation and being called to service as an apostle to the Gentiles.

Each of us have a part to play in the work of God’s kingdom.  What is yours?  Do you see how you have the privilege of making Christ known, of helping others experience the love and grace of Jesus, of working to bring about God’s justice and provision?  When we can see our service from the perspective of God’s kingdom then the concerns and reservations that we may have about being overloaded or incapable fade away and we become excited and compelled to respond to what God is already doing in this world.

When we serve in the power of the Holy Spirit we do not need to be concerned about our limitations.  God knows those and works through us with them and despite them.  Paul writes in 1 Corinthians that when he is weak that he finds the strength of God.  God looks for our availability.  He takes what we offer and can make something beautiful out of that, honouring our limitations and our deepest desires. 

If you don’t have an area of service in the kingdom of God, whether in this congregation or outside, I encourage you to surrender yourself to the purpose and will of God.  As you do be amazed at how you will grow in your discipleship and see the ways that God meets and sustains you and reveals his salvation of creation in and through you.

Ministers Desk 15 April

In the coming weeks some significant changes are taking place in the structure of our youth groups. 

In the past we have had two groups that meet on Friday night.  P1 is a group that started immediately after Easter with children in year 7.  They would remain in this group until immediately prior to Easter the following year.  After Easter, when they are then in year 8, they would join Xtreme.  The idea of P1 was to give the children a core and dependable group that didn’t change, despite the changes that were happening to them as they moved from Primary to High School.  Xtreme catered for youth in Years 8 to 12.  These groups had met at different times on Friday night at the church.

Starting in the next couple of weeks we will be rearranging these groups.  The younger group will include children from Year 7 to Year 9.  It will meet at the church and will operate according to a traditional youth group programme.  This will include games, devotions, dinner and some off-site activities. 

A group for youth in Years 10 to 12 will also meet on Friday night.  However, this group intends to have a different style.  For starters it will meet at the Presbytery Office at Ashgrove Avenue (the old Grove church) in a dedicated youth space.  It is intended that older youth from across the Presbytery will meet together there.  There will be no organised programme, rather an informal “hang out space.”  There will be competent supervision but their role will not be to lead games.  They will spend their time interacting with the youth, building relationships, mentoring them, providing a credible and authentic witness to Jesus Christ.  Through this the intention is to lead the youth either into, or deeper into, a living relationship with Jesus Christ.  The concept behind this group is not to provide entertainment and activities for the youth, but to create a space and time when faith sharing and discipling can take place.  An intention Explore Group will also meet early on Friday evening for youth that are interested in attending.

It is hoped that these changes will help develop faith within the young people whom we have the privilege of sharing Friday nights with. 

Please pray for this new initiative.  Pray for the leaders who have committed to serving in this way.  Particularly pray for at least one other leader who can take responsibility for the younger group meeting at Emmanuel.  Please pray for the youth who currently attend or will in future, ask that they may experience the love of God and transforming presence of the Holy Spirit. 

On behalf of the church I thank those who are involved in our youth ministries, this includes our Friday night groups.  It also includes our Brigades and Sunday morning Explore Group.  Thank you for your time, commitment and faithfulness to God’s mission with youth.

Ministers Desk 8th April 2012

Christ is Risen!

                                He is risen indeed!

This is the centuries old refrain that we greet each other with on Easter Sunday. 

There is a great depth of claims made in these few words.

We name Jesus as the Christ.  The long awaited saviour.  Jesus Christ is the one who will bring about God’s transformation and restore a right relationship between God and all creation.  Our Easter Sunday cry affirms that this is more than just a mortal man that we are talking about.  The Christian church affirms that Jesus is God in human form.  Fully God, fully human. 

 For Christ to be risen, he must have died.  This cry affirms the death of Jesus.  People will claim that Jesus did not die, that he only appeared to die.  If this were so, it would bring into doubt our own ability to experience life after death.  The gospel writers were very careful to include proof of the death of Jesus.

When we proclaim that Christ is risen, it is a claim that speaks of eternal life.  Other stories in the bible tell us of people who have come back to life, so that they may die again.  The claim about Jesus is that he rises to eternal life.  Death no longer has a claim on him.

This claim of resurrection life is for Jesus and for us indeed.  Easter Sunday has transformed the world for now and forever.  Traditional understandings of life, death and human relationships are forever transformed. 

Today, and in the coming days I invite you to spend some time prayerfully reflecting on this phrase.  Here are some suggestions on what you could do:

·        Praise God for what he has done through Jesus Christ

·        Find bible passages that support the statements that I have made above.  In both the Old and New Testaments, there are verses that underlie our faith and inform our beliefs.

·        Reflect on the transformation that the resurrection has made for you, this world and the future.

·        Share with another person what Easter means to you.