Ministers Desk July 1st 2012

Rev. Alistair Macrae is the current president of the Uniting Church in Australia. On Wednesday Rev. Macrae issued the following pastoral statement on behalf of the Uniting Church. Because of Christ’s call for us to serve even the most marginalized in our communities it is important the church have a voice in the public debate surrounding those seeking asylum in Australia. We do this, not because we feel we deserve special treatment simply because we are the church, but rather because to keep silent would to be to deny our charge to love as Christ loves us.  

Grace and Peace

Harlee.

PASTORAL STATEMENT ON CHRISTMAS ISLAND TRAGEDY

Wednesday, 27 June 2012

On behalf of the Uniting Church in Australia, I offer our thoughts and prayers for the safety of the asylum seekers affected by the latest tragedy off Christmas Island.

Our prayers are also with the rescuers as they do all they can to help the survivors.

The tragedies of today and last week have once again drawn our attention to the plight of asylum seekers in our region.

Too many places in our world are ravaged by violence and too many people suffer the horrors of torture and persecution. In this broken world, people will always seek safety and the opportunity to live a life of freedom, even if the journey itself poses grave risk. This life of safety is one that we as Australians too often take for granted, and too often fail to share in the true spirit of hospitality and welcome.

The boats that come to our shores do not carry criminals. They carry men, women and children who flee torture and persecution.

As the nation responds to these latest tragedies, we pray that the harshness of partisan politics be replaced with compassion and humanity.

We pray that the Parliament will rise above the longstanding and divisive rhetoric which damages lives and destroys hope.

We pray that the voices of Australians who embody the spirit of hospitality in their everyday lives will be heard above a shrill minority.

We continue to pray and work for a world in which people are not forced to abandon their lives and their homes and seek safety by way of a dangerous journey to nations such as ours.

Rev. Alistair Macrae
President, Uniting Church in Australia Assembly

Ministers Desk 24th June 2012

On Friday 22 June the Uniting Church celebrated its 35^th anniversary.  In 1977 the Uniting Church was inaugurated with a sense of hope and optimism for the future.  The three founding denominations (Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational) were strong and vital in their ministry and membership.  The church came together out of a belief that God had called them together to give testimony to his desire for the church and for the sake of service to the people of Australia.  At the time of Union the church issued a statement to the nation.  The values articulated in the statement expressed and shaped the identity of the Uniting Church.  I have reproduced this statement below.  Please read it and reflect on the church that God has called us to be and who we are in relation to our nation.

Grace and peace

David Fender
 

We, who are members of the first Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia, address the people of Australia in this historic moment.  The path to unity has been long and at times difficult, but we believe this unity is a sign of the reconciliation we seek for the whole human race.

We acknowledge with gratitude that the churches from which we have come have contributed in various ways to the life and development of this nation.  A Christian responsibility to society has always been regarded as fundamental to the mission of the Church.  In the Uniting Church our response to the Christian gospel will continue to involve us in social and national affairs.

We are conscious of our responsibilities within and beyond this country.  We particularly acknowledge our responsibilities as one branch of the Christian church within the region of South-East Asia and the Pacific.  In these contexts we make certain affirmations at the time of our inauguration. 

We affirm our eagerness to uphold basic Christian values and principles, such as the importance of every human being, the need for integrity in public life, the proclamation of truth and justice, the rights for each citizen to participate in decision-making in the community, religious liberty and personal dignity and a concern for the welfare of the whole human race.

We pledge ourselves to seek the correction of injustices wherever they occur.  We will work for the eradication of poverty and racism within our society and beyond.  We affirm the rights of all people to equal educational opportunities, adequate health care, freedom of speech, and employment or dignity in unemployment if work is not available.  We will oppose all forms of discrimination which infringe basic rights and freedoms.

We will challenge values which emphasise acquisitiveness and greed in disregard of the needs of others and which encourage a higher standard of living for the privileged in the face of the daily widening gap between the rich and poor.

We are concerned with the basic human rights of future generations and will urge the wise use of energy, the protection of the environment and the replenishment of the earth’s resources for their use and enjoyment.

Finally, we affirm that the first allegiance of Christians is God, under whose judgement the policies and actions of all nations must pass.  We realise that sometimes this allegiance may bring us into conflict with the rulers of our day.  But our Uniting Church, as an institution within the nation, must constantly stress the universal values which must find expression in national policies if humanity is to survive. 

We pledge ourselves to hope and work for a nation whose goals are not guided by self-interest alone, but by concern for the welfare of all persons everywhere – the family of the One God – the God made known in Jesus of Nazareth the One who gave his life for others.

In the spirit of his self-giving love we seek to go forward.

Ministers Desk 17th June

I have been writing recently about our church’s results from our latest Natural Church Development survey.  This survey shows where we are strong and weak.  In any survey that ranks items from top to bottom there must be one item that is at the bottom.  For our congregation this is in the area of evangelism.  The bad news is that we have consistently identified that this is an area of weakness for us.  The good news is that we have improved in this area since the last survey. 

One of the causes of growth is our Community Helping Hand.  This very practical way of meeting people’s needs is a highly visible and direct way of communicating the love of God through action.  In Jesus’ public ministry of Jesus he fed the 5000 as a means of telling the people of the coming kingdom and sharing with them the good news.  We continue to walk in his footsteps as we meet the needs of our community. 

Our congregation’s purpose encourages each of us to engage in at least one intentional relationship where we share our faith with someone in the belief that they will be drawn to declare Jesus Christ as lord and saviour.  We are seeing an impact in relationship evangelism as more members of our congregation identify that they are seeking to deepen their relationships with people who don’t yet know Jesus Christ.  In the survey, this was the area in which we identified our single largest increase. 

The context of our personal relationship is the best place to share our faith and the most effective way of leading people to Christ.  Research shows that over 90% of Christ followers made a decision for Christ as the result of the influence of a close relationship with another Christian.  In our relationships with other people we talk about the things that are most important to us.  If our faith means anything in our lives, it will be part of these conversations.  This could include positive conversations about our church activities, the people we worship and serve with, and the work of the church.  It could become more personal when we talk about our reasons for believing and the impact that Christ has on our lives.  When we are listening to the Holy Spirit he will lead us to opportunities to offer invitations to church events and to challenge our friend or family member to commit their life to Christ. 

Prayer is a significant part of the work of evangelism.  We should each have a list of people whom we are praying for on a daily basis.  In prayer we should be asking Christ to become more real to them and we should be asking for boldness in the Spirit to take the opportunities to speak about faith that he will provide.  If you don’t have a list already, there are cards on the information desk that allow you to write down the names of five people and then store these cards in your bible or wallet.

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?  And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”  (Rms 10:13 – 15)

Ministers Desk June 10 2012

I have been sharing with you the results of our latest Natural Church Development (NCD) survey.  One of the exciting results from the survey is that it affirms for us the strength we have in the area of service.  One of the foci of our Purpose is to embody our faith in service where every one of us has at least one area of service that stretches and challenges us into a place where we can’t do it alone, but must work in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Many people in our congregation already have embraced this and are feeling the influence of God as their faith is grown. 

The service that we offer is always a response to the grace of God that comes to us first.  Therefore service is about recognising what Jesus has done for us already through his death and resurrection.  Service is primarily a love gift that we give to God, through other people.  As we serve we share with Jesus in showing the new kingdom that he has brought about.  Service therefore isn’t about what we do, but the attitude and motivation with which we do it. 

The service that we give can be connected to the congregation or not.  We encourage people to find their place of service wherever it happens to be.  For some this happens through community groups, local schools, agencies of the church or individual actions in their neighbourhoods.  Since this service takes place away from the gathered church community it often goes unnoticed.  Yet we want to acknowledge and support all of those in our congregation who embody their faith in service.  If you know of others who serve outside the congregation, please take the time to thank them, ask about their service and pray for them.  If your service is outside the church, please let others know.  Not to blow your own horn, but as an encouragement to them and to find a support base for yourself.

Thank you to each of you who serve and show the reality of God’s kingdom.  As you do serve, please continue to find new ways of growing in your faith.

To do this it might be helpful for you to ask yourselves some questions.  First, consider how selfless your service is.  Gauge the extent to which you’re doing it for the sake of God and others.  Second, reflect on the positive impact your service has on your discipleship.  Does it lead you to trust God more?  More fully rely on the power of his Holy Spirit?  Does what you’re doing change the lives of others for the better and enable them to see Jesus more clearly?  Third, identify the connection between what you do and God’s desire to build his church.  The reason for our service can sometimes be lost or confused, particularly if we’ve been serving in the same area for many years.  Identifying this connection unites us all through our different forms of service.  Please take some time to prayerfully consider these questions.  It may be that you don’t have answers for some of them, or that you don’t like the answers that you come up with.  That’s great because it gives you a reason to look again at what you do and align yourself closer with God’s plan and purpose for you in his church.

Ministers Desk 3 June 2012

Our latest Natural Church Development (NCD) survey gives us good news regarding our Explore Group ministry.  According to the survey results this is the strongest and healthiest area of our church life at the moment and it has been the area in which we have seen the most growth since the last survey was conducted three years ago.

Explore groups are an essential part of our purpose of Growing Disciples who Exalt, Explore, Embody, Engage.  As part of this purpose each one of us are encouraged to be part of an Explore group that meets weekly or fortnightly.  Explore groups are the place where we deepen relationships with God, other people and ourselves (by this I mean we understand more about who we are created to be in Jesus Christ).  Through discussion, reading and prayer we learn about the life of faith as it is expressed in the bible.  With the support of the others in our group we then seek to live this out in our lives.  Explore groups are therefore a key discipline through which the Holy Spirit grows us to be more like Jesus Christ.

Almost 100 people in our congregation are part of an Explore group.  The survey tells us that they find these groups highly relevant to the lives that they live and that what takes place in them helps them with the challenges of everyday life.  This is the best thing that I think about Explore groups.  The time we invest in them has a huge impact on everything else we do.  I was recently talking to someone.  They had been struggling with a problem yet when they raised it at their Explore group and allowed the bible to speak into their situation, they found a new pathway and an increased resolve to fix the problem, which they did.

To a lesser extent people in our Explore groups say that they feel comfortable sharing personal problems and having others pray for them.  Praying for each other is one of the most powerful ways that we can offer pastoral care for each other.  Through prayer we unleash the limitless power of the Holy Spirit and we seek the very best of God for those for whom we pray.  Each time we meet in an Explore group we should devote time to prayer where each member (not just the leader) prays for the needs of the others.  This will deepen and enrich your times together and demonstrate the unity of Christ’s body.

I have said before that this congregation is too large for everybody to know or recognise everybody else.  For some people this can lead to a feeling of isolation.  However, in an Explore group we can develop relationships of trust and friendship that help us in our spiritual growth and bless us in our daily lives.

If you are not yet part of an Explore group, please join one.  On the back page of the notice sheet is a list of our current groups, contact a leader and invite yourself to be part.

If you are in an Explore group and you know someone who is not, contact them and invite them to join your group.  The best way that we are going to be able to spread the word about Explore groups is through word of mouth.  It is only once we’ve been part of a group that we know how good they are.  Please tell your friends and share the blessing.