For living creatures growth happens naturally. If we’re not growing, we’re dying. Our faith is a living thing. It is planted in us by God and has the
potential to grow. Think of the times
when Jesus talks about faith being like a mustard seed or a vine or a field or
a plant. Our purpose as a congregation
is Growing Disciples who Exalt, Explore, Embody, Engage. We have committed ourselves on a path towards
growing our faith so that we can experience more of the love and grace of God,
become ever more obedient to the call of Jesus to follow him and to an ongoing
openness to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. The activities of our church focus on this
purpose.
After a year of growth and transformation I think that it is
worthwhile to sit back and ask “how have I grown this year?” There is an insert in this week’s notice
sheet that provides you an opportunity for some soul searching to ask yourself
about your spiritual journey this year.
This is provided purely for your own use.
For some people their spiritual lives can sink down into a
spiritual rut. Their worship becomes
monotonous, prayers become a recital of a list of needs, they read the same
bible verses without any new insight and they go through the motions of service
and outreach with a feeling of tiredness and resentment. As they do this, they are also missing out on
the renewing presence of the Spirit.
They fail to see his blessings in the faces and lives of those around
them, they don’t hear his quiet whispers of hope and encouragement, they miss
out on the refreshment he gives as they serve.
A spiritual life in a rut becomes a chore instead of the joy that life
in Christ should be. Taking time to
review our spiritual journey puts things into perspective. Now this is what the Lord Almighty says:
“Give careful thought to your ways” (Haggai 1:5).
The
insert gives you instructions on how to complete the review. However, the benefit of the tool is to assess
your spiritual journey over this year.
Feel free to ask yourself your own questions or only to dwell on some,
not all the questions. Ignore the tool
and simply allow God to take your mind over the highs and lows of your
journey. Whatever suits you is
best. But please take some time to
consider how you have grown as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
The
Church Council met on Monday 18 November.
We agreed that starting in 2014 we would have a Youth Worker
trainee. This person would work 2 days
per week in the congregation, in the area of children’s ministry and would also
undertake formal offsite training. The
trainee would be paid up to $10,000 per year, for two years. The Church Council believes that this role
will add to our existing children’s groups and allow us to develop a much
needed mid-week, after school group.
Following from the Congregational meeting and the establishment of new
the Church Council structure the Church Council developed a role description
for Elders and the guidelines for the Ministry Coordination Team. It was with regret that we received the
resignation of Barbara Young from Church Council. Barbara has served on the Council for many
years, first in the role of secretary and later as a member. Her wisdom and insight will be sorely missed
and we thank her for her service. The Church Council was also pleased to appoint Mark Robinson
to the role of Support and Resources Team Leader.
Grace and
peace
David Fender
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