 Yesterday morning I was sitting at a restaurant waiting for my food to come. As I waited I read a newspaper article on homelessness. A number of Australians can be found living on the streets. It’s not just those we might suspect. Homelessness affects the educated, the young, the old, those with families and friends, and those without. As I read the article I came to know of a young woman named Ashleigh O’Grady. In this article she described what it’s like to live on the streets and how they often huddle together and sleep near each other to keep warm. Yet the morning after there is another death and the mortician comes to pick up the body in “the meat wagon”, as they refer to it. Ashleigh was homeless at 22 and now at 29 she’s still homeless. She doesn’t know what will become of her life. The future is uncertain and tonight she will face another cold night on the streets of Perth. As I reflect on Ashleigh’s story, I can’t help but think I have so much to be grateful for. I’m a year younger than her and not only do I have a roof over my head and can access fresh food and clean drinking water- I have so much more. I have family, friends, good health, a job and I have hope and a future because of what God has done for me. I wonder though, what could we be doing to help the Ashleighs of the world? In our gratitude for the blessings God has provided, shouldn’t we also respond by blessing others? Gratitude should inspire a response of grace and care for those who are not as fortunate as you and I. Let’s remember the Ashelighs of the world and may we make known His goodness to them by our generosity and love. “Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples!”- Psalm 105:1. Leticia :). Thought for the week... We wish to thank...This week a special thank you goes to our deacons and deaconesses for your help in the communion service last week. Your dedication to your area of ministry is always valuable and valued. God bless. 
0 Comments
 I don’t know about you, but I struggle with waiting. I don’t like waiting for anything. Waiting means I realise I'm not in control and can't determine the final outcome. The reality is that on some level we all struggle with waiting. We don’t like to wait and we don’t like to feel that we can’t depend on ourselves. After all, this goes against the societal philosophy of today that says you need to take of number one. Your destiny is something you determine and it’s up to you to make it happen. While it’s true that we have choices to make, as Christians we realise that God has a divine and unique plan for each one of us (Jeremiah 29:11-13, Psalm 32:8-9, Isaiah 30:20-21). We also realise that it is only with Jesus that we can have a meaningful present and a certain future in the earth made new. So how should we respond when God asks us to wait? And what do we do in those moments of waiting? While I could give you a few Bible verses and say- there’s your answer. I believe that this is a lesson we learn and continue to learn each day as we walk with God. But if we have truly experienced God’s love for us, then we will believe that He has the best in mind for us. Thus the time of waiting becomes a time of communion with Him, a time of rest from worry, a time where we don’t need to know what will happen because we know the One who will make it happen. With the following words in mind I invite you to wait on Him today: “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth- praise to our God, many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord”- Psalm 40:1-3. Leticia :). Thought for the week... Leadership and Training Corner We wish to thank...Our teens/youth are a valuable part of our church. While we may not see them up front all the time, they contribute to our community with fresh ideas, joy, and their own unique gifts and talents. Thank you for being part of our church and doing the things you do. Take care :)   Change is never easy. Even good change can take us by surprise. And bad change leaves us feeling insecure and uncertain about the future. But sometimes change isn’t about what’s good or bad- it’s about growth, opportunity and realising that God plants people in a certain place for a certain time. As you all know, change will be happening next year. Pr James and his family will be leaving- as will I. This means that there will be a time of transitioning and an element of uncertainty as the new pastor takes his place here in Geraldton. But let me assure you, that this is a time to be encouraged by all the great things God will do. Just as God did an amazing work in the past, and just as God has done a good work this year- He will continue to do a great work next year. I’m reminded of a story in Scripture where there was a major transition between the leader who had died and the one who would take his place. In Joshua 1 we find the story of Moses and Joshua. Moses had served the Lord and His people faithfully for 40 years until his final end at 120 years of age (Deuteronomy 34:7). But with his death came the dawning of a new era for the Israelites under the leadership of Joshua. To make the transition easier, God made Joshua a promise and that promise was not dependant on who Joshua was- it was dependant on the nature of God and His love: “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you”- Joshua 1:5. God blessed Joshua. In a similar way, God will bless the new pastor who comes. So this is a time to be strong in faith and understanding. Let’s do what we can to make the transition for the new pastor a smooth one and let’s remember that God has a plan for those who go, for those come and for those who stay. His promise is to all. Leticia :) Thought for the week... Leadership and Training CornerSome books that will help in various areas of leadership such as: how to gain decisions for Christ when giving Bible studies; vision casting, church growth, evangelism, and how to be a humble leader, etc. Recommended Books - Gaining Decisions for Christ by Louis Torres (A How To Manual) - The Big Four by Joseph Kidder - Humility by Andrew Murray - Creating Healthy Adventist Churches through Natural Church Development We wish to thank...Thank you to our team of elders. Elders are very important when it comes to the life, health and growth of the church. So thank you for all that you do in leading meetings, visiting church folk, preaching, teaching and more. May God bless all your efforts as you continue to lead our church.   When some people think of greatness they automatically think of power, strength, influence or money. In society at large greatness has much to do with what you have or what you can do. But in the eyes of Christ He sees greatness in those who are humble. Bible verse after Bible verse tells us the importance of humility. Such texts include: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). It seems that the more we read Scripture the more we understand that God is not looking for competence or ability. Instead His invitation is that of humble dependence on Him. If you look at the text above in its context, humility is preceded by an acknowledgement of who we are as sinful human beings in need of Jesus and His grace. The New Living Translation puts it this way: “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs” (Matthew 5:3). Another translation says: "Blessed are those who recognize they are spiritually helpless. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them”. It makes sense that humility can only be gained when we understand the greatness of God- because it is only then that we see our own sinfulness, our own mistakes and are willing to accept God’s grace and His leading in our lives. But there is a second aspect to humility. When we are humble we not only see our need for God, we see others differently too. We see others as equally deserving of grace, considering God’s grace extended to us. We stop competing with others and we are more willing to lift others up and exalt their good qualities rather than our own. As you go about your day today, contemplate Christ’s goodness and His humility. Remember this and follow His example- for “the only greatness is the greatness of humility”[1] God bless, Leticia. Thought for the week... Leadership and Training Corner We wish to thank...Thank you to everyone who led, participated or attended the evangelistic program with Pr Barron. It was a team effort and we are grateful to God, first and foremost- but we are grateful to you all, the team, who made it happen. Many thanks to Pr Barron for coming to preach the word.      As a worldwide church, small groups is something we recognise as an important strategy to developing healthy churches. Not only does it serve as a great method of discipleship, but it often serves as a great method of evangelism too. Church members have the opportunity to grow, share their faith and nurture those who are new in the faith. While people who are new to the church can learn and grow in the study of God’s word as they build relationships with church members in the comfortable, non-threatening environment of someone's home. With all the benefits of small groups, what about us? We have one small group that meets on a Wednesday, but is this enough? Let me share a story with you. There’s a church over east called Kingscliff SDA Church. This church once was a dying church that had a fair bit of issues. Since leaders and the people of the church have been spending meaningful time in Bible study, prayer, and now with their consistent small group focus, the church has not only become significantly healthier, it is now one of the healthiest, most vibrant churches in the NNSW Conference. Their small groups range from Bible study groups to interest groups, and relationship/marriage enrichment focused groups- and with this focus their numbers are growing. They’ve had significant amount of baptisms, particularly over the last couple of years and they have created a culture of love for Scripture, love for each other and love for the community. They summarise their focus in their mission statement “Knowing, Growing, Going”. Another more familiar story of small groups can be seen in the success of the early church in the book of Acts. Let me quickly remind you of the Biblical and relational culture they fostered: “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers”- Acts 2:41-42. So, what will our story be? Will our church be known for our small group culture? God bless, Leticia. Thought for the week... Thank you to all our helpers in the outreach program. We value your contribution, leadership and willingness to help make this program a success. And thank you to Bill for recording all the programs with Pr Barron and for his photos which appear in the header of this newsletter :)   Over the last couple of weeks I’ve shared some thoughts with you regarding Natural Church Development. I’ve touched on loving relationships and passionate spirituality. Today I’d like to share some practical thoughts on empowering leadership. First of all, empowering leadership best defines those leaders who don't do everything but give ministry away. They give power, autonomy and opportunity to others to lead and serve. In addition to that, we understand that delegating is not enough when it comes to strong leadership. Leaders need to be trained and equipped to do their work successfully and according to their giftedness. In Burrill’s words: “….Empowering leaders spend time delegating AND discipling other people. Thus the energy that they invest in others is multiplied many times”[1]. According to the Apostle Paul, empowering leadership could be measured by how well a leader could not only train others, but more than that, could they train others to train others? In 2 Timothy 2:2 he says these words to young Timothy: “And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also”. As we wrap up, take the time to answer the following: 1. Do you feel equipped to serve? 2. Would training in areas such as: spiritual gifts, giving Bible studies or leading a small group help you in your ministry? 3. If you are in a position of leadership, how many people are you training currently to take over your role/s in the future? 4. Are you actively involved in visitation and giving Bible studies? 5. Are our young people given enough participation in church? As I close, I want you to seriously consider the fact that God does not want spectators- He only calls workers. Will you take your place as a leader and serve with Him today? Much love, Leticia. Thought for the week... We wish to thank...A big thank you to all people who have helped with the running of the evangelistic program. Thank you also to those who have hosted Pr Barron and have prepared meals for him. Well done, church! :) Please also continue to serve and pray as we reach out to the community.   Only this week I saw a picture saying: “Don’t leave God at church. Take Him with you”. I wonder how many of us fall into that trap? I wonder how many of us get a spiritual high on a Sabbath, only to forget the Lord in our day- to- day activity every other day of the week? It is true that we are Seventh-day Adventists, but hopefully we are seven days Adventists. So the question is, is He really your passion? Is Jesus your consuming thought, my consuming thought? Or do we only remember Him on Sabbath, or when things are rough? If we invest in a deep relationship with Jesus as individuals, as families and as a church, then we will be passionate about Jesus and everything He represents. This was the experience of the disciples and those who walked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus: “And they said to one another, ‘Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32). As a church if we wish to see vibrancy, commitment and a renewed love for the Lord, now is the time to invest in a deeper relationship with God. Now is the time to remember that the gospel is not simply a belief, an idea or a good thought. The gospel is the good news about Jesus, the God who loves us and died for us that we might have eternal life. May His love and commitment to you be what inspires your love and commitment to Him. And I pray that as we work together we will also inspire each other to enthusiastically connect with God and those around us, and in so doing become an even better church tomorrow than what we are today. Much love, Leticia Thought for the week... We wish to thank...Just a little thank you to those who clean our church every Sabbath. I know a number of families give of their time and energy to keep the church looking clean and nice, and it is important that you know that your work is appreciated. May God bless you and inspire you to keep serving, even if no one sees or notices- because He always does :).   For some of you the concept of Natural Church Development is nothing new. For others this may be something you haven’t heard of. In our churches across Australia, many churches are seeking to measure and understand the health and growth of their churches. They often take the Natural Church Development survey and use it as a tool to see where they are healthy and where they need to improve. In his book “Creating Healthy Adventist Churches through Natural Church Development”, Dr Russell Burrill explains the ideas of Christian Schwarz who developed this tool of measuring church health. He speaks of eight characteristics, one of which is loving relationships. Burrill says: “An atmosphere of love and trust is essential in any church that wants to reflect the character of Christ to the world”[1]. He then goes on to quote texts like John13:35, Romans 12:10, 1 John 3:11 to remind us that love is what should define us as a Christian community sharing hope with our world. By the way we love each other and by the way we love our community, people should not only hear our message of a loving, soon coming Saviour, they should see it. How well we love will therefore determine how well we do evangelism. Nothing communicates this message ever so clearly than the following words: “If we would humble ourselves before God, and be kind and courteous and tenderhearted and pitiful, there would be one hundred conversions to the truth where now there is only one”[2]. Now ask yourself the question, how loving are we as a church? Does love define us? If someone walked into our church for the first time, could they say above all else that we are a loving group of people? As we prepare for our evangelistic program, let us remember that the success of this program does not rest on how well we organise ourselves or even how well the speaker communicates the message. Rather we need to remember the God of love that we serve and allow His love to shine through us. Take Care, Leticia. Thought for the week... Wall of fame...Once upon a time a busy bee was planned. It was a great day! Some worked very hard and were on a mission to find cleaning gear. They would not be stopped....  Others had time to laugh and smell the roses (or the bins, as might be the case)...  There were those who quietly observed or wondered, "Would the work get done?"  But in the end we were all happy with what was accomplished and were blown away by everyone's efforts! Thank you to all!! The End :)    Most of you probably would not know, but I am currently in Melbourne attending the AUC (Australian Union Conference) Constituency meetings in 2015. It’s a mouthful, but basically these meetings deal with church matters from the union level down. Many leaders give departmental reports and each conference is asked to give a report about how they are doing as a conference in their various areas of ministry (success and growth in churches, schools, aged care facilities, etc) and what is happening currently within that conference. As delegates to the meetings, lay people, pastors and administrators also have the chance to ask questions about the reports given and vote on church matters. In terms of today’s meetings, I’d like to highlight some areas of concern and the possible solutions about issued raised. 1. Threats to the Well-Being of the Young Guest speaker, Professor Patrick Parkinson of Sydney, made a report on the mental health, family and other problems young people are facing today. Some alarming statistics came out of his presentation.
2. Discipleship of the Young In a different discussion today, we heard that in terms of children’s ministry, the ongoing trend in research shows that if children make a decision for Jesus they will most likely do so in the 0-9 year age bracket. This means that our focus on reaching the young needs to be intentional and done so in this time of their lives when they are most receptive to Jesus and the gospel message. Currently as a global church we could be doing a lot more to be reaching this people group before they leave the church. In light of this, how can we respond on the local level to prevent the loss of our young people? How do we relate to the community at large who have kids and teenagers who are suffering and self-harming? As Professor Parkinson noted, our answer to the second question lies in much of what we do and provide in terms of helping families. In terms of the first question, I believe that if we as a church have healthy, Christ-centered families, we will have healthy, well-functioning children. While this is not a complete answer by any means, what we do personally in our own families is important; and how we as a church foster and develop resources, ideas and practical ways of helping to strengthen families, will make all the difference between struggling and healthy families. And it means we are more likely to see our young people not only well, but we will see them saved and in the kingdom of God. May we do our best as a church to help families so they can help their children to become followers of Jesus. Blessings, Leticia :) Thought for the week... We wish to thank...This week we wish to thank who are involved in helping with sound/data. To have willing and effective workers who put up song lyrics or announcements on screen, and to have people who will help with sound, is a real blessing. We may not always thank you, but you make everything go smoother in our church services each week- so for that we say thank you :)   In 1992, the song "Everybody Hurts" was released by the band R.E.M. The song quickly became well-known the world over due to its straight-forward, emotional lyrics reminding people to hold on to life and not give up. Three years later, the lyrics of the song were used as part of a campaign to target teen suicide and help decrease the growing rates of suicide in the UK. As people heard the song, they were reminded that pain and hurt comes to us all, and we're not to give up, but we need support "to hold on". While the song isn't a Christian song, it does highlight the importance of recognising the hurt and pain of others and the need to support others wherever we can. As a Christian, it forces me to ask the question: where are we as a church when people suffer? Where are we when someone feels burdened by the weight of pain or loss? Where am I in these situations? Perhaps we've missed some opportunities to help and care for those in real need. But we have the time now to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the community, inspiring others with the Jesus-story, the message of hope about a risen, soon coming Saviour. In closing, let me share the following words of Jesus that should inspire and challenge us all to live lives of compassion and care for the hurting and be effective workers for Him: "But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest"" (Matthew 9:36-38). Blessings, Leticia :). Thought for the week... We wish to thank...This week we wish to give great thanks to our God for answered prayers. We especially thank Him for caring for, healing and strengthening little Kundi who has been in hospital over the weekend with gastroenteritis. He is doing a lot better and both brother Batsi and sister Charity are feeling grateful for God's leading here. Thank you also to everyone for your prayers and well wishes on behalf of the family.  |
AuthorPr James + Archives
November 2015
Categories |
RSS Feed