Hello family,
It is a bit hard to know what to write just now, as we are waiting to see what the next level of de-restrictions will look like. I do know, however, that as someone wise once said, “this too shall pass.” This global event will pass. We will get back to somewhat normal lives, and life will go on. It has been tough, and very difficult for some. But here we are, almost at the end of the year, and it seems we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
We are making plans to get back into physical fellowship as soon as it is possible. As I outlined last week, this will come in the form of small Sunday gatherings of up to 20 people and will look at the possibility of outdoor services as Summer approaches. Small groups are on the agenda, and some groups are already gathering. If you would like to be part of a small group who will gather at our church on Sunday morning (up to 20 people per group), could you please let me know and we will certainly open up the service for folk to watch the pre-recorded service and at least worship and take communion together. If you would like to join us on Sunday at 10.00, please RSVP by calling 51261569 to reserve your spot. We would like to give preference to people who cannot access the online options. If there are more than 20 people, we can open up for a second meeting at a later time. And, hopefully, we will have more good news after the next official government health and safety announcements are made.
Don’t forget to start planning your Christmas light and nativity display. I can’t wait to see your homes lit up and telling the wonderful story of Christmas as you get creative with your nativity scenes. We will run the competition through December and announce winners at our Christmas service on December 20th – so mark the date in your calendar. We are planning a Christmas with a difference on our church block, so keep watching this space for details which we will give shortly.
In the meantime, remember we have a loving God who is with us always – in good times and in not so good times. Let us remember to trust him with everything. As Philippians 4:6 tells us, “Have no anxiety at all; but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.” We can face each challenge, knowing that our loving heavenly father is present to comfort, give wisdom, heal and give us grace. We pray for no fear and for truth and for our government to rule with fairness and good judgement, making the best possible decisions on behalf of our state. Let us always act with compassion, empathy and kindness and always give thanks as we pray and bring our requests to the Lord. Let us uphold one another often in prayer. And let’s remember to begin and end each day counting and recounting the blessings of God in our lives.
Love to you all,
Glenda.
Hi there everyone,
Well, we have some things to look forward to as restrictions begin to ease, and it becomes more possible to meet in person for religious gatherings. Still, we are only allowed to have 20 people in a service inside – and 50 people outside, but hey, it is something to work with. As we have a leader‟s meeting next Monday evening, we will discuss all our options, and then make a decision about launching our “new normal” look church. At this point in time, it looks like we will have a mixture of forums for meeting, thanks to your input from the survey. Thank you for your participation in the survey, it was good to hear from you and to see where we, as a church, are up to.
1. Small groups/home meetings incorporating a couple of family groups. This will be a time to view the Online service together, take communion, pray with one another, and have a cuppa or share a meal.
2. A small “in house” service of up to 20 people, watching the online service together, participating in the worship and communion, but I am not sure about staying for fellowship – we will have to check and follow the guidelines at the time.
3. An outdoor service of up to 50 people where we can join together in worship and communion – may be not every week, but at least once a month.
So, watch this space for updates and a launching date. These are still just ideas being formed, so please be patient while we continue to formulate the plan forward. Please contact us if you have any questions or ideas.
With Christmas not too far away, I would like to mention another fun idea. As we will not be able to have our usual Christmas celebration, the suggestion has been made to do some different things to make it a time of fun and fellowship. One idea is to have a Christmas lights/decoration/Nativity competition. You can be as creative as you like and involve the whole family. You would take a photo of your Nativity scene, and we will upload the photos to our Facebook page or website. We will present a prize to the winning home. So get busy designing your nativity scene. I look forward to what you come up with. Please do not go to a lot of expense – let your imagination soar. We will get back to you with more details in following newsletters.
How is your week going? I have already had testimonies of people reaching out and being prepared to share the love of Jesus with their neighbours and friends. Have you been “wowed” by God this week?
Please let us know what is happening in your life.
So, here is trusting that we will be able to meet together again in the not too distant future.
For now, God bless you and keep you in His care.
Love to you all,
Glenda
I have been thinking about why people do not seem to continue to grow in their spiritual walk, and today as I was chatting with a person, it dawned on me that part of the issue was that while they were keen to read the word, and desired to change, the problem was that they had not succeeded in applying what they had learnt to their life. For real transformation to take place there needs to be committed application as well as considered information. I have heard it said that “information plus application equals transformation”. We need a revelation of the information, practiced in application to produce transformation. This totally concurs with the word of God. This makes a working, scriptural formula for success. James 1:22 says, “But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” We also read in Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” It seems to me that it is good to read and learn and study and get some understanding of the word of God. But that same word needs to be applied to our lives and to our situations. But it will not change your life if you do not exercise it and live it out. I know some younger Christians who do not know great passages of the Bible. They may only know one or two verses – but they take what they know and apply its wisdom. This is how we grow. This is how we mature. This is how we overcome. If we want to overcome, we must live in the victory that Jesus has won for us. “They overcame him by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony.” Jesus has won the victory for us. He has given us his word to use, but he requires us to live it out and apply it to our lives. This is how we overcome. Where have you seen the word of God applied to your life this week? Who would like to share a testimony of overcoming, or seeing an “aha” moment where the word applied brought transformation?
Don’t forget that this week is mission giving week. Giving can be made through Moe New Life Christian Centre banking details which are on the newsletter, our webpage and our Facebook page. Let us be open and generous as we give to increase God’s work both here and through the Murle Education Program. Also, through November, we will take our annual offering for The Bible League, so please prayerfully keep that in mind.
Please make sure you join us on Friday night, 23rd October for our online “zoom’ meeting with Tas Walker from Creation Ministries International. He will be speaking on the subject “Dinosaurs, The Bible and You.” The link will be supplied in this newsletter. You will need to download a zoom app to participate. If you need help to do this, please let us know before Friday and someone will assist you to set it up. There may be someone you could join with to view the meeting if you do not have the internet facilities to join by zoom.
Anyway, I hope that this week has been filled with God’s wonderful surprises and that you will continue to be blessed. This Sunday I will be speaking on rediscovering the “WOW” factor.
God bless and keep you in His care.
Kind regards,
Glenda.
Hi everyone,
As I was praying today, I couldn’t get away from the idea that this is prime time to be sharing our faith. This does not need to be a scary thing. For believers who have encountered the love, forgiveness, and the transforming power of God in our lives, sharing our stories should come quite naturally. 1 Peter 3:15 encourages us to be prepared to “give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with all gentleness and respect.”
Has your life been changed as a result of meeting Jesus and committing your life to Him? Have you experienced His forgiveness, acceptance, answered prayer and seen His hand moving in your life? People want to talk about Jesus. People want to see and hear authentic accounts of what God has done for you. People may not want to be “preached at”. But they really do want to hear the good news of Jesus, and what he has done for them. Just like Peter cautions us here, we should always share our story with gentleness and respect. People are at different stages and some may be more receptive than others. Even Jesus encountered people at different stages of receptivity. The rich young ruler asked Jesus “what must I do to be saved?” Jesus spoke to him, sussing out what he knew and where he was up to in his spiritual journey. Then he challenged him to “go and sell all you have and give it to the poor”. He was able to put his finger right on where the young man was up to. Then we see Jesus encounter with Nicodemus, the woman caught in adultery, the woman at the well, and Zaccheus. So many lives changed as they were confronted with the words of Jesus.
Just remember, it is not you or I that “saves” a person‟s soul. That is the job of the Holy Spirit. But it is our job to “sow the seed”. For some, they will hear and respond to the gospel readily and with joy. For others, like the rich young ruler, they may walk away sad because they are not ready to give up their lives or accept the demands of the Gospel. There may be people we know who we think would never be interested or may seem so far away from God. But remember what Jesus said about this young man. “What is impossible for men is possible with God.” This gives us great hope that as we continue to pray for our family and friends, the Holy Spirit will bring them to the point where they are ready to receive.
So who are you going to pray for and believe for this week? Trust that God will bring you opportunities to share His love and give you the right words to say as you tell others about God’s wonderful, forgiving love.
Glenda
Our Sunday service from 11th October. A little late due to circumstances beyond my control.