Sunday the 4th of February - 9:00am

Jesus had a powerful way of bringing people into spiritual reality. To those who thought that they had the right stuff to be true followers of his, he was devastatingly tough. He put the bar so high that they could never get over it. To those who acknowledged their weakness and need, however, he was kind and gentle. Instead of giving them a test to see if they were up to being his followers, he simply called them to be with him.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that describes Jesus calling St Peter to follow him. St Peter knew that he was a real sinner, and that he was not good enough to be with Jesus. In fact he asked the Lord to go away from him. But Jesus looked beyond St Peter’s weakness, and saw the sort of person that God could make him. Jesus called St Peter, who was a fisherman, to take up a new job of catching people for God’s kingdom.

This Sunday we will be meeting at 9:00am. We will be thinking about the way that Jesus calls us to be with him, not because we are good enough for God, but because God is gracious. And we will celebrate the mercy and love of God as we receive Holy Communion. Our Sunday School starts up again this week, and will be on at about 9:45am.

God’s peace,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

Annual General Meeting 11th February 2007

Our AGM will be following the 10am Service on 11th February 2007.

The Book of Reports - incorporating the Agenda, Reports, Financial Report and proposed 2007 Budget are available from the Narthex at Church.

If you would like a soft copy emailed to you please let me know on schultz1@chariot.net.au.

I encourage all members to attend, the meeting last year went for 33 minutes!

Paul Schultz
Chairman

For the 28th of January

As Christians we believe and teach that God freely saves people from the bitterness, the hate, and the misery that leads to unending death. But we also believe that God saves people for incorporation into a new community that is based on love. In fact God gives individual people the gift of faith so that they may begin life in a new community– a community that is transformed by the love of Christ.

This Sunday we will be hearing from the Bible about this love. We will be hearing about what this love is: that this love is patient and kind, that this love rejoices in what is right, and that this love is eternal. We will also hear about what this love isn’t: that this love isn’t jealous or boastful or arrogant or rude. Most importantly we will be hearing about how God gives us this love as a gift, and how we experience this love in our day to day lives.

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00am to listen to God’s Word, to bring our thanks and praise to God, and to receive God’s love in the Lord’s Supper.

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 7th of January

Most of us feel a naturally affinity with people who speak our language and share our culture. Most of us also feel a natural suspicion of people who speak another language, or who have customs that are foreign to us. Usually the experience of these different feelings doesn’t stop us getting on together in society, but sometimes racial vilification and even violence can occur. It’s then that we wonder about the hope of people of different races living together in harmony.

This Sunday we will be hearing from the Bible about the way God brings people from different races into a real and lasting unity. Through the Jews, and in particular through Jesus, God has brought his commands and promises into our whole world. This means that all people, no matter what their ethnic background, are loved by God, and are called by him to be members of his family. As we place our trust in Christ we get a new way of appreciating the unique aspects of our own culture, while being free to welcome and give thanks for what people of different cultures bring to us.

This Sunday we will be meeting at 9:00am. We will be experiencing the unity that God gives as we together receive the Body and Blood of Christ.