Welcome to The Pastors’ Pen, an update for life at Southern Cross.
You will note this week’s again is in written form. As pastors, we are committed to keeping you informed about life at Southern Cross and, when appropriate or required, we will do a video recording of The Pastors’ Post.
Sadly, Betsy Cunningham, our Equip and Lounge Room speaker for this term has had to decline her visit due to a recent change in employment. We are, however, excited to say that Liz Young, a brethren leader from the district, and John Bradshaw, an elder from St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Grafton, will join us for Equip One. The theme of our first Equip for the year is ‘Intimate: taking the rush out of our relationship with Christ’. John will stay overnight in Lismore, ready for The Lounge Room the next day. John is a recently retired medical doctor and will share his experiences working in that field and how he lives for Jesus and shares him today in his retirement. Sadly, I will miss both Equip and The Lounge Room due to Reach Australia training in Sydney that I need to attend as part of our consultancy with Reach Australia in 2022 and 2023.
However, can I encourage retirees to get along to The Lounge Room and suggest you all to make the most of the Equip training. Surely there is no greater training that we could participate in than growing in our intimacy with Christ!
Finally, for the sake of Christ’s name and honour in our city Lismore, can I plead with you to consider joining us for Breaking the Silence Training. This training is so crucial to our mission to grow followers of Jesus. How can we grow Christ’s church if abuse is present in it? What a horrible tragedy. Do you love God? Do you love his people? Do you love the people of this world? Then consider joining us next Saturday 12th February at Lismore High School for Safe Church Training through the Conduct Protocol Unit of the Presbyterian Church in NSW.
For Jesus loves kids, youth, young adults and even the oldies. Remember this precious verse from Jesus’ lips in Matthew chapter 19 and verses 13 and 14:
13 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. 14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Our Gospel Community Leadership Groups (GCLGs) will meet this Thursday 3rd Feb at 7:15pm for a 7:30pm start at Park Ave. DNAs will return the following week. For your own personal preparation, here is an introductory study for 1 Corinthians.
Welcome to The Pastors’ Post, an update for life at Southern Cross.
This week’s Pastors’ Post is in written form only. I found I had no time to record the visuals and put it up on YouTube. So rather than not doing one at all, I would just provide the written form.
‘Go Sunday’ is this weekend. It is an important moment for our church family as we embark on the new year together following the summer holidays.
Many of our staff team have continued to work over the summer. Of course, not all plans have gone as we intended. On Tuesday 4th January, our staff photos were cancelled due to the rain. Some staff then found themselves in isolation—more close calls. Contingencies put in place, revised and adjusted. Yet we have made it across the summer. This Sunday, Jess E will observe in the kids’ program before leading the kids’ team at East Lismore next weekend. Peita began her role as Ministry Coordinator on Jan 17th, and Gabby serving from Sunday the 23rd. James R has been working away across the summer, picking up loose tasks, including M’s visit. We are thankful to Ritchie for his enthusiasm and eagerness to serve.
Again we will aim to have ZOOM available for GO Sunday at 9:45am. We expect to do some forms of commissioning for staff and ministry teams, which may be difficult to broadcast, but we will do our best.
Finally, pray for our Long Lunch that is occurring tomorrow at Woodview. Pray for Ian, Jill, Scott, Bronwyn, Susan and me. We have enjoyed preparing for it but at times thought: Should we say more? Should we say less? So please ask that our father God would give us calm and clarity as we explore the speed of love with some from our church family. But if you missed out, you might like to invite one of the guests over for lunch and get a small taste from them. I guess the great desire we have for this lunch and our church family is that we might see how incredible Christ is and that we might find rest, contentment and joy in him. Do you remember this powerful saying from Jesus?:
35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
