Next generation ministries at SCPC have been critical to our heartbeat over the last 25 years.

It is so exciting to be part of a church family where its leaders, elders, Committee of Management (CoM) and staff are proactive about how to give generously of their time, skills and money to grow and extend this vital ministry.

Here are some ways you can be thoughtful and partner with this critical demography…

Firstly, pray for our Mum and Me Time ministry. Last week at our CoM meeting we had a report from them and we heard about the many, many community mums that are coming along weekly and benefiting from the ministry. We rejoice in the incredible opportunity the Lord has provided! But the challenge of this growth is retaining a warm, generous and gospel culture, generated from SCPC mums and mentors. We currently have less mums from SCPC than community mums, and it’s a delicate balance to handle. So, pray for proactivity and creativity for the SCPC directors of Mum and Me Time over the next 6 to 12 months as they consider how to negotiate that space. It would be great to see more preschool families connect with our heart at SCPC [2] over the coming years, and make SCPC home.

Secondly, the NSW school holiday break is almost upon us. As you may know, during school holiday time we request holiday helpers from the extended church family to serve in our Sunday kids program. This allows our kids team to take a well-earned break and come back a little refreshed for the next term. The Sundays the program requires helpers are July 7, 14 and 21. If you are interested in helping you will need current Breaking the Silence training along with a valid Working with Children Check number. To indicate your interest, or ask questions, email office@spcc.org.au

Finally, pray for our Next Generation Pastor role in 2025. We have been in conversation with the denomination and theological colleges about graduates etc. but as many churches are finding, there are more roles than there are pastors and ministry workers! [1] I am due to visit Sydney-based theological colleges in August (on behalf of the Northern Rivers Presbytery) and this may provide another opportunity to connect with critical parties in this space.

What a joy it is to work with the next generation – the curiosity, the enthusiasm and the wonder as they come to understand the depth of our Father’s love for them is magical. So, can I spur you on to pray for this demography at SCPC (including the ministry of Mum and Me Time)? Please also consider if you can serve in our Sunday kids program this coming school holiday break and give generously to the ministry of SCPC so we can provide robust gospel resources and personnel to this significant stage of life.

I have been reading through Proverbs in my quiet time over the last fortnight, so many powerful or challenging little grabs. Here is one from Proverbs 22:6 as we think about precious little lives:
Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

SP
___________________________________________

[1] I have checked in occasionally on the website of QTC in Brisbane and found the roles currently available and in 2025 only growing, none disappearing! Pray for the Lord of the Harvest to raise gospel workers in our country and beyond!! (Matthew 9).

[2] We have tried to reconnect with Colin Buchanan’s team about a visit from him in 2025 at SCPC.

Safari is coming up!

Have your youth registered!?! If not, make sure to do it soon as it’s an opportunity too good to miss! The youth team are chasing registrations by Sunday, June 30th.

What makes SCPC’s week-long youth camp (Safari) so excellent? 18 months ago I read a biography of the prominent 20th century Christian leader, John Stott. It was an excellent read. It was super great to hear about his journey to faith. Significant in it was a camp run by Scripture Union in Britain. They seemed quite persuaded that a five-day camp was a brilliant forum to allow teenagers room to consider and think through the claims of Christ. I couldn’t believe it as I read it! I straight away thought of our five-day youth camp, Safari! So excited was I, that I took photos of the pages and sent it to two of our past MTS apprentices who had co-led the camp with me in the past with the caption “The special ingredients to Safari”!

So, I can’t wait to hear reports back from Safari 2024 and the way those special ingredients work like magic, fuelled by the word of God and the illuminating power of the Holy Spirit.

I understand that not everyone at SCPC is impacted by Safari and a good twenty percent may not really understand what all the fuss is about. But Cam and the youth team put in a huge amount of effort to make Safari happen.

So, can I encourage all of us to consider who from your Gospel Community is due to attend? Ask them how they are feeling about it? You might like to enquire with the family and see if they need financial support to get all their kids there.

Also, you might think about who in your street might be able to go… A few years ago, I tentatively door- knocked two families on our street about whether their teenagers would be interested. I had no idea what they would say and I expected the door to slam! But, it was much better than I expected. In fact, one of the teenagers in our street came. Similarly, have a listen to the shock John Stott experienced when he invited a friend. John, like me, expected a NO! But this was the response from his friend: I said straight away I would like to come. He told me later that he (John Stott) was quite overwhelmed by the response. I was the normal hard swearing school boy, I suppose, no faith at all… my parents occasionally taking me to church. John had prayed about this approach to me and had been fairly certain he would be rebuffed. [1]

This teenager went along to the camp, and there found Christ for himself. How cool is that!?!

Safari is coming up really soon, on July 13-17, with Safari Sunday on July 21. Please pray that even teenagers with messy lives would come and meet the faithful God.

Let me finish with the powerful conversion story of Zacchaeus from Luke 19:
1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he
was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I
must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my
possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the
amount.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of
Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

SP
_____________________________________

[1] Dudley-Smith, John Stott: The making of a leader. (London: IVP, 1999), p102.

Our annual MTS info night is a cracker of a night!

It’s one of the most important nights of the year – because it’s our future. They say the gospel doesn’t die in a church overnight. It dies in a generation.

So, a night like this is a night that may only see fruit in 5 years’ time, or maybe longer. Does everyone there on a night like that have the time for it? I imagine at some point on Wednesday, probably everyone who attended thought “I’m not sure I have the energy to make tonight happen. I might not go!” I felt a bit that way myself, but as one of the hosts I needed to go. Yes, even on State of Origin night! QUEENSLANDER! [1]

But I am so pleased I went and was encouraged from God’s word in Matthew 6:25-34, and challenged about what the big goal for the Aussie dream is (earlier retirement!). Yet, it is just a mirage, always failing to bring the contentment, joy and security we dream of. So, we were encouraged by Pete B from Christ Community Church in Brisbane, to get a bigger vision for life.

This vision of life was extended by Carmel V [2] and Russ S [3] from MTS as they shared a little about their story of being disciple making disciples, who make disciples. IT was also an opportunity to refocus on the needs of the harvest [4] with sensible wisdom about what that might take emotionally, financially and relationally.

It was a really exciting night. Hence, the 2025 date is booked (with the provision to shift by a week to avoid Origin). In keeping with our desire to collaborate with Northern Rivers Churches [5], in 2025 we are off to Kyogle for MTS info night!

In twelve month’s time I reckon I’ll be equally busy, maybe more. But this night is one of the first nights I book into my Google calendar….
It is our future.
It is the Kingdom’s future.
It is the vision of our King.

To sign off, another verse for you to commit ‘off by heart’ is the key verse for MTS Australia and
SO critical to our heartbeat at SCPC:
And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people
who will also be qualified to teach others. 2 Timothy 2:2

SP

____________________________________________

[1] Yes that’s right I grew up in South East Queensland and passionately support the Maroon’s Rugby League team.
[2] Carmel is the Events Coordinator for MTS and bravely shared her story of faith and growth as a disciple-maker.
[3] MTS Training Director.
[4] Matthew 9:35-38.
[5] Our gospel partner, Trent M from Alstonville Baptist Church, kindly hosted us on Wednesday night.