Category: From Nigel Fortescue

Dear Friends,

You may have noticed that there are a number of “new” opportunities we are beginning in 2016. It’s certainly an exciting time as we pursue our vision to be a growing Christian community devoted to maturing in Jesus for the Glory of God.

In December we participated in a short version of the NCLS survey to take the temperature of our church and see where we were at in terms of ministry and mission. The results have been surprising and I will talk more about them at our AGMs in March and April. But for now, it was exciting to see that 77% of people agree or strongly agree that our church is always ready to try something new – and we are.

An interest meeting for the Blessed Assurance Ministry for persons with a dementia and their carers was held this week and a great crew of people assembled to hear more and consider being involved. The Jesus Club Ministry for adults with an intellectual disability will have its interest meeting in a few weeks time. Friday Kids has transformed into Junior Jivers a musical playgroup and 12 new people came last Friday. On Sunday Leanne will be launching a new Friendship Group that will run on Mondays monthly for over 55s. And finally, we have started taking expressions of interest for people willing to be involved in a new Healing Service that will run monthly on Sunday afternoons where people will have the opportunity to pray, hear the Word of God and receive support.

We’d dearly love you to pray for all these new opportunities but also, we would dearly love you to consider whether you would like to be involved. There are many in our church with gifts and passions for ministry who are yet to find their ideal place to serve. We do hope that laying these opportunities before you will prompt you to consider becoming involved. If you can talk, walk, pour listen, pray, cut, paste, run, catch or just be friendly, you can serve in one of these new ministries.

If you are not sure what your gifts are or whether you would be the right person to serve in one of these ministries, please ask. We are only too keen to work with you to equip you and mobilise you for service.

In Christ

Nigel

 

Dear Friends,

As a church we work with many vulnerable people and it is important that we treat them appropriately with kindness and Gospel-shaped grace. It is of course important that everyone is treated in this way, but the vulnerable can easily be forgotten or hurt.

One of the most vulnerable groups in our midst are children. They are often powerless and usually at the mercy of the adults who are given responsibility to care for them.

In recognition of this, the Anglican Church now requires all people involved with caring for and ministering to children to do two things.

First, all people involved in caring for and ministering to children must do the Anglican Church approved Safe Ministry Training. Many professions require you to do Safe Working with Children programs however, such programs cannot be accredited to replace the Anglican Church Safe Ministry Training. Once completed, a refresher is completed every three years. Dates for training are 28th February (Refresher) and 13th March (Full Course). If you are unsure as to whether you should do the training or where you are up to in the three year cycle, please come and do it again. If you are not Safe Ministry Trained, you will not be able to continue with your ministry to children or vulnerable persons in Term 2, 2016.

Second, all people involved in caring for and ministering to children must apply for a Working With Children Check (WWCC). You start this process by going to www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au. You make an application and they send you a temporary WWCC number. You must then go to the RMS and identify yourself again after which the check takes place and clearance (or otherwise) is provided. You must then provide the office with your WWCC number for verification. If you do not have a WWCC that has been verified by our office you will not be able to minister to children.

There are some very limited exceptions to both of the above arrangements and if you wish to discuss those, please speak to me or our Safe Ministry Representative, Kerry Olsen.

It is actually our preference that everyone in our church does both the Safe Ministry Training and acquires a WWCC. This not only creates a helpful culture of transparency but also a culture of understanding. The more eyes that both see and understand, the better. If you have any questions about this, please speak to me or one of the Wardens.

Thanks

Nigel

Dear Friends,

 In 1 Thessalonians 2 Paul describes his ministry as being like a mother and father to the Thessalonians. He cared for them like a mother cares for her children, loving them and sharing his life with them. He dealt with them like a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging them to live lives worthy of God. It is a remarkable and challenging image – not just for the way it describes a parents task but for the way it describes the ministry task.

 As parents there are moments of joy and celebration and moments of instruction and discipline. The ministry task is the same and equally important, exciting and draining.

 This speaks of course to the expectations you might have as a church member. The Anglican Church takes safe ministry seriously and works hard to ensure its staff and all church members who are involved in ministry to young people and the vulnerable are trained and held accountable.

 If this describes you, including all those considering joining our Dementia and Jesus Club ministries, you must do Safe Ministry Training. See the dates under MINISTRY in the newsletter.

 On top of this, all our staff, parish council, ministry leaders and growth group leaders are bound by the Anglican Church’s protocol for behavior in ministry called Faithfulness in Service. You can find copies of it on the Sydney Anglican Church website. But safe ministry stretches beyond people to property and programs too.

 Parish Council have a process of risk management that cover all our church sites including St Andrew’s, St Peter’s and other locations where ministry takes place to ensure that the risks associated with using those spaces are managed well.

 As a member of church, you are responsible to ensure you are trained in appropriate ways for the ministry you are doing – particularly with children where you must undertake safe ministry training and soon obtain a Working With Children Check number.

 Additionally, we would love you to speak to the Wardens or ministry staff when you see things that are not quite right; that is, people acting strangely, buildings looking unsafe, or programs of concern. As a community we want to work together to have increasingly safe ministry through which we can honour and speak of Jesus to see the world won for Christ.

 In Christ

Nigel

Dear Friends

Living as a Christian in our world is not always easy. In fact sometimes it is just downright hard. There are all sorts of reasons that people find the Christian life hard – personal struggle, persecution and doubt are just three of a long list. When people around you are rejoicing in God and you feel like you are walking through knee deep mud, the matter sometimes compounds.

 If you feel like this, two things are important to grasp hold of. First, the Christian life is not lived alone and second, God is not unaware of your struggles. Both of these things come together in the Bible where God constantly instructs us to encourage each other.

 There are a myriad of passages we could point to with this instruction; here is one:

See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today’, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. (Hebrews 3:12, 13)

 You have a responsibility to your fellow believers. Your responsibility is encouragement. How might you do “encouragement”? The Bible makes it clear that it involves words that uplift or embolden faith. So here is a place to start…

 When you see a Christian friend, share something you have learnt from God; ask them how they are going with God; pray with them for issues that are on their mind; help them to work through their struggles or discouragements by offering to meet, talk, pray, or walk alongside as they struggle.

 I wonder how often we actually start conversations like this after church, after our Growth Groups or over dinners or coffees? Do you encourage people with news of Jesus or with news from MKR, your sports team or your child’s latest exploit? You may find that starting an encouraging conversation about Jesus may actually turn into an opportunity for you to be encouraged and for your friend to be deeply cared for.

 Have a go, then let us know how it went via a Next Steps Card. We’d love to pray for you.

 In Christ

Nigel

Dear Friends,

Thanks for your prayers over the last few weeks as Nicky, the kids and I travelled to Katoomba, Moama and Geelong for some holidays. Holidays are refreshing and spending time with family and good friends was particularly enjoyable. We give thanks to God for the time we had away!

As this new year begins, I call on you to pray with me for our church that we might be a growing Christian community devoted to maturing in Jesus for the Glory of God. There is lots going on in our community and today I just want to pass on all sorts of news.

Mark Schroder finished ministry at church on Christmas Day and has begun his new role as Chaplain at Broughton Anglican College. Please pray for Mark and for the Wardens and me as we consider how best to staff our youth and children’s ministry.

Mick Bullen begins work with us this Sunday and will be our Mission Minister. We are looking forward to having him encourage each of us to help one person come to know Jesus and join our community in the next 5 years.

 Jesus Club and Blessed Assurance Dementia Ministry are both about ready to launch information sessions. Please watch out for those soon.

Growth Groups are about to start for the year but first up is the Launch Night next Wednesday at 7.30pm in the Church. Come and catch the vision for a great year of maturing in Jesus.

Scripture (SRE) is about to launch for the year and we are in need of volunteers to teach and help on Wednesday mornings between 9-11am. The privilege of going into schools to teach children is enormous and we want to do it well. Please speak to me or fill in a Next Steps Card if you are interested. Training Is provided and WWCC and Safe Ministry Certificates are necessary.

The Food Distribution Ministry undertaken from the St Andrew’s Church building needs more helpers. Opportunities to serve are available at various times throughout the week as we receive more and more donations. Email food@campbelltownanglican.org or fill in a Next Steps Card.

Celebrate Recovery is a formal 12-step Christ-centered program for people who feel trapped by addictive, compulsive and dysfunctional behaviours. It seeks to free people for a better relationship with God and others. If you would benefit from participating in the program speak to a member of staff and you will be given confidentiality and compassion.

There is always something happening in our Growing Christian Community. See you in Church.

In Christ

Nigel Fortescue

As another wonderful Christmas season draws to a close so does Mark Schroder’s ministry among us. Mark was one of the first people I met in Campbelltown – we were introduced by Stephen Bomford because of our shared interest in cycling. He was a tall primary school teacher with a passion for youth ministry. I was a green Senior Minister hunting for someone to take the youth and children’s ministry out of the doldrums. Inviting Mark onto the team with Leanne and I was perhaps the easiest decision I have made in ministry.

He set to work creating new connections with Broughton and St Peter’s, with local schools and families. Thoughtfully, theologically, creatively and passionately Mark renovated the ministry over five years to create a clear and cohesive pathway for young people to connect with Jesus and be saved. It wasn’t all plain sailing and there were moments where the change was hard and caused tension but Mark’s passion, decisiveness and clarity of thought has meant the outcomes were positive for the gospel. Gospel engagement over good entertainment has been our goal. Anyone can draw a crowd, few train the next generation of gospel leaders.

There is so much to give thanks to God for. We have more than 100 young people connected to 10am. We have more than 150 young people being taught the bible every week. We have 50 young adults in growth groups and serving in ministry. Mark has driven all of that and if you’ve had your eyes open you have seen it happening. But there are many things you would not have seen that are worth noting.

Mark has put a lot of effort into growing Scripture at Campbelltown East Primary School. Mark has walked alongside our HSC students to keep perspective. Mark has taken young people on training camps to equip them for a lifetime of Christian service. Mark has visited young people in hospital. Mark has caught up with countless young people struggling with existential questions and doubt over milkshakes, slurpees and Kings Chips. He’s also been pursuing further theological study to sharpen his thinking and skills.

As you can see, he leaves a big 195cm tall man shaped hole in our ministry. But I am confident that the people he has trained and encouraged are more than competent to continue things on until we seek a replacement.

So as the sun goes down on this Christmas Day, so does it go down on Mark’s time among us. We’ve become friends, competitors on the bike and partners in ministry and I thank God for Mark. I also thank God for his appointment as Chaplain at Broughton. Under God, I am expecting good things such as we have seen among us.

Thanks Mark. It’s been great. And thankfully, it still will be.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Declaring what we believe is a fundamental aspect of Christian faith. Christians are exhorted to ‘declare the wonderful deeds of him who called us out of darkness into his marvellous light’ (1 Peter 2:9). We should therefore never be ashamed to ‘tell of his salvation from day to day’ (Psalm 96:2). Christmas provides us with an excellent opportunity to do just that.

In the midst of our preparations, our present-buying and card-sending in the lead-up to Christmas Day, we should declare the salvation of our God, joining the angels’ praise: ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those with whom he is pleased’ (Luke 2:14).

The wonder of Christmas, of course, is that God became human and took on created flesh. The virgin birth was necessary to God’s plan of salvation, so that the man born to Mary was seen to be both fully human (born of a woman) and yet without sin (not born in the usual way). If Jesus had been conceived by the physical union of Mary and Joseph, then there would be no differentiation from their other children (Matthew 13:55-56; Mark 6:3), each of whom were born into sin, as are all who inherit Adam’s sinful nature. That Jesus was conceived by Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit, not only makes Jesus unique, it enables him to be fully human yet without sin. God had been planning this event from eternity, and the initial fulfilment in King Ahaz’ day has now been superseded by the virgin birth of Jesus—God with us.

Of course, the question naturally arises, as to why Mary’s own sinful nature would not also have contaminated Jesus’ conception. This was of such concern in the early church that a mythology of Mary’s sinlessness arose in order to counter any suggestion of Jesus’ being contaminated and thus safeguard his sinless nature. However, this false teaching fails at two levels. First, the biblical witness makes it clear that Mary needed to be saved. If she were sinless, she could not have sung: ‘My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour’ (Luke 2). Second, it fails the logic test in that if God could enable Mary to be born sinless (the so called ‘immaculate conception’) from two parents each with a sinful nature, why could not God enable Jesus to be born sinless, despite his mother’s sinful nature.  If the premise of the Roman Catholic doctrine of a sinless Mary was really true, namely that sinless nature cannot be born of sinful nature, then it would require an infinite regression of Mary’s lineage for her to be born sinless. However, such speculation is idle and unnecessary, for the power of God was at work in Jesus’ conception whereby he could inherit a nature which was truly human and be one like us, yet without inheriting a sinful nature.

Unless the Son of God were to become fully human, we could not be saved. Unless Jesus were sinless he could neither fulfil God’s law in its entirety nor become the perfect sacrifice for sin. Yet God’s gift is that ‘he who knew no sin became sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God’ (2 Cor 5:21).

The virgin birth is therefore a doctrine to be believed and proclaimed. Without it we would still be in our sins; with it, we have access to the Father for our brother Jesus, who shares our nature, has lived the life we could not live and died the death that we deserve.

Glenn Davies, Archbishop of Sydney

Lots of organisations have great ideas and yet fail because they are unable to execute them. Others fail because they execute but don’t measure. Others because they execute and don’t evaluate, learn and change. Failure is common when all these processes are not pursued with vigour.

Our new Vision Statement and Strategies are in place. So what comes next? What will stop us from failing?

These are great questions to be asking. They are the right questions for the staff and Parish Council to be asking – and not just asking but answering and acting upon.

As a staff we have started to create measurables for each of our areas of responsibility and the various ministries that go on month by month. We have already spoken about our desire to see everyone bring someone to know Jesus and join our church in the next 5 years. This is the first of our measurables and we will be releasing more as the new year starts and our staff movements are complete!

We then need to be putting plans together to achieve our measurables in accordance with our vision and 5Ms. This means some change in most things across the church – the modes of leadership, processes and structure and purpose of all our work needs to be rethought. But once the thinking is done, those plans need to get off the paper and be executed.

We then need to be looking at and listening to what is happening – are we meeting measurables? Are we remaining focussed on our Vision and 5Ms? Are plans being executed and if not why not? These are the questions we have to be asking throughout the year.

But we also need to know now where we are at, what people are thinking, and what our key focus areas need to be.

To that end, this Sunday in church you will be participating in a mini-NCLS Survey called the M20. It takes a quarter the time, is a quarter the size and focussed on vision and mission. We are glad to have the opportunity provided by the diocese to participate in this survey that will give us accurate and current data to help us plan for 2016 and beyond. The beautiful thing is that unlike NCLS this data will be back to us in a week – unlike NCLS that takes 6 months to obtain. We will use what you tell us to guide us.

Thanks for your help in this and we look forward to sharing the data with you in the weeks ahead.

I am sure at some point in the next three weeks you will find yourself asking, is Christmas worth all the fuss? Is it worth celebrating in such an enormous way, with all the presents and people, the shopping expeditions and the traffic jams? Should we just ignore Christmas altogether?

I want to encourage you to see afresh that Christmas is absolutely worth all the fuss because at Christmas we celebrate an event of enormous proportions.

The Bible speaks of some shepherds who were responsible for the welfare of their master’s sheep. One night, angels appear to them and announce that a child had been born – no ordinary child – it was Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world.

When they hear the announcement, the shepherds hurry off, leaving behind their sheep, to find the child. They think it is worth risking the sheep and therefore their livelihood to go and find out more about this child. It is worth leaving everything to seek this child.

When they find Mary and Joseph, and the baby, they discover that the arrival of this child is good news of great joy for all people. They discover that Jesus came to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. He came to secure for us a relationship with God. This is huge news. This is gigantic. And it is this news that we miss amidst the fuss!

We can be so busy tending our sheep, doing all that is required of us at Christmas that we miss the point; that we miss the news; that we fail to ponder what it is all about. We end up making a big fuss over everything except what we should make a fuss over. We end up so wearied by the sheep, that we miss the shepherd.

Can I ask you, to just make sure this Christmas, you stop, amidst the fuss, and consider Jesus Christ, born to bring you to God.

Three ways to do that:

1. Get onto some Advent Readings – even a few days late – and spend time each day reading your Bible and reminding yourself how awesome Jesus is.
2. Peel back some of the fuss – make one less salad; buy one less present; go to one less event. Make some time to have some time to remember what it is all about.
3. Invite a friend who does not know Jesus to church or carols. Sharpen your Christmas by remembering that there are many for whom the true meaning of Christmas is hidden behind Santas, wrapping paper and queues. Take the opportunity to introduce a friend to the real reason for the fuss.

You might have noticed that the name of the card you are given when you arrive at church has changed! This is not just mere cosmetics – the new card is designed to create a fundamental shift in the way we think about what happens at church.

Last week I mentioned in a few services Couch to 5K. It is a step by step running program that is designed to help anyone of any level of fitness to run 5km non-stop. The key to the program is following the steps. If you are sitting on the couch eating a tub of ice cream, the idea of running 5km is ridiculous. But the idea of walking down the street for 20 minutes is probably not. And that is where it starts. You go step by step, improving all the time working towards the goal.

The Christian life is much the same. Or should be. Step by step, working towards the goal. But preachers like me have often not acknowledged this and have painted a picture of the Christian life and Christian discipleship that is practically unattainable. To be sure, the Bible speaks in absolute terms – take for example Ephesians 4:

³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

The idea of ridding yourself of all anger/ hate/ lust/ sin might sound ridiculous. But what if I told you it was a step by step process? What if I told you to work hard at it with the Spirit and to keep improving? What if I asked you this: what is the next step for you in squelching your sin? That is an easier question and a realistic one that you can prayerfully work on now. Anyone can take one step towards being more Christ-like!

The Next Steps Card is designed to help you do just that… take the next step in your Christian walk. Each week in church, we want you to consider filling it in. Perhaps you will write your next step and take that card home to remind you. You can also hand it in and we will pray for you, remind you of your next step via email or phone and guide you where you need help. The choice is yours.

But we’re doing this so we don’t see church as just a moment in our week but as a growing opportunity. This is the shift the Next Step card helps us to make.

We don’t want anyone to stand still. We are called to be growing together in Christ. Let’s encourage one another in this often.