Weekly Letter – 7th September, 2020

My dear sisters and brothers,

Our God answers prayer!

By now you will have heard the great news about Jason and Heather Veitch and their family coming to lead Campbelltown Anglican Churches early in 2021.

It’s not only that we are now rejoicing that an appointment has been accepted, but I know we can rejoice that it is Jason whom God has led to us. Some would say that’s because a church can never have too many Jason’s!

I know Jason and Heather, have been in contact with them since the 1990’s when I first knew them, and am delighted they are bringing their own particular contributions to us. I look forward to seeing what God will do through them as the gospel continues to go out through St Peter’s and St Andrew’s to our communities and the world beyond.

The job of parish Nominator is perhaps the most important job in a church. The work they do – mostly behind the scenes – can result in a church attempting great things for God and his kingdom, or the opposite. I don’t mean setting up great new programs, whizz-bang activities with cutting edge innovation. These things may or may not be involved.

I mean more faithful proclaiming and living by the gospel of the Lord Jesus in an increasingly resistant world.

I mean more deep dependence on God in all things.
I mean deeper and more Christ-like loving of one another.
I mean growing in love for the lost in all the world.

God has worked through the Nominators and the Archbishop to give us Jason. I believe under his leadership our churches will indeed attempt great things for God which will be revealed in all their glory at the Last Day.

I know Jason is working really hard to “leave well” from St George North parish. Please pray for our brothers and sisters there as they adjust to this news, and for the Veitch family in all the preparations to journey West.

Our God does answer prayer! Thank you from all of us to the Nominators. Your prayerful hard work has produced great fruit. We thank you.

Meanwhile ….
God continues to answer our prayers. Just last week a lady, contacted through Junior Jivers, was saved through giving her life to Jesus Christ. Praise Him.! There are others in contact with us through the JJ team keen to find out more about Jesus. Pray for this to be true of more and more people. Friday Youth has seen at least one young person come back from a dark place because he knows Jesus is the only thing that makes sense. Another has also concluded that Jesus is the only credible answer to the deep questions of life.

And on Friday last week Leanne conducted the funeral of Ross Cooper, husband of Rhonda. Rhonda and her family, in the midst of their sorrow, rejoice that in the last weeks of his life, Ross gave himself to the Saviour. Rhonda and friends had been praying for Ross over many years. God continues to answer our prayers!

Besides praying for each of these folk, can I ask you also to pray for our two schools, St Peter’s Primary and Broughton College. Each week from now on we will have one or two fresh matters for prayer from each school included in our News. We will also ask them to pray for us.

Why? They are “our” schools, established primarily to reach our community with the gospel of the Lord Jesus.

Their work is spiritual as well as educational and therefore requires the use of spiritual means to undertake and support it.

Here are this week’s requests:

Broughton College:
* Pray for all the Year 12 students, affected in extra ways from other students by the Covid epidemic.
* Pray for Chaplain Mark Schroder as he ministers the gospel in chapel services

St Peter’s Primary:
*  Pray for Covid not to have a detrimental effect on enrolments.
*  Pray for Simon, Leanne and Mick as they conduct school Chapels each week.

And pray for the members of the Campbelltown Anglican Schools Council to have great wisdom and gospel focus as they meet to make decisions for the schools during the pandemic and beyond.

Finally, we rejoice to know that dozens and dozens of people outside of “normal” church contact watch our online services each week. Praise God for them, and pray for God to save many.

Pray for me as I pray for you,
In Christ Jesus,

Deryck Howell
Acting Senior Rector