Dear friends,
Christmas is coming!
The busyness of this season is perhaps best exemplified by the queues of people trying to get out of Macarthur Square. The new number plate parking system creates metal snakes of frustrated shoppers with their eyes on the clock and hearts set on getting home to get things done. There are endless lists of jobs at home and work that have to happen at this time of year!
But the end is nigh and you will get some time off. One or two days at least. Unless you work at McDonalds or KFC and have a shift on Christmas Day. Then you won’t! But for the majority, things will wind down. Like the battery operated toy that has been overused on Christmas Day that starts to slooowwwww.
And yet things are also winding up!
As a staff, we have been planning and preparing for 2018 for about 2 months. Here is a little taste of what is in store!
- We will be starting the year off with Summer Ministry Training Week (Jan 29-Feb 2), providing an opportunity for all of us to refresh and renew our skills, learn something new and think deeply about various theological and ministry topics. Registration forms will come out after Christmas!
- We will be taking part in a region-wide Mission in March under the theme of Jesus is… This month long engagement with our community will give us the opportunity to preach the Gospel in various ways with help from Moore College students and in collaboration with all the local Anglican Churches. Training and preparation is well underway and through our Growth Groups in early 2018 you will hear more and learn how to get involved.
- Speaking of Growth Groups, our groups will launch on Wednesday January 31 with a combined celebration evening. Each year this is an exciting evening on which we can catch the vision for a year of reading the Bible and growing together.
- Throughout each year we aim to listen to God through different parts of the Bible. We prepare our teaching series well in advance and it never ceases to amaze me how God bring the right passages before us at just the right time. In 2018 we will be working through Luke 9-13, Habakkuk, 1 Corinthians and a renewal of our Mission and Strategy.
Things may be winding down but they are also winding up. Please pray as we finalise preparations for 2018.
Please also pray about your plans for spiritual growth in 2018. Will you join a Growth Group for the first time? Will you read the Bible daily in a WhatsApp group? Will you start in a new ministry? Will you learn how to share your faith with friends and family?
As things wind down, spend a moment contemplating how you will wind up in 2018!
In Christ
Nigel