It was another hot day in Tamworth, clocking in at 37.7 degrees Celsius. Fortunately, we spent much of our time indoors, attending all four services at St Peter’s South Tamworth.
We kicked off with the 8am service with the elder saints, some of whom had been at the church for over 45 years. Afterwards, some of us joined them for brunch on the church green, where we were greatly encouraged by their sharp doctrine and persistently godly lives.
At the 10am service, Tom preached on Luke 11 about the “sign of Jonah”, explaining that the right response to God’s pending judgment was to repent and trust in Jesus. As Matt Stones led the kids’ spot, we were all heartened by how well they had been taught the gospel, as they answered our questions better than we could have ourselves!
Lunch at Anzac Park followed, where we were joined by many from across the four services. It was a welcome opportunity to sit on a rare patch of green grass (as Tamworth is in a drought) and to enjoy food and fellowship together.
We returned to the church for a packed 4pm service. There were about 40 kids who got to enjoy Jill and Erin’s telling of the story of Jonah the prophet, and the Jesus “hokey pokey” song. Brian also preached on Luke 11, and reminded us clearly and gently of the need to warn people about looking for “signs” when Jesus is the “best sign” who points to God’s judgment to come.
Brian preached again at the 6pm, which had more young people, including a crowd from Calrossy Anglican School (where we will be teaching Scripture later in the week). The service concluded with a community dinner, which was a rich melting pot of believers across all age groups coming together and sharing lives with one another.
We were incredibly grateful for the chance to participate in the life of the church today, by preaching and sharing our testimonies, doing kids’ spots and music, and sitting alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ in the worship of our God and king.
Please join with us and pray:
- for recovery after a massive Sunday. We have many activities during the week and our day off is on Thursday. Please pray that we will rest well and for enthusiasm for all our plans.
- for the 4pm service. This service is a re-pot of the Saturday 5pm service, and has bloomed in its new time slot. Give thanks for God’s generosity in allowing the service to thrive, and pray that God will continue to bless the service.
- for the men’s pub games evening tomorrow night. It’s a first-time event for the church, and has sold out. Pray for Tom as he gives his testimony, and for all the men who attend.
