The Hope of Eternity – Moore Matters Autumn 2021
Emu Plains Mission Day 5
After a quiet morning, our day started off with a fun and useful team activity where Lionel taught us some exercises to improve our speech so that we could speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15) more effectively!
In the afternoon, Roger and Louise (the rector and his wife) explained some of the history of the church and how they navigated conflict when they started at Emu Plains Anglican. We learnt about the importance of healthy conflict (short-term pain for long-term gain), the importance of humility in being open to others’ ideas while holding firmly to biblical truth, and the patience required in bringing change to a church’s culture.
Soon, we were door-knocking, inviting local residents to the church’s Back to Church Sunday and the Easter services. As usual, there were some short ‘not interested’ conversations, but we had a few interesting chats too! One man said he found it difficult to go to church because he was a “wildcat” (as he described himself); we prayed with him and he’s thinking about coming back to church. A young mum recognised that she hadn’t thought much about Jesus or church and realised she needed to think more seriously about it. Another lady heard we were from Emu Plains Anglican and slammed the door shut with a “no!”. And one woman said she had been thinking about coming to church for a while, and that this was a timely invitation to come to church.
Debriefing after our door knocking
The Men’s event at night was a Meat & Meet. We had a delicious spit roast for dinner, and it was a relaxed and friendly environment for church members and their friends to come along to meet each other and hear a short testimony. Sam shared his story of how Jesus changed his life, and how there are costs to discipleship but that the great joy and hope far outweigh the costs. There were good conversations and challenges on what life is about and what it means to respond to Jesus. From the feedback cards, some men are now being followed up for Christianity Explored, coming to church, and reading the Bible with someone!
Sam sharing his testimony at the Men’s Meat & Meet
Prayer points:
- Thank God for Roger, Louise, and the Emu Plains Anglican team, and their hard work in sharing the gospel and growing people as disciples of Christ. Thank God for their wisdom and the lessons they learnt that they were able to pass on to us.
- Pray for those we spoke to during door knocking. Pray that they would be challenged to explore who Jesus really is, that people would come to church, that they would trust in Jesus and be saved.
- Pray for the men who went to the Meat & Meet. Pray that they would be encouraged and challenged by Sam’s testimony and by one another to respond to Jesus in repentance and faith.
Normanhurst Mission 2021 Day 4
Here is a short video from our mission team at the SRE class at Normanhurst Public School.
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St Andrew’s Cathedral School Mission 2021 Day 4
As a mission team, this week has been filled with prayer and thanksgiving to God. Here are some of the things we are praising and praying for, from today.
Thanks and praise:
- For warm sun – change in effect of students, teachers, and enabling people to get to the healing service at the Cathedral easier
- The Cathedral women’s bible study, and Steph’s talk, was clear and helpful in thinking through leadership in the early church in Acts 6
- Thanks for the good discussion in bible studies
- Thanks for the women that come each week, all from different contexts, stages of life, and come from different churches
- Thanks for Ruth, the women’s minister at the Cathedral, and her servant-hearted leadership
- Amani’s talk on Luke 23:44-49 at year 9 and 10 combined chapel, for his gentleness and clarity in communicating Jesus’ innocence and death for our guilt
- Praise and thanks for the Healing Service
- For Chris Allen who runs the service week to week
- For the regular congregants who come weekly to commit themselves and their loved ones to our Lord in prayer
- For James’ talk, on Matt 7, and Jesus’ call to pray like a child to their Father, consistently, confidently in Him, and expectantly
- For those that pray with the congregation members weekly
- For those who are suffering from chronic and devastating illness
- Thanks for Q & As, God’s provision in answering questions in classes
- Thanks for the CRU groups that ran at lunchtime by the team, and the new students that came for the first time
Please pray
- For the students who listened to talks, that they would keep thinking about the truth of the Bible, and move forwards in wherever they are with God
- For the women at the women’s bible study, that they would be helped throughout the week, and be kept firm in the Lord
- A leader ran into a student who had stopped coming to their youth group at church, after a good conversation, and reconnecting a bit, the student communicated he wanted to start coming along again, please pray that he does come, and feels welcomed and cared for, and is able to keep investigating Jesus
- Callum met a man who wandered into the Cathedral, struggling with mental health, and seeking community, numbers were exchanged, and the gentleman expressed he would come to the 8.30 am service on Sunday – please pray that he comes, and is enveloped well into the community, and moreover relationship with Jesus
- Those who were new to the lunchtime CRU group would continue to come and learn more about Jesus
- For those involved in the healing service ministry, that the Lord would sustain them; for the congregation who attended, that they would pray without ceasing, and abide in the Lord daily
Maitland Mission 2021 Day 4
The Hunter Region keeps on delivering. Today we went out door-knocking the neighbourhood in an effort to build bridges between Maitland Evangelical Church (MEC) and the community. Where we did have open doors, we were received warmly with most of the community receptive to a flyer and greeting at the least. Matt Stone was engaged in an almost hour-long conversation with a member of the community who was open to chatting about spiritual matters, Jesus and the church.
We spent the 2nd half of the morning setting up for MEC’s Mission focused ‘Kindle’ event. It aims to reignite, as it were, the fire for evangelism amongst the community. The oil torches were brought out, the fire pit set up, and the necessary atmospheric feature to every modern Christian event – fairy lights. The format of the event is a hybrid fruit of COVID-19 times with a 40-odd live audience and then the rest of the church tuning in through live stream with their home groups. Our mission teams’ vibe experts came out to play and flourish in their gifting.
Some of the team went with Roger Burgess, the lead pastor of MEC, to the Maitland Ministers Association to gain insight into the regional collaboration efforts and dynamics of the region.
God blessed the ‘Kindle’ event with an encouraging testimony from Julian Yin interviewed by Marion Guthrie. Hosea Luy developed and ran the night in collaboration with the MEC team. Many were very encouraged and spurred on by the talk he gave and accessible training.
Tomorrow starts early with Hosea and Julian being taken on a lycra-clad road cycling tour of Maitland by Steve from the MEC staff team. The team will then be given a masterclass on Youth ministry by Erich who’s also on the MEC team. Zaneta Neal and Marion Guthrie from our team will be joining a panel of other women sharing about True Joy found in Jesus at the evening event “Holy Guacamole”, an evangelistic women’s event.
Please pray in thanks for the Kindle event tonight and how well it was run. Please pray that the members of MEC would continue to be encouraged to evangelise and witness to their friends and family. Give thanks for the teamwork involved tonight and please pray for continued energy and unity for the college team.
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Farewelling Glenn Davies as Archbishop
Today, 25 March 2021, the Most Rev. Glenn N. Davies retires as Archbishop of Sydney and consequently as President of the Moore College Governing Board. Glenn’s involvement with Moore College stretches back over four decades. After four years of theological study at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, he completed his theological preparation for ministry with a year at Moore College in 1980. He returned to the College in 1983, when he was appointed a junior lecturer by Dr D. B. Knox. During that time, he taught the current Principal a number of subjects including Biblical Set Books, Hebrew and the Book of Deuteronomy.
After three years studying for his PhD in New Testament at the University of Sheffield, Glenn returned to the College in 1988 to lecture in New Testament and to serve for some time as the College Registrar. In 1995 Glenn resigned from the Faculty to become the Rector of St Luke’s at Miranda (1995–2001), Bishop of North Sydney (2001–2013) and then Archbishop of Sydney (2013–2021). However, during that time he served on the Moore College Council and later the Governing Board, first as a member (1999–2013) and then as its President (2013–2021).
The College has benefitted greatly from Glenn’s lengthy association with it. His deep understanding of, and commitment to, the College’s mission has meant that he has been a source of great encouragement to successive principals. Glenn’s wife Di, a faithful prayer supporter of the College throughout that time, has likewise been a strong support and encouragement to successive principals’ wives. Their continued interest in the students, the faculty and the staff has been remarkable and greatly valued.
Glenn’s faithfulness in his service of God’s people and his example of patient, steady, obedient Christian discipleship has been a great blessing far beyond the College. His wise and godly leadership in a variety of spheres has been remarked upon by Christians, as well as by those in the wider community, time and again. His resolute stand for biblical truth, always taken with graciousness towards those with whom he disagrees, has been exemplary. His prayerfulness and gentle pastoral care is a treasured memory for many. He has been not only a pastor, biblical scholar, theologian and leader but he has at each point imitated Christ and drawn our attention to him.
Today we give thanks for Glenn and his ministry and for the many ways in which he has promoted, defended and helped to guide the work of the College. He has taken every opportunity to draw attention to the importance of that work and to commend it to others. We are very grateful and look forward to his continued involvement with the College, albeit in a different capacity.
