On August 15 after 5pm we’re going to be having dinner together and hearing about Katie Pearson’s time in Egypt, as well as the ministry of Hope Myanmar Partnership. This is particularly an opportunity for people from 10am and 5pm congregations to come along, who haven’t had a chance to hear from Katie about her time in Egypt last year.

I wanted to share a segment of an email I received from one of our church members tonight…

“Just thought I’d let you know that I have (finally) written a letter about the Scripture/ethics classes to send to the various people on your list - I have 4 envelopes stamped and sealed and ready to post! I kept feeling a certain reluctance to sit down and actually write the thing, which I’m not sure can be wholly attributed to laziness (though I’m sure it’s a factor!). But once I did, the letter came very easily. I’m sure the devil uses our laziness and apathy. Thanks for providing the guidelines for the letter so it was really very easy once I got around to it… and be encouraged!”

I was enormously encouraged by this and I thought it might encourage those of you who have really wanted to send a letter yet have not written the letters to act!

I pray that you won’t let laziness or apathy get the better of you… why not write your letter now?

Well here it is… Scripture vs Ethics #3.

If you are passionate about seeing Scripture in schools then come to my place TONIGHT!! 7.30pm let me know if you need my address. We will be hearing some encouraging Scripture stories, praying and being informed on the Ethics versus Scripture debate and praying some more.

I would love to see you there.

Here is a document which will help you write a letter to voice your opinions on the Scripture vs Ethics debate…

Crafting a letter

I have also included in the above document names and addresses of the relevant people involved so you know who to write your letters to!

I hope this is helpful. Please let me know if you do decide to write a letter - it would be enormously encouraging for me to hear.

See you tonight!

Our missionaries who we support at HBC are part of our church family, even if we don’t get to see them face to face regularly! It’s a great privilege we have to be able to partner with them in their ministry and one of the best ways we can be supporting them is by praying for them!

You can click here to hear about the changes (again!) which the Taylors have gone through and their personal African safari! Click here to hear more about Kingsley Boxes questions about the existence of God. And click here to hear about Lyndal Webb’s adventures on Epi Island running literacy workshops…

Hi ladies there is less than a week left to register for Women of Truth 2010. What a huge privilege to meet with other women of all different ages from across the Hunter area to sit under the Word of God and sing His praises together. Registrations close Monday 24th May.

There are two easy ways to register…

Go to www.womenoftruth.info/ and either register online with a credit card or download the brochure and send with a checque or money order to Women Of Truth PO Box 212 Charlestown NSW 2290.

Why not register today? It would be great to see you there…

WHAT? Women of Truth is an annual, day conference for Christian women in the Hunter region. This year we’ll be getting into Ephesians with Deb Earnshaw and learning about being ‘One in Christ’! Optional seminar topics include Unity in Christ, Evangelism in the Playground, Singleness, Feminism and more.

WHERE? Lambton High School Hall, Young Road.

WHEN? Saturday 29^th May, 9am - 4pm

WHY? It’s a rare and wonderful opportunity to dwell on God and his word with other women!

COST? (includes a delightful morning tea and lunch!)

Students: $20

Standard: $30

READY TO REGISTER? WANT MORE INFO? Go to www.womenoftruth.info/

Registrations will also be taken at 10AM, 5PM, Women’s Bible Study and Unichurch.

Here are 10 reasons the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney Peter Jensen has given as to why the ethics classes are not a good idea.

Scripture v’s Ethics #3 is coming…stay tuned!!!

Every day, I drive past a ridiculously good-looking church. It’s in a nice suburb. The gardens are beautiful with lush flowers and beautifully maintained lawns. The best feature by far is the huge, circular stained-glass window above the entryway. Man, I love that church! (see pic below)

Most days when I drive past the ridiculously good-looking church, I wonder what it must be like to go to church there. I think, “If only HBC owned that church.” Never mind that it would be really expensive and effortful to keep the grounds. Ignore the fact it is too small for each of our congregations. Forget that the mortgage would be huge because of the suburb it is located in. I easily dismiss the fact that it would be very impractical for our youth and kids ministries. I just want that church building because it’s ridiculously good-looking!

Perhaps I need to put aside my superficial ideals? Perhaps I need to learn what kind of building would be best for meeting HBC’s needs in spreading the gospel to Newcastle?

Our HBC Building Feasibility Committee has put good thought into what kind of building will meet HBC’s needs now and over the next 10 years. Next Wednesday night, after the HBC AGM, there will be a Q&A session about all things to do with the HBC building plans. I think that we (who care about where HBC is heading) should go along– it’s sure to be interesting and informative. Who knows, perhaps I’ll start looking around for other buildings that aren’t necessarily ridiculously good-looking but ridiculously purposeful for the gospel?!

The HBC AGM and Building Q&A sesh:

When: 7pm, Wednesday 31^st March, 2010

Where: 30 Warabrook Boulevard, WARABROOK (the Compassion Building)

Who: Everyone!

Here at Hunter Bible Church, each of our Growth Groups are rostered on to serve together at our Sunday meetings - as a team. It might sound like an odd way to roster things at church, but I’m convinced that its a really good way because:

Rostering individual people to help out with things like setup and packup can end up being quite unloving. Why is that?

1. it means that a few people have to bear a very large load.
2. It means there’s usually only ever just enough people on for a certain task - and so those few feel pressured.
3. And it can mean that some people find themselves rostered on to do things at church when they’re struggling spiritually, or not even sure if HBC is their church.

On the other hand, rostering our Growth Groups to share a task at church once every month or so provides a Christian context to help encourage people to serve Jesus when they’re rostered on. How do Groups do that?

1. It makes the amount and frequency of service more bearable because there are more people sharing the load. (Many hands make light chairs.)
2. There’s enough people in most Growth Groups for a few members to be able to opt-out one week if they need to. Groups can even suggest that one of their members needs to opt-out because they know where that person’s life is at.
3. As groups get to know and care for each other, they can take the opportunity to enjoy serving together - as a team. They can encourage each other to “do it” for Jesus, and see the big picture.

photo credit: Mat_B,  photo credit: zen,

I saw an amazing car this week - it was a Morgan. After consulting Google, I can tell you that the Morgan is a ridiculously exclusive convertible that it is hand-made in England. If you want one, you’ll need to join the waiting list.

I saw the Morgan while driving along the busy Pacific Highway in Sydney. My passengers and I laughed that the driver would be getting wet in the light rain that was coming down. However, as we stopped laughing, the car spun out across both lanes of traffic, jumped the curb and wrapped around an electricity pole!

We stopped quickly to help the driver. Thankfully, he seemed okay though very shaken up. But even to the untrained eye, I knew that the Morgan was toast. Such immense structural damage – surely it was beyond repair? In 60 seconds, the Morgan was destroyed.

I felt sad for the driver and the split-second destruction of his pride and joy. But I began to wonder how I would cope if the possessions in my life were destroyed so abruptly. My car? My furniture? My computer? My investments? As I stood beside the road next to the crumpled Morgan, it was a helpful reminder about how much I care for my possessions here on Earth. In the end, moths, rust (and accidents) can destroy these things. God tells us not to store up the things of this earth (Matthew 6:19). It is much better to treasure the things of heaven.