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.
Rob & Jen Alley are currently running an AIM Mission Awareness tour. The team flew to Darwin on Friday night and they’re on their way driving back over two weeks. They’ll visit various aboriginal communities and local gospel workers, to encourage them, and hear about the gospel opportunities in central Australia. Please be praying for Rob & Jen as they lead the team, which consists of a bunch of people from different churches and cities, including Kaleb from our PM congregation. These trips have had a significant impact on many people from our church in the past - for some it was a defining time in making decisions about full time vocational ministry, both in Australia and overseas. For others it was a defining time in serving regularly at church. Please pray that God would continue to use these trips for his glory.
Below is an email I just received from Hope Myanmar Partnership. Please be praying for Lincoln’s family…
Hi all.
Lincoln’s father Edward had a heart attack yesterday and is in intensive care. Doctors said that one of the arteries has blocked and his heart rate has been up and down. His BP is down to 70/40.Lincoln said he was seeming a bit better this morning, so we are hopeful of a recovery.Please pray for him and his family!Edward is an amazing Man of God. The following is an excerpt from the HMP website:Edward’s Story
Edward grew up in Falam - a small village of about 20 houses in the north west of Myanmar. He is the eldest son of a chief man. He went to school in a larger village, about three days walk from home. As a teenager, Edward came to learn about Jesus through missionaries and became the first of his village to become a Christian. Edward moved to Yangon to study the bible at BDS (now Myanmar Institute of Theology). On completing his Bachelor of Theology, he returned to his home as the first of the Falam tribe to hold a Christian Seminary degree. Edward then worked as a bible instructor and went on to be general secretary of the Zomi Baptist Convention and later, the general secretary of the Falam Baptist Association. In 1978, Edward moved with his wife and children to Yangon.
Edwards love for literature and his desire to make Christ known throughout his country led him to translate many works from English into his native tongue. Edward has translated over 400 hymns. He created the first translation of the New Testament in the Falam Chin language. He has since translated many other books into Falam.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT EDWARDThank you for your prayers and support.
Ray Palmer
Hope Myanmar Partnership
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…
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…
I’ve just been uploading some newsletters from our brothers and sisters who we support as a church. It’s a great opportunity we have to partner with them in their ministry. Click here to see who we support as a church and you can click on the links to their news. Hear about some of the Taylor’s embarrassing language blunders, where the Webb’s are up to with the Irumu translation, some of the challenges the Boxes are facing, as well as how the Alley’s have asked their supporters to pray for you!
Hunter Bible Church supports the Alley family in their work as missionaries with Australian Indigenous Ministries (AIM). The Alleys (Rob, Jen, Miriam and Katie) will be visiting HBC between 14th and 23rd May 2010.
Info Nights will be happening instead of Growth Groups on Monday (17th), Tuesday (18th) and Thursday (20th) nights, so come along with your Growth Group! It’s a great opportunity to meet Rob and Jen and find out about their work throughout Australia, as well as how you can be involved!
We ask that Growth Groups come along together and bring supper to share (just what they would usually have brought to their own group). Growth Groups could even make it a good night out by having dinner together on Beaumont Street before coming to the Info Night!
WHERE? Hamilton Baptist Church, 108 Lindsay Street.
WHEN? Come along from 7:30pm on Monday 17th May, Tuesday 18th May or Thursday 20th May. The action starts at 8pm.
WANT MORE INFO? Check out more about Rob and Jen at http://hunterbiblechurch.org/who-we-are/who-we-support/
Its on again! Life the the Full is running again in the month of May every Monday night from 6-8pm at the Waterboard Bowling Club Lambton. For those who don’t know it’s a 5 week course where we investigate the claims of Jesus and share a meal together.
The nights are split up as follows;
Week 1. The Reason for Jesus
Week 2. The Historical Man
Week 3. The Problem of Sin
Week 4. The Solution in the Cross
Week 5. The Meaning in the Resurrection
So next time your at church grab one of the life to the full business cards and have a think about who you could invite. If you do have a friend who would like to come along please click here to register.
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!!!
1 O my people, hear my teaching;
listen to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter hidden things, things from of old-
3 what we have heard and known,
what our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD,
his power, and the wonders he has done.
5 He decreed statutes for Jacob
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our forefathers
to teach their children,
6 so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
One of the amazing privileges of living in Australia is our public education system. Not simply that children have the opportunity to read, write and add but even more importantly children in our public schools are educated about the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord.
Week by week we have teams of Scripture teachers ascending on some of the local schools (both primary and high school) in the area. Each week they open the bible with these kids and help them to access the truth that will set them free.
Recently there has been a push to have ethics classes replace the current Scripture time slots or at least stand in opposition to them. Sadly there is a trial beginning this term in a number of schools around the state whereby parents and children had the choice to withdraw from their current Scripture classes and commence ethics lessons delivered by staff from their school.
Not surprisingly about half the numbers of Scripture children in these trial schools have been withdrawn. How devastating for the future of children in Australia if these ethics lessons are passed. This generation and following generations of children will live in even greater ignorance of their creator and saviour.
What can we do? How are we to respond to the changes in our local schools? Can I give you three suggestions…
1) PRAY - pray that these trials will not be successful. Pray that teachers and students are unsatisfied with the ethics lessons. Pray that God would continue to use Scripture in our schools to bring glory to his name.
2) WRITE - letters to our state government showing your opposition to the cancellation (or decrease) of Scripture teaching in schools. If you are a parent - write to the principals of the schools and areas supervisors showing your opposition to these changes.
3) TEACH - our time in schools teaching this generation about the good news about Jesus may indeed be limited. Why not give Scripture teaching a go! Make the most of the opportunities we have now…have no regrets!!!
My prayer is that these trials will not be successful. My prayer is that children would so love their Scripture classes that when given the option to change to ethics classes they choose Scripture. My prayer is that we would continue having the freedom to go into schools and teach of the praiseworthy deeds of our Lord. Won’t you pray that with me?