Dear friends at HBC,

We are very thankful for your very generous gift to us last month. We continue to appreciate your support so much and recognise the degree of generosity you are showing - it’s no small amount that you send our way. Thank you!

We would appreciate your prayers as we are trying to work extra hard to fit in the Irumu audio editing now. We have touched it here and there up till now but realise we have to get into it in a big way to get it finished. Makes the days long!! We are thankful for several people who have helped us by editing out the obvious mistakes which leaves us, who know the language to make the finer adjustments. The list of normal jobs doesn’t seem to get any less!

Today Serah (our ni-Vanuatu secretary) and I met together to decide on the programme for a 3 day ladies’ workshop planned for 8th - 11th March. It will be on Tanna island, for wives of local translators from 4 different languages where we have translation projects happening. Please pray for our continued preparations and that those who have to travel across the island to attend will be willing to and be able to find transport to do so.

Ray and Glenda Leach have joined us to do Finance and Maintenance. You could pray that they settle in well and that we all work really well together.

Thanks for your support in this way too,

Sincerely Lyndal

I’ve just been uploading some of the newsletters from our missionary family. You can read some updates from the Boxes here and the Alley’s news here including some exciting news…

Are you looking for a church to join?

Are you checking out Jesus?

Do you like ice-cream?

We would love to see you at Sundae Sunday!

This is what we are going to be saying to the 1000s of students we meet at O-week. We are inviting people to come to church at 6pm for free ice-cream, to meet people, and stay for the service.

So if you have moved to Newcastle for Uni and are looking for a church to join, we would love to see you there!

New unichurch t-shirts for sale at Last Minute Sunday and O-week. Only $11!

Buy a t-shirt to promote unichurch and help people meet us and Jesus

Women’s style above. Men’s style below.

Do you know the chorus to Lola by the Kinks? (make sure you check out the dance moves at the end if you watch the clip)

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Lola

Lo lo lo lo Lola

Lo lo lo lo Lola…

That’s the tune for my O-week song (I don’t really know why, maybe because it’s about meeting someone you don’t know…?). It’s a pretty simple song.

O-week

Oh oh oh oh O-week

Oh oh oh oh O-week…

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O-week

Around 6000 students will be arriving at Newcastle Uni, and we’ll be there to invite them to church so they hear about Jesus.

It’s gonna be huge. O-week is gonna be a Unichurch Tsunami of events.

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Monday - Friday (21-25) we are leafletting, meeting students, and running a stall in the Brennan room expo. Each day from 2-3pm we’ll be hanging out with people we have met, having coffee and running Newish.

Saturday morning (26) we are having a massive beach party! Hanging out at the beach/park (venue TBA) with all the Unichurchers and people we’ve met.

Sunday (27) is Sundae Sunday! Free ice-cream at 6pm before church, so we can chill with all the visitors.

Oh oh oh oh O-week…

The thing is, when I say “we”, I mean me and you. Me and you Unichurcher reading this post. This is only gonna happen if “we” make it happen. Me and you, meeting people, leafletting, at the stall, coming to Newish, partying at the Beach, eating ice-cream…

So free your time for O-week. Get it off work. Move back early. Sign up for Last Minute Sunday. RSVP on facebook. Buy the new Unichurch T-shirt (did I just let that out…?). Above all pray.

We aren’t doing this for us. “We” are doing this because “we” pray that God would use us to bring glory to Jesus.

O-week

Oh oh oh oh O-week

Oh oh oh oh O-week…

If reading the whole Bible this year was one of your new year resolutions, you may be starting to flag by now.

But it’s ok! Help is available. Join up to the Unichurch “Read the Bible in a year!” page to be encouraged to keep going with other Bible readers.

Here you can: share your thoughts about verses, be encouraged to catch up when you fall behind, ask each other questions, and delight in God’s word together.

And it’s not too late to join!

The link is:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_178946898792778

Let’s be a Psalm 19 church that delights in God’s word.

⁷ The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
⁸ The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
⁹ The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the LORD are firm,
and all of them are righteous.

¹⁰ They are more precious than gold,

than much pure gold;

they are sweeter than honey,

than honey from the honeycomb.

We can often think of the ‘needs’ on the mission field of a place like Vanuatu, being for more Bible translators. And they certainly need that, but have you ever thought about what other needs they have? For even one translation project to happen, there are loads of people needed apart from the translators themselves. I received an email this week from Lyndal Webb, sharing one of the needs Wycliffe Vanuatu currently has. Could you help them fill it?

Just wondering if anyone can help…

The Labrecque family have been working with the speakers of the Paama and South East Ambrym language to translate the New Testament for the last 10 years. The Books in both these languages could potentially be completed in the next 3 years (if that’s what God has in mind!).

But the Labrecques have run into a bit of a problem in the area of the education of their kids. The 3 of them have been home-schooled to this point.- worked well up till now but their daughter Sharyna is 15 years old and school work is no longer ‘easy’. She is following an internet based schooling from Canada but a tutor in Maths, Science and French (and a help with music, her interest) would be a huge help! Right now Sharyna is feeling pretty discouraged about school and her Mum is feeling frustrated!

If the other 2 children (Primary) had some help too, their Mum, Barbara could be free to spend more time on the translation project.

If you are interested in helping - maybe for 6 months or less drop us a line and we will tell you all the ‘conditions’ - better tell you up front that the wage is mere appreciation!!

Thanks for thinking about it….

Lyndal

Christmas can be a tough time when you’re away from family and the traditions which you’ve grown up with. For our missionary family, Christmas can be a hard reminder of something of the cost of taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.

If you’ve ever thought about emailing some of our missionary family, but not sure what to write, this time of year would be a great time! Even just getting an email saying that you’re praying for them could be a great encouragement.

Don’t forget to read their latest newsletters, including specifics of what you can be praying for them, on the Who We Are > Who We Support page or click here.

Katoomba Mens Convention is a key event on the HBC calendar.  This is a short trip away for the men in our church to experience great fellowship, hear excellent Bible teaching and to commit to growing in maturity as men.

This year the theme is ‘Life Outside the Garden’ and the speakers are David Cook and Justin Mote.

HBC will be going on weekend one which is Friday 18 and Saturday 19 of February.  We’d love you to register yourself online (http://www.mkc.kcc.org.au) and then let us know you’re coming.  James Dean and I are working on things like accommodation and transport so that your trip away is as stress free as possible.

Look forward to talking with you more about what a great weekend it will be!

I love summer - relaxation, cricket, beach etc.  But with Growth Groups on break I reckon all of us miss hanging out together to study the Bible, pray and enjoy each others company.

So this summer, HBC is running ‘The Summer Sessions’.  Basically, it’s for whoever’s around week by week.  We’ll get together at the church office, share some dinner (probably a $2 BBQ or something), and do some Bible study.  Greg or one of the other staff will get us going on a particular parable and then we’ll split up into random groups and discuss it, apply it and pray.

The plan is we finish up by about 9 and then head off to the beach for frisbee, soccer or whatever.

So hope you can make it!  Here’s the details:

Time:  7pm for simple dinner, start study by 7:30.

Date:  starts Tuesday Nov 23 for Unichurch people.  5pm can join us around Dec 7.  New people / non-Christians welcome.

Location:  Church office- 50 Hudson St Hamilton

Bring:  Bible, pen, a bit of money for food, stuff for the beach afterwards.

Content: A different parable each week (including some real mind-benders).  Parable of the sower first up.

RSVP:  not really necessary, but let me know (richard@hunterbiblechurch.org) if you’re coming so we can cater better.  Contact me with more questions if you have them.

Sweet.

See you there.