TenAM ministry Proposal decision, 1st June 2008

Dear TenAM and friends,

This next week is important in the life of our TenAM congregation, as we seek God’s wisdom in advancing the mission of Jesus amongst us.

The process over the next week will be as follows

1. Thursday Night @ Gavin’s place will be an informal opportunity for questions and discussion and prayer. If you have unanswered questions up to this point please make sure you ask them.

2. On Sunday, June 1, after church 12:00noon to 1:00ish, we will have our final congregational meeting before deciding on the direction of TenAM. At this meeting we will briefly summarise our options, consider the Rosalie option in particular, have question & answer from the floor, pray. We would love as many regulars as possible to be present.

3. At church we will give everyone a personally addressed “Ballot Paper.” This will be distributed to everyone on the TenAM directory. For those away on Sunday we will deliver or post a ballot paper. The ballot paper will function as a survey so we can have a real indication on how regulars want to participate in the options. We need the “Ballot Paper” returned by Friday 6th June, so we can compile results and make a preliminary recommendation to The Annual Meeting of Parishioners on June 9th.

4. The results will help us determine the direction of the next ministry step we will make together as a congregation, please pray and consider the implications of each option carefully.


Click Here to see copy of TenAM Response Sheet and supporting documents

Thank you for sharing in this ministry with us, If you have any questions please ask them

Gavin, Kanishka, & Khim

Come to the Cuppa for Cancer

Australia's Biggest Morning Tea

Our speaker is Charlotte Shirriff From our TenAM Congregation:
A Chrisitian woman's journey through cancer.

Men and women are welcome!

When: Thursday 5th June, 9:30am-11:30am
Where: St Matthew's Anglican Church, Shenton Park
(corner Onslow Rd and Derby Rd)

RSVP:
to the church office on 9381 2640
and to book your child/children into the crèche.
All donations to the Cancer Council.

Foxfire update

Hi to all our amazing tour supporters and partners,

Well the tour is just over half way through and we cannot begin to tell you how many ways God has used this amazing team of young Africans. How do we say thank you for your support. The best way I think is to tell you that so far we have presented the gospel to approximately 13,000 young people. We are rejoicing at just over 250 first time commitments and hundreds more who are wanting further information about a relationship with Jesus. God is faithful when we dare for the kingdom of God. Thank you so much for partnering with us in this endeavour.

Your prayer, your concern, your willingness to share your ministry has brought the team to tears many times because it has been an expression of belief in their ministry.

We trust you have been blessed by our presence in some way.

We are running a “Forgo for Foxfires” week in June (23-29). If you would like some of your people to be involved it is an awesome chance to stay connected with the Foxfires but more importantly with the message that young people can do something in response to Africa and learn experientially what Phil 2 means when it says we should have the same attitude as Christ. See the attached doc for more info and click on http://www.myspace.com/foxfires and watch the Forgo video.

Just drop me an email with a postal address and I will send out immediately some sponsor booklets and an explanation what to do once the kids have finished the week.

Every blessing guys

Ant
Tour Co-coordinator

A day conference for Workers

Welcome to the Jungle!

Expectations and required performance levels are high. For many people, work has become the primary place where they belong and have their identity. How does God want his people to live and work? What does the Bible have to teach us about work and the Christian in the workplace? And how does our identity in Christ shape our approach to our work?

You are invited to a Day Conference
9am to 3pm Saturday 14th June 2008
held at Subiaco Church of Christ 260 Bagot Rd Subiaco
$40 waged $25 unwaged (morning tea and lunch included)

Here is the Program

0900 Sign In
0930 Session 1 Nigel Gordon “God, Work and Us”
1030 Morning Tea (provided)
1100 Session 2 Nigel Gordon “The Christian in the Workplace”
1200 Lunch (provided)
0100 Elective
10200 Elective
20300 Close

Workers sign up!

Click Here to Register

GP

Unnatural Enemies: Social Action and Sharing the Gospel

Sometimes people want to set up a false dichotomy between sharing the Good News of Jesus and Social action, (seeking justice for our neighbours) as if they were mutually exclusive.

Yes, we should love our neigbours and seek justice for them as the need arises.

Yes,we should speak the Good News about Jesus to them as is appropriate to the circumstance.

They are two distinct and yet related activities. These two loving activities are not mutually exclusive so why speak like they are?

Here is a good summary about the relationship between the two from Tony Payne
which grew from a discussion about wether fair trade products really help or not...

Click here

Love your neighbour!

GP

Pray For GWC

Pray for George Whitefield College: May 2008

Thanks
The Annual Fun Run took place on Saturday. A great time. Thanks for the turnout, the funds raised for Ministry Week, the perfect weather, the family time, the ecstasy of the little Zulu boy who won the all terrain bicycle.

Second semester is nearly over. Thanks for an enthusiastic body of students.

Bishop Retief took the third year men away the weekend before last; they had a great time talking future ministry. A few weeks earlier he took the first years.

Dr James Krohn is continuing with the College another semester. Pray for him as he, among other things, works on a book on African theology.

The women’s residence is now fully repaired and occupied.

The Postgraduate Fellowship is powering forward with the help of Dr Christof Sauer. He is giving the students a clear idea of what is expected of them, showing them how to achieve it and encouraging them to see that they can. Pray for the MA and PhD students as they refine their research topics.

The ministries of the Australian visitors (Dr Rob Doyle and Tim & Kylie Duke) has been a great gift to the College this semester.

For the generosity of people who support the College financially and in other ways.

A new college brochure is almost complete.

Ask
Safety and security have been a prominent concern the past few months. The shooting of Christiana Retief (GWC student 2006-7) last week has shaken everyone. Praise God for sparing her life, and pray for her full recovery. Crime in Muizenberg has increased. There have been various car break-ins, intruders. This weekend the students apprehended a peeping tom, who has caused a lot of anxiety the past few weeks. Pastor Koela settled a row in the street last weekend involving a knife wielding antagonist. The College has decided to electrify the perimeter of the Frankfort Rd complex where we have 14 families. Praise God we don’t experience the xenophobia here that is troubling other parts of the country.

Pray for students as they finish assignments and prepare for semester exams. A few students are border-line and may have to leave the College if they do not succeed.

For sponsors for a number of students who applied to come to the College last year and were not able.

For a smooth conclusion to the process of appointing a Dean of Postgraduate Studies – the appointment is imminent. Also for a new lecturer. The Board will probably make a decision this week.

Pray for the Board as it meets this Thursday; also for the GWC Trust trustees on Wednesday.

At present all our married accommodation is occupied. Misheck Mbevi’s family should arrive in July. Pray for a place for them. Also that further married accommodation can be purchased before next year.
We also need a house for the Dean of Postgraduate Studies and his family.

Pray that the submission to the Council for Higher Education will be successful. A lot of it deals with GWC’s research output. The Research Fellowship puts us a long way ahead.

Faculty members of Stellenbosch University Theology School will visit GWC on Monday to talk about cooperation in doctoral programs.

David Seccombe is tying up loose ends and preparing for his Study Leave and Mark Dickson is getting ready to take over as Acting Principal. Pray for Mark.

David will be visiting friends of the College in UK, 13-21 June, attending the Global Anglican Futures Conference in Jerusalem, 21-30 June, and he and Lorraine will fly to Perth on 1 July. Thank God for providing accommodation for them there. David will be teaching at Trinity Theological College in Perth as he attempts to write a book on the theology of Luke’s Gospel.

20th May 2008


George Whitefield College
P O Box 64
Muizenberg
7950
South Africa

CMS Missionary Awareness Conference

Pray Care Give Go: mission partnership for life

Come and find out how to form life-changing partnerships in gospel mission at the 2008 CMS Missionary Awareness Conference on Saturday 28 June. Speakers include David Rowbottom, Kathleen Budden and David Williams 8.30am - 4.30pm St Philip’s Anglican Church, Cottesloe.

Collect a brochure today from the Church Foyer,

call 9325 7455 or email wa@cms.org.au

Click Here for more info

Budget Brief 2008

As we approach the Annual Meeting of Parishoners (Mon June 9th ) Kanishka in consultation with Parish Council has written a budget brief for the financial requirements of St. Matthew's ministries into 2009 and beyond. We want you to be informed so you can be prayerful and generous as we advance God's work among us. Please find below the Budget Brief 2008, and the budget brief response document including Bank details for direct giving.

To Get the PDF Version Click....

Budget Brief

If you have any questions concerning any of these matters please
Contact us 93812640

Kanishka Raffel
Gavin Parsons
Jeff Claughton (Treasurer)

Postcard from The Sudan

For those who have been at St Matt's for quite some time, the names of Greg and Sandra Lewis, will be well known. For those who have joined us more recently I need to tell you that they are working in South Sudan with Pioneers link mission called "Across". This is their first term and they are planning to come home on Home Assignment in a few months. Greg comes from a farming family in Corrigin and did his PhD in Ag. Science studying both here and Queensland. Sandra is the daughter of Pioneer missionaries and was born in Papua New Guinea.

They have answered God's call to work overseas in the teeth of a lot of obstacles. Health has been a big issue for them both, but they are completing a very productive first term, Sandra working in producing literature for the Sudanese church, and Greg working with a team of Sudanese Christians to produce radio programmes designed to disciple the local Sudanese church. Sandra is a great encourager and has had opportunities to speak at several women's conferences. She has a history of depressive illness and that has really set her back for the last eight months. Because of this they have both had to leave Yei, in South Sudan and seek medical help in Nairobi, Kenya. After several months there during which time, Sandra's health has improved, they have now returned to Yei until they come back to Perth in July or August.

They want to return to South Sudan after Greg does some further study because they feel that there is a contribution that they can make to the Sudanese church. They are much loved by the Sudanese Christians and more opportunities are opening up for them to serve in the local Sudanese church. Let us pray that Sandra will fully recover her health and that the Lord will open the way for them to return to the work they feel so committed to. We look forward to meeting them here at St Matt's when they come home.

BT

Web sites with Good information

Here are 7 newer websites worth looking at for Christian perspectives on contemporary issues. Click on the headings to get to the websites:

1. The Australian Church League

For information about the happenings in the international Anglican Communion from an evangelical point of view. Be warned church politics can be unsettling!

2. The Sola Panel

For theological discussions on ministry issues

3. The Centre for Public Christianity

For Christian perspectives on contemporary cultural issues.

4. The Australian Christian Lobby

For Christian perspectives on moral issues raised in government legislation.

5. CMS: The Church Missionary Society

For information on CMS mission initiatives.

6. Tear Fund

Information on a christian aid agency

7. Opportunity International

For information on a microfinance ministry. St. Matt's participates in a trust bank with this organisation.

Let me know if these are useful

GP

Defending Marriage

Here is an Australian Christian Lobby Report on Marriage:

It's been an historic week for marriage in Australia. Under pressure from the office of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, the ACT's Stanhope Government was forced last Sunday to back down from its intention to introduce a form of homosexual marriage called civil partnerships. The climb-down was completed last night with the ACT Legislative Assembly dropping marriage-mimicking ceremonies and celebrants from its law recognising relationships between same sex couples.

According to reports today, the ACT law is similar to the Tasmanian and Victorian relationship register laws, which do not mimic marriage. Before the last election, Mr Rudd promised the Christian constituency he would not allow the federal marriage law to be tampered with, but would seek to address issues of discrimination against same sex couples through nationally consistent State-based relationship registers, based on the Tasmanian model. This model allows interdependent relationships, be they sexual or otherwise, to be recognised in State law for purposes of finance and property sharing.

As reported earlier this week, ACL is grateful to Mr Rudd and his Attorney General Robert Mclelland for honouring this commitment under enormous political pressure from homosexual activists and elements of the media. It's not too late to thank them. Mr Rudd can be contacted by clicking here and Mr McLelland's e-mail address is R.McClelland.MP@aph.gov.au

ACL is also grateful to the Federal Coalition and Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson who was also vocal in backing traditional marriage. There has been significant debate in the media about the value of marriage in our society, with one of the best contributions coming from the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Peter Jensen. His article here is well worth reading.

GP

Pray for church

If you can't make the Thursday Prayer meeting.

we have made the booklet available online

Click Here

Cheers

GP

Postcard from South Africa

Dear Friends

South Africa is beautiful this time of year. At sunset tonight I was on the hospital airstrip finishing a round of impromptu golf and the scenery was incredible. The view from the airstrip, on the top of the Lebombo mountains, about is 100km in every direction. From this viewpoint it’s easy to imagine the way things have been in the village for hundreds of years. In some ways things haven’t changed that much in Ingwavuma for centuries. Most people still have a subsistence way of life. About ninety five percent of people don’t have running water and electricity. Even fewer people have cars and it seems even fewer speak English.
AIDS is one thing that has changed in this community over the last few years. Now about 46% of people are infected and the rate doesn’t seem to have changed despite the introduction of anti-HIV medication in 2004. It has been the struggle against AIDS that has dominated my medical life here. It’s hard to see hope for the future here as HIV continues on it’s relentlessly.
It’s a very humbling experience working in the midst of the HIV pandemic. It’s hard to imagine that one extra doctor is going to make any difference. I try to tell myself that I’m making a difference for the individual people I treat. I’m looking forward to a holiday next week which will help to give me a fresh perspective on my work. It seems many health care workers here are feeling a bit battle weary and holidays are a scarce commodity.
Today I started work on the paediatric ward which is something I’ve been looking forward. It’s nice to be out of the isolation ward where I had to wear a TB mask the whole time. Paeds ward is noisy, hot, smelly and crowded. Many of the kids have been admitted with gastroenteritis and are on IV hydration therapy. Other admissions are for TB, HIV, pneumonia, sexual abuse and malnutrition.
This month it feels like I’ve been on call constantly. About every 3rd night I’m up most of the night. I’m in the middle of working for three weeks without a day off and I think I’ve lost the ability to sleep properly. I’m often getting calls in the middle of the night from labour ward and I need to rush down and do an emergency caesarean. Other times I’m called to emergencies like car crash victims bleeding to death. I keep dreaming about accidentally sticking myself with needles which is something that I'm trying my best to avoid.
I’m finding the lack of routine challenging on my prayer and bible reading times. It’s been hard to get to church although I think I’ve managed most weeks. I’m really enjoying bible study on a Wednesday night with about 6 other health care workers. We have been studying Ecclesiastes and have been challenged to think about what really matters in our lives. I’m still struggling to understand the book and am looking forward to getting more out of it.
In my personal reading I’m taking a lot of comfort from the book of Revelation which promises a day when God will wipe every tear from the eyes of his people. God’s new creation is all the more appealing when you see first-hand how badly sin has messed up his first one.
Every day I’ve been running after work which has helped to keep my body and mind healthy. I find it’s a great stress reliever and I think I'm fitter than I’ve ever been. I’ve entered into the Comrades Marathon next month which is about 90km uphill from Durban to Pietermaritzberg. I’m optimistic about having a good run and just need to stay injury free for another five weeks.


Prayer points:
Praise:
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise God who is the alpha and the omega, the one who was, is, and will be forever.

Thanks:
For God’s amazing creation. For the blessing of sport and recreation.
For the local Zulu people I’m starting to become friends with.

Pray:
For a peaceful resolution to the crisis in Zimbabwe. That the people of that nation will be blessed with a leader who is eager to do what is good.
For the people who suffer from HIV that they will not lose the will to live but will put their hope in God.
For the staff at Mosvold that despite the difficult situation they are faced with they will be at peace with one another and will serve patients cheerfully. That they will have strength to work hard during long shifts. That they will be kept safe despite working with contagious patients.
For more healthcare workers at Mosvold particularly for a doctor who will fill my position permanently.

Dan Claughton

Join us for the all congregations prayer meeting

This is an invitation to join with us in prayer this

Thursday 8th May. 7:45 pm to 9:00 pmish at the

All Congregations Prayer Meeting

at Church

This term meeting we will pray in particular for the life of our church leading up to the AMP in June, and the various ministry initiatives to be undertaken as well as prayer for our ongoing ministries across the congregations.

Don't feel you have to pray out loud but come and add your 'amens' to the prayers of others.

It is always the best thing in the week.

See you there! GP

TenAM ministry Proposal, 4th May 2008

On Sunday 4th May, we distributed the TenAM Ministry Proposal document to all regulars from the 10am congregation to carefully and prayerfully read and consider the proposal and its implications. You may not have been able to be present so we are making it available online. On 1st June weekend we will have a ballot to decide as a congregation whether we will implement the proposal or not, or take other action.

Page 15 of the proposal outlines some ways you can engage with this document, while Page 16 oulines the timeline for various discussion and prayer meetings at which questions, concerns, and queries can be addressed and discussed prior to us deciding whether to implement this proposal or not. We encourage you to participate in these meetings as you are able to.

The PDF version for download by available by clicking below.

Click Here for PDF Version

A hard copy version is available from the church office. Various other reports are mentioned in the proposal, these are available at the office or by email request to the office of St Matthew's 9381 2640 email: office@stmattsshentonpark.org.au

If you have any queries, comments, or concerns, we would love to talk with you about them. Thank you for your prayerful engagement with this proposal.

Kanishka Raffel
Gavin Parsons
Khim Harris
5th May 2008

M4M: Supporting Langham Partnership

Langham Partnership seeks to raise the level of Biblical preaching throughout the world. It does this by holding preaching schools in strategic locations, by making available quality Biblical literature to aid national pastors in the Majority World, and by providing scholarships for people to gain higher degrees so that Biblical expositional preaching will help the church worldwide to grow in effectiveness.

One major project has been the production of the Africa Bible Commentary, the first ever one-volume commentary written by Africans, for Africans. It has taken seven years to produce with more than $1million raise to make the project a reality. Now plans are afoot to translate this into other languages. The Kiswahili translation project is already under way, and others will follow. This will all make a huge contribution to the maturing of the African Church.

Koorong is teaming up with Langham Partnership Australia to help in the distribution costs of this commentary. During the month of May, customers are being encouraged to add as little as one dollar to any purchase, and Koorong will match it dollar for dollar to a total of $40,000. Just $30 will provide one ABC to needy pastors in Africa. John Stott has commended this project to the Christian public and it certainly deserves our support.

http://www.langhampartnership.org.au/

BT

How to write a letter to the editor

HOW TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
Twelve Principles for Christians

My Mum taught me to protest through letter writing. I grew up in the Bennelong electorate with John Howard. My Mum wrote to him on various occasions protesting various issues. Some of my letters have taken a bit of stick. Some of my friends are still 'letters to the editor' kind of guys.

This article caught my eye on how to write a Christian "letter to the editor" by Douglas Groothuis.

Click Here

Let me know if it helps

Keep engaging, Keep writing, Keep protesting
GP