COMBINED SMALL GROUPS GET–TOGETHER
Wednesday 29th April
With there being 5 Wednesdays in April, the 29th is an opportunity for all the home groups to meet together. This will take the form of a pooled finger food tea starting
at 6.00pm followed by a movie
presentation.

Australian author, Les Carlyon, in his book simply titled Gallipoli refers to John Simpson Kirkpatrick of the Australian 3rd Field Ambulance. Most Australians would know of him as Simpson and his donkey. Carlyon says of him, “He was Christ-like, a one-man epic with a donkey.”

As we have witnessed and heard so much this week about war and Gallipoli in particular, many Aussies will have heard read the words of Jesus from John 15:13, “Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” It is because of Jesus’ death and resurrection that we have the privilege of worshipping God, the One who was prepared to sacrifice His Son, thus making it possible for anyone who believes in him to live with the promise of sins forgiven and the hope of being with him forever.

In referring to Simpson in their leaflet prepared for Easter the Aussie Awakening movement mention, “He was a 17 year old English youth who had learned to love Australia. He carried his pet possum in his slouch hat wherever he went. He picked up the Aussie grin in the face of danger. He’d flouted the rules that others had made and “never heard of the regulations.” In camp before he had left Australia, Egypt, and at last Gallipoli, they all said, “He was a man to have beside you when the whips were cracking.”

“His choice to leave safety and self-interest, to take his stand under the Red Cross for the sake of his mates, gave the land of the ordinary people an ordinary hero, and set up in Australian history the echo of another son who journeyed to his birth on a donkey and returned to Jerusalem on another donkey to declare the Kingdom of goodwill.”

Benediction: May God, the source of all, be your strength. May the eternal Word lead you along the path of service. And may the presence of the Spirit enrich your life this day and always. Amen.

GS

As people in our church will be aware, 27 members of our church family participated in the Natural Church Development survey back on the 1st March.

After worship last week, Mark Riessen, our state’s Coordinator of Mission and Community Engagement, met with the respondents to discuss their answers. The NCD looks at 8 key qualities of church health:

• Holistic Small Groups,
• Passionate Spirituality,
• Loving Relationships,
• Inspiring Worship Service,
• Need-oriented Evangelism,
• Empowering Leadership,
• Gift-based Ministry and
• Effective Structures.

What is most encouraging is that our church registered above average in each of these 8 characteristics, and the number one theme of what comes naturally to us as a church is Prayer. We can give all praise to God for these positive outcomes.

However, there is no room for complacency as there are plenty of areas in which we, as a community of faith, can improve. The elders will be looking closely at the results and will continue to provide feedback to the congregation so that we, each one, can grow in our relationship with God and in the effectiveness of our service within our church family, and especially the wider community.

GS

MURRAYLANDS SERVICE
This afternoon Tuesday 21st April @2.00pm Pugh Avenue.
Subject: Anzac Day
Leader & Speaker: Grant Spangenberg
Communion: Trevor Purdie
ALL WELCOME

Monday 20th April 7:30pm Hampel’s home group
(at Ted Smith’s home)

Tuesday 21st April 9am Pastoral Care Group meeting

Tuesday 21st April 2pm Murraylands Homes service.

Wednesday 22nd April 10am Day time Bible Study

Wed 22nd – Friday 24th April: Coffee Shop 10am – 2pm

Thursday 23rd April 7:30pm: Building Management Committee meeting

Saturday 25th April: 7:29am Men’s Bible Study

Sunday 26th April: 10am Worship Service: speaker: Grant Spangenberg

Sunday 26th April: Junior Sunday School

Wednesday 29th April 6pm: Combined small groups shared dinner and movie

Tuesday 5th May 6pm: Friendship Group dinner with guest speaker Phil Burgess.

The psalmist in his opening verse of Psalm 122 proclaims, “I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” May it be with that same sense of rejoicing, we who have gathered here today to worship God, have come. And may He be pleased with what we offer Him.

Leading us in our worship this morning is Steve Bown, and when we share together during our time of Communion our leader will be Rob Frazer.

To everyone who is present, “Welcome!” And to any who are with us as visitors we extend an extra special greeting. It is our pleasure to have you with us. After the service you are invited to stay for a time of fellowship in our coffee shop.

Our guest speaker this morning, accompanied by his wife Lise, is Raymond Christinat representing Gideons International. Raymond and our pastor, Grant, served together for a number of years together as elders of the Keith Church of Christ. Raymond and Lise attend what is now One Church, the amalgamated body of the Churches of Christ and Uniting Church congregations in Keith. Raymond will be preaching on the subject, “A Sower Went Out To Sow.”

In one of his Prayers for the Christian Year William Barclay begins with, “O God, we thank you for all those in whose words and in whose writings your truth has come to us. For the historians, the psalmists, and the prophets, who wrote the Old Testament; For those who wrote the Gospels and the Letters of the New Testament; For all who in every generation have taught and explained and expounded and preached the word of Scripture: We thank you, O God.”

As we read these words we’re mindful of the verses from Isaiah 55:10,11 which are often referred to in the Gideon ministry when talking about what God accomplishes through the distribution of His Word: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Benediction: Go forth into the activity of this day and the week ahead as a companion of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

GS

Our guest speaker tomorrow morning, accompanied by his wife Lise, is Raymond Christinat representing Gideons International.

Raymond and our pastor, Grant, served together for a number of years together as elders of the Keith Church of Christ.

Raymond and Lise attend what is now One Church, the amalgamated body of the Churches of Christ and Uniting Church congregations in Keith. Raymond will be preaching on the subject, “A Sower Went Out To Sow.”

All are welcome to join us for a time of worship and fellowship.

GS

Just a quick reminder that this week the church building will be used by the Kairos team as they visit Mobilong prison.

Pray for the team as they minister to the men during the week, and for the impact of the gospel of Jesus Christ on the lives of those they are speaking to.

TH

What a privilege it is for us as God’s children to once more enter into His presence ready to present to Him our worship.

To everyone who is present, “Welcome!” And especially so to any are with us as visitors. We extend a special greeting to you together with an invitation to stay after the service for a time of fellowship in our coffee shop.

Our guest speaker this morning is the Editor of Challenge, the Australian Good News newspaper, Carl Carmody. To Carl and those with whom he is travelling, Bob Walker, Ron Edwards and Marilyn Pearce, along with everyone else, we say, “It is good to have you with us.” Carl will be preaching on the subject, “Praying With Purpose.” Our prayer is that in our time together we may have a real sense of God’s Spirit in our midst.

Our Worship Leader for this morning is our pastor, Grant Spangenberg, and when it comes time for us to celebrate Communion together our leader will be Ted Smith.

Benediction: Go forth into this new week as God’s servant. Remember His presence often and draw strength from the knowledge that the One who calls and sends also sustains. Amen.

GS