“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” (Hebrews 13:16)
Ahoy Church,
This Sunday from 3pm we will be gathering to celebrate Jesus together at the CCSA Hall, 1 Nutley St, Calondra.
Aside from sharing some simple arvo tea, songs and prayer, Caleb is going to lead us into communion with a song he wrote about Jesus and his sacrificial love for us.
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This week I want to share a simple insight with those who may have been Christians for some time but might be feeling like they haven’t “progressed” for many months, years or decades!
In recent years, research has revealed that Christians are matured in their faith most effectively through personal, not public acts of faith.
Most churches spend the majority of their time and resources organising weekend gatherings and small midweek groups. While these environments often benefit people who are new to faith in Jesus, longer-term Christians need more personal strategies to see their grow mature over a lifetime.
Followers of Jesus who’ve managed to grow a rich faith for decades share two key practices: a personal devotional life and a commitment to ongoing learning. It’s these simple, private practices that help Christians of all ages maintain a vibrant and growing faith - being fully alive!
This is why the first rhythm we always talk about is, Getting to know Jesus. We want to make sure that right from the beginning, each of us learns to spend time with Jesus as a normal part of our lives. Secondly, we want to encourage and inspire each other to continue to learn for a lifetime! While there’s no limit to the methods of spiritual growth, the simplest method is to study God’s Word - the Bible.
In November, we are going to focus on the Bible book of 1st Samuel. I want to encourage you to continue, or begin, reading the Bible regularly so that you can mature in your faith.
To add some fun and make this more than a “personal discipline”, I’m encouraging everyone to get a Bible reading buddy for November! They could be a mate, family member, spouse or someone from church. Simply ask them, “Hey, would you like to read 1st Samuel together?”. Once you find someone, decide how often you’ll check-in (at least once/wk!) and get to it.
My not-so-secret desire is that in November each of us can:
KNOW: Deepen our faith throw reading the Bible.
INVITE: Strengthen our spiritual journey by walking alongside someone else!
GATHER: Give each of us something we can share on Sundays - publicly or privately - about how God is speaking to us during the week.
If you are new to the Bible, check out The Bible Projects Summary of 1 Samuel.
Cheers, God Bless and see you Sunday!
Dan
Dan’s Wages, Ordination + Role
After a number of ongoing conversations that started last year, I'm willing to accept a recommendation that the church increase my wages from 3 x days/wk to 5 x days/wk. There are a number of reasons, but the big one is simply financial sustainability/viability for our family and the church!
I currently qualify to be ordained within QLD Baptists as a ‘Reverend’. While not something that is totally essential, after extra study and years of ministry, this is largely an affirmation and recognition of my role in the broader church and community. This simply involves a steady process of recommendation from our church to QLD Baptists that our Elders will lead.
I’ve also recommended that given we are past the 'startup'/planting phase of church, my role description be amended slightly. Part of the impetus for this reflects not only a desire for our church to reach beyond the beach, but also my sense of calling to help other groups like us start churches without a budget or a building.
Dan’s Church Role:
1. Lead his family spiritually and practically
2. Equip park church family to keep finding and following Jesus via our Simple Rhythms
- Lead by example
- Lead the leaders
- Love the community
3. Serve + lead beyond the Beach
- Liaise with QB (ongoing guidance + health)
- Support other pastors/churches to plant/revitalise within our vision or model(s).
As a church we have three elders, myself, Dan Hill and Paul Lanham, along with a growing team of Deacons. Please be in touch with myself or Dan, Paul (our three elders), Brad or Marcello (Deacons and pioneers of our church) as needed to clarify any of the above changes.
Coming Up
November
Sun 3 Nov Worship - CCSA Hall
Sun 10 Nov 3pm Moffat Gathering Wed 13 Nov Prayer Night (Venue TBC - 6:45 pm) Sun 17 Nov 3pm Moffat Gathering & Baptism Sun 24 Nov 3pm Moffat Gathering
Our Mission
To help people find and follow Jesus.
Our Rhythms
Get to Know Jesus: how are you getting to know Jesus this week?
Invite people into your life: who can you intentionally open up your life to?
Gather and get involved: who can you connect, listen, share or pray with this weekend?
Our Giving
We are slowly being led to needs for our giving kitty! Please take time to ask God if there is someone in need around you whom God wants you/us to help!
Last month's giving: $11,035
Last month's expenses: $9.138
Balance: $77,355
Giving Kitty Oct-Sep: $5,000
Giving out Oct-Sep: $5,786
"Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed." - Proverbs 19:17
If you would like to support what we are doing and our giving to those in need, you can get started giving to Open Road to meet the needs of our church or get in touch with any questions you may have.
All Prayer Needs!
We are still encouraging each other to start sharing your prayer needs with the church. It’s a practice all Christians have sought to cultivate and one that every single individual and family really needs!
So, please share any needs in your life on the link below so we can pray for and followup with you as time goes by: https://forms.gle/PbQAVjjMLuD4ASmWA
Find more prayer resources and the above prayer link at https://www.openroad.church/prayer/
Good or God
Got a "good story" or a "God story"? Bring it with you on Sunday and share it with others, even with the whole group, if it's brief and encouraging!
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