Great Start to the Year

We had a great time at our first section leaders meeting this last Sunday, and although we look to be a small team, there are a number of great ideas coming out of the meeting. Most of all, there are some great hearts for the Lord in the team, something we are blessed with in our leadership.

If you have been on team before, but havent mentioned that you are coming this year, could you let us know ASAP, as we have smaller numbers than usual, that would be great!

Lake Tabourie SUFM 2008/9

Beach Mission Day 5

Well, today was our day off, and after a great bush dance last night called so very well, and played so very well, and spoken at so very well, a rest was needed and earned. many used the rest to get down the beach, with most looking after themselves in regards to sun and such other things. Although, there were a couple of rips that some team kids got caught in. But they were fine!

One highlight was seeing Carl Grande (yes you heard right) on the beach, in rash shirt, shorts and a cap, looking decidedly wet. They say there is a first time for everything! Good onya Carl. Unfortunately, I am not sure if it has been documented though, I didn take my camera, being day off and all.

Tonight’s jazz in the park was great, Jasons Jazz and Jesus talk was well written and came across well. Tomorrow we are back into it again.

Please pray:

• For Rob whose mate is a little better (see a few days ago), but not completely out of the woods health wise yet.
• For Carl, Maree and Jason as they lead the team
•  The enthusiasm to get up and go after a day off today
• Safety at the raft race tomorrow
• Impact on the guys who have flied a flag with a walking fish and the word DARWIN inside it. I would love to make contact with them somehow.
• For others to ask questions, enquire of us, or indeed for people to fire up at us, on the basis of the Bible.
• For the 67′s camp out tomorrow night. The leaders always come back stuffed, please pray for them.
• For the adults Trivia and dessert night tomorrow night.
• For the ongoing building of relationships with the campers

Talk tomorrow, thanks for praying

Beach Mission Day 4

Today was fantastic. The massive waves which are pummeling the Sydney coast are still big down here, but nothing near as bad. In fact this year was the best surf for the surf comp in many years, which means more entries, more people watching, and great converstaions. Give thanks for the guys who drove down from Sydney for the day on New Years Eve just to run and judge the event for us. Great stuff.

Beach games went well, and the new section, Joeys, began on the beach today, with a warm welcome from many parents of younger kids. Tonight as I write (and as I mind the kids in my caravan), the rest of the team is putting on the worlds biggest bush dance. Carl will be speaking as mentioned last night. Pray for safety, especially with many drunken people from the park in attendance.

Tomorrow is the team Sabbath, or day off, where we rest and recuperate for another 8 days of mission to come.

Tomorrow night we begin again with some Jazz in the Park, again people travelling from Sydney to be with us tomorrow night, and they are great.

Please pray:

• For all those helping us from outside the team, for safety on the roads at this time of year.
• For good rest tomorrow for the team, and a chance to continue to meet with God, even on a day off.
• For the adults trivia and dessert night, which is by invitation only, and we would like a good roll up, which is on the 2nd.
• For the people in the park who will drink too much tonight. (Last year, at 5:30am, my kids woke up and I took them for a walk on new years day. There were people everywhere, asleep on roads, on the grass, in the volleyball court, and bottles everywhere, on the beach, etc. The mission team usually has a ministry of cleaning up on that morning, pray that we would be a faithful witness in this, to these many people nursing heavy hangovers.)
• For many souls to be prepared to turn to Christ.

Some Photos (Not many today – sorry!)

Beach Mission Day 3

Another great day on team. Today the church service went off well, even though there were a few hiccups with the venue, with the new laying of turf ruining our normal expansive park service. Nonetheless, many came, and heard the word of God preached which is great.

Also, today, the Big Top time entered its second afternoon. This has been a revelation since changing from the morning slot into the afternoon. You find here at Tabourie, that people come here for a beach holiday, with many people from Penrith and Campbelltown, not seeing much water through the year. But the wind comes up at about 10am, sometimes making the beach hard to enjoy, especially with kids. So as a result, many families are at the beach before 9, meaning that our traditional activities in the morning were a lot of work for no apparent benefit. Since mvoing the beach service to the afternoon, when kids aqre back and looking for something to do, it has been great, and the team, lead by Jenny Hanslow and Maree Grande are doing a wonderful job of converying the message to the youngsters.

There are still some sicknesses around at the moment, and tiredness is setting in for all those who have been going hard at it from day 1.

Once again we must thank God for the provision of food, ammenities, a favorable park management, and the weather.

With that in mind, our prayer points for today are:

• Please pray for the new years eve bushdance, usually a big affair, and at times can be a bit dangerous with the amount of people attending, plus alcohol etc. Pray for a clear talk from Carl.
• Thanks for the number of kids at all events increasing daily
• Pray that seeds would be sown, and that even if we do not see the fruit today, this week, or this year, that we would trust God and be faithful with the field in front of us.
• Thanks for the privelidge it is to be in a place where people are happy for you to talk to them about Jesus.
• Pray for the surf comp tomorrow, pray for good waves, pray for safety for the competitors, and good relationships while sitting on the beach.
• For ongoing unity in the team (it is going great,  very good indeed)

Here are some photos:

Beach Mission Day 2

Today was a day where we were blessed by god weather, meaning the activities could go ahead as planned.

The Keenites experienced good numbers of kids coming along, and at the evening activities good numbers were had by many groups. The greatest encouragement were the kids who went home understanding that God made them. For many children, this will be the first they have heard of such a truth.

At visitation, many have found favor with people in our park, and are being blessed by the conversations, the only trouble is, that at that time in the afternoon, many people are sleeping and are unwilling to chat.

Personally, from a team members perspective, my son went to Barnicles for the first time today, and thoroughly enjoyed it. These leaders deal with some of our smallest, and sometimes see the least amount of direct fruit, but they do a great job!

Tomorrow we have a church service in the park in the morning, followed by a normal day of activities after that. Please pray that:

• We would have energy and enthusiasm as a team
• For church in the park tomorrow, as Steve speaks on Genesis 22
• For one of our team members, Rob, who has had to drive home suddenly to visit his mate who has been hurt and is in intensive care in hospital.
• Rob was running the golf day, so with him absent, pray for the golfers as they find people to fill gaps at late notice, and with a smaller team this year than normal. Pray that people would be available to play golf in the same groups as the capers, and not just on the same course.
• Safety, when camping is paramount. We heard today of the team from Wairo Beach have their second non-fatal electrocution in two years. These things can happen so easily, so pray for all, especially Greg Howe as he leads this team.
• Gospel conversations. Pray that people would open themselves up to us.
• For one of our team suffering illness, and is in quarantine.
• The new park management, that we might find favor with them.

Photos from today:

Preparing for Bedtime Stories with Barnies

Washing Up – Always a Highlight

Some of the face Painting from the fair in the park today – seen here, Lightning McQueen and Sally

Beach Mission Day 1

We started with our best set up ever for our 50th year anniversary, then at 4pm we began with our first visitation. Following this we had a movie night for the family where we watched ‘Open Season’. The YT’s had a death by chocolate night and the feedback was great.

Pray for:

• Our first full day today
• Ongoing good contact with our park
• Steve’s Bible talks to the team
• Enthusiasm in the first scoop
• Healing for some team members who arent feeling so well
• Our leaders, Carl, Maree and Jason

If any of these terms dont mean anything to you, leave a comment and I will explain.

Here are some photos of day 1

Movie – The Golden Compass – WARNING

Dear brothers and sisters,

Here is part of a letter I have sent to my church, and I thought it might be of interest for you as well.

It is my responsibility as minister in charge of Children’s ministry to pass on some important information, whether you have children, or not. Some important information has recently been given to me about a range of movies and books which has been described as ‘atheism for kids’ and is written by a man who has been quoted as saying that he “wishes to kill God in the minds of children”. Let me encourage you all, whether you have children or not, to exercise caution in the watching and reading of this explicitly anti-God material. This is not usually the method with which I conduct these sorts of things, especially given all aspects of movies have worldliness within them, however due to the express purpose of this production, let me encourage you to think seriously about this issue, and to consider appropriate action.

Here is part of the email sent out by the Anglican church ‘Professional Standards Unit”:

For anyone with kids, grandkids other relatives or friends or who is pastorally responsible for children who this may concern.
You may want to put a warning in your church bulletin.

There will be a new children’s movie out in December called “The Golden Compass”. The movie has been described as “atheism for kids” and is based on the first book of a trilogy entitled “His Dark Materials” that was written by Phillip Pullman. Pullman is a militant atheist and secular humanist who despises C. S. Lewis and the “Chronicles of Narnia”. His motivation for writing this trilogy was specifically to counteract Lewis’ symbolisms of Christ that are portrayed in the Narnia series.

Clearly, Pullman’s main objective is to bash Christianity and promote atheism. Pullman left little doubt about his intentions when he said in a 2003 interview that “my books are about killing God.” He has even stated that he wants to “kill God in the minds of children”. It has been said of Pullman that he is “the writer the atheists would be praying for, if atheists prayed.”

While “The Golden Compass” movie itself may seem mild and innocent, the books are a much different story. In the trilogy, a young streetwise girl becomes enmeshed in an epic struggle to ultimately defeat the oppressive forces of a senile God. Another character, an ex-nun, describes Christianity as “a very powerful and convincing mistake.” In the final book, characters representing Adam and Eve eventually kill God, who at times is called YAHWEH. Each book in the trilogy gets progressively worse regarding Pullman’s hatred of Jesus Christ.

“The Golden Compass” is set to premier on December 7, during the Christmas season (and staring Nicole Kidman), and will probably be heavily advertised. Promoters hope that unsuspecting parents will take their children to see the movie, that they will enjoy the movie, and that the children will want the books for Christmas.

Please consider a boycott of the movie and the books. Also, pass this information along to everyone you know (including church leaders). This will help to educate parents, so that they will know the agenda of the movie.

Love The World?

1 John 2 is a very challenging chapter, and the verses speaking that we are not to love the world are especially so.

I find it very hard to not love the world. We live in an area with many largish, nice houses, with people who have nice things. I thought that I would never desire these material things, but when you have three kids in a shoe box house, with no ability to be able to get out of it, it becomes very easy to become covetous and looking at what others have is for me, loving the world.

As I am planning to say in my sermon this week on Haggai chapter 2, you do not have a removal van behind a hearse! I know this in my heart, but this world at times gets me, and makes me think that what is of this earth is important. Are you like this? What is it that you struggle with in terms of loving the world?

Pray for Simon

I have recently heard that Simon Bartlett has had a quite bad injury while surfing. Please pray for him. If anyone else knows anything, feel free to comment here so that we can pray intelligently.