1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity

5th April, 2015
EASTER SUNDAY Surprised By Life
Mark 16:1-14
Abov e my desk I hav e a beautif ul photo, a gift
of grace with words captured from an
inspirational address by Dr Alv in Jackson .
They are words with a deep rhythm. They lift
me ev ery time I read them. They are not Dr
Jackson’s words. He borrowed them. Some
say they are the words of Dr Bob Moorhead,
who say s they are the words of a Rwandan
man marty red f or his f aith. Dr Bob’s son says
the marty red man was found to have them in
his pocket … others say it was f rom a
martyred Tanzanian pastor. Whatever the
anonymous source it captures the robust truth,
f eel and walk of Romans 1:16-17. They could
be my words, or your words… they belong to
all the ‘unashamed of the Gospel.
“And so I’v e got a new song.
It goes like this:
“I am part of the f ellowship of the unashamed.
I have the Holy Spirit’s power.
The die has been cast. I have stepped ov er
the line.
The decision has been made – I am a disciple
of His. I won’t look back, slow down, back
away , or be still.
My past is redeemed, my present makes
sense, my future is secure.
I’m f inished and done with low living, sight
walking, smooth
knees, colourless
dreams,
tamed
visions, mundane - talking, cheap giv ing, and
dwarf ed goals.
I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity,
position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity.
I don’t hav e to be right, f irst, tops, recognized,
rewarded or praised.
I now liv e by f aith, lean in His presence, walk
by patience, lift by prayer and I labour by
power.
My f ace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is
heav en, my road is narrow, my way is rough,
my companions are f ew, my Guide is reliable,
my mission is clear.
I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured,
lured back, diluted or delay ed.
I will not f linch in the f ace of sacrifice, hesitate
in the presence of the enemy, ponder at the
pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of
mediocrity.
I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I hav e
stay ed up, stored up, prayed up and paid up
f or the cause of my God.
I am a disciple of His.
I must go ‘til he comes, Give ‘til I drop,
Preach ‘til all know and work ‘til He stops me.
And when He comes back f or His own He will
hav e no problems recognizing me.
For my colours will be clear.
giv e up till I drop, preach till all know, and
work till He stops me. And when He comes my
banner will be clear!””
In lif e we will either walk in the hope, power,
joy and beckoning call of resurrection or we
will simply circle the old pathways of death in
all its pathetic manifestations.
John Sharpe
Welcome to Ringwood. We are not a perfect church…. But we do love the Lord
and seek to take his life, call, ministry and hope seriously. We seek to THRIVE in
his favour through an attentiveness to the Word, joining in community, seeking to
recognize and exercise our gifts and connection with the wider neighborhood.
WORSHIP THIS MORNING
Worship Leading: John Sharpe
Song Leading:
Annora Hummerston
Speaker:
John Sharpe
NIGHT CHURCH - 6.00pm
Easter Sunday…
Drew and John will be speaking
SPECIAL COMMUNION SERVICE
There will be a Special Communion Service on Monday 13th April at 11.00am.
(Please note the change of date due to the Easter break.)
This is a service specifically designed for people who cannot make regular Sunday
worship, and particularly those who may be frail aged, or find crowds difficult. The
service goes for approximately 45 minutes and is followed by a light luncheon.
PIZZA BOXES w ill be available for primary aged children during the 10.00am
service.
Minutes of the SGM – Sunday, March 22nd, 2015
In accordance with the Church Constitution please note a copy of the minutes from
the SGM are currently posted on the General Noticeboard for your perusal/comment
for two weeks.
NEW LIFE GROUP – WALKING GROUP
A few of us had a very pleasant walk last week, and
thought there may be others who would like to join us in
the future. We'll be walking for about an hour every
second Thursday afternoon in varying locations. We plan
to meet this Thursday 9 April at the carpark at Cheong
Park, Eastfield Rd. Croydon at 1.30, and will walk along
the track to Arndale Shopping Centre where we may just have to stop for a coffee
break! This is an open invitation for anyone to join us.
Please contact Merilyn Sprott for more details: Ph: 97294336
GO THE EXTRA MILE - Saturday, 9th May, 2015
HopeBuilders
HopeBuilders International
International are
are raising
raising money
money for
for the
the Uganda
Uganda Village
Village of
of Hope
Hope -- aa
village
village established
established to
to provide
provide protection
protection for
for orphans
orphans where
where they
they can
can be
be raised,
raised,
nurtured,
nurtured, educated
educated and
and loved.
loved. The
The event
event will
will be
be aa 50km
50km walk
walk from
from Jells
Jells Park
Park to
to
Ferny
Ferny Creek.
Creek. For
For more
more details
details go
go to
to www.hopebuilders.org.au.
www.hopebuilders.org.au.
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Prayer Action:
Pray for those still dealing with the deep grief of the murder of Masa Vukotic
and for those who provide counselling care and support to her network of
friends and family.
Uphold those in deep grief over the purposeful destruction of the
‘Germanwings’ flight. Uphold those walking with the inconsolable and broken.
Pray for those persecuted, traded and forced into various forms of slavery in
the world today.
Pray for indigenous communities that are under extreme pressure and being
actively dismantled and moved from traditional lands. .
Pray for those Asylum seekers who wait in indefinite detention for a
humanitarian response from a nation that might have heard the Gospel.
Uphold those in our community in transitions in family, health and work.
Press into the power, grace and wonder of resurrection … the final word over
all that has ended, all that is dead, all that is over. Pray for this deep rhythm
of hope to sound in the aspiration, imagination, vision and longing of the
human heart.
Give thanks for the wider Body of Christ and the million ways that we magnify
the wonder of God.
Pray for those churches in hard and difficult places. For those who know
shame and sin all too well.
Pray for our role to deeply walk with Christ and only do what we see him doing
…. speak what we hear him speaking and find ourselves manifesting the truth
of being a good neighbour and expanding the commandment to love.
Give thinks for the surprise of life … for the days when restoration is found.
When reconciliation mends families and nations, when friendship covers
shame and when the grace of listening mitigates against the pit of isolation
and the fear of being alone.
Give thanks for the stones that have been rolled away from many of our lives,
for the new dawn, the new day, the turning the corner experiences that are the
testimony of God’s power and grace.
Give thanks for our journey of Easter … and for the remedy for shame, blame
and guilt that is mediated from the cross and celebrated in the empty tomb.
Give thanks for Christ who lives and who is still bringing new life - today and
every day as long as there are days.
Give thanks that the Lord has called us for his good purposes. He has given
us this history, this time, these resources, the seen and unseen to stand on
our ‘Holy Ground’ and give witness to his story in us.
Please pray for the Easter Youth Camp. Give thanks for the hard work and
organisation that has been done by Adrian and his team. Pray that the
weather is kind and a good time will be had by all.
Continue to pray for the rebuilding of homes and communities in Vanuatu.
Give thanks for the resilience and ‘can-do’ nature of people who find a way to
keep reimagining hope and the capacity to start again.
WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY - 12.30-2pm (parents room)
In Recess over Holiday Period Resumes … April 22nd
The place of Prayer in Work/Life Balance
Prayer Evenings with Bronwyn Checkley
Thursday, 30th April, 2015
Come and share in this evening where we will explore
these questions and discuss ways in which we can learn
"to march to the beat of a different drum", to walk at a
different pace, even in the context of this fast paced, noisy, competitive and complex
21st Century in which we live.
Can we really live our lives from a place of peace and rest and joy even in the midst
of the demanding and challenging events of our daily lives - or is this just an
impossible dream?
Learning to practice the presence of God in our Daily Life ~
Centuries ago an elderly monk, Brother Lawrence spoke these words to a younger
monk, who came seeking his wisdom upon these same questions:
“For me the time of activity does not differ from the time of prayer, and in the noise
and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are together calling for as many
different things, I possess God in as great a tranquility as when upon my knees at the
blessed sacrament.”
“O Lord thou knowest that it is not Thy gifts I seek, but Thee Thyself, and my heart
will know no rest, till it has found Thee.”
Working hard for God versus living in God
Learning to Live from the Centre - our Source ~
Thursday April 30th - 7.30– 9.30pm
Cost $15.00 - Supper provided
RSVP - April 20th - We need at least 10 people
registered to run the program.
Please ring the office on 9870 8169 or email
office@ringwoodchurch.org.au to register
SOME DATES FOR YOUR 2015 DIARY:
17 & 18th April
30th April
9th May
22th-25th May
Women of Purpose - Destiny’s Child
‘Work-Life Balance’
Go the extra Mile
CAP Budgeting Course
NEW PLAYGROUP TO START IN TERM 2
After much prayer and conversation it’s great to be able to
announce a third playgroup will be operating from Term 2 on
Wednesday afternoons from 1.45pm – 3.15pm. Sue
Tregenza, ably assi sted by Liz Grayden will be facilitating this
new group. Registrations are now open, so if you have friends
or family who might be interested, let them know. You can
register by contacting Linda Mill on ph 9870 8169 or email:
linda@ringwoodchurch.org.au
Women of Purpose
Upcoming Event
Human trafficking and sexual exploitation of young
women has been hidden for many years. But there
are several groups helping to overcome this
devastating trade, and to provide freedom and
hope to many of the girls who have been trapped in
this lifestyle.
Helen and Ian Yarrow from our church have become involved with one of these
groups, Destiny Rescue, by visiting Thailand and sponsoring some of the girls who
have been freed from slavery.
We would like to support what they are doing, by raising our level of awareness, by
being prayerful, and by raising funds to contribute to this mission. To do this, we
plan to show the DVD Street Dreams, a documentary which “tears down the facade
of some of the world’s most exotic tourist locations, revealing an industry that thrives
on manipulation and destruction.”
If we were to show it to a large number of people, the licensing cost would be
prohibitive. We have therefore decided to have at least two showings in homes –
one on Friday evening 17 April at Heathmont, the other on Saturday afternoon 18
April in Warranwood. Depending on the level of interest, we have a third home
available, also on the Saturday.
Helen will be available at each screening, to share her experiences with us, and to
let us know more about Destiny Rescue. There will be no charge, but if you feel
you would like to make a donation it would be gratefully received. Supper/afternoon
tea will be provided.
Space is limited, so ladies, if you are interested in coming, please ring Merilyn Sprott
on 0429 145 270 to reserve a seat.
Accommodation is needed for a young Austrian lady in her mid 20’s who will be
working with Operation Mobilisation for 12 months as a graphic designer.
If anyone is able to provide board for her please contact Trish Sonsie 0421 011 871
for more information.
OXFAM WALK
Hi there!
Talk about a challenge!
In April four members of our community: Elissa &
Gary Scott, Geoff Martin and Fiona Phillips will be
walking 100km to raise money and awareness for Oxfam Australia. The event is
Oxfam Trailwalker.
Teams of four enter this event and have 48 hours to walk or run the 100km trail. It’s
very likely that they will walk through the night (with little or no sleep) until the end.
The event raises vital funds for Oxfam Australia.
The team has set a goal to raise as much money as they can to help some of the
world’s poorest people! They have been training hard and hoping that you might
consider supporting them in this amazing challenge. If you would like to donate then
go to: https://trailwalker.oxfam.org.au/team/home/19439 and give online. The team
is also much in need of prayerful encouragement and would value prayer support as
they continue to train but particularly over the event weekend 10th-12th April.
Thanks heaps!
Penny Martin (on behalf of the team)!!
Mission and Evangelism
The Mission & Evangelism committee would like to remind all members of the
church, of the families that are financially supported on a monthly basis from the
M & E budget and that ask that you remember them in prayer.
YWAM Newcastle (Stephensons)
$250 per month
YWAM Thailand (Stephen & Ruth Devenish)
$125 per month
Global Interaction Indonesia (Matt & Tash Sharpe)
$125 per month
Operation Mobilisation (Sonsies)
$125 per month
CAP (Christians Against Poverty)
$50 per month
One off distribution of funds has also been made for the following:
Blessed Feet for DVD distribution
$300
Op Shop to purchase suitable Tracts
$200
Brian & Araceli Steain to assist with cost of clothing Philippines $200
Matt & Tash Sharpe to assi st with airfares & initial costs
$200
Stephen & Ruth Devenish to assist with airfares & initial costs
$200
Global Mission Partners for where most needed.
$1000
These are all part of our family here at Ringwood so please keep them all in prayer
that God would keep them safe & bless their every endeavour for His Kingdom.
Ian Hughes
To order copies of the sermon on CD, please find an order form in the attendance
register. Leave in the register and these will be processed and available, usually
within one week. If you would like to offer a donation to this ministry, please place
this in the offering bowl.
Financial Snapshot of Tithes and Offerings
Budget
$ 44,461
Feb-15
Actual
Difference
$ 43,098 $ (1,363)
Year to Date
Budget
Actual
Difference
$ 421,807 $396,995 ($24,812)
This is the first monthly Tithes and Offerings summary to be reported in the
Breaking News. As previously reported we continue to be significantly behind
our year to date figures.
If you would like to know more information, please contact one of the
members of the FGA Committee.
Ken Morton, Dave Moody, Sandra Punithan, Russell Cheal, Mark Travill,
Michael Campbell or Anne Morley
Worshipful, faithful and regular giving to God’s w ork … consider
I authorise Ringwood Church of Christ, 13 Bedford Road,
Ringwood 3134. to charge my credit card for $_____________
being my offering for today.
Or
My regular offering amount of $____________ to be debited
from my credit card each week/month. (Please circle the appropriate
option)
Visa
Direct Debit
or Internet
Banking
Ringwood
Church of
Christ Inc.
Mastercard
NAB
BSB: 083 343
Account No:
89 395 1419
Card
No:
Name on card: ______________________________________
Signature: _____________________________________________
Card Expiry Date:
__/__
Contact No: _________________________
Birthday Greetings - April
Tuesday
Wednesday
Friday
Saturday
7th Elisabeth Moss, Julie May ers
8th Laurie Prentice, Gary Scott
10th Maureen Spencer, Keith Hickin, Faith Hummerston
11th Anne Morley, Amy Nettelbeck
Next Week - 12th April
WHEN
WHEN
WHEN THE
THE
THE UNIVERSE
UNIVERSE
UNIVERSE CHANGES
CHANGES
CHANGES
JOHN
JOHN
JOHN 21:1
21:1
21:1--14
14
-14
Drew Nicholls
Ben Graham-Nellor
Ben Graham-Nellor
Gray Starkey
Andrew Archibald, Caroly n & Leah Burnett, Cathy Glov er,
Maureen Spencer, Gwen Thomas, Julia Fullerton
Band:
Chris Sharpe, Dan Graham-Prowse, John Sharpe,
Cameron Palmer, Darren Ev ans, Ian Homewood
Singers:
Julia Waterhouse, Dale Stev ens, Gina Herft
Audio:
Neal Glov er
Projection:
Tony Twining
Morning Tea:
Fran & Graeme Collings
Communion Preparation: Cathy Glover
Flowers:
Welcome :
Wendy Twining, Ashton Devenish, Christine & Laurie Prentice
Offering Counters:
Stewart Drummond, Russell Cheal
NIGHT CHURCH:
‘What Now? Witness’
Speaker: John Sharpe Leader: Alex Murray
Speaker:
Worship/Communion:
Song Leader:
Bible Reading:
Communion Helpers:
Op Shop:
Wednesday/Thursday
(In recess - Returns 15/4)
Oasis Meals: - Thursday
(In Recess - Returns 16/4)
NOTICEBOARD:
Anzac Centenary Concert - Songs of the World War Years. 26th April, 2.00pm
SUNDAY SERVICE TIMES
8.30am Communion/Study
10.00am Worship
6.00pm Evening Service