church

Busy Bee at St Nics

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On the 18th October this year, members of the St Nicholas church family attended our Busy Bee event. They cleaned, organised, and tidied our church building, did some gardening on the church grounds, and gave the Heritage Church a fresh layer of sealant. Since the Busy Bee typically happens twice a year, once in Autumn and once in Spring, the maintenance work we do during this time is important. The church warden runs the event and volunteers from St Nics come to do the work. They happily give up a Saturday morning to keep our church building and grounds a safe place for the family and visitors to gather.

Why a ‘Busy Bee’?

Busy Bees are fantastic for two reasons. First, they allow us to serve. They remind us that we are here to serve one another just as Christ came to serve us. Matthew 20:28 says, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Of course, there are many ways for Christians to serve one another and the wider community. (For one such example, you can check out this blog post about the Craft Group.) Second, they keep our gathering place hygienic, safe, orderly and pleasant. While church is not a building, it is important to have a suitable place where we can focus on the Lord and fellowship with one another.

Gratitude

So thank you to those who attended this October! Thank you also to the various members of our church who have helped throughout the year (those who have cleaned the bathrooms, the floors, the cups and plates, have sorted out the sprinklers and have done the weeding around the grounds). Such efforts do not go unnoticed and are greatly appreciated by all who gather at St Nics. As the body of Christ, together we can and do love our neighbours as ourselves in the way we serve. How beautiful! Thank you, Lord, for guiding us and bringing us together to serve your kingdom.

volunteers applying sealant to the Heritage Church
A well-deserved break during the Busy Bee event

LHOP & Cate Lewis’ Visit

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We were delighted to host Cate Lewis (Director of Freshwater Ministries, and leading the Australian Network of LHOP) and her husband Greg. Cate delivered a talk on ‘Hearing God’s Voice’ coupled with activities for practicing just that, which is all part of the LHOP ministry. It was informative and encouraging for all who attended: from newer Christians to those older in the faith.

‘Hearing God’s Voice’

There were two sessions held for this particular talk, one on Wednesday morning on the 10th September and the other in the evening. Each slide was focussed on how we navigate our Christian life and the various ways God speaks to us today. The Old Testament contains numerous examples of God communicating with His people, and the New Testament affirms that this is still possible. It is astounding the images and words one can receive for a complete stranger that speaks to that person. Of course, it is imperative that we use discernment when it comes to the message we receive and give – another important point that was covered in the talk.

What is LHOP?

LHOP stands for Local Houses of Prayer and is a ministry dedicated to bringing God’s kingdom here. It is based off the principles and teachings found in Ffald-y-Brenin (in the UK). The idea behind this ministry is to create places where God’s presence is palpable. Is this possible? Countless testimonies from visitors of Ffald-y-Brenin would testify that it is. One of the ways we can create these kingdom pockets (which can spread out into something much larger) is by blessing our neighbours and neighbourhoods, our colleagues, and our family and friends. On top of blessing these people and areas, we can also uplift them in prayer. Prayer is powerful, and when you have whole churches praying for their neighbourhood, real change can start to be seen. It’s both beautiful and effective. Blessing and intercessory prayer are complimentary but distinct.

Thank you, Cate, for gracing our church with your presence and sessions. Your ministry is a real blessing to us here at St. Nic’s.

Cate Lewis delivering her talk

Alpha: Kat’s Testimony

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Kat’s Testimony

Alpha, 2018

When I first started Alpha I was very sceptical about everything: God, Jesus and Christianity as a whole. I was very set in the way of that in order to believe, I had to have hard evidence. I had to see it to believe it. I also desperately wanted to have an experience like I felt that everyone else was.

Alpha for me was one of the best experiences I ever had. I met people with similar questions to me and felt like I was not alone but part of a family. Being part of Alpha completely changed me and doing it in a group was wonderful because we had different questions and different views.

On Alpha I found my own path and started my own personal journey. I gave my life to Jesus and since then have started the most wonderful journey with God. I was blessed with a real experience with the Holy Spirit. My life changed for the better and I just know now, how real God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are and am so grateful they are in my life.

I truly recommend this course for anyone with question and who wants to develop a better relationship with our Lord. Alpha for me was the first stepping stone into my own personal journey with God and Jesus.

Millennials @ Church: How to be found?

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Part 2 in a 2-part series looking at millennials at church written by Dannielle Barry. View Part 1 – Millennials at Church: Reaching the ‘me, me, me’ generation here.

Millennials are seeking community, relationships, a sense of meaning and purpose – and as we know, all of this is answered in Christ, and in the local church. We don’t need to focus so much on reaching out, we just need to be found. 

Be prayerful 

This should be the first step to everything, it needs to be. Prayer changes things (insert applicable bible verse here). This is the first step to being authentic and practicing what we preach, it shows we are genuine and that we care. Pray for the millennials that you know, and for the millennials that are now teachers, doctors, and emerging politicians in our government. 

Be accessible 

This generation has grown up accessing the internet for information. If a millennial wants to go to church, the first thing they’ll search for is ‘churches in my area.’ Don’t worry about how flashy your website looks, just have a presence with the information they need – where the church is, what time you meet, what you have to offer.  

Additionally, being accessible can also mean being visible in the community. Run fundraisers for important causes, offer emergency relief, attend events run by others. Don’t limit the church to your physical location. 

Be inviting 

Be a church that wants to know people and make them feel welcome. Don’t wait for an ‘introducing Christianity course’, Christmas or Easter to invite someone along, be a church that is open to visitors every weekend. Treat everyone as a potential new friend, someone to ‘do life with.’ Again, don’t let the physical location of the church limit you – bring church into your week, into a coffeeshop or the dinner table or a walk along the beach. 

Be authentic 

Being authentic makes the above possible. Becoming a Christian changes your whole life, it’s not limited to church on Sunday. If you want to be a church that welcomes people, become people that welcome people. If you preach about prayer – be seen praying for one another. If you preach that God loves all his children, be people that love all his children, even those different to you. 

Be patient 

I’ve said before that important to millennials is authenticity, transparency, honesty – and these sometimes take time to notice. Don’t pressure a millennial to conform, to register for a class or immediately go onto a roster. Be patient and demonstrate all the above values, being accessible, inviting and authentic – and let the millennial settle in. With the time to ascertain if the church is a good fit, once the decision is made,  you will know you have a committed church member.

Millennials @ Church: Reaching the ‘me, me, me’ generation?

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Part 1 in a 2-part series looking at millennials at church written by Dannielle Barry.

Why would a millennial join a church community? 

Who are the millennial generation? 

The millennial generation is one you mostly hear bad things about: lazy, self-entitled, ‘got too many trophies growing up’, over-confident, shallow and selfish, so different to generations before. The people in this generation seem to be delaying adulthood, marrying later and postponing becoming a parent. They appear to be jumping from career to career, searching for work life balance and questioning what a ‘normal life’ means. Time magazine calls it the ‘me, me, me’ generation. 

The millennial generation spans from 1980-2000. I was born in 1991 so at 27 I am one of them, and many of these stereotypes apply to me. I’m not yet married, and I don’t have children. I’ve moved cities in search of somewhere that ‘felt like home’. I’ve changed career direction because I lost faith and satisfaction in my work and wanted a better work life balance. I’m now pursuing graduate education in an area I’m passionate about. And most importantly for this topic – I’ve left many churches because they didn’t feel right.  

In saying this, I don’t believe I’m selfish or shallow, lazy, over-confident or self-entitled. I didn’t ask my workplace to change or cater to my needs, and I never really asked all the churches I’ve left to change either. I just kept looking until I found somewhere to fit, somewhere I could be myself, and somewhere my faith could grow. 

What interests the millennial generation? 

I believe this is the key to reaching my generation. More than any generation before millennials are looking for authenticity. Millennials are challenging the idea of normal because we accept differences; encouraging our peers to be honest, transparent and to have integrity – be your true self regardless of what anyone thinks.  

Contrary to popular belief millennials are willing to work hard, provided it’s for something they believe in. Maybe we are over-confident and self-entitled, but does that have to be a bad thing? From what I’ve seen, that over-confidence and self-entitlement mean my generation are willing to be open about wanting to live in a world that is better for everyone, advocating for human rights, sustainable living, and closing the gap for rich and poor. 

What does this mean for the church? 

So, what do these big ideas mean for our little church? The Gospel of Jesus Christ is Good News for everyone. So, we want to reach out to millennials who now make up the bulk of the working adult population (19-40) and are becoming parents themselves, raising the next generation.  

The good news is I don’t believe we need to work hard to reach out. Millennials are seeking community, relationships, a sense of meaning and purpose – and as we know, all of this is answered in Christ, and in the local church. We don’t need to focus so much on reaching out, we just need to be found.

AMP 2018/19 – Get Involved! Step 4: Get in on the Action!

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So you’ve enrolled to vote, you’ve been praying about the nominations, you’ve read the report and sent in your questions- now it’s time for action!

Nov 25th AMP Part 1: Elections & Ministry Reports

This is when the actual election happens and where we get an overview of the past ahem… 9-ish months (we’ll explain soon). Voting takes place over 2 weeks (18th & 25th) and is like going to the polls – there’s ballot papers, instructions and you have to get marked on the roll that you’ve voted.

Feb 17th AMP Part 2: Financials & Budget

If you like numbers or are interested in stuff like income and expenditure you don’t want to miss this! This is when we will vote on our budget for 2019. We will release it 2 weeks earlier for us all to analyse and dissect. Again, please send in questions beforehand!

Why the 2 parts?

Having our elections early means our new councillors and office bearers can hit the ground running when they officially start their roles Jan 1st. It also gives a neat six weeks for any handovers to happen. The rhythm may feel off (with only 9 months since our last AMP) but by next year it will feel right in time!

And Voila! AMP accomplissez!

AMP 2018/19 – Get Involved! Step 3: Get in the Know!

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This weekend we are releasing our Annual Meeting of Parishioners Report for 2018/19. Thus we humbly introduce to you:

Step 3: Get in the Know!

Inside the Report you will discover a collection of submissions from our Ministry Team Leaders (MTLs) and church leadership sharing their reflections of 2018 and their ministry goals for 2019. (If you would like a copy please get in touch with the church office here.)

Did you know…?

The who, what, when, where, why and how of our many ministries here at St Nic’s Minster? You’ll find some amazing facts and information about our community life in this report. Read it – and get in the know!

FYI the only thing you won’t find in the report is the financials (income, expenditure and budget stuff) – they can only be done at the end of the year so they will be released separately in time for Part 2 (Finances & Budget) of the AMP Feb 24th 2019.

Hang a sec, I have a question…?

We like questions- they’re great for learning stuff! Unanswered questions are not so great. That’s why we love it if you submit your questions before the AMP. That way we can ensure your question gets answered. And who knows? Maybe someone else would really benefit from hearing your question answered!

So please, if possible, submit your questions by Nov 22nd!

Stay tuned for Step 4: Get in on the Action!

St Nic’s Snapshot: Presenting the marvellous Site Management Team

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Wonderful things have been happening at St Nic’s! Parishioners have reported sightings of a group of men doing marvellous deeds around the church. Parking lines have been painted, pathways fixed, doors repainted, handles repaired and bookshelves assembled!

Who are these local heroes? Why our newly formed Site Management Team of course! Tony Wheeler, Trevor Freckleton, Struan Faed have joined Geoff Blechynden and have enthusiastically embraced the seemingly endless task of maintenance and repairs.

So busy are the boys we were unable to track them down for a group photo. “How did we ever find time to work?” wondered retiree Tony.

How indeed! Nonetheless we are extremely grateful and blessed by these men’s selfless service to our community. If you see them around, be sure to say hello and thank you!

AMP 2018/19 – Get Involved! Step 1: Get on the Roll!

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On November 25th we will be holding our 2018/19 Annual Meeting of Parishioners.

This year the AMP will be delivered in two parts. Part 1, November 25th, covers Ministry Reports and the elections for church offices. This year we have vacancies for the office of Parish Councillors and a Warden. Part 2, February 17th, will look at our finances for 2018 and the budget for 2019.

But wait! Before you get all excited about being here for the AMP there’s

Step 1: Get on the Roll!

Make sure you are registered to vote on the Electoral Roll – complete and return a Schedule 9 Statutory Declaration to the church office by October 28th. You need to register every AMP. Please note your partner cannot witness for you- please ask another member of the congregation or see Sophie, Ian, Suzanne or Rev Jamie.

 

Don’t worry, we’ll keep you posted on Steps 2-4. In the meantime, sign that Schedule 9!

 

 

St Nic’s Snapshot: Safe Church Workshop

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We, at St Nic’s, are committed to ensuring we are a safe place for young and old.

Thank you to the many members of our church community and the Op Shop volunteers who joined us Saturday morning for morning tea, an informative chat and a spot of paperwork!

Special thanks to Lois our Safe Church Contact Person and Judy our Op Shop Coordinator who organised and helped cater for the day.

If you are yet to update or complete your paperwork, checks and training please contact Lois! You can find our more about our commitment to a Safe Church here.