It's Reconciliation Week, thus a good opportunity to turn our thoughts toward Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who have experienced a long history of exclusion from Australian history books, the Australian flag, the Australian anthem and for many years, Australian democracy. This history of dispossession and colonization lies at the heart of the disparity between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other Australians today. Therefore, this Sunday we will Incorporate an 'acknowledgement of country/land' to show respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional custodians of the land we worship God on. 

This theme of reconciliation is also a main theme in part of our bible reading this week - Ephesians 2:11-22. Here we read that God is a reconciling God; reconciling sinners to himself through the blood of Christ, and reconciling all believers of all nations, tribes and tongues into one household built on Christ our cornerstone. In Him we are all joined together and rise to become a Holy temple in the Lord. You too are being built together with us to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. To that we say, "Build your Church Lord!". 

May he build us up to be a people of power, built on Christ alone as our Cornerstone. Two songs inspired by this message will be part of our repertoire on Sunday; 'Cornerstone', and 'I'm building a people of power'. It's going to be a wonderful time of praise and worship. I hope to see you at our 9:30am service.

Note: Our 6:30pm Praise and Prayer gathering is not meeting this week and is on "Pause" until further notice.

Every blessing in Christ, 

Rev. Tanya   

​Are you a Christian? If so, do you realise the full extent of all the blessings you have been given through faith in Jesus Christ?

As we begin a new sermon series in the book of Ephesians, I encourage you to reflect and make sure your life is congruent with who you are in Christ. I want you to be reminded that you have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ and ought to live like it. God has chosen us to be blameless and holy in his sight. In love, he predestined us to become his own adopted children, in accordance with His good pleasure and will. 

We have redemption through the blood of Christ, and forgiveness of sins, in accordance with God's grace which he lavished on us. He gives us wisdom and understanding and has made known to us the mystery of his will which he purposed in Christ. When we came to saving faith in Christ, we were marked with the Holy Spirit, guaranteeing our inheritance. So, I pray that the eyes of our hearts may be enlightened in order that we may fully know the hope to which he has called us and our inheritance in the saints. 

Many of us who have been Christians for a long time may sometimes forget to live out these realities. We can easily become distracted, or comfortable and complacent. In this world with all its troubles, and Church systems which can become dull and repetitive, it's good for us to be reminded of our first love.

Remember when you first became a Christian and were so in love with Christ and overwhelmed with trying to fathom his amazing blessings and grace? If we aren't living in the fulness of these blessings, we may need to repent and do the things we did at first, like Paul told the Ephesian Church to do in Revelation 2:4-5.

I pray that through our studies in Ephesians, we will all rekindle our commitment and live out the calling which God has placed on all who believe.  To the praise of his glorious grace!

Yours in Christ,

Reverend Tanya Cummings

One of the first things I attended in my first month working here was a local Faith Leaders' Network. 
I was blown away that (a) someone would bother organising such a group and (b) that it is well-attended by local Christian organisations from various denominations - Pentecostal, Charismatic, Anglican, Catholic, Uniting, and also para-church or faith-based social justice organisations like the 247 Prayer Movement or HomeGround catering. This has not always been my experience. Often denominations are known for their stalwart convictions that set them apart from another rather than the core truths of Jesus that unite us. 

At the first meeting someone shared about FaithValues a relatively new organisation seeking to work with the main religious bodies in Australia to generate a worldviews curriculum called General Religious Education that schools would be HAPPY to include in their curriculum and teachers would be ABLE to clearly teach from their secular point of view. 

Since this first meeting, I have been to the launch of this new organisation and am attending a zoom webinar entitled 'Distinctively Christian in Secular Education' next week. 
God is moving! He is at work in this space!

I am so excited that the possibility of Christian Education is legitimately back on the table for Victoria, and perhaps Australia. I am excited by the government being on board with this development and that schools are asking for this sort of resource. 

With such a multicultural society, we as Christians must be willing to work together across denominations to keep the opportunity of young people being exposed to the Christian message in schools POSSIBLE.  And yet, it is perhaps the ability to not be able to work together as Christians that may be the downfall of such an important development in secular education in Australia. 

Jesus says, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15:5
Such a powerful verse about the unity of believers with Christ. We may have different 'flavours' but together, we must keep the main thing, the main thing.

Will you join me in praying for the FaithValues organisation, the cooperation and unity of fellow Christian stakeholders, and that God would keep moving to bring about his purposes in secular education?

If you'd like more information on FaithValues you can chat to Amy more about it. 
If you'd like to join the webinar next Thursday 23rd May from 7-8pm addressing the question: "How can Christians serve an education system for it to flourish in a more secular and multicultural age?" Click this link to register: https://tinyurl.com/mt2upepp

Blessings
Rev Amy

​In my experience over the years, many families have chosen John 14:1-6 for a reading at their loved one's funeral. I have preached on it many times, bringing words of comfort and challenge. It is a comfort for those gathered to hear that their loved one knew the way to the father, through faith in Jesus Christ and is now in the place prepared for him/her by Christ himself.

In Jewish culture and tradition, the bridegroom would go away and prepare a house/place for his bride and when it was finished and when the groom's father gave the go ahead, the son would come back and take his bride to go live with him in the place he had prepared for them. This is what Jesus promises those of us who believe in him.

Believing in Jesus is the way to our eternal heavenly Father's home. He is the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through him. This Sunday I will preach on the 6th of Jesus "I am" declarations in John's Gospel. We will also celebrate Mother's Day with sensitivity to those who may be grieving the loss of theirs.

We wish a Happy Mother's Day to all who are mums and empathize with those who haven't had the chance to be a mum. We will celebrate all women.

God be with you,

Reverend Tanya Cummings

​Earlier this week I was scrolling through Facebook when I saw a friend's post that had me pausing in shock.

I've known this family for such a long time, though it has been a while since we've seen each other. They were ministers at my home church when I was a young adult. I watched their children grow up, and even when they went away to another church, we kept in touch over the years. 

Their first child, Levi, had been the face of our local church playgroup back in the day - he was such a cute kid, so full of life and joy. He grew up to love sports and love Jesus. 
Last weekend, just a month before his 18th birthday, he died in his sleep sometime on Saturday night. 
I can't imagine what it must have been like to go into their child's room and wake him up to find he'd passed away so suddenly. Such unimaginable grief for a parent. 

There is some comfort in finding out an unknown heart condition that caused a medical episode, ensuring his death happened swiftly and without suffering. 

The greater comfort for his family and for all those who trust Jesus, is that Levi is now Home. In John 11:25 Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die." 

Because Levi believed Jesus' words, this promise is true for him, just as it is true for everyone who trusts Jesus. 

On Sunday we'll be exploring Jesus' gloriously comforting words some more and the impact of living in light of this resurrection. 

Amy