 I wonder if you’ve had a chance to look over the draft Mission Action Plan yet?
If I could sum up the whole proposed plan with a few Bible readings – it would be those I’ve chosen for this Sunday. Colossians 3:12-17 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. … and Colossians 4:2-6. Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. In these brief passages we can see glimpses of our mission, vision, and the 6 pillars highlighted in our proposed “MAP”; Worship, Discipleship, Mission, Service, Fellowship, and I might be pushing it, but I’ll add in ‘Governance’. It is my desire that we have Christ and His word at the centre of all we do and say. I hope you will join us this Sunday at 9:30am for worship where I will bring a brief message on the above passages. Then, following our service… after a “wee-short-break!”, we will present the proposed MAP outline before enjoying a lovely time of fellowship and further sharing over morning tea. I’m delighted to say our youngest member has offered to make our cake for morning tea this week! And I’ll be delighted to bring along some light savory snacks to sustain us over an extended morning together. I look forward to seeing you this Sunday, God be with you, Rev. Tanya
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 How are you enjoying our Sermons in the book of Colossians?
This Sunday we welcome Jean Pilbrow to bring us a message on chapter 2. Please come to Church with a mask (not mandated, but highly recommended!), and with open hearts, ready to hear what God wants to say to us through this passage. In Colossians 2:6-7 it says “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” Here Paul reminds us that the Christian life continues the same way it begins, by faith in Jesus, and he gives us three practical ways to live continuously and successfully (faithfully) in Christ. Firstly, we are to be rooted and built up in Christ. Picture, in your mind, a large tree that can withstand the wind, rain, and seasons of drought; it continues to flourish because of a strong root system which gives it stability and moisture from the ground. In Psalm 1, David likens a person who delights in God, and flourishes in their relationship with Him and keeps his laws as a strong and prosperous tree. “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither whatever they do prospers”. So, let’s make sure our root system goes deep into his word each day so we can have strong deep roots. Secondly, we are to be strengthened in faith. Think of faith like a muscle that needs to be constantly exercised so that it will be strong, in shape and ready to withstand anything and everything. In continuing with our example of a tree; faith is like the trunk of the tree that grow tall and strong over the years. It is the part of the tree that is exposed to the elements so it needs to be strong and able to withstand outside forces. It is also the part of the tree that never stops growing which means the trunk is the visible results of the depth of the root system. Thirdly, we are to abound and overflow with thanksgiving and gratitude. This ought to be the natural over flow of someone who is deeply rooted and strong in faith. To visualize in terms of our tree, gratitude is like the leaves, a sign of the health of the tree. Without leaves, the trees look bare and dead; however even dead branches when trimmed give life to the whole. In the same way, a Christian living without thanksgiving and gratitude can appear severely damaged, while a life that overflows with gratitude shows maturity and health. So, try giving thanks to God for 5 things every day. See what a difference it makes! A healthy tree image is a beautiful picture of the redeemed life; rooted, secure, strong, able, mature, complete and continually bringing glory to God through a life of gratitude. May we each be likened to strong healthy tree’s as we continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. God be with you, Rev. Tanya  Over recent months, our Parish Council have been spending much time envisioning the
Church we would like to be part of in 3 years’ time. Hopefully, we’ll be gaining traction in our worship, discipleship, mission, service, fellowship and governance. Today, I encourage us each to consider who we want to be (spiritually and personally speaking) in 3 years’ time. Spiritually speaking, what will be different about you? Personally, I would like us all to be living with Jesus alone as the centre of our lives. Colossians 1:15-20 which we will look at this Sunday, is a poem that teaches us that Jesus is the point from which all things are directed and to which all things are focused. The Bible in its entirety teaches that we can’t understand how to be a human being (much less how to be the church) if we don’t see reality this way; with Jesus at the centre of it all. Paul’s overall point in his letter to the Colossians is that Jesus is the centre of reality, and in Col 1:15-20 he points out five specific things that Jesus is: 1) “Jesus is the image of the invisible God” (v. 15a). 2) He is “the firstborn of all creation” (v. 15b). 3) He “is before all things” (v. 17). 4) “He is the head of the body, the church” (v. 18a). 5) He is “the firstborn from the dead” (v. 18b). These are amazing truths which can transform our lives, so I encourage you to come along to Church this Sunday and explore these things in more depth. I also encourage you to ask yourself today; “Is Jesus alone at the centre of my life?” and “Will He be even more so in three years’ time?”. May we each continue to grow in our knowledge of Him and His will through all the wisdom and understanding the spirit gives so that we may live lives that please Him in every way (Col 1:9-10) Blessings on your week, Rev. Tanya  This week I’m praying the prayer written in Colossians 1:9-12 over you.
"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, I have not stopped praying for you. I continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.” This Sunday we begin our sermon series in Colossians (using lectionary readings) it is my hope that we will be challenged to pray more intentionally for one another and our church. And just as Paul desired for the Colossians; it is my hope that we may continually seek the spiritual discernment we need to walk in his will, and seek to live our lives in a manner worthy of the Lord Jesus. May we each bear fruit in every good work and have an eternal impact; influencing those around us for the sake of his kingdom. May we continue to look for those people of peace who receive you, your message, and the mission of God. May we increasingly grow in the knowledge of God and develop and ever deepening and loving relationship with him. May we be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might. May our lives express joyous thanks to the Father for his grace to us, at all times. Paul’s prayers and desires for the church in Colossae are the same as my prayers for you. I hope to see you Sunday. Rev. Tanya |
