FIVE Community News – November 2016
Jesus > Everything
This month we are continuing in our study of the Letter to the Hebrews from chapter 7. These chapters particularly address issues regarding traditional and legalistic forms of relating to God. Please read ahead and consider how Jesus is superior and surpasses the OT temple systems.
13th Nov – Jesus > The Old Covenant (Hebrews 7)
20th Nov – Jesus > The Old Priesthood (Hebrews 8)
27th Nov – Jesus > Sacrifices (Hebrews 9)
Four Weeks of Prayer & November Dinners
As part of a process of seeking God’s will for ourselves and our church community, this month we are reading God’s Word, praying and reflecting. If you have misplaced your prayer diary, you can download it from our Members Resources (now with corrected dates).
During November we hope to use 5 minutes during our gatherings and supper times to share with one another what we have learnt from God during the month. What has happened over the past year? What would we like to see happen next year? How can we be promoting the gospel of Jesus Christ amongst the Lost in 2017.
Our review dates and topics are:
13th November: Membership and Ministry in 2017
20th November: Mission in 2017
27th November: Sunday Gatherings and Gospel Teams in 2017
If you have any thoughts or feedback for the CDT, you are welcome to share it with us on these dates. If you’re unable to attend on one of these nights, please send the CDT an email.
After our Sunday gatherings in November, you are also welcome to join us for dinner on the back deck. Bring your own meal and we’ll sit together enjoying discussion and watching the sun set.
Thanksgiving Dinner – Sunday 4th December
Instead of supper on Sunday 4th December we will have a meal on the back grass. Everyone is welcome. During our meal there will be an opportunity to thank specific people at FIVE for their love, prayers, or service over the past year.
Wright Deputation – 7th-11th December
During December, Tony Wright will be bringing a team from Fiji to share with us of the great things that have been happening there. Tony will be sharing with us from Hebrews 11 on the Sunday. We will gather for a Fijian Dinner and Presentation on Friday 9th December (6-8pm) and hear from the students and ministry apprentices about their work to proclaim the gospel throughout Fiji.
While Tony and the Fijian team are with us there will be a Mission Prayer Breakfast on Saturday 10th December at 8am. Please join us to reflect on God’s Word and prayer for gospel proclamation around the world.
FIVE Book Club
Our FIVE Book Club is meeting on the first Wednesday of each month at Mark’s place (17 Willow Dr, Baulkham Hills). This next month we are reading an Australian history of our choice. For example,
A Short History of Australia by Manning Clarke
Down Under by Bill Bryson
The Fatal Shore: The Epic of Australia’s Founding by Robert Hughes
Anyone who is interested in reading a book and discussing it’s themes and ideas is welcome to join us.
[UPDATED] Christmas Outreach Opportunity
The women have a great opportunity to invite their friends and family to the Gingerbread House Decorating Evening being held at Northmead on Thursday 1st December at 7pm. Tickets are available from Rochelle on Sundays or Sharon in the office.
Our student minister Jacquie will be giving an evangelistic talk, so it is a great opportunity for everyone to hear the great news concerning the birth of Jesus for the purpose of saving us all from our sin.
[UPDATED] Operation Christmas Child and Toys ‘n’ Tucker
It is now time to return the Operation Christmas Child boxes. Please bring them ASAP to the church foyer or contact Fi Axford.
During November we will be supporting Anglicare’s Toys ‘n’ Tucker program. You can find a useful shopping list here of things that will assist Anglicare with their distribution over Christmas. Please bring any items you would like to donate to the church foyer by the first week of December.
A Note of Thanks from International Teams
Thanks be to God for everyone’s efforts this year with the RIDE for Refugees. International Teams was able to raise $127k through their three cycling events.
Dates for your Diary
November 2016
- Wednesday 23rd – Friends of Northmead Christmas Supper
- Sunday 13th, 20th, 27th – Month of Prayer Feedback session
December 2016
- Sunday 4th December – Thanksgiving Dinner
- Wednesday 7th – Sunday 11th – Wright Deputation with Fijian Team
- Wednesday 7th – FIVE Book Club
- Thursday 8th – FIVE Gospel Team Leaders Dinner
- Saturday 10th – Missionary Prayer Breakfast
- Friday 16th – Carols on the Mead
- Saturday 24th – Christmas Eve services (5pm, 11:30pm)
- Sunday 25th – Christmas Day services (9:30am) at Northmead and Winston Hills
January 2017
- Sunday 1st – New Years Day service (10am only)
- 7-13th – CMS Summer School
FIVE Prayer Points
- Thank God for the opportunity we’ve had over the past month to read God’s Word and pray to him, particularly for our fellow FIVE members. Pray that we might reflect and consider how we might grow FIVE next year.
- Pray for those who are ill, mourning, or continue to struggle with ongoing sickness or life struggles.
- Pray for Tony Wright and the Fijian team as they prepare to visit us visit us in December.
- Pray for Adrian Russell as he pastors and teaches us regularly, pouring out his life so that we might live for Jesus Christ.
- Pray for the many events in the lead up to Christmas that we might have joy and partnership in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and that God may be using these events to call people to himself.
FIVE Reading – Blogs
An alternative to reading a book, which always seems to require planning to set aside time in our busy world, is reading short articles. Two of my favourites are David MacDonald’s blog and Lionel Windor’s blog. You may have read David’s book Hope Beyond the Cure. He was a pastor in Canberra, but not works somewhat like a Bishop for the independent evangelical churches around NSW. Lionel is a lecturer at Moore college, who some of you may have heard when he came to NAC a few months ago to train the Gospel Team Leaders.
Now my point is not that you should start reading these two particular blogs. Rather, I would encourage you to consider signing up to some irregular Christian blog. I have, for example, mentioned articles from the weekly GoThereFor blog. These are certainly aimed at the Christian slogging life out daily in faith.
I like David and Lionel’s blog articles primarily because they’re infrequent, short yet full of great Christian meat. David often reviews books he has read. He also has a great section on his website for training leaders. Lionel is a bit more random when it comes to topics, but still very accessible. Yet they both are aiming to assist pastors, so they may appear more technical and a challenge to read.
Yet I still want to encourage you to find shorter articles, usually found in blogs, that can assist you in your daily walk with Christ.