Living with Purpose

The New Testament writers used many metaphors to describe how God works in and through his people. What spiritual reality might you be describing if you described a building under construction, a father’s height, a seedling, a body, and a child? The Apostle Paul uses many of these images in a single paragraph…

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, ¹²to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building the body of Christ, ¹³until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. ¹⁵Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16 HCSB)

This week we will consider from Ephesians 4 how God’s purpose and work in us is to grow us to be just like Jesus Christ. He is working to make us mature in Jesus Christ.

Upcoming:

23.04 Living with Purpose – Growing to be like Jesus

30.04 Living with Purpose – Serving in God’s Kingdom

07.05 The Cutting of the Covenant (Genesis 15-17)

14.05 The Sinfulness of Sodom (Genesis 18-19)

21.05 The Fear of the Faithful One (Genesis 20-21)

Winston Hills Women’s Event – This Saturday!

Date: Saturday 22^ndApril

Time: 8pm

Location: Pocknall’s Place (5 Andrews Ave, Toongabbie NSW 2146)

Bronwyn Edney is coming to speak to us on ‘Joy in God’s Promises’. An event to encourage one another. All ladies welcome!

Christianity Explored course

Christianity is pretty simple. It’s all about one life, the life of Jesus.

Christianity Explored is a fun and relaxed course which investigates who Jesus is and what he has done for us. Everyone who comes has the opportunity to ask all their questions, read through Mark’s Gospel, and consider the life of Jesus. Everyone is welcome.

For more information please contact the church office.

Online Rosters for Winston Hills Anglican Church

Our Sunday gathering rosters have moved online, so the most recent rosters are always at your finger tips. To view our rosters, either follow this link to our Online Google Document (then Bookmark it), or you can follow the link from our Members Resource page on our website.

Google Documents still allows you to print off the month tabs, so you can still stick a copy on your fridge.

Ministry Training

During the first half of the year, we’ve planned a series of training days for all congregations. The goal is to know what we’re doing, how we’re doing it and make sure we’re serving to the best of our growing abilities. Those expected to be involved will be invited and information about these events will be made available closer to the events.

Our welcomers training is a necessity for everyone on the welcoming and ushering roster. Since we desire to welcome and integrate all people who join us, and this is not just the task of our welcomers and ushers, it is recommended that ALL members of Winston Hills Anglican Church attend this training!

Sun 30th Apr – Welcomers Training afternoon (2-4pm at the Thomas Street building)

Sat 3rd June – Leadership Team Training Day

Sun 4th June – Prayers Training afternoon

These training events are open for all members of Winston Hills. Please let Mark know if one of these is an area where you are interested in serving.

Northmead Winter Appeal (30th April – 21st May)

During the month of May, Northmead Anglican Churches are partnering with Anglicare to offer a helping hand to those in our community in need. We are calling on everyone in our parish to give generously from what God has generously given to us (2 Cor 8:8-9; Gal 2:10). And we will go into our local community and shopping centres to ask people to give towards Anglicare’s Winter Appeal.

There are three key areas you and your Gospel Team can be involved:

Donations from Northmead Anglican Churches’ members (Sun 30th April – Sun 14th May) – Over two weeks, members of our congregations are invited to provide food, clothing, and blankets towards Anglicare’s Winter Appeal. Bring your items to the church and place them in the Winter Appeal buckets.
Donations from Letterbox appeal postcards (Round 1: Sat 6th – Sun 14th May; Round 2: Sat 13th – Sun 21st May) – With your Gospel Team, the first weekend you place a Northmead Winter Appeal postcard in letterboxes in certain streets of Northmead and Winston Hills. The following weekend you knock on those doors and say you’re collecting food (as listed on the Appeal postcard) for the Winter Appeal. We will have Thank-you Packs for everyone (see below).
Donations from Northmead and Winston Hills shoppers (Round 1: 11-13 May; Round 2: 18-20 May) – We plan to have tables set up outside a few shops in Northmead and Winston Hills. The tables will be decorated with Anglicare’s banners. Members of Gospel Teams or groups of friends are rostered to stand behind the tables, giving a Winter Appeal Shopping Lists to shoppers, inviting them to contribute certain food items towards Anglicare’s Winter Appeal. Those who contribute towards the appeal are given a Thank-you Pack.

The Thank-you Packs will contain advertising material from Anglicare, information about Northmead Anglican Churches, an evangelistic tract, and other goodies like a lolly. As we meet with people in our community we can promote Anglicare, ourselves, as well as the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Where do we go from here?

Start considering how you might contribute towards the Winter Appeal
Discuss with your Gospel Team how you would like to serve
Gather a few friends and set a time to sit behind the table outside the shops
Inform the church office what times you’ve chosen
Inform the office if you’re available to prepare the Thank-You packs

For more information, please contact Mark Groombridge.

Friends of Northmead – Legal Issues Seminar

Ministry Opportunities

Kitchen Aids for ESL (Monday mornings)

Are you available on Monday mornings to support our ESL outreach ministry? The ESL team is looking for a few people to run the kitchen, prepare morning tea, and be available to chat with anyone who joins the program. Please contact Mark at the office or Denise Carpenter (0431 737 559) if you can help or would be willing to join a roster.

Usher and Assistance at Woodberry Village Sunday service

Because of the failing health of those that help out in welcoming people, guiding people to a seat, and so on, we need volunteers to help out. Would your Gospel Team consider this as an opportunity to reach out to the residents at Woodberry with the gospel? We are looking for 1-2 volunteers for each Sunday service whose names would be added to the roster. Please contact Don Barker if you could assist with this.

Dates for your Diary

April 2017

Mon 17-Fri 21 – Forge Youth Camp
Sun 30 – Welcomers Training seminar
Sun 30 – Northmead Winter Appeal begins

The Groombridges will be away from 21st-25th April.

May 2017

Tues 2 – Christianity Explored course begins
Wed 3 – Friends of Northmead seminar
Fri 5 – Sun 7 e11even Weekend Away
Sat 13 – NCEA Prayer Breakfast (NAC)
Sun 14 – Mothers’ Day
Wed 17 – Stretch Night
Sat 20 – Youth and Children Training Day
Sat 27 – EQUIP Conference

WHAC Prayer Points

This is why, since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, ¹⁶I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. ¹⁷I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. ¹⁸I pray that the perception of your mind may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints, ¹⁹and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength. (Ephesians 1:15-19 HCSB)

Praise God for those non-Christians who came along to our Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday services. Pray that they might continue to discuss the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ with us, and come along to our Christianity Explored courses.
Pray for those who have been sick, unemployed, mourning or struggling in life under many trials. Pray that they may particularly have faith to trust in Jesus through these things.
Pray for the Santiches in Christchurch, NZ. Pray that the Christian Union conference (7-11 April) has deepened the students’ understanding of the cross of Christ.
Pray that as we finish off our Living With Purpose series in a few weeks, that we might consider who we live and what we live for. Pray that we might be a welcoming church that proclaims the good news of Jesus Christ to one another in word and deed.
Pray for the youth who are away at Forge Camp this week that they will enjoy reading the Bible together, praying together, and having fun together.

Winston Hills Community News – 19th April 2017