Winston Hills Community News – 5th April 2017
Living with Purpose
Is it any difference between being a member of the church and the local sports club? Pay your yearly dues, volunteer to run the BBQ for an event, make some mates. Is there any difference between gathering with friends at a local cafe and gathering in your Gospel Team? Some laughs, nibbles, and social interaction. How is being a member of God’s church different to other gatherings?
This week we will consider from Ephesians 2.11-22 how we live as God’s desires in this time before Jesus returns. In particular we’ll be hearing from Paul, what it means to belong to God and his family.
This month we will be remembering the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ during our special Easter services. These services are an opportunity to ask your friends and family to celebrate Easter with you. We will have a children’s program and morning tea is provided. A short talk will seek to help people understand why the unjust death of a man at the hands of a foreign occupying force and religious leaders was actually the best thing that could ever possibly happen for us.
Upcoming:
09.04 Living with Purpose – Belonging to God and his Family
14.04 Good Friday
16.04 Resurrection Sunday
23.04 Living with Purpose – Growing to be like Jesus
30.04 Living with Purpose – Serving in God’s Kingdom
Online Bibles and Apps
The publishers of the Holman Bible must have decided that they would spend as little as possible on the binding for their pew Bibles. Consequently we’ve observed most of our pew Bibles disintegrating and coming off their covers. However you do not have to put up with tattered paper version if you carry your modern phone or tablet.
Online Bibles
You can read most versions of the Bible, even the original languages, through online Bibles. You only need internet access and a browser. One of the most simplest sites is Biblia.com. You have access to dozens of versions of Scripture. Just type in the passage you want and Bob’s your uncle. The Bible Gateway has even more versions for you to read, even in foreign languages.
Some of these online Bible sites can be set up to read the passage out loud. You can even copy the sound files, dump them onto a CD and listen to the Bible in your car on the way to work.
On some of these sites you can sign up to receive a passage from Scripture each day in an email. That’s handy if you’d like a small passage to reflect upon each day.
Bible Apps
The benefit of a mobile app is that you can download and read the Bible on your device. So no internet connection is required. Usually they do not take up too much memory space either. Most of the apps come with a select number of Bible versions, and so you might need to purchase your desired version if it is not on their list.
Check out the following free apps:
The Bible (Bible Society app)
Another benefit of the mobile apps is that you are able to purchase and download commentaries and dictionaries which will also help you study the Bible. You can, say, have the New Bible Commentary open in one half of the window pane while reading the passage in the other half.
So why our Bibles slowly fall apart, please consider using such online sites or apps. We would also recommend you try to avoid being distracted by everything else on your device if you’re in your Gospel Team or our Sunday gathering!
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.
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.
Winston Hills Women’s Event
Date: Saturday 22nd April
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!
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
- Fri 14 – Good Friday service (9:30am)
- Sun 16 – Resurrection Sunday service (9:30am)
- Mon 17-Fri 21 – Forge Youth Camp
- Sun 30 – Welcomers Training seminar
The Winstonite Holiday Program will be running on Sunday 9th, 16th, and 23rd April (including Good Friday). For more information, please speak with Bronwynne Pocknall.
The Groombridges will be away from 21st-25th April.
WHAC Prayer Points
This is why, since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17 I 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. 18 I 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, 19 and 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)
- Pray for boldness to take the opportunity to invite non-Christian friends and family along to our Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday services. Pray that our gatherings over that weekend will clearly explain the gospel of Jesus Christ.
- Pray for the names we wrote down on Sunday that God may reveal himself to our contacts through the announcement of Jesus Christ, so that people may know him (Eph 1.17).
- 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 for the Christian Union conference (7-11 April) as they look at the cross of Christ. Pray for Mark who is giving the talks.
- Praise God that although Term 1 has been extremely busy for us all, we have formed our Gospel Teams, enjoyed new people joining us on Sundays as members, survived changes in timing and seating arrangements, and the news about Christ is being proclaimed. Pray that God continues to work in our hearts and minds, transforming us by his Holy Spirit, so that we might be like his Son, Jesus.