eNews
RSS Feed now available! You can keep up to date with all the latest news from us simply by subscribing to our feed using your RSS news reader.
Affirmation of new Elders
Members vote in both services Sunday 21st August
Church Council is pleased to announce the names of four men for the role of Elder with Redlands Christian Reformed Church. We believe that Ettiene de Wilzem, Frank Hemelaar, Mark Farmer and Michael Noakes all have much to offer in the role of Elder and will be holding a vote of affirmation by members in both services Sunday.
We are seeking to affirm all four men for the role of Elder (an 80% "yes" vote is required)
- Ettiene de Wilzem
- Mark Farmer
- Frank Hemelaar
- Michael Noakes
Please pray for:
Jan Hughes and family with the passing away of Jan's father on Monday.
Frank Lanaro and family with the passing away of Frank's father on Monday.
Pray for the families as they go through this time of grieving for their father, grandfather, great-grandfather and father-in-law and all the arrangements necessary over the next few days.
5pm service: Christ has been Raised
The message in the gospel of 'resurrection' is seen by the Apostle Paul as absolutely fundamental. After all, as Paul suggests, "And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile..." - 1 Cor 15:17.
This message will seek to ask and answer the question, "how should the truth about resurrection our effect daily Christian lives."
Passage: 1 Cor 15:20a, "But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead..."
Preacher: Craig Ireland
9am service: Who Cares?
The actress Liv Ullman once said: "Hollywood is loneliness beside the swimming pool". In many ways it appears as if we all live in this Hollywood-like, happy and sunny world in which nothing is wrong and we are all happy and whole. Yet, when we take the time to look around us, we will see so many people whose individual worlds often are cold and lonely places amidst the hustle and bustle of society. For various reasons, their lives are like 'loneliness beside the swimming pool' and we wonder: who cares about these people? Who remembers the forgotten? Who helps those who have fallen? Who listens to those who hurt? Who helps people to find truth amidst lies? Who cares? This Sunday we will see what God has in mind.
Reading: John 21:15-19
Preacher: Ettiene de Wilzem
5pm service: Fix Your Thoughts on Jesus
Many people start the Christian journey but never finish it. Sometimes as Christians we can start to drift away from our commitment to Jesus Christ. So how do you run with perseverance the race that God has marked out for us? How do you finish well? How do you cultivate your faith, so that it grows stronger rather than weaker? The writer of the letter to the Hebrews tells us to fix our thoughts on Jesus. As he shows us how Jesus is our greatest example of what it means to be faithful he teaches us five principles about faith and three ways we can cultivate our faith.
Bible text: Hebrews 3:1-15
Preacher: Josh Hartog
9am service: Who is Christianity For?
Although it does not always feel like it, living in the Redlands means that we live in an affluent, western culture. Many, if not most of us have everything we need to get by very comfortably. It is amidst these circumstances that it becomes very relevant to ask: 'what does Christianity have to offer us?' 'Why do we need religion and why have churches?' We will see from the gospel of Luke why we need Christianity; who it is meant for and how the vital message of Christianity is communicated to the culture in which we live.
Bible Reading: Luke 19:1-10
Preacher: Ettiene de Wilzem
5pm service: Fix Your Thoughts on Jesus
Many people start the Christian journey but never finish it. Sometimes as Christians we can start to drift away from our commitment to Jesus Christ. So how do you run with perseverance the race that God has marked out for us? How do you finish well? How do you cultivate your faith, so that it grows stronger rather than weaker? The writer of the letter to the Hebrews tells us to fix our thoughts on Jesus. As he shows us how Jesus is our greatest example of what it means to be faithful he teaches us five principles about faith and three ways we can cultivate our faith.
The text is: Hebrews 3:1-15.
Preacher: Josh Hartog
Elder Announcement
Church Council is pleased to announce the names of four men for the role of Elder with Redlands Christian Reformed Church. We believe that Ettiene de Wilzem, Frank Hemelaar, Mark Farmer and Michael Noakes all have much to offer in the role of Elder and will be holding a vote of affirmation by members on Sunday 21 August in both services. If you would like to get to know any or all of the nominees further please contact them, or perhaps you can invite them along to your small groups for further discussions ahead of 21 August. Brief biographies for each person can be found below.
Michael Noakes:
I grew up in an Anglican environment in Sydney. After graduation I worked in the legal profession for 10 years. The vast majority of my career was spent in the mining industry in human resource, commercial & operational roles culminating in being Managing Director of a large gold mining company in Indonesia.
I am married to Elizabeth and we have two adult sons Matthew and Anthony. We moved to the Redlands in 2003 and I am semi retired.
We drifted away from the Church after the birth of our sons however Elizabeth was instrumental in leading me back to Christ. We attended a multi denominational church whilst in Indonesia and on returning to Brisbane, the Uniting Church in Chapel Hill & then in Wellington Point. Over a 12 year period we were very much involved in the running of Alpha programmes. It was an Alpha Course that was the most significant step in the development of my full understanding of the meaning of a close relationship with God.
Given that we only joined RCRC in January 2009, I initially had reservations about agreeing to my name being put forward as an elder. However after thoughtful prayer and a further approach by the Church Council, I am happy to make myself available should the congregation ratify my appointment.
I believe that my gifts lie in the areas of administration; communications; finance; human resources & leadership.
If ratified, I would wish to encourage a strong consultative leadership style within RCRC with a special emphasis on outreach to the community and creating an environment which makes RCRC attractive to young people whilst caring for all members of the congregation.
I am keen for our Church to fulfill its potential within the Redlands community to the glory of God.
Mark Farmer:
Who's Mark... a small cog in the machinery who's focus is on getting the stuff done. Once I take on a role, there's a commitment to it, to see it through. At RCRC I was one of the founding leaders for MYG (Mid Youth Group) which lead into HSM. During this period I took on the small group leader role for a group of lads, and saw them through from year 8 to finishing high school, and the first year beyond. I have a background of growing up in a Baptist, and Anglican church environment, which was devoted to building leadership amongst the youth. The time before (and during) MYG I have spent leading small groups of my peers. Currently I am leading Kids@Church yr 6,7 lads.
My passion for ministry is in youth, and particularly in bringing lads to an understanding of Christ, while also building their skills in practical ways. I spent 12 years in Boys' Brigade growing up, and have been influenced by the men who lead me during that time. I would like to be the same positive influence on the lives of the children of our church family.
My life has been driven by taking on new challenges, and new starts. I saw the building of the call centre 16 years ago when I started working for Sun Microsystems, and then on to starting the Installation and Consulting services for Sun Microsystems in Qld. Recently after the acquisition of Sun, by Oracle, I have now changed roles, to again start a new era, building the Sales Consulting team for Qld. God keeps putting me in positions of starting fresh, and with the position the church is now in, I think the years of being placed in a position of new beginnings, I believe I have a unique past which can assist the church move into the next phase of its growth.
Frank Hemelaar:
Husband to Janette, Father to Joshua, Chris and Ryan, and now opa to Quentin, son of Josh and Bec.
Frank was born and bred in WA, and grew in faith worshiping within the Reformed Churches in Perth. Studied to become a teacher, and after 5 years of teaching, mostly at Mt Evelyn Christian School , Victoria, was invited to join his father in law in the area of sales within the gourmet food industry. And for the past 22 years, together with business partner Eddie Bos, they have built up a gourmet food company called Royal Foods.
Frank was one of the founding elders of RCRC, and has had 2 terms up to this point in time. All family members have been extremely committed to being involved in the church life, and as a result, all have a very strong commitment to serving the Lord in all areas of their lives.
Over the past number of years his main ministry has focused on being involved in the vision/technical programs that are used in church services. He also has a passion and involvement for the mission work that is carried out in the NLT orphanage in Burma.
He has a strong desire to see an active community of believers, that encourages all believers to live one's faith in all aspects of life, everyday.
Ettiene de Wilzem :
I grew up and lived in South-Africa until I was 18 years of age. My parents raised me in the ways of God as best they could and I came to faith in a very personal way as an adult. We migrated to Australia after I finished school and after quite a period of deliberating I made the decision to study theology. It was during this time that I met my wife.
God's blessed my wife, Dana and I to be a part of RCRC for the past 18 months. We both were part of the Mansfield CRC before then. After completing my degree I have been working in ministry in a part time role, primarily focussing on youth ministry within the church as well as preaching occasionally. Currently I am finishing off further studies toward ordination in the Reformed Churches of Australia.
5pm service: Grace Given to the Guilty
Seeking revenge is so luring... but never heals the hurt. OT Joseph had serious reasons for seeking revenge from those who mistreated and misrepresented him. He'd been incarcerated in jail. Sold as a slave. Threatened with death. Joseph suffered heavy duty wrongs! The world screams 'seek compensation!' 'You deserve revenge!' But that's not God's way. Join us tonight as we see how Joseph lived God's instructions: Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Do not take revenge. (Rom.12:17, 19)
John Hoogenhout
9am service: Delight in the Lord
Come and listen to Rev Bill Wiersma's message titled 'Delight in the Lord'. Hebrews 1:1-12
Australian Census: August 2011
As you all know, the Australian Government will embark on a census this month. Amongst other things, the census will ask questions about religious affiliation.
Having taken advice from a number of people, we ask that you inform the members of your congregation to fill out the census' religion questions in a way the clearly identifies them as members of the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia.
Here's how it's done
1. When you come to the question asking about religious affiliation, select Other at the bottom of the list
2. In the space provided, simply write Christian Reformed Churches of Australia.
Accommodation Request
A 22 year old man named Garreth Dalton is looking for a room or a unit to rent in the Redlands. He is a christian, non-smoker. His email address is garrethdalton@hotmail.com or contact Kees Moolenschot
Pastoral Care
At the last Congregational meeting Church Council announced the need to set up a Pastoral Care group.
We are at the stage now where we would like to get a team together to discuss what this might look like and how it could be successfully implemented at RCRC.
If you feel God is calling you to be involved in this important ministry, we would love to hear from you. Please contact Elder Kees Moolenschot by email: cmoolens@bigpond.net.au or Ph 3822 6421
Next Congregational Meeting
The next Congregational Meeting will be held on Wednesday 3rd August at 7.30pm. Church council will present an offer to purchase the land at 90 Sturgeon St and discussions around pastoral care will continue. The agenda is not yet finalised but will be available soon
5pm Service - Reaping the Rewards of Righteousness
Driving a car when the wheels are aligned right makes driving easier. Living life when wisdom from above directs your steps make living easier. Old Testament Joseph models this as well as anyone. There were times he had to consciously realign his heart to stay the course he'd committed his life to. Tonight we'll discover principles that we can implement in our lives so we too reach our life's goals. If you're finding life is stuck for you somewhat - come tonight. Let God's Word speak to you as we take another look at the life of Joseph.
Text: Genesis 41 (selected)
Preacher: John Hoogenhout
9am service - None But You
All of us are bombarded with voices telling us who we can be, what we should do, how we should live. But which voice do we choose? Even if we would like to say we choose the voice of God over the voice of the world, why do we choose Him over the others? Even in our churches there are a multitude of voices calling for action, assertion or assimilation on a huge variety of things, from church events to matters of vision and direction. Whose voice do we listen to? Join us this Sunday morning to get back to the heart of hearing the One whose voice needs to be heard, needs to be followed, and needs to be trusted.
Passage: John 6:52-69
Preacher: KJ Tromp
The Meating
Yes, it's MEATING time again - 1st August at the church - 7.00 to 9.00pm.
Come along and have great fellowship, enjoy the Steak / Potato Bake / Caesar Salad, and hear:
Jason Fiddes speak about his role as a Baptist Pastor and Chaplain to the Brisbane Broncos.
We are expecting a great turn-up so please register by next Sunday night to the RedlandsCRC admin email address - minadminrcrc@gmail.com - so we can order your meat in time.
Looking forward to 'meating' up again,
Men's Meating Committee
Funeral Notice - Ma Boonstoppel
It is with sadness but thankfullness
that our mother, Oma & great Oma
Maatje Boonstoppel
passed away peacfully on Thursday 21st July
aged almost 90 years (12/08/21)
loved wife of John (Hans) Boonstoppel
loving Mother & Mother.in.law of
Rina, Jayne, Dick & Marysha, Helen & John, Josina, Cathy,
Kees, Leo & Jenny, Debbie & David
loving Oma to 28 grandchilden
loving great Oma B to many, many great grandchildren
The funeral will take place on Tuesday @ Gregson & Weight Chapel
26 Wises Road, Maroochdore @ 1pm
Camp Oven Dinner Reminder
Camp Oven Dinner
Please RSVP to Ingeborg by 25 July for catering purposes.
Email: coringde@bigpond.net.au
Phone: 0417 791 097
News of Dave and Leonie
Dave's Mum went to glory.
Just as Dave and Leonie finished all the packing and cleaning on Tuesday, they received a phone call that Dave's Mum had passed away.
It was not unexpected for she had been quite low for a while already, but death is always such a decisive and final event.
During her life Anne Groenenboom was an example of grace and fortitude; her work at Tyndale Christian School (Blacktown) and her writing for Trowel & Sword will be remembered by many, and these are just a few of the many activities she busied herself with.
Now she is with Christ, which, as the Bible says, "is better by far". We commend Cor, Dave's Dad, to God's grace and the care of loved ones, in a special way. We think of the children, the grandchildren, the wider family, and others who are close to the family, and commend them all to the goodness of God, in this time of loss and grief.
The funeral will be held in Cobden on Friday, and then the next day Dave and Leonie will fly to Perth.
5pm Service - Why? How Long?
Tonight, I want us to wrestle with the questions all of us face more often than we perhaps want to admit: Is it really possible that good can come through bad? Are there silver linings to dark clouds? Why do we have to face sad and bad things in life? Doesn't the Bible say; '... the peace of God will be given to me when I ask?' (see Philippians 4:6-7) I do ask... but I do not have peace. And doesn't the Bible say; 'all things will work for the good of those who love God?' (see Romans 8:28). I love God and things are not working out for good for me.
Through the life of Joseph we'll tackle these questions...
Pastor John Hoogenhout
9am Service - World vs Jesus
Australians love watching their favourite team. But did you know that everyone is actually part of a team? The passage we'll be looking at this Sunday morning comes from the gospel of John where Jesus outlines for us two teams. These two teams encompass the whole of humanity, with some in one and the rest in the other. What are these two teams and what is the relationship between them? Find out this coming Sunday morning.
Bible Reading: John 15:18-25
Preacher: Ryan Hemelaar
MOPS Cookie Dough Fundraiser
MOPS is running a Cookie Dough Drive to raise some funds for our MOPS program and end of the year Christmas Dinner. For the next two Sundays a table will be set up in the hall after Church for anyone who would like to place an order. Payment will be required when you place your order. All orders and money to be in by 1st August. Deliveries will be made to the church on Sunday 10th August.
Any questions please call Jenni on 0439 326 329.
Thanks for your support
Jenni Holz
Thanks
Dave's farewell service
Thanks to all who contributed to make this a special day in the life of RCRC.
90 Sturgeon Street
The Redlands Christian Reformed Church Property Sub Committee have been successful in gaining an extension on the first offer for the sale of 90 Sturgeon Street, Ormiston that was proposed to the congregation on Wednesday 13th July, 2011. This extension expires on the 23rd August, 2011. The committee is currently negotiating with both parties.
Farewell Lunch
On Sunday 17 July we will be having a special farewell lunch for the Groenenboom family straight after the 9am service. We would love you to bring some food to share. If your surname begins with A-L, please bring a plate of something sweet. If your surname begins with M-Z, please bring a plate of something savoury. You may also like to bring a blanket so we can sit on the grass (depending on the weather) Any questions? email Miranda pg.mg@pacific.net.au
What do you believe and why?
We all have a set of answers to life's important questions - a set of beliefs. Whether we admit it or not, or even whether we are aware of it or not, our beliefs inevitably spur us on to devote ourselves exclusively to some thing(s) or someone in our lives which determines how we live. The Bible passage we will look at has some things to say about our set of beliefs. We will see if beliefs are only relative or if there is only one that is absolute and true? If there is, why is it better than the claims of all the other sets of belief and how does it affect our lives?
Kids@Church Movie Night
This Saturday (16th) 6-8pm
Children will need to bring $3 a pillow and a blanket
Dinner is not provided but snacks and drinks are.
Please RSVP via email, text or phone call by this Thursday with the number of children.
Look Forward to seeing you all there.
God what are you doing to us?
Ever feel like you're in the washing machine? All your plans get turned upside down, all your expectations dashed, and you wonder whether God really knows what he is doing? Why does this happen? What good can come from this? How will we ever survive? Sometimes God leads his people into situations like this to teach them important things about himself.
You can read ahead at Exodus 13-14
Preacher: Dave Groenenboom
Camp Oven Dinner
From 3pm, Saturday, 30th July, 2011
Cost: $5 per person
$10 per Family
BYO: Drinks/glasses, Chairs/Picnic Rugs, warm clothes
Please RSVP to Ingeborg by 25 July for catering purposes.
Email: coringde@bigpond.net.au
Phone: 0417 791 097
Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53