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WINTER SLEEP OUT - TOMORROW 7.30PM

Winter sleepout will kick off tomorrow night at 7:30pm in the church carpark.

 

Please be advised that tents are not permitted! We will allow for a small mattress for those with back problems. And for the rest of you, we have lots'o cardboard boxes for shelter!

 

There will also be tea, coffee, hot chocolate and cuppa soups available for a gold coin donation. Bring along your deck of cards and board games.

 

Cost: $10 ($30 per family)

All donations to Mission Australia - Winter Appeal

Remember that donations of blankets and warm clothes will also be passed on to Mission Australia.

 

For more information, email Sasha Garner snoush2002@hotmail.com

Midweek News

This Sunday

AM:The antichrist – should we be worried? In a few places in Scripture we have reference to a shadowy figure called ‘the antichrist’ or ‘the man of lawlessness.’ The fleeting references, combined with the destruction he is associated with have lead to all sorts of theories of who this man / creature is, and what he is on about, and how much we should be concerned with him. When Paul makes mention of him in 2 Thessalonians he does so in a way that discusses his reality, but firmly places him under the reign and conquest of Jesus Christ, giving us a firm assurance that when he is revealed, Christians need not fear his power or influence. For more, come along Sunday morning.

PM: Your next 'Australian Idol’: No-one can doubt its popularity, but has anyone noticed how flippantly we use the word ‘idol’ these days?  Tonight we’ll look back at what God told Moses and the Israelites about idols and how the Israelites reacted when Moses was taking his time on Mt Sinai.  We’ll answer some questions about what all this has to do with Jesus and our very own ‘Australian Idols’ of today.

What's your story?

Last Sunday night no one could have doubted the power of testimony. Listening to how the Lord had worked in a person's life to bring hope and grace was wonderfully encouraging. It reminded us that God is the Lord who works extraordinary things in the lives of ordinary people.
 
Maybe you have a story you'd like to share one day. Something that clearly focuses on God, on how he works to make an eternal difference through his Son in people's lives. Why not send it through to dave@redlandscrc.org.au - and some time there may be an opportunity for you to share it. Go on! We'd love to hear from you!

Prayer Points

- The study tour team as they arrive in the US. First appointments will be with representatives of Redeemer Presbyterian Church's Church Planting School and their outstanding diaconal mission project, Hope for New York.

- Will the situation in the Middle East ever change? Perhaps only with an outpouring of God grace and through the hope of the Gospel. Please pray for peace

- The Winter Sleepout: please pray that the Lord will open our hearts to the plight of the homeless in our own city, and that together in His grace we might work toward a compassionate response. Remember: the sleepout starts 7:30pm Friday night

I have a friend who struggles with...

 

In the PM services, starting August 27th we will be starting a message series entitled “I have a friend who struggles with…” Basically, this is an opportunity to see God’s perspectives on some of the issues that your friends (or you) might struggle with in life.

Please select 2 items from the list below that you would like covered in these servic es and send them to clinton@redlandscrc.org.au. Those with the highest votes will be covered. Please feel free to also get the opinion of family members, friends, work mates, anyone who you think might be interested in hearing God's perspective on some of the issues that we all wrestle with from time to time. The Choices are:  Doubts about faith                              Being single   Sexual Boundaries                             Abuse at home   Dealing with conflict                         Anger / forgiveness   Past hurtful experiences                   Spending Money   Alcohol Abuse   Self image   Homosexuality   Understanding the Supernatural World    Choosing a Career   Finding a marriage partner   Choosing only 2 of these options   Other 

Making Chuch a Great Place

Making RCRC really friendly...

The question read, “Would people who are different to me find it easy to fit in to this church?” I had to think about that. Over recent weeks I have had to think about it a little more: things have happened which give us a wake up call about the way we are building community.

Let me say first that from early days, the warmth of community, the family feel, has been great. This has a great blessing for our first years. The interesting thing is that sometimes great community feels so good, and we get so used to it, that it becomes hard for people to break into our circle. We need to make some changes, otherwise the church will not be the warm and loving new society God wants it to be.

I guess there are people who are up front and confident, and they won’t have too much trouble introducing themselves to others, or breaking into a group of people whom they don’t know. There are also lots of people who are tentative, more reserved, and who will stay on the margins if no one draws them in. One is not better than another. People are just different.

It just happens...

Understand this: I don’t think anyone gets out of bed in the morning and says, “I think I’ll just focus on myself at church today, too bad about others…” But life is busy, and we have to catch up with a few people… So, when arrive, or the service finishes, we make a bee line for the people we want to catch up with. At other times, we just see people we know, and we talk with them. That’s what friends do, right?

The other side is that on Sundays there are lots of people I don’t know. Probably more people I don’t know than people I do know. And we know it can be hard to leave our comfort zone, step over the boundary, and introduce yourself to someone you’ve never met. For some of us, that’s not just different, that’s discomfort.

So there are two things at work: we can be preoccupied with seeing people we know – enjoying the warmth of community we are part of. And there’s the effort required to move out of what we know, and to take a few risks in meeting new people.

Reality

Before I talk briefly about how we can all change this situation, let’s just think about some of the realities

• people today, maybe more than ever, are longing for an expression of love and community. Maybe it’s not said, or even realised, but this is very high on the internal agenda of everyone who walks through our doors. People are hungering for friendship, for a smile, for people who care. People really do want to be drawn into restored community! Restored community is one of the most effective tools God uses to show what new life in Christ is all about!
• We should be the first to show that new community. We should be the first to step out of our comfort zone. The first to speak to a someone we don’t know. The first smile, the first to greet, the first to shake hands, the first to make someone else a cuppa, the first to leave those we’re talking to and walk across the room to people who have no one to talk to! We should be the first every single time! Why? That's just what Jesus would have done!

For the next two months…

So I want to issue a challenge: a challenge to change and to more loving community. For the next two months, do the following:

• Develop ‘people eyes’ – take time tomorrow to look for people you don’t know. No need to ask whether they are ‘new’ or not (hey, most the church is 'new'!), just ask yourself whether you know them. If you don’t, introduce yourself and make a new friend!
• Smile! Do you know smiles are natural, and it takes more effort to not smile? The eyes communicate what’s in your heart. Relate warmly, openly, friendly to all people, especially those you don’t know.
• Instead of making a bee line for the coffee, or a chair to sit on, look to the fringes for people who are on their own. Think of them first, before yourself. That’s what Jesus did (Phil 2) Go up, say G’day, be a friend and make a friend. Be the first to say hello, shake a hand, smile, to make a cuppa for someone else
• Make a commitment to speak to people you don’t know for the first ten minutes after the service. As you leave your chair in the auditorium, start looking for someone you don’t know. Be the friend they need.
• Take a real interest in people. Ask them about their week, their family, how they’ve been. Start with them and stay with them
• Invite someone you don’t know home (or somewhere else) for coffee or a BBQ. Spend time with them. Time is the currency we use to purchase trust and relationship. God loves a cheerful giver…
• Ask them to your small group. Small groups are the best places to get to know a small amount of people fast. People in small groups build community and make the church a warmer place
• Pray: “Lord, help me love the church, your people, more and more.” Remember Jesus, who for our sakes made himself last. Ask Jesus for the eyes and the heart that build warm body life. Ask Him to give you his eyes, his ears, his hands and feet. Become them and be them for others.

 

Feedback: dave@redlandscrc.org.au

 

Winter Sleepout

Get on board - Aug 04 from 7:30pm

It's a parent's dream and a teenager's nightmare: no mobile phone calls, no loud music and absolutely no stereo music. Join us as we ditch technology and a bed for the night to gain some insights into what "sleeping rough" is like for homeless people. The aim is to raise awareness and money for Mission Australia's "Winter Homeless Appeal".

For those wanting to donate or take part in the Winter Sleepout, or for more information on the event which runs from 7pm - 7am on August 4th in the church car park.

Donation: $10.00 per person or $30.00 per family.

[The sleepout will be security patrolled]

Please contact Sasha Garner on 0401 035 597 or email snoush2002@hotmail.com if you have any questions.

“Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man^ has no place to lay his head.” - Jesus 

Midweek News

This Sunday

AM: “Many people, writers, newspapers, have made comment on the current state of the world. Wars in the middle east, natural disasters, they all seem to point to the fact that something is not right. One of the things that the Bible tells us about such events, is that they serve as a reminder that Jesus Christ is coming back, and we as churches and individuals must be vigilant in being prepared for that event. When Paul writes to the Thessalonian church, he writes to a church that were experiencing persecution, another sign of the coming of Christ. But he speaks very positively about them and holds them up as a model for others to imitate. So this Sunday AM, we being a series in this book, looking at what a church in the last days should look like. Read ahead in 2 Thessalonians 1.”

PM: Profession of Faith. We’ll celebrate with Dave Mooney, Theresa Moormann, Sasha Garner, Lauren Woods, Erin Groenenboom and James Augustakis as they declare  their love for the Jesus and their desire to follow him. For the trivia buffs: try and work out who the first missionary was in the NT, and check out that person’s qualifications…

Discovery Service last week…

We’ve been quite encouraged with the feedback that has come from last Sunday morning’s service. For those who might not be too sure of what a discovery service is, it’s a special service concentrating on evangelistic themes, and one which is specifically intended for you to bring friends and family who may not know Jesus. Specifically, last Sunday’s service has a number of positive outcomes, including a couple of people originally from Burma, who came along because 1) they had seen the car wash sign the week before, 2) they had decided to ask someone about this, and dropped into the church on Tuesday to see if there was someone there who knew something about Burma… 3) Guess who was in the office? Eddie Bos! [God's timing, eh!]. Many people commented on how well the program flowed together and concluded with a strong testimony to the compassion of God as seen in Jesus’ cross and resurrection.
There are some other Discovery Services planned for the remainder of the year. Perhaps you can mark your diary now, and make plans to invite friends and family along:
• Sep 17: “What if…” What if Christians are wrong? What if there is no God? Is that really the sort of world anyone would want? This would be a great event for people who may think that Christianity is irrelevant today.
• Nov 12: “Would Jesus go to Schoolies?” We fear for young people during schoolies week – what might Jesus have done? Would he hit the coast? How can parents and their schoolie children deal with this stuff?
We’ll have promotional material ready well before the event. Let’s pray that God will use these times for maximum impact in people’s lives. Please also add these events to your prayer diary.
Would you like to be involved in the next services?
We’ll need
• Drama people
• Extra greeters
• All sorts of things – send us an email and tell us what you’d like to do dave@redlandscrc.org.au

Study Tour commences this week

Next week Dave, Frank & Chris Hemelaar, Todd & Wendy Hammond will travel to the US. They will be away for two weeks. While they are gone they hope to visit
• Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York city. Redeemer is world renowned for its Center for Church Planting. Over the years Redeemer have developed a total church planting ethos, and have planted numerous churches in New York and beyond. We have arranged appointments with their Church Planting associate director, representatives of the fantastic urban mission, (Hope For New York), and leaders of their mums ministries (Wendy will meet with them). You can find out about Redeemer at www.redeemer.com – check out the inspirational online video about Hope for New York, and you’ll see why we are excited about Redeemer
• Willow Creek Leaders Summit: designed to extend leaders and broaden vision for responsible leader development at the local level. The team will be met in Chicago by Cor & Ingeborg de Ruysscher, and Eddie & Melissa Bos for the duration of the Summit
• Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, where John Ortberg is teaching pastor. You can download great sermons from this site: www.mppcfamily.org
• City Church San Francisco – another church with a strong church planting emphasis. We will meet with their Senior Pastor, hoping to learn some lessons (from City Church and Redeemer NY in particular) about the type of church planting ethos we intend to develop here. www.citychurchsf.org
• Kevin Adams from Granite Springs CRC in California. Kevin has helped raise the profile of church planting in the CRC in the US, and some may remember his encouraging month of devotions in a recent “Today” booklet. These meetings can’t be confirmed until the last minute, as Dr Adams is on Sabbatical until about the day before we leave. Hopefully it can all happen.
Please keep the  team in your prayers, asking especially that what we learn can be a great encouragement to the work and mission of Redlands CRC.

Chill Out Progressive Dinner - Can you help?

On August 11th (Friday Night) the Senior Youth are hoping to hold a progressive dinner.

We are seeking 2 homes/families to open their hearts to provide dinner for the youth. (Or 4 if interest is high, split the group in two).There would be one course per house (entree or main - dessert is at church), and 10-15 youth eating at a time (2 'shifts' perhaps).Food costs will be reimbursed, servant-hearted pre-preparation is available on request.The youth will be driven to each destination, houses in the Cleveland-Birkdale area are preferrable.

If you can help in any way (by volunteering as a servant-hearted pre-preparation helper or opening your house) please let Bonnie know as soon as possible on 0401 526 442 or email her at funky_foreva@hotmail.com

God Bless :)

Girls, can you help Carlee?

I currently attend RCRC and am studying Psychology at Griffith University. I am desperately looking for subjects to participate in my thesis. It is a sports psychology study, examining how people focus while playing softball. The purpose is to determine how athletes should focus their attention when playing sport, and subsequently how coaches should instruct them. These results will be applicable to other sports as well.

I’m looking for females between the ages of 18-40 to spend between 30-45mins hitting some softballs from a pitching machine under 4 different conditions. No previous softball experience is required (good thing, eh?)

The testing will be conducted at Redlands Softball, directly across from the RCRC. I will test at any time convenient to you.

If you are interested, could you please let me know by email carlee32@hotmail.com, or 0423 431 597. Your help would be appreciated immensely!!

Thanks

Carlee Spiers

Sleep out security...

Winter Sleep Out: Security Volunteers needed

The winter sleepout is set for Aug 4, 7:30pm to 7:30am the next morning. We need six two hour shifts of security people to supervise this event. There will be other adults here – so the task should not be too onerous. This will be a great way to show solidarity with the homeless in Redlands. Please email Peter Goodridge (pgmg@gil.com.au, 0412 161 597) to sign up.

Thanks

Reminder: Breakfast Meeting tomorrow

Dear Friends,

We're taking this opportunity to ask you along to the Breakfast Meeting on Saturday from 7:30am.

We have some great things to discuss, and we would really love everyone to come along. Make sure you let us know how many of your family are coming (office@redlandscrc.org.au ).

The Budget for the new year is below, and the other things we are talking about are:

• Vision: What are we heading for? What are the important aspects of how we want the church to develop in the years to come? We will also provide information about our current situation, and why considering the future is really important.
• How will we finance this vision for the next 12 months – check out our financial statements and evaluate how they show a mission and nurturing focus
• Property issues: We hope to have new information about Boundary Rd, as well as fill you in on the latest developments for our current property, and the "Plumbers Block" (immediately to your left when you enter the car park). How will these developments impact on our future?
• Church Planting: a few suggestions came up at the last meeting – but what might a church planting cycle really look like in Redlands, and what are the best ways to make it happen?
• Other miscellaneous issues

We'd love to see you there! Please join us!

 

Redlands CRC Proposed Budget (Income & Expenditure) 2006-2007
Income		$ 379,300
Expenses
Ministry of Word	Stipends/housing/vehicle	$ 192,800
Ministry Areas	Collection Disbursements	$ 30,000
	Collections specific	$ 15,000
	Leadership Development	$ 6,000
	Intern training costs	$ 5,000
	Worship Ministry	$ 1,500
	Small Groups	$ 1,000
	Creche/Youth/Seniors	$ 4,200
	Evangelism/ Alpha/ BYM	$ 4,000
	MOPS Ministry	$ 1,000
	Hospitality/ Travel/Advert	$ 3,250
Admin & Finance		$ 19,400
Synodical Share		$ 15,200
Interest		$ 56,000
Insurance		$ 13,000
Equipment & Facilities		$ 11,950
Capital Expenditure
Total		$ 379,300

Questions? dave@redlandscrc.org.au

Who are you bringing on Sunday morning?

Don't forget the Discovery Service this Sunday, 9am! We'd love for you to share with us as we consider together the gift of compassion, and the greatest story of compassion every told!

Questions: justask@redlandscrc.org.au

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