NewChurchLife

Each Monday The XChange planting team in Kariong (NSW) provides morning tea for teachers and staff of the Kariong Public School. ‘They love the goodies we provide,’ says planter Laurel Ansell - and have labeled it ‘munchy morish Mondays’.

When Phil Brown (church planting coordinator in Western Australia) and I visited the ACTS Club at Curtin University yesterday, one student told us how she has become a member of a ‘reading club’ on campus and this has opened the opportunity for her to suggest a book on spirituality that the group has decided to read. We also agreed that ‘The Shack’ – an allegorical story of Mac spending a weekend with God – could be another ‘good read’ that would engender significant spiritual dialogue with friends!

Revive (Melbourne, Australia) celebrated two years as a church plant by hosting a ‘church planting teams training’ event for 20 people representing six potential plants. To maintain church health and vitality a local church must be reproducing and multiplying – and Revive recognizes the need for new clusters, groups and churches. Currently they are supporting a re-plant in Victoria – as well as missions in Thailand and Uganda. Following the training weekend – new visions and possibilities are being explored and prayed about. If you would like a copy of the training/dialogue materials - or ideas on how your church, house church or plant could become a multiplying movement - leave a comment and we will get materials to you.

With the Jewish Passover day last week – and the feast of unleaven bread spanning the traditional Easter weekend this year – Living Waters Community Church hosted a Passover Brunch on Shabbat (April 11) for almost 100 people. Barry Buirski, from Celebrate Messiah, was the featured speaker – graphically illustrating the salvation provided by Jesus Christ our ‘Passover Lamb’ and Messiah. Jewish friends were delighted to find the Living Waters Centre decorated ‘just like a kibbutz for Passover’. Their interest in the Messiah was further awakened!

‘MORE than four in 10 Australians who don’t consider themselves “born again” nevertheless believe Jesus rose from the dead, while one in 10 doesn’t believe he even existed.’ Check out this survey report in The Age (Apr 7, 09).

I first met Olga & Michael in Israel - where they established many new faith and prayer groups. The last time I visited them, Olga was conducting gospel meetings in Nazareth. On leaving Israel they returned to Ukraine - and, although beyond retiring age, both Olga and Michael continue to share their faith. Currently Michael is in Mtsensk - where more than 300 youth are coming each day to study God’s Word with him; and, Olga is in Tambov sharing her faith. I am inspired and challenged by the way Olga closes the e/m I received from her today: ‘all time I want make the best for the GLORY OF MY JESUS!’ That’s the heart of an apostle - a church planter!

‘We are doing fine,’ a friend writes. ‘We are getting on with the church plant. We try to hide from other Christians so we can focus our energy on reaching the lost and that is wonderful!’ To cultivate fresh expressions that foster kingdom living & values - are you finding you need to ‘hide from other Christian’? Why?

What qualities do you think Jesus would look for in a gathering (church) to be able to call it ‘my church’ (Matt 16:18)? The Gospel writers only record Jesus using the word ‘church’ twice. Clearly, church does not exist for itself - but for God’s mission and to cultivate kingdom values. The Revive church plant has been reflecting on this question of when Jesus might call a group ‘my church’. They have identified some qualities - which we may share sometime (or at least with those interested)! But what do you think? What qualities do you think Jesus would be looking for?

Monte Sahlin writes: ‘Michael Temple is a pastor in South Dakota. He recently obtained the use of a 3,400-square-foot commercial space in the shopping mall in town and is experimenting with various kinds of outreach. He started a blog where he tells you precisely what he is experimenting with and then gives you the raw data on outcomes of his experiments each step of the way, even if the results are zero sometimes. Very honest; very useful information! Check out his blog. Also, the ministry in the mall has a web site of its own.’

Vivienne Stacey is highly respected for her decades of ministry in Muslim communities – and her writing and teaching. Along with Dudley Woodberry and Chawkat Moucarry, Vivienne was one of our key guest presenters at a major ‘bridging’ conference on Christian Muslim Relations Conference that I coordinated in Paphos, Cyprus in 2003.

You will find many helpful articles in PDF format – on a range of biblical and missional themes by going to www.stfrancismagazine.info and clicking on the Vivienne Stacey button. This resource will prove invaluable in sharing among Muslims.