This Sunday will be an exciting day in the life of our church as we launch our vision for ministry for 2012 and beyond. This doesn't necessarily mean we’re announcing plans to start anything new and different (although we are!). Rather it means that today is the day when we especially want to pause and give thanks to God for the things that he has done for us in his Son, Jesus, and also for the things that he has done amongst us in the last 12 months.
This time last year, as a church, we decided to take advantage of two new opportunities; taking Andy Buchan on as a Minister in Training with a focus on youth and renting office space in Mount Barker. In God’s kindness, through both these steps we’ve seen exactly the kind of fruit that we hoped and prayed for, but probably even beyond what we expected! Our youth ministry has grown from a combined youth and young adults group to two separate groups with a need to start another group and to find a larger hall to meet in. Our office has become a great ministry support place and is used for a Bible study or youth group five nights each week. We are really thankful to God for the generosity of his people here at Trinity, which has enabled us to take these steps in ministry together.
There has been a lot going on in the life of our church in the last little while. I thought it would be good to update you on some of what has been going on.
In July a new ladies Bible Study Group was launched. Ladies, if you're interested in meeitng with other women to study the Bible, you now have a choice of two groups to join, depending on which better suits your circumstances; one group meets Tuesday mornings and the other Tuesday evenings. What has been especially exciting about this new group is that its membership is almost exclusively ladies who have joined our church in the last year or so and we are very thankful to God for bringing them into our community.
When I write to people who have visited our church, I often tell them how encouraged we are when we have newcomers amongst us.
Newcomers help teach us some really important things about what it is to be the church.We’re reminded that our church gathering isn’t all about us.Sunday mornings aren’t just an opportunity for us to do a range of things the way we like them.When new people come amongst us, we’re reminded that other Christians express their faith in different ways.They have traditions and expectations that are different to our traditions and expectations.We’re also reminded that lots of people in our community have no background in the Christian faith.Some newcomers don’t know where to find a given passage in the Bible.They don’t know at what points in the service we generally stand and at what points we tend to sit.Many newcomers don’t know why we say declarations of faith together or why we pray.
We have so much to be thankful to God for in our first 12 months. A year ago I could not even have imagined the things that God has done among this community. So it’s good for us to pause and thank God for what he’s been doing and what we’ve been able to be a part of, and during our first birthday service this coming Sunday there’ll be an opportunity for you, if you would like to, to lead us in a prayer of thanksgiving to God.
But we mustn’t focus only on what’s happened in our life together up to this point, because we’re only part-way towards our goal. The Apostle Paul writes of his own life in Philippians 3, … I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Around the middle of last century the British author and literary professor C S Lewis wrote of his constant desire for stimulation and feeding “I cannot find a cup of tea which is big enough or a book that is long enough." Perhaps whatever it is that we don’t seem able to get enough of is not Lewis’ cup of tea, but I’m sure we all know the sentiment.
Just as he spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well in chapter 4 and offered springs of living water, in John 6 Jesus promises his followers bread that satisfies. “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty" (John 6:35). No more longing for a cup of tea big enough!
Even as we approach the first anniversary of the launch of our church, there are still new beginnings occurring! This weekend two exciting new ministries are being launched. Friday night will see the commencement of our new youth group for students in school years 6 – 11 with somewhere in the order of 15 teenagers and leaders crammed into the office for “Pizza and Prayer.” Developing our ministry to this age group has been identified as a major priority for us as a church, which is why we asked Andy Buchan to join the staff team as a Minister in Training to invest in the lives of these young members. Youth group will continue every Friday during school term. More information is available here, or you can collect a flyer with dates and other important information from the Welcome Table on Sunday.
Recently, the Trinity Mount Barker Leadership Team approved the implementation of ChildSafe as part of our commitment to creating safe environments for children and young people. We are blessed with a large number of children and youth in our church community – sometimes as many as 40% of Sunday attendees are in Crèche, Minis or Kids’ Church! If we needed a reminder of how significant this ministry is in our church, the National Church Life Survey provides it: over 70% of people who identify themselves as Christians say they became followers of Christ before 20 years of age.
Over the coming weeks the various protocols and processes of ChildSafe will be implemented across our church. Perhaps the first major step for those involved in ministry to children and youth will be the “appointment” of all volunteers to their ministry areas by the Leadership Team. People who are currently serving in these areas have been appointed in a variety of different ways, including many who have been approved for ministry with children under the Anglican system at Trinity Hills or Trinity City. Asking all these volunteers (plus staff, like me!) to go through the ChildSafe application and appointment process means everyone will be “on the same page” in terms of expectations and roles. The new appointment process includes submission of a National Police Certificate and also recommendations from two referees. All appointments of volunteers for youth and children’s ministry will need to be renewed every three years
On 15 March 2009, a group of 15 people began meeting to plan and pray for the launch of a new church in the Mount Barker region. Preparations for Trinity Mount Barker had actually begun about 2 years prior, but this meeting on a Sunday afternoon was the first gathering of a group of people who were going to make TMB their church.
Twelve months later, and after much prayer, discussion and thoughtfulness, Trinity Mount Barker was born! Under God, this “Core Team” had transformed Trinity Mount Barker from an idea to a wonderful community of God’s people. The self-determined expiry date for the Core Team was 100 days into the life of our church and this line, we have just crossed.
If you're a Trinity Mount Barker member, then this Sunday when you arrive at the Littlehampton Primary School gymnasium, you'll receive a leaflet inviting you to consider your financial partnership with our church. As you'll discover, that document is mostly about “mechanics” – the different ways to support ministry at Trinity financially and some brief details about our budget.
Before you read that document, I’d love for you to spend a few moments considering three reasons why you should not partner with Trinity financially.
Please don’t give money to Trinity if you think that giving money to gospel ministry will somehow make God pleased with you, or more favourably disposed towards you, or if you think (even semi-consciously) that if you give money, God will somehow overlook areas of your life you know are displeasing to him. The Bible is very clear; our standing before God is determined by our response to his grace, by our identification with his Son, Jesus who died to reconcile us to God. To think that giving money to gospel ministry somehow enhances our standing before God is to suggest that either Jesus’ death was unnecessary, or that it left the task of reconciliation incomplete.
A new group for men commences Tuesday 27th April at Trinity Mount Barker.
Men at Work is not your "typical" church men's group. The aim for Men at Work is for men of all ages to spend time helping each other grow as disciples while doing manly things! So, gentlemen, you're invited to join us in the workshops of Cornerstone College, Adelaide Rd, Mt Barker, for a time of prayer and discussion amidst the tools, hardware and projects!
There are a couple of really exciting things happening around Trinity that I'd like to commend to your prayers.
A number of years ago Trinity developed the Why? evangelistic course as a way of introducing people to Jesus as he is presented in the Scriptures.Why? gives participants the opportunity to work towards answers to some of life’s really significant questions; Why Jesus? Why did Jesus die? Why did he rise from the dead? Why trust the Bible? and Why Believe? Over the years, in God’s kindness, many people have come to faith in Christ as the Scriptures are opened and explained at Why?
Last Sunday saw the first of the five week Why? series run in Strathalbyn.Over 40 people came to be challenged on the question, “Why Jesus?” This Sunday (14th March) Why? continues with the question “Why did Jesus die?” and we hope that those who were challenged last week will come again and that God will being new people along.Please pray with us, that the message of Christ will ring out over the coming weeks, culminating with “Why Believe?” on Easter Day.Ask that God will bring people along to hear his message of reconciliation and forgiveness and that those people leading and taking part will commend the gospel well.Please pray also that we will be an encouragement to the other churches in Strathalbyn, particularly the Church of Christ, who are working with us in presenting Why?
Chris Edwards, the pastor who planted Trinity Hills Church once relayed to me an anecdote he had heard which explained that starting a new church is like getting a group of people in a row boat and heading for a particular island.As long as everyone has the same vision for where the expedition should be going, things work well.But if one of the rowers thinks they should be heading for a different island or for no island at all, then everyone gets tired and frustrated and the group never arrives at their intended destination.
Recently, the Trinity Mount Barker Leadership Team approved the implementation of ChildSafe as part of our commitment to creating safe environments for children and young people. We are blessed with a large number of children and youth in our church community – sometimes as many as 40% of Sunday attendees are in Crèche, Minis or Kids’ Church! If we needed a reminder of how significant this ministry is in our church, the National Church Life Survey provides it: over 70% of people who identify themselves as Christians say they became followers of Christ before 20 years of age.
Chris Edwards, the pastor who planted Trinity Hills Church once relayed to me an anecdote he had heard which explained that starting a new church is like getting a group of people in a row boat and heading for a particular island.
