Building for Eternity
Bulletin
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Young Adults Carolling adventures!
1 month ago
This week the Young Adults have entertained dozens of people through the streets of Dapto, Horsley and Haywards Bay. Candles and songbooks in hand, we sang at the St Lukes Retirement Village, at a few Christmas parties, in numerous driveways and even surprised a lady on her birthday!
Here are some photos from our adventures:
CHRISTMAS *Real History *Real Effects
1 month ago
In the midst of all the celebrations and decorations; standing over the traditions and nice stories comes the true events of the first Christmas.
The Bible gives no specific date for the birth of Jesus. Our present calendar date celebration was worked out by a monk in Rome called Dionysius. He decided on December 25th to coincide with an existing festival and traced it back and called the year he calculated to be the baby’s birthday: ‘Year Zero’. Unfortunately Dionysius made some mistakes!
The Gospel of Matthew says Jesus was born in Judea during the reign of King Herod. History confirms Herod as King of Judea from 40 BC until he died in 4 BC.
Luke’s Gospel tells us that a Decree was issued by the Emperor Augusta’s for a general Census. He ruled from 10 BC to 14 AD and a Census occurred in 7 BC and 7 AD.
Matthew’s Gospel also talks about Astrologers, wise men, who followed a star to Bethlehem. In 1603 Johannes Kepler the Royal Astronomer in Prague watched the conjunction of 2 planets; Saturn & Jupiter, describing them like a huge single bright star. He calculated backwards and found that there would have been such a conjunction in 7 BC. He was convinced he had found the star of Bethlehem.
In 1925 a German Archaeologist, Sehnabel, deciphered an ancient document from the school of Astrology in Zipar, Babylonia (Iraq). It recorded the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in 7 BC. This timing has been confirmed by modern astrological calculations. The remarkable conjunction by planets blazes like a single star in the night sky. In 7 BC Jupiter and Saturn met 3 times: May 21, October 23 and December 4th.
The bright star was seen all around the Mediterranean and particularly at the latitude near Bethlehem. It would have provided the wise men with the guidance to find Jesus.
Therefore the Christmas accounts are not just stories but real events that occurred in time and space. God so orchestrated the cosmos so that His son, Jesus, was heralded even by the universe. Dionysius was out by 7 years but a real birth of a person who was more than a man occurred on that first Christmas.
Also the same scriptures that record His first coming, speak of Jesus coming back to wind up history and right all wrongs and establish a Kingdom of Peace.
Christmas is a time to take more seriously the Jesus who was born and His message of hope and salvation.
Stephen Semenchuk,
Senior Pastor
To see this week’s bulletin click on this link: 24&25DEC2011
The Essential Next Step
1 month ago
We had an enormous weekend because of Carols. Managing over 1500 people through our buildings was a great challenge and our teams excelled!
We succeeded in providing an opportunity for the community to connect a little more with God. However, it was a bridge building exercise and raising of people’s awareness about Jesus. People who don’t know Jesus respond to the gospel through a number of such encounters.
The Star of Christmas is a more managed version of Carols. There will be a number of activities to attract and interest our community. We will present the essential message of Christmas in terms that relate. Please take up this opportunity to invite your family & friends.
The Christmas Eve service and the Christmas Day services will take people the next step again as we provide Christian celebrations of Jesus birth and a clear explanation of the gospel.
Stephen Semenchuk,
Senior Pastor.
To view the Bulletin for this week click on this link: 18DEC2011
Carols in the Mall
1 month ago
On Thursday, 15th December, DAC was invited by Dapto Mall to provide some Christmas songs, entertainment and fun activities for the shoppers at the Mall.
We had an hour or so of songs, dancing by Rockstars, and craft activities and face painting available for the shoppers.
I heard several very positive comments from the shoppers including one asking…. ‘When do our Rockstars meet, and could any kids join? It is apparent how much fun they have, I’d like my child to join’.
What a great testimony to Karoleena and her team. Well done!
Thanks to all our DAC members who came along to support the team who ran this event. Your support and encouragement was so appreciated.
Hilary Brown