Building for Eternity
Bulletin
Download the weekly church Bulletin
Young Adults 2012 launch
02 days ago
Sunday 4th March, from 1pm
We will be launching Young Adults for 2012 with a relaxed arvo of beach fun!
PART #1:
Meet from 1pm @ Austinmer beach 
BYO lunch or buy from nearby cafe/fish & chips shop
Bring towel, swimmers, frisbees, footy etc.
PART #2:
We will then have our own special Young Adults dinner together back at the church @ 6pm (before the service)
Cost is $3 per person for dinner
All welcome! Invite your mates
RSVP on Facebook
True Happiness
04 days ago
Most people, spend most of their time, seeking happiness that mostly disappoints.
Schopenhauner, a noted pessimist wrote, ‘Man is never happy, but spends his whole life in striving after something he thinks will make him so’.
Even the most optimistic among us would admit that we seldom achieve the goal of happiness.
Psychological testing not surprisingly, confirms what the Bible has said all along. True happiness follows a person giving themselves to something larger than themselves or to other people; in love and service. Clinical evidence says; that the degree you make happiness your goal, is the degree to which happiness will elude you. Self-centredness is the major blockage to true happiness.
Our society pushes material goods and possessions as the basis of happiness. No wonder we seem to be permanently discontented (always wanting more).
True happiness arises from us aligning our purposes with God’s purposes.
Stephen Semenchuk,
Senior Pastor.
Click here to view this weeks bulletin 19 FEB 2012
Promoting the Gospel…. with our money
05 days ago
Partners for life: with our money
In Chapter five of Promoting the Gospel (or The Best Kept Secret of Christian Mission) John Dickson places the issue of money and generosity into the larger context of partnership. In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he refers to the material and financial support he has received (4:14-18) and gives thanks to God for their mutual partnership in the gospel (1:1-5).
The Bible addresses the need for full time gospel workers (evangelists and missionaries) to be supported by the Christian community. Those who are material and financial supporters are not mere spectators on the sideline, but are full participating players on the field: ‘We might not all be doing the same activity but we are all shooting for the same goal – promoting the gospel for the salvation of others.’
The question for all of us is this?
Are we generously supporting the work of the gospel?
* When we are young, we are tempted to think that we will wait until we earn more money.
* When we are earning more money, we are tempted to think we will wait until the mortgage is reduced and the kids are through school.
No matter what our circumstances are, we are called to be generous with the resources God has given us.
The sad reality is that the average Australian household spends only $231 a year (0.4%) on charitable giving and the wealthier the household the smaller the percentage given.
Yet Christian generosity is based upon the generosity of God towards us in Christ – we have the enormous privilege of becoming more active in the financial implications of following ‘the friend of sinners’.
When you give materially and financially (as well as your time) to support the proclamation of the gospel you are actively seeking to save the lost.
Scott Goode
Assistant Pastor
When God nudges us
01 week ago
I read a story the other day that nudged my thinking about prayer.
‘A blind lady was out on her regular walk with her seeing eye dog. Unbeknown to her a car was blocking a driveway a few paces ahead of them. At that moment the dog paused and gently pressed his shoulder against the woman’s leg, signalling her to step aside to get around the car.’
I expect that she normally followed the dog’s lead but it appears that this was her regular route and she knew there was no turn in this section. ‘She wouldn’t move to the side, she didn’t trust her guide. She signalled to the dog to move ahead which resulted in the dog pressing his shoulder against her leg trying to guide her to the safe path. This was repeated again until the owner kicked the dog and strode off straight into the side of the car.’
As Christians we talk about the value of prayer but often the answers we receive don’t suit our experiences. God nudges us towards His purposes and guides us towards what is best for His kingdom and ultimately us. However, we continue to overrule God as if we know better.
We should pray and we should take notice of the answer we receive, particularly through God’s written word. We ignore His at our peril.
Stephen Semenchuk,
Senior Pastor.
To view this weeks bulletin, click on this link: 12 FEB2012