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Dear Friends,
Well here we are in the middle of the weekend, when hundreds of Melbournians have signed up to a conference talking about God (or His non-existence!) One of the quests of the conference is a more reasoning society, one that is not swayed by the untested emotionalism of religion. Their argument is that if you want to be robustly intellectual, rational and reasoning, then you just simply cannot believe in God. "Only people who are superstitiously irrational can believe in God", so the argument goes.
I find this really puzzling, because for a long time now I have shunned superstition, and find myself trying to approach my faith with a rational, intellectual and reasoning framework, but with a humility that there will always be some things I cannot explain. So to be classed as "superstitious and irrational" simply because I believe in God does not sit easily with me.
One of the hallmarks of St Jude's ministry for many years has been a robust intellectual approach to Christianity. In some ways, we want all people to be sceptics, not in a negative, life-denying way, but in a way that questions and searches for truth. God is up to this kind of enquiry, and we shouldn't shy away from it. This coming week we have two opportunities to do just that - in the Resurrection of Theism events on Wednesday and Thursday night. Why not come along and get your brain fed, reasoning stimulated, and superstitions challenged!
Warm wishes,
Richard Condie
Senior Minister
www.richardcondie.blogspot.com
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Dear Friends,
The year seems like it is well under way now. Where has February gone? This last week has been "O week" at Melbourne Uni. When we get there, we really know that the Summer has passed and we are into a new year for all of our ministries.
First I want to say to those perhaps joining us for the first time today at the beginning of an Academic year - Welcome! We love students here at St Jude's, and we believe this is a great church to help the you explore the claims of Jesus, and grow in faith and service. We love big questions, and wrestling with them together, and trying to make sense of God and His world.
So, Second, I want to invite newcomers (and regulars) to come along this week and be equipped to think about the rise of atheism in an interactive lecture we have planned on Wednesday night at 8pm, when Dr Bruce Langtry, a member of our church, is going to help us respond to the thinking of Atheism.
And Third, St Jude's is a praying church, and the needs around us are great. So I want to encourage the regulars to be praying for the new students arriving over the next weeks, to settle well and learn and grow. To that end - a warm invitation is extended to all members to join us for prayer tomorrow, Monday March 1st in the Church at 8pm for our Renew Prayer gathering. A great hour of singing praise, learning about a ministry area, and lifting it before God. The hour flies by, and I am sure you will be uplifted by it.
Warm wishes,
Richard Condie
Senior Minister
www.richardcondie.blogspot.com
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Dear Friends,
Last week I wrote about the great progress we made towards our Vision last year. We were able under God to achieve lots of the plans that we made. Each one of these steps, we hope and pray will take us a little closer to seeing the Spiritual Renewal of our City.
But of course we can't stop where we are. God calls us on to continue to be lights in the world, and to contend for the Gospel and to work at proclaiming and living the Gospel. So I thought I would share with you what I see as some of the big challenges for 2010.
• Urban Soul effective in reaching the community - this year we need to see the plans for community engagement with youth and young adults really take a step forward.
• Planning for a new Urban Family Congregation in 2011/12 - our vision is to see a new congregation reaching urban families, and so we need to start thinking and dreaming and planning for this.
• 5x2 - our 5 Congregation has been thinking about the best way to reach Urban Workers with the Gospel and they hope to plant a new congregation this year to achieve that.
• Unichurch Growth and Health - with the team back to full strength we want to see our Unichurch congregation really growing and healthy in 2010. O-week starts this week!
• Growth of Internationals Ministry - already Cross Cultures is one of our growing outreach ministries, but we need to see more of this in 2010, with new faces on the team.
• Challenging more people to think seriously and to take positive steps towards Vocational Christian Ministry.
Two other challenges remain that affect all of these. The first is having enough prayer support, so that God is the prime mover of all these things, and that we are fulfilling His plans and not ours. And second, that we have the financial resources to achieve these things. Please join me, so that together our prayers and our giving might come together so that these plans can come into reality in 2010.
Warm wishes in Christ,
Richard Condie
Senior Minister
www.richardcondie.blogspot.com
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Dear Friends,
We have been working on our Renew Vision for over a year now. Last year we took some great steps towards it. I shared these at the recent Prayer Meeting and thought that everyone might like an update.
Under God we have been able to:
• Plant the Urban Soul Church - reaching youth and young adults
• Hold some life courses - to engage local residents (eg. Toolbox Parenting, Divorce Care, etc)
• Keep on witnessing to Christ on the Housing Estates - through a variety of means
• Renew our St Jude's 5 Sunday services
• Forge a partnership with City Bible Forum - to reach out to City Workers, with Rob Martin joining our staff team
• Grow Cross Cultures - reaching more and more International Students
• Appoint a new Minister to Students - David Huynh (principally through people's generosity in the Thanksgiving Offering)
• Hold 2 Consider Ministry events last year - with 70 people being encouraged to think about vocational Christian ministry
• Send a new Missionary to the field - Paul Barker serving in South East Asia
• Give 1% of our income to the Global Poor
• Hold a successful Passion 09 in the Inner North
We are very thankful to God for being able to achieve these things, and for your prayers and generosity in supporting them. Please join me in giving thanks to God for His kindness and mercy.
Richard Condie
Senior Minister
www.richardcondie.blogspot.com
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Dear Friends,
One year on from Black Saturday today, and we remember the devastation to the environment and the many lives lost. I remember waking up on the Sunday as the full extent of what had taken place the night before began to unfold, with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. We all have pictures and images of that following week indelibly imprinted on our minds. This was truly a great disaster for the people of Victoria.
But now there are green shoots on the trees. House blocks with builders at work. Signs of regeneration. One year on we see life coming out of nothing once again. We have seen human kindness in action, as people poured out their wallets, and gave their time and effort to help rebuild. Signs of hope.
And in both these things God is present in His world. Weeping with the broken hearted, and spurring on the generous, bringing new beginnings. The saddest part to me, is the constant recrimination of those who failed to protect through their own human weakness.
Let us be agents of healing as we pray and assist and love, and stand by those who have suffered in this disaster. Tonight at 5pm there is a Memorial Service at Kinglake. Please go if you can, and pray for it if you can't, that God's church might be an agent of healing and hope. And check out www.blacksaturdaynight.com
In Christ,
Richard Condie
Senior Minister
www.richardcondie.blogspot.com
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