Everyone Reaching More
Sunday, 9 October 2011
This week I was greatly encouraged to receive news that the
amount of money received from the refining of the jewellery from
the Ornament Offering has come in at $16,064. With some other items
still to be processed it is now estimated the total received from
the Ornament Offering will be around $20,000. This is much higher
than we initially expected and is a further affirmation of God's
provision for us as we continue to press forward. We still have a
long way to go to reach the target of our Everyone Reaching More
appeal, but we praise God for every provision. There will be a
video going up on the ERM website this week with a tour of the
house showing some of the latest developments up there. Make sure
you check it out. Thanks to all who continue to contribute so
generously to this appeal.
We also want to keep following God's call to us to keep reaching
more with His grace in a very practical way. For this reason we
have two Sunday outreach series coming soon that I am really
excited about. The first is a new Sunday morning series called
"Life After Death". In this series Pastor Peter will be looking at
the topic of 'What happens when we die?' as well as examining what
the Bible says about heaven and hell. The second is a Sunday night
series called "Rhythms of Grace," exploring three grace encounters
Jesus had with people when He was on earth, and the difference
God's grace can make in our lives. Both of these series will
include special media and music, as well as personal testimonies,
and are designed particularly for people who may not regularly
attend church. Please pray for these services and ask God to give
you a great opportunity to invite someone along. They will be
commencing on Sunday the 23 October and running over three
weeks.
I was reminded again in my readings this week just how much joy it
brings to God's heart when even just one lost person is found (Luke
15). God's heart breaks for those who don't know Him and we pray
that God will continue to move and stir our hearts to reach out to
those around us with the incredible message of His grace.
This coming Saturday we have a chance to be stirred and encouraged
further for God's mission through our Engage BridgeWorld
conference. This is sure to be a great time sharing together so
make sure you register today.
What a privilege it is for us to be in on God's big Kingdom plans
and know that what we are a part of has eternal significance. It
doesn't get any better than that! At the beginning of a new
term I want to say thank you to every ministry member and leader
who gives of their time and energy in this place. It is through you
that Jesus is working to reach many.
Nathan