Our team photo from MissionHello everyone,
Thanks Dad for the suggestion of 'St Matthews' as a "a church of my own" but unfortunately there aren't any around here.
But I have found a church! Its called St John's and its in Campsie. I've been praying quiet a bit about a church to attend. Our time here at SMBC is quiet busy and I will not be able to put a lot of time into serving at church. Which means I think its important to be intentional in where I go and what I do there.
The church I've found is a smallish church (30-40 people) with a great mixture of ages and cultures. Its the same one I mentioned previously. There are many opportunities to help out there and I look forward to getting to know everyone better. I get to speak (and write) a little Chinese while I'm there and there is even a Chinese church next door! Which I'm really excited about. The best part is it will be an easy church to bring people to because the service is in simplified English, and the diversity means anyone would feel welcome.
I've already organised to meet up with some people from the church to study the bible with them. It should be a lot of fun, they have offered to teach me a bit about Chinese culture too which will be great.
So thanks everyone for praying for me. There where many good churches to choose from but I believe God has shown me the right one for me for now.
On another note, mission was really good. We got to try many new things for the first time, and it was a really good learning experience. The people at EFC looked after is so well (too well!) and we had a great (but busy and tiring) time. I got the opportunity to do a 'kids talk', I'd never heard of that before coming to Sydney but apparently they're quiet common. It was on 'if you want to be greatest in the kingdom of God you need to be servant of all'. I really enjoyed doing it. Explaining the bible in simplified English is a really useful way of understanding it I think.
I also got the opportunity to preach on the Sunday night and following Sunday morning. I'm always quiet nervous before I speak (that hasn't changed since primary school) but once I start speaking I'm fine (that has changed since becoming a Christian). I preached on "If anyone is to come after me, they are to deny them selves, take up their cross, and follow me". And then tied it into Easter.
I must not have blogged for a while because there is too much to tell.
During Easter I went to the Katumba Easter Convention, which was very good but I'll be brief cause this blog is getting ridiculously long.
Kirk's message on Ecclesiastes was very very good. I thoroughly recommend getting a copy if you can. More on the wisdom books I think.
Looking after toddlers was heaps of fun, I've never done it before but I enjoyed it heaps. I still miss the kids.
Insistently meeting up with my billots from mission was a great surprise. It makes Sydney seem a whole heap smaller.
Prayer and Praise
- Thank God for showing me a church to go to. This really lets me settle in a lot more. Looking for a church can be quiet disorientating so I'm glad its all done
- Thank God for a great mission trip. A number of people decided to follow Jesus and become Christians which is great news. Thanks heaps to all the EFC people who love to serve Him.
- Pray for wisdom on how I should serve at St Johns
- Pray that God would help me to learn my Chinese characters (I know 100, and I'm hoping for 1,000 by the end of 2010)
-Matthew 马修
