How are we doing as a church?

"So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians 13:13

Ahoy Church,

This week, I've been continuing to listen to the fantastic book Anne Grant recommended a few weeks ago, The Other Half of Church.

I've not finished it yet, but a key point is that our "modern" world is finally catching up with the truths of God's created design for humanity. One of the key examples is the importance of relational connection with God and others as the necessary foundation for true Christian spiritual life.

You may have been, or have known, incredibly self-controlled, gifted or knowledgeable Christians. However beneficial gifts and knowledge are in the Christian life, God makes it clear that the primary way to "measure" ourselves is through love for him and the people he has placed around us.

As the author starkly reflects on his time in many different churches, some of which he was a pastor, "If we have perfect doctrine, but no love, we are not a true church". This doesn't mean that our knowledge (doctrine) or gifts are unimportant, but that the key fruit to treasure is not what goes into our lives, but what God grows in us, his fruit. What's the first spiritual "fruit" that the Bible outlines for us to look out for? Love.

As Paul lays out more clearly than any of us could, love is foremost in all areas of life:

13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant ⁵ or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ⁶ it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. ¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. ¹² For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

¹³ So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

May God's focus on love be a humbling reminder of what's most important in your life, household and our church this week. May we constantly remind and encourage each other that love is primary, everything else (no matter how helpful or reputable) is secondary.

Much love, see you Sunday,

Dan

FINAL week to sign up for EHR!

In Term 3, we will start Emotionally Healthy Relationships, the second part of the Emotionally Healthy Discipleship program. This comes from a deep desire to ensure each of us knows Jesus in deeper and more personal ways. This is not only what we are designed for, but it also breathes so much transformative life and joy into every area of our lives.

Ideally, register before 13th July for a July 20th launch, but we can take a latecomer or two if necessary!

What? An 8wk course encouraging us towards loving God and people well.
When? Term 3 (8wks in total)
Where? Renee's house in Kings Beach
How Much? $45 for materials. REPLY now if you need financial assistance.
Who? Contact Katie Smith - ‭0412 500 940‬ / katie@ksidesign.com.au

Wendy Jarrott-Smith's "Sabbath" Art Display

Many of you have met Wendy at the beach church. You can visit her unmanned gallery now to explore the concept of 'Sabbath' and the ideas of RESIST...REST...RHYTHM. Comments in the visitors' book would be most welcome.

When: From now until August 28th, every day till 3.
Location: Reflection Gallery in the Uniting Church, Main Street, Montville.

Attend our AG[l]M - Sunday August 2nd

Approximately every 12mths we are required to have an Annual General Meeting. While we're happy to do this, we aim for it to be more than a formality but part of our story of how God has and continues to lead us. Hence, my nickname for these meetings is AG[L]M, our Annual God-Led Meeting.

We'll have the meeting alongside our next monthly gathering for song, communion and sharing. There are no surprising topics to discuss, just some updates and an opportunity to clarify how God is continuing to guide us.

While everyone is welcome to attend, only members are allowed to vote, etc. If you're keen to become a formal member of our legal entity, check out our members page!

Much love and see many of you on Sunday!

Dan

Keeping Children Safe - Adoption of New Policy

As of 1 July 2026, Queensland's Reportable Conduct Scheme (RCS) — established under the Child Safe Organisations Act 2024 — is now in effect, and Open Road Church is committed to full compliance. The scheme requires all organisations working with children to report, investigate, and manage any allegations of reportable conduct involving staff or volunteers. Reportable conduct includes sexual offences or misconduct, physical violence, ill-treatment, significant neglect, and behaviour causing emotional or psychological harm to a child. If you become aware of any such allegation, please report it to a church leader immediately — the organisation is obligated to notify the Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC) within three business days, and where conduct may be criminal, Queensland Police must be notified promptly. Our commitment to child safety is unwavering, and this scheme reinforces the safeguarding standards we already uphold as a community.

Coming Up

July - 9am [Home] + 3pm [Moffat]

Mondays - Young Adults - Marcello + Mariela 0428 986 423
Fridays - 6am Men's Prayer - Fred 0431 437 080

Jul 19 Sunday Gatherings: Home + Beach
Jul 20 EHD: "Emotionally Healthy Relationships" Begins [Ends Sep07]
Jul 26 Sunday Gatherings: Home + Beach

September - 9am [Home] + 3pm [Moffat]

Mondays - Young Adults - Marcello + Mariela 0428 986 423
Fridays - 6am Men's Prayer - Fred 0431 437 080

Sep 07 EHD: "Emotionally Healthy Relationships" Ends

Our Mission

To help people find and follow Jesus.

Our Vision

Fully Alive through faith in Jesus. To see vision come to life, we developed FAM, our Fully Alive Model. Ideally, you can work through FAM with someone else.

Our Rhythms

Get to Know Jesus: how are you getting to know Jesus this week?
Invite people into your life: who can you intentionally open up your life to?
Gather and get involved: who can you connect, listen, share, or pray with this weekend?

Giving Up, In, and Out

Our church follows the same simple pattern of giving that we encourage each other individually: UP, IN, and OUT.

Giving UP

As a church, we give 2.5% to our denomination to support what's happening in churches like ours statewide and show appreciation for all the support they provide. We encourage each follower to consider giving "up" to support their local church - in this case ours :)

Giving IN

We give to personal/family needs within our church from our $5,000 Giving Kitty. Please alert us if you know someone with genuine needs that you're unable to meet out of your own resources.

Giving OUT

This term, we are encouraging our church to give to the family who visit us each year from the country where they share Jesus. We'll give to them as a church, and we encourage you to give to them too.

BSB: 923100
Account #: 37443010
REF: KyleG GIFT

Last month's giving: $13,043
Last month's expenses: $14,399
Balance: $68,487
Giving in : Oct 23-Jun 26: $5,000
Giving out : Oct 23-Jun 26: $20,293

 "Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed." - Proverbs 19:17

If you would like to support what we are doing and our giving to those in need, you can get started giving to Open Road to meet the needs of our church or get in touch with any questions you may have.

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