“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
- Matthew 25:40
Ahoy Church,
It was great to be reminded last week how we are to PREPARE for Jesus' return. May our love for Christ be expressed in how we treat the stranger, sick, hungry, thirsty and imprisoned as though they were Christ.
This week I'm getting ahead of the game in requesting your input on the formal changes we voted on recently that affect our simple, but important, legal structure.
"And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. ” - Acts 6:3
Jesus' first followers knew that at some points, having organisational, administrative leaders freed up the rest of the church to focus on directly spiritual matters.
However, these roles were not just given to people with wisdom and skill, but people who were "full of the Spirit". It's an integral part of any thriving, growing church and lays a foundation for long-term health.
We recently voted unanimously to update our constitution to include the requirement for what we term a, "Governance Group". This aligns us with new legal requirements from the Australian Government.
As previously communicated, I don't see this upsetting any of our core convictions or simple approach to church structure. The benefit is that along with a minor increase in administrative responsibilities, it does offer an increased transparency.
Once formed, the Governance Group (including the pastor, myself, by default) will nominate within themselves a Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. They will be required to serve for 3yrs and fulfill the responsibilities as outlined in our church constitution.
Potential nominees need to be a member of the church (signup here) and either eligible to become, or currently, a deacon.
To nominate someone to be considered for the Governance Group, please email marcello@openroad.church with the person you are nominating and why you think they would be suitable. Nominations close July 16th. Our Elders and Deacons will consider each persons willigness and eligibility and then send out a list before we meet in-person on Sunday, August 3rd at our monthly worship gathering.
Any questions?! Just hit REPLY now and ask me :)
Just like the first followers in Acts, we want to choose people who are not just practically skilled, but full of God's Spirit. I want to ask that you PRAY with me that God will guide us in this endeavour of considering and agreeing on a small, important group of servant-leaders.
Finally, to continue considering Jesus' return, I remind you that Jesus' caution to us on Sunday is not to freak anyone out, but to give us clarity in thought and deed. Doing good works such as caring for, "the least of these", doesn't make us Christians or "earn us a spot in heaven".
Rather, all of us join God's family by being born by faith alone, through his grace alone. Once we have joined his family, Jesus says that once we're in his family, we prepare for the return of the one we love, but loving the least of these as though they were Jesus himself.
Cheers, God Bless, and see you Sunday!
Dan
P.S. It was wonderful to pray for Chloe as she moves to Brisbane and for baby Anayah Mae Kilah as she joined us for the first time with her mum Katie, and dad, Ben!
Jesus: Lay up treasure in heaven
This week we look at another one of Jesus’ cautionary teachings - to be prepared for his return. He’s not just telling us he’s coming back, but that we need stay awake and alert and ‘ready’!
“19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
Matthew 16:19-24
Wes Huff - Christian Apologist, Sept 17th
One of the newest voices proclaiming the Christian faith at a hugely popular level is Wes Huff. He’s been on many of the biggest podcasts in the world, is leading many to trust in the Bible’s veracity and the reality of Jesus! A friend, Dan Paterson, is hosting him at Suncoast. The boys and I are going and I’d strongly encourage you to join us with any mates who are open to Jesus.
Questioning Christianity (YouTube)
Ever wondered if there is more the life? Do you have questions about God and the Bible? Have you heard content creators raise objections to Christianity? Then this is a night for you.
Wes Huff has exploded onto the digital scene in the aftermath of his viral debate with Billy Carson. A PhD candidate in ancient scribal habits, Wes has been fielding questions about the Bible's origins, ancient languages, early Church controversies, gospel truth, and secular objections on some of the biggest podcast platforms (Joe Rogan, Andrew Schultz, Piers Morgan, Russell Brand, Patrick Ben-David, etc). Now, Wes Huff is coming to the Sunshine Coast for one night only.
So rally your friends, grab some tickets, and get along for a night of inspiring apologetics and arts as Wes tackles audience questions and speaks to the topic: Why Believe the Bible? This is your chance Australia to bring people along, meet Wes in person, and dive into why Jesus is worth believing, and how the Christian story stands up to scrutiny.
Coming Up
June
Fridays - 6am Men's Prayer - Fred 0431 437 080
Wed 25 - 545pm Deacons
Sun 29 - 3pm Beach Gathering at Moffats
July
Fridays - 6am Men's Prayer - Fred 0431 437 080
Sun 06 Celebration - Jared
Sun 13 Beach Gathering at Moffats
Sun 20 Beach Gathering at Moffats + Baptisms - ?
Sun 27 Beach Gathering at Moffats
Our Mission
To help people find and follow Jesus.
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?
Our Giving
We are slowly being led to needs for our giving kitty! Please take time to ask God if there is someone in need around you whom God wants you/us to help!
Last month's giving: $8,490
Last month's expenses: $10,536
Balance: $72,184
Giving in : Oct 23-May 25: $5000
Giving out : Oct 23-May 25: $13,874
"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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