I’m assuming this user was referring to our vision statement which says we are called to be “a door of hope through Jesus Christ in a fragile and uncertain world”.

Without a doubt I would say “yes, it is”.  Our world is a tricky place to live in.  Just ask the father in Australia who will lose his job at the end of this month even though the company he works for is making record profits.  Or ask the mother in Egypt who agreed to let her son go to a soccer game and never saw him again… dead with 69 others in a stadium feud.

The question is not whether our world is a fragile and uncertain place.  The real question is, what can be done about it?

The answer is found in hope.

The beautiful picture of hope, and indeed its incredibly deep significance, is that it is found in brokenness.  Two broken young families will share their journey with us as they chose to live in hope.  At our evening service we will hear from Cory Booker, a young man who chose to fight violence and oppression in his city by getting involved in politics.

What do you think?  Is our world fragile and uncertain?  Or is it “not that bad?”

It’s an interesting question.

The Psalms are ancient. They speak of circumstances and historical moments which are foreign to us, in locations very different to our own.

These Psalms are mostly negative too! They reflect the authors’ distress, loneliness, heart-ache, pain and a longing to be rescued…

So why do we need this book in the Bible? If Jesus came to our world and redeemed it through his death and resurrection, shouldn’t the Christian message be one of faith, hope and love (1 Corinthians 13)? In other words, shouldn’t we be only focusing on the joyous things?

I don’t think so.

Not one person who has had a personal encounter with Jesus will tell you that knowing Him has meant a trouble-free life.

In a way, having the book of Psalms in the Bible is a guarantee that we will face challenges and pain in our lives. Why’s that? Because at the end of the day we’re not all that different to its authors. They lived in a foreign land in ancient times, but their soul was damaged by sin just as ours is.

And yet, this very book allows us to put into words the hurt and pain we feel sometimes.

The Psalms give us permission to express to God where we find ourselves.

They allow us to ask “why”. They are prayers for us to pray.

If you’re worried about hurting God in your distress you will find it reassuring to know that God expects it.

He gave us the Psalms to help us. That’s how much he cares that you “take it up with him” when you’re in pain.

What do you think? Got some feedback to share? Write some comments below.

Stop the hop

One of the things that really troubles me about the church today is the phenomenon of church hopping and church shopping. It’s a consumeristic mindset towards the body of Christ that grieves the heart of God.

It’s time for us to stop the hop. This isn’t Christianity. Jesus didn’t die so we could sample different churches like varieties of meat on a party platter. Jesus died to establish His church as the most powerful entity on the planet.

We are alive at the greatest time in history for the advance of the gospel. We have so much going for us.

We have the ability.
We have the resources.
We have the people.

What we don’t have is them committed to a place where they can actually be used for their God-ordained purpose.

If this generation doesn’t make the impact it should, it won’t be because it didn’t have the resources. Or even the passion. It will be because it was too busy hopping to different churches to stop and commit to one where its resources and passion could actually find an outlet.

The church is the change the world is waiting for. God help us if we keep the world waiting for us while we try to find the perfect church for us.

If you’ve fallen into the trap of church hopping, let me encourage you: embrace your place somewhere where God can use you. At the end of your life, God’s not going to be impressed or pleased that you saw what He was doing at ten different churches. He’s going be more pleased that you were a part of what He was doing at one church.

And you’re never going to find the perfect one, so give up looking. If the church you’re visiting doesn’t have what you’re looking for, it might be because God wants you to provide it.

Let’s all commit together to begin a campaign to stop the hop.
Find a place to get planted. Embrace it. And start changing the world.

The question of our day isn’t if God wants to do incredible things through the church. The question is will we be in place to experience it?

This world has forces that will try to crush you. But even worse than that, they will try to lull and seduce you into mediocrity
 - Hon. Cory Booker, Global Leadership Summit 2011

When it comes to Christmas, we could sit back and succumb to the meaninglessness of the commercialisation, the expectation, the busy-ness, the “Santa-isation”. We could succumb to mediocrity or we could fight it. We could fight it with intentionality.

We could intentionally invite those who are lonely, those who do not have family around, those who are far from God to join us in our Christmas celebrations and meals. We could intentionally ask God to whisper to us what to write in each Christmas card and what to buy as presents. We could intentionally buy meaningful and inexpensive gifts for those around us and spend the rest of the money blessing the poor, the needy. We
could intentionally teach our children and their friends about Jesus being the greatest gift of all.  We could intentionally invite our un-churched friends and family to church this Christmas.   

I would like to challenge you this year to think about every single thing you are doing this Christmas. Is it done with intentionality? Do you even know why you do them? Let’s not succumb to mediocrity. Let’s be people who are intentional in all we do. Let’s intentionally use the event of Christmas to lead those far from God to come closer to God, all for the glory of God!

Let’s be Jesus-centred and others-focused and let’s do it in community!

Have an intentionally Blessed Christmas

There have been many whispers I have heard from God concerning those around me who are lost, who need to be brought home to be reconciled to their Father, to the one relationship that will satisfy the deepest hunger of their soul, the relationship they are created for.

Many of these whispers are simple; make a phone call, send a text, send a card, go out for coffee, invite them to church, share a faith story, pray… I believe my obedience in responding has led these people steps closer to home. And then there are times when my obedience gave me the opportunity to witness someone taking the last step home, into the embrace of the Father.

One day on my way to class at university, I saw a girl I had met briefly the week before. Then I heard it; the whisper to have a chat with her. I argued a little bit with the Lord because I wanted to go to class, but the Lord seemed firm. So I went over and had a chat with Ellie. That afternoon, Ellie, who was one step away from home, made the decision to give her life to Jesus. Not only did Ellie find a new friendship with God, she and I also found a friendship with each other that day. I am so grateful God chose to whisper to me that afternoon. He could have asked anyone. Thank you, Lord.

Then, a few years later, I had a job teaching at a college. Two weeks before I left the job to join Youth With A Mission in Australia, I heard His whisper to invite my colleague Kenny to come to my small group. Kenny had a Christian background but was not really walking in a relationship with the Lord. I greatly hesitated to invite Kenny because he was a cool young man in his 20s and my small group consisted of a group of single women in their 30s, who weren’t… quite as cool. There I said it. Even if Kenny came once, why would he stay? But the whisper was clear, so I invited him and he came with me to small group that week! All through our time at small group that week, I was cringing at everything, thinking how put off Kenny must be. I left the country the following week. A few months later, I was told Kenny not only attended the small group regularly, he had become the assistant leader of the group! When I met Kenny again, he had become a passionate follower of Jesus. Kenny had come home to His relationship with God, his Heavenly Father.

Remembering these stories keeps me obeying His whispers. Responding to His whispers today will have us leading someone one step closer to being home. And for some, it could be the one final step the person will need to take to be welcomed home by our Heavenly Father. Regardless, our job is to respond and obey.

Christianity is not about religion… It’s about faith, about being held, about being forgiven, at the heart of it, it’s about finding home- Bear Grylls

May you hear His whispers often and may you respond each time. Who knows what will happen?

At the Alpha Course, Debra shared her story with the team. Janessa who was leading, explained how God changed her life and her family just a year ago. Debra took that to heart. The same week, Debra began to feel a sense of peace. People around her noticed something different about her. Debra began talking to God and to release her pain and brokenness to Him. Debra also asked God for forgiveness and she forgave herself. One Thursday, she decided to forgive her father who had not wanted much to do with her. The same Saturday, her father made contact with her! She began talking to her family about what God is doing in her life. Her father has noticed the difference in her and even told her that he loves her.

At the Alpha Day Away, Debra was filled with the Holy Spirit. She was overwhelmed by a sense of peace she had never experienced before. From that point on, she just knew everyone around needed what she had found. She said she wanted to tag everyone with what she has found.

At the next Alpha session, Debra said, “I’ve been searching all my life. Now I finally know what I’ve been searching for. . . (with a hand over her heart) It’s like someone has put a plug in that hole.” She also said life used to be about ‘poor me’. But now instead of an inward focus, she sees that other people need the peace she has found and she prays for them all the time and shares with them whenever she can. She has begun a life that is Jesus-centered, others focused and lived together in community. She has started attending the Door of Hope, has loved it and has signed up to be a Hope Partner. She is very excited about serving and giving, in any way she can.

We continue meeting for coffee on Tuesday after Alpha. Debra has great input into the group by sharing what she has been learning from God to encourage others. She is also committed to praying for others. She is bringing a friend to the next Alpha course. We look forward to seeing Debra, as we see her being transformed more and more each week. It’s amazing! Praise God for all He has done and is still doing!

Someone said to me a while ago that they had never seen many people come to know the Lord. Excitement welled up in me and I exclaimed, ‘I have! We used to see it all the time when we were running the Alpha Course!’ (This was before we started running the Alpha Course here at Door of Hope)

Let me set the record straight. No, we don’t see hundreds of people coming to know the Lord especially as it’s only one team running it. Alpha is not a quick fix for church growth.

But by consistently running the Alpha course, we get to journey with a few people at a time. Each week, we see the changes God is making in their lives. We see them soften towards God and Christians. We see them come to experience God’s love and some to turn to Jesus and are filled with the Holy Spirit.  We get to listen to and feel their excitement as they come to discover this relationship they could have with God and the hope God brings to them. We get to celebrate with them. As we consistently run the Alpha course, we see people come to know the Lord all year long, a few at a time. Each one precious to Jesus. More than that, we have the privilege of journeying with them, witness God’s work and His love unfold. It’s SO exciting! I’m so thankful for the privilege to get to journey with people this way. (I’m finding it very difficult trying to convey my excitement, joy, sense of privilege and utter amazement)|

I was at Alpha last Wednesday night, my heart was bursting and Marc Smith said to me later, he was about jump out of his chair during the Small Group Discussion as we saw God working in the lives of our guests. I have trouble sleeping on Wednesday nights now because of the joy and adrenaline rush.

I thought of you. Yes, you who are reading this. I was wishing with all my heart that you will get to experience what we’re experiencing.  I wonder if you’re missing out on the joy of journeying with someone and see God’s work unfold in their lives? If you are, how can I help you? Not that I’m an expert, but I believe we can spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

Maybe you would consider as a small group, inviting some unchurched friends and running Alpha, right there in your small group. It’s not hard to do even though it does take a lot of prayer, patience and persistence. As a small group, embark on an adventure!

Maybe you would consider being more deliberate in sharing Jesus with your friends. Instead of just being a kind Christian presence, maybe it’s time to push the boundaries a little bit and perhaps start with sharing your story and what God is doing in your life.

If this is an area you’re struggling with, maybe as a small group, you could undergo the ‘Unqualified’ Outreach Training together. Then, encourage and spur one another on toward our mandate as given by Jesus to go and make disciples.

I would like to invite you to step out of your comfort zone and join in the excitement of journeying with unchurched people and walk them to Jesus.

Bill has had a difficult life and he knows exactly where to get practical relief; non-profit organisations, government bodies, the church etc. He is depressed and desperate for a meaning to his life but he has no idea about the hope he could have in Jesus because no one has ever shared Jesus with him.

Margaret was born blind. When she was a teenager, she went to a church service. Her eyes were miraculously healed during the service and she can now see. Margaret still doesn’t believe in God and is not walking with Jesus.

Emma’s and Margaret’s stories are true (not their real names). While Bill’s story I made up, it is the story of many people in our community.

As you may be able to see, each person saw a glimpse of the hope of Jesus but not offered the whole picture. For evangelism to be effective, there has to be WORDS, WORKS and WONDERS (James 2:15-16, Mark 16:15-18, 1 Thes 1:5).  Not one without the others, but all need to be present.

Paul lost his father when he was 15. His friend Jenna purposed to be there for him comforting and consoling him (WORKS). In time, Jenna got to share Jesus with Paul and said that if he wanted, God could be his Father (WORDS). Paul accepted the offer and asked Jesus into his heart. He started going to church with Jenna. In the community of believers and in corporate worship, Paul experienced for himself the touch of the Holy Spirit and the reality of God (WONDERS). Paul today walks closely with God and helps others come to Jesus too.

Depending on our gifting and experience, we tend to lean on what we feel most comfortable doing when we share Jesus with others. Some of us are very comfortable sharing Jesus with WORDS but not very good at giving practical help. While some are great at serving and helping (WORKS) but shy away from saying anything about God. Some of us are passionate about contending for miracles and WONDERS but not very good at faithfully loving and journeying with people.

While it’s important to operate within our gifting, it’s also important to develop areas we’re weaker in. What area do you need to work on; words, works or wonders?

Words: Learn to share your story and the Gospel message well and share when the opportunity arises.

Works: Live in authentic relationship with Jesus. Through that people will be able to see Jesus through your character and your life. Faithfully journey with people, being Jesus centered and others focused, offer practical help when needed.

Wonders: Offer to pray for people when they share a need (expect  great things from God!) and pray that God will reveal Himself to them through the Holy Spirit.

Let’s be Jesus-centered, others-focused, together in community! Let’s do this together.

Have you ever had an opportunity to share about faith and God but been caught off guard? You stay silent, change the topic or plunge in saying something that was not thought through, then spend the rest of the week thinking of the ‘Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda’? I have.

The Bible says we should always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks us about our hope. This requires us to wake up every day prepared. Ask God to give you opportunities to share and then look out for them. In this way, we won’t be caught unawares and miss out on obvious opportunities.

But what do I say when the opportunity arises? Well, at the ‘Unqualified’ Outreach Training this week, our participants have been challenged to write down their stories (with a clear plotline and a word and time limit) and rehearse them. Seems technical! Yes. However, in order to be able to use your story well in different circumstances, you have to be very well versed with the main plotline. When you can tell your story in the simplest manner well, you will be able to tweak it to use in different ways to fit different circumstances. You will also be able to be flexible in obeying the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

Do you know your story well? Can you tell it well, clearly and briefly? If not, may I encourage you to work on it? What about God’s story? Are you able to tell the Gospel message well, clearly, and briefly? Please make this a priority and speak to your leaders or myself if you need guidance in this area. Aside from being filled and led by the Holy Spirit, effective witnessing also requires work and practice.

Let’s be witnesses for God and be a Door of Hope in a fragile and uncertain world.
Lastly, remember to do this with gentleness and respect. Please avoid Bible-Bashing. I used to do that. It didn’t work and I lost a lot of friends.

Outreach and Evangelism Updates
Thanks to all who have supported the Little Red Library in one way or another, there are now 403 titles on our shelves excluding magazines. We have 24 members and are seeing our dream unfold before our eyes as people open up and talk about their lives. On several occasions, God has been brought into the picture. Some of our members have gone on and borrowed Christian books. How
exciting! The Library opens every Wednesday 12-5pm.

Have you got a friend to invite?
Alpha is starting again in the first week of July.
Two courses running concurrently:
Tues morning 10-11:30 am and
Wed evening 7:15-9:30pm.
Please contact Wini Heron or Door of Hope’s Reception.

We have 9 participants in ‘Unqualified’ Outreach Training and it’s going really well. God has been working powerfully in bringing breakthroughs in the personal lives of some of the participants. They have also been putting into practice what they are learning and coming back with stories to tell. It’s exciting!

At the training, we talk about what evangelism should really be, how best to evangelize in this pluralistic culture, how to tell our story and God’s story well and how to be the best witnesses we can be, the way God has wired each of us.

Most of the participants from Training last year have shared with me about how they felt a lot less pressured to “do witnessing” but more freedom to be witnesses just as they are, as an overflow from our authentic relationship with Jesus.

If you are missing out because you couldn’t come to the training, ask Wini about the training coming to your small group! Yes! We
can do that too!

I once was very distraught by the behaviour of a Christian leader towards others. In my folly, I spoke about it to someone who was not yet walking with Jesus and as a matter of fact, had quite a negative view towards the Church and Christian leaders. Why would I do such a thing, right? But I did and the damage I caused still stands.
I know now that what I say can either help people come closer to Jesus or cause them to run further away from God and the Church.

A good test would be to ask ourselves if what we’re about to say will promote peace and love. What’s my motive in saying it and what am I trying to achieve from saying it? Will it help the person we’re speaking to come closer to Jesus?

“Reckless words pierce like a sword,
But the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Proverbs 12:18

Admittedly, when I’m talking, sometimes words come out before they have had time to go through my brain. That’s when I wish I was a quiet person. But when it’s something typed or on facebook, I have the luxury to think beforehand about all I am going to say.
Let us ask the Holy Spirit to empower us, while we purpose to make the most of every opportunity we have, be it in ‘real-life’ or in the virtual world to let God use our speech to shine for Him. May others know that we are His disciples. In a world so negative and so full of hopelessness, let us use our speech so others may see the hope there is in Jesus Christ.

How does the word Evangelism make you feel? If it makes you a little nervous, pressured or even guilty, it’s likely you have a set idea of what evangelism looks like and makes you feel unqualified to evangelise. I would like to invite you to the Unqualified Outreach Training specially put together for people who feel slightly unqualified to share.

The course helped me to see evangelism is not so hard after all! I learnt how important it was to be led by the spirit, and to be fuelled by prayer and our own vital relationship with God – not by striving in our own strength. It was liberating to realise evangelism need not always be about debating, but is as simple as telling stories from our own and other people’s lives. This is a
non-confrontational but powerful way to share the gospel too. As I went to India on mission, telling stories of God’s work in my life became the most natural and effective tool to talk about the transforming love of God in Jesus Christ.
- Carli – attended the course last year

‘Unqualified’ Outreach Training

• 4 Tuesdays in May – starting 10th May
• 7:00-9:30pm
• White Room
• $20

Please register by contacting the Church Reception.