Today is Mission Sunday, and we welcome Helena and Doug Painting, whose work at Bookham Community Church we support through BCA. I am sure we will be encouraged by their news and learn more of how we can support and pray for them.
At Synod last week, I was reminded of the paramount task of taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost. Of Sydney’s 5 million people, only around 1% are in Anglican Churches each Sunday. While there are, of course, other churches, clearly a vast number of people in our city are lost without Christ. They need to hear the good news of salvation, and be invited to join in Christian fellowship. Who will tell them, and invite them, if not you and me?!
Synod decided to provide a much needed cash injection to the Bathurst Diocese, to enable it to continue to have a bishop and registrar. Sydney will contribute $250,000 for each of the next six years, to help that Diocese get back on its feet and provide for the gospel needs of that significant part of rural Australia.
Closer to home, our Diocese continues to establish new churches in greenfield areas like Leppington and Oran Park. There is so much to do to reach the lost for Christ, without even leaving NSW! Please pray, give sacrificially, and speak of Christ to others.
Don’t forget your Operation Christmas Child box must be returned next week. However it’s not too late to take one today and return it next week, which is our Patronal Festival 10.30 am combined service and picnic. See you there!