To launch 2012, we’re beginning a new series on Sundays as well as in our growth groups.  It’s called ‘Find Life’  Over 10 weeks in the lead up to Easter we’ll be exploring Jesus and his Life in John’s gospel.  We can sometimes look for answers in all the wrong places, but Jesus said he came to give life, life to the full.  Come along and check it out.  The Sunday meeting for Eatons Hill Presbyterian Church has recently moved to the new Community Hall, Eatons Hill State School, 930am.  Apex Grove, just off Eatons Crossing Road, Eatons Hill.

Enjoy a great start to your Christmas Day.  Come and celebrate the meaning of Christmas in a relaxed atmosphere. It will be fun for all the family!

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At Eatons Hill Presbyterian Church, we’re taking the time in this last part of 2011 to explore through the New Testament book of Colossians. This is what is being preached on Sunday mornings, as well as what our growth groups are studying throughout the week. The book of Colossians has one major theme -  Growth!  It’s all about growing in relationship with Jesus, growing in faith and love, and growing in the knowledge of God’s will. You’ll find the recorded talks and bible study matierial, by clicking here.

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The 2011 holiday kidsclub has come and gone and it was a great time for all!  There were games, there was craft, there were puppets and stories. And there was learning about Jesus from the bible. Thanks to all those helpers who made it such a success.  And thanks to Eatons Hill State School who continues to gives us great support – we held this kidsclub in the school courtyard area. Stay tuned for information about plans for a bigger and better kidsclub in 2012

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Come out for some school holiday fun on Thursday morning, 22 September.  This will be an action-packed morning of games, craft and learning about Jesus.  It’s for all kids, ages from prep – Grade 6. It will be held in the courtyard area at Eatons Hill State School, Marylin Terrace.  The start time is 930am and parents are invited to stay around for the finale sausage sizzle which kicks off at 12noon. If you want any more information or would like to register your children, send an email to kidsclub@freshchurch.net Come along and be part of the holiday fun.

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Our church has just moved and we’re putting on a Housewarming Party!  We’re now meeting on Sundays at the new Community Hall at Eatons Hill State School. This is such a great facility we want to show it off and invite you to check out our church.  Come along at 930am, 11th September and be part of our celebrations.

We’re not far from where we used to meet, but here’s the  instructions on how to find us – Travelling along Eatons Crossing Road, you turn into ‘Apex Grove’ and then turn into the carpark.  We aim to make it easy for you to find us, so you can follow the signs we set up each Sunday. You can view our location by clicking here.

The images on the screen lately have been bleak.  I’m thinking of falling stock market prices, pundits speaking about catastrophic global economic meltdown, and then there’s also the senseless violence on the UK streets.  How does this make you feel? How are you feeling about the future—for yourself and your family?  How much does fear rule you?

I want to remind you about one thing Jesus Christ said.  It’s a promise that can bring true peace to anyone as they come to know Jesus.  It’s the promise of, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrew 13:5)

So let’s get all ‘doomsday-y’ for a moment and imagine a few things. Imagine your superannuation savings are wiped away.  Imagine your salary package has to be cut by half.  Imagine you are force to sell your house.  Imagine you are forced to take your kids out of the school that you’re paying for. With such a scenario, will you be able to have true peace?  God’s promise is ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you“?  Imagine your household budget has to be radically altered in order to pay for the basic needs, let alone your normal wants.  With such a scenario, will you be able to be compassionate, looking out for the needs of others, rather than just living by the motto ‘every man for himself’?  God’s promise is ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you”.  And on top of all that, when you see people living ways that are destructive for themselves and for others (I’m thinking of violence on the streets, but also society’s increasingly ‘anything goes’ view of sexuality and marriage), will you be able to love your community and remain a servant to your community, rather than increasingly withdraw from society out of fear of  being tainted by the ways of the world?  God’s promise is ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you”.

Now as always we all need to know Jesus.  We need to know his love and commitment to us.  We need to remember that he gave his life for us on the cross and has secured heaven for us if we only place our dependence on him.  He is utterly, completely, without qualification, head over heels, for us.  That won’t change no matter what may come in our future. We need to remember Jesus’ wonderful words, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you”.

Eatons Hill Presbyterian Church has now moved! But not too far. We still meet on a Sunday within the grounds of Eatons Hill State School but it’s great that we can now use the brand new Community Hall.  This is a fantastic facility for the school, as well as the community.  If you’ve been to our church before, you’ll discover that we now have more room for our kidzbiz groups as well as a larger auditorium. Come along and check us out – Sundays, 930am.

In terms of where to go – drive onto Apex Grove which comes off Eatons Crossing Road, and follow the signs to the carpark. If you want to see a map, just click here.

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We’re onto a new sermon series on Sundays.  We’re looking at ‘Exodus’ with our guest speaker for this month, Mitch Smart.  The Old Testament book of Exodus might be familiar with many through the Walt Disney movie ‘The Prince of Egypt’.  But it’s that plus a whole lot more. When people think about Christianity, they might think that it’s a religion, full of guilt-inducing rules.  Exodus is also that book that gives many laws – most famously ‘The 10 Commandments’. But on Sundays we’re getting to know that this story of rescue helps us understand that that following Jesus today is a life of grace and freedom, not of guilt and rules.  If you want to listen to any of the talks that have been given so far on this series, you can find them here.

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As investigations continue into Friday’s ‘terror attack’ in Norway, disturbing details have emerged. The shooting, which has killed 92, happened shortly after a huge car bomb exploded outside government offices in Oslo, the capital of Norway. Seven were killed, and at least 15 injured in the blast. After initial claims that the attacks were the work of Al-Quaida, reports now reveal the suspect, Anders Breivik, as a right-wing Christian Zionist of Norwegian descent.

The question is, how could any kind of Christian, Zionist or not, see an act like this as being consistent with the Kingdom of Jesus Christ? Here are five reasons he’s terribly wrong.

1. Jesus told us to love our enemies – not shoot them. No matter who Breivik perceived as his ‘enemies’ – whether the Norwegian Prime Minister, or the rallying students, his only Christian option was to love them.

2. Jesus said the days for militarism were over. When Peter and the other disciples tried to protect him from arrest before his trial and struck out with their weapons, Jesus said, “Put away your swords.” That was, in fact, his final word on “Zionism” too. The Old Testament fight for real estate was over. And while Jesus was now looking to establish a Kingdom that spanned all the nations, it wasn’t going to be by force.

3. The missionary apostle Paul says our only weapons are love and persuasion. In 2 Corinthians 10 he says, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. Paul says that “the sword of the Spirit is the word of God,” and that we should “speak the truth in love.”

4. Paul says we should submit to our leaders, not bomb them. In Romans 13, he says “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.” He tells Timothy to “pray for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”

5. Jesus said that the all the necessary blood to be shed would be his blood… on the cross. He said things like, “I have come to give my life as a ransom for many,” and “this is going to be a new contract written in my blood.” As he died, he made amends, or atonement, between mankind and God in a way that left nothing more to be done, and no more blood to be shed. At the end of the day, he said, “It is finished.” And it was.

So whatever motivated Anders Breivik on that day, it certainly wasn’t the spirit of Christ or his kingdom. Whatever he imagined he was achieving for the Cause of Christ, he was dreadfully wrong. And true Christians everywhere will now need to be on the front foot demonstrating gentleness, love and the art of gospel persuasion as we work to make that clear to our world.
Phil Campbell, July 2011