With the start of a new year, it’s a great time to consider how you can spend more time in God’s Word.

Whether you have or haven’t done one before, a bible reading plan is a great way to be disciplined in reading your Bible, and providing encouragement and enrichment throughout the year.

Last year Cathy and I had a go at the discipleship journal bible reading plan, and got around 80% through it. But that’s OK, cause tomorrow is a new year, and we can start again.

The DJ Plan takes you through the whole bible in a year, and is split into four separate readings a day. Shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes a day to do. Something you can do over breakfast (you eat breakfast right?). If you do complete it, it will change your life.

Anyway, get into the Word any way you can!

“It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’”

Mt 4:4

I hope all of you out there enjoy the time with your family but more importantly, take some time out to reflect on your year, and your life, and on the generosity of God.

Christmas time is such a busy time for everyone. It’s the time of year where you don’t even bother looking for a parking spot at the Mall, you just park two blocks away and walk. And it’s hard trying to balance family commitments, church, present buying, work xmas party’s and on and on. It’s especially hard to try and take some down time to just pray, and read and meditate on the Scriptures.

This year, my family grew larger, and so it makes Christmas more interesting, and more busy.

Being an MTS Apprentice also means that I share some of the workload that the pastors carry at St. Faith’s at Christmas time.

Let me share with you a couple of thoughts about what Christmas time is like for staff at St. Faith’s. Being on staff, I will be at three services - 5:30 and 11pm Xmas Eve, 8am Xmas Day (that’s a lot of carols!), as well as helping with organisation beforehand. The particular difficulty we face this time of year is trying to negotiate good times with family, whilst trying to prepare and run the services for the regulars and visitors. So in between cups of tea, and welcoming people, I am trying to buy and wrap presents, and manage phone calls to friends and family, as well as change nappies (Nathan’s) and preparing to move house.

And so what ends up happenning is that Christmas time gets so busy, it becomes hard to just stop. And sit, and read, and pray. 2000 years ago, at the first Christmas, there was no mobiles, or malls, but a stable, and a starry night. And Jesus came into the world as a little baby. Now that is an amazing thing. God becoming a man. It’s really what Christmas is all about, it is why we run the services and do all the things we do, but sometimes, in the busyness of Christmas, it’s hard to keep it in our personal focus (it can get lost in the background haze).

This Christmas, why not sit down with your family, and talk about why Christmas is so important.

Don’t just do Christmas, think and talk about Christmas with your family. I think I will too.

I would love to hear about your ideas for keeping the good news about Jesus central in your family at Christmas time.

Hey, It’s exciting to be back, even if only in cyberspace.

Before I start rambling on about random things that I’ve been thinking about I thought it would be appropriate to fill you in on where God has led me since I left Narrabeen two years ago.

As many would know after being a ministry apprentice I started bible college at Moore and served as a student minister at All Saints Anglican Church North Epping alongside Roger Green, a former minister at Narrabeen.

The last two years have been full of challenges, great stories and fun times. At North Epping I have grown in many ways. Working in a unique community such as North Epping with it’s village vibe (one road in and out, and everybody knowing everyone else) has been a great blessing. The relationships that I have formed there will benefit my own life for years to come. Working with God’s people, especially the youth has been a huge blessing but also a great challenge as we sought to solidify the group in their own relationship with Jesus but also help them to look outward to their friends who don’t know Jesus. There is much more I could say, but might leave it to a later post.

College has been great, hard, challenging, and at times frustrating. It has been invaluable in it contribution to my understanding of the Gospel. I am truly thankful for all of the friends I have made and the effort that lectures put in to teach us the truth diligently. College is hard and there are many obstacles to manoeuvre around along the way, yet each in each challenge the hand of God is seen at work in my life, making me more like his son Jesus.

Finally I thought it would be good to share what God has in store for me in 2009. I will be continuing at college in thrid year and will be back on the beaches for Church as I serve at St Marks Anglican Church Avalon. This is a great blessing for God and I am truly thankful for his provision. For some of you this means I will see you more and for that I am also thankful. For some more details about my move check my own personal blog.

I want to thank you all for the support and prayer you have given me over the past few years and would ask that you would continue to pray for me as I undertake this change. I also look forward to contriubuting here as a way to keep those who have supported me and also those currious about the appreticship informed.

Thank You.

There’s been a lot of lasts this week.

KYLC 2007

Last Scripture lesson, Last Bible Study, Last ISCF talk. Just finished my last Soulies talk.

BUT, this is my first blog entry!

It’s December 2008 and so that means that my 2 years as an MTS Apprentice here at St. Faith’s is almost up.

Next year I will be at Moore college, studying and being a bit of a Greek geek. The good news is I will also be staying at St. Faith’s as a student minister, and serving at the 10:30 congregation and doing KidsPlus on Friday arvo’s.

But still, even though I will still be around, it is sad to say goodbye to so much of what I have been a part of.

Let me share with you some of the highlights of my 2 years here:

Seeing the car park full on Sunday nights

Bakehouse and L90 Coffee

All the questions I have received from Scripture kids.

Seeing kids from our area just rock up on Friday arvo to Kidsplus - and then end up learning all about Jesus and praying to Him.

Spending time in books, reading, studying and learning more about people, Jesus and his mission for our lives

Seeing people take on Jesus’ mission for their lives.

The KidsPlus leaders (Evie, Claire, Verity, Tim, Paul, Nathan, Dan, Hayley, Flick, Jacquie, Luke, Ellen) - you’re hard work for the gospel has been a great encouragement to me personally.

Long Bible Studies on Wednesday nights - the nights when you forget what time it is, and just enjoy learning and living with each other.

The encouragement and love I have received from the 8:30 congregation. It is exciting to see how a lifetime of following Jesus can make such godly people.

Not doing the rock jump at KYLC 2007

Wombat hunting at KYLC 2007

Staff Meetings (yes, really!)

Ruth, Kerrie, Roger in the Office! Thanks so much!

The M-Team (you know who you are, and you’re hard work behind the scenes is a massive part of Sunday@6)

Cafe Soulies

Lifting Cars and changing Car tyres with the Soulies Boys

KindiFarm at Kids Plus

Burying 6 cans of Coke and 1 Watermelon in the beach and never finding them again

Seeing HEAPS of young people make a commitment to Jesus at KYCK this year.

Busting Jesus myths at Manly High

Pool, PIzza and Bible Study with the year 11,12’s at

Tim’s place

Rob Hooley’s cooking on Friday nights

Introducing Nathan to all of you (thanks for all your support and prayers for him)

And many more…

-james
(On behalf of the communications team)