Feb 26- Mar 1, 2010 @ Logue Brook Dam Camp in Western Australia: for all interested in how to plant and multiply groups. Each house church plant and current church planting team is to bring a new team of at least four – who will plant the next church! For registration or more information – contact Phil Brown philbrown@adventist.org.au
A quote by Victor Choudrie….
“Training theologians, who are irrelevant to the needs of the men and women on the street, is a cruel joke on the lost people.”
An e-book version of Victor Choudrie’s book ‘The Apostolic Gardens’ will soon be available on our web site. It will challenge, if not shake, you!
The Church – Out of Order!
In the New Testament there is a simple, logical, and beautiful order in God’s loving plan to grow his Kingdom. It is extremely challenging.
1. The Lord Jesus Christ commands us to repent and believe the good news.
2. He commands us to gp and make disciples of all nations.
3. We are to go together to encourage each other to be true to the Lord as His witnesses.
This order is the work of the Holy Spirit and our spiritual worship.
This is the beginning of an article by Bob Collie. Read the full article The Church – Out of Order
Indigenous Ministry Links Australia Prayer Letter February 2010
Hello from a very wet Mareeba in North Queensland!
Thank you for all your prayers and support in 2009. It certainly was an eventful and fruitful year and 2010 looks like it is presenting more challenges and opportunities. We just want to do the Lord’s will and ask for His strength and power. We are on the winning side but sometimes the battle gets very rough.
2010 started with Carl Musch, Clive and Linda Weir and Lance Banjo going into Wujal and Hopevale before the roads were cut by the flooding rain. Those visits were very successful. It is important to keep communication going and follow up so DVD and CD production is essential especially during the time when many communities are cut off. We are very thankful for the donations made toward a duplicator/printer which will make this part of the ministry much more efficient and able to reach more people. Continue reading →
‘Organic church in South Australia’ Group on Facebook
OIKOS has started a Group on Facebook for those interested in simple/organic church in South Australia. There can be discussion lists, details of upcoming events and whatever else is helpful. It will help people to find those who are like-minded in their area – including those who might be interested in meeting. There is an excellent Melbourne Facebook Group which I could see was being used by a lot of people and so I thought one in each State could be helpful. So those of you who live in South Australia – hop on to Organic Church in South Australia Group and join up.
Simple church summit in Adelaide next week
Where – Molinara Sports and Social club, 55 Lyons Road (cnr Dicksons Rd) Windsor Gardens
When Saturday February 13th, 9.30 am – 5 pm
Cost – free
Bring – finger food lunch to share
Speakers – Peter Steicke (Adelaide simple churches), Tony Fitzgerald (Church of the Nations Interntional) Craig Kirkby (Crosswave Global) and I will be sharing some Australian house church stories and give a short report of the Global House Church Summit 2009 in the morning session.
Good parking on the site. No children’s program or childcare.
Contact OIKOS via the web site or click on ‘comment’ at the top of this posting and add your details if you are able to come so as we can pass on numbers to the Adelaide folk.
A great story of serving others…..
Listen to the story of Johnny the Bagger
Multiplying simple church
Quoted by Roger Thoman -www.simplechurchjournal.com
What we have unleashed here in Philadelphia is unstoppable. In the few short months we have been talking about this thing called Simple Church, two others have asked us about what we are doing and we’ve learned that one lady has started a church in her house on Sunday evenings. My wife and I are going to visit her next week. Another man started further north of us and we’ll be meeting with him soon. Then we have heard of a couple of other places near here that has a meeting going on. So, the network of churches is beginning to take shape. I hope to visit all of them over the next couple of months. It is unstoppable.
And what we see and hear is that God is moving and the miraculous is taking place. People are being healed, marriages are being restored and in one case a woman on methadone was instantly delivered from the dependence on any drug or substitute. How awesome. I have one methadone user in our group and I am expecting to have her delivered. Her husband was delivered months ago, now it’s her turn. I believe the the steps to her deliverance will come about because the group is beginning to see and hear of others who are being set free in the House Church. The Big Church prays for people but then they get on with the service. In the House Church we can concentrate on the needs of one person for the entire time and see God work.
How can we become more missional?
From www.simplychurch.com
The question I have been asking since we came home from the House Church Summit in India is, “Which of the factors that have produced the incredible results in India are transferable to a Western culture?”
Perhaps the biggest contrast I saw between what happens there and the typical church (whether legacy or simple church) in the West is their emphasis on reaching out and the Great Commission. They genuinely believe that being a disciple is all about going and sharing the good news with others. Their training is all geared towards this truth; I did not hear a teaching that did not include some aspect of it. (”Apostolic teaching is the teaching to go.” “All the commands of Jesus lead to the fulfillment of the Great Commission.”) Disciples bear fruit, and the assumption (unlike here in the West where we tend to think “fruit of the Spirit”) is that this fruit is new disciples, who of course, in turn are trained to make more disciples. Continue reading →
A thought…..
Mahatma Gandhi, said: ”Jesus Christ is the most perfect example of non-violence in history,” and paused before adding, ”And the only people who don’t realise this are Christians.”