30th September 2022

Thanks for checking in. We are praying as always for our church family and mission partners who live in our vicinity and elsewhere. Lord Jesus, by faith we pray for all those who are needing God’s healing grace and peace at this time, and also for those traveling during this school holiday season. May you and yours experience God’s exceeding abundance this week.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS SUNDAY 2nd OCTOBER (PUT YOUR MANUAL CLOCKS FORWARD ONE HOUR ON SATURDAY NIGHT – otherwise on Sunday it might be later than you think it is)

THIS WEEK, Betro checks back in to explore something in the word of God with us that is close to his heart. IF YOU ARE IN THE VICINITY ON SUNDAY, PLEASE DO JOIN US face to face at the Augusta Street Hub, and if you are away for whatever reason, please join us ONLINE via our Live-Stream from 10am THIS and EVERY SUNDAY … (see our Facebook page link OR our YouTube Channel for online access). NB: The recording of the Live-Stream is available for viewing on our YouTube Channel AFTER our gathering, ‘usually’ from about midday Sunday onward.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER – PLEASE stay home if you are feeling unwell.

The HOPE Project Mission Situation Reports (Sit-Reps)

AGM 2022 DONE AND DUSTED – WELL …… MOSTLY – Thanks to all who attended, proxied and or apologized for your absence at last week’s Annual General Meeting. It was a reasonably brief and lovely time to reflect together on where we are as a church in the community. The Management Team (Church Board), will take a little time to implement the practical decisions that were made, so, we continue to ask for your prayer as ever, for that important work. Here is a link to the Senior Ministers’ Report Summary.

COVENANT PARTNER CAMPAIGN – As an outworking of this year’s AGM, the Management Team has asked the ministers to encourage all of our recent church family members, who would like to be committed to journeying with us in the mission God has called us to, to prayerfully consider signing up as official Covenant Partners. It is true that we ARE very relaxed about this, primarily because this is a relationship we are seeking, and it has only been a RECENT journey and effort in the life of our church, that people are generally just starting to understand. Even though we haven’t wanted to push anything down anyone’s throat, there is a legal side to it all, and our policies and procedures state that a person who wants to be released in ANY leadership capacity in and through the life of the church, needs to sign a ‘code of conduct’ and an acknowledgement of, and agreement with, our written policies and procedures. (e.g., Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable people in particular – which is now legislated. In fact, our church is about to be audited – a general audit check list – by the NSW Office of Children’s Guardian. Even though we have no official Children’s ministry currently, we expect to have one at some God ordained point in time and so our WHOLE leadership team have ‘Working With Children Checks’ AND a tri-ennial certification in Child and Vulnerable People Safer Church Practices refresher). This is also an insurance requirement. Our policies and procedures are as biblically and common sense based and executed as they can be, BUT they are still in response to issues that are also recognized as compliance legislation, and we see this as being ‘transparent’ and ‘responsible’ in the eyes of the community, so that we may ‘win some’. This is absolutely not about financial commitment. As a church we are sincerely grateful for all who have committed over the years to investing in the church and its mission, BUT, whilst we continue to see giving as a biblical imperative, we believe it is something that is worked out between you and God. Finally for now, we are an affiliated Baptist Church and at some stage down the track, we will have to negotiate future uses of our property with the Baptist Property Trust. Only Covenant Partners will be able to make decisions about any property issue according to the Baptist Association By-Laws. So, other than all the exciting things to consider regarding being mission partners with us, there are some other issues to consider also.

Having said all that, I am more than happy to spend time answering questions with anyone who needs to seek clarity. In the meantime, we will make the paper work more readily available from this Sunday. PLEASE see Heather as soon as possible if you would like to check to see if you are already a Covenant Partner OR if you are relatively new and you are sure you’d like to go straight to the sign up step. PLEASE NOTE that the Codes / Agreement forms are ONLY available from Heather, either face to face or via the secretary email. Of course, you can download an e-copy of the Covenant Partnership Introduction and EOI from our website’s FAQ page HERE. FYI, We are updating the podcast so that’s unavailable currently. Thank you for your care, support and patient understanding.

2ND CONCERT IN SYDNEY ON OCTOBER 15 – The Sydney edition of the Keith Green Tribute Concert for HOPE4Kids and Hope and Future Projects, is scheduled for 7pm Saturday 15th October 2022. Due to unforeseen costs, we have had to CHANGE the venue. The event will NOW BE HELD @ CROWS NEST UNITING CHURCH CENTRE (just ONE block west of the Pacific Hwy on Shirley Road – which is the extension of the main road Falcon Street for those who know North Sydney). This is a great answer to prayer and we’d like to publicly thank our long-time mate ** Rev. Michael Thomas, and office administrator Alison for their efforts to help us with this. If you have informed family or friends to use the direct booking link, THIS IS STILL THE RELEVANT BOOKING LINK as we will have enough contact information to let people know directly, where we now are. So, here is the DIRECT LINK to the Concert’s booking website if you or someone you know missed out in August and or, you know someone in Sydney who might like to experience the event.

** Michael Thomas was the Uniting Church Minister at Corrimal and Bulli a couple of decades ago and he officiated at my eldest niece’s wedding in January 2006. We conducted Robert and Sharon’s son Ian’s marriage to Ella at Crows Nest UCA in March 2021 after we performed a Covid ceremony at CCC 12 months earlier. Crows Nest UCA was the venue of Rob’s parent’s wedding the best part of seven decades ago. We have quite a history with this venue. (see our banner photo above)

HOPE4Kids ANNUAL AWARENESS & FUNDRAISER IS DONE FOR 2022 – We won’t wrap things up until after the second Keith Green Tribute Concert in Sydney during October (see above for details). The fund total for 2022 is hovering just under $3K without any way of clarifying that number just yet. We are so thankful to God for people’s generous giving hearts …. more soon! You can also catch up with the latest about our KIDS and the 2022 campaign stories on the HOPE4Kids Facebook Group. If you’d like to read the H4K backstory, visit our website’s ‘HOPE4Kids’ page.

UCI BIKE RIDE (17th – 25th September) – Thanks to all of our committed prayer-ers and share-rs for your efforts IN Christ to share the good news with our visitors last week. Stay tuned for sit-reps and testimonies over the next few weeks as reports are tabled. Graeme will also be apprised of some more of the details in the aftermath of the combined churches engagement with the UCI community at a special meeting of regional leaders on October 27th.

PODCASTS / SERMONS / STUDY GUIDE OUTLINES – are now becoming available on our HOPE Podcast Station as we complete and upload them. The first of these ‘extras’ is Julie presenting the prophetic word the Lord gave her in August which she preached on the same month. If you are interested in accessing this, we have uploaded Julie’s Prophetic Word Podcast HERE and the written out version of the prophetic word is available on our Sermon Notes etc. website page HERE. Julie has recommended that if you are planning to listen to this particular podcast, it would help to have a printed or visible electronic version of the prophetic word in front of you as she speaks to the context and biblical bases in the podcast which is about 25 minutes in length. Graeme has also uploaded his Sermon Note Summary from his ‘Fullness IS Equipping’ series to date.

There are of course now EIGHT (8) new short weekly HOPE Devotional podcasts also available on the HOPE Podcast Station. These have been directly addressing the ‘Fullness IS Equipping’ content that Graeme has been preaching lately. The WRITTEN versions of these devotional reflections are of course available in order of release date via Links on our HOPE Devotional Web Page. MORE RESOURCES UPLOADED SOON …

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD (OCC) 2022 – is our hands-on way to bless children in need across the world by filling shoe-boxes with toys, hygiene items, school supplies, and fun gifts. The shoe-boxes and other helpful materials are available now from the Hub. See Heather or one of our Hosts soon, if you are at the Hub on any given Sunday OR use our Contact Us page to let us know you are interested in helping and would like to know more and we’ll make sure you have all the information you need. As boxes are completed, we will gather them together and deliver them to our local OCC coordinator Robyn, who will distribute them in the name of Jesus Christ to children living in vulnerable situations.

Calendar Updates

(Please use our Contact Us page if you’d like to register for, or get more details for the following)

  • EVERY THURSDAY MORNING 10-11am – We provide a support team to help distribute affordable grocery hampers out of a truck parked in the Car Park west side Fred Guest Park off Balgownie Road. If you could help every week, or fortnightly or monthly, please talk with Gary or Jacki – thank you!
  • General Bible Discussion (Beverley) 5th October at Judy’s place (on the verandah or inside with the heater if cold), (now the 1st and 3rd Wednesday’s of each month) Contact Beverley or Judy if you are thinking of coming to any given meeting.
  • Regular Hour of Prayer for the Churches of the Illawarra and the Salvation of Souls (Graeme) We will TRIAL Mt Keira Lookout park as a venue – 8am on the 2nd and 4th Mondays each month. NEXT PRAYER MEET IS MONDAY 10TH OCTOBER (be patient please as we work this out)
  • NEXT Blokes Sharing and Ministry – Tuesday 11TH OCTOBER from 6pm @ McLean’s Residence in East Corrimal (see David or Andrew or Gary for the address please) … Bring your favourite toppings and cook your own pizza in teh McLean Pizza oven and we’ll have a good chat with Joe Zohar.
  • The ‘Keith Green 40th Anniversary’ Tribute Concert # TWO (for HOPE4Kids & Hope and Future Ministries) 7pm start, Saturday 15th October @ Crows Nest Uniting Church Centre, Cnr. Shirley Road and Nicholson Street Wollstonecraft (one block west of the Pacific Hwy / Falcon Street intersection in Crows Nest). Find out more HERE, including our ticket website
  • WEEKLY TRAINING WORKSHOP (between mid-October and the end of November) in discipling, pastoral and community care, the ministry of reconciliation, starting kingdom conversations and more – 1st SIX (6) to EIGHT (8) WEEK INTENSIVE – please see Graeme ASAP as he will confirm times / days etc once he has spoken with all the interested parties. LAST DAYS FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST!!
  • Oct-Nov Sunday Weekly Preaching Theme with an Outward Focus towards ‘others’ will be ‘All You Need Is Love’ and will span the FOUR Sunday’s from October 30th to and including November 20th. As with ‘Outrageous Forgiveness’ in 2021, we will focus messages, creative and interactive presentations over the FOUR Sundays around the ‘All You Need Is Love’ theme. More Detail soon …
  • HOPE Sunday 2022, 10am 27th November – Join us as we do our annual reflection and launch of church’s goals for the following year and celebrate the 69th anniversary of the church’s ministry and witness in the East Corrimal community. A Special Morning Tea will follow the gathering, so book your attendance in with Heather OR Carol ASAP.
  • Church Family Christmas Lunch – Sunday 4th December SAVE THE DATE! Details from Carol soon.
  • ‘Carols in the Street 2022’ – is scheduled as always for the second Sunday of December (11th). The street closure will occur from 4pm – 8pm. We will gather on that Sunday (11th Dec) morning to PRAY and ALLOCATE tasks for this our annual Christmas Gift to the community and as such there will be NO SUNDAY AM GATHERING that day. Our mate AMBER NICHOLS is booked in! DESPINA is checking her schedule. More Details soon. SAVE THE DATE!
    • NB: If you know someone in a local business who might like to sponsor the Carols with a small financial gift, we will organise advertising for them in the lead up to and during the Event. PLEASE mention any options you might have to Heather or Carol soon as sponsor request letters are being sent out THIS WEEK, with an initial cut off date for being promoted – 30th October. Thanks!

Weekly Pastoral Prayer Update

NB: We leave prayer points up until we either hear about resolutions OR thank God for answers etc. so …

  • Firstly, we are THANKFUL for all the answered prayers that often go unnoticed. Thank you, Lord, for Your faithfulness.
  • Secondly, each and EVERY week we pray for each other and our brothers and sisters representing the Illawarra region’s body of Christ through other local churches who meet around us. And as Jesus prayed 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. We know this is a season when we will need to be combat ready and so we pray for each other that we would stand firm in the victory Christ won for us … AND that the Lord will add daily, those who are BEING SAVED!
    • THIS WEEK we are continuing to pray with the Northern Illawarra Churches for the UCI World Cycling Event, as we seek to declare, represent, and demonstrate the kingdom of heaven to the visitors to our city from around the world. Final events and wrap up.
  • Thirdly each week we pray for the New Season of Mission Effort – We thank you for the first ‘7 years of planting and re-aligning to heaven’ and now we pray for the FIRST PHASE of the time we are referring to as ‘The SEED of Sustainability’ (2022-23). As we now release the strategic plan for Spring 2022, PLEASE PRAY AS WE PREPARE (Pre-Prayer). PLEASE ALSO PRAY AS WE PREPARE FOR THE 2ND KEITH GREEN TRIBUTE CONCERT IN SYDNEY ON OCTOBER 15TH. GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR THE WOLLONGONG CONCERT A FEW WEEKS BACK, AND FOR THE KIDS AND FAMILIES WHO WILL BE IMPACTED THROUGH HOPE4KIDS AND THE HOPE AND FUTURE PROJECT.
  • Fourthly, here following are the MOST RECENT prayer requests that we have been given permission to share across our praying network … (please talk directly with the source of the request if you want more info) – we will endeavour to seek updates on all of the following, particularly those points that we’ve been praying for these last few weeks – not always simple, so thanks for your patience.
    • Father in heaven we also pray for Maree’s friend Marion’s brother Peter who has been diagnosed recently with bone cancer and the outlook in human terms is not good. Peter also has autism so please pray for him, Marion and the family, for God’s love, healing, strength and mercy as they negotiate the path before them.
    • Lord Jesus we thank you for our Beverley’s early results from last week’s scheduled procedure. Please pray for complete healing and a good removal of dressings etc. this coming Tuesday.
    • Lord we thank you that Christian has had his appendectomy scheduled for October 28th. We give thanks for his good health in the lead up and that all is in Your sovereign healing hands as his procedure dawns.
    • Father God, we are praying in faith for wisdom, peace and guidance for Jono and Nicky as they care for Jacob who is struggling with addiction. Lord we ask for freedom for this great young bloke as he breaks free from these chains in Your consistent and lasting strength.
    • We thank you Lord that Jo’s arthroscopic procedure went well last Tuesday. We continue to pray for a quick and complete recovery as she experiences some pain and stiffness and deals with time concerns for rehabilitation in teh context of her work situation. Lord, please grant wisdom and clarity.
    • Lord Jesus, we are praying that God will make a path for Maree’s girlfriend Penny’s daughter Jo as she deals with the aftermath of court proceedings last Wednesday. We acknowledge some bad choices have been made but we ask for Your mercy and a a way forward that would lead Jo into your loving arms.
    • Lord we are praying this week for Ilja’s daughter as per Ilja’s request.
    • Father, we are praying for Kylie’s uncle who has potential kidney and heart issues and for her aunt who fell recently and broke her pelvis in a couple of places. We pray for your healing touch and best process outcomes.
    • Lord God, we continue to pray for Linda’s sister Shirley (in Abu Dhabi) and Alex’s brother Rab (in Perth WA), who have both undergone serious life saving surgeries recently. We pray for their families and thank God for continued good reports.
    • Father, we pray for our Gwen who was admitted to the hospital’s medical ward a few weeks ago. We pray for complete healing and peace and strength for Nancy, Jason and the whole family. We also pray that Gwen will receive help for some everyday domestic needs.
    • Lord we continue to pray for Jayden O’Connell (son of John and Chris) who took ill whilst away in Tweed Heads. He is stable and slowly recovering in ICU. There are things being monitored. The family will be in their current location for a bit longer yet but are assured of the best care where they are. Thank you Lord.
    • Please keep praying for our friend Marie and her family as she continues to recover from some serious health challenges. We praise God for her recent positive move to a Residential Care Home and Doug’s decision to move with her, and the contentment they are experiencing.
    • We are praying also for our friend Audrey who continues to deal with some health challenges. Lord, we pray for patience and strength as things tend to feel worse before they improve after recently completed treatment regimes. We pray for health and peace for her, her family and her friends.
    • We are praying for complete healing in Jono’s body, particularly the hernia that has been an issue for some time now. Lord, bring peace to Jono, particularly with regard to what you want from him with regard his work situation.
    • We pray Lord that you would do a mighty work of love and care as Nicky grieves the loss of a dear furry friend.
    • We thank you Lord that Christine continues to improve after her broken toe and the recent bout of the migraines she’s been having. Christine sends her greetings and heartfelt thanks for prayer support.
    • We thank you Lord for our sister Dot who sends her love to you all and we keep praying for her general health and well-being.
    • We thank God and keep praying for Evelyn’s complete recovery.
    • We are praying for Maree’s friend Gail who has a suspicious nodule on her thyroid gland. We pray for God’s miraculous healing supernaturally through the surgeon – guide them in whatever they do. Lord bring hope, peace and healing to Gail and all who love and care for her.
    • We pray for Emma’s friend Anna. That you will be sovereign in her life and completely cure whatever is wrong with some vital organs. We thank you for a recent positive update.
    • We pray for your healing touch to be experienced by Mick, that he would return to full health soon.
  • Please Keep Praying for these Brothers and sisters and situations –
    • We pray healing for members of our family who are each dealing with a variety of ongoing health issues currently, including those still experiencing cold and flu symptoms and or respiratory infections. We thank you for recent full recoveries and Lord for your protection over other family members of these precious folk.
    • We continue to pray for Harry, Joy and Greg, Tom, Elsie and Carolyn’s family, Tim, and for Kylie.
    • We pray thanks to God for the work of the Northern Illawarra Scripture Board and for answered prayer. We pray that we are empowered to play our part in this kingdom advancing work as it increases across the northern Illawarra churches network. We pray for our scripture teachers and chaplain as they get some well earned rest in the term break. We ask particularly Lord for Clara as she prepares to leave on Tuesday (4th) for her 3 week New Testament field study (following the journeys of Paul). We ask for safety and a deeply enriching and revelatory time.
    • We continue praying for Murray and Julie and the Food for Life Community Care team as they work tirelessly to provide affordable groceries to people trying to make ends meet across the Illawarra and Shoalhaven. We pray for Murray in the aftermath of a melanoma removal and the impact this has for his wife and mission partner Julie and the Kids, with Julie running the FFL Service currently. We pray for our support team who work with the hamper truck on Thursday mornings. (Gary, Christine, Beverley, Ken, Jacki, Denise, John, Margaret, Maggie and Alex)
    • We pray for the people doing it tough that our Food for Life volunteers come across weekly when they serve hampers off the truck.
    • We continue to petition our Lord Jesus for Heaven’s answers to the needs of so many who are struggling in the current economic climate and or have lost significantly in these repeated floods and cold weather snaps up and down the east coast.
    • For all of the wonderful people connected with our church family as we stand together during this new season of the battle for souls. We thank God for His encouragement, His healing touch and His mercy, grace and protection.
    • We pray both thanks to you God and ask for exceeding abundant blessings on all the new people who are determining whether or not to partner with us in the mission You have called us to.
    • We also pray with thankfulness for the wonderful and consistent giving and investment that our family and partners offer to enable this mission to thrive.
    • Graeme is grateful for the faithful pray-ers who have stepped up and interceded for important gospel and kingdom work that we’ve been engaged in of late, including the Keith Green Tribute, the UCI Bike Event and the AGM. We give thanks to God for Karen’s continued, but slow and steady return to full energy and health.
    • We have been asked to pray with Lionel Rattenbury (Hope Church – Helensburgh) as he and a team engage people with dire need in the Port Kembla CBD. We pray for all efforts in this space, including Gordon and Port Kembla Baptist – particularly as he and a kingdom team engage with the people west side of King Street Warrawong, Brian and Hope Street (Baptist Care), James Dargin and the Aboriginal Outreach, The Foundery, YWAM and more. Lord, hear our prayers!
  • The World needs our Faithful Prayers –
    • We continue to pray for people in the Ukraine and Russia, for peace, for unity, for a sense of purpose together for the future, instead of the divide and the misdirection that seems evident and ongoing. LORD HAVE MERCY and prevail on key players to bring this conflict to a close.
    • We pray for ongoing health issues around the world and ask for Your intervention Lord, bringing about your purposes in response to these things rather than feeble human control efforts. LORD HAVE MERCY on those affected and those working out what’s happening, and those working closely with those affected.
    • Please pray for the people who are hungry and helpless. Pray for the church (under persecution in many of these countries mentioned below) that they along with World Aid organizations will be able to be God’s effective hands and feet in that desperate scenario.
    • Pray for the people in many other countries who are dealing with political, religious and military unrest and or are being subjected to violence and persecution; in particular this week we pray for the escalation of the persecution against Christian ministries in Uganda and the focus on recent converts from Islam. Also for the unrest and unease continuing in Myanmar, also ongoing concerns in Afghanistan, the senseless violent attacks on people on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border, in Mozambique, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Togo and Ghana, Kenya, pending genocide in predominantly Christian Papua (Indonesia), Eritrea, Burkina-Faso (particularly in the East where Jihadists seem hell bent on eradicating Christian facilitated education), Algeria and Indonesia, Nigeria (particularly for recent savage attacks on churches and renewed calls by IS to attack Christian, Jewish, Hindu and Shi’ite places of worship across Africa and Asia), India, Iran, Egypt, the Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and this week our prayer call is for continued and lasting peace along the North-Eastern Syrian border with Turkey (and Syria in general)
    • PLEASE add any concern you have for our world HERE and pray LORD HAVE MERCY!
  • Of course if you have any thing you feel confident to ask us to SHARE in prayer for, please call, send a text or email Gary Padwick if you know his contact details, otherwise via our Contact Us page. We can help connect you, and Gary will faithfully engage our prayer-network.
  • Thank you for continuing to uphold each other and the lives and circumstances of our partners everywhere, in life-empowering prayer.

Love & blessings
Graeme for The Team