Transformed Magazine for February and March 2015

TRANSFORMEDFebruary March 2015HumeRidge Church of Christ Magazine

Make a difference where you are

contents

TRANSFORMEDHumeRidge Church of Christ Magazine

Happy New Year! And welcome to the first edition of Transformed Magazine for 2015. Each edition of

Transformed will keep you informed about the people, priorities, programs and events of HumeRidge Church of

Christ throughout the year ahead.

We start the Church Year with a nine week Church-wide series called Fruitfulness on the Frontline. This series will involve our whole ministry team, various preachers, 9am morning services, Sunday@Five evening services, our various home

groups and an [optional] book of the same title. We are also planning a daily prayer guide, a Frontline Breakfast, and more!

Fruitfulness on the Frontline is designed to help equip Christ-followers for effective Christian living and witness on

the `other six days’ between Sundays. At HumeRidge our emphasis is not only on programs that occur when the church

is gathered, but on equipping people for when the church is scattered. We want everyone - workers, students, retirees or

stay-at-home parents - to be effective in living for Jesus from Monday through to Saturday when we are scattered across schools, universities, offices, factories, shops, farms, homes

and neighbourhoods.

I encourage you to get involved at HumeRidge right from the start of 2015; get the most out of Fruitfulness on the Frontline;

and let God transform your life this year.

Dale WhiteSenior Pastor

2 Fruitfulness on the Frontline

Neale Proellocks

7 What’s On Sundays

8 Calendar

10 SOAP Readings

12 Building Frontline Families

Natalie Roy

14 Youth Camp

Lauren England

16 Noticeboard

17 Contact Details

Transforming Lives to Christ

by experiencing and reflecting

God’s loveTogether

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In the first term of 2015, HumeRidge is conducting a Sunday series with small group studies entitled “Fruitfulness on the Frontline”. The focus of the series is on an inclusive, whole of life discipleship, which brings the influence of the Gospel of Jesus into the everyday settings of our lives. In other words “Fruitfulness on the Frontline” will not be about living a distinctively Christian life just in the workplace. That would discount the fruitful lives of the unemployed, the retired, the stay at home parent and student. Rather the series is about each one being a Christ follower wherever life finds us or takes us. The series will remind us that all Christians are on the frontline and every part of our lives is under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. For many, our frontline is the workplace, but equally the frontline is also the shopping centre or that favourite coffee shop where we go each week. The frontline is engagement

with neighbours, involvement on a P & C, participation in a local sporting competition or serving others through a community service group. The frontline for some is living in a home where some family members are not yet convinced about the person or claims of Jesus. Wherever our frontline, we come face to face with a diversity of cultural values and beliefs, many of which are decidedly hostile to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. During the series, one of the topics will be on “Moulding Culture”. The following article was written by Timothy Keller about Christian renewal to culture. Keller’s article is relevant and full of wise insight into what it means to live on the frontline. My prayer is that each of you will fully enter into the teaching, discussion and the ongoing application of what God says to us through “Fruitfulness on the Frontline.”

NEALE PROELLOCKS


HumeRidge Church of Christ Magazine I 3

• The conversionist - many believe that the way to change a culture is to change enough individual hearts through personal conversion. Then, supposedly, the culture would change automatically.

• The political - At the other end of the spectrum there have been believers over the centuries who wanted to use political power to enact laws that were directly based on Christian theology.

• The separatist - A third approach rejects any idea of Christians trying to influence culture. It insists that we should reflect Christian values within our own churches, but we should not try to influence society in any particularly Christian direction.

Each of them provides such telling critiques of its rival views that we must conclude there is no utopian way to create a Christian society. You could certainly make a case that there has never been a Christian society (even though many have claimed to be) and there never will be. And yet, Christians cannot simply rest satisfied with individual conversions or separated enclaves when they discern the central plot-line of the Bible:A) God created a world of peace and life; B) The world has fallen into a state of injustice

and brokenness;C) God has determined to redeem this world

through the work of his Son and the creation of a new humanity; until

D) Eventually the world is renewed and restored to being the way that he made it and the way we all want.

“A society’s ‘culture’ is a set of shared practices, attitudes, values, and beliefs which are rooted in common understandings of ‘the big questions’ -where life comes from, what life means, who we are, and what is important to spend our time doing in the years allotted to us. No one can live without some assumed answers to these questions, and every set of answers shapes culture:

• the way we treat the material world,• the way we relate the individual to the

group and family,• the way groups and classes relate to one

another,• the way we handle sex, money, and power,• the way we make decisions and set

priorities, and the way we regard death, time, art, government, and physical space.

Today an astonishing array of movements, political action groups, social activist networks, foundations, think tanks, experts, writers, artists, as well as religious leaders are all intentionally working for cultural change-and working in extremely different and often contradictory directions. Christians, of course, would love to see their society reflect more and more of the Father’s justice, of the Son’s sacrificial love, and of the Spirit’s life-giving power. How exactly should Christians relate Christ to culture so this happens?Historically, Christians have adopted three classic approaches that are still in use today. We could call “the conversionist”, “the political”, and “the separatist” ways.

The following article was written by Timothy Keller who leads ‘Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York.


Continued on next page

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In short, the purpose of redemption is not to help individuals escape the world. It is about the coming of God’s kingdom to renew it. God’s purpose is not only to save individuals, but also to make a new world based on justice, peace, and love, rather than on power, strife, and selfishness. If God is so committed to this that he suffered and died, surely Christians should also seek a society based on God’s peace and love.How should we go about it? At Redeemer we have learned something from all the approaches mentioned above, and yet we have struck a somewhat different path. We wouldn’t dream of claiming that we have the answer, but our way of seeking to relate Christians and culture is, we believe, extremely promising (though its results to date are only embryonic).The following is a sketch: 1. Christians should live long-term in the city.

The city is an intense crucible of culture formation. Cultural trends tend to be generated in the city and flow outward into the rest of society. Therefore, people who live in the large urban cultural centres (working in their institutions, taking jobs in the arts, business, academia, the helping professions, and the media) tend to have greater impact on how things are done in a culture. If a far greater percentage of the people living in cities long-term were Christians, Christ’s values would have a greater influence on the culture.

2. Christians should be a dynamic counter-culture in the city. It will not be enough for Christians to simply live as individuals in the city. They must live as a particular kind of community.

The Bible tells us that the history of the world is a ‘tale of two cities.’ The ‘city of man’ is built on the principle of individual self-aggrandizement (Gen 11:1-4- “Let us make a name for ourselves”). What God wants is different. “In the city of our God, his holy mountain is beautiful in elevation--the joy of the whole earth” (Psalm 48:2). In other words, the urban society God wants is based on service rather than selfishness, and on bringing joy to the whole world, not just to the individuals within it.

Jesus probably had Psalm 48:2 in mind when he told his disciples that they were ‘a city on a hill’ whose life and action showed God’s glory to the world (Matt 5:14- 17). That is us! We Christians are called to be an alternate city within every earthly city, an alternate human culture within every human culture, to show how sex, money, and power can be used in non-destructive ways; to show how classes and races who cannot get along outside of Christ can get along in him; and to show how it is possible to produce art that brings hope rather than despair or titillation.

3. Christians should be a community radically committed to the good of the city as a whole. It is insufficient for Christians to form a culture that only ‘counters’ the values of the city. We must then turn, with all the resources of our faith and life, to sacrificially serve the good of the whole city, and especially the poor.

Christians work for the peace, security, justice, and prosperity of their neighbours, loving them in word and deed, whether they believe what we do or not. In Jeremiah 29:7, the Jews were called not just to live in the city but to love it and

Continued from previous page

www.humeridgechurch.org I 5

We do not know how to attract people to Christianity by persuasively showing the resources of Christ for resolving baseline cultural problems and for fulfilling baseline cultural hopes. The Christian church has only done embryonic thinking in this area. When it comes to culture, most Christians know nothing but a privatized faith or a militant, belligerent faith. Redeemer wants to be part of the coming renaissance of Christian cultural engagement in New York City.”The series, “Fruitfulness on the Frontline,” is not a silver bullet, but hopefully it will be a further step, a reinforcement to our church’s stated mission of “Transforming lives to Christ by experiencing and reflecting His love together”.

Fruitfulness on FrontlineTerm 1 Home Group StudyCOMMENCING Week of February 8thDiscussion Guide $5Contact Ps Peter Millican

work for its ‘shalom’- its economic, social, and spiritual flourishing. Christians are, indeed, citizens of God’s heavenly city. But the citizens of God’s city are always the best possible citizens of their earthly city. They walk in the steps of the One who laid down his life for his opponents.

In the end, Christians will not be attractive within our culture through power plays and coercion, but through sacrificial service to people regardless of their beliefs. We do not live here simply to increase the prosperity of our own tribe and group, but for the good of all the peoples of the city.

4. Christians should be a people who integrate their faith with their work. There is a fourth, crucial component to our plan for relating Christians to culture. As we said above, all work proceeds from beliefs about the ‘big questions’ regarding what life means, what human beings are, and what are the most important things in life. We call the answers to these big questions a ‘worldview.’ Most fields of work today are dominated by very different worldviews than that of Christianity.

However, when most Christians enter a vocational field today, they either a) seal off their faith from their work and simply work like everyone else around them, or b) simply spout Bible verses at people to get their faith across. We simply do not know how to think out the implications of the Christian view of reality for the shape of everything we do in our professions. We do not know how to persuade people by showing them the faith-based, world-view roots of everyone’s work.

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discovering Humeridge

11am-12noon Sunday 15th February

If you’d like to know more about what we believe and why we do what we do as a Church please join us for this one hour session entitled Discovering HumeRidge.

6:30-8pm Monday 2nd February

All newcomers welcome to join us for dinner to meet the HumeRidge Team and learn more

about HumeRidge Church of Christ.

welcomedinner

To Sign Up or to learn more about the Welcome Dinner or Discovering HumeRidge please see our volunteers at the Info Counter on Sundays or contact the Church Office on 46350350 during the week.


HUMERIDGEFEBRUARY & MARCH

March 1 9am “Ministering Grace & Love”

(Luke 10:25-37)

Fruitfulness on the Frontline #4Chris England,

Young Adults & Children’s Pastor

March 8 9am “Moulding Culture”

(Matthew 5:13-16)

Fruitfulness on the Frontline #1Sam Jackson, Snr Pastor,

Toowoomba Community Baptist Church

March 15 9am “Mouthpiece for Truth & Justice”

(2 Samuel 12:1-13)

Fruitfulness on the Frontline #6Ross Savill, Youth & Families Pastor

March 22 9am “Messenger of the Gospel”

(1 Peter 3:15-16)

Fruitfulness on the Frontline #7Neale Proellocks, Outreach Pastor

March 29 9am “The Journey On”

(2 Kings 6:15-17 & Matthew 28:16-20)

Fruitfulness on the Frontline #8Dale White, Senior Pastor

February 1 9am Vision Sunday / Launch new series

- Fruitfulness on the Frontline

Guest Speaker Murray Wright

February 8 9am “The Big Picture”

(Colossians 1:15-20)

Fruitfulness on the Frontline #1Dale White, Senior Pastor

February 15 9am “Modelling Godly Character”

(Galatians 5:13-26)

Fruitfulness on the Frontline #2Peter Millican, Teaching Pastor

February 22 9am “Making Good Work”

(Genesis 1-2 & Colossians 3:22-4:1)

Fruitfulness on the Frontline #3Neale Proellocks, Outreach Pastor

New Church wide Series

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

10am English Classes

4pm Music Team Practise



6.30am Prayer9.45am KYB

6.30pm Stumpy’s6.30pm English

Classes


1.30pm Hymn Singing

6.30pm Stumpy’s6.30pm

English Classes



English Classes



English Classes

8am Prayer9am Sunday Service

11am Discovering HumeRidge4pm PrayerSunday@5


4pm PrayerSunday@5

9.30am PlaygroupYOUTH:

5pm Gr 7&8 7pm Gr 9-12


5pm Gr 7&8 7pm Gr 9-12


3pm Grandparents on the Frontline





4pm PrayerSunday@5

9.30am Playgroup7pm Grade 13’s



9.30am Chat @ Chat’s9.30am Playgroup

YOUTH:5pm Gr 7&8 7pm Gr 9-12


5pm Gr 7&8 7pm Gr 9-12


LAUNCH SUNDAY4pm PrayerSunday@5

9.15am Golden Eagles

12.45pm KYB7pm CAP Money

9.30am English Table Talk


9.30am English Table Talk

12.45pm KYB


februarycalendar 2015

6.30pm Welcome Dinner


Series Launch - February 2nd

Making a difference where you are

8 I

marchcalendar 2015

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31



7am Fruitfulness on Frontline Breakfast





English Classes


1.30pm Hymn Singing


English Classes



English Classes



English Classes


4pm PrayerSunday@5


4pm PrayerSunday@5


5pm Gr 7&8 7pm Gr 9-12


5pm Gr 7&8 7pm Gr 9-12






4pm PrayerSunday@5


4pm PrayerSunday@5




9.30am Chat @ Chat’s9.30am Playgroup

YOUTH:5pm Gr 7&8 7pm Gr 9-12


5pm Gr 7&8 7pm Gr 9-12


4pm PrayerSunday@5

Show Holiday

12.45pm KYB

12.45pm KYB

12.45pm KYB7:30pm

Girls Night Out


9.30am Playgroup9.30am Playgroup

7pm Grade 13’s

9 I

7:30pm Thursday Night26th March

9

10

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12

13

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Genesis 7

Genesis 8

Genesis 9

Genesis 10

Genesis 11

Genesis 12

February

1

2

3

4

5

6

Genesis 1

Genesis 2

Genesis 3

Genesis 4

Genesis 5

Genesis 6

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

Genesis 37

Genesis 38

Genesis 39

Genesis 40

Genesis 41

Genesis 42

Genesis 43

Genesis 44

March

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Genesis 29

Genesis 30

Genesis 31

Genesis 32

Genesis 33

Genesis 34

Genesis 35

Genesis 36

23

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25

26

27

28

Genesis 19

Genesis 20

Genesis 21

Genesis 22

Genesis 23

Genesis 24

25

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31

Matthew 3

Matthew 4

Matthew 5

Matthew 6

Matthew 7

Matthew 8

Matthew 9

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22

Genesis 13

Genesis 14

Genesis 15

Genesis 16

Genesis 17

Genesis 18

17

18

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Genesis 45

Genesis 46

Genesis 47

Genesis 48

Genesis 49

Genesis 50

Matthew 1

Matthew 2

10 I

From February 1 we will begin a 3 year Bible Reading Plan. We recommend using the S.O.A.P. method to help you develop good learning techniques in studying God’s Word.

What is S.O.A.P.?S.O.A.P. stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. It is a daily Bible Reading Tool. We recommend keeping a journal to record your daily interactions with God.

How does it work?SCRIPTURE: Read the daily passage and highlight or write out the verse or verses that impact you. OBSERVATION: Take time to consider why this scripture is important to you. Record why it’s important so you can come back and reread it if you face similar circumstances.APPLICATION: Reflection on how can you apply the observation in your life today. Write down any action steps you can take.PRAYER: Write out a prayer to God based on what you learned. It may be a prayer of confession or thanksgiving or you may ask God for help in applying this truth to your life.

Daily Bible Readings

HumeRidge Church of Christ Magazine I 11

PlaygroupSchool Terms9:30-11am Tuesday or Friday

Friday Nights

Term 1 recommences February 6th 2015

5 - 7 pm : Grades 7 & 87 - 9 pm : Grades 9 - 12

6.30 - 8 pm Grades 4 - 6

Wednesday NightsTerm 1 recommences

February 4th 2015

16 I 12 I

This passage reminds us living out our faith in God as a family is important to God. Spiritual matters shouldn’t be restricted to Church or children’s and youth programs. We should be having spiritual conversations with our children every day. And, as our children grow into young adults, marry and have families of their own, these conversations should continue.Parents should be modelling their faith in God daily. This can be done through prayer, reading God’s Word and living a life committed to following Jesus.PRAYER: Our children should hear us pray for them and about issues the family faces at age appropriate levels. We should model seeking God’s guidance and direction for us as individuals and as a family. Before our children we must also give thanks to God for His provisions and celebrate the gift of Jesus. One of the difficult things to teach is listening for God’s voice. Pausing to ask our children a few questions after prayer can help. You might like to ask: Did you think God is trying to say something to us as we prayed? If yes, suggest looking in the Bible together to see if there is a story or principle that agrees with what you think God is saying. Remember God never asks us to do anything that is contradictory to His Word. Teaching our children to seek His Word in alignment to prayer can help them keep on the path God intends for them.BIBLE READING: Talking time to read the Bible with children of all ages not only helps our children learn about God but

From the time our children are born they are watching, listening and modelling their parents and siblings. Family is the first place children can begin to know God and experience His love. In Luke 18:16-17 we read “Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Children have the ability to believe in God and put their trust in Jesus during the formative years. It is true that they will have to choose to follow God as they grow older, but this is true for all of us every day. Having a child like trust in God, being able to trust Him and His ways completely, is essential for every believer throughout their life. Helping children see God actively involved in our and their lives, prayer and teaching the Bible is part of our responsibility as parents.One of the beautiful passages for us to grasp hold of in building Frontline Families is Deuteronomy 6:4-9, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

Building


helps build family relationships by spend time together. You may like to us a devotional book with a story and Bible verse or simply read a few passages from the Bible and discuss as a family what you believe God is saying.One thing parents are often afraid of is not being able to answer their children’s questions. It’s OK not to know and to say to your child/children “I’m not sure. Give me a few days and I’ll see what I can find out for you.” Asking questions helps us all learn and grow in our understanding of God together.MODELLING: Children quickly spot inconsistencies in what we say and do. Modelling Godly Character in our homes in essential in helping our children recognise that we take our faith in God seriously. Through our words and actions they can see how to take ownership of their words and actions in order to live like Jesus. It’s true we aren’t perfect and sometimes we need to apologise for our actions. However, this too can help our children learn how to say sorry, graciously accept an apology and forgive. Behaviours learnt in the home are more easily replicated out of the home. Praying and reading the Bible together with our children, and modelling Godly character need to a priority. It takes deliberate thought and action every day to make the lifelong commitment to living like Jesus. Different seasons of family life bring change and expressions of faith will look differently throughout life. Don’t be afraid of change and trialling new things.

In closing I’d like to encourage you with a story. I was blessed to be raised in a Christian home and daily devotions were part of our every day after dinner routine. While Dad had to pull us back on track more than once most nights these are good memories, especially in my teenage years (despite my protests at the time!). Over the holidays my family travelled to Adelaide to spend time with my big brother and his family. On the few quiet evenings home Dameon led family devotions. There was serious discussion and prayer mingled with laughter and good natured banter (6 teens and adult siblings can cause quite the ruckus!). As I watched my brother lead our families in developing our relationships with one another and God, I was incredibly thankful not only for Dameon’s commitment to living out his faith but also for the modelling of my parents which continues to this day. For we, as Christians, are life long learners. Mum and Dad don’t always get it right, we don’t always get it right, but we try to honour God in all things and trust in His leading. We seek to support and encourage one another in faith and life. This is family accepting the good, the bad and the ugly, and is how we, in the family of God, should also be. Building frontline families is a responsibility for us all. Let’s be encouragers and enable one another to persevere through the trials. as well as celebrate the joys. Together we can see lives and families transformed and God glorified in our homes.

NATALIE ROY

Youth Camp2014

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2014 was another big year for the Youth ministry at HumeRidge as many young people attended our programs. To finish off an exciting year, the Grade 8-12’s and their leaders headed to Currimundi for a three day camp. Camp is always a great opportunity for young people to connect, let off some steam, have fun and provides opportunities to learn more about God.

We had 202 young people and leaders attend camp this year who once again showed a fantastic attitude that worked at being inclusive, enthusiastic, selfless and consistently ‘having a go’. Although at times, weather was not on our side, the young people that attended made the most of the beach, camp activities and pool time with a genuinely positive attitude. Camp also created some very significant times for reflection, conversations and input.

The theme for this years camp was ‘ONE’. We focused on the parables of the lost son, lost coin, and the lost sheep, and how God chases after his children. We talked about God as a loyal father, and that the way we see Him can have a massive effect on our lives. The session that had had a particular impact was the topic of ‘Father Hunger’.

The idea that we are as humans innately designed to hunger for a father’s love and that when this isn’t fulfilled by our earthly Dad’s there is a gap in our lives that we try to fill, but are never completely fulfilled by. Feelings of being lost, insecurity, lack of identity and distrust can form in our lives and the only way to be restored of that is through the love of a perfect father, God. This was a catalyst for many conversations where a number of young people made significant decisions and were encouraged.

From camp, over 40 young people accepted the invitation for follow up meetings with our leaders and many verbalised their desire to recommit, or make decisions about becoming loyal to God. We want to say a huge thank you to all who made camp happen; this church for their monetary, prayer and enthusiastic support of our youth ministry and camp, parents for entrusting care of their kids into our hands, our volunteer leaders for their continued sacrifice and leadership and all who helped organise camp. With your help we were able to present the message of God as a loyal father to over 200 young people. Thank you again for your support and we look forward to another exciting year for our youth ministry.

Youth Camp

LAUREN ENGLAND

16 I

Cap Money Course

BUDGET. SAVE. SPEND

Three week Budgeting Course.7pm Thursday Evenings

February 12, 19 & 26

7:30pm Thursday Night26th March

Ladies Bible StudyWednesday 10am

Morning Tea prior and babysitting available.

Thursday 12:45am

For more information on all activities please contact the Church Office on 46350350.

~ Know Your Bible ~

HUMERIDGE WEEKLY PRAYER8am & 4pm Sunday6:30am Wednesday

All Welcome to join us in prayer for our church, community and beyond.

Editor Natalie Roy { e: [email protected] }

Design Kristy Fielder { www.blackcanvas.com.au }

Senior Pastor Dale White 0419 756 469

Pastor – Outreach Neale Proellocks 0419 737 950

Pastor – Youth Ross Savill 0411 201 227

Pastor – Young Adults & Children Chris England 0413 580 012

Youth Workers Lauren England, Jamie Patikura 4635 0350

Children’s Worker Karina Windolf 4635 0350

Pastor – Communications Natalie Roy 0409 393 439

Pastor – Worship & Strategic Planning Brendon Walmsley 0419 654 548

Pastor – Home Groups Peter Millican 0407 940 005

Minister Emeritus Bruce Armstrong 4635 9885

CAP Centre 0498 188 840

Mosaic Community Services 4635 3534 Email [email protected]

PHONE 07 4635 0350 FAX 07 4635 4674

EMAIL [email protected]

WEBSITE www.humeridgechurch.org

ADDRESS 461 - 469 Hume Street Toowoomba Q 4350

PO Box 7564 Toowoomba South Q 4350

OFFICE HOURS 8:30am - 4:30pm Monday - Friday

TRANSFORMING LIVES to Christ by experiencing and reflecting God ’s love together

TRANSFORMING LIVESto Christ by experiencing and re�ecting God’s love together

Hearts Hope Families World

www.facebook.com/HumeRidge

Monday – Friday 8:30am – 4:30pm

DARLING DOWNS CHURCHES OF CHRIST

Ladies Retreat

13th – 15th March 2015

CAMP KOOJAREWON HIGHFIELDS

Registration Forms available now

GRANDPARENTS ON THE FRONTLINE

3pm February 21stJoin together for

a time of friendship and prayer over

light refreshments.

Centenary Heights State High School

Yard Blitz 2015

THANK YOU!

Documents

Transformed Magazine for February and March 2015