Where is the hope? Part 1
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- Written by: Administrator
- Category: Weekly Reflections
Where is the hope?
Is there really any hope for an ageing church? Mainline denominations, like ours, have been in decline for a long time. But we are still here. So maybe we will just keep on going. Like many of us still in the church. We just keep on going.
But we know that we individuals won't just keep on going. We will all die. And before that some of us will start to wear out, and some will spend some time at the end of our lives in some kind of care.
And many of our churches won't just keep on going either. Many are wearing out. Many can no longer maintain their buildings. Many can no longer maintain a full-time paid ministry.
Increasingly central church administrations are worried about a huge and looming maintenance bill hanging over their church properties. Increasingly new ordinands are not entering full time paid ministry.
Where does hope lie? Or is there no real hope. Is it better to plan for a comfortable demise. Perhaps by combining parishes, sharing clergy, and otherwise arranging to keep going the services and organisations that we find most helpful.
That is in fact the common approach most churches have. Many of us would say that is not what we want. But it is what we do. One of the reasons is that we don't know what else to do.
Or if we have some idea of what to do, we don't think we have the ability to do it. This is because the usual hope (apart from divine miracles) is to look to increasing the number of young people - "the future of the church".
However the solution does not lie with young people. It lies with the old people.
1A. 1 Cor 1.1-25 One Message
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- Written by: Administrator
- Category: 1 Corinthians: The Body and the Spirit
{podcast id=338}
1 Cor 1.1-25 One Message
Sermon preached at St Mark's Bassendean on Sunday 18 September 2016
Bible Readings: Isaiah 29.11-21; Psalm 2; 1 Cor 1.1-25; Matthew 12.38-42
Galatians 6.11-18 The Cross and a New Creation
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- Written by: Administrator
- Category: Galatians
{podcast id=337}
Galatians 6.11-18 The Cross and a New Creation
Sermon preached at St Mark's Bassendean on Sunday 11 September 2016
Bible Readings: Isaiah 44.1-5; Psalm 118.15-29; Galatians 6.11-18; Mark 8.27-38
The Big Issues; Where the pressure comes from; The better way
Galatians 6.7-10 Mocking God or Doing Good
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- Written by: Administrator
- Category: Galatians
{podcast id=336}
Galatians 6.7-10 Mocking God or Doing Good
Sermon preached at St Mark's Bassendean on Sunday 4 September 2016
Bible Readings: Hosea 8.1-14; Psalm 89.1-8; Galatians 6.7-10; John 5.31-47
The First Difficulty; Who can do Good? To whom is the good done?
Galatians 5.22-26 Keeping in step with the Spirit
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- Written by: Administrator
- Category: Galatians
{podcast id=335}
Galatians 5.22-26 Keeping in step with the Spirit
Sermon preached at St Mark's Bassendean on Sunday 21 August 2016
Bible Readings: Joshua 1.7-9; Psalm 119.9-16; Galatians 5.16-26; John 14.23-27
Fruit and law; How the fruit is produced: death first, new life next, being led by the Spirit after that
Galatians 5.13-15 Freedom from Biting and Freedom to Love
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- Written by: Administrator
- Category: Galatians
{podcast id=333}
Galatians 5.13-15 Freedom from Biting and Freedom to Love
Sermon preached at St Mark's Bassendean on Sunday 17 July 2016
Bible Readings: Leviticus 19.9-18; Psalm 133; Galatians 5.13-15; John 15.9-17
Galatians 5.1-12 How to live the Christian life in Freedom
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- Written by: Administrator
- Category: Galatians
{podcast id=332}
Galatians 5.1-12 How to live the Christian life in Freedom
Sermon preached at St Mark's Bassendean on Sunday 10 July 2016
Bible Readings: Daniel 3.13-18; Psalm 32; Galatians 5.1-12; Mark 8.27-38
Paul's last shout of warning; How to live by faith Part 1
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