Personal ministry is one of those slightly hackneyed phrases that exists without much specific shared understanding of what it means. Is personal ministry chatting with people? Is it praying with them? Is it a kind of amateur therapy that Christians offer each other?

What is personal ministry all about?

Here’s a working definition:

Personal ministry involves forming 
a loving relationship with another individual with the aim of mutual growth in Christian understanding, obedience and service of others.

We’ll unpack this sentence as the article continues, but first a few negatives to help us move in the right direction:


• Personal ministry is not counselling as such, although it will obviously involve that. But that is not the essence of it. Counselling tends to be problem-centred and foster a culture of crisis. If ministry is seen as counselling, this can lead to people feeling they can only talk seriously to others when there’s a problem to address. It leads only to problem-solving rather than real growth. There’s a place for solving problems, of course, but there is more to Christian growth.
• Personal ministry is not merely practical help. Dropping around a casserole; helping financially; helping with the housework—these are all wonderful acts of kindness. All these will be part of a loving relationship you have with someone, but they are not the essence or sole purpose of personal ministry.
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• Personal ministry is not something ‘super-spiritual’, but it is spiritual. ‘Ministry’ is a fancy word for ‘serving’ someone, for loving them. And because we are Christians, and believe certain things about God and the world and each other, and what life is about, then a key component of our love for other people will be a desire to see them grow in their understanding of God, in their obedience to him and in their own love and service of other people. And so personal ministry will include helping them out practically, and offering them a listening ear when they have problems, but it will go much further than that. It means wanting them to grow more like Christ, wanting to see them become what, as humans, they are meant to be.
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In other words, personal ministry is something that we can all do. No, it is something that we are all called upon to do. Each part should do its work, says Paul. Each member should speak the truth in love to each other, should encourage and build up each other, should pray for and seek the good of each other.”

…..Tony Payne, Matthias Media

I’ve suspected for a long time that the reason so many of us are reluctant to share the gospel is that, deep deep down, we’re not fully convinced ourselves that other people truly need it. My suspicions are based on what Christians have actually told me over the years, and also, because I know that’s what I’ve been tempted to think at various times myself. I don’t need to tell them about Jesus, …. somehow, they’ll be OK. God knows what he’s doing – it will all work out OK in the end regardless of what I do or don’t say. See if any of the following thought patterns ring a bell for you:

# They’re good people, …. probably better than me. There’s no way God would send people like that to hell. 

# It would be rude in the extreme to suggest ‘good’ people or those of other religions aren’t going to end up in heaven. 

# Surely God would never send people to hell to be punished forever. If that’s the case, then, I’m not sure I want to believe in a God like that.

# They have their own religion or beliefs. It would be presumptuous, arrogant, and disrespectful of me to share Jesus with them and to suggest they’re wrong. 

# I’m not good at explaining the gospel story. I just mess it up and get it wrong. Better if I leave it to someone else. 

# People who have other religions or beliefs believe what they believe just as strongly as I do. How can I be sure that I’m right? 

Some of those arguments sound kind of right, don’t they ? More so now perhaps than for many years past as our culture has come to prize selective tolerance over truth, and to find absolute claims to truth offensive. So should Christians be sharing the gospel of Jesus with people like those above ? And if so, on what grounds ? 

The Bible is unmistakably clear. There is but ONE God, ONE truth, ONE way, and only ONE life that really makes the difference. Truth is not up for grabs, truth is not what we’d like or wish it to be – truth is just truth. There is truth, and then there are lies, not lots of different truths. There is just one way, and all other ways are dead ends. The Bible is not embarrassed in making these absolute claims, and nor may I say are many other religions or beliefs. Many, if not most, also make absolute claims to be the only truth or the only way. So what it all comes down to in the end is evidence. 

Put simply and baldly, the evidence for the truth about Jesus leaves everything else for dead. Perhaps if you or I are one of the Christians who are reluctant to tell others about Jesus, then maybe we haven’t properly clued into the evidence. None of the above excuses are valid. People have to hear about Jesus because he truly is the only way to be right with the only God (Acts 4:11-12). They will not be OK without him. 

Darrell Parker

Senior Minister

Some people, just by their very existence, are walking advertisements. Arnold Schwarzenegger for example. In his younger days, ‘Arnie’, as we have come to know him, was often referred to as a walking advertisement for steroid use in body building. Others, by virtue of having their bodies
covered in tattoos, are walking advertisements for the artists

who inked their subjects skin. Celebrities, when they wear a particular designer’s dress as they take their turn on the red carpet, are walking advertisements for that designer. Just ask the person who designed Meghan Markle’s dress for her wedding. That one sale (or advertisement) has set her up for life !!

What about you and me ? If people were to look at us, who we are, how we live, what we do, our priorities, our preferences, our conversations, our opinions and attitudes, …. what are we perhaps walking advertisements for ? We are all walking advertisements for something whether we like it or not. It might be that by who we are and how we live we advertise the virtues of an easy and comfortable life full of life’s latest labour saving devices. We might advertise the pleasures of the adventurous life or lavish trips overseas, or by putting the bulk of our time and money into our house, investments, or superannuation, that we advertise the need for worldly security. Other people I know, and I’m sure you know people like this too, …. they advertise the virtues of busyness by constantly being on the go, or business by always being at work, or family by investing only in their immediate loved ones. We’re all advertising something. Do you know what your life’s ‘billboard’ says. 

Over the next five weeks at St Paul’s 8 and 10am, we’re looking at a series entitled ‘Promoting The Gospel’. In the gospel of Jesus, Christians have by far the best story in the universe to tell, so how well are we telling it, or ’selling’ it ? The Bible certainly takes the view that Christians are meant to be the gospel’s best adds to a sceptical and unbelieving world. Would people be attracted to the gospel of Jesus Christ by looking at us, or would they be turned away? 

Promoting the gospel can be done through our personal witness to unbelievers in both word and deed. It might consist of seeking to live a ‘beautiful’ and selfless life and by being the friend of sinners just like Jesus himself was. It might consist of fervent praying for the lost, giving generously to gospel causes, or in contributing to your local church to make it a place and community that advertises the power of Jesus to transform people for the infinite better. 

Take a good close look at your own life’s ‘billboard’. What are you promoting? 

Darrell Parker

Senior Minister

Today is the last Sunday in Advent, and Christmas celebrations are on our doorstep.

So a question:

Does Christmas = celebrating = food = diet?

Advent, unlike Lent, doesn’t encompass changing diets

(temporary or permanent, as the cap fits). Rather it promotes changing calendars. Actually, it promotes having more than one calendar and provides the priority and order in which we use them.

The calendar Advent challenges us to put on our fridge door, is the church year and its seasons. (Great value, it’s more or less the same every year!) Rather than looking at a particular date with the response: “good grief, it’s nearly Christmas”, we’re reminded this day brings us closer to Jesus returning and when the full-time whistle on this world is blown.

Living in the seasons of the church year, each with its own mood, emphases, and prayers means we’ll be more keenly listening to God’s story for our lives – focusing on his love and grace; his forgiveness and new starts, his gifts and challenge to use them.

For those who are heading off to other places and holidays, and those we may not get to talk with personally, Barb and I thank you for

your gracious welcome back to St Paul’s. It’s been a

blessed privilege. We wish you and your families,

a joy-filled Christmas.

Laurie Davies

Richard Jenner‎
to
St Paul’s Anglican Church Tamworth
December 20 at 6:06 PM

Hey friends, Merry Christmas from the Jenners in Sydney. Praying for you and thinking of you as the year quickly draws to an end.
A quick update is available here: https://mailchi.mp/dc7c4…/jenners-quick-update-december-2018
God bless, Richard and Denise.

No, I cannot say I’ve ever shaken his hand. No, I most certainly cannot say I know what his human voice sounds like or what he looks like. Equally true, is that I’ve never shared a meal with him, sat in the same room as him, or had a direct one to one conversation with him. And yet, I can honestly say, I think I’ve met him. I know him. This is the astonishing claim that Christians make. None of us have ever come into the physical presence of Jesus. That wonder was only for the relative few who happened to be living their life at the same time and place that Jesus lived out his time on earth. Yet it is true that countless people who have believed and followed Jesus since his time walking the roads of first century Palestine, would all claim to have met him. How can that be?

  Welcome to St Paul’s and St Luke’s today, …. it’s terrific to have you with us. If you’re one of our regulars, please make sure you go out of your way to make any guests you see among us welcome. It’s easy for us ‘regulars’ to forget how hard it is to be part of a gathering where everyone seems to know each other but where we know so few or even none. Look around you and see how you might make someone’s visit to our church family special.   Today is an especially important day at our church. Today we have a special focus on praying about our plans for the future as expressed in our Mission Action Plan (MAP). We’re looking to do this in two ways. Firstly, those leading the times of prayer during our services today will be focusing on committing our MAP to the Lord in prayer. Then secondly, at the conclusion of the 10am and 6pm services, our church wardens will be leading an additional time of prayer that we hope many of us will attend. The reason for this of course is that we are fools to think man made plans mean anything at all, unless they are immersed in prayer to our Father in heaven. It’s his work we seek to do after all.   Congregational Meetings    Equally important though are congregational meetings planned for after all our services next week, …. Sunday 5th of August. Immediately after the services conclude on that day (barring a possible few minutes to grab a cup of tea or coffee), all four of our congregations will be running an open meeting at which the MAP will be the focus of our conversation. This is your chance to ask questions, to comment, to give feedback to Parish Council on all matters that concern the nature, scope, and content of the MAP. Parish Council will then review the MAP in the light of your feedback. We very much hope that you will set this little bit of time aside to participate in these meetings. This concerns all of us and it’s important we all have a ‘voice’ in this process.   All I’d ask now is that we’d be in prayer as we work on our MAP together. ‘Unless the Lord builds the house, it’s workers labour in vain’ (Ps 127:1).   Darrell Parker Senior Minister

Most of you will know that I have recently attended a conference in Jerusalem as a member of a group of representatives from the Armidale Diocese along with Bishop Rick Lewers was also a member. This conference was called Global Anglican Future Conference, commonly known as GAFCON. This was third conference which has been held since it was first initiated in 2008.   As stated on the GAFCON website; ‘The GAFCON journey began in 2008 when moral compromise, doctrinal error and the collapse of biblical witness in parts of the Anglican communion had reached such a level that the leaders of the majority of the world’s Anglicans felt it was necessary to take a united stand for truth. A crowd of more than one thousand witnesses, including Primates, Archbishops, Bishops, clergy and lay leaders gathered in Jerusalem for the Global Anglican Future Conference. The GAFCON movement is a global family of authentic Anglicans standing together to retain and restore the Bible to the heart of the Anglican Communion. Our mission is to guard the unchanging, transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ and to proclaim Him to the world. We are founded on the Bible, bound together by the Jerusalem Statement and Declaration of 2008, and led by a Primates Council, which represents the majority of the world’s Anglicans.’   The Jerusalem Statement has become the uniting statement of faith and may I encourage you to look it up on the GAFCON website. It is a very clear statement I trust we would all be able to adhere to as Christians who are members of the Anglican Communion. Some have branded GAFCON as a splinter movement that has broken away from the Anglican communion. But those who are part of GAFCON are in fact part of the true Anglican church, it is the revisionist liberals who have moved away. The second conference was held in 2013 in Nairobi Kenya and in 2018 it had grown to just under 2,000 delegates representing 56 countries from around the world. It was a tremendous encouragement to gather with a great number from around the world. In one sense it was like a foretaste of heaven with people from numerous nations singing God’s praises. At the conference we heard of some great encouragements of how God is working across the world drawing people to himself. We were also encouraged by hearing faithful bible talks from various Anglican leaders from throughout the world. These talks are all available on the GAFCON website. But we also heard how there has been suffering at the hands of Christian leaders from within the Anglican communion who profess to be Christian. It was a good reminder that as we make a stand for the authentic gospel we will face opposition. Our rallying call was to proclaim Christ faithfully to the nations.   As we go forward as part of the worldwide Anglican communion we need to stand together and it is a great encouragement to be part of a diocese who is willing to make a stand for the gospel. There are many faithful churches who are part of Anglican dioceses where the senior leadership is attempting to make life difficult for them. Our partner church Felsted is part of such a diocese and they need our prayers.   Revd Dub Gannon Associate Minister

Welcome today to St Paul’s and St Luke’s. We are sincerely glad you have chosen to join with us today and not chosen to be somewhere else. That decision is certainly great for us and we trust that once our time together is done and dusted, that you’ll be glad to have been here too. For those of us at St Paul’s who have been here for our journey through the book of Job in the Old Testament, it’s been a challenging, and for some, a difficult month. Job pushes lots of buttons and forces us to ask a number of very difficult questions, particularly with regard to the origins of suffering. For those among us who have known significant suffering in life, studying Job can be quite a raw and even gut wrenching experience as we reflect on God’s role in our suffering. Could God have spared or saved us from our pain? The answer from Job is, yes he could. Yet suffer, we still have.

The news was full of it the day after the Royal Wedding. Some were even suggesting that the bride herself had been up-staged by the fiery American preacher. Michael Curry, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States (the Anglican Church in America), had preached a sermon that had somehow captured the world’s attention. In a world that nowadays pays scant attention to Christian sermons, this was an event worth noting. Indeed, the news services were as much about Rev Curry’s sermon as they were about what the bride was wearing!! The sermon sounded really good. Rev Curry preached with great passion and communicated with his listeners rather well. He quoted from the Bible (letter of 1 John) and spoke of ‘Christ’s unselfish, sacrificial, redemptive love’. So we all say a collective, fantastic – a gospel sermon at a wedding watched by billions around the globe. But alas, no, it wasn’t !! It wasn’t a gospel sermon at all. Rev Curry gave us a perfect demonstration of how a preacher can use all the right words, but in the end, fail to actually preach the gospel. So, what did he do that was so very wrong? If we listen carefully to what he actually said, Rev Curry preached a humanistic view of the world. He argued, using gospel terminology, that it’s when people discover the redemptive power of love in their own lives that together we have the capacity to, as he said, …. ‘make of this old world a new world’. Essentially, he was saying that human beings, with God’s help, and particularly the power of Christ’s example, can make a new world. Jesus died NOT to save us from our sins, but to show us the power of love to change the world. Such a message is light years from what the Bible is saying from the first page to the last. The preacher spoke of salvation through love, and not through the atoning death of the perfect Son of God. Rev Curry is a heretic and presides over a enthusiastically heretical denomination. He is an outspoken advocate of same sex marriage and rejects most of the Bible’s teaching on human sexuality. In 2016, his denomination was suspended from the worldwide Anglican Communion for their affirmation of same sex marriage. His denomination and his leadership were denounced by archbishops all around the world as, and I quote, …. ‘A fundamental departure from the faith and teaching of the Anglican Church’. It is quite unbelievable that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, invited him to preach at all. The fact he was stands as a stark reminder of the perilous state of the Anglican Church across the globe. Darrell Parker (Senior Minister)