After careful consideration of
the responses from members of the congregation, prayer and reflection on
Scripture, Church Council has decided to “...allow Groups/Ministries of Logan
Uniting Church to submit applications to Church Council for approval to apply
for grants from the Gambling Community Benefit Fund for activities that help
develop a healthier, more just society that reflects God’s Kingdom.”
This is not a decision to allow groups/ministries to access
the funds freely but rather allows groups/ministries to apply to Church Council
for permission to apply for a grant. Church Council is also clear that these
funds are not to be accessed for the running of the church but rather for those
activities that directly serve the wider community.
We are aware that there are members of the congregation who
hold strong views on either end of the spectrum on this decision and are
grateful for the honest input that has helped shape our decision.
Wherever you stand on this particular issue we are all
united in the call of God to participate in bringing His healing, wholeness and
hope to the world. May God grow us in our capacity to do this.
On Sunday the 24th February we had our first
leadership community for the year. As part of the night we asked people to
share the way in which they have seen God at work in their group/ministry over
the last six months. There were many FASTASTIC stories – one was about the
National Soccer titles and the way in which at the end of the game every player
from our team prayed with a member of the other team; a faith life group that
has a pre-Christian couple who has joined the group and are genuinely exploring
Christ; others spoke about the way in which their faith life group offers
incredible support as they seek to live out God’s mission/kingdom in their
workplace.
We also reflected on how we are going at participating in
God’s purpose of “Drawing people into a life transforming relationship with
Jesus Christ”. It was identified that we still have more growing to do in the
area of “conversion” (helping people take the step of faith and commitment to
Christ). We did some initial brainstorming around this and identified some
initial steps to take. We will continue to explore this not just as leaders but
as a whole church in second and third term.
I believe the most important step we can take is to ensure
that every time we meet (faith life group, IFFF, ministry etc) we make it a
priority to pray for pre-Christian people we know, that they will discover true
freedom and hope in Christ.
Yours in Christ
Graham Keech
