Christmas is less than 3 months away. However, before all the Christmas decorations fully hit the shelves, there are a whole bunch of other decorations that are currently out. Yes, Halloween decorations. It’s THAT time of year again, and as Christians, the conversations start up around how we should navigate Halloween.   Should kids participate? Should adults participate? What is it even about?  There is wisdom in being informed before making a decision as to how to engage.  Here is a list of articles/podcasts that can help inform your decision-making:  Halloween – A ‘Treat’ of an Opportunity  What Christians Should Know About Halloween  Not the Halloween You Remember  Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?  Christians, This Is Our Night  Flight or Fright? How To Redeem Halloween  Whatever you decide to do, may

All Creatures, Praise the Lord  I’ve just watched the sunrise at the beach and am once again in awe of God’s creation. As the Psalm says, “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1). Psalm 148:3 calls, “Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars.” Over and over again, the Psalms invite creation itself to worship the LORD. But what does that actually mean?  We sometimes declare these same words in the songs we sing. All Creatures of Our God and King is based on Psalm 148. In it we join with creation in praise:  All creatures of our God and King, Lift up your voice and with us sing Alleluia, alleluia! Thou burning sun with golden beam, Thou silver moon with softer gleam, O

A Place of Safety, Truth and Healing  This coming Sunday, as part of the National Child Protection Week (8–13 September), we will join with other CRCA churches across Australia to observe ‘Abuse Awareness Sunday’. This is a dedicated opportunity for us to stand with survivors, raise awareness, and equip our church to be a place of safety, truth and healing. Abuse is a painful and difficult topic, but as God’s people we want to speak into it with love, truth, and sensitivity.  As followers of Christ, we are called to be a light in the darkness and a refuge for the vulnerable. Psalm 34:18 says, ‘The LORD is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in sprit.’ God cares deeply for those who are mistreated,

Drinking, Success, and Singles You may be wondering what these three things have in common (and, no, it’s not tennis). In short, the way we approach and address these topics speaks volumes to the culture that we live in AND the culture that we’re creating. I have had a number of experiences and conversations over the past 12 months that have highlighted an unhelpful culture within certain churches, including ours, regarding these topics. In many cases, each of us acts and behaves in a particular way because that’s what we have been taught. It’s what we have learned from those around us. It’s what we’ve heard about our parents’ upbringing, and/or what we’ve seen them and their friends do. It’s what OUR friends do. Effectively, it’s how we’ve been

Who Do You Need to Forgive Today? Justine writes: Imagine you can’t eat gluten—no cakes, no bread, no pasta. Then one day, you discover a bakery that makes scrumptious gluten-free treats that taste almost as good as the real thing. You even find a lamington that’s dense, chocolatey, and fluffy. Yummy! But just as you're about to enjoy it, a very cute two-year-old toddles over and eats half of it! That kind of situation is easy to forgive—after all, it was just an innocent accident. But what about the times when forgiveness doesn’t come so easily? What about when the hurt runs deep? What if you need to forgive someone for causing deep emotional pain? First, dear brothers and sisters, remember this: you are fearfully and wonderfully made, created

Let Singleness be Honoured Among All    “I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.” (1 Corinthians 7:7)    In this verse, the Apostle Paul admits that he wishes all the Corinthian Christians were as he is. What did he mean by this? Did he wish they were all Jewish like he was? No. Did he wish that they had received the same Biblical training? Maybe, but that’s not what he’s saying here. In this verse, Paul is saying that he wishes they were all single. Why would he say this? Was Paul against marriage?     Paul is clearly not anti-marriage (1 Timothy 4:3), he teaches that it is a

How to Help When Life Hurts  Have you ever felt helpless when faced with someone else’s hurt? Have you ever been lost for words or unsure what to do when someone close to you is experiencing deep pain and sorrow. As a pastor, I have sat with people during some of their worst moments. I have often felt inadequate and unhelpful.       And yet the awkwardness and uncertainty must not stop us from entering into the pain of others. To minister to those who are walking through sorrow is a clear and sacred calling in Scripture. Paul writes in Galatians 6:2: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ.” When someone is being crushed under the weight of life’s varied sorrows, it