ALL THE BLESSINGS OF LIFE

Pastor Steve Grose has a limited amout of copies of a tremendous book covering 250 of FW Boreham’s illustrations from life.

If you haven’t read Boreham you are missing out on one of the great illustrative preachers of all time. And he preached much of his ministry in New Zealand and Australia!!  ( Although it was only in  the nether States of Victoria and Tasmania).

Steve has the book available for $25 p.p. to anywhere in Australia.

Ring him for details on 02 49278378.

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED F.A.I.T.H.

The F.A.I.T.H. Evangelism Training Course is designed to help church members develop a life of discipleship in relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Through 12 weeks of daily study using the F.A.I.T.H. Journal, and a weekly training session covering topics such as:

Being Part Of The Great Adventure,

Moving Toward Spiritual Dialogue,

Finding Connecting Points,

Learning the F.A.I.T.H. Evangelism outline

The F.A.I.T.H. Training team are coming to Australia in 2008 to conduct one training event for training the trainers. This will be an event which you definitely must not miss.

We look forward to this outstanding training event.

Bobby Welch at the Tab!

Everyone, absolutely everyone, is invited this Sunday September 23rd, to hear Dr. Bobby Welch, immediate past-President of the 17 million member Southern Baptist Convention of the USA who will be the guest preacher at the Newcastle Baptist Tabernacle at 10:30 am and 7:00 pm services.Dr. Welch is a very highly decorated Vietnam Veteran, and Director of Global Evangelical Relations for the Southern Baptist Convention.http://www.sbc.net/globalrelations/default.aspAll are invited and welcome to meet this highly celebrated pastor and teacher. 

Come and join us for these inspiring and heart warming messages.

Setting Up A Free Church Website Using Tripod In Under 2 Hours.

Open in Another browser window
http://www.tripod.lycos.com/bin/membership

Save this as a favourite for now ( in case you mess up and have to start all over again).

Click on the link on this page :
“Sign Up for tripod its free”
This will take you to a form

Username (type in the name of your church) i.e. GoldenGateChurch
Check its availability (if not available change the caps or add a number or add Bap Baptist or bappy or something)

Type in a password
(Now…why not find a small address book and devote a few pages to all your passwords for programmes.. write down the username and the password for this site).

You need to fill in all your account information

Uncheck all the spam you don’t want coming to your email box.

Read terms and conditions (you get unwanted adds at your site, be prepared to write a disclaimer).

Enter the registration verification numbers.

And you are ready to start.

Once you are signed in to the general page
See the headings Lycos Network… click on tripod.

This should bring you to your site management page.

You should see a heading that says
My Site Builder sites or something like that.. it may say you have no sites… there should be a link there “Create new”

Click on that and see what happens.

Create a new site choose a template.. have a look for a nice template that you want to stick with.

Go to gallery
A page “web site templates” should come up.
Press the orange tab, Organisations

Click on
Religious organisations

Choose a web site name and pages

You will know what you want to put in here.

From here on the whole thing is easy! Go for it.
Make it pretty by learning (through experimentation) to upload photographs to your site.

Remember to create links to your already existing blogs.

Blogs are a great free way of quickly updating your congregation on events related to particular areas of church life, and they also are a neat place to store your old sermons (computers crash, so do blogs occasionally).

The only thing I regret with tripod is the adds for stuff I would not want to support.

have fun
Steve

THE UNBRIDLED TONGUE

It is hard enough for men to be transparent before one or two friends, so when pastor and author Tom Eliff opened up before a mass gathering of men, he definitely had our attention. He shared of a time he gathered his family around the dinner table. God had impressed him of the controlling power of words – how they influence for good or bad. As he explained this to his family, it was as though a key had unlocked past statements that had hurt his children. The most personal confession came from his daughter Beth.

When the family served as missionaries in Zimbabwe, she ran over a cobra in the driveway. This was not an everyday experience for a girl who had only known life in Texas and Oklahoma. Startled by it all, she ran into the house to tell her dad who was on the phone. Bro. Tom didn’t know she had run over a cobra, and she didn’t know that he had worked all morning to make connections with this particular long distance call. As she persistently tried to get his attention, he became more frustrated. Remembering the experience, she said, “Daddy, when you finally hung up the phone, you said, ‘Sara, I could just shoot you.’ I know that you really didn’t mean it; but still, it has stayed with me all this time.”

The average person says about 150 words a minute. If you spoke for about 10 hours a day that would be 90,000 words a day, 630,000 words a week, nearly 33 million a year and close to 2.4 billion words in a lifetime. I would like to think Bro. Tom and Sara would like to have six of those words omitted. In fact, all of us would like to go back and delete something someone said to us, or erase what we said to someone else. That is why the Bible teaches that it is dangerous to live life with an unbridled tongue. James 3:1-6 explains,

¹ Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. ² We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

³ When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. ⁴ Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. ⁵ Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶ The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

Though the text opens with a charge to those who teach God’s Word, the principle applies to everyone. It is dangerous to live life with an unbridled tongue.

The Passing of “Mr. Eternity” By JOHN G. RIDLEY. M.C

His real name was Arthur Stace but the Sydney  Press  gave him the honourable title of· “Mr. Eternity” and most people will remember the little man as such.  Yes. he was only a “little” fellow just clearing the five-foot mark· by two or three ·inches, and probably that was the reason why he was ap­pointed to the perilous post of stretcher-bearer in World War 1. The writer recal1s another little handful of a fel1ow doing famous exploits in the same service in his own Battalion where he was known as “Little H —”.  

Strange, then, that “little Stace” should have been introduced to wounds, dying and death in those distant days of warfare, long before his introduction to and association with that big and boundless word Eternity. Yet who can tell if stretcher-bearing did not, at odd times, bring be­fore his mind the transient nature of this life and the trenchant mystery of the life to come.

The Dark Background There is no virtue in veiling the grim fact that Arthur Stace had a very dark background. He was his own expositor in that shadowed realm. He frankly admitted that he was a cockatoo (a look­out against police) for two-up schools; a scout for brothels: a petty criminal and an alcoholic. In his own words: “I was always drunk; always broke; a derelict; a no-hoper”. So steep was his descent into the waters of wickedness that, ere long, he found himself on the edge of insanity and near to the gates of a mental asylum. On one occasion, he told how he had gone to the police station and asked to be put in gaol, to save himself from the pull of drink and methy­lated spirits; but the police refused. Said Arthur, as he staggered away: “‘When I don’t want them to put me in, they do it: now, when I want them to put me in, they shut me out”. So he stumbled on in his downward pathway; a wanderer in city streets and a scavenger among its rubbish bins. Yet, surely. even in those hopeless days, eternal eyes of Love were upon him and a far Voice was calling to Arthur Stace: “From the land of hunger, Fainting. famished, lone, Come to love and gladness, My  son! My son! “Far off thou has wandered; Wilt thou farther roam? Come, and all is pardoned, My son! My son! “Thou art friendless, homeless, Hopeless, and undone; Mine is love unchanging, My son! My son!” (Rev. H. Bonar, D.D.) Depression and Deliverance An old proverb tells us “It is an ill wind that blows no-one any good”. A war has often awakened a sleeping soul to seek “‘the Prince of Peace”. A sudden death has sometimes stirred a mourner to seek eternal life from Him who is called “‘the Prince of Life”. Yea, and an economic depression may bring Divine deliverance to a defeated and desperate man. On 6th August 1930, when Sydney was in the stranglehold of the depression which followed World War I. Arthur Stace made his way to St. Barnabas’ Church, Broadway, where Arch­deacon R. B. S. Hammond conducted a “‘Meeting for Needy Men” to be followed by a cup of tea and a rock cake. About three hundred men gathered that night, but our concern is only with “little Stace” the broken-down derelict near the end of his tether. There is no record of the Archdeacon’s sermon that night, but, knowing him as we did, it is safe to say he preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His divine love in dying for the redemption of fallen mankind. Perhaps he mentioned the love of the Father for the sin-sick prodigal in “the far country”, and His longing to meet the repenting man, with his cry: “Father, 1 have sinned against heaven, and before Thee”, with a wondrous wel­come. Perhaps, on the other hand. he mentioned about Jesus Christ, as a “Rock in a weary land”. smit­ten by the rod of Moses (the rod likened to the Cross) and then opening to give “a river of the water of life”, freely. for thirsty souls who would “stoop down. and drink. and live”, Then, maybe he gave forth the blessed invitation of the Lord Jesus, “If any man thirst. let him come unto me and drink”, Archdeacon Hammond knew the thirst of needy men, Then, one wonders, if the service finished with the hymn: “Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee, Let the water and the blood From Thy riven side W’hich flowed, Be of sin the double cure, Save me from its guilt and power,” What followed the service is somewhat un­certain. but one seems to recall Arthur telling this writer that there was a call made to come to Christ, there and then, and to kneel down in humble repentance and faith before Him, Yes. if memory fails not. Arthur spoke of being moved. and thinking:  “I may as well give it a go, In any case. there is a cup of tea and a rock-cake to follow”, Later, he was to testify to many: “I went in to get a cup of tea and a rock-cake. but I met the Rock of Ages”.

That very night, so the late Rev, Lisle M. Thompson tells us, in his excellent tract. “The Crooked Made Straight”. Arthur Stace later entered, University Park and under an old fig tree. with tears of repentance, cried to the Lord

with the old-time plea of an ancient publican: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner” In the great grace of God. Arthur Stace found mercy. forgiveness and pardon via the Gospel of Christ that memorable night. In the depths of depression, “Little Stace” cried to God and the once-wounded hand of Jesus lifted him “from sinking sands (of sin) to plains of light” in the Lord, Service When the Lord Jesus Christ lifts a sinking sinner from “an horrible pit (and) out of miry clay and sets his feet upon a rock”, He goes further. and “establishes his goings”. Yes, as He Himself has told us, He gave “authority to his servants. and to every man his work“. Thus. General Booth’s words  “We are saved to serve.”Arthur Stace was quick to tell others what the Lord had done for his soul. He witnessed at the Buckland Street Hostel for Men: he conducted an open-air meeting for many years at the corner of Bathurst and George Streets: he often gave his testimony at the Francis Street Night Refuge and carried the glad tidings of a Saviour’s love to Callan Park and the Lazaret. He also attended various Churches and gave his telling testimony to many congregations. In his own home Church, Burton  Street Baptist Tabernacle, he assisted in open-air work and led a Church prayer meeting, As one who had been forgiven much. he tried to show his grateful love to the Lord Jesus by “much service” Lacking even a normal education. yet he did what he could to repay a debt of love to his dear Redeemer; remembering, perhaps, what that brilliant scholar and saint of God. Dr. Andrew H, Bonar, once said: “God will take the service of a child, just as well as the service of an angel”. Eternity In the story of Arthur Stace, we venture to sug­gest that he had two dates of undying memory, The first and foremost would doubtless. be 6^th August, 1930, when he wept his way to God. through Christ, under the old fig tree in University Park. The other one, second, but little less vital in its issue, was 14th November, 1932, when he sat in Burton Street Tabernacle, listening spell-bound to a message on “The Echoes of Eternity”, preached by an evangelist during a special evangelistic Crusade in that Church. The solemn message was based on a Biblical gem in Isaiah 57: 15, “For thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Stressing the word Eternity and its mighty mean­ing, the preacher suddenly raised his loud voice and cried: “Eternity! Eternity! I wish I could sound, or shout, that word to everyone in the streets of Sydney. Eternity! You have got to meet it. Where will you spend Eternity?”

There was rapt attention from the large con­gregation, but no one was more stirred than Arthur Stace.

“Eternity went ringing through my brain”, was his own statement, “and suddenly I began crying (as under the fig tree on August 6, 1930) and felt a powerful call from the Lord to write ‘Eternity’. I had a piece of chalk in my pocket and, outside the Church, I bent down right there and wrote it … The funny thing is, that before I wrote it I could hardly write my own name. I had no schooling and I couldn’t have spelled ‘eternity’ for a hundred quid. But it came out smoothly, in a beautiful copperplate script. I couldn’t understand it and I still can’t.” Such was the telling testimony from Arthur’s own lips thirty-three years later: after he had been writing that wondrous word from God’s Book on the pavements of Sydney and other cities, at his own estimated rate of “at least 50 times a day”, and about “500,000 times” all told. The Unique Witness Thus the call of the Lord, Arthur’s Saviour, to give his own city a peculiar and unique witness as to the reality of Eternity was readily and faithfully answered. For some years, the little man had a real battle to prevail against the warnings of the police on one hand and the wet-blankets of scoffers on the other, Once, in early days, a policeman appre­hended him with, “What are you doing writing that word on the pavement?”

“Well”, answered Arthur, “it is a word from the Bible, which I want the people to read, and don’t forget that when you were sworn-in to the Police Force you placed your hand on that Book.”

With that, the officer turned away and Arthur continued his silent, sacred ministry. “I have been questioned 23 times” (by the police) he said in 1965. “but I’ve never been arrested .. The police have been very good to me. I know there’s a rule about defacing the footpaths. but I’ve got permission from a higher Source”. The scoffers and mockers were more difficult to deal with. There was scornful laughter and. doubtless, some sought to wipe out the wonderful word of his witness. At one time “a bloke”. as Arthur called him. “was chasing me around writing ‘m’ in front of my “eternity”· so making it into ·meternity·. I couldn’t have that. so  tricked him by using the great big ·’E’.                           So through three long decades and more “Little Stace” went on doing the thing the Lord had told him to do. His fame for faithfulness reached far and wide, so far, indeed, that when he passed away on 30th July, 1967, at the age of 83. the Press in tw0 cities at least, gave him honourable mention, and even in far-away Taiwan a correspondent in ‘The China Post” paid rich tribute to the “One-Word Preacher”. Mr. Ian Pratt opened his article with these warm words: “Although only a handful of Sydney’s two million people knew Arthur Stace, there is literally no one 0ver the age of six to whom he has not preached his one-word sermon. ‘Eternity’,” Missionary friends in Taiwan were thrilled with delight to read Mr. Pratt’s praiseful words. The Wonderful Warning Word Why did Arthur Stace cling to his one-word sermon, “Eternity”, for 37 years? Because from November 14, 1932, that same wonderful warning word clung to him and would not let him go. It kept on thril1ing his redeemed and rescued life day and night. The words “Saved for Eternity” must have pulsated through his soul and service thousands of times, Asked by one, if he had ever thought of extend­ing or changing his “sermon”, he replied: “No. It’s always been the same. I did write ‘Obey God’ sometimes, but not often. I think ‘Eternity’ gets the message across; it makes people stop and think”, How true’ It makes people think high or think low. It brings before them the vast issues of “the life to come or the death that follows physical death-”the second death”. (Rev 20: 14.) “There is a death, whose pang Outlives our  fleeting breath; Oh. What eternal horrors hang Around man’s second death!” Yes, it is indeed a word that makes some people stop and think.

About the year 1793, a young man in a state of irreligion and infidelity “calling good evil, and evil good”- was walking alone in a field near a forest in the United States, Suddenly, he was brought to a halt by what seemed an awful voice proclaiming tIle words ” Eternity! Eternity ! Eternity!” Then, the wayward winds, the rustling leaves and the buzzing insects were all whispering,

and carolling, and then shouting the same won­derful word-”Eternity”. As by a flash of lightning his inner eyes had caught a glimpse of a glorious world; as by a peal of thunder his sinful, slumber­ing soul had been awakened to “a gulf of ever­lasting destruction (which) seemed to yawn be­fore him, and he in danger of falling into it.” Pierced to the depths of his whole being by that solemn, sword-like word, he cried out, “If there is no God, doubtless there is a hell.” He now seemed to be in the midst of torment and for a long time it seemed as if the thundering pro­clamation of that awful voice was yet sounding in his ears-”Eternity! Eternity! Eternity!” Swiftly his awakened heart turned to prayer, and then to the Bible, which, up to that time, he had never seen. Ere long, he, who was overwhelmed by the thought of his sins, had found quiet rest and peace in Jesus Christ-”the Lamb of God. which taketh away the sin of the world”. Then came the words: “Stephen Grellet, pro­claim to others what the Lord has done for your soul.”·· This he did, far and wide in the world, for upwards of forty years, as an evangelist of Eternity and Eternal Life through the Saviour. Yes, “Little Stace” was right: “It makes people stop and think”. Who can tell how many have stopped and given thought at the sight of that majestic and measureless word “Eternity”, in beautiful copper­plate, on the pavements and pathways of Sydney, Melbourne and elsewhere? On the day of Arthur Stace’s funeral service, 

Tuesday, 1st August, 1967, this writer noticed, near the Burton Street Tabernacle (where Arthur had heard his call and where his funeral service was to be held), a half-faded “Eternity” in his copper­plate with two lines drawn through it. Why crossed Out? Perhaps to refer to the passing of “Mr. Eternity”; or perhaps to refute the royal truth of his one-word sermon to the city of Sydney.

Whatever was intended by the one who crossed out the word on the pavement, the truth still stands. Men and women have got to meet Eternity, do what they will: say what they wish. Every death-notice in the daily papers; every funeral cortege moving to the cemetery or crematorium; every fatal air or road disaster. sounds the solemn warning-”Eternity! You have got to face it.” Sooner or later, we shall all be embraced in its ageless arms for weal or woe. Oh, reading friend, stop and Think for a few moments! Eternity is drawing nigh for you. For woe. if like William Pope. the famous infidel, you must cry, as he did in life’s latest hour: “I know the day of Grace is past-gone-gone never to return. Oh, eternity, eternity! To dwell forever with devils … must be my portion, and that justly”. For weal. if, like the noble Andrew Fuller, great missionary pioneer and minister of God, you can testify in dying moments: “I have no other hope of  salvation than through the Atonement of my Lord and Saviour. With this hope I can go into eternity with composure”. “Mr. Eternity”, Arthur Stace, uneducated, from a dark, sinful background, wondrously saved by Jesus Christ, and called by Him to sound a solemn word of warning to his fellow-men, dared to write “Eternity’ some 500,000 times before the ever-inquiring eyes of his generation. ‘Foolish’” did you say: “Only the action of a fanatic, lifted from the lowest strata of society”. No! Faithful to the Saviour Who had lifted him to forgiveness, life and glory: Who had told him to sound forth that Bible Word. ‘The lifetime of the Almighty”, Eternity-to all people. Many years before Arthur Stace put his chalk to the ground to witness to Sydney, another man, well educated, from a godly background with the reputation of being the greatest preacher of his own generation or any other performed a similar humble ministry. Charles Haddon Spurgeon. of The Metropolitan Tabernacle, London, England, when urging his people to do more to influence the neighbourhood for good, said, “I cannot go visiting, but I will try to do my share in another way”. He then read’ some lines he had written, which were then printed on large posters and were to be put up wherever a suitable space could be found. His message was akin to the one placarded be­fore Sydney by “Mr. Eternity,” who had he known it, was but treading in the illustrious steps of one of the greatest preachers and soul-winners of the Christian Era, Eternity “Where wilt thou spend eternity?-Nay, don’t tear down the bill;The question means but good to thee,And will be answered still;To Shun the light or shut the sight,Thy cup of wrath may fill,Where wilt thou spend eternity?-Don’t say, “I cannot tell”; The life thou leadest now will endIn heaven – or else in hell,

Oh friend, bethink thee well.”

(C. H. Spurgeon.)

Stephen Grcllet, grcat evangclist, Charles H. Spurgeon, “prince of preachers”, and Arthur Stace, humble believer, have all passed into Eternity, counting upon their great Saviour, Jesus Christ. Whose word cannot be broken: “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” John 3:36

Think well reading friend! Remember you cannot escape Eternity. It must be faced. In Christ, a saved and blessed Eternity! Out of Christ, a lost and baneful Eternity! What will it be with you?

Add “This Was Your Life” to your Profile

Learning Style and Creedalism

I have  wondered over many years whether Learning Style  (the tendency by which individuals learn) has any influence over issues of Creedalism, particularly among pastors.
“Multiple Intelligence (MI) theory states that there are at least seven different ways of learning anything, and therefore there are “seven intelligences”: body/kinesthetic, interpersonal, intra-personal, logical/mathematical, musical/rhythmic, verbal/linguistic and visual/spatial. In addition most all people have the ability to develop skills in each of the intelligences, and to learn through them. “  (http://pss.uvm.edu/pss162/learning_styles.html)

Try these 2 quick tests:

__I’m the sort of person that people come to for advice and counsel at work or in my neighborhood.
__I prefer group sports like badminton, volleyball, or softball to solo sports such as swimming and jogging.
__When I have a problem, I’m more likely to seek out another person for help than attempt to work it out on my own.
__I have at least three close friends.
__I consider myself a leader (or others have called me that).
__I feel comfortable in the midst of a crowd.
__I like to get involved in social activities connected with my work, church, or community.
Your learning style is probably through  Interpersonal Intelligence

Now consider this second test:
__Books are very important to me.
__I can hear words in my head before I read, speak, or write them down.
__I get more out of listening to the radio or a spoken-word cassette than I do from television or films.
__I enjoy entertaining myself or others with tongue twisters, nonsense rhymes, or puns.
__Other people sometimes have to stop and ask me to explain the meaning of the words I use in my writing and speaking.
__English, social studies, and history were easier for me in school than math and science.
__My conversation includes frequent references to things that I’ve read or heard.
If you were very positive about this test, then your learning style is more likely to be Verbal/Linguistic Intelligence

My understanding is that the “preacher/teacher type ” is more likely to learn via books,  and therefore is likely to be more creedal in his approach (and probably calvinistic). He will prefer the more elaborate creeds, and probably cut his teeth on Watson’s Body Of Divinity, and can quote various creeds he likes, becasue he has read them.

The “Pastor counsellor” type is more likely to learn through interaction, and so views creeds as cold and harmful because they deprive the individual of freedoms.  “Me, Read a creed? forget it! Read a few? What a waste of time!”

The Pastor-Counsellor type views the Teacher-Preacher type as cold and impersonal,  critical and judgemental.

The Teacher-Preacher type is likely to view the Pastor-Counsellor type as a heretic! (Perhaps some blog readers have assumed, wrongly that I am a heretic for writing this way)!

I would venture to say that this may be why “unconverted ministers” appear in both groups:  unregenerate people may experience “self actualisation” through “conversion” to doctrines (as in the case of some Calvinists who are more committed to calvinism than they are to Christ), or to interpersonal relationships (as in the pastor who “converts” to becoming a secular counsellor.

I would be very interested in folks viewpoints.
Steve

General Funeral Service Sheet CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX Loving wife, mother and friend to all who knew her BORN ON MAY 15th , 1919 PASSED AWAY ON NOVEMBER 1st , 2006 + ORDER OF SERVICE +

General Funeral Service Sheet

CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF
XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX

Loving wife, mother
and friend to all who knew her

BORN ON MAY 15th , 1919
PASSED AWAY ON NOVEMBER 1st , 2006

+

ORDER OF SERVICE

+

WELCOME Rev. Steve Grose

+

PSALM 23
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me;
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

+

EULOGY: XXXXXXXXXXX

+

SHE IS GONE
You can shed tears that she is gone, Or you can smile because she lived,
You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back,
Or you can open your eyes and see all that she has left.
Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her
Or you can be full of the love that you shared,
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,
Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember her and only that she is gone
Or you can cherish her memory and let it live on,
You can cry and close your mind be empty and turn your back,
Or you can do what she would want: Smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

+

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS : “ABIDE WITH ME”

+

LET ME GO
When I come to the end of the road,
And the sun has set on me;
I want no rites in a gloom filled room,
Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me little - but not for long,
And not with your head bowed low.
Remember the love that we once shared,
Miss me - but let me go.
For this is a journey we all must take,
And each must go alone.
It’s all part of the Master’s plan,
A step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick at heart,
Go to the friends we know.
And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds,
Miss me - but let me go.

+

THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

+

COMMITTAL AND BENEDICTION

+

“The Old Rugged Cross”

If you require my services as a funeral celebrant,
my phone number in Australia is
02 4927 8378

Costs for conducting a service is usually $180 plus transport costs and printing costs.

I often conduct services through James Murray’s funerals at Broadmeadow, Newcastle, NSW Australia.

# posted by Grosey’s Messages @ 9:31 AM 0 comments  

 

Psalm 23 For Funerals

this is by far and large my favourite funeral sermon.

PSALM 23 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they
These words were ritten by David the king of Israel 3000 years ago and have been a source of comfort and strength to untold millions. The Lord Jesus took these words and applied them to Himself when He said ” I am the good shepherd. the good shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.
These words (Psalm 23:4) remind us of two things

1. There Is An Appointment WE ALL MUST FACE

“The valley of the shadow of death”
Eccles 3 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
Centrelink Notice “Your payments will be stopped effective May 1992 because we have received notice that you have passed away. If your circumstances change you may reapply at any time.
Woody Allen : Death doesn’t scare me I just don’t want to be there at the time.
Roy Rogers: The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power
To tell just when the hands will stop at late or early hour,
Careless soul , heed the warning for your life will soon be gone,
Oh how sad to face the judgement unprepared to meet thy God
Greta NSW AUSTRALIA graveyard:
Richard Grose May 1882 79 years
Weep not for me my children dear,
Because I doe and leave you here
My end you know my grace you see
Prepare yourselves to follow me
Someone wrote at funeral of grandson in same grave and on same gravestone:
To follow you I’m not content
Until I know which way you went.

Or in the UK “Pause now as you pass by, As you are now, so once was I, As I am now so you shall be, therefore prepare to follow me.” “To follow you I’m not content Until I know which way you went.”2.

2. There Is An Assurance WE ALL CAN FIND
The Good Shepherd Sympathises with us.
The Good Shepherd Slain for us. John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
The Good Shepherd Seeking us 14“I am the good shepherd. I know My own sheep, and they know Me, 15 as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 But I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd.
Matthew 18: “See that you don’t look down on one of these little ones, because I tell you that in heaven their angels continually view the face of My Father in heaven. [11 For the • Son of Man has come to save the lost.] 12 What do you think? If a man has 100 sheep, and one of them goes astray, won’t he leave the 99 on the hillside and go and search for the stray? 13 And if he finds it, I assure you: He rejoices over that sheep more than over the 99 that did not go astray. 14 In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones perish.
Matthew 11:28 Jesus said Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.

There is An Assurance We All May Find. The Assurance of Grace!
Several years ago, Wembley Stadium in London hosted a rock concert for 12 hours, much like Woodstock. Groups like, Guns’ ‘N Roses whipped up the crowd with their music. The last scheduled act for the concert was an opera singer named, Jessye Norman. When the time came for her to sing, she strolled onto the stage with no back-up band, no musical instruments, just a powerful voice. The crowd grew restless and began to stir. Some began to shout for more Gun’s ‘N Roses. The scene started to get ugly. But slowly, she began to sing,
“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now I’m found – was blind but now I see. “ A remarkable thing happened that night. 70,000 raucous fans grew silent as she sang. By the time she reached the second verse… “Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved…” she had the crowd in her hands. When she reached the third verse… “’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home…” … thousands were singing along, digging for memories they had learned years before. Finally, the whole stadium erupted singing, “When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we first begun.” Jessye Norman later admitted she had no idea what came over the stadium that night. I think I know. It was grace. And the world thirsts for grace.
John 3:16 John 3:17, “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” “Man is born broken. He lives by mending. The grace of God is the glue!”
1. The Assurance That God Is Doing Something For us We Could Not Do For Ourselves.

2. The Assurance That God Can Make A Way For Us To Heaven.

Committal : Forasmuch as it has pleased Almighty God to take out of the world the soul of our dear friend etc…….We therefore commit his body to (the ground) (be cremated) earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, remembering the grace and mercy of our Heavenly Father demonstrated to us in our Lord Jesus Christ.

# posted by Grosey’s Messages @ 8:54 AM 0 comments  

 

Poems used in funerals

‘Say not in grief ‘he is no more’ but live in thankfulness that he was’ Hebrew proverb
‘Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is a mystery and today is a gift, which is why it is called the present’
‘What the caterpillar perceives is the end, to the butterfly is just the beginning’
‘Everything that has a beginning has an ending. Make your peace with that and all will be well’ Buddist saying
‘There was never yet an uninteresting life. Such a thing is an impossibility. Inside of the dullest exterior there is a drama, a comedy and a tragedy’ Mark Twain, The refuge of the Derelicts 1905
It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal.
The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.
It is not a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled. But it is a calamity not to dream.
It is not a disaster to be unable to capture your ideal, But it is a disaster to no ideal to capture.
It is not a disgrace not to reach the stars. But it is a disgrace not to have stars to reach for.
Not failure, but low aim is a sin. Dr Benjamin Elijah Mays 1894-1984

Do not stand at my grave and weep I am not there, I do not sleep
I am a 1,000 winds that blow I am the diamond glints on snow
I am the sun on ripened grain I am the gentle autumn rain
When you awaken in the morning’s hush I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled light I am the soft star that shines at night
Do not stand at my grave and cry I am not there; I did not die. Anonymous

All Is Well
Death is nothing at all, I have only slipped into the next room
I am I and you are you Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by my old familiar name, Speak to me in the easy way which you always used
Put no difference in your tone, Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household world that it always was,
Let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant. It it the same as it ever was, there is unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near,
Just around the corner. All is well. Henry Scott Holland 1847-1918 Canon of St Paul’s Cathedral

A Child Loaned
“I’ll lend you for a little time A child of Mine.” He said. “For you to love the while he lives
And mourn for when he’s dead.
It may be six or seven year Or twenty-two or three But will you, till I call him back Take care of him for Me?
He’ll bring his charms to gladden you And should his stay be brief, You’ll have his lovely memories
As solace for your grief.
I cannot promise he will stay Since all from Earth return, But there are lessons taught down there
I want the child to learn.
I’ve looked this wide world over In my search for teacher’s true, And from the throngs that crowd life’s lanes,
I have selected you;
Now will you give him all your love, Nor think the labour vain Nor hate Me when I come to call
And take him back again?
I fancied that I heard them say, “Dear Lord, They will be done, For all the joy Thy child shall bring,
For the risk of grief we’ll run.
We’ll shelter him with tenderness, We’ll love him while we may, And for the happiness we’ve known,
Forever grateful stay.
But should the angels call for him Much sooner than we planned,
We’ll brave the bitter grief that comes And try to understand.” Anonymous

High Flight
Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings.
Sunward I’ve climbed and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of; wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hovering there
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air;
Up, up the long delirious burning blue I’ve topped the windswept heights with easy grace,
Where never lark nor even eagle flew; And while, with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
The high, untrespassed sanctity of space Put out my hand and touched the face of God.
Fl. Officer John Gillespie McGee 1922-1941

Farewell
Farewell to Thee! But not farewell To all my fondest thoughts of Thee;
Within my heart they still shall dwell And they shall cheer and comfort me.
Life seems more sweet that Thou didst live And men more true Thou wert one;
Nothing is lost that Thou didst give, Nothing destroyed that Thou hast done. Anne Bronte 1820-1849

Life Goes On
If I should go before the rest of you Break not a flower Nor inscribe a stone Nor when I am gone
Speak in a Sunday voice But be the usual selves That I have known
Weep if you must Parting is hell But life goes on So …. sing as well Joyce Grenfell 1910-1979

Indian Prayer
When I am dead Cry for me a little Think of me sometimes But not too much.
Think of me now and again As I was in life At some moments it’s pleasant to recall But not for long.
Leave me in peace And I shall leave you in peace And while you live Let your thoughts be with the living.

If I should go tomorrow It would never be goodbye, For I have left my heart with you, So don’t you ever cry.
The love that’s deep within me, Shall reach you from the stars, You’ll feel it from the heavens,
And it will heal the scars.

He is Gone
You can shed tears that he is gone, Or you can smile because he lived,
You can close your eyes and pray that he will come back, Or you can open your eyes and see all that he has left.
Your heart can be empty because you can’t see him Or you can be full of the love that you shared,
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday, Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember him and only that he is gone Or you can cherish his memory and let it live on,
You can cry and close your mind be empty and turn your back,
Or you can do what he would want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on. Anonymous

I am standing on the sea shore, A ship sails in the morning breeze and starts for the ocean.
She is an object of beauty and I stand watching her Till at last she fades on the horizon and someone at my side says:
“She is gone.” Gone! Where? Gone from my sight - that is all. She is just as large in the masts, hull and spars as she was when I saw her And just as able to bear her load of living freight to its destination. The diminished size and total loss of sight is in me, not in her.
And just at the moment when someone at my side says, “She is gone”, There are others who are watching her coming, and other voices take up a glad shout: “There she comes” - and that is dying. An horizon and just the limit of our sight. Lift us up, Oh Lord, that we may see further. Bishop Brent 1862 - 1926

Remember
Remember me when I am gone away, Gone far away into the silent land:
When you can no more hold me by the hand, Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day You tell me of our future that you planned:
Only remember me; you understand It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile Than that you should remember and be sad. Christina Rossetti 183094

Death Be Not Proud
Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
For those whom thou think’st thou dost over throw Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, Much pleasure - then, from thee much more must flow;
And soonest our best men with thee do go, Rest of their bones and soul’s delivery.
Thou’rt slave to fate, chance, kings and desperate men, And dost with poison, war and sickness dwell;
And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well, And better than thy stroke. Why swell’st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally, And death shall be no more. Death thou shalt die. John Donne 1572-1631

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
Do not go gentle into that good night Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked not lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you my father, there on the sad height, Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Dylan Thomas 1914-53

But Not Forgotten
I think no matter where you stray, That I shall go with you a way. Though you may wander sweeter lands,
You will not forget my hands,
Nor yet the way I held my head Nor the tremulous things I said. You will still see me, small and white
And smiling, in the secret night, And feel my arms about you when The day comes fluttering back again. I think, no matter where you be, You’ll hold me in your memory And keep my image there without me, By telling later loves about me. Dorothy Parker

Living Bouquets
When I quit this mortal shore And mosey ’round this earth no more,
Do not weep and do not sob; I may have found a better job.
Don’t go and buy a large bouquet For which you’ll find it hard to pay,
Don’t mope around and feel all blue; I may be better off than you.
Don’t tell the folks I was a saint Or any old thing that I ain’t.
If you have jam like that to spread, Please hand it out before I’m dead.
If you have roses bless your soul, Just pin one in my buttonhole
While I’m alive and well today; Don’t wait until I’m gone away. Mabeel Easley

Let Me Go
When I come to the end of the road,
And the sun has set on me;
I want no rites in a gloom filled room,
Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me little - but not for long,
And not with your head bowed low.
Remember the love that we once shared,
Miss me - but let me go.
For this is a journey we all must take,
And each must go alone.
It’s all part of the Master’s plan,
A step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick at heart,
Go to the friends we know.
And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds,
Miss me - but let me go.

# posted by Grosey’s Messages @ 8:53 AM 0 comments  

 

A Funeral sermon based on Ecclesiastes 3

Ecclesiastes 3 11
He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts,
Pascal..a God shaped vacuum Augustine Thou hast made us for Thyself
1. The Contemplation of The Creation The extensiveness of the Universe.
Psalm 19: 1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands.
Romans 1: 18 For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, 19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. 20 From the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse. 21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools
Psalm 8:1 Lord, our Lord, how magnificent is Your name throughout the earth! You have covered the heavens with Your majesty.
2. The Admiration of The Architect To the Intensiveness of DNA
William Blake To see a world in a grain of sand, And a heaven in a wild flower, Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, And Eternity in an hour.
To The Immensities of Life. Sand on a beach, the numberless masses, yet God knows me. Luk 12:6,7 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. He loves me, He carries me
My life is but a weaving between my Lord and me. I cannot see the colors; He worketh steadily.Oft times he weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride Forget He sees the upper, and I the underside.Not till the looms are silent and the shuttles cease to fly Shall God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why The dark threads are as needful in the Weaver’s skillful hand As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.
3. The Longing For The Lover The Homing Instinct In Man
When Jesus likens Himself to ‘ Bread,’ it is to remind us that He is to us an elemental, fundamental necessity. He is the simple, wholesome, normal satisfaction the human soul needs,
Our supreme need is of something or of someone, that can satisfy our deepest longings. Nature never creates instincts it cannot satisfy, and God never awakens spiritual aspirations in us that He cannot and will not fulfil. ‘ He satisfieth the desire of every living thing.’ Carlyle once said to Professor Tyndall, ‘There is something in man that your science cannot satisfy.’ That ’something’ is the hunger and thirst of the soul. Science is good; art is good; culture is good; money is good; health is good; but none of these, nor all of these can satisfy our deepest nature. ‘ Wlioso drinkcth of this water shall thirst again.’ ‘ But he that cometh to Me shall never hunger, and he that believetli on Me shall never thirst.’
In every human heart there is a cry for God, a sigh for that which will satisfy. During a serious illness which Rudyard Kipling passed through some years ago, his nurse noticed at the critical period of his sickness that the great author’s lips were moving. Bending over him, thinking that he wanted to say something, she heard him pray—
Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep,
And, if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.
Realizing that he did not just then require her services, she apologized, saying, ‘I beg your pardon, Mr. Kip­ling, I thought you wanted something.’ ‘So I do,’ he faintly answered, ‘I want my heavenly Father.’ This is the need that Jesus supplies.
If I am hungry for love, a house will not satisfy my longing, however luxuriously it may be furnished. And, if my soul panteth for God as the hart panteth for the water brook, success in life will not satisfy me, whatever that success may be. ‘ Christ in you’ is the only experience that can satisfy fully and permanently the hunger of the soul. The hymn writer has voiced the life history of millions, when he writes— I tried the broken cisterns. Lord, But, ah ! the waters failed, E’en as I stooped to drink they fled, And mocked me as I wailed.
art thou satisfied ? Shortly before Shelley the poet died, he had a curious dream. He dreamt he saw his spectral self coming towards his conscious self. As the gruesome figure drew near, it raised the hood from its head and inquired of him ‘Art thou satisfied?’ At some time or other that vision will come to us all, and ask, ‘ Art thou satisfied?’ There are men and women here among us who have been highly and legitimately successful in their respective spheres of life—’ Art thou satisfied?’ There are others on whose life, habit has riveted itself, and held them in an awful bondage—. Art thou satisfied?’ There are others, a great host, whose domestic conditions provide all the earthly love and comfort that heart could desire—but ‘Art thou satisfied?’
Whether the conditions of our life are favourable or unfavourable, we shall all come at one time or other to feel as Kipling felt, ‘I want my heavenly Father.’ To such Jesus says, ‘He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father,’ and ‘he that cometh to Me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.’

“Life’s greatest happiness is to be convinced we are loved.” — Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885), Les Miserables, 1862
John 10:10 A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance.
“Do not fear death so much, but rather the inadequate life.” — Bertolt Brecht (1898 - 1956), The Mother, 1932 Days of our Lives, “MacDonald Carey, “Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.”
Matt 11: 28 “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

# posted by Grosey’s Messages @ 8:50 AM 0 comments  

 

A Funeral Sermon Centred on Psalm 90

Ray Charles said, “Live every day like it’s your last, ‘cause one day you’re gonna be right.” The Bible often reminds us that we should live our lives with the end in view. One of those scriptures is Psalm 90. “So teach us to number our days that we may apply our heart unto wisdom” (vs. 12). George Bernard Shaw once said, “Life’s ultimate statistic is the same for all people: one out of one dies.” This admonition is set against the backdrop of the eternal nature of God. The Psalmist begins, “Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God”
1. God Is Eternal The Eternal Nature Of God
2. Life Is Transient The Frailty Of Man Life Is Speedy a watch in the night.. seems long, but over before barely begun. Life Is A Story Life Is A Dream Life Is A Flood
So brief our days, so very brief Like an autumn rose with its falling leaf, A moment’s light, a glance of sun And then our pilgrimage is done. As the rainbow fades in the summer sky As the green grass flourishes to die
This moment’s triumph, too, will wane And none shall call it back again. Write quickly, then, while the candle glows A little while and the book will close, Go carve your figure of renown For soon you must lay your chisel down.
Use well this hour’s joy, its grief — For life is brief, so very brief.
• The most important things in life are not things. A philosophy professor illustrates what I am saying. He walked into his class one day and placed some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to .ll it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly, and the pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He again asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand .filled up the rest of the jar. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous, “yes.” The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table, and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. “Now,” said the professor as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that the jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things—your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your faith— if everything else were lost and only these things remained, your life would still be full. “The pebbles are the other things that matter, like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else—the small stuff. “If you put the sand into the jar .first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for our life—if you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important for you. Pay attention to the things that are critical for your happiness. “Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18 holes. Worship God regularly. There will always be time to clean the house and .x the disposal. “Take care of the golf balls first—the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.” One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled, “I’m glad you asked,” he said. “It just goes to show that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a cup of coffee with a friend.”
He was reminding us that the most important things in life are not things. They are relationships. Relationships with your parents, children, family, friends, and, most of all, God. And let me just remind you that no matter what your relationship is to your parents, you’ll miss them when they are gone.
• All glory is fading. Don’t take yourself too seriously, no one else does. The movie Patton ends with General George W. Patton, the colorful and controversial general of WWII, describing the victory parade of a Roman general returning from a triumphant conquest. At the head of the parade were the trumpets. They were followed by the strange animals from the country he had conquered, and then came the chariots laden with treasures he had taken. In a chariot rides the conquering general. Before him, in chains, march the prisoners he has taken. Beside him, or perhaps riding on the trace horses, are his children dressed in white robes, and behind him stands a slave whispering in his ear, “All glory is fading.”
• Even if you have a pain, you don’t have to be a pain.
Elderly peoples’ wedding I began the ceremony by saying, “Win, do you take Sue to be your lawfully wedded wife, and do you promise before God and these witnesses to love her, comfort her, honor her, keep her in sickness and in health and, forsaking all others, to keep thee only unto her so long as you both shall live? Do you so promise?”
And instead of saying, “I do,” he said, “I’ll try.” I like that! That’s enthusiasm. That’s optimism. Eightynine years old and still willing to try. The years and tears had not stolen his joy or his optimism or his willingness to venture.
• Only God is in a position to look down on anyone. Thaddeus Stevens has been called “the best white friend Black Americans ever had.” A congressman from Pennsylvania, Stevens opposed slavery with a vengeance. He flayed his fellow congressmen over the issue every chance he got. Brilliant, fearless, unyielding, Stevens believed that slavery was the lone blot on the world’s noblest document, the U.S. Constitution, and he was determined to have it erased. But in the midst of the conflict, he never became bitter. His wit grew famous. Once, an enemy met him on a narrow path and snarled, “I never step aside for a skunk.” Stevens moved out of the way saying, “But I always do” (Reader’s Digest, June 1971, 169). Thad! Don’t ever stoop to another person’s level except to lift him/her up.
• When we die, it’s more important to leave a testimony than a title.
One day, young ladies and gentlemen, you will die and they will carry you out to the cemetery and throw dirt in your face. Then the mourners will come back to church and have ham and potato salad and talk about you. When they do, what do you suppose they will say? They won’t talk about your titles or positions, but rather what you did in life to make the world a better place.” Then the question I want to ask you is this: ‘When you die and are gone, will you leave a title, or will you leave a testimony?’” Just one life Will soon be past Only what’s done For Christ will last.

A sermon on John 14:1-16
• Heaven is real.
Sigmund Freud explained heaven as a human fantasy rooted in man’s instinct for self-preservation. Harvard philosopher Alfred North Whitehead once said, “Can you imagine anything more appallingly idiotic than the Christian idea of heaven?” Freud was wrong and Jesus was right. Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.
• No more sea (v. 1) — nothing that separates. • No more tears (v. 4) — nothing that saddens.
• No more death (v. 4) — nothing that grieves. • No more pain (v. 4) — nothing that hurts.
• No more sin (v. 27) — nothing that defiles. • No more night (v. 25) — nothing that frightens.
“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Cor. 2:9).
An elderly Christian woman was grief-stricken after the death of her daughter. To adjust, she boarded a ship from England to New York City to visit her other daughter. While at sea a severe storm struck. Passengers frantically raced for lifeboats. The elderly lady showed no signs of panic. A young man excitedly said, “Lady, don’t you know we may sink and all die?” “Young man,” she quietly replied, “I have one daughter in heaven and one daughter in New York City, and it doesn’t make any difference to me which one I see first.”
• Heaven is ready.
Hebrews 6:20 Jesus is called our “forerunner.” In the Roman army the forerunners were the reconnaissance troops. That is what Jesus did. He blazed the way to heaven and to God that we might follow in his steps. He has gone ahead to make things ready for us. “No more patients can be accepted.” Sometimes we want to buy tickets to concerts and discover that every seat has been sold. Periodically we want to take a certain flight and learn that it is overbooked. There was no room in the inn for Mary and the child, Jesus. This experience is commonplace on earth, but it is not in heaven nor indeed on the pathway that approaches heaven. “Whosoever will, may come! . . . and yet there is room.” And, there’s room for you. John, in the book of Revelation, pictures heaven as a city with twelve gates “On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates” Rev. 21:13
• Heaven is restricted.
It is an “exclusive” place. But its exclusion is not a matter of race or face or place. Jesus made this abundantly clear when he said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the father, but by me.” Suppose we are in a strange town and ask for directions. Suppose the person said, “Take the first road to the right, then the second to the left, cross the square, and go past the church, then take the third road to the right and the fourth road to the left, and you’ll be there.” Chances are you and I would get lost before we were halfway there. But suppose the person we asked said, “Come, I’ll take you there.” In that case the person would be to us the way, and we could not miss it.
That’s what Jesus does for us. As Peter declares, “Christ died to bring us to God.” He not only gives us directions, he takes us by the hand and leads us safely there.
Robert Frost wrote a poetic masterpiece entitled, The Road Not Taken. The poem concerns a traveler who comes to a fork in the road and must decide which way to go. After evaluating the options, he makes his choice. Yet, even as he begins his trip down the road of his own choosing, he remarks:
I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in the wood, And I . . . I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference!
There are two roads in life. One is broad and easy. The other is straight and narrow. One leads to life. The other leads to destruction. The difference is heaven and hell. Choose Christ and heaven can be yours.
Life is short, Death is sure, Sin, the curse, And Christ, the cure.

# posted by Grosey’s Messages @ 8:47 AM 0 comments  

 

A Funeral Sermon centred upon Psalm 121

John 14:1-6 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Psalm 121 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. 3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. 4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

1. You Have A Problem You Can’t Solve
Enemies Israel.. over the side of the mountains enemies.. Middle east even George W can’t solve.
Emptiness Solomon vanity, vanity, all is vanity Eccles 1:2“Absolute futility,” says the Teacher. “Absolute futility. Everything is futile.”
Pascal: God shaped vacuum that only God Himself can fill
Jesus : John 6:31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” 32 Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Moses didn’t give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the real bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the One who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 Then they said, “Sir, give us this bread always!” 35 “I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “No one who comes to Me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in Me will ever be thirsty again
Eternity Centrelink Notice “Your payments will be stopped effective May 1992 because we have received notice that you have passed away. If your circumstances change you may reapply at any time.”
Woody Allen : Death doesn’t scare me I just don’t want to be there at the time.
Plato :”Oh that there was some sure, some definite word, that might bear him across this vast sea of death”.

2. You Have A Preserver Who Can Save You “Keeper” “Preserve”
One of my favorite stories is about the preacher who was talking about being prepared to die. He said, “Every member of this church is going to die!” A kid on the front pew laughed out loud, so the preacher repeated his statement a little louder. He said, “I said, EVERY MEMBER OF THIS CHURCH IS GOING TO DIE!” At that, the kid laughed even louder. The preacher stopped and said, “Young man, how can you laugh at that?” The kid replied, “Because I’m not a member of this church!” Well you and I have to deal with the prospect of death. In the 14th century, the Italian poet, Dante Alighieri, wrote a trilogy of books tracing his imaginary journey through hell, purgatory, and then heaven. His first book in the trilogy was called The Inferno. In it, he described hell as seven circles of increasing punishment, based on the seven deadly sins. His descriptions are fictitious, but he does get one detail of hell completely correct: Hell is a completely devoid of hope. Dante’s inscription above the entrance to hell stated, “Through me the way into the city of woe, / Through me the way to eternal pain, / Through me the way among the lost… / Abandon all hope, you who enter here.” But that need not be the consequence for any one of us. Many years ago Queen Victoria wrote upon the tomb of her dead husband, “Here at last I shall rest with thee–with thee in Christ to rise again.” mausoleum of the Prince Consort at Throgmore.
The Lord promises to be the Preserver of those who trust in Him. John 3:16

3. You Have A Person To Possess You need to make the One your God.
Someone once said procrastination is putting off today what you can do tomorrow. But true procrastination is putting off today what you can put off again tomorrow. Scarlett O’Hara from “Gone with the Wind” is the matron saint of all procrastinators. Her mantra was, “I’ll think about that tomorrow.” “Procrastination is my sin. It only brings me sorrow. I know I ought to change my life. In fact, I will, tomorrow.”
Bertrand Russell 1927 wrote Why I am not a Christian. When he was 81, he was interviewed by the BBC. The interviewer asked him, “What do you have to hang onto when death is obviously so close?” Russell’s answer was: “I have nothing to hang onto but grim, unyielding despair.” You don’t have to be like that. You can receive the life that Jesus offers each one of us. Let Him be your Lord, your Keeper Preserver, Your Saviour. Jn 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was created through Him, yet the world did not recognize Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. 12 But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name,

Committal : Forasmuch as it has pleased Almighty God to take out of the world the soul of our dear friend etc…….We therefore commit his body to (the ground) (be cremated) earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, remembering the grace and mercy of our Heavenly Father demonstrated to us in our Lord Jesus Christ.

# posted by Grosey’s Messages @ 8:45 AM 0 comments  

 

Funeral Music

Generally I ask the grieving family whether there were any songs that were particularly meaningful to their loved one.
If they can’t think of any I offer a selection from a CD I have burnt.
These are the songs they often choose from :
1. Abide With Me
2. Amazing Grace
3. How Great Thou Art
4. The Lord’s My Shepherd Psalm 23
5. The Old Rugged Cross
6. Bridge Over Troubled Waters
7. Back Home Again
8. My Cup Runneth Over
9. Everything Is Beautiful
10. For You
11. That’s What Friends Are For
12. Imagine
13. I’ll Never Pass this Way Again
14. You’ll Never Walk Alone
15. Why Me Lord?
16. Wind Beneath My Wings
17. What A Wonderful World18. Somewhere Over The Rainbow

# posted by Grosey’s Messages @ 8:42 AM 0 comments  

 

Funeral Service Form

I print this form and fill it in with the grieving family.

NAME

DATE OF BIRTH OCCUPATION

DATE OF DEATH

PARENTS’ NAMES

BROTHERS & SISTERS

PLACE OF GROWING UP

SPOUSE PLACE MARRIED DATE

CHILDREN

Grandchildren

PLACES OF LIVING

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

PERSONAL INTERESTS

CONTRIBUTIONS TO FAMILY COMMUNITY

BEST PICTURE OR MEMORY

NAME

AGE

FUNERAL DATE

LOCATION

PERSON ORGANISING R’SHIP

ADDRESS

PHONE

PALL ~ BEARERS

SPECIAL REQUESTS

ORDER OF SERVICE
WELCOME

BIBLE READING

EULOGY (s)

POETRY

REFLECTION

FLOWERS

MUSIC

COMMITTAL

REFRESHMENTS

# posted by Grosey’s Messages @ 8:37 AM 0 comments  

 

Funeral Poems and Pieces

Over the last two years I have probably preached at close to 300 funerals. I print off these poems on a sheet and give them to the grieving folk to select a poem that most suits their loved one.
These are the favourites folks have picked.

Let Me Go
When I come to the end of the road, And the sun has set on me;
I want no rites in a gloom filled room, Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me little - but not for long, And not with your head bowed low.
Remember the love that we once shared, Miss me - but let me go.
For this is a journey we all must take, And each must go alone.
It’s all part of the Master’s plan, A step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick at heart, Go to the friends we know.
And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds, Miss me - but let me go.

Sea Shore
I am standing on the sea shore, A ship sails in the morning breeze and starts for the ocean.
She is an object of beauty and I stand watching her Till at last she fades on the horizon and someone at my side says: “She is gone.” Gone! Where? Gone from my sight - that is all. She is just as large in the masts, hull and spars as she was when I saw her And just as able to bear her load of living freight to its destination. The diminished size and total loss of sight is in me, not in her.
And just at the moment when someone at my side says, “She is gone”, There are others who are watching her coming, and other voices take up a glad shout: “There she comes” - and that is dying. An horizon and just the limit of our sight. Lift us up, Oh Lord, that we may see further. Bishop Brent 1862 - 1926

All Is Well
Death is nothing at all, I have only slipped into the next room
I am I and you are you Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by my old familiar name,
Speak to me in the easy way which you always used
Put no difference in your tone, Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household world that it always was,
Let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was, there is unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near,
Just around the corner. All is well.

Remember
Remember me when I am gone away, Gone far away into the silent land:
When you can no more hold me by the hand, Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day You tell me of our future that you planned:
Only remember me; you understand It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile Than that you should remember and be sad. Christina Rossetti 183094

A Weaving
My life is but a weaving between my Lord and me. I cannot see the colors; He worketh steadily.Oft times he weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride Forget He sees the upper, and I the underside.Not till the looms are silent and the shuttles cease to fly Shall God unroll the canvas and explain the reason whyThe dark threads are as needful in the Weaver’s skillful hand As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.

She is Gone
You can shed tears that she is gone, Or you can smile because she lived,
You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back,
Or you can open your eyes and see all that she has left.
Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her
Or you can be full of the love that you shared,
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,
Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember her and only that she is gone
Or you can cherish her memory and let it live on,
You can cry and close your mind be empty and turn your back,
Or you can do what she would want: Smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

Forget And Remember
When I come to the end of my journey And I travel my last weary mileJust forget if you can, that I ever frowned And remember only the smileForget unkind words I have spoken Remember some good I have doneForget that I ever had heartache And remember I’ve had loads of funForget that I’ve stumbled and blundered And sometimes fell by the wayRemember I have fought some hard battles And won, ere the close of the dayThen forget to grieve for my going I would not have you sad for a dayBut in summer just gather some flowers And remember the place where I layAnd come in the shade of evening When the sun paints the sky in the westStand for a few moments beside me And remember only my best

# posted by Grosey’s Messages @ 8:32 AM 0 comments  

 

Funeral Scriptures

Here are the scriptures I use with most funerals. I usually give the sheet to the family and ask them to select the one most relevant to them.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

ECCLESIASTES 3
There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven: a time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot; a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build; a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing; a time to search and a time to count as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away; a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak; a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace. What does the worker gain from his struggles? I have seen the task that God has given people to keep them occupied. He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but man cannot discover the work God has done from beginning to end.

Psalm 23
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

1Corinthians 13:1-7
1 If I speak the languages of men and of angels, but do not have love, I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so that I can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I donate all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient; love is kind. Love does not envy; is not boastful; is not conceited; 5 does not act improperly; is not selfish; is not provoked; does not keep a record of wrongs; 6 finds no joy in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things Love never ends.
Romans 8
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 14:1-6
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Committal and Benediction
Forasmuch as it has pleased Almighty god to take out of the world the soul of our dear friend, husband/wife, father, grandfather…….. We therefore commit his body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, remembering the grace and mercy of our heavenly Father demonstrated to us in Jesus Christ our Lord.
And may the blessing of Father Son and Holy Spirit rest upon us all evermore, amen.

# posted by Grosey’s Messages @ 8:24 AM 0 comments  

 

Funeral sermon : “The Pattern of Life”

One seldom begins a vacation without carefully plotting his intended course of travel. Unfortunately, too many people do not consider life as an adventure to be carefully mapped out prior to “take-off.”
No two people look upon life in exactly the same fashion. Some see it as pessimistically as did Macbeth in William Shakespeare’s play by that name when he cried out, “Life … is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” Somewhat less pessimistic, but in much the same vein are the words of the great Seneca, philosopher, dramatist, and statesman of ancient Rome, “Life is neither a good nor an evil; it is simply the place where good and evil exist.” A more optimistic concept of life was presented to his pupils in Athens some four hundred and twenty-five years prior to Christ’s birth by the great Greek philosopher, Socrates, who taught that “The end of life is to be like God, and the soul following God will be like him.”
1. _______________’s Life Contained Opportunities.
A. Opportunities for growth. It is a known fact that when one stops growing in some fashion he has begun to decay. Therefore, during the new year we should seize the opportunity for growth.
1. Mentally. When a Christian has stopped studying and has stopped cultivating his mental capacities, he has begun to atrophy; his God-given mental abilities are “drying up.” We are stewards to God for the intellect which we have and are responsible to Him for the cultivation and enlargement of that capacity. In our day we find too many people satisfied with mental mediocrity. As Albert Einstein the late brilliant scholar once remarked about our time in history, “We live in a time of perfect mediocrity and confused ends.” As Christians we need to be much aware that, in the words of Richard C. Raines, “It does not take a great mind to be a Christian, but it takes all the mind a man has.”
2. Spiritually.. My cousin in her thirties had the mind of an infant.” Pitiful? Yes, quite pitiful, but there is something more pitiful than that. That to which I refer is the Christian now old in years since conversion, but still no more spiritually mature than a new-born Christian. Let us determine that during the coming year we shall grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour.
B. Opportunities for service.

II. ______________ ‘s Life Contained Tragedies.
As much as we would like to avoid the tragedies or heart- aches which will probably be woven into the pattern of our lives for the coming year, we need to realize that they are the goads which thrust us along in our Christian growth. As Kirby Page has expressed it, “Tragedy crushes and tragedy ennobles, and you had better find out the dif- ference between that which flattens and that which upbuilds.” It amkes you either bitter or vbetter.. and you get to decide. Some of the heartaches or tragedies which touched______… and us.. are
A. Loss of business and wealth. To lose all of one’s material possessions may be a blessing in a strange disguise. I heard of a man who, some years ago, lost his business, his home and all possessions. For food for his stomach and a place to lay his head he went to the Salvation Army. Of all things for the Salvation Army worker to confront him with in an attempt to meet his needs of the hour was the subject of tithing! Certainly that was hardly appropriate, considering the fact that he didn’t have a penny to share with the Lord. He did, however, accept the principle of tithing. Later he migrated to Oklahoma and “made it rich” in the oil business. True to his newfound principle he became a partner with the Lord and found life to be much more meaningful than ever before.
B. Loss of health. Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” has been subject to much conjecture on the part of scholars through the years. I agree with those who hold that it was a physical disability. Paul prayed for its removal. Though this request was not answered in the way he desired, Paul received sufficient grace to bear it. He even saw that the Lord could bring glory unto Himself through this infirmity. Paul heard the Master saying,
“My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weak- ness” (II Corinthians 12:9a).
C. Loss of loved ones. I recently listened to a man as he stood beside the open grave of his beautiful little daughter and said, “God spoke to me through this experience; now I am going to accept the Lord as my Saviour.” Even out of this catastrophe of life God can bring a great blessing.

III.________________-‘s Life Contained Victories.
Knowing Christ
Bringing Up his children

Being a respected man/woman in his church.

Effective life changing service. List of people affected by ______’s life.

TERM 1 Youth Activities 2007

Friday February 16th 7pm

Planning night and the Maitland Show
7 pm at the Tab

Saturday February 24th 7pm
FLAME at Islington Baptist church
The males in the Youth group will be at the Katoomba Men’s Convention

Saturday March 3rd Church Clean Up Day
9 am -1pm

Saturday March 10th Little Beach
BBQ at 1 pm at Nelson’s Bay! Devotion: Stan

Friday March 16th
Be Real combined Youth night at Lambton High School.
leave the Tab at 6:30 pm or meet there at 7:00pm

Friday March 23 Lawn Bowls NBT at 6pm bring your meat and salads for a BBQ bring $4.  Devotion: Stan
Saturday March 24th FLAME at Islington Baps

Saturday March 31st
Aliens Night
Creation Science Speaker
7pm at the Tabernacle.

April 6th -20th Easter Break

Coming Attractions in Term 2
Saturday April 28th Oakdale Park

Saturday May 5th Battle Of The Youth groups Midday at Tahlee Bible College

Friday May 11th Games Night 7 pm at the Tab.  Devotion: Steve

Saturday May 19th.. The infamously delayed Glen Rock Lagoon Trek    Devotion: Stan

May 24th Pizza Hut Night

May 25th FLAME at Islington