Work is perhaps the most common addiction among Christians! We affirm the value of working hard and doing things well. We want to be faithful servants. We want to make a difference in the lives of others.
The danger in pumping out stacks of work is that we can end up an empty soul. When constant activities leave no space to register and work through feelings - or nurture our soul - our hearts start to shrivel up. We lose a sense of doing life with God. We get tired and cranky. We lose interest in other people.
Bill Hybels calls it “the shrunken heart syndrome”. He asks, “What’s the good of standing before God at the end of your life with a great big list of accomplishments but a shrivelled up heart?”
At what point do we say: “That’s enough for today.” Or: “That’s enough for this week.”
In God’s plan, a balance between work and rest is essential for human flourishing.
I confess that I have not yet mastered this art of healthy balance, but am still “working” towards it.
It starts by turning to God: “Father, my life is out of whack. Please help me to get some space in my life to let you into my inner world.” It will require discernment of God’s calling in this particular season - and saying “NO” to a bunch of other “good” things. It may require a mentor or friend to help us with accountability. It means regularly finding a quiet place - and resting awhile in the company of Jesus.
Pr Rolly Stahl
This week’s message is “Using God’s Gifts” as we start a new series “What’s in your hands?” Podcasts of weekly messages are available at www.paravista.org.au
Bible Readings: Matthew 25:14-30; 1 Timothy 6:17-19
Reminder
Daylight saving time begins this weekend on Sunday 5th October 2014 at 2am. Please set your clocks forward by 1 hour.
Each week we have Activity Folders available for kids who stay in the service. During the school holidays and going forward there will be a new Personal Journal handout available for older kids and youth to interact with and respond to the services. Please make sure you try these out!
Kingdom Kids will not be meeting this week as it is school holidays! We hope you enjoy worshipping our amazing God together in the services!
Kingdom Kids Celebration Service
Planning is well under way for our Kingdom Kids Celebration Service this year with a theme of ‘Make Room for the Saviour’. Make sure you book in the date of Sunday 30th of November (10:30am service) which is the first week of Advent. More info will be out soon about how you can get involved!! It’s going to be an amazing time to share as a family with lots of different ways to participate.
Beth Einthal
Children and Family Team Leader
Prayer Requests:
Prayer requests are not included in the weekly news. If you would like to view the current requests refer to the email that alerted you to this weekly news. If you have a prayer request please email churchequiries@paravista.org.au with your request.
PVLW Fellowship
Meet again on Tuesday, 7th October at 1:00 in the Para Vista church/hall. Our bible study and business meeting will be followed by a "FLORAL DAY". We are asking that you choose to wear or bring your favourite floral piece to share with us. We hope that you will explain why it is special. Do feel free to bring a friend, neighbour of family member along. We look forward to seeing you.
Thank you......thank you.....Thank you from Cebu Mission Fundraising Team
We had so many plants this year for our Spring Plant Stall; we had to keep getting more tables set up! So thankyou to all who donated plants and to all who bought plants.
A big thankyou to Daryl Schaeffer, who supplied us with the beautiful, quality seedlings.
We raised the wonderful amount of $680!
Next week, we will be sending off to Cebu Mission, the wonderful sum of $5000 from our last few fundraising events and donations. This amount will be very welcome at the Mission, so that they can pay for repairs, or maybe purchase land, or use the money where it is most needed at Inayawan Dump area.
Our next fundraiser will be selling Christmas cards on Sunday 9th November, also some jewellery made in Cebu.
On Sunday 23rd November, we will be having a Sausage Sizzle and Steak Sandwich Day after both morning services. This will be followed by the Half Yearly Meeting at 12.30pm in the church. We will also have the Christmas Cards on sale that day.
The last opportunity to purchase Christmas cards will be on Sunday 7th December.
We look forward to your continued support.
Blessings from the Team
Joan McCarthy
Team Leader
Interested in supporting our local Christian Pastoral Support Workers?
Earlier this year, four CPSW workers shared at our Sunday morning service the difference they are making in their school communities. Inspirational!
The local board that supports and helps resource our local CPSW’s is made up of representatives from local churches. This board is called SHIN: Salisbury Hills Interchurch Network. In recent years, Good Shepherd has been represented by Pr Noel, Dean Eaton, and for the last three years your truly.
Since I intend to finish up on SHIN at the end of 2014, I am keen to find another person from Good Shepherd to take my place. SHIN currently meets bi-monthly on a Thursday night at Ingle Farm Salvation Army centre (cnr of Bridge and Maxwell roads). Normally 5-8 people attend, and meetings run for 1-2 hours, including visits and reports from our local CPSW’s.
SHIN is also looking for a new treasurer for 2015.
If you have served on a governance team in the past, or have gifts in admin, supervision, communication or finance –- and are even ‘just a little’ interested –- I would love to hear from you.
Pr Rolly Stahl
Time-Out Devotion Book
Pre orders for the 2015 devotion book “Time Out. God calls” are now being taken. The books will be available early in December for $22 per copy.
The book provides Christian devotions by Australian writers for each day of the calendar year. Each meditation, edited by Greg Lockwood, is a “time-out” of about 3 minutes. The devotion writers’ thoughts are life-related and centered on the message of God’s love for people shown in Jesus Christ.
Please advise the church office churchenquiries@paravista.org.au or phone 8263 5087 to order your copy, by October 20th.
Noticeboard
Organist Meet & Swap
Saturday, 18th October, 2014 from 12noon to 5pm at Zion Lutheran Church Glynde: 15 Glynburn Rd, Glynde. Cost: $10 for light lunch and Refreshments – payable on the day. Registrations due by Friday 10th October to: joymildren@hotmail.com or post to 8 Cambridge St, Vale Park, 5081
Sports Carnival
For all young people - Sunday 19th October from 2pm at Golden Grove Lutheran Fellowship.
FREE event, including a Jumping Castle! Cricket, Netball, Ultimate Frisbee, Relays.
Followed by a BBQ at 5.45pm and a youth worship service at 6.30pm. More information can be found at www.blueprintministries.org.au
What, then, shall we say in response to this?
If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31
