Sam's the Man

Hey everyone just wanna let you all know our student pastor 'Sam the Man' will be giving the bible talk this coming Sunday. Just want to get the word out so you can all pray for him and support him as he gives his second sermon ever. I remember my first couple and that's just it I don't wanna remember them my knees were so shakey. But for all our weaknesses God delights in using us and I for one reckon God not only 'has' but will continue to use Sam to reach many with the good news about Jesus. Go for it Sam - keep your eyes on the prize.

I'll be helping out for what I'm worth with the Sunday's Cool Childrens Ministry so I'm looking forward to downloading his talk of the Newlife website here =)

Mark Driscoll's thoughts on Planting Pastors.

Hey this video was pointed out to me by a Pastor friend of mine. It's really worth the time to watch if you are a pastor, it's a reality check. And if you aren't a pastor to be reminded of the sort of things you can pray for your pastor.

Jet clip youtube

Hey all you JET fans out there, Nerida and I (and the CREW) are heading to the TIVOLI for their concert in June... so we thought this clip would get some mouths watering... ENJOY Will and Ned =)

Anzac Day 2007

Today we do well to remember and meditate on that first ANZAC day. And indeed the service and sacrifice of all those who have fought for freedom. There's not much you can do except humbly say 'thank-you' when you read this official account of the first day at below by Australian official correspondent, and later official war historian Charles Bean...

"Gallipoli (One). – The Australians and Maorilanders landed in two bodies, the first being a covering force to seize the ridges around the landing [which took place] about an hour later. The moon that night set about an hour and a half before daylight. This just gave time for the warships and transports of the covering force to steam in and land the troops before dawn.

During the whole of this trying time if one thing cheered the men more than another it was the behaviour of their officers. I saw one officer in charge of a machine gun who one knew for certain must be killed if the fight lasted. His men were crouching under cover of a depression a few inches deep on the brow of the hill. He himself was sitting calmly on top of the rise searching for targets through his glasses. Presently three or four salvoes of shrapnel burst right over that group, ending with a round of common shell with its terrifying flash and scatter of loose earth. A shout came from somewhere in the rear, "Pass the word to retire!" The officer turned round. "Where does that order come from?" he asked, sharply. "Passed up from the rear, sir," was the answer. "Well, pass back and find out who gave it," said the officer. "Yes, who says retire?" said several of the men. This was done, and next moment the order came up, "Line to advance and entrench on forward slope of the hill." There was a moment’s delay in gathering up rifles, and then over the hill they went, Dusk was just falling, and the enemy’s battery happened at that moment to switch off in order to fire a few last salvoes towards the beach. The officer in question was there at his post next morning, when it became necessary to send a man down the hill on some business. Before the man had gone 20 yards he was wounded. The officer walked down the hill at once to pick him up. Within a couple of seconds the Turks had a machine gun trained on him and he fell, riddled with bullets. Australia has lost many of her best officers in this way. The toll has been really heavy, but the British theory is that you cannot lead men from the rear, at any rate, in an attack of this sort. It would be absurd to pretend that the life of an officer like that one was wasted. No-one knows how long his example will live on amongst men. There were others, whom I will mention later on when the casualties have all reached Australia, who died fighting like tigers, some who fully knew they would die. One was sometimes inclined to think this sort of leading useless, but none who heard the men talking next day could doubt its value. "By God! Our officers were splendid," one Australian told me. Where I went I heard the same opinion expressed."

For the full report click here.

Equipping Members to be Inviters

Here's a great post from Outreach.com, I've popped the article below as in the past such links go 'offline' all too soon.
Equipping Members to be Inviters
The best form of advertising a church can have is word-of-mouth. Studies have shown that many unchurched people would visit a church if a close friend or family member invited them. The question then, is how can you help your church members to issue invitations effectively and in a way that they feel comfortable?
Since most people just don’t know where to start, Outreach provides churches with the tools that will equip their members to give an invitation easily and naturally. These tools include:
Direct Mail ImpactCardsWhen your church conducts a direct mail campaign, include your members in the excitement by equipping them with cards of their own. Slip a couple of the printed pieces in your worship bulletin and invite your members to use it as a hand-delivered invitation to friends or family. This will give your direct mailing an extra personal touch.
Business card-sized InviteCardsIt’s so easy to keep business cards on hand. That’s why these perfectly sized cards are such a great communication tool. Members can keep a few in their purses or wallets and use them as a personal invitation. Each InviteCard should include a map to your church, service times and reference to your website, if you have one.
DoorHangersWhat a great way to welcome new people to the neighborhood! Keep your information table stocked with personalized Doorhangers. Members can use these to welcome new neighbors or to blanket new housing tracks. The DoorHanger should also include a map and any other information that a newcomer needs to find your church.
Outreach Gift BooksA gift books is a powerful way to begin a dialog about spiritual issues and Outreach offers a variety of low-cost books that your member will love giving their friends and family. Stock up and encourage members to keep a supply on hand.
The communication tools are a non-threatening way to invite friends, family and neighbors to church, and for them to feel more confident in the process. For the potential visitor, these tools offer a clear picture of the church, its ministries, its locations, and help circumvent barriers that keep people from deciding to attend.
Another potential point of entry into the church is through small group or home group studies. Leaders and members of these groups, equipped with InviteCards about the small group, can pass out invitations to their friends, family and co-workers asking them to attend the study, where relationships are more easily formed than in corporate worship on Sunday.
The most valuable asset of any church is its members, and by empowering them with the tools to reach out, you give them the privilege of expanding the kingdom and growing their own faith.

who is this JESUS?

Jesus, well we've all got opinions...

BUT there is no getting around the fact that this JESUS changed history forever. This Sunday we take the time to check out what HE really did that makes a difference for us all. Don't miss out on praying and inviting a friend or family to join us this sunday... it might just change their life forever... hmmmm.

Happy Birthday Mary

Hey a big shout out to my AWESOME sister Mary!

Happy Birthday to you! It's a big kicker to hit the three O! But hang in there...

I know that distance is a barrier but I want to let you know that we Aussies Love Ya Mezzo! We reckon you're an awesome Sister, Aunty, Friend, housemate, http://godslittlerocker.com/index.htm, a REAL Rock-stars wife and much, much more HEY...
Hey we wish you were here but we know that God has awesome plans for you THERE!

Love the Henderson's YEEAAAAHH =)

Brisbane - Rain thanks for trying

Tonight there was about 20 'spits' of rain on the roof. I nearly broke down and cried. It was so great to know that rain still could happen in Brissie and for that matter South East QLD. I'm still praying that we'll get some GOOD heavy rains soon.

Get to JET in Brissie in June!

Hey since the 'Henderson Clan' are all about unashamedly plugging the best on the NET can I and Fergus make sure that no one misses out on JET's upcoming concert in Brissie on June the 3rd (sold out) and 4th tickets here. These guys absolutely rock and I'm glad that Queenslanders will have their chance to engage with arguably the best modern rock band... JET check them out here.

Nothing more to say.

Is '300' worth seeing?

On annual leave I had the time to go and watch the recent release blockbuster '300' (by myself) and I personally thought it was great. From a blokes perspective I enjoy 'bloke' flicks every now and again, you know the ones I mean, 'Braveheart' and 'Gladiator' are just a couple (My main staple at the moment is Shrek 1, 2 and God willing 3).

On '300' I have to say though that I definately would NOT recommend anyone underage going as it is very violent etc but overall I feel that the storyline is powerful and has real depth in speaking to our generation about values, discipline and courage to stand firm till the end. Hmmm Jesus had a bit to say about those very issues to His disciples in Matthew 24:9-14.

Thinking about pop culture and the gospel for what it's worth I just so happened to trip over this interesting article regarding the movie '300' by the Sydney Anglicans - check it out here. Also if you are interested in wrestling with the question, "Can we use pop culture to reach our community with the gospel?" check out this paper by Christianity Today.

DON CARSON PUBLIC LECTURE NOW FREE!

My parent college the Queensland Theological College in conjunction with their Year of Excellence is keen to encourage as many people as possible to attend Dr Don Carson's Friday Night Lecture at Creek Rd Presbyterian Church on Friday May 11th. So keen that they've decided to reduce the admission cost to zero! This is great news for members of our congregation who may have been hesitant to come along. REFUNDS WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THE NIGHT for those who have already registered and paid. Donations will be welcome to assist us in covering costs.

Registering for the night is still required, to assist the college with catering.
To book please phone the Queensland Theological College on 3871 9347.

By the way...

If you're new to this and you'd like to check out my previous posts, they can be seen at our old cyber home here.

Henderson's New Home

Hey there, as you can see the Henderson's have settled in to their new Cyber-space home. Hope you enjoy the new place and let your friends know we've moved here.