At last nights Brownlow…I know I know…how can anyone watch 2 hours of votes being read out…..I admit it, I am a very boring person….anyhoo, back to the topic….
At last nights Brownlow when the votes where read out for round 16 when Freo smashed West Toast during the second derby, and Josh Carr won the Glendinning medal, you should have seen Cox’s face when Demetriou read out, “J Carr, 3 votes”, I thought he was going to vomit all over Chris Judd………. 🙂
I must be one of the few pastors in Perth to have a group of passionate Geelong supporters in his church, and after Ablett singlehandedly demolished Freo, at Subiaco, you would think I would dislike Geelong, but I dont. Their coach is a very likeable person, honest and forthright…..Ablett seems very decent, and unaffected by his obvious talent. What strikes me about Geelong is that they work like a team…..and besides, who could possibly barrack for a team that wears teal??
We have a lot of women who come to our church without their husbands. Some of the husbands came yesterday…to see their kids perform.
It is a common malady of the contemporary church, as most of us in ministry know…but what to do about it?
In my own situation our ladies have done a superb job of ministering and setting up relevant programs for women in our church, and they naturally network together. Us men…not so much. We have done some things, and are doing some more…but a mans time is not as easy to access.
Men also seem to be less reluctant to invite other men to events ‘within the saucer’, to pinch a phrase. We have had some success with our mens events, MUD, men under duress…but it seems to me that the demands on a modern father are immense. I am not for a second trying to say they are more pressing that on a modern mother….but for many of the men I know, the wheel has turned a little at least. Many of them provide financially for their families, and feel pressure to be a success at work, so they need to put the hours in, in fact, something drives them, their maleness drives them.
Then, their family also puts pressure on them, pressure they invite and welcome, but pressure none the less.
Recently we planned an event, and deliberatly started in at 8pm…..which was simply because it then gave the blokes time to get home from work, have dinner, help get the kids tucked in… and then be able to go out without feeling either pressure or guilt.
Blokes need time to be blokes….but maybe the greatest concern for me, is that we are not giving them much purpose or adventure in their spiritual lives.
One of our best services ever……Kids Celebration Service 2007
Stacks of visitors, too many to mention, the kids were great…lots of fun, music, drama, multi-media…
New coffee machine cranking out some good 5 senses coffee, bouncy castle and sausage sizzle…what church should be like every week!
Soul Jam choir sounded the best it ever has, and music was wonderful…
Most of all, a wonderful opportunity to worship God, share love with our community, share our faith….
Today was an example of what a church which is mobilised, unified and purposeful can do….I am so proud of them all!!!!
I will post some video this week…
Go Jeff in 2008!