Did you catch Channel Nines news last night? Worsfold’s neck vein looked like it was about to pop out and strangle someone.

His comments were certainly innapropriate, but obviously not designed to be public. It is unfortunate that they were captured on film, but perhaps more unfortunate that he chose to say them. Another example of the scrutiny the West Coast are under at the moment.
I walk past a number of people with various disabilties, including Celebral Palsy, on my way to my seat at the footy. I am sure there are a number of folk with similar disabilities that are members and go to West Coast games as well. Poor choice of words John. STORY

It seems “The West Australians” love affair with everything Blue and Gold is well and truly over, as is the Eagles strangehold and control over the print media.
I do think the front page of The West is a little over the top, but you cant deny the facts either.
I almost feel sorry for them. But not enough to cheer them on tonight, GO SAINTS!

Well, the Footy Season proper is almost upon us.
Its a clean slate for all the teams.
Go the Dockers, go the Saints!

2006 Ladder
Fremantle
Adelaide
Brisbane
Carlton
Collingwood
Essendon
Geelong
Hawthorn
Kangaroos
Melbourne
Pt Adelaide
Richmond
St Kilda
Sydney
Western Bulldogs
West Coast

After my previous experience of visiting Riverview the other week, I dropped in on my friend Steve’s work in Lockeridge.

Steve is the real deal.
Living amongst the people, sacrificial, incarnational.

No falseness about him, sincere, authentic.

Sure he’s not the Messiah, but he is trying to follow Him.

Steve works for Tear Fund but also leads a community of people who meet in Lockeridge most Sunday nights. The night kicks off with a community meal, and ends up with what might loosely be termed a church service. It is eccletic in who comes, what they contribute, what they need and also in what Steve presents. There is real love and spirituality in that place, amongst a gathering of about 12-15 people. Very different people, and it works. Just a genuine desire to be together, to welcome people in, to be a part of something.
It is refreshing to find someone who is intelligent, purposeful, yet also casual and humble. He writes this about his work, “Steve is planting a new church, which he hopes will “create a model of church that includes mission and community development””. He also writes this, “Lockridge Outreach Group started as small group from a church near-by began praying about what we could do in our lower socio-economic area. We managed to get a bread-run happening, letterboxed the area and some contacts were made, but people didn’t hang around much. We prayed, banged heads (brainstormed) and dreamed about seeing God’s Kingdom a reality in Lockridge. Two guys in the group didn’t have a place to stay, and we didn’t have a “base” in Lockridge. With God’s help we found a cheap house, and they bought it. We opened it up as a community meal and support/discussion group centre, with free bread. Since then, two years have gone by. We’ve moved into an Anglican Church building, and are now recognised as a Baptist Church “plant”. We are trying to be ecumenical in approach, and connect with other churches as well.”

Does not get much worse than this.
Authorities have charged Mary Winkler with shooting her husband in the parsonage and said she had confessed to the slaying. Winkler, a 32-year-old substitute teacher, has been charged with first-degree murder. The small fundamentalist church had no idea, and thought everything was “happy families”.
“Everything we saw belies what has happened,” church member Janet Sparks said. “Something is amiss, and we don’t know what it is.”

“Authorities have said Mary Winkler confessed to killing her husband on Wednesday and then leaving town with their three young daughters, though officials have not suggested a motive for the attack. The minister was found dead that night in the church parsonage.
Mary Winkler was apprehended late Thursday in Orange Beach, Ala., after authorities issued an Amber alert for the children, who are now in the custody of their grandparents.”

What was going on in the pastoral home? Pressures? Indiscretions?
Either way there is going to be a few people taking a long hard look at themselves. And what of the kids? What is going to happen to their worldview?
Wish I could do something, will pray.

“Vision Without Execution is Hallucination”

Lord, let me know when I am dreaming, when I am not trying hard enough, when I am pushing manure uphill, and when I should persevere.
ps Lord can you help fulfill this vision you have given?

Windsor Park Baptist Church in Mairangi Bay North Shore City New Zealand bought a pub. They are a relevant growing church and were struggling for room and visibility. A pub was up for sale and so they bought it. Interestingly enough one of the ‘competing’ buyers was another church.

They have now transformed the facilities and rent them out as conference facilties.
Their auditorium seats 650 people, and they run multi services, including Afrikan ones.

Their Senior Pastor is Brian Winslade who is the speaker at the upcoming 2 Inspire Conference.

I have read their story and it is exciting to see how God led. They were looking for a building for about two years until one became available. But even then they had to bid for it, and their tender was not the largest one. But for whatever reason the people accepted it. Also it looked at one stage as thought the church was going to have allow the pub to keep operating for a while in the changeover period. Luckily (?) the leasee defaulted on his lease and moved out. The Church managed to sell its property quickly and moved on in.

Here is their vision statement:

To be a respected and highprofile Christian communityon Auckland’s North Shorerenowned for…
…effective presentation of the Gospel to the people of our city, and the call to Christian discipleship…
…representing the Word of God and a Christian perspective in the various structures of New Zealand Society…
…active participation in God’s redemptive mission in other parts of the world…
…mobilising Christians in the exercise of ministry gifts given to them by God.

The Bathroom has been gutted, now the new stuff is going in.
New tiles and a new spa bath shower combo.
Woo hoo!