The Last Nine Months

One of our guys recently put together the following video. It was requested by one of BCA link parishes who will be praying for us on Pentecost Sunday (a huge blessing) . It was also played at Synod of the Diocese of Tasmania which met in Launceston over this past weekend.

Summer Grace

It was a delight this past Sunday to celebrate the baptism of one of our young members.










Baptism prep had involved looking at "Two Ways To Live For Kids." Ben's t-shirt had a picture of him with Jesus as King.
















We moved from the park, to the nearby river. A public declaration of faith and gospel.

First Sunday, Fifth Year

Today is the first Sunday of the fifth year of Connections. And what a way to celebrate it! Our dear brother Dave McPherson was baptised today in the Cam River. Dave's fiance, Emily, reaffirmed their faith, and their daughter Kiara was also baptised (but not in the river).

Dave came to Jesus a couple of months ago. It has been a joy and delight to see how God has been at work in him and his family and he has taken his place amongst us. The Missioner Bishop (Training & Projects) in the Imagine Project, Ross Nicholson, was with us and following the baptism confirmed Dave in his faith.

It had been a miserable day today - the weather was blustery and rainy. The rain stopped as Dave and I entered the water, the sun burst through the clouds as he came up out of the water and lasted until we prayed and declared God's truth following the confirmation. I'm not usually one to wax lyrical about metereological coincidences but it was truly profound. The truth of the gospel was demonstrated and declared in public as a firstfruits of conversion growth of the church in this time and place.

And the shared life of Connections continues. Four birthdays to celebrate amongst the children - where the children prayed for each other. And another engagement to rejoice in. Please continue to pray for us to depend on God and to grow in Him in the way He would have us go.

Photos courtesy Jonathan Adamczewski

Married Life

There's great joy in the season that we are in. In the Connections community we have had new babies, engagements, and forthcoming baptisms (in the Cam River this coming Sunday) and more weddings.

Four weddings in five months. The first of these took place on a beach in Hobart this Saturday last.

Not only are weddings and baptisms and the like good in their own right. They are also a great witness, particularly when they are held (in an appropriate way) in a public space.

But also, from a church-planting perspective these occasions of life are great catalysts for community building. Sharing the beginning of married life, or the testimony of baptism, creates connections of community between people. Acquaintance turns into "I was at your wedding, wasn't it wonderful." Broad knowledge turns into "Thankyou for sharing how God has been at work in your life."

These weddings and things - they are a gift of grace in many ways - but a gift to us as a community, for they give us something to share in, and so share in each other.