Since God so loved us – Sandy Grant and Rob Elder
Posted on November 6, 2025
Filed under for your prayers, Moore College, Sydney Diocese Comments Off on Since God so loved us – Sandy Grant and Rob Elder
“St Andrew’s Cathedral has always played a significant role in Sydney caring for the needs of the surrounding community. During and after World War II (1940-1947), approximately 3.5 million meals were given to active and returning soldiers in temporary Nissen huts erected on Cathedral grounds – the combined efforts of approximately 900 volunteers working for the Church of England National Emergency Fund (CENEF).
Over the last couple of decades, like many other church communities, the Cathedral has offered free English classes to serve the needs of overseas migrants and visitors. Bible reading is included as part of the approach – very appropriately, since the Bible and its message is so influential on our language, laws and culture.
Most recently, we have been especially delighted with the impact of Reverend Rob Elder on our ministry. Rob, a Moore College graduate, was appointed Community Chaplain at the start of 2024, and his position is funded by the Myfanwy Peters Estate for the relief of the needy in CBD of Sydney. …”
– Learn about and pray for this important ministry. Via the Moore College website.
Melbourne Diocese plans 30 new churches, 30 revitalisations by 2030
Posted on November 6, 2025
Filed under Australian dioceses, Evangelism Comments Off on Melbourne Diocese plans 30 new churches, 30 revitalisations by 2030
From The Melbourne Anglican:
“The Melbourne diocese has a vision to plant 30 new churches and revitalise 30 existing ones by 2030 as growth corridors expand without an Anglican presence to serve them.
The Anglican Diocese of Melbourne Church Planting vision and strategy was officially launched at a Melbourne Anglican Foundation fundraising event on Thursday, 23 October. …”
Image: Archbishop-Elect Ric Thorpe at The Gregory Centre for Church Multiplication in the United Kingdom. Although this Melbourne plan predates the new Archbishop’s arrival, it aligns closely with what he has been working to do in London.
(Archbishop Thorpe will be installed at St Paul’s Cathedral on Advent Sunday 30 November 2025.)
Anglican Heroes: J. C. Ryle — Church Society podcast
Posted on November 5, 2025
Filed under History, People Comments Off on Anglican Heroes: J. C. Ryle — Church Society podcast
From Church Society:
“Andrew Atherstone talks to Ros Clarke about the life, ministry and legacy of J. C. Ryle, the first Bishop of Liverpool.”
– Listen here.
Related:
His Sermons Roused a Sleeping Church – article by John Piper.
Evangelical Religion — Bishop J.C. Ryle.
Why were our Reformers burned? — Bishop J.C. Ryle (republished by Church Society in 2017).
Church music in a culture obsessed with self expression – with Alanna Glover
Posted on November 5, 2025
Filed under Resources Comments Off on Church music in a culture obsessed with self expression – with Alanna Glover
From The Pastor’s Heart –
“What does healthy, joyful, word-shaped congregational singing look like in a culture obsessed with self-expression?
We are shaped more than we realise by the culture around us. And today one of the most powerful cultural forces pressing on our churches is expressive individualism — the idea that the authentic self must be expressed and affirmed.
But what happens when this cultural air we breathe seeps into our church music? When sincerity becomes more important than truth, when the band is excellent yet the congregation is silent, and when singing shifts from ‘we proclaim Christ together’ to ‘I express what I feel’?
If we do not address this, we risk disengaged congregations, weakened church identity and a missed opportunity for deep spiritual formation that comes as we sing God’s word to one another.
Alanna Glover — longtime church music leader, former member of Garage Hymnal, ten years with Emu Music, songwriter, trainer and theologian — has just completed significant research on expressive individualism and congregational singing in evangelical churches.”
– Watch here. (Emphasis added.)
Seeing God at Work — Unearthing genealogical treasure
Posted on November 4, 2025
Filed under Resources, Theology Comments Off on Seeing God at Work — Unearthing genealogical treasure
From Phillip Jensen:
“This week in Two Ways News, we continue the theme of family. Having dealt with the family of Cain in chapter 4, we turn to the new family of Adam. In this family, God’s word enables us to see the Lord’s plans for salvation, hinted at in Genesis 3:15 and worked out in Noah.
We don’t often have sermons on genealogies, but hopefully this episode will help us see their importance.”
– hear the latest podcast with Peter and Phillip Jensen at Two Ways News.
Moore College Style Guide: Music Video
Posted on November 4, 2025
Filed under Moore College, Resources Comments Off on Moore College Style Guide: Music Video
A bit of fun from the 2025 Moore College Review and Dr. Lionel Windsor.
Even if it’s not your style, you might learn something!
Adelaide bids fond farewell to Archbishop Geoff Smith
Posted on November 3, 2025
Filed under Australian dioceses, People Comments Off on Adelaide bids fond farewell to Archbishop Geoff Smith
“The Anglican Diocese of Adelaide on Saturday 1 November bid a very fond farewell to the Most Reverend Geoffrey Smith, who has served as Archbishop for more than eight years. …”
— Report and photo from the Adelaide Diocese Guardian.
Doubtless, members of the Diocese of Adelaide would crave your prayers as they move to elect a new Archbishop to lead the diocese.
Photo: Archbishop Geoff Smith greets the Governor of South Australia, Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson.
Jesus’ hardest words – John 6:22-71
Posted on November 3, 2025
Filed under Good News, Moore College Comments Off on Jesus’ hardest words – John 6:22-71
Moore Theological College Principal Dr Mark Thompson spoke in College chapel on Friday (31 October 2025 – Reformation Day) as part of a series from the Gospel According to John.
Feeling weary? Let down? Needing encouragement? Here is food for the soul.
Jesus’ words are “a monumental comfort to us“.
– Watch here.
Anglican Aid — In fellowship with GAFCON
Posted on November 3, 2025
Filed under GAFCON, Sydney Diocese Comments Off on Anglican Aid — In fellowship with GAFCON
From The Archbishop of Sydney’s Anglican Aid:
“Anglican Aid gives thanks to God for the gospel faithfulness of the leadership of the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), following their recent statement regarding the future of the Anglican Communion. This announcement is a declaration that the Anglican Communion would not centre around a person or an office, but rest on a single foundation: the Word of God.
As the overseas aid, development, and ministry support agency of the Sydney Anglican Diocese, Anglican Aid is committed to resourcing churches in the world’s poorest countries with faithful servants trained in the word of God. We are building and resourcing theological colleges and supporting the training of over 2,500 people for various ministries. Anglican Aid longs to see the word of God faithfully proclaimed to the nations. …”
Photo: Anglican Aid CEO Tim Swan with Archbishop Ande from the Anglican Church of Congo.
Love in action: Praying for Moore College
Posted on November 2, 2025
Filed under Moore College Comments Off on Love in action: Praying for Moore College
“Over many decades, a group of godly women has been meeting regularly in Newtown to pray together. They pray for the College and its students, faculty and staff, and their prayers are a labour of love, creating deep bonds of fellowship, as these women unite in their desire to see Christ’s gospel proclaimed throughout our world, with the College resourced to play a critical role in that.
In the 1940s, this group was known as the Women’s Auxiliary and it originally helped furnish student rooms. A number of the doors in what is now John Chapman House still have Women’s Auxiliary plaques on them.
But with the growth of the College, the practical needs of the students became the responsibility of administration staff. So in the 1990s, the group was rebranded by Christine Jensen as the ‘Prayer and Support Group’ and it shifted to focusing solely on prayer support for the College. …”
– Kathryn Thompson shares much encouragement to pray for Moore College – with links to sign up for the Moore College Prayer Bulletin.
Image from Moore College footage from the 1940s possibly showing a gathering of the Women’s Auxiliary.
Bathurst Newsletter: All Saints 2025
Posted on November 1, 2025
Filed under Australian dioceses Comments Off on Bathurst Newsletter: All Saints 2025
“All Saints’ – because we are ALL Saints!”
The latest Bathurst Diocesan Newsletter is available on their website.
Reformation Revisited — Gafcon Australia
Posted on October 31, 2025
Filed under Anglican Communion, GAFCON Australia Comments Off on Reformation Revisited — Gafcon Australia
Here’s an announcement from the Board of Gafcon Australia, 31 October 2025 (Reformation Day):
“Dear brothers and sisters,
On 16 October the Gafcon Primates Council released a statement about the Global Anglican Communion. In this statement, they announced a ‘reordering of the Anglican Communion’ centred on the Bible. As the Gafcon Australia Board, we welcome this announcement and look forward to working with our brothers and sisters around the world to reorder the Communion.
Gafcon has been calling the Instruments of Communion (the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conference, the Anglican Consultative Council and the Primates’ Meeting) to repent of their drift from historic, biblical Christian teaching since 2008. In the absence of such repentance and in light of the continued direction of the Canterbury Communion, they have decided that it is time for decisive action.
The Gafcon Primates Council have now officially rejected the Instruments of Communion …
The Anglican Church of Australia remains ‘in Communion’ with the See of Canterbury by virtue of our Constitution. That can only be changed by the General Synod with the agreement of three quarters of all the Dioceses, including all five Metropolitan Dioceses.
That is unlikely to occur in the near future. However, our ‘fellowship’ with Canterbury and other Anglican Churches has been seriously impaired for some time. …”
What Happened on Reformation Day?
Posted on October 30, 2025
Filed under History, Theology Comments Off on What Happened on Reformation Day?
“On October 31, much of the culture will be focussed on candy and things that go bump in the night. Protestants, however, have something far more significant to celebrate on October 31.
It’s Reformation day, which commemorates what was perhaps the greatest move of God’s Spirit since the days of the Apostles.
But what is the significance of Reformation Day, and how should we consider the events it commemorates? …”
– At Ligonier Ministries, Robert Rothwell writes about the significance of Reformation Day.
Image: Martin Luther in 1532, by Lucas Cranach the Elder.
Help! The wrong type of person is turning up at church!
Posted on October 30, 2025
Filed under Apologetics, Evangelism, Opinion Comments Off on Help! The wrong type of person is turning up at church!
“The wrong type of people are turning up at our churches. The wrong type of non-Christian people.
Not convinced? Let me explain.
The quiet revival – in which young men in particular are turning up at churches – is presenting something of a problem for evangelical churches of a certain stripe. And the recent death of Charlie Kirk has cast this problem into sharper relief.
What’s the problem? I hear you ask. Well it’s this:
Many of our more middle class, evangelical churches – especially in urban areas – have been prepping themselves for a certain type of non-Christian to come through their doors. Yet in the wake of Kirk’s murder they are less prepped for another type of non-Christian altogether – the type that actually is coming through their doors!
It’s not as simple as ‘the wrong type’ of inquirer coming to our churches. There’s no such thing.
But our evangelical churches, especially in our big cities, are more unsure about what to do with a Jordan Peterson reading/Charlie Kirk socials-watching young bloke turning up, than they are about a gender-fluid university student with all the progressive boxes ticked, turning up. …
Why have we been caught out by this surprising turn of events? Because the culture has been caught out by this surprising turn of events. And we have followed the culture’s lead. …”
– Many churches are seeing this ‘quiet revival’. Stephen McAlpine writes with encouragement to engage.
Global South Missions Consultation in Uganda
Posted on October 30, 2025
Filed under Global South Comments Off on Global South Missions Consultation in Uganda
“The second Global South Mission Consultation Roundtable (MCR 02) with Mission Partners has today officially opened at Lweza Training and Conference Centre in Uganda, bringing together mission representatives and partners from across the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) to strengthen collaboration in advancing the Gospel. …
… Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, The Most Rev. Dr. Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, emphasized that the Church’s vitality depends on its commitment to Mission.
‘The Church survives or dies because of its focus or lack of focus on mission. We are called to make disciples of all nations. We can’t do that if we remain in our Provinces. We must spread our wings, learn best practices from others, and seek like-minded partners to evangelize the world.’ Archbishop Kaziimba said. …”
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…