Mission Drift

Posted on October 30, 2026 
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Dave McDonald reviews Evangelism in the Local Church –

“Paul Brennan and Dave Jensen’s Evangelism in the Local Church is greatly needed by churches and their leaders. We know that our churches are prone to mission drift. But do we realise that church leaders are equally prone to drift, and to take our churches with us? The busyness of church life overtakes the urgent need for the lost to be saved.

I recognise that I am sometimes the cause of mission drift. My priorities bend toward the insider, while the outsider is increasingly forgotten. Our timetables and budgets shift inwardly. We lose our sense of urgency, the lostness of the lost, the wonder of God’s glorious gospel, and the reality of heaven and hell. There have been periods when regular, planned, resourced, and intentional outreach hasn’t happened at all.

Brennan and Jensen understand these struggles. They’ve been there and they’ve written this book to help. …”

– at The Gospel Coalition Australia.

The book is available from The Wandering Bookseller and other Christian bookshops.

New Creation Kids — a new resource from Youthworks

Posted on October 29, 2026 
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Next week, Youthworks is launching New Creation Kids, a Bible-centred children’s ministry curriculum designed to help churches teach the whole Bible as one connected story, with Jesus at its centre.

We’re glad to share this information from Youthworks –

A new creation for the next generation

It started with three questions children’s ministry leaders kept asking. Eighteen months later, Youthworks’ answer is ready for churches.

If you’ve ever led a kids’ church program, you’ll know the moment. A seven-year-old puts up her hand halfway through the lesson and asks a question so sharp you have to stop and think. Children grow as disciples of Jesus when church, home and their wider church family are all opening the same Bible with them. That conviction sits at the heart of New Creation Kids, a new children’s ministry curriculum from Youthworks Media that opens to churches on 2nd November.

Three questions

It began with listening. In the churches Youthworks partners with, children’s ministry leaders kept raising the same three questions. What curriculum should we use? How can we train and grow our leaders? And how can we better partner with families in discipling our kids?

Rather than answer them one at a time, Youthworks’ Ministry Support Team set out to answer all three together. For the last 18 months they have been working alongside children’s ministry workers in local Australian churches, building one curriculum that teaches the Bible richly, invests in the leaders who teach it and brings families into the conversation. Volume 1 is now ready for use in 2027.

“Our hope is that New Creation Kids will grow leaders who love discipling children and are equipped to create age-appropriate, engaging and Jesus-centred teaching times. From the beginning, we wanted to build in leader training and provide practical ways to partner with families — something that can often feel overwhelming for busy kids’ ministry teams.” – Annemarie Rivers (Children’s Ministry & Primary SRE Advisor)

The whole story, with Jesus at the centre

Children love a good story, and the Bible is the greatest one there is. New Creation Kids takes children through all of it over three years, with six months in the Old Testament and six in the New Testament each year. Along the way they work through the Old Testament narrative, the Gospels, the early church and some key topical series. Each year has four 12-week units, plus a holiday series and an Advent series. Year 1 begins in Luke and Acts, then heads back to Genesis and Exodus.

Each week, children see how that Sunday’s passage fits into one great story with Jesus at the centre. Youthworks is convinced that children aren’t disciples-in-waiting. They can know God, understand the gospel and grow in faith now, so the lessons are written to stretch them, not just keep them busy.

Leaders who grow as they teach

Children’s ministry in our churches runs on faithful volunteers, and many of them learned to prepare a Bible talk at Youthworks’ LIT conferences. New Creation Kids builds on that same training. Each week’s leader notes use the LIT Teaching Target, and instead of one scripted lesson, leaders get several teaching approaches, discussion guides, games, activities and craft ideas to make the week their own.

Every series opens with an overview of its theology, and a podcast episode for every week talks through the passage and how to bring it to life for children. Picture a leader listening on the drive home on a Thursday and walking into kids’ church on Sunday already excited about the passage.

“I’m excited for leaders to spend time in the Bible for themselves as they prepare. For leaders to have all the pieces they need for teaching children and then to create a way to teach the Bible to the specific kids in front of them each week.” – Cam Harte (Children’s Ministry & Primary SRE Advisor, Southern Sydney Region)

Sunday at church, Tuesday at the dinner table

Kids church has one hour on a Sunday morning. Families have the rest of the week. Therefore, every week comes with home reading cards for children, a weekly family discussion guide and a parent devotional that follows along with what children are learning. The passage a child hears at church can be the one the family opens together over dinner during the week. 

Every lesson has a primary school version and a preschool adaptation on the same passage, so the whole children’s ministry is in the same part of the story. That works whether a church has one mixed group or separate classes for every age, and it means parents with a four-year-old and a nine-year-old get to have one conversation, not two.

Ready for 2027

The New Creation Kids site opens on 2 November, and churches can start teaching it in January 2027, in time for the new ministry year.

In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul writes that if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. That’s the hope New Creation Kids is built around: that the children in our churches will come to know God for themselves.

Find out more at newcreationkids.org.

Giving thanks for Daniel Willis

Posted on October 28, 2026 
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From Gafcon:

“The Global Anglican Communion gives thanks to God for the life and faithful ministry of the Revd Canon Daniel Lawrence Willis, who went to be with the Lord on 26 October 2026, aged 72.

Daniel served as the Conference Director for GAFCON III in Jerusalem in 2018, bringing together nearly 2,000 Anglican leaders and delegates from around the world for a historic gathering. His exceptional organisational abilities, strategic insight and commitment to the gospel made an invaluable contribution to the success of that conference.

In March 2020, Daniel commenced his role as Gafcon’s Global Operations Manager, serving until his retirement in 2024. During these years, he provided dedicated service to the Global Secretariat, navigating the considerable challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic while supporting the growing fellowship of orthodox Anglicans around the world. He also played a significant role in the preparations for GAFCON IV in Kigali, Rwanda, in 2023.

Daniel will be remembered for his faithful service to Christ, his considerable organisational and strategic gifts, and his deep commitment to the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ among the nations.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to Daniel’s wife, Karen, their children Bec, Flick and Josh, and their seven grandchildren. Please join us in giving thanks to God for Daniel’s life and ministry, and in praying that his family will know the comfort and certain hope of the resurrection through our Lord Jesus Christ.

‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’ (Matthew 25:21).”

– From Gafcon’s Facebook page.

In addition to all that’s outlined above, we give much thanks to the Lord for Daniel’s many years of ministry in Sydney, including at Frenchs Forest, the Cathedral, and with the Bible Society, as well as on the ACL’s Council.

Inside Sydney — by Bruce Ballantine-Jones — free e-Book download

Posted on October 28, 2026 
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In 2016, former ACL President Bruce Ballantine-Jones OAM published a significant history of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney.-

Inside Sydney: An Insider’s view of the changes and politics in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, 1966-2013

Bruce has made an e-Book version available for free download.

It’s available on this page in our Resources section.

(Thanks to SydneyAnglicans.net for the photo of Bruce.)

Bathurst newsletter October 2026

Posted on October 28, 2026 
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The latest Bathurst Diocese newsletter has been posted to their website.

A good reminder to pray.

Institutional Captivity

Posted on October 27, 2026 
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Phillip Jensen writes,

“In this first episode of our series of topics, Peter and I are discussing institutional captivity. Christians, especially evangelical Christians, have been very enterprising and energetic in setting up Christian organisations and institutions. But sadly, we have not been as good in maintaining their focus or original intention.

So many of our organisations have lost their way even to the extent of excluding evangelicalism. In our conversation we try to explore why and how this takes place.

It’s a large topic which hopefully will lead to many discussions amongst our listeners.”

– Listen to this week’s discussion at Two Ways News.

Evangelicals Gain Ground — But will God save the Church of England? — Vaughan Roberts and John Dunnett

Posted on October 26, 2026 
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From The Pastor’s Heart —

“Evangelicals have gained ground in the Church of England’s General Synod elections. But so have the revisionists. The middle ground has shrunk and the battle over marriage, biblical authority and the future of the Church of England is more polarised than before.

And now there’s a significant disagreement among evangelicals themselves. Should orthodox Anglicans further break fellowship bishops who have departed from biblical teaching?

We discuss William Taylor’s challenge, alternative ordinations, the prospect of a parallel province and ask whether the new Archbishop of Canterbury will meet with the leaders of the Alliance or try to ‘kick the can down the road.’

Vaughan Roberts and John Dunnett say the orthodox Alliance in the Church of England is stronger than ever, but the present situation is unsustainable.”

— Watch or listen here.

Related:

Church of England Evangelical Council

The Alliance

William Taylor answers questions on the Church of England crisis

Global Anglican Council Communique: Our Hope for Years to Come

Posted on October 26, 2026 
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From Dr Laurent Mbanda, Chairman, of the Global Anglican Council:

“Dear brothers and sisters,

Greetings from the land of a thousand hills and the land of a thousand smiles!

The Global Anglican Council gathered in Kigali, Rwanda, for meetings on 22–23 October 2026, followed by a concluding meeting on Sunday 25 October. This was an important time of prayer and deliberation as we sought the mind of the Lord in laying the foundations for the future of the Global Anglican Communion.

Our gathering in Kigali also provided an opportunity to celebrate the transition of leadership in the Anglican Church of Rwanda, as I conclude my ministry as Archbishop and Primate.

On Sunday 25 October, we rejoiced together at the installation of the Most Revd Dr Manasseh Gahima as the fifth Primate of Rwanda, and the Council was delighted to welcome him as a new member. Although I have retired from my leadership of the Church of Rwanda, I remain deeply committed to serving as Chairman of the Global Anglican Council.

Bishop Julian Dobbs reminded us from Psalm 90 that we can only see our days wisely when we see God clearly. Our lives are short, but our Lord is eternal, and so we must pray that he would teach us to number our days and establish the work of our hands.

We focused particularly on the guiding principles that form the foundation of our Council and Communion, as we continue the historic transition established at G26 in Abuja. We rejoice that these principles reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the authority of God’s Word, the Jerusalem Declaration, and our principled disengagement from the Canterbury Instruments of Communion.

We heard encouraging reports from our provinces and regions, giving thanks to God for the growth of evangelism and discipleship throughout the world.

We gave particular attention to Europe, where the gospel once flourished but where so many have now turned away from Christ. We were encouraged by opportunities for renewed gospel proclamation and church planting, and strengthened in our commitment to this vital mission.

We reviewed the exciting preparations for our G27 Prayer Conference in Recife, Brazil, next April, and considered the shape and vision of our GAFCON V Assembly in Athens 2028, including a theme we look forward to announcing soon.

We also considered the development of our global Secretariat and approved a refreshed logo and website address, which we look forward to unveiling in the coming weeks.

Yet we remain mindful of the schemes of the evil one, who seeks to divide Christ’s people and draw them away from the truth of God’s Word. This reminds us of our urgent need for fervent prayer, faithful preaching and steadfast commitment to the gospel.

As we sang together the great hymn O God, Our Help in Ages Past, we were reminded that the Lord who has sustained us through the years remains our hope for the future.

As we look towards gathering again in Recife next April, I ask you to continue praying for us, that the Lord would establish the work of our hands, unite us in his truth, and strengthen us for the proclamation of Christ throughout the nations.

Yours in Christ,

The Most Revd Dr Laurent Mbanda
Chairman, Global Anglican Council
25 October 2026.

– Source: Gafcon. Larger version of the photo.

The Church of England Must Stop Wasting Money

Posted on October 26, 2026 
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Julian Mann, a former Church of England Vicar, shares some of his experiences, as well as a new report on the CofE –

“In early 2019 I was sitting in the choir stalls of a large medieval church in Sheffield with a group of somewhat stressed-out fellow clergy being told by the then new Bishop of Sheffield that the diocese couldn’t afford us and that our numbers had to be cut. …”

– At The Daily Skeptic.

Reformation Sunday — Preaching like we believe in Scripture Alone

Posted on October 25, 2026 
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David Cook has exhortation and encouragement for preachers (and their hearers) –

“Scripture Alone

Reformation Day this year is a Saturday, 31st October, the day in 1517 when Martin Luther hammered his 95 Theses to the doors of Wittenberg Cathedral.

Reformation Sunday is therefore the Sunday preceding, 25th October.

I want in this column to concentrate on the first of the five Solas, Sola Scriptura, Scripture alone.

Expository preaching begins and ends with the Bible. …”

– Read it at The Expository Preaching Trust.

Encourage your preachers to give us the Word we need to hear.

Related:

The public reading of Scripture: How to do it well – Jen Richards writes at The Australian Church Record.

Launch 2027 — 26th-29th January

Posted on October 24, 2026 
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Launch 2027, the camp for school leavers, is planned for The Tops Conference Centre at the end of January.

See all the details at Phillip Jensen’s website.

The Enduring Word: From William Tyndale to the English Standard Version

Posted on October 23, 2026 
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From Crossway –

“This short film celebrates God’s providence throughout the history of English Bible translation—from William Tyndale’s 1526 New Testament to the English Standard Version Bible.”

It’s a 20 minute video. As part of Crossway’s celebration of 25 years of the ESV.

The First 250 Books for Your Church Library

Posted on October 23, 2026 
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Do you have a church library? Or a personal library?

Tim Challies has just published a suggested list.

“I am sometimes asked to help churches evaluate their libraries, and to suggest the books they should add and the ones they should take away. I thought it might prove helpful to put together a list of the first 250 books that can get a church well on its way to having a great library.

No one will agree with every book on this list. In fact, by this time tomorrow I probably won’t agree with them all either. But I think you’ll still find it a very good place to begin as you attempt to build a well-rounded, trustworthy church library. I will work on a list for the children’s portion of the library next.”

– See his selection here.

Whether or not you’re building a church library, it’s worth looking through the list to see what you might have missed otherwise.

And there will be local sources for many of these books. (Great to support local booksellers like The Wandering Bookseller and Reformers Books.)

Reformation Day 2026 event

Posted on October 22, 2026 
Filed under Good News, Resources Comments Off on Reformation Day 2026 event

Mark Gilbert, Certainty4Eternity and Evangelism and New Churches are running what promises to be a super helpful event.

A morning helping Protestant Christians to speak with people from a Roman Catholic background about Jesus with understanding, clarity, confidence, and wisdom.

Saturday 31st October 2026, 9:15am–2:45pm at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney.

Mark also writes,

As inheritors of the Reformation, Reformation Day is a great opportunity to celebrate our identity in Christ.

But as well as that, Reformation Day 2026 will help those that come to understand people from a Roman Catholics background better so they can have great conversations with them about Jesus.

Please consider coming and bringing a team with you.

• Bible Teaching
• Historical Theology
• Applied Theology
• Evangelistic Tips
• Wonderful Testimonies
• Stephen Shead playing the grand piano
• Curated Bookstall
• Free Food

What’s not to love?

See the promo video below – and reserve your spot.

A Toolkit for Preachers

Posted on October 22, 2026 
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Presbyterian Minister Dr Peter Moore (graduate of Moore College and Christ College, and well known to many Sydney Anglicans through his mentoring ministry) has begun publishing “A Preacher’s Toolkit” as an encouragement and help to preachers:

“Clarity is a great virtue in preaching. And for clarity in what others hear, we need to ruthlessly eliminate fog in what we say.

One technique that gets rid of fog is the use of antithesis. Antithesis is placing opposite terms or meaning in connected phrases. That is exactly what Paul does in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 …” (from Principle Two – Opposites.)

– See the posts already published, and subscribe to be notified of new content.

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