Rector: The Rev’d Matthew Heazlewood Senior Associate Minister: The Rev’d Martin Robinson Children’s Worker: Lesley Walker Student Minister: Michael Hanbury

9B Arnold Street, Killara NSW 2071 (P) 9880 2137 (E) office@stmartinskillara.org

Daylight Saving Ends Sunday April 4

Inside this Edition

Welcome to our Winter newsletter. I hope that even in the winter-chills you feel the warmth of fellowship and joy of partnership in the gospel of grace. I really can’t believe it’s been 3 months already as Rector of St Martin’s. There has been a tremendous energy and sense of encouragement following from the commencement service and our Easter services. I thank God for the wonderful privilege and opportunity He has given me and my family to serve him here in partnership with God’s people in Killara. At St Martin’s we are body with a diversity of gifts, personalities and skills and the more we can bring those together as one the more effective our mission. I am very conscious that this is God’s church, that our church is His church, planted over a hundred years ago to bring the gospel of grace to our community. As we see changing lives through grace we rejoice in the Giver of all gifts and keep asking how can His grace flow in our church and community.

In preaching through our vision of “changing lives through grace: in prayer, care, discipleship, and worship” this last term and sharing with others in the accompanying studies it as been exciting to see our vision begin take shape. If you haven’t been able to be a part of these I encourage you to go to our website and download the sermons and studies for yourself. Cont’d on page 2

Winter Newsletter June - August, 2012

Office Hours: Mon - Thurs: 9.00am - 3.00pm; Fri: Closed

The Olympic Challenge Too much sport is never enough for me. The London Olympics highlights for us the prominence of sport in our society and culture. I love it! 205 nations taking part in 300 events at the Olympic Games in London and 147 nations will take part in the Para-Olympic Games. Billions of dollars are spent on staging, and broadcasting, this global event.

Of course, competitive games were well known in the first century, and like all decent preachers, the Apostle Paul was prepared to draw on sport for illustrations (e.g. 2 Tim 2:5; 1 Cor 9:24, 25). But on the sports issue, the Bible is neither positive nor negative. Cont’d on page 2

From the Rector

Catch

the

Vision

We’re on the web: www.stmartinskillara.org

Changing lives through grace in prayer, care, discipleship, and worship

The Olympic Challenge …cont’d from page 1 Yet I can never forget the film Chariots of Fire, which demonstrates the power of sport in Christian experience. It contrasts the experience of Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell, (who won gold at the 1924 Olympics). At one point Harold Abrahams explains why he runs, why he wants to win the gold medal. Abrahams says I want to run but I'm scared to run because ‘I only have 10 seconds to justify my existence’. He is seeking to prove himself, to show the world what he’s made of. Eric Liddell on the other hand says to his sister: “I believe that God made me for a purpose. For China. But He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel his pleasure. To give it up would be to hold him in contempt … to win is to honour Him.” Totally different approach. One was running to honour his maker, the other was running to be his maker. The real Olympic challenge is to see that if you’re running to prove yourself, and you’re scared to death because if you fail then your life will be worth nothing. What you are really saying is, “unless I have this, I’m a nobody”. You look at the-thing, you look at the job, you look at the dress in the window, you look at the gold medal, you look at your family, you look at your money, you look at your intelligence, you look at your figure - and you say that. There’s plenty of people that say intellectually, “Yes I believe Jesus died for me on the cross, yes I’m a Christian.” And yet they’re driven by the things of this world. Which means you’re saying, “I’m a nobody if I don’t have this”. Either Jesus is your Lord and Saviour or something else is. Simple but profound and it changes you forever. So the things in your life are now ways to honour your maker, not simply ways to be your own maker.

Catch the Vision …cont’d from page 1 To the extent that together we behold God’s amazing grace in the Lord Jesus Christ, we can have a clear unified vision. We can develop a gospel movement that seeks to prayerfully care for and disciple others. Then our worship in our lives and Sundays, will be acceptable to God and we will effectively build one another up in Christ and reach out to our community. Have you caught the vision? Do the core values resonate? What role could you play? The process we are developing is, that of disciples making disciples (Matthew 28:16-20). There are 3 steps in this process. Effective care and outreach that sees a commitment to Christ, a maturing in faithfulness and fruitfulness, and a willingness to be trained and take on leadership. Christian discipleship is really not very complicated. It is simply the making and nurturing of genuine followers of the Lord Jesus Christ through prayerful, proclamation of the word of God. What’s clear is that each of us has been gifted in valuable ways, and each of us is to use our gifts in the service of Jesus, his people and the world. The movement we are seeking is in seeing people personally reading their bibles and saying their prayers, and then doing that with others during the week, all the while seeking to use what God has given them (gifts, skills, resources, time) to his glory. Are there gifts that God has given you? How could you use those gifts to serve others at church? In our community? Do you feel you have been warming the pew too long? What could you do next week? I’d love to talk with you about whatever God is laying on your heart in this regard so please grab me after church, email me or make a time, come and see me. Please be assured my prayers.

Grace & peace, Matt Heazlewood

BCP - 350 Years Young

350 years ago, on 19 May 1662, The Act of Uniformity received the royal assent in England thus enforcing use of the Book of Common Prayer (BCP). Its doctrine and patterns remain a legal standard for Anglicans, and its shape influences all contemporary Anglican Church services today. It’s firm biblical basis makes it the standard that guides our services, even if we don’t always use exactly the same words. For the BCP’s own preface recognised that language changes over time, and its expression must be updated and adjusted to local circumstances. Nevertheless the biblically soaked language of the BCP has entered into modern parlance with phrases like “til death do us part”, “ashes to ashes, dust to dust”. The beauty of the BCP is emphasis on the centrality of the Bible as God’s word to humankind, urging its systematic reading at some length, in the language of the people. The forms of prayer are biblically based on what we have in common. So the BCP has always been a book to learn of God, and by which to worship God with others or alone. It boldly proclaims justification by faith alone, based on the worthiness of the Lord Jesus Christ and his sacrificial death for our sins. During the month of August we will endeavour to mark this anniversary in various ways, so please stay tuned.

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Killara Women Driving the Online Shopping Revolution

I noticed a recent article on www.news.com.au reporting the recent NAB Online Retail Sales Index which has found that online sales of cosmetics, clothes and online department store items have jumped 15 per cent in the past 12 months. Interestingly Killara women were at the top of the list, spending an average of more than $1200 online each year. My wife Alice assures me that it’s only a coincidence that is how long we have been in Killara! Now I think online shopping has some real advantages, but it got me thinking about how drawn into worldliness we have become. It was about the same time we were looking at the “Excellent wife” described in Proverbs 31, in our Bible Study groups The book of Proverbs tells us how we can live a wise, righteous and prudent life. (1:2-4) All three qualities are seen in the “Excellent Wife” as she is wise in her wisdom(31:26), her discretion in the way her right decisions cause no offence or hurt (31:28), and her prudence in the confidence with which she faces the future (31:21, 25). For as Proverbs shows us, the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom” (1:7) and she has based her life on this foundational truth.

Unfortunately some women can misunderstand this passage and feel depressed or intimidated by this “Excellent Wife”, a feeling sometimes compounded by selfish husbands who put them down. Of course the “Excellent Wife” really speaks to both men and women. For in it we learn that whatever you do, you must let God’s wisdom shape your life. Fear the Lord and you will be able to hold onto righteousness, kindness and truth. For the “Excellent Wife” points us to the ultimate “Wise Man”, Jesus Christ, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:3). When we find our worth in him, rather than in the things of this world, we realise we have been given every spiritual blessing because of what he done for us. We have been blessed so we can be a blessing. So we begin to understand real purpose in life, and therefore real wisdom.

Care that Changes Lives Thank you to all who participated in Community Collection Sunday in May. The food was delivered to Anglicare and has been used for emergency relief! Anglicare's stocks had been very low, and our collection arrived at just the right time. 8 participating churches again collected over 6 tonnes of food this year, which will be used to provide real and practical support to thousands of families in Sydney's West. Anglicare have asked that we pass on their heartfelt thanks to all involved.

Playtime … Wed nesday 10. 00am -12p m

Confirmation at St Martin’s A service of confirmation was held on 20th May, conducted by The Rt Rev’d David Mulready

Back row: Right Rev’d David Mulready, Tammie Tam, Janet Turner, Matthew Hocking, Angus Mackay & Rev’d Matthew Heazlewood; Front row: Naomi Clarry, Leo Chan, Matthew Chan, Thomas Davis & Anjali Visvalingam

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PUPIL FREE DAY

27 April 2011

Baptisms Weddings

10.03.12 Tom WOOD & Catherine BROWN 25.02.12 Michael GUY & Anna Lisa STEVENSON 26.05.12 Richard LEE & Connie MAK

A Memorial Wall consisting of 1700 niches is located towards the rear of the Church on the left hand side. A niche is now priced at $1500. Please contact the Office for more information.

Funerals

SUNDAYS 8.00am Holy Communion (Book of Common Prayer/APBA); 10.00am Family Church followed by Morning Tea The ARK: is provided within a safe and fun environment during 10.00 am Service. (Ages 6mths - 4 years) KidsChurch JUMP (K—Y2) TACOS (Year 3-8) 4.00pm The Zone: Years 7-10 meet for fellowship and study in the Youth Centre (weekly—term time) 6.00pm NightChurch (Contemporary) GRACE GROUPS: Various bible study groups and social activities take place at St Martin’s. Please contact the office for information. WEEKDAYS Wednesday Midweek 10.00am Holy Communion (BCP) Wednesday Playtime 10am—12 Noon Join us in the Kindy Hall Thursdays 9.30 am—10.00am SRE at Killara Public School Thursday 10.00-12 Noon ESL Classes in the Youth Centre (English as a Second Language) SERVICES FOR THE AGED Lourdes Village in the Chapel : 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 11.00am Killara Gardens Nursing Home: 3rd Tuesday of the month at 11.00am

11.02.12 Michael QUAN 24.02.12 John ORANGE 14.03.12 Ed Lingle

12.02.12 Caitlin Lillian BLACKWELL 11.03.12 Hugo William Glover SHEAD 15.04.12 Matthew On Chit CHAN 15.04.12 Annabelle Rose TRY 10.06.12 Steven Read CRISP 10.06.12 Charles Richard CURTIS

Personal Notices

What we do……and how you can get involved

Memorial Wall

Confirmation

20 May 2012 Janet TURNER Matthew CHAN Thomas DAVIS Naomi CLARRY Matthew HOCKING Angus MACKAY Anjali VISVALINGAM Leo CHAN Tammie TAM

Refresh Weekend Away - 2012 Join us for our church weekend away of refreshment and fun on 7th-9th September 2012. Download a form from www.stmartinskillara.org, fill it in & return the form to secure your place. Last year we had over 60 people, from every service at St Martin’s and some playtime families too! This year it’s at Merroo Conference Centre, Kurrajong (http://www.merroocentre.com.au/). We’ll be meeting at Merroo on the Friday night at 7pm (you’ll need dinner before you arrive).

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Pupil Free Day “Mini Olympics”

16 July at St Martin’s

(9.15am to 3.00pm) Registration via

website or Parish Office

We also require volunteers

Financial Giving

The easiest way to support God’s work at St Martin’s financially is

via direct deposit.

“St Martin’s Anglican Church Killara” Commonwealth Bank

BSB 062 195 ACC 10034848

Please consider leaving a bequest in your Will for St Martin’s