Opinion

Hear the good news! We have been set free by Jesus Christ and there is a purpose to our holy freedom! What have we been set free from? From the burdens of sin and guilt, and from the burdensome expectations that society places on us, and we place upon ourselves. This is freedom from the smothering blanket of conformity, demands, ...

“I don’t know. It’s like “the universe” or Jesus or God, but there’s stuff happening that’s beyond me and that’s not all-about-me,” said my friend. “Life has to be more than just all about me; what I want, how much sex, how much money… you know?”  He’s looking up. His eyes are on Jesus. He just doesn’t see yet. We ...

There’s a strange story in the life of Moses, where the people of Israel find themselves in a difficult situation.  They are wandering in the desert on their way to a future home and yet they are tired, lost, impatient and hungry. “They spoke against God and against Moses, and said, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt ...

An informal discussion around the BBQ between Rev Craig Mischewski and six young people (with little connection to the church) provided a wealth of insight into the church, its messaging and how it might engage younger people who are warm to the concepts and actions of the Christian faith. Rev Craig Mischewski writes. It was Sunday after church, and I ...

A lament is an expression of loss, grief, anger, disillusion, feeling over-whelmed, at your wit’s end, inconsolable, or sense of hopelessness. A lament gives expression to these things realistically, but not without hope. A hope that comes not from present realities but from faith in the mystery that darkness will never put out the light. In the Christian story, this ...

“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” (Jeremiah 29: 11) This is the gift of Christmas. The promise of a future with hope. We know so many don’t have hope leading into this Christmas season. It is why Lifeline ...

As we come into the season of Advent, we don’t often come in preparation for revolution; for the overthrow of tyranny and oppression, the pursuit of justice for the hungry and the have-nots. As we celebrate Christmas, we generally don’t come seeking the overthrow of unjust leaders and rulers and the establishment of a new order in the world! We ...

The sixteenth of November was World Day of Tolerance. What a great idea, what a great virtue. We are likely to all agree that there is one thing we need, and that is tolerance in a very intolerant world. Tolerance is an interesting concept as it is basically saying, “You and I might have differences in one way or another, but that’s OK. We will accept each other, we won’t be too tough ...

One Church. If One Church is the “what” of Project Plenty’s focus on church’s identity, what is the “why” that undergirds this priority? Perhaps the why of one church is to enhance the relational dynamics and operational efficiencies between all key stakeholders. This could lead to innovative opportunities, financial savings and a clearer sense of identity within the branding of ...

There’s a lot of shouting in the streets; plenty of noise. Noise isn’t the same as wisdom. Wisdom is often a whisper, requiring we listen like Elijah. Loud voices disguise wisdom as popular opinion, culture of the day, approval and/or comfort and convenience. None of that is necessarily Godly wisdom, and it is not, what we call “common sense”. Godly ...