Late January this year the Church Council went on a retreat to seek God specifically for some direction for Sunset Rock in 2010. After much prayer and worship the members of the Council spent significant time alone and in small groups listening to God and then regathered to share the results of their listening. After discussion and further prayer the Council believes God has give us at Sunset Rock three distinctive goals for 2010. This document describes these goals and is commended to you for your prayerful consideration.
The members of the Church Council are…
Richard Banham (Minister)
John Riggs (Chairperson)
Bob James (Treasurer)
Jacob Wright (Secretary)
Alice Anselmo
Carol Aldous
Roy Frisby-Smith
Kate McSkimming
Pauline Overbeeke
Kerryn Wright
If you have any questions or thoughts about the goals and how they can be fulfilled your Church Council would be thrilled to hear from you.
Before we Begin
The Church Council wishes to express thanks to God and to the congregation for the many ways God’s love is seen in words and deeds at Sunset Rock through the ministry of the congregation. In setting these goals the Council believes that God intends for us to continue upholding the many important ministries currently being offered at Sunset Rock.
The 2010 goals should therefore be seen in the context that they are complimentary and in addition to all the good work God is already accomplishing through us. Our aim is for excellence in all things – we do not begin from a blank slate but seek to build on the strong foundations God has already laid for us.
The Goals for 2010
- Develop Greater Intimacy with God Together
Every Christian experiences a level of intimacy with God. The aim of this goal is to encourage us as a congregation to explore how we can deepen our intimacy with God (and with each other) as we gather to worship and pray. It is seeking a deeper experience of God’s presence as we draw near to Him.An outcome of this increased intimacy might also be greater opportunities to minister to one another in prayer and in the exercise of the gifts God has given us in ministry.
The Council believes this goal should be considered not only on Sundays in our services of worship but also in our small group meetings and whenever opportunities are made for us to gather together.
The Council this year will be prayerfully seeking how we can encourage and assist the congregation to achieve this goal.
- To Live Out Romans 12:2Romans 12:2 (NIV) – “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will”Western culture is besieged with competing values for living. We are daily assaulted in the media with messages of what will make us happy and how we can live successfully. A person’s worth is being measured by how much they earn, how good looking they are, how famous they are and how much influence they have in society. Moral values are being eroded to accept that which the scriptures and the church have denounced over the centuries.
The purpose of this goal is to expose the patterns of this world that threaten to seduce us and draw us away from God and Godly living.
- Special Emphasis on Nurturing the Young, the new Christian and NewcomersWe aim to give more emphasis on nurturing our children and youth that they may become mature witnesses for Christ serving God for the rest of their lives.New Christians are especially vulnerable to attacks from the enemy to draw them away from God. We will seek to ensure those who become Christians are nurtured to create strong foundations for their lives with God.
Strangers in our midst are one the opportunities God gives us to love our neighbour. We want our newcomers to feel welcome and loved by us.
How will we achieve these goals?
The Church Council has set as its main priority for 2010 to prayerfully work through each goal and present practical helps to the congregation to enable their fulfilment.
The Council meets twice monthly – once a month specifically for prayer and once a month to deal with the business of church life. These meetings take place on the 2nd and 4th Thursday night of each month.
Please pray regularly for your Church Council…
- Regularly in your devotions
- As you meet in various gathering of the Church such as small groups
- Pray for wisdom and guidance
- Pray for protection over the enemy’s attacks
- Pray that we all will respond to God’s direction as He reveals His will to us
