2023 – Here we come!
Welcome to 2023 at Christ Church St Ives. We have so much in store this year to help you grow as a wholehearted disciple of Jesus.
To start with, let me remind you of the four key foundational principles for Christian growth that we talked about in November.
Number 1: Be the Church - be an engaged and committed contributor to all that happens here rather than a casual consumer.
Number 2: Support the Work - check in on your giving, increase it where you can and get on board with growing the gospel in and from St Ives.
Number 3: Join the Work - use the gifts God has given you to see the world transformed through Jesus.
Number 4: Grow in the Work - join a Growth Group and find a circle of belonging.
You can read more at www.christchurch.com.au/2023.
Now what else is happening?
Well, you will see a lot of prayer and energy go into our three strategic priorities for 2023.
First of all, mission remains the backbone of our church calendar and we are prioritising opportunities to see our connections know Christ. We will encourage and equip you to listen to those around you, speak up from a Christian worldview, proclaim the Gospel to those ready and read the Bible with those seeking Jesus. You will hear more about this in the weeks ahead.
Second, we are focussing on growing and improving our Children’s and Youth Ministry. It’s a fundamental part of the Christ Church DNA but we want to see God transform the lives of more and more young people as they come under the sound of the Gospel.
Third, we are expanding our Ministry Training opportunities for those considering full-time vocational ministry but also for all our church members. Tom Pattison starts this week and I am looking forward to the impact he will have on this area of thinking as we also develop MTS Traineeships with both a Mission and Chaplaincy focus.
So there are our three Strategic Priorities for 2023. But we will keep doing all the things you expect at Christ Church in order to see everyone grow as wholehearted disciples.
We are working towards powerful and inspiring church gatherings, with prayer, music and Bible teaching that lifts our eyes to Jesus. We will listen to all God has to say to us in Revelation, Exodus, John and 1 Corinthians this year and our mid-year Let’s Talk Series will focus on a practical exposition of a theology of Work.
There will be a Men’s Night, Women’s Equip Conference, Prime Time week away, Mission Partner visits, Care Seminars, Mandarin Fellowship, Confirmation, Congregational Socials and more.
Now, we don’t expect you to turn up at every single thing, but we are praying that you will have a great year of growth and encouragement as a member at Christ Church St Ives. A year about which you will say, I was glad to be there, I grew as a wholehearted disciple of Jesus, I was loved and cared for and known. More than anything else, we want you to be able to look around at the end of the year and say to each other the same words Paul said to the Thessalonians, “We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.” (2 Thessalonians 1:3)
