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Missions Month
In the month of August we will continue to build on our theme for the year – “To be Gospel Centred People on MISSION IN Everyday LIFE”. Jesus said in John 20:21 – “As the Father sent Me so I send you.” Understanding our mission in life begins with understanding God’s missions and how Jesus lived out mission, not as an event but a lifestyle. This month’s lineup is going to be exciting, as we will be having various external speakers addressing various topics/issues surrounding missions.
9 August
Ps Philip Kua
The Heart of God
16 August
Dr Peter
Christian Response to Islam
He has previously taught at the Australian National University, the Institut Pertanian Bogor (Indonesia), the London School of Oriental and African Studies, and was appointed as Professor of Islamic Studies at the London School of Theology, where he served from 1996-2007 as the founding Director of the Centre for Islamic Studies and Muslim-Christian Relations. In addition to his present MST appointment, Peter is also a Professorial Research Associate in the Department of History, SOAS, University of London.
Peter has published widely on Southeast Asia, Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations. His books include Transferring a Tradition (Berkeley, Centers for South and Southeast Asian Studies, Univ. California, 1990); Islam and the Malay-Indonesian World: Transmission and Responses (London, Hurst, 2001); Islam in Context (with Peter Cotterell, Grand Rapids, Baker, 2003); and Christians and Muslims: pressures and potential in a post-9/11 world (Leicester, IVP, 2004).
23 August
Phil Cogger from WorldShare
Stewardship of Life
Phil Cogger (Worldshare)
Phillip Cogger was born in Sydney Australia, and is married to Kathy, and they have 6 children.
After training as teachers, Phil and Kathy were married in 1981. Phil worked at Trinity Grammar School as a teacher for two years. Their interest in Short Term Missions, and equipping the local church for mission started when they joined Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in 1983. During their 13 years in YWAM, they helped to start the National Australian YWAM Base in Melbourne.
In 1996, they left YWAM, and started their own ministry called Equipping the Nations. This ministry is focussed on equipping churches to establish their own successful mission ministry through short term teams, and leadership and relationship training.
Phil has been on and led teams to the Pacific Islands, through out South East Asia, Indonesia, Philippines, China, Central Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, USA, and Australia and New Zealand.
The teams vary in size from 6 – 8 people up to 180, with ages ranging from babies to Great Grandparents. The purposes ranged from English Teaching, Medical and Dental, Evangelism, Teaching and Preaching, Performing Arts Ministry, and Evaluation and Prayer Ministry.
Phil and Kathy’s great desire is to see people fulfil their destiny in God. They regard each Mission trip as part of people’s spiritual journey, and try to help each person get the maximum out of their mission experience. To help achieve this, they developed a Short Term Mission training program called Essentials for Mission Teams.
Phil is currently completing his Masters in Ministry degree with an emphasis in short term missions.
Since 1997, Phil was involved with WorldShare (formerly CNEC/PI), and became full time in 2005. He works as the Development Manager for Victoria, and their office is based in Box Hill. WorldShare’s ethos is to find and minister alongside indigenous Christian ministries in the least Christian parts of the world, and link them in significant partnerships with the Body of Christ in the Western World.
WorldShare adds value on the mission field and to the church in Australia by representing the indigenous mission and providing accountability without control, as well as facilitating communication from the mission field to Australian supporters. Worldshare provides the management of finances to the field through tax deductibility and secure means for transferring money as well as verification of all monies spent.
30 August
Dr Jeff Hammond
The Storms of God
Dr. Jeff Hammond (Abbalove Church, Jakarta)
Dr. Jeff Hammond is an Elder at Abbalove in Indonesia. He is a teacher, pastor, missionary, author and father in the faith. He has been heavily involved in campus ministry, the charismatic and Pentecostal movement, and conducted many church seminars in Evangelical, Charismatic and Pentecostal churches in Asia, Australia, the USA, the South Pacific and in Europe. Together with his wife, Annette, they have served the Lord for over 43 years and have three children and three grand children.
Love Gift Target
$50k
Love Gift
Every year as a church we invest into God’s missional work through the life of this church. This year our faith target is $50,000 and this will go to
- Love gift to our missionaries and their family
- To Worldshare for support training for Pastors in Duan in China
- For Concern Australia in support of work with homeless youth in Melbourne
- To cover Mission Focus month expenses and gifts to guest speakers
So please be prayerful and ask the Lord what He wants you to give in joining with Him in His Work.