Serving Christ through good governance

Friday 20th May 2022

I was scanning some of the commentaries on the upcoming election. It struck me how much fear dominates discussions. In some cases, it even seemed as if fear was being leveraged to convince voters to support a specific candidate or political party. This is in stark contrast to how the Kingdom of God governs, isn’t it?

'For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval. '

Romans 14:17-18 NIV

You may wonder: What exactly is the Kingdom of God in this verse? How is it manifested? The answer is found in some of the other letters Paul wrote. Here follows a summary of the Apostle Paul’s perspective on God’s Kingdom:

The Kingdom of God is His reign… not a separate realm.

Earthly Kingdoms relate to geographical spaces. The Kingdom of God relates to the place where the Holy Spirit brings about righteousness, peace, and joy. It is therefore a manifestation in the hearts of people that are expressed through aligned behaviour.

The Kingdom of God refers to his saving influence, not to his sovereign and complete exertion of control over all circumstances.

The way Paul uses this term is in a missional context. The Kingdom of God will – like leaven – spread itself as a saving influence throughout all of reality, but will not necessarily override the will of those influenced by it. Therefore it is something to be pursued (Matt 6:33; Matt 11:12)

The Kingdom of God is fulfilled partially in the present and will be consummated at the end of the age when Christ comes a second time.

In 1 Cor 6:9 Paul speaks of unbelievers not inheriting the kingdom of God, and so treats the kingdom as yet future. But then he also says to believers that “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,” and so treats the kingdom as already present.

Good governance is the process where we strive to steward our resources in such a way that the Holy Spirit can work in more hearts to bring about the saving influence of Christ until He comes the second time. A good paraphrase for this would be “to gratefully bless because we have been blessed”.

This past Sunday at the 2022 AGM, we reported on the breakthroughs and victories of 2021. Our partners also voted on two nominations for board membership. Both Bronwyn Cameron and Roger Simons received endorsement from our partners through a vote. Congratulations are in order! They are experienced board members that bring a wealth of wisdom. This strengthens the process and resources needed to govern our church well as our development process for potential new board members gains momentum again. I want to thank our board for their diligence in governing this vision.

We also had a Partners Gathering wherein the proposed name for our movement was revealed. This coming Sunday this news will be communicated at our Sunday Service. We will also focus on our role as Christian Citizens in our relation to government as it is election weekend. Please invite people to attend the service with you as we will be praying for our government.

Our Worship Pastor Monya van Staden will be visiting South Africa for two weeks to conclude some medical procedures that was started just before they migrated to Australia. We pray that she will have a blessed trip and will be looking forward to her return.

Partners Class | Sunday 24th July

You may have been attending our events or even become part of a close knit group of people in our community. We would love for you to consider taking up partnership with us in fulfilling God's call on our movement. The Partnership Class is an important step in discovering how you can fit into Berwick Church of Christ. It is an orientation towards what makes us unique and how we function as a community. You will get to know the leadership and we will talk about how you can partner with us to make our vision a reality.

Time: 12.30pm – 2.30pm
Book your spot now!

Last Sunday Service | Live Stream

If you were watching our service on Sonship last Sunday via Facebook or YouTube live stream, you may have experienced some technical issues. There was a worldwide technical issue with our live stream provider which was out of our hands. We are so sorry for the inconvenience. We have some good news though! Visit our YouTube channel here and catch up on Pastor Braam giving a fantastic message on Sonship. Sons serve in the house of the Father with a sense of ownership and gratitude. Slaves serve out of a sense of duty and obligation. Pastor Braam discusses how we relate our God given authority to our missional responsibility.

Fuse Youth | Friday 20th May

This week at Fuse Youth is Youth Alive and we’ll be mixed in with other youths and the awesome Youth Alive team will be leading us for the night!

Details:

Time: 7.00pm – 9.30pm
Cost: $5

Walking Group Clyde | Saturday

Get ready to put on your walking shoes! If you are looking for a social walking group in Clyde, you have found it. We are of all ages and fitness levels. Bring your family and friends. Make new friends, build a support network, have fun, and work on your fitness.

Details:

Date: Every Saturday, weather permitting. Check iConnect Facebook page for updates.
Time: 8am – 9am
Address: Casey Fields Playspace car park

Kids Church | Sunday 22nd May

Join us in person or online 10am this Sunday at Kids Church…

PREP – GRADE 2 | Heroes of the Faith
Trusting in God helps us to stand firm | Hebrews 11

WONDERKIDS & LITTLE SPARKS | God had a rest after He made everything
Creation Day 6 | Gen 1: 24-31

Sunday Service | Citizenship

As Citizens of heaven, we model an alternative lifestyle and set the example here on earth as we await our Lord. We will discover how we express our eternal, heavenly citizenship in a world where governments change on a regular basis:

‘Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, ‘ Philippians 3:17-20 NIV

If you can’t make it Sunday in person, join us online and watch live stream via YouTube or Facebook at 10am.

Child Dedication Q&A | Sunday 22nd May

If you’re interested in Child Dedication, there is a brief Q&A and briefing session which you can turn up without booking.

Time: Directly after the service in room 6

Boys Brigade | Monday 23rd May

Be part of the action Monday night. For over 20 years the Boys Brigade has advanced Christ’s Kingdom among boys.

ANCHORS | Grades 1 & 2: 6pm – 7.15pm
JUNIORS | Grades 3 – 6: 7pm – 8.30pm
SENIORS | Grades 7 to 18 years old: 7pm – 9.30pm

Seniors Ministry | Wednesday 25th May

Calling all Seniors Ministry, come dressed in your best, and exercise your pinky finger as we share a tea party together. Will Alice or the White rabbit join us? Or maybe The Mad hatter! There will be a quiz about Alice and her adventures, so read up!

Time: 1.30pm – 4.00pm

Child Dedication Service | Sunday 5^th June

Child dedication is the acknowledgment that not only are children a gift from God, but they are His children. You place your child into God’s hands and trust that He will guide you in parenting. Essentially, dedicating your child to God is to declare that you will train your child in the ways of the Lord.

Child Dedication is part of our regular service and requires the parents to bring their child to the front of the church at the appropriate time. We encourage siblings of the child to join in and we like to display a photo of your child on the monitor so everyone can see.

If you are interested, please complete the Child Dedication Application Form and we will contact you (and if possible, attend the Q&A session this Sunday, you can find the details above).

Time: 10.00am – 11.30am