HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Posted on January 1st, 2012
Need a fresh start? God can give you one. Get to know the real Jesus.
Jesus – Rescuer, Ruler, Revealer (Luke 1:26-56)
Posted on December 28th, 2011
Christmas is a good time to take a fresh look at Jesus. God sent Him to be our Rescuer and Ruler. And since he’s God in human form, he reveals God to us in a way we can understand and relate to. Do you know Him? Has He rescued you? And is He ruling your life?
check out the sermon here
Luke 1:26-38
26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[c] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
Prayer Update (Dec11-Jan12)
Posted on December 25th, 2011
Hi friends!
We have had a truly amazing year – so much to be thankful for! We have seen lots of growth and God is still drawing many people to Himself. Please keep praying for us and for the spread of the gospel in the region. On the family front, Sharon is pregnant and we are expecting #3 to arrive in May! So we’re looking forward to meeting the little one next year. We really appreciate your prayers, encouragement and financial support. Here are some things to inform your prayers.
Stand firm in Jesus,
Chris (on behalf of CoastEC).
PRAYER POINTS…
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God is gathering and growing His people…
CoastEC is made up of people from all walks of life and stages of faith. And there is a great sense of family and community amongst us despite our crazy diversity! We’ve had the joy of baptising several people who’ve started following Jesus, and seen lots of other people take big steps forward in their faith. We’ve also seen growth in numbers attending this year. Currently there are 73 adults and 43 kids who regularly attend the service, and 69 people in our home groups (bible study groups).
Training new bible study leaders…
Praise God for raising up more people keen to lead our home groups next year. Pray for Min, Pete, Lynne, Andries, Jess and Thelma. Ask that God would equip them to shepherd a small group, and for many to grow in their love for the Lord as we seek to expand our home group ministry.
Another Service…
We are hoping to start a second service so we can connect with even more people. We currently meet at 5pm but we’re planning do both a 4pm and 6pm service starting about Easter. Pray for wisdom about this. Pray for God to raise up solid core groups for both services.
Growing staff team…
Thank God for sending Ruth who has been doing a great job overseeing our Ministries and music. We are also planning to employ a second pastor in 2013 to help us keep growing this work. Pray for God to provide the resources, and for the wisdom we’ll need as we seek to identify the right man for job.
Christmas Eve Service (5pm)…
Pray for a great gathering as we proclaim Jesus and celebrate the incarnation. Pray for many locals to attend. There will also be lots of visitors in town at this time of year – pray we can connect with many of them and encourage them in their faith.
Solid Rock Youth Cafe Outreach (5th – 14th Jan)...
A team of about 65 young adults is coming to town to share the gospel with Forster youth. Pray for many locals to be contacted and for them to be open to the gospel. Pray for us as we follow up kids after the mission is over, and ask God to help many make the transition to youth group, bible study and church.
Youth…
Thank God for our youth weekend away. Almost 20 kids attended and they had a great time learning about persevering as believers. Pray that they will persevere to the end. We are starting a senior high youth group at the end of January. Please pray for us to keep building a solid core group of senior high kids, and for many from the solid rock mission to join the group. Pray for Andries, Jess and Ruth as they head this up.
Scripture…
Please pray that we can keep teaching yr 7 scripture next year and that we’d also be able to teach yr 8. Pray for wisdom for Chris as he works with other churches and liaises with the school, that God would open the door and that many students would come to faith in Jesus.
Finances…
Thanks to those of you who currently support us financially! Praise God for meeting all our needs so far! We are currently about 50% self funded. Pray for wisdom as our Admin Committee finalise our budget and for the next year and beyond (meeting 23rd Jan). As we grow, so will our expenses (like employing another pastor). So if you are currently supporting us financially, can you please keep it up? And if you’re not, could you please consider starting next year? Thanks. Please head to www.coastec.net.au/give/ for info on how you can give.
Dave McDonald
Please also pray for Dave and his family. They were about to head to Darwin to plant a new church, but he has just been diagnosed with cancer. More info here.
“I thank my God every time I remember you…because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now”
CHRISTMAS SERVICE – 5pm Christmas Eve
Posted on December 21st, 2011
Come and celebrate Christmas with us! It’s gonna be sweet…so bring the kids, and anyone else you can think of who needs to hear some really good, life-changing news. 5pm Christmas Eve, @ Forster Public School Hall. Kids church program and creche available.
God’s plan and my life (Luke 1:5-25)
Posted on December 20th, 2011
When it comes to your relationship with God, who is at the centre? You or God? God has a big picture plan that he is working out, and your life is part of that. Are you on board? Or do your disappointments and disbelief make you hold out on God?
check out the sermon here
Luke 1:5-25
5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. 7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.
8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.[b] 16 Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
19 The angel answered, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.”
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.
23 When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
Dealing with Doubt (Luke 1:1-4)
Posted on December 12th, 2011
Can you really trust the bible as a reliable source of info about God? How do you know it wasn’t all just made up? or exaggerated? or changed over time? If you’ve got your doubts about some of the stuff you’ve heard about Jesus, Luke’s gospel was written for you, so you could know for sure. And if you read it, you might just get to meet the real Jesus, and not some fairy tale version of him.
check out the sermon here
Luke 1:1-4
1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled[a] among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
Pray for Dave and Darwin
Posted on December 11th, 2011
I just heard some sad news. Please pray. Dave McDonald was just about to plant a new church at Darwin as part of the same network CoastEC is involved with (the FIEC). He was previously senior minister of Crossroads church in Canberra and was all packed and ready to move, when he was suddenly diagnosed with serious lung cancer. He will not be going to Darwin, but will remain in Canberra for treatment. Please pray for God to heal him and comfort his family. Please also pray for the spread of the gospel in Darwin – that God would either heal Dave and send him, or raise up other church planters for that region. For more info, see this God-glorifying letter from Dave and his wife Fiona. And here for another update