Mission in Action

I don’t write, I don’t call, I don’t buy you flowers.  I don’t even send you the odd photograph.   It’s not you baby, it’s me!

This is just the polite way of saying that after three years (to the very week that we left for the UK), it’s over!  Missioninaction.org.au is to be no more.   Not writing on a blog is as bad as writing poorly on a blog,  so I believe that it is time to shut it down.  It has served its purpose. 

No doubt you will sit around in your PJs, eating Tim Tams and watching Bridget Jones’ Diary, while sobbing down the phone to your friends, but I never said it was forever!

Hopefully next time I see you it will be with some more up-to-date social networking site who really knows how to take care of you.

Call me some time.

written by Steve

Horrie and Win Smith had one light globe for 40 years. Not only one, but one that lasted for the whole 40 years they lived in that house.  It lit the alcove next to the fireplace in the place that Horrie had built for them when they moved to Swan View back in the 50s.

The light globe is still there, though because of age and health Horrie and Win moved suddenly on the weekend to live with family two hours south of Perth in Bunbury (”bunburying”, Oscar Wilde would have called it).  At 90 and 83 respectively Horrie and Win have been fine Christian servants at a variety of WA churches, most recently Parkerville, where they were foundation members.

Now the house is empty.  I noticed the neatly stacked recyclable collection stacked next to it as I went for a rather chilly walk this morning.  And it struck me that with Horrie no longer living in Swan View, another light globe has gone out in our suburb.  Horrie is an intercessor.  Not a day has gone by since Jill and I moved to Parkerville in 1999 that he has not prayed for the McAlpine family, and countless others down the years.  You talk to Horrie about someone who is in trouble. or who doesn’t know Jesus, or is seeking God’s wisdom on something, and he is praying.  The stories he can tell of people who have become Christians and who have thanked him when they met him because they found out that a worried parent, partner or friend had asked Horrie to pray.

When I last visited Horrie three or so weeks ago he was in a lot of pain and Win was in hospital.  His biggest complaint?  By the time he had been bandaged and medicated in the morning, his morning prayer time had been used up!

Who will pray for Swan View now?  As I walk early in the morning around my suburb I pray for people and situations that The Local has connections with, but I see the inadequacy of my own prayer life more starkly in the light of Horrie leaving the area.  Not that he will not be praying, but his years are short.  Who is coming through to fill the gap left by a great intercessor like Horrie?

“Lord,  be with Horrie and Win in their final years.   Usher them into your presence in your time,  and raise up pray-ers to continue the ministry. Amen.”

written by Steve

I have one more section to read of this great book, however I don’t feel I should post a critique of the remaining sections as much as an emotional response.

In a week of difficult ministry issues and, I suspect, some self-pity along the way, the big picture of God’s grace in the crucified and risen Lord that enables us to minister and live out of weakness, indeed which calls us to do so, has been emotionally moving.    My actions and attitudes have been stirred by the contents of this book, in a way that Jonathan Edwards would have recognised as the work of the Spirit in my life.  Thanks Tim.

If there is a song that sums this book up theologically, intellectually and emotionally, it is Valley of Vision the title track of the album based on Puritan Prayers by Sovereign Grace,  Have a read then have a listen.

written by Steve

I am really enjoying this book and am being challenged by its call to live the cross.

The second section deals with what it means to live out the “tiny martyrdoms” of taking up the cross daily.  Tim sees five “Ss” in what it means to take up the cross: sacrifice, submission, self-denial, service and suffering.  After showing through the life of Jesus, the writings and lives of Paul, Peter and John how the cross shaped them in chapter five, chapter six provides a practical list of what this looks like for us today. Tim replaces the WWJD mnemonic with WDIMTFTWOTC -”What does it mean to follow the way of the cross?  Don’t know about fitting that on a necklace never mind a bracelet, but what follows is a helpful list of NT pastoral quotes  for questions like “What does the practice of the cross mean when someone wrongs me?” Eph 4:32, “What does the practice of the cross mean when I open my wallet? 2Cor 8:7,9)” What does the practice of the cross mean when my family asks why I’ve not pursued a career like other people? Gal 6:14″ and so on.  It grounds the cross of Christ in everyday life.

What makes this section so helpful is how Tim illustrates that everyday martyrdom is the incremental, but often significant steps we take towards dying to self and living to others.  Tim is painfully honest with his illustrations – most of them inform us of his shortcomings, though the most memorable and challenging refers to someone else:

I remember a missionary visiting us, someone who’d moved across continents.  That’s a big choice to make for you and your family. But he never did the small things.  He never offered to help with washing-up; never cleared the table. It made me wonder whether he’d crossed continents because he treasured Christ or because he treasured his reputation. (p63)

Ouch!  But an easy trap to fall in to.

But Tim is not advocating a stiff upper lip stoicism in this book.  He devotes a chapter to valuing, and the value of, Christ for who he is and how wonderful he is; what a difference treasuring Christ makes to our mini martyrdoms.Within that context in chapter eight he does a great job of picking apart the sanctified self-centredness we often see in church in which finding out my gifts becomes an almost obsessive preoccupation instead of getting on with serving others, in which the losing of ourselves in service is the finding of ourselves.We have so easily tapped into the “self-help” syndrome that we baptise it in our discipleship instead of killing it!

In case you’re feeling crushed by this – don’t!  Tim finishes the section helpfully by reminding us that

The way of the cross will crush you if you don’t embrace the pardon of the cross. And that’s not just valid for back then, when you first went to God for forgiveness. But day by day by day.  Every morning we need to wake up and say, ‘There is now no condemnation.’ Actually it’s easy to do this in the morning.  You need to do it in the evening. You need to do it when you sin. When you look with lust. When you lose your temper. When you don’t show sacrificial love. You need to say, ‘There is now no condemnation.’ (pp88-89)

Perhaps what I have enjoyed most about reading this book is in the recognition of some of the people, places and events that Tim talks about when he gives personal illustrations.  They say nostalgia isn’t what it used to be, but having spent a considerable amount of time with Tim and the other leaders in The Crowded House, the language and drive of this book is no surprise to me: I saw how intentionally they were being shaped, and in turn shaped others, by this cruciform life.

More in the next couple of days.

written by Steve

Just cos it’s a nice pic

written by Steve

Rob and Beth visited us last year in Perth from The Crowded House, Sheffield.  We lived on the same street as them in Sheffield and they have been both leaders of a household congregation for a number of years, and leaders of a gospel community linked to a church building congregation of TCH.  They are great friends and are always looking for opportunities to serve other people in all their work.

When we first went to the UK the possibility was raised that one day they might come to Perth and work alongside us doing church planting for a couple of years.  That was put on the backburner for the year we were in Sheffield, however after visiting us last August for two weeks holidays (and scoping the joint) they went back to England to share their desire to come to Perth with the rest of the UK crew and have them pray about it. The bottom line was that Steve Timmis and the other leaders were happy for them to come, even though it leaves quite a dent in the leadership over there.  Thank you Sheffield!

They are due to arrive in Perth on Oct 22 this year for two years.  They are both excited and daunted by it.  They are under no illusions, though plenty of people in the UK are when they hear they are moving to Perth. Mission in Perth? Isn’t that just a junket? Well, as the most secular city in one of the most secular countries anyone who has done or attempted church planting in Perth will tell you that the soil here is pretty barren physically and spiritually. Add in a scorching sun that bleaches and enervates everything for six months of the year and for a fair skinned Welsh lady like Beth this will be no holiday!  Not that they have ever looked at it as a holiday. They love their life and community in Sheffield and are aware that what we have so far over here is pretty basic and ill-equipped compared with something like TCH Sheffield.  Rob did point out though, that with another couple, Samuel and Fiona, about to leave The Crowded House for mission and work in Northern Iraq, raising support for Perth, Western Australia, seems a little cheeky.

Please pray for them as they arrive, find a place to live (probably in the Midland area), find work part-time, and sit down with us to plan what might be a way forward for us here in Perth in 2010.  We’re looking forward to seeing them again just for the sheer delight of having friends with us who journeyed alongside us during a very important year of our lives in 2007.

written by Steve

Open House on Wed night went well.  We had  two of our families in attendance, plus us, the Ellenbrook leaders, and a friend of mine from my old work, her fiancee and their son.  It was a great time, very chillaxed and a great opportunity to build relationships with people who do not know Jesus.

One of our congregation members stayed home to pray for the night and all concerned, just another reminder that gospel intentionality means that we see every event as infused with potential to demonstrate in life and share in words what living life under the reign of Jesus is about.

Food was great BTW – a gentle reminder that the final and universal revelation of the reign of Jesus will be a party!

written by Steve

Dave and Heidi Mullender are leading The Local: Ellenbrook and have been looking for ways to ensure that the group is a serving community.  From time to time Heidi is going to provide an update on what they have been doing.  God has been working noticeably in the lives of some of the non-Christian people they have been meeting with and that has been a real encouragement to us all.  Dave and Heidi are about to have their first baby any day now, but that doesn’t seem to have slowed them down much!  They also do a mean waffle in the waffle maker, hence the title.

Here’s Heidi’s first post

The Local : Ellenbrook recently had an opportunity to put into practice some of the key aspects of our network, namely being sacrificial, servant-hearted and flexible in our application of the gospel. When one of our members saw the need that the organisation Pregnancy Problem House had to have their resources sorted, the group pulled together to go and help out. Pregnancy Problem House is a Christian founded organisation specialising in pregnancy crisis solutions. It provides counselling and a non-threatening environment for mums who are unsure what to do with the ‘bomb-shell’ of finding out that they are expecting. They provide a place to process everything, to think through options and to feel safe to share what’s on their mind. This resource of free information about pregnancy, abortion procedures, parenting, adoption and sexual health is run by a wonderful team.

Due to recent renovations and an influx of donations, PPH had a resource room that was overflowing and in disarray. The Local: Ellenbrook changed their normal Sunday morning breakfast and teaching time plans to drive to PPH and help move everything from the resource room out into the carpark (praising God that he was gracious with the threatening rain clouds not eventuating!) and back into the room in an ordered fashion, ready for more sorting. This room is used like a shop for PPH counselling clients to ‘spend’ vouchers that they earn through their counselling sessions. Beautiful baby clothes, furniture, nappies and toys are now accessible to the eight or so women who are expecting their baby to arrive any day now. It was wonderful to know that these families can redeem their vouchers and prepare in a practical way for the new little life that is coming.

Seeing the group come together and work as a team in a practical, hands-on demonstration of Jesus’ love was so encouraging to each member of The Local. Seeing the relief and gratitude on the face of PPH coordinator, Michelle and knowing that we had saved her and the other members of her team hours of work was terrific. Watching the children from our group observe the adults serving practically and also helping where they could reminded us that it is experiences such as these that teach children what it means to live for Jesus with much more impact than an isolated Sunday School lesson. Encouraging each other to glorify God and serve others through community endeavour really made it clear that there is no division between spiritual and non-spiritual activities when it comes to church.

written by Steve

Jill and I start an open house meal time at our place tomorrow night.   We’ve got some of The Local: Swan View coming along, plus some friends who are not Christian.  It’s simply the easiest way to get our non-Christian friends to meet our Christian friends.  I think that at times we are too eager to talk about doing mission and devising ways to get things started, and all the while we allow ordinary life to pass us by without ever trying to fill it with gospel intentionality.

It’s pretty basic: Come between five and seven-thirty, throw some food on the table (I’ll cook a big curry, heaps of rice and naans) and leave when you have to.  If you have a kid who needs a bath and into pyjamas do that too.  We’re trying to make life a little easier for the average suburbanite. Nothing really radical about it, but that’s The Crowded House way.

written by Steve

Jill and I got all dressed up for her brother Wes’s wedding on Saturday. A great time, as they say, was had by one and all.  The weather was just about the worst day of the year, windy, wet and cold, however by the time we were all in a warm room at the reception overlooking the blustery Swan River it felt a lot better.  Pity the bride and bridesmaids having photos taken outside for an hour at UWA (University of Western Australia). Probably felt like University of Western Antarctic. 

My prediction that my wedding sermon ( I didn’t have to do the vows for this one) would probably ruffle a few feathers was proved correct.  Wes and Elaine requested that I share the gospel with people on the day because there were a lot of people who didn’t know Jesus who would be attending.  They chose 1John4 as their reading: “This is love; not that we loved God but that he loved us and gave his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 

I’m generally not that offensive, but I guess the gospel is, so I will be having the odd chat or two with a couple of guests on the golf course about why I see the world “so black and white”.  Pray for some straight drives so we can chat on the fairway (and that I can shoot under 50 for nine in 2009).

(for more pix check out my facebook page.)

written by Steve