Once again we come to the last quarter of the year and it is time to plan for next year.

God has revealed a plan for all those who have a heart to know him better and be one of his family. So he calls people from every national, political, social and educational grouping. He has no prejudices. Such people need to be rescued from their sin and its consequences, which he achieves through Jesus Christ. Jesus calls them my ‘people’, my ‘family’, my ‘bride’, my ‘church’ and foreshadows the day in a new creation where we will be gathered together as one – his mission complete.

Our local gathering at The Lakes Evangelical Church is a sign that Christ is progressing with his mission. It shows signs of being his new creation while still existing in the old creation.

The amazing thing is that Christ has a purpose for us, his family here. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”. Ephesians 2:10

Our church’s goal for serving is that as people grow in their knowledge of Jesus, we will challenge, facilitate and help resource them to serve one another and the community with love.

The purpose of this booklet is to encourage us in such acts of service through The Lakes. Of course we serve our Lord in many ways, some of which do not occur at The Lakes. However, Christ calls us to serve especially the members of his body that he has already gathered here and to take his call to those who have not yet responded and who are within our reach.

Please use this booklet and response form to consider how you may serve in 2012.

Ian Mears

Serving Pastor

Download the booklet of options for your consideration then fill out the feedback form and place it in the collection bag at your church meeting.

If you would like to discuss your options, feel free to talk with the contacts listed in the booklet in your area of interest or contact Ian Mears.

Our growing knowledge of God ought to bear fruit in an attitude of service. Our serving will never flow out of a mere sense of duty but rather out of a growing love for God and for one another. We will genuinely seek to do whatever pleases God and whatever is best for those round about us.

We want a place where God’s people are trained and equipped to actively play their part in building Christ’s church.

Some of our key serving ministries are:

• Helping Hands: This is ministry offers practical support of those in need.
• Equip to serve: We offer a series of practical training in a range of ministries: personal evangelism, personal discipleship, small group leadership, child protection training and other skills in teaching children etc.
• Focus on Service: We provide a formal opportunity each year for our members to consider what ministries they would like to be involved in the following year.

Serving goals for 2010:

We want to give every member of our church the opportunity to consider how they can be involved in serving in the year ahead.

• Waiters/Waitresses to serve Tea/Coffee/Food
• People to make food at home (cakes, slices etc) to be served in the Tent
• People to work behind the scenes (ie in the kitchen on site)
• Designers/decorators to help with the look of the tent
• Party hosts – to be a welcoming and friendly face inside the Tent.
• Recognizable Australian bush seed pods that will be arranged to form a table centre piece.
  (discuss with Marije Bel m: 0423 160 486)

Contact: Adam Gregory
m: 0411 440 404
e: adamsgregory@gmail.com

GOOD NEWS WEEK- CRECHE & PRE-SCHOOL TEACHERS

• Helpers to assist with the babies (no nappy changes) & Pre-school from 9.00am to 11.30am, Mon-Fri .

Contact: Lynette Stokes
m: 0407 092 099

GOOD NEWS WEEK- LOGISTICS NEEDS

• A trailer that can be left on site during the week.
• People with trailers or utes to come along on the 2nd and 10th of Jan to help set up and pack up. Bring some rope for tie downs if available.
• One or two people to mow the lawns where the tents will be set between Christmas and new year. Could be either by using a ride on or hand mower.
• As many bodies as we can to help set up on the 2nd January.
• As many bodies as we can to help pack up on arvo of 10th January.
• A 9kg gas bottle that we can use for the whole week
• Someone to help erect the GNW sign at the school in the week before Christmas. Preferable to have a ute and a ladder
• A couple of step ladders for setup and packup
• People to stay in adults tent whilst GNW team is away in afternoons.
• Approx 100m of garden hose (may come in several lengths)
• Someone to clean the amenities everyday between 1pm and 4pm
• People to notify me that they have chairs available for use for GNW and that they can drop them off to the site or need them to be picked up from home. Quantity of white plastic chairs.
• Any other items that people can supply that I haven’t mentioned, but which they believe may be of use, I will be quite interested in.

Contact: Adam Bradford
m: 0404 465 565
e: adsness@gmail.com

GOOD NEWS WEEK- CATERING NEEDS

• Another couple of people who may be prepared to help with food prep (whether day or night) would be fantastic.
• People to make quiches and/or slices for the team to eat during the week (preferably ones that can be frozen)
• Someone to pick up the bread/rolls/buns everyday most probably from Tuggerah.
• Someone to pick up the fruit/vegies when necessary most probably from Tumbi or Tuggerah.

Contact: Vanessa Bradford
m: 0402 833 781

GOOD NEWS WEEK- REGISTRATION DESK

• Helpers to man the Registration desk from 8.30am to 9.30am, Mon -Fri.

Contact: Tracey House
m: 0417 417 706

GOOD NEWS WEEK- FAMILY FUN DAY

• 6 Gazebo’s
• 12 buckets
• 8  Supa soakers
• 4 long jumping ropes

Contact: Rhonda Lee
m: 0458 133 115

• Cooking Christmas Shortbread for gift bags- Cook batches of 100 cookies. Recipe supplied. Bag into the provided cellophane bags (2 to a bag). Delivered to the church office by Wed 3rd Nov.
• Packaging of Gift Bags- 11th Nov, Wed, 11.45am, at the Church Office. Put brochures and cookies into bags.
• Lolly Sorting Night- 6th Nov, Friday, 7pm (No lolly eating). Help count, weigh and package lollies and equipment boxes.
• Supper- Cook slice or bickies, cut fruit for supper and morning tea.
• Equipment & Transport- Register that you could lend us your Christmas Trees and Fairy Lights (see below), Portable trestle Tables, Fridges or could help with pick up and delivery.

On Friday 13th

Christmas Trees and Fairy Lights

Deliver and set up your tree/lights (see Deb Collard or Wendy MacIntyre to find out where in the hall). Organise to pick them up again on Sat at noon.

Set Up- As many people as possible! We only get access to the hall at 3pm so set up needs to happen quickly! Set up tables, chairs, portable stage, sound equipment, Christmas trees, decorations for walls, decorate tables, gingerbread equipment, set up the supper etc…

Refreshments for Set Up Crew- Make sandwiches and provide fruit and drinks for set up crew for dinner.

Assistants- Welcome and help people through out the night.

Clean Up- Help to clean up after the event and to set up for the next morning.

Sweep and mop floors. Remove table cloths, rubbish. Wash the knives. Set the tables again.

On Saturday 14th

Assistants- Welcome and help people through out the morning.

Pack Up- As many people as possible! Pack down tables, chairs, portable stage, sound/video equipment, decorations. Sweep and mop floors. Take away rubbish. Move fridges.

Contact Ruth Sheath and let her know what you are willing to do on which days.

Sue is also planning to put together some Christmas hampers this year. If you would like to do some cooking toward a Christmas hamper for a few people, give Sue a call this month.

For further enquiries you may contact Sue on 4321 0647.

If you need to arrange a swap, please consider the implication for any other rosters you may be committed to as well.

Contact Robyn Kingsland for any further inquiries.

Welcome to Focus on Service into 2010!

Each year we take the time to look to the year ahead and consider how we can all be involved in serving at The Lakes. God continues to be very gracious to us. His church has continued to grow as He creates a new community of people who praise His name.

We have much to be thankful for. God is creating a community that loves one another, that is becoming more like Christ every day and that declares the greatness and goodness of God to others.

However, as our footprint in the community gets larger, there is more energy required in loving and serving each other and our community than ever before. Therefore, I encourage you to throw yourself wholeheartedly into serving The Lakes community into 2010. Make a one year or 2 year commitment!

If you are unsure of what is involved in an area of service, express interest and the ministry leader will provide you with more details. If you are unsure of where to begin, let us know and we will gladly work with you to establish your best fit in ministry.

We all have a different part to play, and each is essential to the whole.

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others,

faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10

Click here to download the Focus on Service into 2010 booklet for AM Churches.

Click here to download the Expression of Interest Form for AM Churches.

Click here to download the Focus on Service into 2010 booklet for Church@5.

Now if God were producing the TV show, he would see our situation very differently, because God considers our rejection of him as serious and needing to be dealt with. Do we not deserve his punishment? But!

Let us pause here, to explain, for many of us maybe confused about Christianity and what it offers.

Relationships are at the crux of the matter! God created us to be in relationship with him, however we have cut ourselves off from God and have run life our own way. We have accepted his wonderful creation and the life he has given us- and yet we refuse to acknowledge God. Consequently we face judgement.

Therefore unlike the reality show –we do not deserve any kindness from God for we are in rebellion of his role in our lives. We say ‘Who needs God’. And unlike the reality show God has offered us freedom from the consequences of judgement. And this salvation is not a random act of kindness. It is purposeful –for God wants to restore a relationship with us, and it is not for a selected few -it is for everyone who accepts his offer of forgiveness.

In the TV reality show I have not seen anybody refuse an act of kindness – and I wonder why we find it so hard to accept God’s offer of kindness (mercy). So Christianity embraces a restored relationship with God, brought about by faith in what Jesus has done for us.

The reality is that God’s Act of Kindness is on offer for all – for in his love and mercy his one desire is that we return into a relationship with him and experience his love for us.

Come and enjoy our next meeting and hear more of God’s kindness in forgiving a prostitute facing execution.

Russell Windon