St Marks Anglican Church

Single Service Sunday means “no, the other services will not be held at their usual time this week” (just in case you were wondering).

On Sunday September the 7th all the congregations at St Mark’s Anglican Church Pennant Hills will start a new teaching series on the New Testament Letter called ’1 Peter’. This is a letter written by Peter, who was one of Jesus’ first disciples and one of Jesus’ closest friends. Peter was also one of those who betrayed his friend and rabbi by pretending that he didn’t know Jesus after he was arrested in Jerusalem – the arrest that ultimately led to his execution by crucifixion.

I sometimes wonder what role the painful memory of his own betrayal of his friend and master played in Peter’s decision to write this letter that we will be studying together over the next few weeks. Because in it he urges Christians who are getting harrassed and discriminated against because of their faith to remain faithful to Jesus their risen king no matter what. The man who knows what it is to deny Christ does not want them to do what he did all those years ago. He wants them to be bold for Christ even when it costs them. I’m pretty sure that he wants that for us to.

This is an ancient letter which speaks powerfully into our 21st century world. I am looking forward to thinking about it a bit more at church in the coming weeks, and if you’d like to join us you’d be more than welcome.

Craig
St Mark’s Pastor

August 31st will be a special Sunday at St Mark’s Anglican Church Pennant Hills. Our normal Sunday services will not be held and instead we will all gather at 9.30am for a special combined gathering as one big parish family. This will mark the beginning of care month and focus our attention on the model of mutual care that Christ presented for us to follow.

After the service we’ll enjoy an extra special ‘mega morning tea’ and that afternoon there is a housewarming afternoon tea at the home of our pastor Craig Schafer (who with his family are optimistically hoping that they will have finished unpacking all their moving boxes by then).

We’d like to extend an invitation to all our local community to share this special day with us.

At St Mark’s Anglican Church Pennant Hills we care about the physical, social and spiritual well being of our local community.

We’re holding a community seminar on Surviving Teenagers on Saturday Sept 6th, at 2pm. Our aim is to help equip both parents and teenagers and foster healthy, long term family relationships. The seminar will be led by a Jill Wrathall who is a qualified and experienced Social Worker and Family Counsellor who now works for Anglicare. She is also a mother of four and a foster mum, so she has plenty of first hand experience!

The seminar will be held at the church building; cnr Rosemount Ave and Warne St, Pennant Hills. St Mark’s is happy to be able to provide this seminar to our community free of charge.

If you’d like more information or to register contact Noel on 9484 0480.

As I’ve talked with people over morning tea after church in the last few weeks I’ve had a number of conversations that reminded me that God’s word really is powerful.

The Bible makes some pretty big claims about itself; it claims to be ‘Sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; judging the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.’ That’s a claim to be pretty powerful! But again and again over the last few weeks I’ve heard that claimed backed up by people who have been listening to the word of God read and preached at church each week; people who have found themselves confronted, challenged or encouraged and lifted up by the things they hear God say as his word is read and reflected on.

At St Mark’s Pennant Hills we’d love everyone to have that experience. And so if you don’t have access to a copy of God’s word the Bible, come along to church one Sunday and we’ll provide you with one as a gift. Just come and find me over morning tea or supper and ask me for one.

Craig Schafer
Pastor

Craig’s Commencement of ministry service was held on Saturday Aug 2 at a packed St Mark’s. Bishop Glenn Davies spoke powerfully of our charge to make disciples of all nations. Warm welcomes were extended to Craig and his family by local community leaders and the congregation at St Mark’s. The singing was a great testimony to the joy that the truth of God creates in the heart of his people. It was a great afternoon.

Here is Craig being greeted by offical guests and the bishop.

At St Mark’s Pennant Hills we’re looking for the right person to join the staff team as a Youth Pastor to help build on and develop the work being done by the existing volunteer leaders to reach local teenagers for Christ. You’ll see ads in Southern Cross and on the Briefing website which give some more information. If you know someone who might fit the bill I’d love to hear from them and whether you do or not we’d value your prayers that just the right person might be found to take up this role in our church.

This week in our church , across all our Sunday gatherings we’ll beginning a series of talks that focus on the final chapters of the first book of the Bible; Genesis 37 – 50.

And what a story it is! The final chapters of Genesis record a family saga that is loaded with intrigue, dubious characters, changes in fortune, penetrating insights into human nature, and challenging perspectives into the surprising ways God’s purposes are worked out – and in the most unlikely circumstances!

I wonder if you’d take some time to read all these 14 chapters in one sitting? (And repeat the reading as the series proceeds.) Why not note any questions that you are prompted to ask and see how many are dealt with as Craig shares with us issues and truths raised from this intriguing saga? And if he doesn’t answer them from the front, make sure you don’t leave church before you ask them of him over morning tea or supper!

Craig Schafer will be taking up the appointment of Rector of St Mark’s from July 10, 2008. Craig and his wife Julie have been married for 10 years and have two little girls, Emma and Zoe.

Craig has been involved in ministry at Springwood-Winmalee Anglican Churches since the beginning of 2005. His key responsibilities have been pastoring the growing ‘Arvo Church’ congregation that meets on Sunday afternoons, and leading the team that planted Valley Heights Community Church (VHCC) which meets on Sunday mornings in the local Anglican School.

While at Moore College, Craig did student ministry at St John’s, Minchinbury and St Aiden’s, Hurstville Grove. Prior to college, he worked for Accenture as a Management Consultant and Project Manager. Before Emma & Zoe came along, Julie worked as a Primary School Teacher. Both Craig and Julie grew up in South-west Sydney.

To relax, Craig enjoys a mediocre game of tennis or an episode of ‘Iron Chef’.

While they are sad to be leaving Arvo Church and VHCC, the whole family is looking forward to getting to know the people at St Mark’s and the great things that God has planned for the future.

We got a some free publicity this week. The Anglican newspaper Southern Cross ran a story on the website about Craig’s move plus a smaller article in the print edition. You can check out the story (and a family photo) here.