Home » State Networks » Tasmania news and activities

Working on a 21st Centure Future

Miriam Imms provides a word of encouragement from Tasmania.

Like so many smaller churches right around our country, we look into 2010 with queries in our minds. What is ahead, how can we be more effective, what are our finest assets, how do we fulfil Christ's command to go into all the world, including our local community, and live the gospel?

Without the usual regular minister, our own Ministry Team takes its role very responsibly. They planned a whole congregation weekend and called well-known speaker and former EMU field-worker and ACC member Gil Cann from Victoria to lead us in a time of study, reflection and encouragement, over the weekend of May 28 -30th May, in A Vision for the Future.

We publicised the event widely in local media, and were most encouraged to have solid support from ACC members from around the Hobart area. From Saturday afternoon we looked at Understanding Our Times and Being God's People in the 21st century. We considered the dramatic changes to society from the 1970s, some of which happened without us even noticing, but have challenged the role of the local church. "Healthy churches", said Gil, "are still God's primary means of demonstrating and furthering His kingdom". But we are in an era of post-Christendom in which we are actually both chaplains to the faithful but missionaries in a dis-interested world. The way we worship and present the gospel needs a fresh look.

When we meet, we do so as a group coming not so much to worship, but in fact, coming from worship. For in our day when most folk we would love to see in the church are busily out elsewhere, it is our role from Monday to Saturday that is of immense importance. Gil asked us to look again at our people who gather on Sundays and consider the number we each meet and interact with between regular worship times. Even in our small congregations that number is huge, and of vital importance. Our wonderful Sunday lunch was catered for by a well-known professional chef, from Café Cezanne, in Coffs Harbour, recently come on a ‘seachange' to the Channel, so freeing the ladies to be in the studies. Rumpole said he didn't believe in co-incidences, and a bishop said, "Funny thing, when I pray, co-incidences happen!" The Channel Choir enthusiastically joined us for the innovative lunch and sang to us.

This is our church at mission, and when we meet together we need to encourage, listen to other's experiences, and pray for and equip each other for the week ahead.

Miriam Imms
Member of the ACC Tasmanian Southern Cluster