I am so looking forward to this weekend. Saturday is a Working Bee to plant and clean, and going by other working bees, I anticipate another day experiencing the joy of serving together on the property. Then on Sunday we celebrate our 14th birthday as a church with a special AM service and PM birthday parties. It's going to be a great day too! 

There is a difference between celebrating the birthday of a church and that of a person. An individual's birthday is about the sanctity and significance of one person's life. A church, however, is about the head who is Christ and giving him praise, and about the body which is a diversity of people brought together into God's family. So this Sunday we celebrate Jesus, and we celebrate everyone who calls The Grove home. Whether you joined us this year, a few years ago, or have been with us the whole time, you are a deeply valued part of Jesus' church. We have all been brought into God's story for The Grove in 2021, and that is one of many reasons to celebrate turning fourteen.    

Last Sunday afternoon was another wonderful expression of the body of Christ. So many people came out to pray and unwrap 420 chairs (as seen in the welcome home photo). Adults, teenagers and kids. I was privileged to pray with some of our teenagers, and one of them prayed for Leanne and I. It was so moving and powerful and I couldn't help thinking great things are coming for the next generation in 2021. Those chairs will be put out to restart our PM service this year!

I continue to believe that God has given us a new song to sing in 2021. A song of worship and praise to our great King who is worthy of it all. A song that comes from soft hearts available and expectant of all he will do among us and through us. The last two Sundays at our gathered service I was so encouraged by the expreince of God's presence among us, and how loud people are singing and entering into worship. May our new song continue all through this year, a year we pray would be an expression of Isaiah 61:1-4, the year of the Lord's favour. May these words fill our hearts with faith and expectation, as we celebrate 14 years and prepare to open the doors of the new building.

 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3     and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.

4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
    and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
    that have been devastated for generations.

God bless,

Marty

ISAIAH 40:3-5

A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
    the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
    a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be raised up,
    every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
    the rugged places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
    and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

PRAYER NOTES

• Praise God for opening a way for his work in your life and our church. 
• Pray that we would have soft hearts to hear the word of the Lord this year and resoond to it.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to help us make a way in our hearts, and remove an obstacles for a fresh movement of God among us in 2021
• Pray for all the practical work that needs to be done in February. Ask that many would respond to the call to prepare the property and building for opening up. Pray also for any potential obstacles to be removed. Pray for our final approvals to come in God speed.
• Pray that the glory of God would be revealed and all people would see it in our church and community. Pray again that people would be drawn to The Grove. 
• Pray for those serving our children and teenagers, that they would be so encouraged as Jesus comes and moves in a fresh way in the hearts and loves of young people. Pray that 2021 would be a year where the next generation rise up in faith and grow in number. Pray for the provision of leaders, and funds to fitout the lower floor.
• Pray for our 14th birthday next Sunday to be a day full of the glory of God and praise of his people. Pray that we would open our hearts for all the Lord wants to do among us. 
• Pray over our finances, that every provision gap would be closed, and in particular that we would be able to meet and surpass our budget. 

ISAIAH 40:3-5

A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
    the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
    a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be raised up,
    every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
    the rugged places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
    and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

PRAYER NOTES

• Praise God for opening a way for his work in your life and our church. 
• Pray that we would have soft hearts to hear the word of the Lord this year and resoond to it.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to help us make a way in our hearts, and remove an obstacles for a fresh movement of God among us in 2021
• Pray for all the practical work that needs to be done in February. Ask that many would respond to the call to prepare the property and building for opening up. Pray also for any potential obstacles to be removed. Pray for our final approvals to come in God speed.
• Pray that the glory of God would be revealed and all people would see it in our church and community. Pray again that people would be drawn to The Grove. 
• Pray for those serving our children and teenagers, that they would be so encouraged as Jesus comes and moves in a fresh way in the hearts and loves of young people. Pray that 2021 would be a year where the next generation rise up in faith and grow in number. Pray for the provision of leaders, and funds to fitout the lower floor.
• Pray for our 14th birthday next Sunday to be a day full of the glory of God and praise of his people. Pray that we would open our hearts for all the Lord wants to do among us. 
• Pray over our finances, that every provision gap would be closed, and in particular that we would be able to meet and surpass our budget. 

February begins with our 14th birthday, and we prayer it would end with our first service in the new building. Although, as we have communicated already, putting a firm date down is not still possible due to the approvals we are waiting for. The sewer and water are now connected, which is a wonderful milestone and praise point. However, we don't have permission to use these services for opening until the Fire Services, QUU and BCC sign off on them.    

So what do we do as a church while we wait? 

My understanding of a biblical response to waiting, is to use the time to get as ready possible, so that when God moves we move. Some examples of this:

• In the wilderness, the Lord led Israel by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. When the cloud or fire stopped, they remained in camp, when it moved they moved. The key was to watch God and be ready to move with him (Numbers 9:15-23).
• When Israel were on the edge of the promised land, Joshua sent his officers through the camp with this message. “Go through the camp and tell the people to get their provisions ready. In three days you will cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you.” (Josh 1:11)
• When John the Baptist began preaching as a forerunner to Jesus arrival, he used the words of Isaiah 40:3, A voice of one calling:
  “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
• Jesus himself taught numerous parables about the need to live ready for the return of Jesus because we don't know the time or the hour (Matthew 25). 

These examples give us faith directions that we can apply spiritually in our lives, but also in practical action. Over the next two weekends we are planning a number of working bee's to prepare the building and property for opening. The tasks include moving the rest of our stored equipment from Russ Sweetman's house, unwrapping our new chairs, planting out the front garden of the property, and doing a detailed clean of the building. There will be other work to do, but these are a few of the larger jobs we need alot of help to complete.

In the newsletter under the working bee promotion, you can find out details of these opportunites to serve. But lets work and pray as we get ready to move. We have always been a people of faith at The Grove, seeking to be responsive to God rather than reactive to life. It's faith that will continue to keep us living as a ready and responsive people. I will leave you with this verse that God gave us in 2015 before we lodged the DA in 2016 from Joshua 3:5.

Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

Amazing things indeed!

What a joy to come back to work after holidays and spend a few days in our new office this week. While we have not officially taken occupancy yet, our staff have permission to work some days in the office space as we prepare for the new year. Even though the building is brand new, sitting at my desk I have had this overwhelming sense of being home.

This is God's house, his land, the location he always wanted his church at The Grove to call home.
This is the place that in 2021 we will welcome home people from all kinds of backgrounds, cultures, ages and circumstances.
This is the fulfilment of Isaiah 54:3 given in 2007, when God called and promised, "you are going to resettle abandoned cities".
This is the year we dreamed about, prayed for, invested in and looked forward to for fourteen years. 
This is our time to shine on the hill with an invitation that reflects the heart of heaven, that the doors of the Kingdom of God are wide open for whoever would come. 

I was reminded this week of Luke 15 and the three parables Jesus told about the lost sheep, lost coin and lost son. In each story, there is great rejoicing about something lost being found. God leads the celebration for every sinner who repents, and this is particularly evident in the welcome home party the Father threw for his lost son who was found. It came afresh to me that we are going to have so many 'found parties' this year.

People who come to church after a long period away,
others coming home for the first time,
young people finding a place to call home and invite their friends to,
and people testifying to Jesus in baptism in the greatest found party on earth!

If I could borrow a lyric from a pop song, 'it's time to get the party started!' Coming up on the 7th of February is our 14th birthday. I had hoped it would be our first service in the new building, but final approvals on water and sewer are moving slower than we hoped. I guess we have learned patience after all these years, so another week or two won't dampen our spirits. Rather, let's start praising God now as a rhythm that continues all through the year.

Pastor Leigh gave us word this week, that was straight from the Lord as we get ready to celebrate our fourteenth birthday. Isaiah 40:3 but I also included the preceding verses for context. 

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
    and he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
    out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
    and steadied me as I walked along.
3 He has given me a new song to sing,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
    They will put their trust in the Lord.

We have new songs to sing this year. Songs of praise to God. Songs to celebrate being found by Jesus. Songs that reveal the glory, power and love of God. Songs that awaken our hearts to the Holy Spirit's presence. Songs to respond to God's word and call on our lives. Songs for the valley and songs for the mountian. 

I stood in the new auditorium this week also, and heard our new sound system being tested for the first time. I was overwhelmed as I imagined what it's going to be like when we are gathered together worshipping the King of Kings. I can hardly wait! We have some incredible new songs to release early this year. Songs that fit this new beginning for The Grove. 

This Sunday I am looking forward to starting a 3 week series inspired by Psalm 40, called a new song. Three Psalms that I pray will become new songs in all our hearts for 2021. 

Looking forward to singing and serving with you in 2021!

Pastor Marty