Just random stuff I wanted to share.

1. I missed out on NTE but I certainly didn't miss out on mission. Even if I'd trekked out to Canberra, I'd definitely have come back to Fairfield for mission because so much was happening. For once I was on the outside though. I watched the team of 18 from Townsville/Northern Territory work their butts off. I could hardly believe it. I know that's what you do when you're on mission. You throw yourself into it, you're of the mindset that you can rest when you get home. But it still blew me away how determined these students were to serve us. I know how exhausted they must have been, yet they were completely self-sacrifical. Can you get that apart from Christ?

2. One person in particular who was on the team humbled me very much. Her name is Esther Staines. If the name Graham Staines means nothing to you, Wiki can provide a quick overview here. I couldn't believe it when I saw her name listed among the students. Surely it wasn't the same girl... The same girl whom I'd heard quoted by everyone from John Piper to Carmelina Reed. But after several conversations with her and others my thoughts were confirmed. I couldn't bring myself to ask many questions about the situation but we did share what we loved about India and all I really had to do to be encouraged by her was... watch. Everything from the clothes she wore to her interaction with others to the way she would stick it out handing out fliers while everyone else had gone to sleep in the sun - she is a woman of God, through and through.

3. A little discouraged by the reaction of yrs 7-9 at Bossley Park High today to our Christmas assembly. I guess it just made me aware of how serious it is to turn your back on God. Unbelief is truly a sin. It hurt so much to hear and see people totally reject the Gospel.

4. But still really excited about ministry in Fairfield in general: the Scripture teachers who will be employed to work full-time in the area in 2010, our assistant minister Steve Frederick starting his multicultural church plant in Fairfield next year and all the contacts he is making, the South West theological college and conference getting off the ground, how supportive Fairfield markets has been and God providing us with free stalls over Christmas... Barneys in Bossley Park is seriously a powerhouse I'm so blessed to be there.

That's all.

Vent.

I've hit a wall. Frustratingly enough, I feel that NTE09 would have helped me to smash through it. I need to be pushed. I need something to engage with. I need a challenge. I need a reminder. I need perspective. I need to examine my heart. Rather, I need God to do so. I need... ?

A BA is good for something.

I miss intellectual stimulus. I actually miss philosophy. It stretched me. It forced me to read and research because my beliefs were attacked from all sides. I needed to know why I should stick to them. I don't have much to blog about these days. What can you post about when your mind has gone soft?

New blog.

I have posted naught but crapola on this blog for a while now and I think it's time to move on. I have started up another blog that I feel will be far more useful:

http://southwestministry.blogspot.com/

I guess the title is pretty self-explanatory. I might let this blog linger for a little while longer but I think I may end up deleting it. Just a heads up.

Wake up!

The more that I get together with people from the South-West to discuss ministry in the South-West, I become more excited and, paradoxically, more appalled. There is so much potential here. It's insane. The South-West of Sydney is the most multicultural region of one of the most multicultural nations on Earth. I don't think you could number the different people groups, languages, nations that are represented here, it is a truly unique demographic. More than that, it's a mission field. Ok, everywhere is a mission field but, oh my goodness, why can't people see it? The South-West is the back door to the rest of the world! People have come from their closed countries and are just walking around waiting to hear about Jesus! There are whole churches in the South-West of people who used to be Muslim and now they are saved by grace! It is them that we need - because they then can go back to their countries, to their own people, whom they know best, and do God's saving work. It's ridiculous. How are we just letting these opportunities fly by? You don't need to go to Yemen, go to Fairfield! You will find someone from Yemen! Strategy. I flipping hate that word. Here's a strategy for you: preach Jesus to the South-West of Sydney and I'm telling you that you will reach the nations. Thank you Lord for opening my eyes!

Latest thoughts on women preachers.

Believe me, I have many, but I just know that I'm going to come across as completely ungracious, as I'm sure so often happens when I blog. Also, I don't even know where to start.

In a nutshell, right now, I'm quite happy with complementarian theology (no surprises there), although I do think there might be a case for women preaching under the authority of men. Yet my concessions on this only exist because of inconsistencies I've heard that are so ridiculous I think that they might as well. The other day I also had another thought - female missionaries who have taught God's Word to men and it seems as though He truly used them for that purpose as opposed to smiting them because they dared to teach the opposite sex.

Two other thoughts I'll mention (why does everything come to me in two's?).

I guess when I think of the women who I look to as godly examples, I'm looking to women who strongly adhere to comp-ism. None of the women I look to (Isobel Lin, Carmelina Read, Tara Thornley, Nicole Starling, Di Warren, Ainsley Poulos...) feel the need to teach men nor is it something that they feel the need to 'fight' for. I believe that God made men and women fundamentally different and therefore our roles in ministry will be different. Being a woman is not easy. Teaching women to be godly in this day and age has got to be an incredibly difficult task. There is so much to battle against. On top of this, women are responsible for their families, for their homes and for supporting their husbands. It takes a lot of strength, integrity and security in your God-given role to accept this and as opposed to lamenting the fact that women are apparently 'oppressed' by the church because they can't get up and preach, I'd rather do a damn good job of fulfilling the roles that I know without a shred of a doubt are mine. On top of this - there seems to be fewer and fewer men going into ministry. What's needed now is a focus on men and I think women should be encouraging them to take leadership. But this should not be at the expense of limiting women's roles or diminishing them - womens ministry is so important, there is so much for us to do and to lead in...

Why must women want to teach men? Are their other roles not as important? Are they lesser? Women have so many opportunities for ministry, that's been my experience anyway. I have my hands quite full without wanting to preach to a congregation at some stage. I get the whole 'gift-based' view, but where does that end? If you follow the thoughts through to its logical conclusion then... anyone should be able to use that argument to get up and teach.

I think that's all I feel like sharing for now.

The ultimate guy filtering system.

1. Ask God (then ask Him again, and once more...)
2. Must be screened by Peter Lin
3. Must ask my father's permission
4. Ask God

Some say that the thought of this gruelling process will have all potential suitors running 100 miles in the opposite direction and will result in my being single for the rest of my earthly existence. What? Like that's a bad thing?

I say that it shall sort the men from the boys.