Category: Blog

Soul Revival | MCC Combination

After a successful trial of partnering together for the Gospel, on Sunday 17 March 2024, MCC (Miranda Congregational Church) held its AGM where the members overwhelmingly voted to proceed with two motions – calling Stuart Crawshaw as Senior Pastor to plant Soul Revival Church at Miranda Congregational Church and to form a Task Force to explore the option to permanently combine within the next five years. On Wednesday 20 March, the Soul Revival Church held its AGM and unanimously endorsed the combination. The MCC leadership team will work together with the Soul Revival Parish Council, wardens and Stuart to form the Task Force. Peter Haywood (Bishop of Wollongong), Anthony Douglas (Archdeacon of Wollongong) and Tim Foskett (Director of Ministries, Fellowship of Congregational Churches) will be a part of the conversations. We also look forward to seeing how MCC and St. Lukes Miranda can grow an even stronger friendship along with all the other churches in the Shire.

We are excited that now MCC and Soul Revival are one church. We will not be moving Soul Revival Kirrawee operations to Miranda but will seek to grow Gospel ministry at both sites under a hub-and-spoke model where Kirrawee continues to be the hub. Soul Revival operates at five sites: Kirrawee, Miranda, Cronulla, Yarrawarrah, and Ryde.

MCC will continue to own its buildings and remain affiliated with the FCC (Fellowship of Congregational Churches). MCC will continue to support the FCC with prayer, financial support, the provision of committee members and assembly delegates. The FCC Executive Committee has kindly invited Stuart to participate in FCC meetings and Soul Revival is excited to be serving the FCC. However, the ministry of MCC now operates under the rules and ordinances of the Anglican Church. The weekly meetings at Miranda are now Anglican meetings.

JANUARY IN JAMES

Over January we will kick off the year by diving into James’ letter as we look at The Gospel in Community.

If you’d like to continue thinking through what we are looking at in Church, whether its individually or in a group, the Swedish method is a helpful way to do so.

Attached is a brief how-to use the Swedish Method, we hope you find it helpful.

Different Church Strategies

On the weekend Tim did a sermon on the Why, How and What of Soul Revival (you can check that out on Youtube to get to know us better).

Based on this sermon, here’s a pictorial account of different church strategies. If you want to chat more about the differences and how these strategies impact church practice, feel free to reach out to Tim. His contact is on the website or you can find him any week at our Sunday Morning gathering at Kirrawee.

Soul Revival Church Yarrawarrah

As the weather begins to warm up, now is a great time to check out Soul Revival Church Yarrawarrah. We meet across the road from the Yarrawarrah shops alongside the iconic windmill, in the Community Hall on the corner of Old Bush Road and Laurina Avenue.

We start off with some coffee at 8:30 am before having an open air gathering at 9:00 am. While our formal gathering doesn’t have music yet, we enjoy praying, reading God’s word and hearing a short bible talk. We follow that up with the best bacon and egg rolls in Yarrawarrah, and awesome chats as we reach out as a community to those who walk by.

We have a number of opportunities to connect up with people because of what we are doing and the space we are in. We’d love to invite you to partner with us if you’re able to.

If you’d like to find out more or get involved just come along or message Jai at jai@soulrevivalchurch.com.

 

SRE Supporters Supper

It was so awesome to meet our local High School Scripture teachers on Wednesday night. Despite the rain, around 60 people, young, old and everywhere in-between gathered to raise about $2,000 including donations.

Joanne, Aaron and Ethan shared some of the challenges and highlights of teaching SRE classes at Kirrawee and Gymea High Schools. We also heard from some of the students who are happily sharing the truth and love of Jesus with their friends.

Please pray for an increase of student numbers for SRE classes and for faith growing opportunities and connections.

This week in Soul Revival Digital

Parables

DO NOT WAIT. Choose Between Endless Joy or Endless Suffering

Jai uses the Parable of the Weeds to ask what you will be when the day of judgement comes? Weed or Wheat?

Listen | Watch | See all the sermons

The Shock Absorber

What Are We Being Distracted From at Church?

Tim and Joel use a question from Tim’s Effective Ministry podcast as a springboard into a discussion on why we come to church and what our expectations are for church. Certain factors have possibly lead to a strong focus on cognitive engagement with the preached word of God. While essential for Christian formation, it perhaps has lead to a diminished focus on the other reasons we meet at church.

Listen | Watch | See all the episodes

Chip Lunch

Not yet…

It was Zac’s turn on the podcast to tell his story which includes growing up at church, leaving church and coming back to church and why the answer was “not yet” for a while.

Listen | Watch | See all the episodes

You can check out any of the content on your favourite podcast app and YouTube.

Have a chat to our Digital Pastor – Joel on 0418 642 499, if you would like to know more. Joel McMaster

Our Current Series

As a church we’re currently looking at parables that Jesus told. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. During Jesus’ ministry, parables were a key part of His teaching style. Through parables, Jesus communicated the awesome truth of the Gospel in short and often perplexing stories like this one.

3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
– Luke 15:3-7