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Westcity Church

Love God | Love People | Follow Jesus

WE ARE A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ALL ABOUT JESUS

(Well, what did you expect from a church?)

We are old people and young, artists, people with disabilities, lawyers and plumbers, activists and accountants who have been captured by, and caught up in God’s Dream for the world and God’s purpose for our lives, that we see revealed in this Jesus.

Maybe we are a church for those who don’t like ‘church’. A church for those who don’t want to play religious games or be entertained but on a good day, desire to live the love that God has shown us.

WEEKLY UPDATE – November 26

To all members and visitors of the Westcity community

A few updates to keep you in the loop on what is happening at Westcity……

Carols in the Carpark
Sunday 13 December
Westcity Church Carpark, 6pm – 8pm

Westcity church and our local neighbors and community coming together to celebrate the gift of Jesus. We are going to eat together, listen to some fabulous live music by the WAAPA Gospel Choir and and sing some of the carols that add their own beauty to the Christmas season. We would love you to join us! Any way you can….an invite from our home to yours.
For more information visit The Hub on our website.

Sunday Services
We are meeting together at our Nanson Street building at 9:55am (5 minutes earlier for extended worship) for church services. There is plenty of room and we would love you to register and reconnect with others over the coming weeks. Please go to the links below or The Hub to register your group. We would love to see you there!

Westcity Youth Movie Night – Friday November 27

Westcity Youth Go to the Movies program for Term 4, is rolling along. The next get together is on Friday November 27, 7pm-9pm at ‘The Basement Theatre’ (Kilbane Family Home). Pizza and ice cream provided. We would love our high school aged youth and their friends to come along. For more information visit The Hub on our website.

Special Prayer Service for our Year 6s and Year 12s – November 29

As part of our normal Sunday service on November 29th at 10am, we will asking our graduating students to come up, as we pray for them and wish them well for their journeys into high school (Yr 6s) and beyond (Yr 12s). We look forward to sending them on their way feeling blessed, supported and cared for by our Westcity community.

End of Year Youth Celebration – Friday December 11

Our End of Year Youth Celebration is happening on Friday December 11 at Westcity Church from 7pm – 9pm. This will include a special welcome our Year 6s who are starting high school next year and joining our Youth Program in 2021. Also we will farwell our Year 12s who will sadly be finishing up with us at the end of this year. There will be pizza, games, table tennis, basketball and a movie.

Westcity Young Adults – Christmas Soiree – Saturday December 12

Westcity Young Adults is a new space for all singles and couples in their 20’s and 30’s but also for the young at heart in our church community. We want to create an inclusive space for one and all to come and meet, eat and experience who God is together. Full of faith or no faith and all, everyone is welcome.

Coming up on December, 12 the Young Adults will be having a Christmas Soiree, 5pm at South City Beach. You are welcome and if you want to find out more, visit the Hub on our website.

The Gift

During Advent we will be working through our latest sermon series – The Gift. For a full series outline and mid-week resources to delve a little deeper each week visit our website.

Peace and blessings,

Phil and the Westcity Team

SUNDAY SERVICE

10am @ 63 Nanson St Wembley, Perth, Western Australia

Our desire as the Westcity community is to find God’s story in our stories and our stories in God’s story. Each week, we explore scripture so that it might capture our imaginations that we would be open to the Holy Spirit’s transforming work and be equipped to live God’s love. We often give a gentle opportunity for those who haven’t said yes to God’s love to do that and to explore baptism.

Livestream Sunday service – Join with our church community online at 10.15am each Sunday with live comments or watch whenever you want during the week.
• On Youtube.com or the Youtube app on your phone – search for ‘Westcity Church’ and press play on the Livestream video.
• On Facebook.com or the Facebook app – search for the ‘Westcity Church’ page and press play on the Livestream video.

FIND OUT MORE

CHILDREN’S CHURCH

10am Children’s Program at Nanson Street

Godly Play is a great opportunity for adults and all ages to listen, wonder and respond. Listen to the story, stop and wonder about the questions, then respond by doing your own work – each person can do their work differently.

It would be lovely if you can sit down and watch this video with your children. Pause the video after each wondering question, and share your thoughts with one another. Set aside time to “do your work” – you might draw, or paint, or make, or play, or read, or write … each person can do their work differently.

Each Sunday, Godly Play will be posted to our ‘Westcity Church’ Facebook page and ‘Westcity Community’ Facebook group. Please share your thoughts and work in the “Westcity Community” Facebook group if you wish.

FIND OUT MORE

CURRENT SERMON SERIES

The Gift

Isaiah 9:6-7a
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.

In the Church calendar, Advent is the beginning of the year. On the one hand that is rather obvious. After all, the birth of Jesus Christ is the beginning that the Church looks back to for its identity. And, the Nativity scene and surrounding narratives have been embedded deeply into our cultural imagination whether we believe in God or not.
On the other hand, what is not so obvious is that the gift of that child two millennia ago was the birth into human life of the one who began everything. Everything. The Bible makes the startling claim that this person was somehow with God the Father and Spirit when all things were made, that in fact nothing was made without him.
More than that, the Bible says quite pragmatically that the whole of what we see and experience as our world is sustained by the power that is inherent in Christ. So, when scripture declares that Jesus birth brings the gifts of peace, hope, joy and grace it means that old broken ways no longer hold sway and that new ways have forever come. His birth promises new beginning for an Earth in need of the same creative joy and peace that forged it in the first place.
So, we celebrate, and we worship God during Advent and look anew at the gift of his life, which is really life! We recalibrate around gifts and beginnings.

PODCAST

RESOURCES

Home Study Notes – November 1

Lean In | Phil Stevenson

Livestream Sunday Sermon

Scripture: Matthew 14:22-31 Jesus Walks on the Water

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. (I am) Don’t be afraid.”
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Application: Phil started off his talk by sharing how because of some hearing loss he has to lean in to hear what people are saying. He likened this to our journey of discerning what Jesus is saying in our everyday lives. Sometimes we find it hard to hear, sometimes we give up on hearing all together. He encouraged us to give leaning in to listen another go. Share with the group your journey of where you are at when it comes to God communicating with you.

Lean in #1 – Listen to what Jesus has said first and be open to what he is saying.
Jesus made them get in the boat to go to the other side. In his first point Phil talked about the two sources of inspiration for God speaking to us are Scripture and Spirit. Which of these are you most familiar and comfortable with? Why?Why does listening and following what Jesus has said help us to discern what he is saying now?

Lean in #2 – Be on the look out for Jesus.
Jesus came to the disciples on the water, when they saw him they thought he was a ghost. How do you practice being on the lookout for Jesus in your world?
Why do you think it’s hard sometimes to recognise him?
What practices can you share with the group that help you recognise Jesus.

Lean in #3 – If it brings you closer to Jesus it ain’t bad.

Peter said if it’s you tell me to come to you. Sometimes we fear getting it wrong, share a time you feel you did. Phil mentioned a guiding principal for him is that obedience to Jesus should always make us more like Jesus. If it looks like, feels like and sounds like Him then it probably is. Does this help you discern Gods leading in your life? Discuss as a group.

Lean in #4 – Obedience takes letting go and holding on.

Peter left the boat to be with Jesus. Listening to Jesus often takes an aspect of surrender. Of letting go of sin, comfort, the unknown, fear, for the risk of relationship. What has Jesus asked you to surrender in order to be with him?
Why is this so challenging and exciting at the same time? This week lean into being expectant for Jesus to lead and guide you in old and new ways.

Pastoral Note – August 19

Being you

“…in the life of faith each person discovers all the elements of a unique and original adventure.” Eugene Peterson. Run with The Horses.

Eugene Peterson is one of my heroes and for many years his life and writing has been an inspiration for me. The quote comes from a recent short documentary from his home on a Montana lake, just prior to his death. It is eighteen minutes of love and encouragement worth watching here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaMgIvbXqSk

Among other things his life was an encouragement to become authentically yourself, not to try to be anybody else or live “down” to other’s expectations. To say I haven’t always done this is an understatement.

I guess that is because to be honest with yourself and others is dependent on a deep honesty about yourself to the Spirit who gives life in the first place. And that is not easy for many of us, even though when you think about it there is no better place to start being honest. Psalm 139 and many other places make it plain that each person has a unique footprint to bring to family friends and culture and that we all miss out when we bring a caricature instead of who we are. I am not for a minute saying it is easy to put aside the expectations and insecurities that encourage us to be “acceptable” rather than authentic. What I think is true is that there is a clear place to begin or reboot that journey and that is by being radically honest with the Spirit. And I am sure of this, that at a level too deep to fully understand, who you are is acceptable to God.

Chiz (Neil Chisholm) – Teaching Pastor – Spiritual Formation & Discipleship

We would love you to join us! Any way you can….an invite from our home to yours……

Carols in the Carpark
Sunday 13 December

Westcity Church Carpark, 6pm – 8pm

Westcity church and our local neighbors and community coming together to celebrate the gift of Jesus and this wonderful time of year.

We are going to eat together, listen to some fabulous live music by the WAAPA Gospel Choir and sing some of the carols that add their own beauty to the Christmas season. You may like to bring a blanket or low chair to sit on. Please note this is an alcohol free event.

For more information visit The Hub on our website.

CONNECT

Whether you're young or old, Christian or non-Christian, we welcome you at our church and we have a place for you to connect, be loved and in turn learn how to love God, love people, and follow Jesus.

FIND OUT MORE

Care

Carry each other’s burdens and in this way you will obey the law of Christ. Gal.6.2

We all have seasons when we need people to stand with us in prayer, by sharing your prayer need, the Westcity prayer network will do just that. You can email your prayer request by clicking the button below. Or to talk with one of our prayer team email westcitychurch@gmail.com

Westcity Church

WE ARE A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ALL ABOUT JESUS

WEEKLY UPDATE – November 26

SUNDAY SERVICE

10am @ 63 Nanson St Wembley, Perth, Western Australia

CHILDREN’S CHURCH

10am Children’s Program at Nanson Street

CURRENT SERMON SERIES

The Gift

PODCAST

Home Study Notes – November 1

Lean In | Phil Stevenson

Livestream Sunday Sermon

Pastoral Note – August 19

Being you

CONNECT

Whether you're young or old, Christian or non-Christian, we welcome you at our church and we have a place for you to connect, be loved and in turn learn how to love God, love people, and follow Jesus.

Care

Carry each other’s burdens and in this way you will obey the law of Christ. Gal.6.2

We all have seasons when we need people to stand with us in prayer, by sharing your prayer need, the Westcity prayer network will do just that. You can email your prayer request by clicking the button below. Or to talk with one of our prayer team email westcitychurch@gmail.com

Grace produces gratitude and gratitude gives gladly.

2 Corinthians 8:7 (NIV)

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