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Westcity Church

Love God | Love People | Follow Jesus

WESTCITY HUB

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 – January 19

To all members and visitors of the Westcity community

We trust you had a fantastic Christmas and new year break.

 

Board Chair Report
In our last church wide email for 2020 we included an update report from Rob Price, our Board Chair. It included an overview of 2020 and looking ahead into this year and a finance update. If you missed reading this, you can email westcitychurch@gmail.com for a copy. We will also be holding a church meeting in late February, for anyone interested in knowing more. Watch this space.

 

Community Life & Home Church Update
Thank you to Richard Kerridge for leading our Home Churches so well in 2020. Richard has relinquished this role in order to support churches wider afield and we wish him all the best in this endeavor. This year Phil (Lead Pastor) will be heading up this important area.

We have kicked off our annual January series ‘Home Brew’ where we are hearing teaching from gifted communicators from within the Westcity community. This is always a special time for us all as we open up the scriptures together. Thanks to Jason, Kate, Merci who have already shared their stories and insights with us, ‘The Rule of Three’, ‘Run the Race’ and ‘Merci’s Message’. Then in February, we will be starting our lent series with our vision month.

If you’d like to join a Home Church or even find out more about hosting or leading one then don’t hesitate to contact us via the website. You can also check out our website for an update on the leaders, locations and times of our current Home Churches. A huge thank you to our Home Church leaders Gillian & Steve, Peter & Kerry, Heidi & Joey, Rob & Janice, Peter & Lou, Josh & MJ and Pete & Merci for their ongoing support, encouragement and care of their regulars and each other. Its beautiful to see the connections and depth of relationships that these Home Churches share together.

 

Westcity Mums Group 
We at the Westcity Mothers Group are grateful to have been able to support one another through this serendipitous last year of highs and lows. From improvising meet ups via zoom sessions during Covid restrictions, to being able to bless new families with home made meals – it has been a year like no other. Thank you to those who have been a part of our wonderful community, and we look forward to sharing many more morning teas in the new year, commencing fortnightly on Monday 8 February 2021 at 9:30am in the church foyer. Email  Nellie if you’d like more information, or to find out how you could help out with supporting young families in our community, westcitychurch@gmail.com.

 

Westcity 2030’s (Young Adults) Praise and Worship Night
A beautiful community loving God and loving people.

A great night was had by our Westcity 2030’s (Young Adults) at the Praise and Worship Night on January 10th. Thanks to Kate for leading  the worship and this powerful time of connecting with God.

You can chat to Jason, Corey, Kara or Caleb to know more about what’s in store for the 2030’s (Young Adults) group in 2021. More info can be found on their ‘Westcity Church – 2030s’ Facebook page or email westcitychurch@gmail.com.

 

Children’s Coordinator Role
We are currently looking for a Children’s Coordinator. This is an important role in planning the spiritual teaching for our children and looking after the volunteers who serve  the children and their families. The role is now being advertised on The Hub  (our website).

 

As always I look forward to living the way of Jesus alongside you in 2021.

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.

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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.

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CURRENT SERMON SERIES

Homebrew

Many years ago, Bill Hybells coined the phrase, the answer is in the room and at Westcity we have surely found it to be true. We are very fortunate to be a part of a faith community that is diverse, gifted and united. What brings us together on weekends, mid-week and other contexts is that we are all wanting to follow Jesus. Simple really. Not easy though, and sometimes very challenging indeed, but relatively straight forward. As Tony Campolo famously quipped, “we just need to follow the words written in red”. And that’s why we love to have members of the Westcity community speaking into the Westcity community.

The apostle Paul probably said it best
God's various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God's Spirit. God's various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God's Spirit. God's various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all. Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful…(1 Cor. 12:4-8 The Message)

So, every January at least, we ask community members to speak at our Sunday gathering. It is always encouraging and always spiritually attuned.

PODCAST

RESOURCES

Home Study Notes – December 6 – Livestream Sunday Sermon

Mary’s Song | Chiz
Intro

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, at least, 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.

Scriptures (GNT) Luke 1:38. 46-55, Isaiah 43:1-5
Notes

First movement: awesome!

Luke 1:38 I am the Lord’s servant

The gift, the promise comes as the gift is willingly and humbly received

Luke 1:46-55

The gift of God with us, Jesus with us by the Spirit comes with being truly alive, with deliverance from the old ways and inevitabilities. The way my family was or is. The way my life has turned out or looks like it will turn out. The gift of Christ with you and me comes with the hope of glory.

Life, life and more life.

And it comes with trouble.

Second movement: trouble

It didn’t pan out the way Mary thought, or the disciples thought. They thought the Roman culture was going to be overthrown. No doubt Mary had all the hopes and dreams of all of us.

It is right and true to know that in Christ there is truly life and new amazing possibilities – let your believing imagination imagine the unimaginable. And, look forward to the future that God has in his careful hands.

But don’t think that this Christian life is easy, without struggle or disappointment or even death. And sometimes it will feel like you are empty and Jesus is silent. Anthony Kelley speaks of the emptiness and silence that was the lived experience of the early disciples when they couldn’t find Jesus. Like us they wanted an explanation. Kelley says, “The only explanation is the transformative action of a love stronger than death”[1]

Jesus birth preceded death and his death preceded resurrection. This was always the way of life in God’s creation. Some say that this is the Cruciform shape of all of the creation. Life, death and resurrection life.

Third movement: he knows my name

So, for me as I journey towards and beyond Christmas, I go to Isaiah 43:1-5

Yes the possibilities of Christmas are endless, because he knows my name, we are his and he is with us.

Discussion/Questions

Jesus breaking into human history has changed the face of the world forever. What has it changed for you?

What does your “Holy imagination” picture for your future? What are you hoping for in 2021?

Has there been trouble for you or those you love in 2020?

[1] Anthony Kelly, Eschatology and Hope, Theology in Global Perspective Series (Maryknoll, N.Y: Orbis Books, 2006), 80.

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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

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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.

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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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