Newsletter #15

Dear Southcity

What an incredible God we love! Last week as I was sitting writing a letter to you, I was looking forward with eager anticipation for the deposit God was going to place in us through Rigby Wallace. Now I write this letter to you trying to contain myself with all that God has fanned into flame.

Scripture teaches us in Ephesians chapter 4, that gifts are given to the body for our strengthening, encouraging, and maturing. Well, I trust you feel the same way I do today - strengthened, encouraged and matured!

I believe the visit by Rigby and his team came at a God orchestrated time as we as Southcity have been feeling the stirrings of more. Not more for our sake, but more in the sense that the gospel has to penetrate deeper into our communities. More in the sense that we have to be reaching more than the couple hundred of us that gather on a Sunday and in each others homes during the week. More in the sense that we have to be demonstrating the life-changing, life-transforming power of the gospel in our lives more boldly and fully. And more in the sense that God is just bigger then we can know or imagine, and therefore there has to be more!

Thank you friends for taking the opportunity God gave us and for being a part of the various meetings that took place these past few days. My prayer is that the 'bigness' that God showed us this weekend would not be swamped by the detail of our lives, but that increasingly, our lives would be shaped around the bigness of our God.

This past weekend has highlighted the incredible people that many of you are as you served Southcity and the city by making every event what it was and I want to celebrate your kindness to us by thanking you. And although I run the risk of leaving names out, and knowing that there are many who do the unseen things, please allow me to thank Ursula and Brett who work in the office and held so much of the administrative detail in place. Heidi and your team for the catering of the men's evening. Nadia and your team for the catering, decorating and coordinating of the ladies time on Saturday morning. For the car guards, coffee servers, and kids facilitators on Sunday evening. For Sarah and your teams on worship and the choir. For Gert and Lu on the technical side of every event. And I do reserve my deepest thanks to Daine and Clif for the incredible servant hearts they displayed in giving to Southcity in every event their utmost, in order that we may benefit from the ministry and the occasion.

I am so looking forward to teaching out of Ephesians 5 on Sunday on the back of this platform, as we tackle a much debated global topic today of the church, Jesus and the Holy Spirit and their relationship to each other.

So see you during the week at your connect groups, on Thursday evening at 5:30pm as we pray together and then on Sunday as we gather to exalt our Father and our Saviour and show this city of ours the glory of our God.

Much love to you Southcity

Richard

Newsletter #14

Dear Southcity

What an incredible few days we are in for! Thank you God that you hold true to your promises and that you do not leave us to our own devices. Thank you for the gift of apostolic ministry and that it is your purpose that we mature because of it. And thank you that these next few days are your gift to us in order that we may be strengthened, encouraged and move on to being a bride without stain, wrinkle or blemish.

Friends, apostolic ministry is a gift from our Father to us. Ephesians 4 teaches us that apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers are given "to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ..."

What a privilege we have in Rigby Wallace being with us this weekend. Thank you to all of you who have responded to the various get togethers that are taking place, and I urge those of you who have not yet responded, in light of Scripture and God's goodness, to be a part of these gatherings for your benefit as well as ours as God uses this time to continue to shape and mould us into a bride befitting his Son, Jesus Christ.

So allow me one last time to run through the events taking place:

On Thursday evening, the men are getting together for a meal and this time is open to you men and your friends. We get going at 7pm. Bookings essential for catering purposes.

On Friday evening, the Southcity leaders are getting together at 6:30pm. Please pray for your leaders as they are God given for your protection and health.

On Saturday morning, the ladies are getting together at 9am. This is open to all ladies and their friends. It is the start of a journey called 'A woman worth cherishing.'

And then on Sunday, Rigby will be ministering to us as Southcity in the morning and to us as churches on the South Coast in the evening.

I am aware that this is a lot to take in, but I do encourage you to make the most of this opportunity. As we read on Sunday in Ephesians 5:16, we are to make the best use of our time and take opportunities that come our way, and since apostolic ministry is a gift from God, I for one am taking hold of this with both hands. I hope you will do the same?

See you through the week.

Much love

Rich