There will be no Prayer & Praise or Life Group this week whilst the Pastoral team are over in America for the Sovereign Grace Pastor’s Conference. Feel free to use this opportunity to meet up with others and hang out!

Romans 12:5 “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”

I want our church to always be a place where we share our highest joys and our deepest laments. It’s the latter half that is often harder, but it’s something we must fight for as the people of God.

We need a place to weep, and people to weep with. It’s uncomfortable lamenting, groaning, and mourning, but it’s a gift we can give to one another.

So friends, as we reflect on Romans 8:18-27 we see that futility is bound up in our life, indeed, inseparable from our life, even post-cross, and so let us face it head on, together.

Let us rejoice in the greatest moments in our life together and let us hang our heads in dismay too. And in the centre of the joy and groaning, is Jesus Christ.

The one who for the joy set before him, headed to his darkest hour. The one who wept, and then resurrected Lazarus. The one who came to bring life, and life to the full, but a life that is betwixt with suffering, anguish, pain and loss.

If you are struggling, share it. If you see someone struggling, hug them, pray with them, don’t try to make it all better, but do try to walk them to Jesus once again where they can lay their burdens and griefs and laments down, and in his arms they will find true sympathy and true life.

We are a church that does weddings and funerals. Baptisms and lament. We do cake and Kleenex.

So come and be real. Rejoice greatly, and ugly cry. But just come with your whole self.

Sovereign Grace Parramatta, let us be a place to weep.

The annual Sovereign Grace Pastors’ Conference is coming up next week. This is a conference for pastors & pastor’s wives of Sovereign Grace Churches around the world to come together for a time of teaching and fellowship. From SG Parra, we have Riley, Maddie, Richie and Louis who will be attending this year. Please be praying for their time over in the States as they attend this conference - that they might come away from it refreshed, and reinvigorated for the Kingdom work that God has called them to.

As announced on Sunday, we will be a holding a Christmas Wreath Night again this year!

When: 7:30PM, Saturday 30 November
Where: 27 Iron St, North Parrmatta
Cost: $20pp (incl. food and materials)
RSVP: admin@sgparra.org.au, by 22 Nov

Please feel free to invite friends and family along!

We look forward to seeing you there!

It’s Ladies Growth Groups this week! Your LG leader will have all the details you need.

We are so thankful to God for the amazing time we had over the weekend at our first SG AUS MEN’S Conference with our dear friend Eric Turbedsky serving us. A picture is worth a 1000 words so I’ll let the pictures do the talking. If you want to see a slideshow version click here! The talks will be coming online soon. Three marching orders from Christ Our Captain: Love, Fight, Rest!

G2G will be on this Friday 25th October, 6-8PM! It will be held at 27 Iron Street, North Parramatta.

Please be praying for the youth of SG Parra and any friends who come along - that God would work powerfully as the Gospel is presented to them.

Men’s Growth Groups are on this week! Your LG leaders will let you know all the details.

The wait is over! Our SG Aus Men’s Conference is happening this weekend!

The theme for the conference is ‘Christ Our Captain’ and we have the privilege of having Pastor Eric Turbedsky from Sovereign Grace Church of Orange make the trip out to teach and help us to orient our lives around Christ and his mission. The aim is for the men of our churches to gather for an extended time of fellowship, worship and also some stupid fun!

Please be praying for the men of our churches as they attend this conference - that the Lord would meet and envision them in the roles He has called them to. Please also be praying for Eric as he serves the men.

Life Groups are back this week! Life Groups are so vital for us as a Church as they allow us to take the joy of Sunday and work out in smaller communities where we can know each other more deeply and help each other out more personally.

As much as is possible, it’s our aim for every member to attend Life Group or Growth Group, every time it’s on! This isn’t a rule or a new law, rather, we’d love that these special times go in our calendars first because they’re so good and so vital for our growth AND they are a key way we each play a part in serving each other in the church.

For some, this is made difficult because of shift work, travel, or baby sitting needs. To help you, we’ve attached the Term 4 Schedule below so that you can look ahead to when your group is on and organise your calendar/sitting around that if possible.

It’s so great when the most amount of people can be regularly be at group where possible!

I hope Life Groups and Growth Groups bless you once again this term!