We had a wonderful evening at our recent Christmas Eve Service, celebrating and adoring Jesus our Saviour! It was a sweet time reflecting on the Christmas reality - that God took on flesh and was born as a baby to save mankind from sin and death. We lifted our voices to sing carols and enjoyed a festive supper afterwards.
If you came along, we’re so glad that you could be with us!
You’re welcome to join our Sunday gatherings, 10am at Parramatta East Public School.
Starting THIS Thursday 2 Jan, 7:30pm, the Men’s Summer Book Reading Catch Up Hang Out Time (aka Book Club but let’s be real…it sounds a bit girly to do a book club) will kick off at Riley’s house.
We will be going through “50 Days of Heaven” by Randy Alcorn, the book that Riley shared on Sunday during his message.
You can purchase the book for $10 by emailing Rebs and transferring the $ to the church account, they will be at the Coffee Table on Sunday.
Please email Riley to let him know you are joining.
We will be holding our Summer Book Club again in January of 2025!
This time, the ladies will be going through “True Feelings” by Carolyn Mahaney & Nicole Whitacre; a book about ‘God’s gracious and glorious purpose for our emotions’.
We will be running the study 7:30-9pm on Tuesday Nights throughout January. We will be keeping it casual, so you’re welcome to come along to one, some or all of the weeks based on your availability! Also, please feel free to invite friends and family along to join!
If you’re interested in joining, it’s not too late! Contact Rebs at admin@sgparra.org.au.
We will be holding International Sunday on the 26th of Jan to celebrate all the different cultures represented in our church community!
We’d love to invite you to bring a traditional dish or snack from your cultural background and also to come dressed in a traditional outfit.
Please notify Richard Song at richard@sgparra.org.au if you are able to bring a dish.
We look forward to celebrating with you!
As the new year approaches, here’s your friendly reminder to subscribe to the church calendar if you haven’t already done so! This will help you stay up to date with important events within the church.
For iPhone users:
If clicking on the link below doesn't do the trick, then try this on your phone:
Settings > Calendar > Accounts > Add Account > Other > Add Subscribed Calendar > Paste link. Repeat for each calendar.
For Android users:
Follow this quick tutorial to subscribe to each calendar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBcPO-jO2eI
Links:
If you have any problems subscribing to the calendar, contact Rebs at admin@sgparra.org.au.
There will be no groups during the school break. This extended break may be a great opportunity to book in time to catch up with your group members, or even those outside of your group! We will also be holding a Men’s & Women’s Summer book club during January that you can join.
Life Groups will recommence in February!
We hope and pray that you are enjoying a restful break!
Hello SG Parra,
Thank you for your continued prayers and thoughts.
From Jamie:
I'm being heavily invested in by some incredible women both from the church leadership team and from our PC year. I really don't take for granted the opportunity to have such incredible input, so thank you again soo soo much for investing and releasing us to be here.
I'm starting to form some deeper connections at the CrossFit gym I'm attending, which is currently my only non-Christian contact so I would love prayer for conversation opportunities to share the Gospel, particularly as all the Christmas events are underway (already!). An aside, our family saw snow for the first time! It was very magical, there wasn’t a lot but ever so just enough to make a tiny snow man with the kids!
Joel is continuing to be diligent in his studies and it's been such a blessing for me to see him not only grow in his faithfulness, but mostly in his deep affection and love for the Lord through the academically demanding challenges of the course...It definitely feels like we're being “fueled for, Lord willing, a lifetime of ministry!” \
From Joel:
As of this week, our PC class has completed approximately a third of the course - it has paradoxically been a fast and slow experience. I'm humbled to be afforded the opportunity to sit under such wonderful teachers.
Jamie and the children are really settled in now, having established routines and rhythms. This has been a relief to me, to know that they are thriving. It's a delight to see my wife pursuing the Lord with eagerness, growing in love for HIm, pressing into the opportunities afforded throughout the year, such as women's groups, church outreach, gym evangelism, teaching and fellowship.
I've developed some wonderful friendships with like-minded men, eager to equip the saints and engage in evangelism. When we have accountability groups, it's evident that there's an openness to share and strengthen one another in the Lord. On another note, I often ride a push bike to college (at the church's building) and when I'm unable to, for a variety of reasons such as inclement weather, one of them will give me a lift. It's this sort of thing and other instances which communicate brotherly love.
It was so good to see Riley, Maddie, Richard and Louis at the Pastors' and Wives' Conference, and to hear about our church family back in Aus. I was reminded of the Lord's work in our SGParra church and through His undershepherd, Riley.
Our annual Christmas Eve Carols Service is fast approaching! This will be a great opportunity to invite friends and family to hear the Gospel and celebrate the birth of Jesus with us!
Date: Tuesday, 24th December
Time: 6pm
Location: Parramatta East Public School (Parking & Entry via Gaggins St.)
Kids: All the kids will be in the service
There will be carols, kids performance, the bible story read and explained, with some light supper afterwards.
We look forward to seeing you there!
We will be holding our annual Thanksgiving Sunday service on Sunday 29 December.
There will be no formal sermon on this day. Instead, we will be giving members of the church an opportunity to publicly give thanks for what the Lord has done in their lives this year.
You are more than welcome to take hold of this opportunity. If you’d like to do so, we would recommend writing out what you hope to say. Each person will be given approximately 3 minutes, so that we can have as many people take the mic as possible.
We look forward to giving thanks to the Lord together with you!
If you haven’t yet heard, SG Aus will be holding a Marriage Retreat next year - 28-29 March!
Whether you’re sending up an SOS in marital rescue or looking to foster an already flourishing reality, the aim of this retreat is to serve you and your marriage well, by bringing you together.
We’re doing an early bird price of just $60 per couple (usual price $75) for those that get signed up by the end of 2024.
With extended time for fellowship, worship, teaching and fun, we’re eager to see you there!
Hope you can join us!
You can read more about it and sign up here: https://anz.sovereigngrace.com/marriage