IN - UP - OUT -

1 Peter 1:8,9 tells us - Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.There is much to celebrate and to be joyful for in the St Philips community. I have divided this musing into IN, UP & OUT. This is a tool to help us focus on a balanced and healthy relationship with God.INLast Sunday, parishioners from the 7:30 service gathered together for lunch at the Fremantle Yacht Club, at the invitation of Jill and David Taylor. A great time was had with friendships strengthened and stories of God’s grace told.The Wednesday morning prayer group have been putting in $5 each a week as their contribution to ‘Vision 52’. They have hit their target of raising $1500, ten weeks ahead of the due date and are now beginning their contribution to ‘Vision 14’.  They have all felt a great sense of excitement and thanks to God for these targets being achieved and the ministry continuing.UPWe have finished our sermon series on ‘The Cash or the Christ’. A lot of people have given me their feedback and thinking on this challenging topic. Personally, I was reminded that all things are God’s and are given to us as a gift. When I see my finances as His and not mine, I am able to see more clearly how God wants me to use it to see His kingdom grow.In the prayer book the current Sundays are designated Ordinary Sundays. The feedback I have received is anything but ‘ordinary’, with a palpable sense of God’s presence through song, prayer and celebrating the Lord’s Supper together. My prayer is that we are able to still our minds and soul and worship Him in full each Sunday gathering.OUTDave Bignell and Georgia Potts continue to discover how their coffee-cart venture is proving to be a really exciting mission ad- venture. They have a growing clientele of locals gathering around the ‘Top Dup’ coffee cart before the 9:30 service each week. This informal Christian connection is different and OUT-there. It blesses the locals buying coffee from the cart and also those who have been deliberately discipled to connect with people through coffee. Dave and Georgia’s intention is for these disciples of coffee-cart mission to take this into other areas of the city.The ‘Amana Mission’ is not far off having its first trial day. Sunday October the 27th has been penciled in as the date. This will see families from within and outside St Philips gather together in prayer (UP), practical ministry in ‘Dorothy Genders’ (OUT) and sharing a meal together afterwards (IN). Please pray that this ministry will ‘bless people by serving’ and through this blessing for people to see and know Jesus.For many now is basically the end of the year and they are looking forward to some warm sunny days spent on the beach or on holidays. Sometimes we can treat God like that and begin to take a break from Him. I encourage us all to keep our faces toward His and ask for Him to bless us with His Spirit, to empower us to remain engaged in the race.BlessingsJames