Up-In-Out for Advent

Advent is upon us so naturally many of us are hoping to wind down to the end of the year. It seems that God has different plans, as we are gearing up and starting to birth a variety of new ministries: Young Families, Amana Living and Youth Ministry. The UP-IN-OUT triangle is the tool we work with to help us pattern our ministries on the life of Jesus (Luke 6:12-19). UP- worship, IN- relationship with spiritual family, OUT- mission.                              Young Families: We have begun to invite young families to have pizza or fish and chips together, every second week. Last week saw 12 families gather for pizza outside the front of the church. It was wonderful to see families come along who have only small connections to the church through our Thursday playgroup. As we have several young families living in the northern suburbs, instead of trying to pull them from the north to Cottesloe, it makes sense that the northern families should gather in the north and invite other families to join them.To this end the Pembertons have sent out an email invitation, to meet up north with them and others this Thursday to share a meal together.  The young families living closer to St Philips or south of Cottesloe, are doing the same - meeting this Thursday. This is a low weight way of gathering community (IN) and reaching families who have little or no connection to a church or God (OUT).  It is great fun.Amana Living: This Sunday sees Young Families going out of the church building on mission. My family and I will not be at the 9:30 service, as we are part of this missional community.  We will be serving at Dorothy Genders Amana Living. First up we will be drinking coffee and praying together (UP) at Tom and Shona Cairney’s house, before we go together to Dorothy Genders (OUT) and then as a team go and enjoy a picnic together at Keane's Point Reserve (IN).Youth: Last Friday we gathered a handful of youth and some of the youth leaders for pizza and a brief chat about what Youth Ministry may look like next year. This team will be spread across our new Friday Night Youth Group and the Sunday Youth Group. The leadership team is made up of me (James), Linda Hirst, Ben Apopei and Clare Potts! David Baker may join this team if and when he returns from the US next year. We will have First Term’s program out before Christmas.The early disciples of Jesus were known as the followers of “the Way”.  At St Philips we think it makes common sense to copy the way Jesus made disciples. He was able to take 12 men, invest in them and in less than three years teach them to do all that he could do!Each of our new ministry teams will be discipled by me and others to disciple others in their turn. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will work in amazing ways through these ministries - building and strengthening leaders, for people to be blessed by serving and being served and for many to come into God’s kingdom through Jesus.BlessingsJames