James Duff October 18th 2015 ~ Farewells

This week Geelong Football Club has recruited a number of star players including Patrick Dangerfield from Adelaide and Scott Selwood from West Coast - great news for the Cats but not exactly great news for the clubs they are leaving.  These teams will have invested heavily into those players and now another club may well benefit from their hard work. (You could say that the Cats have got the cream!)  It has also been a time of goodbyes at St Philips.  On Sunday  the Wedges preached powerfully, informing us that they are pursuing God’s call with another community; the first Sunday of November will be their last Sunday with us.  Dean Spalding also announced that he and Kate, along with their three girls, are moving back to Melbourne some time in December to look after family and work in parish ministry again.These two families have had much impact in their time at St Philips. Dean is a gifted teacher/preacher and has shared these gifts with us on many occasions. Kate, together with Liz Pemberton, has been leading the Toddler Jam programme with much success. Tom and Misty have led small groups, worship services, prayer services and much more.  Although these families’ active ministry is to be admired, what I admire the most is their character.  Both are families of God, who love Jesus and have devoted their lives to follow Him wherever that may lead them.A church community is a lot different from a football club. We are sad that these families will no longer call St Philips their spiritual home but we are delighted that God’s kingdom will be advanced in their new church homes.  Our vision for St Philips is for people to seek God and step out together.  We do this by fixing our eyes on Jesus and having hearts that are open to him.  It is a kingdom vision and is not to be fenced in by St Philips; rather, the gate is to be flung open for people to be equipped to go where the great missional God sends them.Last Sunday, my family and I were able to have lunch with a new parishioner and by the time you have read this we will also have had dinner with another new family.  St Philips is a place that God uses to bless His people all over the world, whether it be through Paul Gill’s ministry in England, Graham and Alison McKay with CMS, Sally Howe and her passion for persecuted Christians around the world, or our youth leaders Linda Hirst, Ben Apopei, Clare Potts and Zoe Varcoe, who have a passion for local youth to come to know the love of God.  God owns the Wedges and Spaldings and he will never leave them or forsake them. What a privilege it has been to be their partners in the gospel at St Philips and their brothers and sisters for eternity.  Let us with thankful hearts continue to be a church that both receives and sends out God’s people for His glory.God bless,James