au
Community connection

Community connection

What does the word community mean to you? If I asked you to describe the communities you are part of, what would your answer be? .

  • More money or more of God?

    Would you turn down a lucrative job offer unless you believed God was leading you to accept that job? Or would you make an automatic, no-brainer decision simply because the job offered more money? My friend Simone shares her story:

  • Fashion's Night Out

    "YES!" Of course I would accompany my friend to a Vogue Fashion's Night Out cocktail party.

  • Raising our children to know the Lord

    "Jesus, bike." This simple prayer by my two year old son stunned my wife and I as we were driving one day. Earlier in the day we suggested our son ask God for a bike in response to his constant query for one. It was probably an hour later that he spoke up with this two word prayer.

  • Politics, Democracy and the Kingdom of God

    There is an unspoken rule that when at parties there are two things not to talk about: religion and politics. With some of the things I have heard about politics and politicians I am not surprised at this saying. Among both Christians and non-Christians there is often strong animosity towards people of contrary political persuasions. It is not uncommon for people to call politicians outrageous names that they would not use of ordinary folk, or even for politicians to speak in this way to each

  • As God is our Witness

    For centuries, men have lived with the knowledge that whether or not they knew Him, there is a God... That a divine presence watched over them day and night, nothing hidden from his sight. And that knowledge informed their very existence. Things done in secret mattered.

  • The real cost of living in a McMansion

    Australians live in the world's biggest homes but new research shows our trend to upsize our living space is reversing. The average size of new houses being built in this country is getting smaller as people start to realise that living in a McMansion does not make sense. While the financial implications of owning a large home have surely been considered, there are other costs that are not as obvious.

  • Athletes: Not all bad news

    Too often we hear stories in the paper or on the news that yet another high profile athlete had a big night out drinking and partying till early in the morning, that they turned up to training still under the effects of the previous night. These sports stars – heroes to children who dream of one day becoming the next super star of the game cover the front pages for bad news and the back pages for what they did on the field, we hardly ever hear about the athletes and sports stars who give back to

  • 21st birthday celebrations - our fourth and final

    Recently our fourth and youngest child celebrated her twenty-first birthday. Her friends from her college, university and church came to the party, along with special guests and family. Being an organiser of some skill, she put the whole thing together; she found the venue, did the negotiations, arranged the catering and invited specific people to give speeches.

  • What was I doing during these momentous events?

    Memories can elicit powerful emotions when they are connected to important events. People usually remember what they were doing when a momentous world event occurred. It is common, in the USA, to ask people of my generation what they were doing when John F Kennedy was assassinated, in 1963.

  • Brisbane house fire and God's love for us – does it fit?

    At times, we grasp how much God loves us. It really is a blinding moment. The world looks different, excitement rises, joy soars and it seems that we \'get\' God.

  • A modern day parable

    Most Sunday mornings, after church has concluded, I tend to find myself in the church kitchen surrounded by wise, older women. During my time in the kitchen I always find myself engaged in some of the most enjoyable, informative and wise conversations I will have all week.