Don't you hate pressing halfway down on your camera trigger, waiting for the camera to respond to it's autofocus... Then confidently taking the snap... only to realise the photo is out of focus? The photo has no clarity!

Tuesday 14th October marks the 2nd SCCCA Challenge Night for 2008. It is a night for you as church leaders to refocus on the mission of reaching Sydney with the gospel. Week to week we can get bogged down into serving at church and becomes a humdrum experience in our Christian walk. There are times we need to take a step back and be reminded of and see our vision. To see it with clarity.

Peter Lin (minister at St Barnabas, Fairfield) will challenge us from God's word. There will also be time to ask questions to a panel of pastors. And of course like any good Asian Christian gathering, fellowship over supper.

This evening is NOT JUST for people considering full time paid ministry. It is for all of us to be reminded of the challenge to full time ministry, whether paid or lay.


Make sure you can see the vision for the gospel with clarity.

Details:

"Seeing With Clarity" - SCCCA Challenge Night
8pm, Tuesday 14th October
Burwood Chinese Presbyterian Church
46-48 Belmore Street, Burwood 2134

Download a flyer for the challenge night here

Saturday 11th October 2008 AD
9.00am - 4.30pm
Sydney Young Nak Korean Church
7-9 Manson Street, Telopea
$40 rego and lunch fee

An opportunity for you and your church leadership to think through how to best grow as first and second generation leaders in ministry. Let your pastors, elders and deacons know. Invite them along and learn together how you can grow a first and second generation church. Dr. Peter Lai who leads a Chinese church in LA, but who has a parallel model of ministry with his English ministry is coming in to run a 1 day conference on 1st and 2nd generation models of ministry (1 day only on Saturday in Paramatta). What makes this unique is that they'll be Chinese, Koreans, Islanders, Egyptians, Ghanian etc church leaders coming along as they face the same challenges that the Chinese churches face with 1st and 2nd generation leadership and ministry. If you are in leadership in the Chinese church, whether a overseas born chinese leader or a australian born chinese leader, this is for you. Bring your churches leadership so you can learn together, and see what others are doing to grow the ministry and mission of jesus in our city in cross cultural ministry.


Ministry to 2nd Generation

Our world needs the gospel of Jesus.

Our churches need leaders for the future to take this gospel to the world, both lay leaders and paid leaders.

The SCCCA Leadership Conference will be a great time for like minded people from Chinese Churches across Sydney to catch the vision of sharing the gospel, to think through what this means for the rest of our lives, and to spend time with others thinking through these issues.

It's a conference for people who are or want to be in paid ministry positions. But it is ALSO for those who are planning to remain in lay leadership of churches.

[b]SCCCA Leadership Conference
12-14th September, 2008
Wedderburn Christian Campsite
Minerva Road, Wedderburn, NSW 2560

Download a flyer at http://www.sccca-english.org.au/download.php?view.14

Registration closed!

Monday 14th July, 7pm
Location: St Paul's Anglican Church, Carlingford

For pastors, theological students and final year apprentices.
Theologs should RSVP to Andrew Hong (andrew.hong@ndcccs.org.au) by 9th July. Dinner is FREE for theologs and final year apprentices.

Pastors/Deacons should RSVP to Brian Tung (brian.tung@hope.anglican.asn.au). Dinner is $10.

Download a flyer here.

The ANZCCOE is coming up this July (1st - 4th) in Melbourne, which has been predominantly Chinese speaking. Under the CCCOWE banner (Chinese Conference On World Evangelism), and held every 3 years it brings together Chinese pastors and lay leaders across the Asia Pacific region. This time however they are running a parallel English track that Ying and Eugene are responsible for. It's a first, and we hope to bring together English speaking pastors, gospel workers and lay leaders from across Australia to

1. share the vision of reaching our nation and raising the next generation,
2. training and equipping for their ministry and
3. networking and establishing bridges for future partnerships with them.

The theme Bible expositions by Michael Raiter will be on 'Renewing A Passion For Jesus & His Gospel', which promises to be challenging as we think of what that will mean for us in our cities. What excites me more than anything else will be the opportunity to meet, share, learn from and encourage others in English ministry across our nation (or perhaps even compare battle scars!).

The upcoming conference will provide a unique opportunity for us to begin building bridges interstate and partnerships to grow ministry interstate (as we have done in Brisbane with Brisbane Leadership Training Conferences), and also to share a wider vision for raising the next generation for ministry and mission within and outside the Chinese church. We are a nation of 21 million people, where less than 3% (700,000) are Christian. There are over 20 million unreached people groups in our cities across our nation. It will take more than one church and one generation to see the mission of Jesus realized.

Those of us in Sydney have a unique opportunity to contribute by our presence and fellowship with others, as we have by far the largest number of men and women involved in second generation ministry, and have a much longer history in terms of the development of ABC ministry and MAP (Ministry Apprentice Program) in our city.

I hope you'll consider coming as we hope to make this a significant event in laying the foundation to seeing the gospel reaching generations of men and women in cities across our nation. More than anything else please be praying for this conference.

Download a registration form here: http://www.sccca-english.org.au/download.php?view.8

Uncle Sam was recruiting soldiers to fight for freedom...
The Lord Jesus was and still is recruiting soldiers to fight for freedom. A freedom found in Jesus alone!

Are you ready to step up?

SCCCA Challenge night is designed for Christians who are thinking about the prospects of their future in full time PAID Christian ministry. Whether you are a n00b to the idea and wondering why I emphasised "PAID" just before... or whether you are pro and already know what MTS and MAP stand for and where you plan to do it... this is an evening for you!

There will be a talk to challenge your thinking and time for small groups to speak with others and pray together. People who are either asking the same questions as you and are facing the same issues you are, or people who have been through these things before and are now pastors, or studying at college or doing a ministry apprenticeship.

Details:
8pm, Tuesday 13th May
Burwood Chinese Presbyterian Church
46-48 Belmore Street, Burwood

Location: St Paul's Anglican Church, Carlingford
For theological students and final year apprentices.
Stay tuned for more details.

2008 is kicking off with everything happening again. Our Sunday Schools, youth groups and soon uni and school. Well PILOT is also happening again, just like last year rebranded as 'T4G' - Together For The Gospel. T4G '08 comes this March with a bigger vision for our Chinese churches, our city and our world.

T4G is a 1-day conference for next generation leaders looking to bring the saving and transforming gospel of Jesus to our Chinese churches, our city and our world. A chance to meet and train with other like-minded leaders in your region; and be challenged to catch a vision of God’s mission for your church in our city and world. 2 speakers, 5 regional training groups, 38 Chinese churches, together for the Gospel.

More information? click here for more information about T4G.

T4G registrations are now open. To register, click here

2008 is kicking off with everything happening again. Our Sunday Schools, youth groups and soon uni and school. Well PILOT T4G is also happening again, just like last year.

PILOT T4G is an opportunity for leaders in Chinese churches to gather to hear God's word, pray and enjoy fellowship with Christians from a host of churches.

As well as PILOT T4G, we can announce the dates for SCCCA events on the 2008 calendar:

• PILOT training day Together For the Gospel (T4G): Saturday 8th March, Burwood CPC (46-48 Belmore St, Burwood)
• SCCCA Challenge night 1: Tuesday 13th May (location TBA)
  
• Theolog/Ministers' dinner: Monday 14th(location TBA)
• Leaders' retreat: Friday 12th - Sunday 14th September (location TBA)
• SCCCA Challenge night 2: Tuesday 14th October (location TBA)

Further details to be released soon. Watch this space!

Ever thought about the prospects of what paid Christian ministry might be like?  What's involved in the process from where I am now in my life to possibly end up in Christian ministry?

Or maybe there is someone who you think could be suitable for paid Christian ministry?

Well then this evening is for you (and your friend)!  SCCCA Challenge nights are aimed particularly at you if you have any questions or thoughts about paid Christian ministry, whether at a local church or even overseas.

Tom Tokura, pastor at Naremburn Asian Australian Church, will be speaking on the topic "Soldier - no more playing games".

Details:
8pm, Tuesday 4th September
Burwood Chinese Presbyterian Church
46-48 Belmore Street, Burwood

Bring a friend.  Try some of the local Burwood-ese cuisine beforehand.