Our attention is on Christmas and the comings of Christ. Before we know it, it will be 2025! A new year is a chance to set patterns shaped by what matters. Christ’s priorities as a boy were to be in the presence of His Father, and about His Father’s business (Luke 2:41-52). Adopted into His family by […]

Art and Craft in the Hub Art & Craft is such a warm and inviting place. We continue to meet weekly on a Thursday during school term in the cosy Hub to use our hands and hearts to create. We find the conversations uplifting. Several people have joined us this year and their gifts and […]

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, They say you can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family. As you look around you each Sunday in church, what do you see? Do you see a handful of friends, and some other people who are just sort of there in the background but don’t really […]

Celebrations of Christ’s birth are getting close. It’s right we celebrate: ‘The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world’. The timing of Christmas celebrations are not connected to the historical date of his birth, but capture a spiritual truth. In the northern hemisphere, it’s mid-winter; just after the shortest day of the […]

Australians spend and lose more money on gambling than any other country. That’s $25 billion of bets every year. The 2022 federal parliament inquiry into online gambling found that four out of five gamblers were at risk of harm. There were stories of deep suffering including financial ruin, substance abuse, homelessness, domestic violence, and mental […]

A Minister’s message from Hosea Luy The HSC has just started for our Year 12 students. For most of us, the HSC is a memory. Maybe it was the most pressure you had felt in your life until then. You might have been burdened by the expectation of being judged by your marks. If you […]

In his presidential address launching our Synod, Archbishop Raffel left us with a question: ‘Will you help the crowds to see Jesus?’ Kanishka encouraged us: “The task before us, without neglecting what compassion requires, is bringing the life and hope and grace of the gospel of the Lord Jesus to the 6 million or so individuals […]

What is Annual Thanksgiving Day? (ATD) Everything we have comes from God, and the Bible encourages us to use God’s good gifts to honour him. That’s why every year at St Michael’s we celebrate ATD to express our thankfulness for what God has done through Christ (2 Corinthians 8: 7 & 9, 13-15; 1 John […]

You may be familiar with this somewhat famous part of scripture from 2 Corinthians 9: Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Cor 9: 7 What you might be less familiar with is the reason Paul was writing to the Corinthians […]

Hi St Michael’s family! My name is Aubrey, and I attend our 7pm service in Wollongong. I’d like to share a bit about our Church Day Conference which is coming up on Sunday 22 September. It’s a great opportunity for us to meet together from across our congregations and locations and spend quality time together […]

When I was considering becoming a foster father, people shared what the costs would be. I was warned: When I was considering becoming a foster father, I was given one encouragement. It was an encouragement that trumped all the costs and warnings. I was encouraged: Can you see what that means? No matter what else […]

Our 2024 St Michael’s Day Conference is coming up in one month’s time! On Sunday 22nd September at The Illawarra Grammar School we will gather with our wider church family for a whole day (8:30am to 3:30pm), to sing, pray, hear God’s word, and enjoy fellowship. This year we have Archie Poulos (from Moore College) speaking on […]

God’s grace is always worth signalling and celebrating. From the earliest times believers have had a public sign: baptism. Jesus modelled baptism (Matthew 3:13) and commanded it (Matthew 28:19). On this basis, baptism has been the practise of Christian people since Christ ascended and will be until He returns. Already this year we’ve had the […]

How do you feel about sharing the gospel? What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of evangelism? You might love the thought of sharing the good news of Jesus with people. Or if you are like me, the thought of sharing the gospel with friends, work colleagues or family members can […]

Dear friends,  The prophet Amos called for a world flooded with righteousness:   ‘Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream’. (Amos 5:24) Approaching NAIDOC Week, we’d do well to reflect on it through the lens of Amos’ desire. NAIDOC week is promoted as a celebration of the history, culture and achievements of […]

One sign of a heart that has been changed by God’s Spirit, is sympathy for others. Growth Groups at St Michael’s have been striving to love others in a way that both reflects God’s love (sacrificial and practical) and that points to God’s love (loving in a way that points others to Christ). Women on […]

Since we arrived to serve in an international church in the Middle East with CMS, many have asked us what church here is like. Is it different than back in Australia? Is anything the same? Well, yes and no! It’s the largest church we have ever been part of, with up to 1000 people joining […]

Dear friends, A small group from our 7pm congregation spent the long weekend in Grenfell. It wasn’t just to enjoy the Henry Lawson festival. It was to work alongside our mission partners, Tim and Jess Smith, and the faithful saints at Grenfell and Glenelg Anglican. Some of the team reflected that it was valuable, simply to show that […]