rocky presbyterian church

Starting this Sunday at st.andrews we are starting a new bible talk series on Luke’s Gospel called the Essential Jesus. Between now and Easter Sunday we will be considering the Essentials about WHO Jesus is and WHY Jesus came and why its Essential for us to have Jesus in our lives.  You can pick up a copy of the gospel of Luke “The Essential Jesus” in the foyer at Church along with our small group studies.   Of course the talks and studies and a copy of Luke’s gospel will be available here online - but we’d love to see you if you are in Rocky and if you can’t get along to church - drop us a line so we can be encouraged too.

Come and join our church family for a BBQ on Australia Day at Riverside Park, Huish Drive Rockhampton (next to South-side pool). It’s BYO everything.  As well as the BBQ we will be eating Pavlova and throwing thongs.  The fun starts at 4pm and when it gets too dark we might go home.

Pastor welcomes Hell Pizza

Megan Lewis | 15th January 2010

Reverend Mike O’Connor isn’t getting hot and bothered over the devilish name of a new pizza franchise.

IF HELL Pizza set up shop in Rockhampton, Presbyterian Minister Mike O’Connor wouldn’t think twice about taking his church youth group for a slice of Damned or Purgatory pizza.

A Brisbane church this week condemned the opening of a new Hell Pizza store in a nearby suburb, saying advertising for the pizza outlet’s new Brookwater store would send children a confusing message about hell.

“The restaurant’s playing in dangerous territory and several members of our church have expressed concern that they have come to our area,” Springfield Christian Family Church Pastor John Van Bennekom said.

However, Reverend O’Connor of St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Denham Street yesterday said such comments were over the top.

“Those views are out of touch with society and make the church look irrelevant,” Reverend O’Connor said.

“If you are going to carry on about the name of a pizza store, where will it stop? What about the Melbourne Demons Football Club or television shows like Hell’s Kitchen?”

Hell Pizza’s advertising slogans include “Kids are evil, feed them” and if you call to place an order you are greeted with a friendly, “Welcome to Hell”.

Their pizzas have names such Purgatory and Damned and they offer home delivery service called Hot as Hell Deliverance.

“I’d buy a pizza from them; even take our church youth group there for dinner if I could. And kids are evil – no argument here!” the father of one said.

Ordained eight years ago, Reverend O’Connor said he did not find Hell Pizza offensive, irreligious or blasphemous.

“I find it amusing and would probably use it for sermon illustration,” he said.

“Christianity is not about rules and regulations, it’s about having a relationship with Jesus.”

Reverend O’Connor said St Andrews was a growing church with a number of young adults among the congregation.

“It’s important to interact with cultures that surround us, not standing back and labelling everything as evil.

“I’m just a normal bloke who likes having a beer, watching the footy and who loves Jesus,” he said.

“Hell is a real place, but it’s unhelpful for Christians to be jumping up and down about a pizza shop. We’re on about Jesus, not about being anti-everything,” he said.

The pizza chain, which began in Wellington in 1996, also has stores in Britain, Ireland and opened its first Canadian store last month.

The restaurant’s Australian chairman Mike Hird was unavailable for comment yesterday.

The Morning Bulletin | January 15, 2010

Starting in February we will be removing the fog, clearing the air and discovering afresh who Jesus is and why he is so essential to our lives.  Make sure you join a small group , pick up a copy to give away to a friend or work mate or neighbour and invite them to come along with you to our series on the Essential Jesus.  It starts in February and finishes on Easter Sunday.

If you are in Rockhampton over Christmas then please come and join us at Church! We have our Carols night, Sunday December 13 at 6:30pm and we are meeting for Church on Christmas Day at 8am.  Early enough to open some presents and put lunch on when you get home.  We are meeting on Sunday morning December 27 in the morning only - no night church on the 27.

Christmas is all about Jesus and that’s what you can expect to hear about at our Carols night and on Christmas day.  Hope to see you there.  Merry Christmas!

I know it’s early but we want this year’s convention to be even bigger than our first one.  The theme for the 2010 convention is Christ Alone and our speakers are Luke Tattersall who pastors a presbyterian church in Parramatta (Sydney) and Leigh Trevaskis who lectures at the Queensland Theological College.  The Convention in being held at St.Andrew’s Ministry and Conference centre in Rockhampton over the May long weekend (May 1-3).  You can register online now at www.cqcc.org.au and make sure you tell your friends.

With the audio of our Bible Talks being very popular (surprisingly popular) starting with Exodus we are now going to post a pdf copy of the talk manuscripts for download (all the Exodus talks are now available).  You can downloaded them from the same place where you hear the talks. The only thing as the writer of the scripts I wanted to say is please bear in mind as you read them that they were written to be spoken and not read and any spelling mistakes need to be remembered in the same vein. Otherwise enjoy!!  We really hope they are useful for you as you love and serve the Risen Lord Jesus.

Mike

It’s beginning to look at lot like Christmas - the trees are up in the Rockhampton department stores and the fake snow looks even more ridiculous in a Central Queensland tropical summer.  Christmas is great!  Great time to eat salted meats, give and receive presents that no one really wants or needs (unless you buy them yourself!) and of course, remind people of God’s greatest gift to mankind - his Son Jesus who came as a baby but died as a man on the Cross.  Christmas is also a gift to the church! A great opportunity to invite our friends and neigbours to come and hear about God’s gift to them in Jesus.  This year at st.andrews rockhampton we are not going to kick the gift horse in the mouth.  As you can see the flyers are printed and ready to be delivered to the people in your neighbourhood.   Please make sure you talk to Allan this Sunday and grab some flyers and deliver them in your street.

Our new Bible talk series on Exodus has started.  It’s an 8 week series of talks and small group studies.  Exodus is a great book which introduces us to Moses, the Law and covers the classic kids’ bible stories of the burning bush and the crossing of the red sea but Exodus is more than just a great story! Most people think the hero of the book is Moses but the real hero of the is God, who hears the cries of his people in slavery and remembers his promises and against the hard heart of Pharaoh and with an unlikely saviour in Moses delivers Israel from her slavery.  Join us at st.andrews as we hear how the Old Testament still speaks to us today and how in Jesus God has also delivered us from our slavery to sin, to death and Hell.  We’d love to have you come along to church we meet in the Rockhampton city centre on Sundays at 9am and 6.30pm.  If you are in Rocky - please come and join us.  If you can’t get here then please keep checking our website to hear the Exodus talks.

ALL ABOARD!  Sorry that was a bit lame.  But this isn’t!  This saturday at church at 8am we will begin the first of our saturday morning train-ing events.  This time we will be looking at how to lead church.  Welcoming people, setting the tone for the meeting, directing people to the Bible and getting them to begin engaging with God. Its more than just the announcement!!  If you’d like to lead church or have a go at it then make sure you come along this Saturday for the train!  Yes, at that time of morning there will be coffee (and pastries - I hope) let Mike know if you are coming.  mike@rockypc.org.au