Ministry 

Ministry Message

A Community Built on Trust

Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:1-3

Our first days at school are so crucial for building lasting relationships. It is in these early days that we learn more about the people with whom we work and study and start to develop a sense of trust in them. It is always very encouraging to see new students, who have arrived on their first day feeling nervous, walking out of the gates of the school at the end of the day with big smiles on their faces. It is obvious from their expressions that they have been put at ease by the care and support of the staff and students around them. Uncertainty has been replaced with a sense of trust – a trust that will grow over the years as they grow closer to the people around them.

Establishing trust between each other is a fundamental element for any community. When we trust each other, we work well together and can be honest about how things really are. When we lose trust in each other, it is easy to become suspicious of one another and to jump to conclusions that may not actually be true. Trust can take a long time to build but only a very short time to break down and – if it does break down –  the community will take a long time to recover.

Jesus addressed the issue of trust with his disciples and urged them to put their faith in him and his heavenly Father. Yet trusting God seems so much harder than trusting people, especially when we can’t see God or hear from him in an audible way, like we can when we speak to people around us. It is a daunting thing to place our trust in a God whom many have rejected and to be counted as a Christian at a time when the church has been involved in scandal. Is Jesus really who he says he is? Is God truly at work in the church? Can we really believe what is written in the Bible and truly call it God’s word? Sometimes we need help to be fully convinced of these things!

Our community is built on trust – a trust that begins with trusting in God and believing his word, even when it seems unpopular, or out of date. However, our trust in God is grounded in his promise to send us his Spirit, to reassure us of his faithfulness. Jesus’ willingness to lay down his life shows the extent to which God is willing to go to show us how much he loves us and to strengthen our faith in him when life gets difficult.

My hope for all people in our school community is that God will show himself to everyone as a trustworthy and loving God. As we grow in our trust for him, I trust that he will strengthen our relationships and make our community one of integrity, honesty and compassion and hope.

Pastor Dale

Youth Events

St Paul Youth

St Paul Youth for Years 6 to 8 runs on the first and third Friday of the month during the school term

Time: 7.00pm-9.00pm

Cost: $2.00

Friday 17 February – Beach Night – Girls bring supper –More details to follow

We are meeting at West Beach by the Henley Beach Sailing Club at the bottom of Burbridge Road – Please RSVP to Nicole so we can look out for you.

Permission slips are available through the church, in the classroom and on the night. Bring along a towel and a torch be prepared to get wet to the knees.

For more information contact Nicole Hall Child, Youth and Household Ministry Coordinator on 0412 686 342.