Our very dear friends, gift of God's love to us, we pray for you and us over this beautiful Christmas season blessings of His Love - whatever the awesomely creative Holy Spirit causes that to be for each in our unique personal situations. The thought reminds me of the Ephesians 3:20 description of God that He "...is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we can ask or imagine..." through His Presence at work within us. We worship You our God...
We are looking back over 4 years of ministry at St George's, with the lovely group of people God has brought together here at Battery Point, and over this year, the care of four more churches in the Southern Midlands. John is also chaplain to the City South Network – about a quarter of the states clergy. He could not do it without the two young and very gifted associate clergy here. We also find ourselves praying with friends who lead churches from other denominations about various issues. The fellowship across the Body of Christ is a very rich blessing.
The 4 years have gone very quickly, it is really only a short time, but we believe that the witness to the living, loving God in diverse expressions through the Holy Spirit is bearing and will bear yet more fruit, as He has promised. Our various groups, the large Sunday morning gathering and the sundry smaller groups all over the week, are expressions of love and joy. We are in relationship with our local community, giving us opportunity to witness, and we have specific overseas mission goals, and are praying that some day that will result in people actually going on short term teams from our church family. John is very busy with all the challenges involved in leadership, but we try very hard each week to take our day off, as we realize that without that, we would seriously risk burnout.
For our holidays this year we took our 4 weeks in Europe, (10 days, primarily to see the Passion Play at Oberammagau, quite wonderful!), UK (very brief, but good time with Auntie Joy Jewett and our Anthony, just arrived from OZ as we were just departing!), and USA, where we caught up, if ever so briefly, with St Paul's Haymarket and Masterworks Festival friends, and our beloved Catherine and Adrian. Time is so strange, that now seems ages ago!
As with all ministries there are challenges which are a provocation to personal growth as well as deepening relationship. His joy remains our strength, and it is a deep stream. So we move into our 5th year with great hope and longing, that love and joy will deepen and increase among us, and that Jesus Himself will be known in who we are together.
As we write, we are very thrilled that Ruth is now Dr Ruth, with her PH.D in biochemistry, we all celebrated her graduation, and some of us were physically here in Tas. to do so! Anthony has spent 6 months in UK as visiting fellow to the London School of Economics, trying to come home to Adelaide in the time of those huge snow storms in London. Catherine, who gained her Master's degree last year, is very excited to be focusing on film movie composition, she is on the board of film composers in Seattle, composes regularly, works for a film composer while still continuing with music teaching from home. Our grandchildren Jessica and Caleb are enthusiastic students. I (Roslyn)am doing well health-wise, and as music director for St George's I am enjoying building a choir, (am actually passionate about it!) and singing in the Tasmanian Chorale. Most of my performing on piano this year has been at St George's services. Hopefully next year I will again give recitals, this year I have not managed to do so.
In the year to come we are looking forward to seeing some of our dear American friends here in Tasmania,and to enjoying our days off on our land, called “The Sanctuary', but most of all, to seeing God continue to grow us and those we are called to serve amongst, as ambassadors for His kingdom. May we all grow in the knowledge and love of our God, and be a means of others coming to know Him.
With all our love,
John and Roslyn
