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It's been a long time coming but at last I've overhauled the Hobsons Bay Churches website. There is new information, and everything is up to date as of December 19th 2007.

The directory of churches now has 40 entries. Some churches have closed or moved and new ones have commenced.

If only I could find someone to take over the magazine!

Labels: church, hobsons bay churches, information, website

I have installed an interesting application - BlogJet. It's a cool Windows client for my blog tool (as well as for other tools). Get your copy here: http://blogjet.com.

It allows you to edit posts for your blogs while you are offline and publish them later.

"Computers are incredibly fast, accurate and stupid; humans are incredibly slow, inaccurate and brilliant; together they are powerful beyond imagination." -- Albert Einstein

Di and I have just spent 5 days with Peter Toth and Heather Scott of Anazao. The level 1 and 2 conference was excellent, and despite (or probably because) it stretching some of our theological assumptions. There way of ministering to the most broken of people is undoubtedly the most effective - and easiest - that I have experienced.

They effectively and quickly minister to DID and SRA victims without delving into the dungeons and dragons like labrynth that others seem to think is necessary, bringing rapid integration while preserving the dignity of the person and not giving the kingdom of darkness a stage to act upon.

Their method of carrying out deliverance resonates very strongly with the practice we learned from Dr Charles Kraft.

If there is any way you could get to one of their conferences or schools, whatever the cost, then do it! Details at www.anazao.com.au.

Mal

I've had two people express concern (off-line) about the content of this blog, which has prompted me to ask the question - what is the purpose of this website?

One comment was to the effect that I am promoting the ministry of one church, whereas it should only be used to promote the ministry of the combined churches. The other said I was being controversial, but understood why I was doing this! The latter comment I agreed with, as can be seen below. The first I could only agree with if we both had the same understanding of what the ministry of the combined churches consists.

My problem is how do you decide what this is? When is something that is happening in one part of the body divorced from the rest of the body, especially in the light of 1 Corinthians 12.

We did have this discussion some time ago when we were Awakening Hobsons Bay, but the tension between openness and exclusivity was never resolved to my satisfaction.

My position on this is probably obvious - as few restricitons as possible consistent with fairness. If something good (or bad) is happening in one of the churches, then it affects the whole church - and I want to know about it. We are ONE church, aren't we? A website that only reports what we already know we are doing together is of no use at all.

The reasons the entries so far have been from only one church are fourfold:

1. Only one church is using the blog, because no-one else has asked me for access. It is provided as a means for church leaders to comment on issues and pass on news and views, but so far they haven't.

2. I wanted to get the blog rolling.

3. I tried to get some kind of reaction, and at last this seems to have happened. Someone actually is reading this blog, and therefore visiting the site. (Of course, I knew you were reading it Ben. Now at least one more is doing so).

4. I was testing the various configurations of the system, in particular the interaction between the blogs and the Google groups, and needed something to post. The two entries that possibly caused offense are in fact from one of my other blogs.

If it is the websites that I link to in the post titles that are the problem, I have been doing this purely to provide backlinks to raise the rankings of this family of websites in Google so that more people will find the site. Otherwise these links are not particularly significant at present.

Aside from this, I don't believe passing on news is promotion of one's own ministry (and even if it is, it could still be a valid use of the site). The Hearing God's Voice course was open to all churches. Unfortunately, while among the 40 who did the course were people from all over Victoria, support from Hobsons Bay was minimal, despite several expressions of interest from local leaders when the course was proposed.

The course was run by Beth Tephillah Ministries at Beth Tephillah Ministry Centre, with the support of but not by Williamstown Baptist Church. Beth Tephillah Ministry Centre is a resource for the whole church of Hobsons Bay.

The entry about what we believe at Willy Baptist was a request for comment (none was received). In fact, the posting did not contain any information about what we believe - it provided a link to another website that people could follow or ignore as they wished.

Let's look at a hypothetical case. If someone in Hobsons Bay Churches found an excellent website that they thought could benefit others, would posting a link to it constitute promotion of an individual ministry? I think not. But if the site happens to belong to someone in Hobsons Bay Churches, does this mean it can't be mentioned? If so, we are all likely to be significantly impoverished.

I have a passion for helping the Christian Church to use the Internet effectively for Kingdom business. Does this disqualify me from any input to this website? After all, it is part of my ministry! Perhaps it's OK as long as I only share my thoughts and ideas off-line.

The posting about the Pope was something I felt sure we all would like to have done, and I wanted it to be timely.

Of course, offending items are very easily removed, but I will wait for further discussion before deciding whether or not to do so.

Bear in mind that if you don't contribute to the development of your website, at least with comment if not with more constructive input, then it might not end up how you want it. The same holds for the two Google groups that I have set up and will be emailing information about shortly.

Personally, I have been very disappointed when churches in Hobsons Bay have had great visiting speakers that I only found out about after the event. I'm sure others have similarly missed out through lack of communication. If anyone thinks that we should be restrictive in this area then it would be great to hear why they think so, not just that they do think so.

I wouold rather think that, while upholding the need for privacy, we should be able to share anything online that we would share at any other time we come together.

Blessings

Mal

There's been some discussion about the use of the Hobsons Bay Churches website to promote information about the ministries of individual churches. I'd certainly appreciate being able to check out where, for example, Alpha courses or Answers in Genesis meetings are being held. As individual churches usually arrange these rather than all the churches together, a ban on mentioning the ministries of individual churches would make it harder to put people in touch with such courses.

I come down heavily on the side of sharing of information through the website rather than restricting it to the half-a-dozen things we do together. It would be really great if churches wanted to advertise a visiting speaker, school holiday programme or course. It would make it a much more useful site.

Di

Pray for us as teams from the churches pray for people at the Haven of Hope prayer tent from 10am till 5pm at Williamstown Festival today.

Give us an open heaven, Lord.

Goodbye Pope John Paul II.

Used significantly by Jesus in a strategic time in history to make important inroads to undermine the power of the kingdom of darkness.

Welcome to your reward. We'll see you later!

The second session of the Hearing God's Voice course went well, again with about 40 participating. Following each teaching session we did exercises of listening to God for others, and hearing prophetic words for each other. When asked about the words given to him by others one pastor's comment was "mind blowing!" The intercession sheets were very encouraging too, with some very accurate and helpful words.

Next month we start on the Intercession and Spiritual Warfare module. Enrollments are looking good.

Mal

I've just put up a page on the church site about what we believe at Williamstown Baptist Church. I'm pretty sure I will get flack, or at least some questions, about some of it. Have a look - it's at http://www.bethtephillah.com/belief.html
I'd welcome some discussion.
Mal

In the interests of wider communication I am experimenting with automatic linking between some of my blogs and their associated email discussion groups.

This is a test email to all of my blogs to see if the linking works OK. If it works this message will appear as a post on each blog and on its associated group. The blogs and groups involved are:

Blog - a reasonable mystic - www.reasonablemystic.com/
Google Group - a reasonable mystic - reasonablemystic@googlegroups.com


Blog - Dark Night of the Soul - www.darknightofthesoul.net/blog.html
Google Group - Dark Night of the Soul - darknightofthesoul@googlegroups.com


Blog - hobsonsbaychurches - www.hobsonsbaychurches.com/blog/blog.html
Google Group - Hobsons Bay Churches - hobsonsbaychurches@googlegroups.com


Blog - Mal's Meanderings - www.bethtephillah.com/weblog/blog.html

Blog - awakeningwestblog - www.awakeningwest.com/weblog/blog.html

Blog - speakintongues - www.speak-in-tongues.com/blog.html

Website - Burden Bearer - www.burdenbearer.com
Google Group - Burden Bearer - burdenbearer@googlegroups.com

Website - Listening 2 God - www.listening2god.com
Google Group - listening2god - listening2god@googlegroups.com

Google Group - Prayer Ministries Network - prayerministriesnetwork@googlegroups.com

Mal Dow

Yesterday we ran the first part of our first Hearing God's Voice course. Previously it has only been part of a full year prayer ministry course. There were about 40 students and helpers - pretty cozy at Beth Tephillah Ministry Centre. It was great fun, and God really came through for us. They're off now for a month of practicing their listening exercises before we come back together for some deeper stuff.

You might like to visit the associated website www.listening2god.com and/or join the discussion group there.

Mal

While the Hobsons Bay pastors were praying together on Thursday morning about divisions within the church of Hobsons Bay God reminded me that after Jesus' resurrection he surprised his disciples by appearing through walls. He was no longer bound by them, and neither are we as he has given us his power.

So, we should begin walking through the walls between our churches and community.

And I would expect that we would find that Jesus is there ahead of us.

Mal

On Tuesday night, while ministering to someone, I had a vision which was partly related to that person's situation, but I also knew that it was also for me and the church at large. So I'll describe it and leave it up to you to judge.

First the man being prayed for saw himself in a boat moving in quite unsettled water, and Jesus said, "Do you know where you are going?". Looking ahead, there was smooth sea to the horizon, and a sense that there was something or somewhere out there towards which one could head, but it could not be seen clearly.

At the same time, as we prayed, and not knowing what he saw, I saw an island, which was almost entirely an errupting volcano. The boat landed on the beach and I climbed to the high rim of the crater. The mountain was full of the fire of God. Looking into that fire I knew I was in was the presence of God, just as I imagine it was like for Moses on Sinai. As I stood on the rim I turned to look out to sea and all around. From every direction, the waves were moving towards the island. The wind blew towards the island from all directions too. The island was the centre of everything - the centre and reason for existence of the whole creation.

There were just a few people in boats and in the water, and they were all heading for the island. I knew some would climb the mountain, including the man we were praying for, because they wanted to be near God. As I stood on the high rim, with the fire of God in the crater behind me, I felt no fear, even with my back to God, as it were. This was the safest and most right place for me to be: with Father God, as he and I called his children home.


A word of explanation - by "calling his children home", I do not mean that final home at death, but to be with him NOW in this life, as Jesus lived on earth in his Father's presence.

As is usually the case in such visions, you are yourself the focus, which can make it sound a bit arrogant. This is not my intention, it is just because it was to me God was showing this. I believe it means it is time for ALL of God's servants and friends to be concentrating on bringing his children into a true, intimate, passionate, clearly-hearing-his-voice relationship. There is no time left for playing around with doctrinal hair-splitting, denominational rivalries, and ego-boosting ambitions. The fire of God is HERE - that all-consuming, purifying fire!

I also find the timing interesting - because on Saturday at Beth Tephillah we begin our first intentional training course for those who want to learn to hear God's voice. I am becoming even more convinced that God is birthing something with this course and am excited to see what comes out of it. Until now we have focussed specifically on prayer ministry training, with its obvious emphasis on listening to God and obeying what is heard, but now it is the listening that is the focus, and it is for all of God's people, not just those called to a specific ministry.

Mal Dow

Malcolm has already written some of what we do as pastors (Click on his profile in the list of contributors on the left). We're pleased to be able to meet each week for prayer with other pastors in the City of Hobsons Bay. It's good to be able to pray for the churches and share what is happening in the community.

The churches worked together in the Hobsons Bay SUFM 18 - 20 January, when 80+ children enjoyed mornings of fun finding out more about Jesus. Auslife is the next inter-church event - year 10 students at Williamstown High School will participate in a day seminar on 4th February. Auslife seminars are designed to encourage students to think and reflect, ask questions and begin a personal search for meaning and significance around themes such as Goals & Values, Relationships, Peer Management, or Self Esteem. This is the 5th such seminar in Williamstown arranged by local churches.

The Bayside and Williamstown Festivals, special Easter gatherings and the National Day of Thanksgiving on 14th May give opportunities for the churches to work together in the City.

Last year Altona Baptist folk sent out an invitation to a Bluegrass Gospel music evening with Steve Messer's Strange Country. They were great and are coming again on Saturday 12th February 6 - 8 pm to the Logan Reserve. It's a free night and well worth inviting others to come too.

In case you didn't know, I used to work as a librarian at Williamstown Library (that's how I came to Williamstown from England). I like passing on information to people so think this is a good avenue to share news. Hope you will too.
Blessings of grace and peace
Di

Welcome to the hobsonsbaychurches blog.

This blog (weblog), a part of the http://www.hobsonsbaychurches.com website, in conjunction with the Google2 newsgroups hobsonsbaychurches and hobsonsbaypastors, will provide a means of passing news and information about events between the churches of Hobsons Bay.

Watch this blog for further information about how it works and how you can become involved in it.

God bless,

Mal Dow