It’s been almost two months now since Michelle and I began our ministry here at Emmanuel Church and we are just so encouraged by the way in which we have been welcomed, loved and appreciated. Thank you all!

The ministry at Emmanuel and the fellowship we enjoy is just so special and the kindness, love and compassion demonstrated by this community is such a wonderful witness to the love, mercy and compassion that Jesus Christ has shown to us in His sacrificial death of atonement on the cross. May I take this opportunity to exhort every person in our congregation to continue as such?!

There are a few ministries that I would like to highlight and ask for your continued involvement, prayer and support as it’s through committed involvement that the ministry will continue but also grow and mature.

Our children’s church is making exciting leaps and is growing in number. We thank the Lord for this and pray that it continues. They are fast running out of space and while this is a delightful problem to have, we do need to give serious consideration to how we can free up some more space for them. The teachers are doing such a tremendous work amongst these children and we praise God for the way in which He is working. Rejoice with us as we thank God for this blessing.

The Ladies for the Lord group have been very hard at work since our arrival and we are so grateful for the selfless manner in which these ladies serve our congregation. They have provided meals for the prayer breakfasts as well as for the induction service and have really outdone themselves. We have a great team of ladies involved and I would like to encourage them to keep serving together as a team for the honour of the Lord.

Our Bible study groups are up and running and these groups aid our need for fellowship and teaching. Growth groups like these are very conducive to getting to know other people in our congregation and allow for some excellent opportunities for fellowship and also for growing in our faith through the Word of God. If you don’t attend a growth group I would love to point you towards a group that would be suitable for you. I’m also aware that there is a shortage of groups and will be looking to set up new growth groups in the community around Emmanuel.

Our Sunday services are edifying and we have had a reasonable number of visitors over the last few weeks. Please pray with me that these visitors will feel at home among us and become regular members of this church. As we have discussed, it is imperative that we grow in number for future sustainability of the ministry here and we all need to make a concerted effort to grow our church. As we’ve seen from Ephesians, God has bestowed wonderful gifts on His people that they may all serve Him in His church. Let’s all make a heartfelt effort to use what God has given us to serve Him in church and in this community and make a lasting difference for the gospel. I thank each and every person who serves in any kind of way, big or small, it is very much appreciated.

Finances is always a difficult topic to discuss and I am aware that many people in our church give sacrificially and although I don’t know (and don’t need to know) who gives what or how much, I am very grateful that there is an attitude of giving here. We do, however, need to work very hard at our finances as the support that we currently enjoy from Christ Church Blairgowrie and the Trustees of CESA is soon going to start declining. There is no guarantee that these funds will continue past 2012 so as a church we really do need to prayerfully consider how we can stand on our own feet financially. Please would you pray most earnestly about this matter and speak to me about any ideas you have. If you are not yet committed to a monthly tithe then please feel free to speak to me or one of the Council about this.

The church council have been a strong support to us and we are grateful for their support and enthusiasm for the ministry of our church. Please remember to pray for them and the work that they do to manage the month to month affairs of Emmanuel as without them and their tenacity it would be very difficult to run this church. Please also pray for Michelle and I as we serve here. Pray that above all, King Jesus will be magnified through the ministry here. Also pray for our move as we plan to move into Edenvale in the next couple of month.

Much love to you all in Christ,

Bryan Haigh