Our National Ultreya at Coffs Harbour was a great success – People came together from all States in Australia. It was held at St Johns Anglican Church Coffs Harbour and at the local CEX Club. Some Photos…
Some Newcastle Cursillistas
Bishop Bill Nth Qld, Bishop Grace Grafton & Bishop Ian Bathurst
ENCOURAGER 88 MAY 2014
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Now that we are in the season of Easter, we think about new life and transformation. One of the things that fascinates me is the differences between Organisations and Movements. The way these two things operate in our world can sometimes look so similar and yet at their heart is something very different.
Organisations work on rules and regulations, they’re about following the manual and the correct procedure, anyone can do the job as long as they follow the instructions. A Movement focuses on values and passing these on to those who come next, anyone can be involved but they must learn the values and the culture.
It is a trend in our society at the moment to be more of an Organisation than a Movement. We see this in how everything must have rules and regulations, but no one stops to correct poor manners. A society that has movement values, will together correct poor manners, or poor values in those around it.
It is interesting that the Christian Church always seems to go through the struggle between being Movement and Organisation. When in times of trouble, an Organisation aims for more rules, more regulations, and more reports. When a Movement encounters times of trouble, it goes back to its values: it goes back to who it is.
I believe that Jesus started a Movement, not an Organisation. It is interesting that when you build the church you sometimes get disciples of Jesus, but when we make disciples we always get the church.
Cursillo as a renewal movement of the church is, at the heart of it, about discipleship, about values. Yes, we have manuals and regulations, but who we are is about the values we hold dear. Cursillo is about the discipleship that we have been taught by those who went before us and called us to pass on. It is not just about our experience but about ‘who do we now pass this on to?’. Download…
ENCOURAGER 88 MAY 2014
Our last Encouragement Renewal Day for 2015 was on 11th July at Lakes Anglican, Kanwal – in some ways it was disappointing because the numbers attending were few – but in another way those who attended felt greatly uplifted because of the small group dynamic of all relating to one another.
Our SD was Revd Val McDonald who celebrated the Eucharist and inspired us.
Some thoughts from the day… “We have a great story to tell – so let’s tell it”. ‘We are about promoting God’s business’. “There is not a Saint without a past and there is not a sinner without a future”. And from the ‘starfish story’ – “it made a difference to that one”.
February 2014 edition: As we start a new year, I am highly aware of starting a new adventure with you as the new Diocesan Spiritual Director, I have long held that life is an adventure and that part of living life is enjoying and discovering the adventure. Life is indeed more of that because we are called to know God’s love and forgiveness and to know those who go on adventure with us.
Knowing who is on that adventure with us I think is one of the strengths of the Cursillo movement. It is in knowing those who go the adventure with us, those who encourage us on the journey that gives us strength. This is why Group Reunions are so important, that we are sharing life with each other and encouraging each other to make a friend, be a friend, bring a friend to Jesus. It is interesting to ask yourself when was the last time someone asked how you were going with that task, when was the last time someone prayed with you about your success, your failures in seeking to answer this call. All of these things and more happen when we attend a Group Reunion.
I believe that in being part of a Group Reunion we might be able to answer St. Pauls prayer in 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 for us:
“To this end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy of his call and will fulfill by his power every good resolve and work of faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
De Colores
Rev. Stephen – Diocesan Spiritual Director
Episcopal Overseer Bishop Ian
Episcopal Overseer to National…
The Right Reverend Ian Palmer, BD, Dip ThL, was consecrated and installed as the 10th Bishop of Bathurst on Saturday February 9, 2013.
Bishop Palmer, 62, was born in the United Kingdom. He gained his Theology degree at King’s College, London, in 1971, and his post-graduate diploma at Durham University four years later. He served in parish ministry and university chaplaincy in the north of England prior to moving to Australia to take up a position as Director of Evangelism in the Diocese of Newcastle in 1990.
He held this position for three years before returning to parish ministry in the Newcastle suburb of Belmont and subsequently at Muswellbrook. He moved to his most recent appointment in Queanbeyan in the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn in 2005.
During his time in Queanbeyan he also served as Archdeacon of South Canberra, and as Archdeacon of Chaplaincies. He was also a member of the Management Board of Anglicare NSW South, NSW West and ACT, the welfare arm of the Anglican Church which now operates as an alliance across the Dioceses of Canberra-Goulburn, Riverina and Bathurst – an area covering almost three-quarters of NSW.
He is married to Liz, who has considerable experience as a spiritual director and leads residential courses in this field at St Mark’s National Theological Centre in Canberra. They have two adult daughters.
Former National LD
In 1998 I attended W44A at the James Byrne Centre on the Toowoomba range and my life was changed forever. The ‘Theme’ was ‘Be Still and Know’; how powerful this was for me. As I journeyed on my weekend I came ‘Face to Face’ with the Living Jesus. Over the ensuing 14 years, I have been passionate about the Movement and appreciate and recognise the transformation that takes place and the confidence that arises from taking part in a Cursillo weekend. I not only feel the responsibility but am aware of the privilege and blessings that come from serving our Lord Jesus through Cursillo. I have a passion for the Movement and pray over the next three years we will see and hear more of the Anglican Cursillo Movement of Australia at the National level. Together we can make a difference.
“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.” Hebrews 10:24
Diana Smith