supportMIKE News VIII
15 September 2008
Dear brothers and sisters
It’s been a while between drinks for my supporter news. I guess this edition is again a little overdue.
I’ve just returned from a very pleasant ‘work’ trip to Sydney. I, along with all the other Tassie MTS apprentices had the pleasure of attending the Ministry Evangelism Conference held at the Anglican Cathedral. The speakers included Mark Driscoll, Don Carson and Kent Hughes. I’d been looking forward to this all year and it was my little reward for getting the MTS Challenge Conference organised (more about that later). It was fantastic to see and hear ‘the Don’ preach. I really enjoy Carson’s books and they have been very influential in my Christian life. Mark Driscoll delivered well above my expectations with a devastating critique of ministry in Sydney.
While we were in Sydney, Josh (another MTS apprentice) and I went and checked out Sydney Missionary Bible College. It was a very eye opening experience with some really helpful and friendly people who were happy to explain things to us in detail. For me this meeting single-handedly put going to Bible College back on my and Christine’s potential agenda. I also caught up with my family and bunch of my mates and probably caught more trains than in all my previous trips to Sydney put together. All in all it was a great time of encouragement and renewed enthusiasm, which I needed greatly.
The week before I left for Sydney the Tasmanian MTS Challenge Conference took place. As conference director I’ve been working constantly on it over most of the year and so it was a big disappointment when I got really sick with the flu the week before. I was also down to do a couple of sermons for Crossroads Tuesday service during this time and both of these were postponed. I spent the best part of a week in bed trying to get better. It was very frustrating especially as Christine was fighting the flu at the same time.
The good news is that the Conference went really well with more people attending then last year and the books almost balancing. Next year will see a couple more apprentices commencing, which is most encouraging. I was very pleased that the Conference seemed to go off without a hitch. I’m particularly indebted to the staff team from down at Kingston Church who stepped in and made sure that things ran smoothly without me.
This latest sickness has continued to make the year difficult but I’ve pressed onwards. I was planning to try and run a couple of evangelistic events up at College this semester but these have fallen onto the back burner because I’ve been sick. I’m hoping to get these up and going before the end of the year. In the short term, I’ve been helping out leading a bloke’s Bible Study for Crossroads.
In other news Christine and I are expecting a child in the middle of February next. This will be a big change in our lives and an exciting new challenge. As a result we’ve also been reflecting on my MTS apprenticeship and what I might do next year. At the moment it looks likely I’ll be looking for a job in the regular workforce. The uncertainty has made it hard for me to be motivated working at Crossroads and Jane Franklin Hall. At the moment things at Jane are also uncertain and we’re unsure of whether we’ll be staying there for 2009 even though we would like to.
I hope I haven’t made things seem too dull and gloomy. I feel the year may have finally turned a corner. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to do God’s work this year and work out what the future holds for us. As always if you’d like extra news check this blog or click here.
Cheers and God Bless
Mike and Christine Jolly
tags christian, ministry, update
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Let me be the first to congratulate you guys on the impending Jolly baby! That's great news.
To quote Bill Murray from Lost in Translation:
'The most terrifying day of your life is the day the first one is born. Your life, as you know it is gone. Never to return. But they learn how to walk, and they learn how to talk and you want to be with them. And they turn out to be the most delightful people you will ever meet in your life.'
Very best wishes for the big change/new challenge.
God bless the three of you...
I spent two years at SMBC - 1992 and 1993. I can't vouch for it these days (David Cook is the only one left from the early 90s I think) but it was certainly the two best years of my life.
One word of caution though - would you be heading for Pastoral ministry? If so, and if it's Presbyterian, I suggest that you go to PTC in Sydney instead. Another idea may be to go to both (they're only a few kms away from each other).
Moore is good too, but too expensive and too Anglican.
Given your church planting experience, I would suggest an even more radical choice:
Plant another church (independent) and study a part time external BD from London University.
BTW - I am an old friend of Sam Green. He and Anna-Petra and I used to go to St Paul's Carlingford.
Have I ever commented before? I certainly read semi-regularly!
I just finished SMBC last year & think it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I can let OSO know that things certainly still are kosher at SMBC & it is also a great atmosphere.
In another, semi-related matter, do you know Jim Mobbs? ANother SMBC graduate who is now down in Hobart & floating around working with a church or two down there...
Hey mate nice to have you reading. I know Jimbo quite well. If you have a quick look back at my blog you'll see that he's started a blog and I linked to it a couple of posts ago.