Faithworks Ministries | Christian church

Faithworks Ministries

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24.01.2022 OIKOS is a relational connection for simple organic church gatherings. They produce a very informative magazine and the latest edition (Spring 2020) has an article by me in it. If you want to subscribe to the magazine you can do so at https://www.oikos.org.au/resources/magazine

24.01.2022 To all my Christian friends, leaders and pastors, I write this letter to explain that despite rumours I have not left the church, I am more connected now than I... ever have been in the past. In the past I served within the institution known as the Church, I held a credential; I pastored; I attended most meetings, working bees, prayer meetings and I even financially gave well beyond the expected tithe. While I may not be one of the big named pastors, I actively restored churches, planted churches, and assisted struggling churches, predominately within the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements. I am grateful for the good things that organized church has had a part of in my life. I have not left the church, I have simply stopped attending an institutionalized form of church. In other words, I stopped going to church, and now I relate more as the church rather than go to church. Yes, indeed, I don’t go to church on a Sunday morning; instead, most Sundays I open my own home for lunch and fellowship, we share scriptures, testimonies and pray for each other. During the week I’m always giving away food and sharing the gospel with anyone that wants to hear it, surely this is church in an active form. Church with a different pattern from organized church, but still a form of church. I have pledged to follow Jesus no matter where that may take me, to walk by faith rather than sight, this pledge brings about some challenges and my decision to stop going to church was one of them. It was not made quickly, it happened over some time. But it got to the stage where I just leapt out of the boat of manmade protection and safety and decided to walk on water in obedience to Christ, so to speak. I naturally thought it would be a lonely journey, but I needed to obey him, over man and manmade traditions and institutions. I was wrong about it being a lonely journey, when I got out of the boat of the institutionalized church, I found many others who love Jesus but don’t fit into the paradigm and culture of a traditional church. I can assure you that I still love Jesus, I love him so much I couldn’t keep going to church; I couldn’t keep doing the pattern and traditions of church, I needed to be his church and encourage others to do the same. While I am more connected now than before, my connection has changed from one out of expected tradition and paradigm, to one out of genuine love, concern and compassion. It is with this attitude that I write. For several years now, I have had questions about the effectiveness and purpose of the programs and the pattern of the church. There was one time, that I can remember when I was in my car, in a car-park and sitting there I began to pray for the church. Within minutes I was weeping and groaning, with actual physical pain in my stomach I was feeling physically sick. I cried out to God one word why? Why was I so distressed? Why was I weeping? Why was I feeling this way? The answer came quickly, I was seeing many of the western world churches a bit like God does. I genuinely believe that God weeps over the state of the church. He loves the people in it, He loves all that it can be, but He weeps, He sobs and anguishes over what it has become. I understand that this is a generalization and a very personal experience and not everyone may have the same experience or feel the same way; nor does every church in the western world fit that generalization, but we need to understand that there is a pattern that most traditional churches follow. Why do we follow such a pattern? Could this pattern change, and should it change if it is not effectively achieving the very purpose of the church? For example. If I said that I was going to plant a church, the predetermined pattern for that plant would be something like: rent or buy a building, have a band playing music (worship), take up an offering, preach a sermon, and do the same thing next week at the same time. However, would it still be a church if instead, we invited people around for a meal, studied the Bible, prayed for and encouraged each other? I believe so, and not only that, I believe it is a bit closer to what Jesus and the New Testament church frequently did. I have discovered new freedom and a lot less pressure to perform, and less stress over attendances, buildings, and finances by removing the requirement to be a part of and a leader in a traditional church. What I do now is relational and offers a different form of ministry with a group discussion rather than a one-man led sermon; a different form of accountability with organic relationships forming; a different way to worship with the focus being our lives and not just music; a different view of other church gatherings with no competition but rather understanding that even though others may have a slightly different flavour, if their focus is still Jesus and his kingdom then they complement what we do. Yes, I may be building to a different pattern to that set out by the traditional church, but is it biblical and effective? This is the question we all need to be asking of every church group. For what I am doing, I would answer yes, I see the gatherings that I have as biblical and effective. The effectiveness is seen in the building up and encouragement of the believers and, also in evangelism. After all, it is easier for your neighbour to connect with you over a meal than it is through a church service. I would like to make two more very important points: 1. I do not write this to create an argument and I hope that any comments will not be argumentative or condemning, I don’t believe that’s what Christianity should be about. While I believe that there is much scripture that confirms what I am currently doing, I wanted this letter to focus on my personal faith journey and therefore I have avoided sharing lots of scripture to study. This will also hopefully avoid a scripture war trying to back-up our views and preferences. Please note my lack of sharing scriptures in this letter does not reflect any differences or grievances I have with the bible; I will make it clear, I believe in the bible, that it is the inerrant word of God our Father and creator. 2. A short note to people who know me and have related to me from my involvement in the Australian Christian Churches or Assemblies of God in Australia. I may not see many of you anymore since I no longer attend your meetings on a Sunday morning, nor am I invited to regional, state or national conferences; but I still desire to relate and are always happy to catch up and chat over the phone, coffee or a meal. Please don’t abandon me because I am building to a different pattern, I am simply a man walking in faith and following Jesus and that we should have in common. I am always happy to meet up, give me a call or message, of course, this invitation is not limited to just my friends from the Australian Christian Churches, it expands to all those who know me from any denomination, church movement or other means. Bruce Kurtzer simplechurch.com.au

21.01.2022 What are you doing for lunch today? My family and I will be at Fremont Park, Elizabeth Park for lunch from 11am. We've got plenty of food and drinks and are happy for you to join us.

20.01.2022 Our food welfare service operates from a building with stained glass windows, tall steeples, and crosses on it. Sometimes people come in wanting to know when ou...r church service is. They often refer to the building as a church. So I have designed a new sign to let people know that our building is not a church. What do you think of our new sign? See more

18.01.2022 Lamb and lemongrass sausages. (Frozen) Premium Slape and sons. Only $5 per tray Faithworks Food Assist... 5 Clifton Street Blair Athol See more

17.01.2022 You are allowed out to get food, and as a food relief agency we are allowed to be open. So adhere to all government restrictions and call in today to get a good range of free food from the team at Faithworks Assist.

14.01.2022 How did church look for me today? We had a great bbq lunch at a public park, where we were like family spending quality time together and encouraging each other. I love organic church.

12.01.2022 Faithworks was formed in 2012 and is a Christian charity located in Adelaide, South Australia. Faithworks distributes food directly to people in need and thro...ugh other agencies and churches, across many suburbs and locations in South Australia and occasionally interstate. Faithworks does not rely on government funding, but is faith-funded and run entirely by volunteers. We are looking to expand and need a hub/storage property to operate this new expansion from. This new expansion will serve the local community and other areas, but we need a location to operate from. We need a building with the following specifics. - A large open area (eg. hall, warehouse, gymnasium, lined shed, etc.) - 24 hours, 7 days a week access. - Car parking - Prefer Adelaide Suburb areas of Prospect to Paralowie, Munno Para to Gepps Cross, Golden Grove to Port Adelaide, and anywhere in between. But will also consider other areas. - Prefer rent-in-kind or discounted rent-in-kind. If you can help or know of somewhere please message me. See more

12.01.2022 You are allowed out to get food, and as a food relief agency, but please adhere to all government restrictions and call in today to get a good range of free food from the team at Faithworks Assist.

11.01.2022 Im looking forward to church on Sunday. It will be another bbq at a park spending quality time together and encouraging each other in our Christian life. I love organic church.

06.01.2022 SIMPLE CHURCH is followers of Jesus that gather together to encourage each other, study the word, pray for and equip each other. We can gather in homes, parks, ...workplaces, cafes or many other places. It's relational, spiritual and social. It's actually the closest thing to the church in the book of Acts that I've experienced. If you're in Adelaide (South Australia) you are welcome to join us this Sunday (Jan 31) as we gather at 11:30am for a bbq lunch at Fremont Park, in Elizabeth Park. Message me if you want more details. See more

05.01.2022 https://www.patheos.com///12/for-the-love-of-your-pastor/

04.01.2022 Another short video devotional. Abraham had two sons, they were both blessed. One was a substitute to the promise, the other was the promise. Play the video for... the entire devotion https://youtu.be/s4bl-b7CDRY Here's some notes for this devotion (these notes do not include the entire message) There's an account in Genesis 15-18 when God makes Abram a promise that he will become the father of many nations. Yet, Sarai, his wife is barren, and they are both past the age of child-bearing. God has given Abram the promise, yet practically and physically Abram can't see how this can happen. Therefore Sarai and Abram decided to help God out to see his promise come about. They decide that Abram should have sexual relations with Hagar, Sarai’s servant. This resulted in Hagar giving birth to Abrams's son Ishmael and God's promise is fulfilled. Well, so they thought, but they were wrong. Ishmael was not the result of God's promise, he was the result of man's intervention to achieve God's promise. But in Genesis 17:20 God still blesses Ishmael, even though he was man’s intervention to achieve God's promise, he was never God's promise, Isaac was. Isaac was born to Sarai, who was old and barren, but God did a miracle and brought about His promise in a miraculous way. We see man intervening to achieve God's promises many times throughout scripture. For example when Israel was promised to be a powerful nation with God as their king, but they intervened and asked God for a man to be their king instead. Did God bless Israel? Yes. But was it God's perfect plan? No. Now anytime that mankind does something to see God's promise come about, it can produce a type of Ishmael. God can still bless it, but it wasn’t God's perfect plan. If we feel that we need to do something to help God bring about his promise, are we then indicating that God is not able to bring it about himself? How foolish that would be. Don’t get me wrong, I know that we are Christ's body, and therefore we need to be doing things for Christ. I know that faith without works is dead. But where the problem is, is when we do things that God himself has promised to do. Abram and Sarai’s plan was to achieve what God himself had promised he would do, and it produced Ishmael. Even though Ishmael was blessed, his conception caused a whole lot of other problems that we still suffer from today. Abram and Sarai still needed to be sexually intimate with each other to produce Isaac, but their intimacy with each other was faith in action to achieve the impossible that only God could do. When Abram was intimate with Hagar it was not out of faith to achieve the impossible it was man-made intimacy to make God's promise possible. There is a big difference between making God's promise possible and faith to see God do the impossible. Now in Galatians, Paul uses the account of Hagar and Sarai, Ishmael and Isaac; to talk about our bondage and freedom, and our flesh and spirit. Galatians 4:22-31 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. 23 But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. 24 This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. 25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. 27 For it is written, REJOICE, BARREN WOMAN WHO DOES NOT BEAR; BREAK FORTH AND SHOUT, YOU WHO ARE NOT IN LABOR; FOR MORE NUMEROUS ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE DESOLATE THAN OF THE ONE WHO HAS A HUSBAND. 28 And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. 30 But what does the Scripture say? CAST OUT THE BONDWOMAN AND HER SON, FOR THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE AN HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN. 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman. Hagar (who is called the bondwoman) and Ishmael are symbolic of works of the flesh to achieve God's promises. These fleshly works create a bondage in us. Sarai (who is called the free woman) and Isaac are symbolic of the works of the spirit that carries us to freedom. Even in the face of impossibilities, God's spirit provides the miracle to bring about His promise. Scripturally God promises to build His church. Is it possible, that just like many other times, we have stepped in to do what God said he would do? We have put in place a man-made system to build a church. We’ve given the church a legal identity, we’ve purchased the building, we’ve put in our hierarchy, all in our effort to build the church. Has the church that we know, been born of the flesh like Ishmael through the bondwoman, or through the promise like the free woman? Some of you may be thinking, that’s it's impossible to step back and just let God do it, but Isaac was an impossibility too. God said, that he would build His Church; could we be radical enough to let him do it, his way. How much more beneficial would it be for us to focus upon what God has asked us to do, making disciples, and allowing God to do what he promised he would do. Maybe the amount of church leaders burning out would reduce to nothing if we didn’t focus on doing what God has promised to do. We’re called to make disciples, and God said he would build his church. The problem is, that we have had years of man intervening in building God's church. Has this resulted in an Ishmael style church? That may be blessed but is not God's perfect plan. An Ishmael style church that requires a lot of work of the flesh to keep it growing. Now I know in Galatians, Pauls comparison is of two covenants, the law and freedom, but it’s also about the flesh and the spirit. Now let me challenge you to believe for the impossible, that God will do what our world and our culture say is impossible. That God will build his church, his way. After serving and leading in the institutionalized church system for many years, I was surprised to discover how much freedom there is in breaking away and just believing God to build his church, organically. Focussing upon my role of making disciples instead of building his church has been a lot less stressful, is it any wonder that Paul said; CAST OUT THE BONDWOMAN AND HER SON, FOR THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE AN HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN. So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman. Let God bring about his promise in a miraculous way. Bruce Kurtzer simplechurch.com.au