Getting under my skin.......

John Sandeman's article on sydneyanglicans.net has got under my skin! You can read it here - http://http://your.sydneyanglicans.net/indepth/articles/our_april_column/

I believe he is trying to get us to see a blind spot in our community amongst the rich - and I agree that this is a blind spot and yes the rich are hard to reach, but he should have stopped at that point!

He goes onto to make two massive understatements in my view about university ministry and private schools ministry.

Firstly, this is what he says about universities:
“Charles Simeon is a great example, a founder of the evangelical movement,” says one desperate parish nominator. “He did not just concentrate on visiting the poor and obscure villages. He also preached to the University as well. I wish we could get someone to do that, I am sure if someone tried we could plant a small church near one of the campuses”.

John, we are doing this!!! Planting churches alongside the great work of AFES ministry in universities is a strategy that has been going on for some years now. Think about Crossroads church in Canberra (linked with ANU), Hunter Bible Church in Newcaste (linked with Newcastle Uni), Matthias (linked with UNSW), Barnies at Broadway (and its historic link with Uni of Syd), Cumberland Unichurch (linked with Lidcombe campus of Uni of Syd). And this is just in Sydney and off the top of my head but it is a pattern that is repeated across the nation.

Secondly, he then moves onto private schools:
Here’s an idea: why don’t we start a youth ministry especially targeting the private schools? Too radical you say. But I am a dreamer.

John, we are doing this!! Crusaders ministry has been around for at least 70 years. It has significant ministry in a lot of private schools. Your not a dreamer, but you could try being a researcher! What do you want the diocese to do John? It seems that stuff is happening

As I said, he got under my skin..........