The place of 'altar calls' has exercised my mind in recent weeks. Shall I play it safe and 'work the cards', or should I step out and ask them to step out too?

It was a farewell to some people from the 11am congregation - people that Enzo and Ralph had barely met. So why the aversion to church? What's the difference between a Sunday arvo nosh up and a Sunday morning service?

In 2005 Stuart Robinson will uncover some of the best ideas for mission and outreach. In this issue St Stephen’s, Willoughby has found great success with organising wide-ranging community events.

Had a coffee with Al this week. He was wearing an F.B.I. sports shirt. A real one. Al has worked in intelligence and policing for many years and has moved with his family to Sydney. Al tells me he’s an atheist. He comes to church not only because his wife and children encourage him to, but because of the “little things…”

I can't believe I was so naive. The idea of being part of a live nativity scene in the Community Carols 'event' seemed reasonable enough.

The catchcry of contemporary missional thinking is, "go to 'them' ". The "them" are of course the 'not-yet-christians' (the p.c. term for pagans, or unbelievers).

We're in "mission mode" at our little church in Pyrmont. Some might deem our efforts decidedly old-fashioned. "1950's evangelism" is how it was put to me recently. But here's the thing; we're actually interacting with outsiders.