southern cross :: march 2006

sydney stories »

Church gives Jesus shoe the boot

As Muslim groups worldwide protest the publication of Mohammed caricatures in a Denmark newspaper, Sydney Anglicans launched a quiet protest against an attempt by an Australian sportswear company to trademark the name Jesus.

No time out from God

You wouldn’t think the six-foot-five Sydney Kings and Australian Boomers captain was born to do anything except play basketball but Jason Smith’s first love growing up as a Melbourne boy was AFL.

Grieving kids now face eviction

Christians stand by a Sudanese family facing mounting hardships after their father was murdered on a Sydney street.

Christians help parliament swallow RU486 bill

High profile Christians including the Treasurer Peter Costello, Labor’s Foreign Affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd, and Bruce Baird, former President of the Australian Parliamentary Christian Fellowship, played a role in the success of the RU486 Bill yesterday.

highlight stories »

Letters to the Editor - March 2006

Read this month's letters to the editor.

Ministry Moves March 2006

Find out who's going where this month.

No Intelligent Design in Anglican science labs

Anglican schools are far from sold on Intelligent Design, writes JOSEPH SMITH.

Moore College Celebrates 150 Years - Struggle, sacrifice and service

The move to establish a training college for clergy was borne out of intense pressure to find ministers for the vast territory of the new colony. PETER BOLT investigates the struggle to get Moore College off the ground.

Moore College - principal

Jesus said, ‘I will build my congregation’ (Matt 16:18). The conviction that is at the heart of our College is that that is what the ascended Lord Jesus Christ is doing. He is building his congregation – or his ‘church’.

Moore College - Three Alumni profiles

The Dean of Anglican Youthworks College, the Rev Graham Stanton, says of all his Moore College experiences, it is the relationships he developed while there that resonated with him the most.

Moore College 150th anniversary calendar of events

Find out what's on from the Moore College Graduation to the Preachers' Conference.

Hope springs from Norfolk tragedy

Shattered by its first murder, Norfolk Islanders may find new hope in a changing church, writes JOSEPH SMITH.

Army aims for two training bases in Sydney

As Sydney welcomes church planters from interstate, two independent churches begin in NSW. JEREMY HALCROW reports.

Refugees flock to Bible in Sydney’s backyard

Woodville Road Anglican Church’s new Sudanese church plant is a sign of the times according to Bishop of Georges River Region, the Rt Rev Peter Tasker.

Long road ahead for new deacons

Research finds that despite the record number of new clergy, numbers will need to triple by 2010 to meet Sydney’s ministry needs.

features & opinion »

Hypocrisy at its worst - Phillip Jensen

Censorship is a very difficult issue. It is impossible to know that we have the truth if information is being kept from us. However, the spread of lies and misinformation slows down any pursuit of truth. Furthermore unnecessarily offensive communication reduces people’s willingness to discuss issues rationally.

The Big Picture: Deadly cartoon pandemic

We Christians should make common cause with Western secularism. When the Nazis invaded Soviet Union, Churchill defended his support of the communist Soviet Union saying, “If Hitler invaded Hell I would at least make a favourable reference of the Devil in the House of Commons”. Churchill recognised the greater danger. So should we.

Nine lessons (with no carols)

What the pewsitter learned... From his Mum and Dad: Go to the nearest church that teaches the Bible. The brand doesn’t matter. Am I allowed to say that in an Anglican paper? Too late.

Catholics leading the way in using the fourth estate

The initial starting point of the Catholic Bishops’ statement emphasises that communication lies at the heart of Christian mission. “Christ was the ultimate communicator…Jesus exhorted those who followed him to take his message to the ends of the earth.”

The sceptic versus the scientists

JOHN REIMER, an engineer and Anglican minister, was a ‘vague’ believer in evolution before being convinced by Intelligent Design. He tells his story about the theory causing a storm in classrooms and science labs across the world.

mission thinking »

Blogging will take the world by storm

Does the blog represent a paradigm shift in communication for Christians? And if so, how should Christians respond? For Christian readers blogs potentially provide an antidote to secular journalism as well as a strong, new pastoral tool.

A new ‘heresy’ is to be sure of anything

Some Christians seem to have become nervous about confidence in God’s word and unwilling to speak up for the truth.

watching »

The Supernatural

Is it unusual for grown men to have nightmares? Well, not if they have mortgages. But over a television program? It’s a hard thing for a 36-year-old to admit, but episodes of The Supernatural literally had me crying out in my sleep.

reading »

Female Chauvinist Pigs

The hot pink cover and provocative title misled me. Before reading Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture I thought that I would share significant agreement with Levy, since I sympathise with feminism’s cause in the fight against the objectification of women.