CLUB SOLOA Christian Singles Ministry of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia

 

The following is our most recent Newsletter, mailed out October '09

DIRECT FROM THE DIRECTOR

PAIN!!...Don’t you hate it when you are in pain! Pain can be good or bad, good when it informs you that there is something wrong in the system and bad when it just keeps coming with no let up. Pain when you have just watched your team lose the AFL Grand Final (oh, I was hurting for awhile!!); Pain can drive you away from God or draw you to Him.; Pain can liberate or bind you depending on your outlook on life; Pain can cause families to split apart or draw them together. The trouble with pain, quite simply, is that it’s painful!! It knocks us around, causes us to do and say things that we would not normally do, and it can even cause us to hurt and injure people as we go through it.

How does a Christian handle pain? I have to admit that I hate pain and have not performed well in it. As long as I can remember I have been in some sort of pain. When I was 12 or so I fell off my bike, landed on the bar and broke my tail bone. Up until a decade ago it used to give me pain. When I was 16 I was bombing some poor kid in the local swimming pool and had my head jumped on by the guy who followed me into the pool. I have been in pain from then until today. I can honestly say that I can’t remember a time when I’ve had any more than maybe a month at a time pain free. You might notice that I use humour and laughter to get through. Laughing helps. It stops me being negative and drifting off down the path towards depression.

Even though I continue to pray for healing I have chosen to live my life to the fullest with the restrictions I have. This is what God requires of us. The Bible tells us that "in our weakness, He will be Glorified". Over the decades I could have chosen to mope and be negative and lie on the couch and say ‘woe is me’ but that is not how God will be glorified nor how I will be blessed in His work. I have wondered what I would have accomplished had I been pain free…maybe a lot more…or maybe I wouldn’t have been driven to depend on God’s strength to get me through. The moral of the story is God can use you no matter what pain you’re in.

I know that probably 75% of you who read this will be suffering either long or short term pain at present but I urge you to keep hanging in there. It is NOT God’s fault that we are in pain. He can use it to mould us into His perfect child. Sometimes it is our fault by what we have done to ourselves in the past; sometimes it was someone else who caused it; sometimes it is just life that causes it; but the one thing that I urge you as your Pastor is to not run from God but to Him. I have looked at folk who are in pain that don’t know God at all and wonder how they cope without Him. I know that if it wasn’t for God’s strength, direction, protection and unconditional love I would have attempted suicide in my early years (I certainly thought about it at various times). But now even when I think it is too much to bear, the Holy Spirit reassures me that God is in control and helps me get through it. He will help you too if you let Him. He waits, arms outstretched waiting for you to run to Him so he can scoop you up and care for you with His unconditional love and acceptance, no matter what you have done.

Pastor Steve

GOLD COAST HOLIDAY (9-16 January 2010)

We are getting ready for our next Gold Coast Holiday where we have as our guest speaker, Rev Greg Murray, from Yarra Plenty Church in Melbourne (where Steve & Maylin Wyndham are senior pastors). Greg is an Executive Pastor there, and leading in the area of mission and training. He also oversees the pastoral care and administrative areas. Greg has had extensive experience in Christian leadership and ministry over the past twenty-three years, having been Executive Director of Youth for Christ Melbourne and the Program Director at Teen Challenge Victoria. Greg is a great speaker so come and hear him speak on "Unhooked-Exploring Relationship Realities".

I encourage you to start the ball rolling towards coming to camp now! Don’t wait and then find out you started too late. If it will help, I am more than happy to accept ‘lay-by’ style payments. I know that you will have a great time. Just ask anyone who was there this year. Where else can you get 7 days accommodation at a 4 star resort, with fully cooked buffet breakfast and 2 course dinner for $930 on the Gold Coast in January. The best rate I can find today for 7 days, without meals, is $1,100. So as you can see Solo is giving you a great deal at the Mermaid Waters Resort.

I pray that God will lead and direct you as you decide if you are able to attend. For the price of your coffee and cake per day you can get to the Gold Coast with a bit left over if you start saving now. (A brochure is included with further details).

NEWS FROM BILL & DAPHNE FOSTER

The founders of Club Solo, Bill & Daphne Foster, have sent me an update on their family. The following is an extract:"‘Wil is married with 3 children and 1 step son and lives about 30 mins from us. His wife, Shalamar is a school teacher. Wil has been a professional artist for a number of years, but is now self employed as a photographer. Christy lives in the same town as us with her husband and 2 children. The oldest (5 yrs) started school this week. Her youngest (3 yrs) loves having Mum all to herself, now that big sis is gone all day. Her husband, Tony, is a researcher at Indiana Wesleyan University.

"After a year in Sturgis, Michigan, as the Interim Senior Pastor, Daph and I are now back in Marion, Indiana, directing Habitat for Missionaries. Check out our website www.habitatformissionaries.com."

 GEELONG (VIC) CLUB SOLO

Sat. Oct. 10. Dinner @ White Eagle House, Fellmongers Rd, Breakwater (Mel 452 E12). Starts 7pm.  Bookings required by Oct 9 by contacting Mary on 03-5221-0271.

Sat. Nov. 14. Dinner @ El Toro Pizza Restaurant, 245 Moorabool St, Geelong (Mel 452 B5). Starts 7pm. Bookings required by Nov 13 by contacting Nancy on 0425- 851284.

Sat. Dec. 12. Dinner @ Parkside Restaurant at The Comfort Inn, 68 High St, Belmont (Mel 451 J10). Starts 7pm. 3 courses with choices $27. Bookings required by Dec 10 by contacting Cheryl on 03-5243-3156.

LISMORE/CASINO AREA (NSW) CLUB SOLO

Sun. Oct. 18. Lunch @ Sandbar & Restaurant, Shaws Bay. Starts at Noon. Own choice from menu.

Sun. Nov.15. Lunch @ Mayfields Restaurant, Cowley Rd, Dunoon. Starts Noon. Own choice from menu.

Sun. Dec. 13. Christmas Celebration @ Cawongla Store and Gallery, Kyogle Rd, Cawongla. Starts Noon. Main course & dessert for $20. Bookings required by Dec 11.

ADELAIDE (SA) CLUB SOLO

Fri. Oct. 9. Najjars, O'Connell St, North Adelaide. Come along for coffee and cake or full meal. Starts 7.30pm.

Sat. Oct. 24. Dinner & Dancing @ Windsor Hotel, 410 North East Rd, Windsor Gardens

(they have rock and roll dancing). Meet at 6.30pm for 7pm tea. Cost is whatever you buy.

Fri. Nov. 13. Najjars, O'Connell St, North Adelaide. Come along for coffee and cake or full meal. Starts 7.30pm.

Fri. Dec. 11. Najjars, O'Connell St, North Adelaide. Come along for coffee and cake or full meal. Starts 7.30pm.

SYDNEY (NSW) CLUB SOLO

Sat. Dec. 5. Lunch @ Phillip's Foote Restaurant, 101 George St, The Rocks. Starts midday.

Bookings are essential by Nov 29 by contacting Brenda on 02-4758-9940 after 7pm. All Welcome!!

BRISBANE (QLD) CLUB SOLO (Formerly ‘Pines Christian Singles’)

There is so much that they do each week and month that I can’t fit it in this newsletter. If you want to do something in Brisbane then go to our website at www.clubsolo.org.au and click on "Small Groups" to find out what’s on.

Congratulations to…(Solo person in italics)

- Jenni Collins and John Greig who were married on July the 4^th. John is a wheat and sheep farmer from Condobolin in NSW and a lay preacher. They met online. One of the great successes of the internet it must be said. All of us at Solo want to give a great big congratulations to Jenni and John and we pray that God will bless them heaps in their marriage.

-Michael Villanti and Lai Mee Chin were engaged on Feb 14 ‘09. They will be married at South Perth Baptist Church on Sat 28^th Nov’ 09. God’s blessings on both of you for the future from your friends in Solo.

-Joy Clapp to Chris Whitton from Launceston April ‘10. They will marry in Perth after Chris relocates to Perth. They met on christiansonline.com.au

With Sympathies…(Solo person in italics)

- It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Julie Braun, the girlfriend of Chris Skopakow, into the presence of her Lord and Saviour on the 18^th August.  At the early age of 47 she finally lost her 2 and a half year battle with cancer. Our sympathies and prayers are with Chris and Julie’s family.

- We also mourn with Heather & Beth McAlister the passing of their mother on 28^th August this year of a massive stroke. Pray for them and their dad who is especially missing his wife of many decades.

All our love

Steve, Michelle, Daniel, and Sarah

………………………………………………………………………………………,……………………………………..

THE "SOLO 100 CLUB"

As part of Club Solo’s goal to sign up 100 people to give 1% of their annual income for the support of its National Director, I hereby commit to support this ministry by giving 1% of my income (or another amount) to provide support for Rev Steve Mitchell as Director of Club Solo Ministries for the next twelve months.

Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Address: _________________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone: ___________________________ Email: _________________________________________________________________

My first/full payment of $___________ is enclosed.

c I would like to make a one-off gift of $__________ I enclose it here / I will forward it later.

For a direct debit, the bank details are as follows:

Bank: Westpac, Ivanhoe; Account Name: Club Solo Ministries; BSB No: 033-057; Account No: 175160

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Send mail to steve@clubsolo.org.au with questions or comments about this web site.    Last modified: October 05, 2009