Easterfest

Only 3 weeks to go!

This year's big acts include Newsboys, Jars of clay and Alabaster Box. There's also forums, combined church services, night concerts, street festival and more during the weekend.  Check out the Easterfest website for more details.

Where: Queens Park, Toowoomba
When: Friday 21/3 - Sunday 23/3
Cost: 3-day pass with camping $120, 3-day pass only $90, 1-day pass $45

There's a 10% discount for groups of 10 or more.  This only applies to 3-day pass though.  If you're going for 3 days and don't mind a bit of discount, let us know and we can get tickets together as a group.  

If you're going for 3 days and not camping but need accommodation, let us know too.  But you've to be quick, 'cause we're making bookings end of this week and you need to tell us by this Friday for us to include you.

Great Night Together

It was a pleasant evening outside on Wednesday night. There were people from all the small groups and we all had a great time of fellowship and meeting new people.

There were some uninvited guests - the mosquitoes, but it didn't spoil our night with plenty of laughter and opportunities to get to know one another.

It's such times as this that gives us the joy and a taste of what it means to be brothers and sisters in Christ.

Scientology

People in my small group were interested in knowing more about Scientology after seeing it on the media a bit lately. I was doing a bit of research on it, and while it's still fresh in my head, I decided that I should share it with others at work. So I went around and told people that I'm a pre-clear and I need to get rid of my engrams so I can be clear and become an OT. People just looked at me frowning, looking bewildered and asked me what I was talking about. It was actually pretty funny.

After learning more about Scientology (you can view the BBC video at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/3681938.stm) and heard what the founder Rob Hubbard said, it really was unbelievable how anyone could have believed such crazy things. It sounds like something you see in movies like Matrix, where people use a machine to detect and erase images/pictures (engrams) that part of your mind (the reactive mind) scanned in so you become clear of bad and undesirable things. And allow the spirit (thetan) to reach the state (operating thetan) where you can control the physical universe (matter, energy, space and time) and separate from your body.

I guess all these shouldn't come as a surprise if you know that Hubbard was originally a popular science fiction writer. He was quoted as once saying,”Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wanted to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion.” The following year, he published “Dianetics: A Modern Science of Mental Health” that became the basis for Scientology's beliefs and practice.

Scientology came about as Hubbard discovered the common denominator of man is survival and the discovery that man's primary purpose is to survive. Therefore, the scientific method of helping people to increase their IQ (which he talks about a lot in his video interview) and more able to fix their own problems thus leading happier lives. He also claimed the discovery of man being spirit that established Scientology as a religion. Unfortunately, Scientology as Hubbard put it, is for the capable and not for failures.

I wonder why so many people were attracted to Scientology, and came to the conclusion that it fits into man's fallen nature of self focus and self help with the promise of immortality.
• It places 'man' as the object of focus.
• It elevates man as having unlimited potential and abilities.
• It gives you confidence and makes you feel good to be recognised as intelligent.
• It doesn't condemn sins. They are simply undesirable behaviours and emotions.
• People aren't responsible for their actions. They are but results of the reactive mind that caused them to go insane.
• Salvation is effortless. It doesn't require sacrificing of oneself, but only through auditing therapy to become a better person.

All these are so completely opposite to Christianity, and so not make sense that you can't help but question the intelligence of those who believe. Oops I'm risking being an SP (suspicious person)! ;-)

Ignite board

The Ignite notice board beside the church kitchen disappeared last Sunday morning, after a few years' residency there. After some asking around on Monday, it was revealed that someone saw it in the food bin Sunday night and thought it strange. Unfortunately by then, it was too late for it to be rescued as it was already emptied out that morning. Not sure who or for what reasons the notice board was trashed. We'd very much like to find out, so if you saw or heard anything about it, please let us know.

Young Adult Small Groups Get-together

Things are starting to get busy again and it's only February! Home groups, courses and other church programs are all re-starting. Let's get together for a time of food, fun and fellowship to kick off the year refreshed and encouraged.

Young adults small groups get-together
Where: 1 Lacerta Ave, Robina
When: Wednesday 20/2, 6:30pm
What: Pizza and fun time together (please come prepared to contribute to pizza cost)

Not yet in a small group? Come along anyway, so you can meet us all and join a group!