A few months ago Lili Vinks little sister Brie nearly died. Lili (pictured) lives with her mum and dad who are CMS missionaries in Musoma, Tanzania, where health services are very poor. Her dad, Jono, admits the incident was the lowest point for the family this year. Concern for our childrens well-being is certainly one issue that stops many people from taking the step to the missionfield. So why would we go overseas, and put our family at risk, when there is so much ministry need in Sydney?

Jono Vink says answers to prayer this year include that the drought that has gripped the region has broken. However the stand out event was that their youngest daughter survived a mystery illness that almost killed her.

As debate widens about Catholic Church involvement in pregnancy counselling, Anglicare in Sydney has labelled the media reporting of the Federal Department of Healths tender process as 'tricky.

Negotiating military checkpoints and the threat of suicide bombers, 400 members of the new Mothers Union group meet each month at St Georges Anglican Church in Baghdad. Now the new group which formed in April 2006 has been linked with Mothers Union (MU) Sydney for specific prayer.

I find reading Bonhoeffer a frustrating experience: I keep interrupting myself to read paragraphs out loud to whoever is in earshot!

As 2007 kicks off, many Sydney Anglicans are taking the opportunity to re-engage with God in regular Bible-reading and prayer. sydneyanglicans.net spoke to Claire Smith, Chair of the Diocesan Mission's working group on culture, about her New Year's resolution to pray more together with her family.

Christ must be the central aim of our lives, and devotions should help center our lives upon that aim. But busy pastors also need discipline: discipline for having devotions and discipline for using the time well.