The sight of 50 fire fighters, police, paramedics and emergency services personnel swarming into a church building on Sunday morning might be cause for alarm. But the presence of police cars, ambulance, fire engines and police rescue truck at St David's, Forestville recently was not the result of a disaster but rather a new initiative to reach out to the emergency services that serve the local area.

There was cause for celebration recently, when a 57-year-old former IT executive was ordained a deacon at St Alban's, Epping. More than 400 people witnessed Cliff Stratton's ordination at Epping in August. Mr Stratton is now assistant minister at St Alban's.

This was the question St Paul's, Wahroonga asked when they first had the idea to run a weeknight healing service. Some years ago a book was published called How to have a healing ministry without making your church sick (by Peter Wagner, Regal Books). It highlighted that the very word ‘healing' can be unhealthy. It conjures up images of fast-talking personalities, or Christians suggesting that lack of healing is due to ‘stubborn sin'.

Northern Region churches are finding new ways to build on the success of traditional ministries to reach local children and families as part of the Diocesan Mission. Organisers say their efforts show that creativity and diversity are needed to realise the goal of evangelising all of Sydney.

More than half the people aged over 55 in the Blue Mountains would go to church if a friend invited them, according to a recent doorknock and phone survey conducted by Springwood-Winmalee Anglican Churches. Churches in the lower Blue Mountains have now decided to bring church to their neighbours instead, in a series of moves to reach the growing number of retirees and families attracted by lower real estate prices and the semi-rural lifestyle.

The task of reducing the Bible's message to a neat, three-hour presentation may seem daunting, if not impossible. But one minister in Sydney has taken on that task in the hope of helping others to understand how the message of the entire Bible fits together.

Are ethics a distraction from the ‘main game’ of gospel preaching, or a natural outworking of the gospel in people’s lives? asks Amy Butler.

We had been sitting down in an Indian Restaurant, enjoying a meal, chatting with each other non-stop for well over half an hour. We kept noticing this couple in front of us, who had barely said a word to each other over this whole time. In years past, both of us may have been tempted to think such a couple were sadly lacking, with no evidence of spark or chemistry or compatibility.