A few years ago, Sharon was married with three daughters and working full-time. But her life changed dramatically when doctors found a cancer growing in her adrenal gland. She tried to fight the disease, but when the cancer returned in her lung, she was told that there was nothing more that could be done but to prepare for death.

If you are intrigued by the question of how we are to understand the texts in the New Testament that speak of women, be they wives or widows, then Dr Bruce Winter's latest book is a mind-opening read.

Since its inception, in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) has been the subject of ethical scrutiny and debate. Legislation concerning stem cell use has put discussion of IVF back in the public domain and on the front of newspapers.

Earlier this year, as the advance publicity about The Passion of the Christ gathered like a storm, the staff team in our church wondered how we should respond. We tried to think of a book that we could give to people in our church, which would prepare them for the questions that people might ask. We also wanted to find a book that Christians could give to their enquiring friends.

I think I will scream the next time I hear someone say ‘times are hard' with respect to many of our churches' ability to raise finances. We have never had it so good! There has never been a better time to raise finances for ministry!

Lay Presidency, called Lay Administration in Sydney Diocese in recent years, has been a matter of debate in the diocese for some thirty years at least. The Synod seems to be moving towards some finality on whether or not – and no seems highly unlikely – it will become legislated practice in the Diocese.

Book review of Kingdom Come: Daily Bible Notes on Matthew 1-7 by David Starling, Al Stewart & Ed Vaughan KCC Ltd.

Anglicare says Sydney's single parent families are at high risk of enduring hunger this winter because new research has shown government benefits are inadequate.