The Dean of Sydney, Phillip Jensen has urged Christians to use their freedom to serve God and turn away from self-centred behaviour such as smoking and drinking.

On the 25th January, 1788 the first fleet sailed into Port Jackson. At 10am on Sunday 3rd February, Richard Johnson, Naval Chaplain, conducted a Christian Service. As far as we know this was the first Christian Service held on Australian soil. The outcomes of Diocesan Mission including the recent ordination of 51 ministers at St andrews Cathedral recently, are a sign of "the effusion and outpouring of the Holy Spirit" in Australia as prayed for by Richard Johnson that day

As Moore Colleges first years file into classes this week, their numbers will be augmented by an 80 year old who has finally decided to follow a family tradition.

Welcome to a country where there's not a whole lot of English spoken but people you meet at the traffic lights invite you home to stay. Where cold nights are warmed inside many a tea house by the glow of a 'qalyan' pipe. Where the church at a glance is small - the faithful prefer to meet in the seclusion of their homes - and where fuel is the right price at just over 10c a litre. What can we say, Iran has been a pleasure...

The MTC team are heading out for Australia, with their final blog detailing a whirlwind of stops in the Holy Land before they hit the plane.

Put simply, the question is: "Who decides on RU486?" Do we want our elected leaders deciding on whether this drug should be approved in Australia? Or do we want to give that decision-making power to unelected bureaucrats?

With the Senate approving the RU486 bill yesterday, Christian and Muslim students are urging members of the House of Representatives to vote to retain the Health Ministers oversight of the potentially dangerous abortion pill as debate begins this week.

When U2 visit Australian shores next month, Sydney theologian Dr Greg Clarke says you too can use the Irish rockers as a platform to generate gospel conversations.