New City Church Sydney

As surely as the sun rises, life is fleeting. Hurtling through history on this speck of dust, the universe rolls on as we try in vane to make our indellible mark. In true liberation, Ecclesiastes calls us to give up our pursuit of gain, and simply enjoy the good gifts God calls us to enjoy.

HOPE Holds on, is open to healing, is patient, and expansive. In this discussions, we explore what it means to be a community that embodies this bold vision of hope and look forward to building it together in 2023

In this discussion, Steff leads us to consider where we see God's grace breaking through, and how we can move into these rhythms in 2023. Full of hope and the promise of fresh starts, we discover a God whose grace is abundant and love overflows.

This is the parrable Kaz hates most in the world - because it has been used to cut people out. But at its heart, this is a parable that welcomes people in, builds people up, and reminds us all that we start loved.

Here is the scandal: You're in. But so is the person you struggle to love. What next? In this parable, Jesus opens us up to a host of confronting, but radically beautiful truths.

Beth leads us in a 'dip' under the surface of things into an invitation for healing from a curious passage

In this discussion, Raven asks us to consider what truth is, how we seek it, and more importantly, is it even possible to find?

Matt leads us in a journey of discovering God's movements of newness across the Bible and within life.

As we close our Reravelled Yarn series, Joel and Steff talk about what it is like to step back in, how they went about it, and the joys and challenges of reconstructing.

In this third chapter of Reravelled Yarns, we discuss what it is like to go through doubt and uncertainty. How do we sit with the unknown?

Its week two of our series, Reravelled. In the stories of people who have left their churches, we commonly hear the phrase I realised how disconnected from my body I was or Im learning to trust myself again. This disembodied version of Christianity often comes in the form of a heady intellectual faith, where theres an emphasis on words and thoughts, rather than on being and doing. Or where ideas and doctrines trump peoples lived experiences (how many people can resonate with the experience of being told this is me loving you when it didnt feel like you were being loved?). For many of us we have been taught to distrust our brains and bodies and put our faith in the church, or the churchs construction of what it means to know God. Today we unravel and reravel a dis-embodied faith and explore what it means to connect with ourselves again.

Many of us share the experience of reaching a point where for a variety of reasons - our faith wouldnt stand up to criticism anymore. We were left with holes or gaps. For some of us, that was accompanied by deep pain, realising that what we had been so passionate about, what had been the source of purpose for us for years now felt incompetent or wrong, we realised ways it was hurting us or hurting others, or we realised being part of the church left us wanting and we lost a lot of community in that process. So, we start this Rerevalled series, asking the question, why do people deconstruct or reconstruct their Christian faith?" and secondly, "What can we learn from these stories?

As we continue in our season of Creation, Steff leads us to consider how Creation is seen in the Bible as consistently and persistently worshiping God - crying out in silence and wonder. At it's core, Creation calls us to follow.

Christians are uniquely primed to experience AWE - a discovery of God's vastness and an adventure in discovering life beyond the boxes we put God in.

What does it mean to cry out to God? To express our sorrows, griefs and frustations to God? As we tackle the last part of Jonah, we will take a detailed look into how Jonah 'cries out' to God - or does he?

Have you ever run from God? Turns out, you're in good company. It also turns out God isn't surprised by your running, and is waiting with open arms to guide you in to a more life-giving path.

What happens when God loves our enemies far more than we do? Jonah (which is NOT a kids book) holds up a mirror to our lives, declaring in extravagant terms that God's love goes far further than we could ever hope to imagine, and further still.

In our final installment of Trauma-Informed church, we dive into the practices of how we can build a psychologically safe church.

What does a trauma-informed church look like? Smell like? Feel like? This week, we dive in to understanding the impact of trauma on the body and mind, and explore how we can, as a church, navigate being a safe space.

What does a trauma-informed church look like? This week, we dive into the complex, yet vital realm of trauma-informed care. Part one of a three part series.

What does a truly diverse community look like? How do you know if we are creating a safe space for many different walks of life? The best way, I think, isto listen and give voice! This week, Bren is leading us in thinking aboutNeurodiversityin the Church.

Have you ever feared that God might just leave you? Like you have gone too far and God might just one day up-and-go? That's exactly what appears to happen in Ezekiel... but there is a twist! In this episode, we are keen to jump into an exceedingly weird, deeply refreshing passage in our time together. Ezekiel 37, here we come!

Join us as Steff leads us to discover the beautiful truth that "your scars are holy, because what God is is holy, and God is scarred."

A rich young man asks Jesus "How do inherit eternal life?" and Jesus answer stuns him. Steff leads us to discover that eternal life both a gift, and something we walk into now. As we embrace the way of God, we find God's life animating our world in new and exciting ways.

"Christ is Risen" is not a statement that covers over the darkness, the pain, and the turbulence of life. It is not a statement that "all is well" right now. Rather, it is a proclamation that even in the midst of all these things, God is present. God is moving. God is bringing new life. Content warning: In this episode, we discuss topics around death and suicide, and reflect on the passing of a dearly loved friend to many in our community. Please be aware of this as you listen.

Mary of Bethany acknowledges the brevity of Jesus' death and resurrection in this act of self-giving love. In this sermon, we pause to acknowledge the leadership of women as disciples of Jesus.

In the face of death, Jesus weeps. But then hope breaks through as Lazarus is called out of the grave. Empty tombs invite us into a dangerous hope as we discover new ways of God moving in the world.

What if there was a leader who guided sheep with abundant love, overflowing integrity, and selfless care? What if we (sheep as we are) could find rest in the care of this leader? Taking aim at the religious leaders and power figures of his day, Jesus condemns them as "thieves and robbers" and gives us a better image of what true leadership can look like.

Is the Bible mysoginisic? Is God a anti-women? What does the Bible say about gender equality and patriarchy? How about gender diversity and being transgender? Join our world-class panel of Steff Fenton, Rosie Clare Shorter and Sammi Shead as we talk about 'Christianity & Gender'.

In the healing of a man born blind, the Pharisees' blame, judgment and exclusion are confronted by Jesus' mercy, healing and welcome. Steff attempts to disrupt some bad disability theology and develop a more nuanced doctrine of sin, as we explore how to see God's presence differently.

Jesus, the true light, has come into the world. But what happens when the light shines in places that don't want light? And what happens when we are invited into those places? In step with Jesus, and together, we are called to shine with a new type of life - a powerful, prophetic and subverssive life.

What if our actions are not governed by keeping rules that set us apart from others, but instead are guided by making the world a better place? What if the freedom and healing we find with Jesus is good news? What if the future restoration of all things gives us hope to live now for a world made right? What if living justly is how we embody holiness?

Jesus promise of freedom cuts to the heart of who we are - we are called to be children of the most high God, speaking the language of heaven and unshackled from the bounds that hold us down.

What happens when the God who wrote the rules has a person to person encounter with a flagrant rule breaker? He refuses to condemn. Instead, Jesus lifts her out of the dust of shame and demonstrates the depths of his love. If we were to live and love like Jesus, we need to stop throwing rocks of condemnation and judgement. And we must be people who lift others out of shame and restore them to the fullness of love and grace.

Tonight, Karen does a very different sermon where as a community we explore and unpack the text together, recongising the unique gifts God has given each person in the community.

The thing I most love about Jesus is that he deliberately walks towards people and places that others walk away from. In John 4, Jesus crosses racial, gender and moral boundaries to let a marginalised woman know that she is welcomed, known and loved. For us, walking with Jesus means loving like Jesus and walking with him into disputed territory.

Jesus sermon on the mount introduces us to a new kingdom - a kingdom where the outcast, the mourners, and the poor in spirit are honoured.

In the ancient city of Jerusalem, the people had the security of knowing that they had a pure and certain water source from the Gihon Spring, which flowed directly into the pool of Siloam in the city. When attacking armies laid seige to the city, they knew they would never go thirsty. We, too can experience the peace and refuge of God. Jesus has promised that those who trust in him will know streams of living water welling up within them. NCC exists that all might find refuge and life in Jesus. We are able to beome a place of refuge as we experience God our refuge, stilling the chaos around and within us.

The prophet Elijah, alone, disheartened and destraught, flees to the wilderness wanting to die. There, he finds the God who whispers hope. As we discharge our duties as prophets to the world, we discover a God who honour our trauma, meets us in our need, and strengthens us.