LifeWay is running ALPHA in term 3 and we need you!

Alpha requires volunteers willing to be trained to facilitate small group discussions and others to provide food and hospitality to those who attend. We are hoping to run ALPHA at the church on a Tuesday evening from 7-9pm so team members would need to be able to make themselves available each Tuesday evening for the 10 weeks of term 3.

If you would like to serve on LifeWay’s ALPHA team in term 3 then we invite you to attend the Hunter region’s ALPHA training evening at the Grainery Church on June 18thfrom 7-9pm. If you cannot make it on that evening, please speak to Pastor Mat so we can organise an alternative training opportunity. It is really important that team members receive training before the first ALPHA night.

To register please email Pastor Mat, [email protected] by Sunday the 16th of June.

Here's some great Christian books on motherhood - perfect for gifting to Mum this Mother's Day.

The End of Me - Finding Resurrection Life in the Daily Sacrifices of Motherhood - $22.99

There are many books on motherhood but not many that talk about how hard it is physically, mentally and spiritually and what to do when you reach your limits.

When Liz Wann became a mother, she was unprepared for how hard it would be. In this book, she writes honestly about these deeply challenging aspects of motherhood and how God works through them to make us more like his Son. Coming to the end of who I was, and what motherhood was stripping me of, was a good thing that drove me to Christ and to the power that he supplies in every failure and weakness of motherhood.

This short, easy-to-read book encourages mothers to depend on Christ when they reach their limits. They will find that God will supply what they need to cope with the daily sacrifices and challenges of motherhood, and that he will use these struggles to make them more like Christ.

New Baby Survival Guide: Bite-sized Bible reading for new mothers - $18.99

A new baby is a wonderful gift from the Lord, bringing great joybut also sleepless nights, constant laundry and, sometimes, total exhaustion. It can be hard to read your Bible and pray. So here's a survival guide, which is do-able and God-centred. There's probably no time, brainpower or energy for your usual "solids" from God's word but: "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation" (1 Peter 2:2)

These bite-sized Bible readings from the book of Psalms are designed for you to dip into and be refreshed by the Lord. Also includes real-life stories, practical help and an A-Z of mothering.

He Gives More Grace - 30 Reflections for the Ups and Downs of Motherhood Through the Years - $22.99

Motherhood is one of lifes most joyful yet most difficult gifts. We are eager to get it "right", yet parenting usually highlights our weaknesses and leaves us worried about our mistakes.

These hope-filled, positive devotions recognise the realities and pressures, joys and disappointments of motherhood and will give you a precious reminder of grace from Gods word to hold onto each day. They will help you to trust that Gods grace is enough for you and your kids. As the authors say in the introduction, Our children do not need a perfect mother. What they do need is a mother who recognises her need for a perfect Saviour and understands that this is the greatest need of her children as well.

As you focus on the work of Jesus rather than your own efforts, you will feel less pressure and more freedom and joy in all the ups and downs of motherhood.

Written by a mother-daughter combination (one with four kids aged 10-16, one with three grown kids and ten grandchildren) who are both grateful recipients of God's grace and faithfulness in the many seasons, situations and realities of motherhood.

Whether its the TV or radio continually playing in the background or the persistent pinging on our phones, the constant noise and frenetic pace of modern life can be overwhelming. The cacophony of cultural messages that permeate the air produces an inner restlessness that says, You should be doing more, saying more, posting more and sharing more.

More than ever, we need sanctuary, not only as a refuge from the noise around us but also as a place where Gods truth can be clearly heard.

This 31-day devotional explores what it means, and what it looks like in very practical ways, to lead the quiet life Paul speaks of in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12. Readers will come to see that a quiet life doesn't mean escaping from the world around them but centring their hearts on Christ so that they can live with a clear focus, a quiet confidence and a steady peace.

This book is for those who

- feel overwhelmed and long for quieter spaces that allow for thoughtful reflections and honest conversations.

- want to balance time spent online with non-digital activities and invest in real-life relationships.

- desire a deeper quality of life beyond the online culture of noise, outrage and self-promotion.

$24.99 from shopacr.com.au