In Luke 9, Jesus launches his disciples on a training exercise, but they are fully vested with Jesus' power and authority. It turns out that the training mission is now the real thing. People are going to be healed. The Kingdom of God is going to be proclaimed. And the mission continues to this day. That apostolic leadership carries on today - because Jesus' full power and authority is still on offer.

Ever want to know the Bible better? To be a better public speaker? To be more strategic in evangelism and mission? These are all great things - but having them doesn't make us better disciples. Everything you need to know to be an evangelist, a prayer minister, or a missionary - you probably already know. There is (enough) power in the name of Jesus.

Christmas this year is a bit different, sure. But is it somehow worse, simply because we can't follow all of the traditions we normally would? There is a whole generation, born in lockdown, who just might understand better what this is all about .....

Who was Mary before Gabriel came to her? Without worldly fame or authority or status, Mary would have almost certainly gone unnoticed. But the Holy Spirit descends over her - and her soul magnifies the Lord. What would it look like to live our lives magnifying the Lord? And what would a church look like that spent its time, energy and resources magnifying the Lord?

Dave Parr walks us through Jesus' promise, quoted from the prophecy of Isaiah - 'this is the year of the Lord's favour'. How can we imagine Jesus is at work in this promise, even now as we look back on the crisis that has been 2020? The fact is, his promise still holds - and he is still releasing people from captivity, and still holding to his promises for our lives.

Isaiah's prophecy reveals the power of God at work in the world, and His desire to draw humans in as witnesses to that saving power in Jesus Christ. But we don't have to watch from a distance. The Holy Spirit invites us to experience this same power in our own lives.

It's the beginning of Advent, a time of waiting and expectation for the birth of Jesus Christ. As a church, it's the perfect time to reflect on where we've come from - and to hear what God has to say about where we are going. I think the Holy Spirit may be calling us to be a city on a hill.

Giving is and should be a selfless act - but, most of all, it is an act of love. When we give our gifts we are really sharing the blessings that the Holy Spirit has already given us. And money is no different. There is no guarantee that God will fill our coffers with lots of excess. But when we step out in faith as a church, with Jesus at the centre, we can have every expectation that God will provision us with just what we need - to spread the good news throughout our community.

The Holy Spirit wants to release all kinds of people into leadership. But what kind of leaders is He looking for? Apostolic leadership is really about adapting how we view the world, and how we view other people. Apostolic leaders lead with a heightened sensitivity to what Jesus is doing in people around them - even if these are the kinds of people we'd least expect in church. Petrina Jones, Pastor of the The Living Room, talks about her own story - and the journey from addiction, to faith, to leadership.

As we embark on this new season as 'church', we are still invited to live in God's glory. Cam and Rob talk about the story of God's glory in our present context. It stretches from the past, right into the future - and even includes those who are yet to come to faith. As Jesus hangs dying on a cross, he is thinking of his Father's glory - and invites the crucified criminal at his side into the Kingdom of Heaven. He is still thinking of that glory, and inviting more and more people in! Even the unlovely.