• Not all of you remember Neil Armstrong walking on the moon (I don’t; I didn’t exist yet!). But I think all of you know his famous words: ‘that’s one small step for a man; one giant leap for mankind.’ Why do we have a Launch Sunday every year? Well, even though it’s just one Sunday out of 52 (‘one small step’ you could say), it helps us to make large steps each year. On Judgement Day, the history of TGS will be composed of numerous years, but each year is composed of many ‘small steps’: many Sundays, many weeks, many days you and we live for Jesus. Today is one ‘step’ that helps you and us to take
    many steps in 2024!
  • Today we will look at some of what God through His Apostle Paul has to say to you and to us in Colossians Chapter One. Two Sundays ago we looked at part of what God through Paul tells you and us in Colossians 3:15-17.
  • As we are here on so many Sundays (in a row), it can be easy for some parts of church to feel ‘just the same as last week’. However, a Launch Sunday reminds you/us that each year we are doing something special— because God’s churches are special: they are divine creations by his gospel word. God makes life out of death: we are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). As TGS, we are a light of life amongst a spiritually dead world. The Church is “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14).
  • The leadership wants you to know about plans for 2024: so you know what’s coming up; so you can be excited about how God will speak and minister to you/us, amongst us; through you/us. We are prone to forget things, so God knows that we need reminding (e.g. 2 Peter 1:12-13). We have a plan for this year, and we want all of us to be prayerfully, optimistically, decidedly and enthusiastically working towards seeing Christ glorified in/amongst/through us as we live for him and share the life-transforming news of Jesus.
  • Our church Mission Statement is: 1. Empowered by the Spirit— we cannot do anything of eternal value apart from God working in through us. So, we need
    to remind ourselves and recommit ourselves to being dependant upon Him.

2. we are to make disciples of Jesus— “Follow me!”, Jesus said. And we ‘simply’ pass on the command of God to our fellow humans; we don’t invent the message; it doesn’t come from our authority, but God’s (which is why it’s never arrogant to share the gospel).

3. of all people of all ages— We want everyone to follow Christ. No one is too old or too young.

4. to the glory of God— He is all glorious (not us), so it’s right and good we give Him all praise.

Cameron