From The Pastor's Desk

Happy Sabbath, church family,

I hope you’ve been well, and that you’ve been able to enjoy a restful and refreshing holiday season. After spending a month in Norway, at home with my family, I was also genuinely happy to come back to my second home and second family in Australia. Travel has a way of reminding us how meaningful it is to have places where we belong: spaces where we are known, welcomed, and loved. 

There is something deeply beautiful about having more than one place you can call home. I’m grateful for a home in Norway and a home here in Australia, but even more than that, I’m thankful that, in Christ, we are given a deeper and lasting sense of belonging. We have a home in Him, a place where we are known, loved, and secure. 

In Christ, we are never without a home. We belong to Him, and to one another. No matter where life takes us, no matter how much changes around us, our identity and security are anchored in Jesus. And alongside that present belonging, we hold onto a living hope and promise, that God is preparing us a home in heaven and the new earth. A home where pain, separation, and brokenness will be no more. A home where we all feel seen, loved, cared for and appreciated—where we get to live in the presence of our creator.

This hope should shape the way we live now. It reminds us that we are a people on a journey, not walking alone, but together. As a church family, we share this hope, this faith, and this calling to love and support one another along the way. We are already walking towards the same home. Each Sabbath becomes a small picture of that future home—a place of rest, community, worship, and grace.

“Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore. Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation! And look! I will create Jerusalem as a place of happiness. Her people will be a source of joy.” Isaiah 65:17-18

This weekend, may we be reminded that church is more than a gathering—it’s a family and a home. A place where burdens can be shared, joys can be celebrated, and faith can be strengthened together. May we notice one another, encourage one another, and reflect the welcome and belonging we have first received from Christ.

May we rest in the assurance that we are held by God, grounded in Christ, and surrounded by a community that walks this journey together. And may the hope of our eternal home shape how we love, serve, and care for one another here and now.

Blessings to you and your family this Sabbath.
Malin Andersen