PCWAGA

Thursday Oct 30
Alison, Duncan and I arrived in Perth at about 6pm. We were picked up at the airport by Glenn Musket and taken back to his house where his wife Judy was waiting for us. Over the next 3 nights & days they were fantastic hosts and their home was very comfortable. Glenn is the Clerk of the Assembly, but his 'real' job is CEO of Braemar Care, the aged-care facilitites of the Presbyterian Church.

Friday Oct 31
Alison was picked up by Deirdre (a fellow Scot) and taken to the PWA AGM at Bicton Church, which would later be the venue for the Assembly as well. Duncan and I went with Glenn for a tour of the Braemar homes, where we were given the loan of a car for the duration of our stay. After leaving Braemar we took a drive into Fremantle and found sushi - Duncan's favourite - for lunch, before going to Bicton to join Alison.

After lunch, Neva McCrae, wife of the incoming moderator Bill, took Alison and Duncan for a tourist tour of Perth, including taking in the Red Bull Air Race which was in town. I stayed at the church to prepare a sermon for this evening as the invited guest preacher was now unable to come.

The Assembly assembled (that's what Assemblies do, isn't it?) at 5pm for dinner in the church hall, followed by opening worship in the church, led by Stuart Bonnington, including communion. I preached on Psalm 105:1-4, which was the text printed on the front of the business book for the Assembly, and the service concluded with Stuart inducting Bill as the new moderator.

There was a small amount of business afterwards, until about 10pm.

Saturday Nov 1
The morning got under way with devotions, which I led with some reflections on the Lord's Prayer. Business thereafter was largely uneventful and it was concluded by about 1:15pm.

When I say 'uneventful' I don't mean that there was nothing of importance to be discussed. The overriding impression of this small corner of Christendom that I was left with, was that they are a bunch of sincerely committed followers of Jesus who are anxious to see the gospel proclaimed, the kingdom expanded and the church growing. Consequently the business was largely positive, visionary, and upward and outward looking.

As most Presbyterians will already know (or should know!) the Moderator General, Robert Benn, has launched an appeal to raise funds to help with church planting work in metropolitan Perth, but the church has also taken the step of faith of buying some property in Mt Magnet, a remote mining town 7 hours drive north of Perth, with the hope of planting a new work there as well.

9 of us had lunch together in Fremantle and on the way back to Glenn and Judy's, Alison, Duncan and I stopped for a walk along the glorious beach which is very close to them. We then had dinner at Deirdre's house, which is just a couple of minutes from Glenn and Judy's, with a couple of other couples from Whitfords Church.

Sunday Nov 2
Whitfords Church has their worship service at the early hour of 9am, but at least it really is very close to Glenn and Judy's place! I had the privilege of preaching