It is hard to believe that it has been 6 months today since I finished up as Senior Minister of CityLife Church. The month of February this year was such as special time as we celebrated the 50th anniversary of CityLife, had my farewell, and inducted Andrew Hill as the next Senior Minister. These important events … Continue reading Personal Update from Mark Conner
The Beauty of Sleep
I'm on holidays and I'm loving every minute! My time off started just over 3 weeks ago. The difference in this break is that it began with me finishing employment at the same place for over 32 years. Needless to say, I have been gradually starting to relax and unwind, although it has taken discipline … Continue reading The Beauty of Sleep
My Farewell Address: The Meaning of Life
What does one say in a farewell address? In biblical times, we have a record of parting words from people such as Jacob (Genesis 49:1-33), Joseph (Genesis 50:24-26), Moses (Deuteronomy 31:1 - 32:47), Joshua (Joshua 24:22-28), David (1Chronicles 29:10-20), Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20 and John 13-17) and Paul (Acts 20:18-25). In modern times, we can consider the farewell speeches of kings, presidents and … Continue reading My Farewell Address: The Meaning of Life
What’s Next?
After you say goodbye, what's next? What’s Next for MeI’ve been on church staff for the last 32 years and led the worship ministry as a volunteer for 5 years before that … so that's 37 years of continuous leadership responsibility. You can’t question my commitment 🙂 Now that I am finished with my Senior … Continue reading What’s Next?
Time to Say Goodbye
Last weekend was my final weekend speaking at CityLife Church as it's Senior Minister. It was a very emotional time for both Nicole and myself, but with a real sense of celebration of all that God has done. We are deeply grateful for the many words of encouragement, 'thank you' notes, gifts (I felt like … Continue reading Time to Say Goodbye
The Finish Line
Today was my last official day of work for 2016. I spoke at all 5 of our church's Christmas carols presentations this weekend. It was a lot of fun and it was great to see so many people there, especially so many visitors. It's now 2 months and 8 days till I finish up in my role … Continue reading The Finish Line
The Great Unknown
Sometimes in life we experience 'more of the same' as we deal with the familiarity of routine. At other times, there is the adventure of new things and of entering uncharted waters. That's my life right now. I am in the process of transitioning out of a staff role at CityLife Church where I have … Continue reading The Great Unknown
Update on Mark and Nicole Conner
At a Special General Meeting on 6th October, the CityLife members confirmed by an overwhelming majority the unanimous nomination by the Board of Elders of Andrew Hill as the next Senior Minister of CityLife Church (read my initial announcement about leadership transition back in February 2016, in case you missed that). I congratulate Andrew … Continue reading Update on Mark and Nicole Conner
Confessions: A 3 Month License Suspension
Confession time ... Right now I am in the middle of serving a 3 month driving license suspension. Where I live in Australia, there is a demerit point system for driving offences such as speeding, driving through a red light, etc. If you accumulate 12 points or more in a 3 year period … Continue reading Confessions: A 3 Month License Suspension
Our 30th Wedding Anniversary
30 years ago today, Nicole and I were married. She was 20 and I was 24. You never know where the road of life may lead but I couldn't imagine a better traveling companion. Nicole is a person of deep compassion, courage and conviction. She is also heap of fun to do life together with … Continue reading Our 30th Wedding Anniversary
Mark and Nicole
Nicole and I celebrate our 30th wedding anniverary this June. Nicole is my best friend and my life's climbing companion. I can't wait to see the joy that is around the next corner for both of us. To keep track of our whereabouts, check out our web site, which has been recently updated. [Photo taken … Continue reading Mark and Nicole
Happy Birthday, Nicole
Once upon a time there was this cute girl named Nicole. She launched out on this adventure called life and our paths intersected 30 years ago. She is now my best friend and my climbing companion. I can’t wait to see the joy that is just around the next corner for both of us. Happy … Continue reading Happy Birthday, Nicole
Announcement about Mark Conner’s Future
This weekend, I made the following announcement to my church family - CityLife Church. Obviously, it was a surprise to many, while not to others. There is a degree of sadness with any change like this but I am also encouraged by the amount of support I have received. [Watch on You Tube] I have … Continue reading Announcement about Mark Conner’s Future
Reflections from my Sabbatical (Part 4)
So what now? That’s another good question. 1. Personally, I need to re-engage with church life and ministry. I need to get back in harness and up to speed with what God is now doing. I’ll gradually ease back in over the next few weeks. 2. We want to keep the current spiritual momentum going. God’s … Continue reading Reflections from my Sabbatical (Part 4)
Reflections from my Sabbatical (Part 3)
What did I learn during my sabbatical? In many ways, I see this moment and season as a significant crossroads for my life and ministry. The Lord once said to Jeremiah, “Stand (stop) at the crossroads and look around; ask for the ancient paths (the old, godly path), ask where the good way is, and walk … Continue reading Reflections from my Sabbatical (Part 3)