Applied Carey Baptist College Alumni
Missional Church & God's Forgiveness Mission at Carey An Interview with Sarah Harris
Issue 3 / November 2011
Editorial There are a number of things we are fervent about at Carey Baptist College. We are deeply in love with Jesus, and zealous for his gospel. We have a deep commitment to the Bible, and are passionate when it comes to the church. As a staff team we take seriously our task of producing graduates with depth for longevity in ministry and mission. In this addition of Applied we want to focus on Carey Baptist College and mission. We are particularly keen to announce we have created a new teaching and training position at the College, and that in 2012 Dr George Wieland will be our first Director of Mission Research and Training. We have created this new role because we want to: Ü Bring mission even more clearly into the foreground of who we are and what we do Ü Enable students to experience and understand the heart of God for all people and the radical inclusiveness of the Body of Christ Ü Speak into the changing face of New Zealand society – both in attitudes to the gospel, and in our increased multi-cultural make-up Ü Produce graduates who have confidence in the gospel, and a creativity in the way they engage with a secular world Ü Produce graduates with a strong global awareness, and an ability to minister effectively in the various cultures and worldviews to which they are called (both locally and internationally) Ü Contribute to contemporary mission-related research Ü Develop stronger partnerships with mission agencies and training institutions (both locally and internationally) Your partnership in this task is greatly appreciated and if you have any thoughts or ideas please do not hesitate to contact me at charles.hewlett@ carey.ac.nz. Oh, and please remember to think about the potential Carey students that are around you – why not tap them on the shoulder and encourage them to think about theological education or ministry and mission training? Regards
(Colossians 1:28-29)
Contents Credits
2 Editorial
Applied Magazine ISSUE THREE
Charles Hewlett
Editor: Charles Hewlett Design: Roseanne Lee Contributors: Shireen Chua, Maree Scully, Aaron Minnee, Rachel Murray, Andrew Picard, George Wieland, Blue Bradley and Maryanne Wardlaw. Photos: From contributors Printing: Red_i For enquiries please email shireen.chua@carey.ac.nz Carey Baptist College 473 Great South Road, Penrose, Auckland PO Box 12149, Auckland, 1642 09 525 4017 www.carey.ac.nz
Maree Scully, Aaron Minnee, and Blue Bradley
6 Photos that tell a story 7 Partnership in Mission Rachel Murray
8 Carey News 10 An Interview with Sarah Harris Maryanne Wardlaw
11 Missional Church & God's Forgiveness Andrew Picard
13 Look Who's Teaching at Carey 2012 14 Director of Mission Research & Training
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Maree Scully
I never imagined I would become a student again - one of those nerdy, adult students who sit near the front of the class, asking too many questions and handing in assignments early! But after twelve years of working overseas in crosscultural mission, I felt my tank needed refuelling under God’s word. What a joy and a privilege to be given a sabbatical! During this time many people asked me, “What are you studying?” But one wise friend asked me, “What are you learning?” It’s exciting now to be back in Asia applying my ‘learning’! Gaining a deeper understanding of the issues related to poverty, from a spiritual perspective, has been so helpful. This has given me a practical framework of reconciliation for helping the poor. Helpful insights for urban mission, skills for leadership and guidance in counselling people are all part of the equipping I received. Daily I find myself applying what I learned, but most of all I am deeply grateful for the spiritual refreshment for my soul and for the opportunity to know God a little more. Mare has now completed her Graduate Applied / 4
Aaron Minnee It has now been three years since I finished my time at Carey. Over these years there have been a number of changes including getting married, landing my first job and moving into a student hostel. This past year brought with it another change: my first dabbling with bi-vocational ministry. This for me means a four day a week working arrangement, creating space for intentional student discipleship. During my time at Carey I had a number of questions about what my ministry was going to look like. I didn't seem to fit the ‘roles’ within the church I had been exposed to, but felt God's leading to undertake theological study. Carey provided the space where I could grow in my faith and understand my calling in light of the commerce study I had previously completed. I came to Carey disillusioned with business, wanting to lead people into the church. I left Carey with a heartbeat for business, wanting to see Christians take bold steps into the market place.
Looking ahead I’ve got a long way to go as I take on the challenge of translating my faith into real world life and business decisions. I also have the even greater
challenge of encouraging and supporting Christian students as they begin to do the same. I’m grateful to Carey for a broad range of input including wellprepared course material, accessible lecturers, a network of mentors and a range of ministry experiences. This has excited me about being who God has wired me to be as I engage in his world, on his mission, with his help. Aaron studied a Bachelor of Applied Leadership; he graduated in 2009.
Blue Bradley “There’s nothing special about yeast hanging out together.” This was on my mind a lot when I came to Carey to train as a pastor. I could never escape the thought that if we the church (the yeasty part of this story) are to be agents of change in this world, then we had better have a host environment to change with. The host environments are the communities we live in (the flour part of the story). To me the church never made sense unless it was immersed in its local communities. How else could it ever reach its potential of being agents of change in this world? My time at Carey was brilliant at helping me sharpen my mind, my character and my praxis in preparing me for what God might have in store for my next season. Since leaving Carey my wife and I, along with a small adventurous group of crazy
people, have planted a church in a small community in Auckland where we opened a non-profit café and create environments where we do life with our neighbours (us attempting to be yeast). Another joy in my life is being the director of the northern Easter Camp where thousands of youth were given the opportunity to deepen their relationship with God. I've also coached church staff and teams to work to their potential with tools such as Strengths Finders (just trying to get the most out of the yeast). Say hello to Blue at Crave cafe, located at 25 McDonald Street, Kingsland. Applied / 5
From visit's overseas
Photos that tell a story "I met these nomadic herder children in Mongolia in August. Many herders are becoming followers of Jesus. What form will “church” take for people who don’t stay in one place, don’t have a building, and are occupied from dawn to dusk with their livestock?" Photo and comment by George Wieland.
John with Paul Windsor and a couple of female Christian leaders during a Langham Preaching seminar in Colombo, Sri Lanka earlier this year. and workers from across the country, and from Lankan society there is considerable division between these two main ethnic groups. So it was amazing to see the unity between these Christians, a powerful witness to the reconciling power of the gospel."
"Herrnhut, a small town right in the far east of Germany; at its centre and heart, a church building – the Moravian church. A town and church that grew to fullness in the 1720's as Count Zinzendorf allowed the scattered Moravian Brethren a place of refuge from persecution. A growing community lifestyle of worship, servanthood, love feasts, foot washings – and 24 hour prayer – led to missionaries being years they were sent to another nine countries, pioneering the way for later Protestant mission. What a privilege it was to attend Sunday worship in this same church community this year, and to be inspired by the legacy and impact for the kingdom of God that Zinzendorf and the Moravian church have left for us today." Photo and comment by Peter Hart. Applied / 6
Partnership in Mission Rachel Murray
Partnering and collaboration are key words in the mission community at present. But what does this look like realistically and how do we do this while retaining that which makes every group unique, drawing on the expertise of each for the good of the whole? There is constructive dialogue taking place that is setting the scene for solid future platforms for interaction, not only among the mission community but for individuals and the wider church body. But it also begs the question, ‘What does partnership in mission mean for all of us?’ The onus does not rest solely on the mission community. As followers of Jesus, we are all called to partner with God and his work in this world. Acts 1:8 states this along with it being a both/and activity regarding the location for mission. In Philippians 1, Paul refers to God’s holy people as being in partnership in the Gospel. It is not an
option, then it is our responsibility to ensure we are doing it! Alongside this we need to consider how we are assisting others in this calling and responsibility. As the understanding of God’s call develops then action must be taken – and around the country it is. Church leaders are intentionally seeking ways to develop their collective mission DNA (focused ‘here’ and ‘there’), nurturing a deep theology of mission among the body of Christ and determining their collective response to this. Individuals are encouraging others to think beyond their immediate situation. Stories of the transformation of lives and communities are being told, inspiring people to understand how God could use them. Groups are gathering for mission conversation and prayer, and people are arming themselves with knowledge of people groups, religions and places. Training institutions, churches and mission organisations together are offering options for mission development and still others are forming their own response to the call as they serve overseas or at home. The task of mission cannot be left to a few individuals. Irrespective of the roles we have, be it ministry, mission or marketplace contexts, and regardless of the locations we find ourselves in, the opportunities to partner with God in his work are immense. As we do our part, God will do his!
of Carey (2004) and is the team leader for Mission World – the resourcing and mobilising arm of the NZBMS.
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Carey News Master of Applied Theology An NZQA evaluation Panel met at Carey Baptist College in October regarding our application to deliver a Master of Applied Theology programme. Over three days the panel reviewed documentation, and interviewed students, staff and stakeholders – a rigorous time for us all! As a College we received positive feedback and have just received final confirmation of the accreditation, enabling us to commence teaching in 2012. 2012 Night-classes at Carey Time for some more study? Want something to stimulate your leadership team? Perhaps your home-group needs a change? Carey is offering three outstanding classes in Semester One next year: Monday evenings - Christian Spirituality (John Tucker), Tuesday evenings - The Church in New Zealand Society (Mick Duncan), Wednesday evenings - Issues in Contemporary Mission (George Wieland). Enroll now! Kiwimade Preaching The Kiwi-Made Preaching Forum was held at Carey on October 28. Over 200 people gathered on the campus for a day of motivation in the area of biblical preaching. Guest speaker for the day was Dr Chris Wright, International Director of Langham Partnership International and chair of the Lausanne Movement’s Theology Working Group. Carey staff also participated in forums in Waikanae and Christchurch. Applied / 8
sENDING On October 20 we spent the evening celebrating with our graduating pastoral leadership students and youth ministry students. Two hundred people packed into lecture rooms 1 and 2 to help commission them for life after Carey. Murray Robertson challenged the students to establish ministries based on the preaching of the Word. Shack author visiting Carey W. Paul Young, author of The Shack, will be spending an evening at Carey on January 6, 2012. Dr Myk Habets will be interviewing him about the book and issues around faith and theology. An evening not to be missed! New Prospectus Look out for our new 2012/13 prospectus! We have taken extra time to explain our ministry, mission and market place training options. Let us know if you would like one posted in the mail - contact reception@ carey.ac.nz. We are also in the process of overhauling our web-site. We plan to have this up and running by the end of the year.
Children's Ministry Expert In June 2012 Carey is bringing a children’s ministry expert to New Zealand to teach a block course. Dr Scottie May is the Associate Professor of Christian Formation and Ministry at Wheaton College. Her latest book is entitled, Listening to Children on Their Spiritual Journey. Facebook Are you a friend of Carey on Facebook yet? Please take time to become our friend. Our page is updated regularly and it is the best way to keep up with all the things happening at Carey. Heaps of good photos and conversation too! Dr Chris Wright
Lunch-time Interviews Each Tuesday over lunch at Carey a leader from ministry, mission or the marketplace is interviewed. Recent guests have included: Bill Dyrness (Fuller Theological Seminary), Ash Barker (Urban Neighbours of Hope), Mark de Jong (Parachute), Jock Brunskill (WEC), Kerry Manders (Netball New Zealand), and Jarrod McKenna (The Peace Tree Community, Perth). Phil Goff joined us on October 18 – great interview, Laurie!
Our new prospectus! Applied / 9
An Interview with Sarah Harris Maryanne Wardlaw
God knew, when Sarah Harris went for a root canal recently, that her day would improve. She had just returned home when Charles Hewlett rang to say that Carey Baptist College was inviting her to be its New Testament lecturer. “My twins were at home, so I just gave them the thumbs up,” she recalled. “Before I was off the phone, Jeremy had already texted my husband.” The news capped off nearly a decade of study and searching for a place where she could share her passion for God’s word in a practical way. “I wanted to be in a place where you can pray with students, and not just talk about it,” she said. Sarah, 46, has been teaching at Victoria University from Luke and Acts as part of her PhD with Otago University. She is due to complete it by the end of 2011. The aspect of Jesus’ life that captivated her, and the subject of her thesis, was his role as the divine shepherd king in the gospel of Luke. Sarah also loves to help people learn how to read the ancient texts, understand their context, and apply them today. “It’s not so much passing on knowledge,” she said. “It’s helping build skills so [students] can go and Applied / 10
work it out for themselves.” Sarah’s husband, Craig, is an assistant minister at St Aidan’s Anglican Church in Remuera. He has served there for the last three of the nine years they have lived in Auckland. The couple also have four children between the ages of 18 and 23. Neither Sarah nor Craig began their careers in ministry, although they felt a pull in that direction early on. Sarah’s first qualifications are in music and teaching. “I was happily teaching at a wonderful school in Hamilton when we heard God call us to ministry,” Sarah said. They sold their home and both returned to study. In 2007, after studying part-time, she completed a Bachelor of Divinity from Laidlaw College (then Bible College of New Zealand). When she wrestled with the option of expanding her goal from a graduate diploma to pursuing a PhD in mid 2009, one obstacle was hard to ignore: to continue, $5000 had to materialise in one two-week window. God gave her direction in the form of a Parachute scholarship. “So, I settled in and just worked really hard,” Sarah said. “I sensed God had given us this gift.” Sarah believed God’s plans for her involved teaching others about Jesus’ life and ministry. But such roles are rare. “I knew I was praying for something that didn’t exist,” she said. Then, with the completion of her studies looming, Carey announced that George Wieland would be developing a new course of study and that, for the first time in a decade, the role of New Testament lecturer would be open. Sarah will become Carey’s first female lecturer in a permanent position when she steps into his shoes. “I’m so excited by the role, so humbled by it,” Sarah said. “It is so much what I want, teaching in a place where soul and spirit go together – it’s earthed, it’s applied.”
Missional Church and God's Forgiveness Andrew Picard Carey Graduate in 2004
What does it mean to be the People of God participating in the Mission of God? This has become a central and creative question for churches as we seek to join God’s mission in the world. As a result, we have seen a wonderful flurry of exciting missional initiatives as churches bring the Gospel to bear on their communities. These creative outwardfocussed approaches are excellent, but I want to add that a Missional Church is also called to be attractional through its distinctive life which is conformed to the Gospel. Missional Church is not only about exciting outward-focussed ministry that seeks to transform all things by the Gospel; Missional Church is also about persistent attractional ministry that seeks to conform all things to the Gospel. Central to God’s transforming and conforming mission is reconciliation. Paul says we who have been reconciled through Christ have been
given the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18). And at the heart of reconciliation is forgiveness. In this sense, I want to explore forgiveness as mission. Five years ago, on October 2, 2006, a gunman entered West Nickel Mines School in a peaceful Amish village. Having dismissed the boys and the adult woman, he shot all ten of the little girls, execution style, and then turned the gun on himself. Five of the little girls died and five of them were left wounded. As a father of two little girls, I cannot comprehend the agony, pain and devastation the Amish community must have suffered. But what amazed the watching world was not the violence, but the radical forgiveness of the Amish community. Despite their agony, pain and devastation, the Amish community immediately chose to forgive the man who murdered their children. One of the grandfathers of the slain girls spoke to the community on the day of the murders saying, “we must not think evil of this man.” He went on to urge the people to forgive the gunman. Hours after the massacre, members of the Amish community went and comforted the gunman’s widow and parents. One Amish man, who knew the family well, held the gunman’s sobbing father in his arms, comforting him for more than an hour saying, “We love you.” Applied / 11
“Forgiveness is a shattering experience for both the forgiver and the forgiven as they go on a costly journey that seeks to win the other back into relationship.”
They told the widow and the gunman’s parents: “Do not leave the area. Stay in your home here. We forgive this man.” Thirty members of the Amish community attended the gunman’s funeral and they set up a charitable fund to support the gunman’s family. The gunman’s widow was one of the few outsiders invited to the funeral of the Amish children. Today, the gunman’s mother goes weekly to the home of one of the survivors, who is wheel-chair bound from her injuries, and reads and sings to her. Reflecting back five years later she says, “To be able to have a community of people that have been hurt so much by what our son did and yet to have them respond to us the way that they have has been an incredible journey.” The gunman’s widow, in an open letter of thanks to the Amish community wrote, “Your love for our family has helped to provide the healing we so desperately need. Gifts you've given have touched our hearts in a way no words can describe. Your compassion has reached beyond our family, beyond our community, and is changing our world.” In her reflection on the radical forgiveness of the Amish community, Sister Joan Chittister wrote, “It was not the murders or violence that shocked us; it was the forgiveness that followed it for which Applied / 12
we were not prepared. It was the lack of recrimination, the dearth of vindictiveness that left us amazed, baffled, confounded… It was the Christianity we all profess but which they practised that left us stunned. Never had we seen such a thing.” Forgiveness is a shattering experience for both the forgiver and the forgiven as they go on a costly journey that seeks to win the other back into relationship. But the journey of forgiveness is also creative in that it opens fresh possibilities for all things to be made new. This costly journey of forgiveness is at the heart of the Christian Gospel and the Christian God. Considering Luke’s crucifixion account, William Willimon notes that of all the things Jesus could have said to the Father from the cross, his first words were “Father, forgive…” From the cross Jesus’ first word to the Father is to offer pre-emptive forgiveness. “It’s as if when God… began creating the world, the first word was not ‘Let there be light’ but rather ‘Let there be forgiveness.’” The first word into our darkness is “Father, forgive.” Missional Churches are attractive because they conform their lives to the Gospel and participate in !F;ëJ D@JJ@FE F= I8;@:8C =FI>@M<E<JJ Ü
Tuesdays at Carey
Worship
Celebration
Community Lunch Applied / 13
Look who's teaching at Carey in 2012 Colin Edwards Colin teaches in the area of Muslim Christian relations, particularly looking at socio-cultural aspects, interfaith dialogue and mission. His PhD is looking at the theology of the church that is growing in Muslim areas. Originally from New Zealand, Colin trained as a medical doctor and spent 15 years in South Asia with Interserve. There he was involved in mission leadership both at the national and international level. He continued his theological study through that time, and so was working and writing in a context of poverty, corruption and vibrant life. God has used this to shape him and his thinking which he now brings back to a Western setting. He and his family moved to the UK in 2008 and Colin has taken up the role of Team Leader for Urban Vision, Interserve's cross-cultural work within England and Wales. In this his role is to train, resource and equip people who want to engage cross-culturally. Colin teaches at Redcliffe College, United Kingdom. Dr. Colin Edwards will be teaching in a block course that is part of the Issues in Contemporary Mission paper being offered in Semester 1 on 25 and 26 May 2012.
Guest lecturers at Carey
Scottie May Scottie May is an experienced church educator, editor and developer of materials for childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ministries, and a writer of curriculum and articles dealing with Christian Education issues. Since 1998, she has been Associate Professor of Christian Formation and Ministry at Wheaton College in Illinois. She annually teaches courses in children's ministry, family ministry, spiritual formation, and formative teaching. She has worked as a Christian education service consultant for a major curriculum publisher as well as being an adjunct faculty member for Trinity University and North Park Seminary. She has a master's degree in Educational Ministries from Wheaton College and a doctorate in education from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Scottie is co-author of the children's ministry textbook Children Matter and a contributor to Children's Spirituality edited by Donald Ratcliff, and Perspectives on Children's Spiritual Formation: Four Views edited by Michael Anthony. Dr Scottie May will be teaching the Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ministry paper here at Carey Baptist College in 2012.
For further information on either of these papers, please contact Neroli at registrar@carey.ac.nz. You can audit or credit either of these papers.
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Mission at Carey Q+A with George Wieland
2012 will see significant developments in the place of mission in Carey’s programmes. A new role has been created, of Director of Mission Research and Training, and the person appointed to it is George Wieland who is currently Carey’s Lecturer in New Testament. So Applied asked George about what this would mean. What’s going on, George, are you tired of the Bible? G Not at all! Studying and teaching the New Testament over the past eleven years has brought incredible enrichment, and this shift of focus to mission is actually a development from that. The Bible is essentially a missional book and its mission themes and emphases have become increasingly prominent for me, while at the same time my practical involvement with the practice of mission in various contexts has grown. What I look forward to is continuing to immerse myself in the Bible while engaging some of the challenges of mission today.
For enquiries about Mission at Carey, contact George on george.wieland@carey.ac.nz
papers for Mission papers? G That’s part of it, taking on some of the mission-related papers already in the curriculum and developing new ones, but the role is wider than teaching mission papers. We’ve seen the need for a mission pathway through Carey training alongside the Pastoral Leadership and Youth Ministry pathways and I’m looking forward to walking the journey with a group of students whose focus is on preparing to participate in God’s mission, particularly in cross-cultural contexts. And there’s a research component? G Yes, there has to be. The contexts for mission are changing constantly and new issues demand new thinking and information. If we’re going to train for mission we have to be continually learning. That learning is happening on the edges of mission and my vision is for Carey to be in relationship with mission practitioners both in NZ and overseas so that we can share in the learning and partner in addressing mission challenges. Applied / 15
Study with us at Carey You can study at Carey through the following options:
On-Site Classes A variety of courses are offered at our campus in Penrose (Auckland). These are timetabled in weekly 3-hour classes lasting through the 12week semester. A variety of these courses are also offered as evening classes making them accessible for students in full-time employment.
Distance Courses Many courses that Carey offers are available by distance learning. Distance study means that students can be located anywhere around New Zealand or the world but still study at Carey. Distance courses are provided using printed workbooks and enhanced with internet learning.
Block Courses A number of classes are offered by means of block or intensive courses. These courses are usually held at the Auckland campus.
Field Education There are a number of practical based field education courses. The requirements of these courses are completedin the studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s local place of ministry under the guidance of a nominated supervisor.