The Advocate August 2011

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AUGUST 2011

“Mission starts in our hearts and moves out into the whole world,” STEVE MCALPINE PAGE 5

in conversation We catch up with Scot McKnight as he prepares to inspire and challenge at the Vose Conference this month. PAGE 10 >>

Photo: NASA

5 KBC to Thailand

On 8 July, NASA launched the space shuttle Atlantis for the final time to the International Space Station.

Given the space shuttle program’s popularity and notable successes, many are mystified that the program is being scrapped. However, the decision to shut it down illustrates an important leadership principle pertaining to innovation …

Western Australia’s goldfields are not as remote as they once were, proving the world is a much smaller place >>

JOHN MAXWELL PAGE 12 >>

Engaging with God’s Word Dr Peter Christofides is the newest member of the staff at Vose Seminary. His role as New Testament Lecturer fits well with his passion for Biblical languages. He has two doctorates in ‘New Testament issues of peace and reconciliation’ and ‘Rediscovering the role of the laity for ministry in the church’.

Dr Christofides was Prinicpal of Rosebank Bible College and Head of Biblical Languages at the Baptist Theological College of Southern Africa until he left for Australia with his family.

An engaging communicator, Dr Christofides was also an executive producer with the Department of Religious Broadcasting for the South African Broadcasting Corporation.

Brought up in South Africa

by Greek parents who migrated from Cyprus, Dr Christofides left Johannesburg in July 2009 with his wife Maria and young son Michael to find a safer place in the world to live.

For the next two years he worked as the Senior Pastor of Casuarina Baptist Church in Darwin and saw God bring significant growth to the church.

The family recently moved to Perth so Dr Christofides could begin his new role at Vose Seminary.

“I struggled with the pace of life in Darwin for the first year,” he

said. “The elders kept telling me to slow down.”

“I’m passionate about reading the Bible, so we ran a pilot program for the Scripture Union’s daily reading program called ‘e100’,” Dr Christofides said. “It’s exciting

when you see people engaging with God’s Word. Things happen in lives.”

“As I look back I see God’s hand all over our lives. The opportunity to work at Casuarina Baptist; meeting up again with Brian Harris after a long break, and now joining the team at Vose Seminary to do what I really love — teaching people the New Testament and Biblical languages. It’s amazing!”

He is excited about visiting Baptist churches across Western Australia.

“I’ve already got some

bookings to speak in some of the churches,” Dr Christofides said.

Dr Christofides’ office at Vose is still being renovated, but the energetic teacher is already putting the finishing touches to the lectures he will give in second semester starting on 25 July.

“We pray for God’s grace to face things in life — like moving country, changing work,” Dr Christofides said. “Then we’re shocked when we see it. We’re just so pleased to be here in Perth. It’s so beautiful.”

Same sex marriage Victorian Baptist Reverend Nathan Nettleton expressed sentiments in an ABC Compass program on same sex marriage legislation broadcast on Sunday 10 July that prompted a quick response from the denomination’s national body, Australian Baptist Ministries (ABM).

In a press release on 11 July, ABM spokesperson, Rev. Rod Bensley, said Rev. Nettleton’s views do not represent the views of Australian Baptist Ministries or an overwhelming majority of Baptists in Australia and around the world.

In November 2010, ABM

reaffirmed marriage as the union of one man and one woman, and commended the Australian Government for reflecting the Biblical teaching on marriage in the Federal Marriage Act. Marriage is not the appropriate institution for same sex couples.

The ABM supports the right of all couples to justice with respect to property and like entitlements and acknowledges that people, including some in Baptist churches, face difficult issues with respect to sexuality. They say recognition of such rights and difficulties does not justify major changes to their convictions about marriage or to marriage legislation.

The Australian Christian Lobby’s current edition of their public policy magazine Viewpoint discusses same sex marriage with a debate between the Australian Family Association’s Terri Kelleher and Rodney Croome from Marriage Equality.

Terri Kelleher said: “Defending marriage is both reasonable and entirely compatible with equality and justice. Unfortunately, however, the debate is often framed as a simplistic division of enlightened progressives versus prejudiced bigots. But name calling neatly avoids the one essential element of the debate: thoughtful consideration of the institution of marriage itself.”

8 Live well; die well

I wake up to a new day, and with it a new context in which to live out life’s greatest adventure >>

11 Food crisis in Africa The United Nations reports six million people are currently suffering from food shortages >>

We value building trust within Baptist churches.

BAPTIST CHURCHES WESTERN AUSTRALIA

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my view AUGUST 2011

Shifting the burden Peter Senge in his book The Fifth Discipline introduces us to the concept of thinking about systems that operate in our organisations and how the awareness of these dynamics give us the opportunity to discover productive ways of solving the problems that we inevitably face.

Steve Ingram Steve Ingram is a Baptist Pastor and Church Liaison Consultant for Baptist Churches Western Australia.

One of the situations he describes, called ‘shifting the burden’ is about our tendency to focus on solutions that address the symptoms of a problem, but do not treat the underlying issues. We often look for symptomatic solutions because dealing with the underlying issues takes time and a good deal more effort. The problem with symptomatic solutions are that

they often have unintended side effects which leads to a more complex problem rather than a solution.

For example; the church leadership might recognise that the church’s worship style for their outreach services, although it is comfortable for the current members, is potentially inhibiting new people from the wider community from

attending. To deal with the symptoms the leadership might decide to take unilateral action and change the worship to a style that is attractive to potential new people. The unintended side effect may be that some of the regular attendees become disgruntled and leave making it difficult to maintain a roster for music. In effect, the problem has become larger rather than smaller. The underlying issue is actually that the original worship style has been decided by preference rather than purpose. A better solution would be to educate the congregation about the concept of allowing the worship style to be driven by

a purpose rather than people’s personal preference. This is a longer, slower, more effort consuming route, but one that in the long-term will have a greater chance of solving the problem.

Putting up with a delay between the course of action we take and achieving the result we desire is better than applying a symptomatic solution that causes unintended side effects.

Does God find us parking?

“So what’s your take?” he asked me. “Does God help us to find parking, or is that beneath his dignity?”

Dr Brian Harris Dr Brian Harris is the Principal of Vose Seminary and Senior Pastor of Carey Community Baptist Church.

I hedged my bets. “Well, I’ve heard people argue for both sides. Some feel it’s a bit of a cheek to expect God to drop everything so that we can park a little closer to Coles, while others suggest that being God, it’s done with such ease that it’s not an issue.” If this were an academic article, I’d insert a footnote to explain that there are times when in the wider purposes of God the decision is that finding a parking bay is not advisable, and I’d remind readers that no is

a valid, albeit unpopular, answer.

Actually, I think those who dismiss the notion that God cares whether it rains on our birthday miss the point. This is the God who knows how many hairs we have on our head. Our own estimate is unlikely to be accurate to within 500, so that is scarily detailed information.

I’m writing this at the annual gathering of the Baptist World Alliance — this year in Kuala Lumpur. I’m just back from a meeting addressed by three

Japanese theologians who have been discussing the theology of the suffering of God in the light of the recent earthquakes in that country. Sobering stuff. Not all conferences are fun. We’ve all seen the pictures, but there is something especially haunting when you hear the stories from those who were there and who are still living with the aftermath.

And it wasn’t just an earthquake.

Add to it the Tsunami and then the nuclear fallout — the latter will be around for decades ...

But I’m wandering from the topic. Does God find us parking bays and is it appropriate to pray about such matters? Of course

God cares about the small details of our lives. There is no question about that. The real question is whether we care about anything else.

Those who ask receive while those who don’t walk further!

letters to the editor Dear Editor Extremely disappointing and offensive to see the prominent display of the face of evil in a Christian publication (page ,1 June 2011); in my view this does not serve the purpose of this newspaper.

Glenn Strautins, Ridgewood

Dear Editor The Baptist people of Australia, by and large, do not understand the significance of what is happening in society. There is far more at stake than just allowing gays to marry.

In line with other ethical and moral legal ‘permissions’ that become ‘compulsions’ there are consequences to losing this battle such as the truth that marriage is between male and female. Incremental

same-sex changes that we are already seeing here — inclusion in school libraries, education in schools, forcing of adoption agencies, allowing and forcing IVF, changing of birth certificate to Party A and Party B, access to church camp sites — will be legitimised by re-defining marriage in federal law. Changes that have occurred elsewhere — the forcing of foster parents (and indeed natural parents) to comply with approved education, performing of marriages by marriage celebrants and then by ministers of religion will gain increased impetus here also.

We must not tire in our efforts to preserve marriage as the most fundamental part of our heritage and society. I plead with readers to consider and sign the Canberra Declaration.

send us your letters The Advocate welcomes your letters to the editor on topics of concern to you and the community. Send your letters of no more than 100 words to editor@theadvocate.tv by the 10th of each month.

There is far more at stake than just allowing gays to marry.

Lachlan Dunjey, Morley

disclaimer The Advocate reserves the right to edit or withhold from publication any letter for any reason whatsoever. Once received, all letters become the possession of The Advocate. The views written in ‘letters to the editor’ do not necessarily reflect the views of The Advocate or Baptist Churches Western Australia, nor does The Advocate take any responsibility of the views stated by those who write to the editor.

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news

3

AUGUST 2011

NAIDOC Week

Mt Barker CRC opening

Members of Mount Zion Aussie Indigenous Church singing at their service to celebrate NAIDOC Week.

Two West Australian Baptist churches have marked this year’s NAIDOC (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) Week with a unique joint worship service and time of fellowship — the second year that Yangebup Baptist Church and Mount Zion Aussie Indigenous Church (MOZAIC) of Belmont have met together to celebrate their faith in God. MOZAIC Pastor, Keith Truscott said it was very exciting to be able to mark NAIDOC Week in such a special way with the Christians at Yangebup Baptist Church, however his church’s association with Pastor Craig and Lyn Siggins goes back more than 15 years.

“We call Craig and Lyn by

the ‘skin name’ Jangala and Garimara. We’ve known them since they began their ministry to the Martu people around Newman and Jigalong,” Keith said.

“When they settled in Newman they asked me — in my pastoral capacity — to take watchful care for a couple of their church and family members who were coming down to Perth for hospitalisation. We visited them in their homes as well as having church outreach meetings, and I am still continuing this ministry.”

“We’ve also shared Easter meetings around the Newman area over many years. Some Martu people are a regular part of our congregation and some of them have been baptised in the Swan River,” he said.

Yangebup is only about half an hour away from MOZAIC in Belmont and all the members were excited to catch up over a meal and celebration of their faith. Yangebup Baptist Church Pastor, Craig Siggins, said this year’s joint service was a great celebration.

“I think it is very important to mark NAIDOC Week in this

way. It is an opportunity to demonstrate unity in the Lord with our indigenous brothers and sisters. The whole thing is a special and moving experience — as is the whole process of reconciliation,” Craig said.

“The gathering was also attended by Keith’s son Ashley, who is the 43rd indigenous law graduate from the University of Western Australia, making the day just that bit more special.”

Keith agrees it is important to mark NAIDOC Week in the church’s calendar. “As two church groups, we are able to present a Christian perspective to whatever the theme for the year is. This year it was ‘Change: the next step is ours’.”

“Christians are always in the business of getting people reconciled to God, otherwise they have no lasting peace,” he explained.

“And if two different Baptist churches who reach to different national groups in their congregation can meet together in Christ Jesus’ name, then this is the gospel in practice and honours the glory and majesty of God the Father.”

This collaboration between a Baptist Church, the local Shire and community groups is a first in Western Australia.

Groups already using the facility include Centrelink, an after school and vacation child care centre, Foodbank and a

We’re very excited about how this whole project is connecting the church strongly with the community.

Photo: Jill Birt

Photo: Richard Capper

The formal opening of the Mt Barker Community Resource Centre, the home of Mt Barker Baptist Church and a raft of community groups, including the Plantagenet Shire’s library, is set for later this year.

home work group for primary age children.

Pastor Paul McKeich’s office is also situated in the Centre.

“We’re very excited about how this whole project is connecting the church strongly with the community,” Paul said.

Mt Barker Community Resource Centre Manager Steve Shoebridge and Pastor Paul McKeich with new library equipment made by men at Pardelup Prison Farm.

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news AUGUST 2011

More than 200 people from churches across Albany met at Albany Baptist Church to celebrate Church Together on 10 July.

“It was amazing,” Shaphan Williams, a youth leader at the Troode St Church said. “There was an expo from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm where churches had displays of their ministries and community work.”

“Pregnancy Problem House, a new ministry in town was there, as were representatives from Youth Care and Compassion.”

After the expo, age specific programs were available for children, youth and adults.

Anglican Bishop Alan Newing spoke to the adult congregation. His message focused on the importance of living in relationship with Jesus every day of the week, not just on Sundays.

Pastor Norm Baty from Troode Street Church introduced the evening’s

program which included music items, an engaging historical presentation of the Christian community of Albany and some vibrant worship led by a band with a strong brass section.

Eighty young people from several local churches including Calvary Chapel, the Brethren, Salvation Army, Living Water Anglican, Church of Christ and Baptist Church met in the gym where the Troode Street band, fronted by Jesse Small, led the group in several worship songs.

Joel Baty guided the group through some team games before they watched Compassion’s latest video clip, featuring the Perth guys How Ridiculous shooting basketball hoops from incredible locations.

Chris Green, Baptist Churches Western Australia’s Youth, Children and Young Adults Consultant, made the trip from Perth to speak to the young people. His talk titled ‘How to be a fake Christian’ was humorous and interactive. Many of the group found what he said challenging as well as inspiring.

“This isn’t the first time Albany’s youth have got together recently,” Shaphan said.

Photo: Shaphan Williams

Albany celebrates together

The Troode Street band fronted by Jesse Small performed several worship songs at Church Together in Albany.

“About a month ago 60 young people met to pray for their churches, the local community and themselves, so it was great to follow that up with Church Together.”

At the end of the various programs groups met together for tea and coffee, hot pies and cold drinks.

The event was run by the Church Leaders Fellowship in

Albany with Sally Puzey from Albany Baptist Church the key organiser on site.

Photo: Eleanor Daniels

Purple bras for cancer

Michael Carter (left) and Roy Williams in their purple bras as they encouraged Share In people to give to help cancer research.

Share In has run each Friday morning for the past 27 years.

Fundraising for community projects rarely happens, but the needs of the WA Breast Cancer group and Michael Carter’s passion for the need dictated an exception to the rule.

digital church

into his life’s purpose.”

who they are and not what you had hoped to produce. Affirm them with love for who they actually are and the gifts God gave them.”

01/07/2011

11/07/2011

near someone physically or at least

Tim Stevens

connected to a mobile device? Even

“I’m talking about thinking through each child and being intentional about your time with them and support of them.

Jesus spent 40 days and nights in the desert alone before launching

I’m talking about having an

Dave Moser

intentional plan to invest in each

www.bibledude.net

kid — and revising that plan as

“The life that is ‘worthy’ of the

they grow older and change.”

gospel is the life that celebrates it in community with other believers

26/06/2011

Phil Cooke www.philcooke.com

Roy Williams, who runs the re-cycle table each week at Share In, joined Michael on stage to encourage the people to give.

“Yes, we looked pretty ridiculous,” Michael said, “but it was for a very good cause. We raised $500 from the people at Share In and the organising committee added another $200.”

Extra funds came in over the next few days making a total of $840 for cancer research.

briefs

24/06/2011 www.leadingsmart.com

At the North Beach Baptist Church’s Share In craft group Michael dressed in a purple bra to encourage the 250 people in the audience to give to this special cause.

“I lost two siblings to cancer,” Michael said. “My brother Phil died in 1966 and 17 years ago my sister Rosemary died from breast cancer.”

Since retiring from full-time work 12 years ago, Michael has run the kitchen at Share In each week serving morning tea to the craft group.

and strives to extol it to the world.”

02/07/2011

“Are you so connected you never

Dave Burchett

take time out to live deeply?

www.daveburchett.com

Can you appreciate the value of

“If you lived like you we’re dying

solitude, or do you have to be

you would love your children for

Tim Challies www.challies.com “There was a time when Christians used militaristic language without shame …

Christians often spoke of being part of an army fighting against the forces of darkness. Hymns like ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’ were sung often and were sung proudly.”

Baptisms

Births

Leanne Gibson from Cranbrook Baptist Church was baptised on 15 May at Lake Poorrarecup.

North Beach Baptist Church celebrated several baptisms over the past couple of months. On 29 May Caitlin Hubo, Elisa Pullella and Lousie Davies were baptised.

Chantelle Tranter was baptised on 26 June and Amber Stacey, Matthew Spencer, Liam Carter and Tom Russell on 3 July.

Alexander Grove was born to Peter and Kristen Grove on 20 May. Neil and Rebecca Tinley welcomed Joshua Neil Tinley on 25 May. Eliana Rhonda Young was born to Roger and Sharon Young on 22 June. All three families are from North Beach Baptist Church.

Engagement Calvin Webb (North Beach Baptist Church) and Kayla Macomish (Albany Baptist Church) announced their engagement on 11 June.

Death Horrie Smith, prayer warrior, influential local cricket coach and long-time member of Parkerville Baptist Church died on 25 June in Australind, age 91.

news

5

AUGUST 2011

KBC in Thailand

Relief Fund sends gifts

Photo: Vaughan Pirie

Devastating floods in the Carnarvon region in December 2010 and destructive bushfires through the hills of Perth’s southern suburbs during the summer of 2011 prompted Baptist Churches Western Australia (BCWA) to open an Emergency Relief Fund to help meet the immediate needs of people suffering significant losses due to natural disasters in Western Australia.

The Kalgoorlie Baptist Church team at the kids club in Bang Sala.

Western Australia’s goldfields are not as remote as they once were and Kalgoorlie Baptist Church (KBC) is proving that the world is now a much smaller place.

KBC has developed a unique connection to Pak Phanang in south Thailand that began three years ago with the sending out of missionaries to the South East Asian nation. This June, a missionary support team led by Helen Kenny visited Thailand to support the church’s other workers there. It’s a trip that KBC people have made regularly over the past three years.

“We’ve been supporting and praying for Vaughan and Cathy Pirie who are missionaries based there. Vaughan had previously

been a member of our church, a teacher at the Goldfields Baptist College and Kidz Biz leader at KBC,” Helen said.

“We wanted to encourage the Pirie family — and the rest of the team — in their church planting and other activities.”

For the Christians at KBC, supporting missionaries from within their own congregation goes beyond financial and prayer support and the team take their ‘visitation support’ very seriously.

“Our visit to the missionaries and Christians in Pak Phanang and surrounding districts not only encourage and help them in their day-to-day work, but also to better understand what they do, their vision for the future, challenges and opportunities,” Helen said.

“That way we can pray with more relevance and encourage others in the church at home to support God’s work among the people of south Thailand. We also wanted to do anything practical

that would help them, such as maintenance and sewing.”

The missionary team in Pak Phanang is under the umbrella of OMF International (Overseas Missionary Fellowship) but are selffunded. Helen and her team pay their own way ‘for the privilege of visiting’. “But it’s worth it,” she said.

“The new Christians love to have people come to visit — it gives them a boost in their faith journey and even though we don’t speak the language, it is very special to share Christ together.”

“One morning we sang ‘Amazing Grace’ before church began — they were singing in Thai and we sang in English and it was beautiful to hear,” Helen said.

Vaughan and Cathy will soon return home to Australia for a six month long ‘home assignment’.

It will be an opportunity to visit Christians who support them and encourage others to assist in financing their mission activities in Thailand.

Ambassador of freedom and grace

Photo: Jill Birt

In a service on Sunday 10 July, the faith community at Parkerville Baptist Church commissioned Alan McGrechan to work cross-culturally among the Yao people in Mozambique.

Alan McGrechan talking at his commissioning service at Parkerville Baptist Church on 10 July.

Family and friends gathered around Alan, laid hands on him and prayed, asking God to empower and use him as an ambassador of freedom and grace in the area around Lichinga in northern Mozambique for the next two years.

“I feel like I’ve been preparing for ages to go,” Alan said. “Raising the support team was a big thing, and all the training in language and culture I’ve done.”

Twenty-four year old Alan is

joining the Global InterAction’s (GIA) Gi6pro program. The program sends young adults to strategic locations around the world to work with teams intent on empowering people groups to develop their own distinctive ways of following Jesus.

“Mission starts in our hearts and moves out into the whole world,” Steve McAlpine said during his message to the church on 10 July. “I watched this young man relate to the London Road street drinkers in Sheffield (UK) while he was on a short-term visit and recognised God was at work in his life.”

Parkerville’s Senior Pastor Allan Thomas said the church had a long history with the Yao people in Malawi and are expecting to learn more through the unique opportunities the church will have to support Alan and the GIA team in Mozambique.

Alan will leave Perth on 23 August.

“By the time we had the Fund functioning, the Carnarvon floods had abated,” Michael Carter, BCWA Administrator said, “but families were still suffering great losses.”

In consultation with the Church of Christ in Carnarvon, more than $1,400 was distributed to two families who suffered the loss of personal property during the floods.

Graphic media images kept the suffering of more than 70 families that lost their homes in the fires around the Armadale/ Kelmscott/Roleystone area firmly in the public’s eye and

people from Baptist churches contributed more than $28,000 to alleviate some of their suffering and pain.

“We closed off the books in June and after consultation with churches in Lesmurdie and Gosnells, we sent gifts to six families that had lost everything in the fires,” Michael said.

Gifts to the Emergency Relief Fund are tax deductible and the fund remains operational for gifts from individuals at any time.

Geraldton Baptist Church seeks a pastor to minister among its vibrant fellowship.

The successful applicant will have a strong sense of call to pastoral ministry, being led by the Holy Spirit to know and share the Word of God to fulfill the Great Commission.

The pastor’s role is to lead, teach and disciple the fellowship which will continue to function under a shared congregational ministry model.

Located in Geraldton, 430km north of Perth, GBC is a friendly, praying congregation with a clear vision to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. Contact: Church Elder, Mr Simon Phillips, for an application package today: geraldtonbaptistchurch@hotmail.com (08) 9921 3356 PO Box 894 Geraldton WA 6531 Applications close 4pm, August 26, 2011

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news AUGUST 2011

Teen walks for the persecuted

David, who hails from a small town near Taree in New South Wales contacted Thirteen Three — a youth initiative of Voice of the Martyrs Australia — with a plan to raise $10,000 to support persecuted Christians.

The teenager believes his

Director, Brad Konemann said the youth initiative that David is part of was inspired

by Hebrews 13:3. “It’s about remembering imprisoned and suffering Christians and we are mobilising a generation of youth to support them by being ‘bound with them’,” Mr Konemann explained.

By the time David’s walk ended at the Voice of the Martyrs headquarters in Sydney, he had raised well over $20,000 — more than double his original target.

David Low on his walk from Taree to Sydney.

Photo: Voice of the Martyrs Australia

Fifteen year-old David Low is an ordinary Aussie teenager, but what he has done to raise the profile of persecuted Christians around the world is far from ordinary.

long, two week walk (in mid July) of up to 40 kilometres per day was nothing in comparison to the terrible challenges being faced daily by people all over the world who are being persecuted for their faith. “I wanted to show people that youth can do something to help as well, so I decided to raise money for underground Bible school students in Vietnam and Burma,” David said.

“It’s a challenge to stand up for your faith and I was inspired by stories of Christians being put in prison or even being killed for their faith. They’re also encouraging me to stay strong for God each day.”

Voice of the Martyrs Youth

It’s a challenge to stand up for your faith and I was inspired by stories of Christians being put in prison or even being killed for their faith. They’re also encouraging me to stay strong for God each day.

WAAPA milestone for muso Sean Bernard is a musician and composer from South Perth Baptist Church who has recently impressed the examiners at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) with his self composed graduation recital.

Sean’s performance was the culmination of the last few years of study at the Academy, which every music student must do to complete the course.

“It entailed a 40 minute, selforganised performance of music that I had written over the last year or so, performed live, in a concert setting,” Sean explained.

The audience were treated to a large range of music styles and genres including 70s styled progressive rock, classical duos and trios with piano, violin, voice and flute, modern experimental music as well as rock and metal

music. Sean Bernard’s life has always been about music in one form or other.

“I was studying engineering and science at Curtin University, but still spent much of my time writing music and playing in a band. After a couple of years of this, and a quite a bit of prayer I decided that it was best that I try and pursue a career in music rather than having it as a hobby.”

Sean Bernard was accepted into WAAPA at the beginning of 2008, to study a Bachelor of Music, majoring in Composition.

“I have learnt a great deal in my

time at WAAPA and had some excellent opportunities for making music, including writing the soundtrack for a documentary about West Australian artist Nalda Searles and I won best soundtrack award in the Revel8 Film Festival in 2008.”

Sean points to God when he talks about his musical ability.

“I have enjoyed participating in worship teams in church for many years and believe that music itself, in all its myriad shapes and forms, are an amazing gift from God,” he said.

And of the future? “I’m not

quite sure of the path God has in store for me, but I’m certain it has something to do with music. I am currently finishing off the end of my degree, and will be proceeding with further university studies in music over the next several years. At the moment I am also in the process of writing and recording an album with my band, Caprycon, with the goal of releasing our first album at the beginning of next year.”

gathering held in Kuala Lumpur in early July. Mark is a member of the Commission for Ministry and Brian presented a paper at meetings of the Commission for Theological Reflection.

More than 300 delegates from Baptist churches around the world attended the conference.

Commissions for Freedom and Justice, Mission, Evangelism and Theological Reflection met during the gathering.

age 83 in Inglewood on 9 June.

In 1992 when Bert visited the area after nearly 20 years away, 5,000 Dani people greeted them at the airport. One leader said being followers of Jesus meant they lived in peace and through education they are equipped to take their place in the world.

Community of Congo (46,321 members in 372 churches) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are two of ten member bodies. The Baptist Convention of Sudan started in refugee camps in Kakuma, Kenya, in 1996, has 13,500 members in 18 churches and another 32 developing congregations. The Frenchspeaking Free Evangelical Baptist Church (57,000 members in 250 churches) of the Central African Republic was also accepted.

constitutional amendments in Senegal in West Africa. These attacks in the national capital of Dakar are worrisome and puzzling, as this Muslim-majority country is seen as a model of tolerance and religious coexistence. Mobs targeted new churches, including Pentecostal and Baptist, which are growing in the country, but are viewed with suspicion because of their foreign links. Protests erupted on 23 June after President Abdoulaye Wade’s government introduced a bill seeking changes to allow the President to continue in office.

He has served 11 years.

briefs Baptist Historical Society Cavan Brown presents a paper on ‘The story of development and growth of Baptist churches in the north west of Western Australia since the 1970s’ at a public meeting of the Baptist Historical Society on Sunday 21 August at 2:30 pm at South Perth Baptist Church. For more information call 9384 5460.

World gathering Director of Ministries for Baptist Churches Western Australia, Mark Wilson, and Vose Seminary Principal, Dr Brian Harris, represented WA Baptists at the annual Baptist World Alliance

Dani friend dies Bert Power, one of the first Christian workers to contact the Dani people of Irian Jaya and live with them from the mid 1950s to the early 1970s, died at

Africans welcomed Four organisations in Africa joined the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) at a meeting of the General Council in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in July 2011.

The Association of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Congo (3,021 members in 36 churches) and the Baptist Churches Union

Senegal attacks The Worldwide Evangelical Alliance reports at least six churches were attacked during recent protests over

news

7

AUGUST 2011

Photo: Jill Birt

Rob Douglas (left) from Baptist Care WA meets with Gershon Nimbalker and Robin Carter from Baptist World Aid Australia to share resources for the up-coming Anti Poverty Week project.

Baptistcare is planning events for Baptist schools and churches during Anti Poverty Week (16 to 22 October) to help people become more aware of the hardship that many people in Australia as well as overseas are experiencing on a regular basis.

Rob Douglas, Leader Mission and Service with Baptistcare, is contacting schools and churches inviting them to join the initiative.

“This is something that really fits with Baptistcare,” Rob said.

“We work all the time with clients who are experiencing hardship — people who are aging, those with disability or mental health issues.

And there are more diverse groups too: Aboriginal people and women. They are vulnerable in many ways and advocacy is a strong part of our strategic plan.”

“And that’s just what is happening in our own country.

Hardship through poverty on the global scene is massive.”

Dr Lucy Morris, the Chief Executive Office of Baptistcare is the Co-chair of the State Facilitation Group of Anti Poverty Week.

“We started talking with Baptist World Aid Australia months ago looking at ways we can partner with them to make real impact during the project,” Rob said.

On a recent visit to Perth Baptist World Aid Australia workers Gershon Nimbalker and Robin Carter met with Rob to finalise plans for sharing resources for the project.

“It’s really exciting working together,” Gershon said. “Our focus is on overseas work, but we can pick up local issues too.

Together we can do better.”

“We have a raft of resources that can be used,” Robin, Baptist World Aid Australia’s representative for WA said. “And there’s new material coming online all the time.”

“There’s a new Micah Challenge video on YouTube that young people will relate to, and life simulation games like the Game of Life and Death. You really sense the gravity of your decisions as you live through this poverty based project,” Gershon said.

Rob hopes schools and churches will use a variety of events and activities to raise awareness of poverty and engage students in advocating for the end of poverty.

“Partnering with Baptist World Aid Australia, we have access to quality resources like posters for toilet doors with information on sanitation needs around the world, or water posters with details of global issues about safe water supplies,” Rob said.

“And we have a post card campaign for Australians to send a Baptist World Aid Australia postcard to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kevin Rudd, about the need for safe water,” Gershon said. “There are creative activities too, including petition sheets and the competition to photograph the longest ‘dunny’ queue, highlighting the desperate global need for sanitation.”

Schools and churches wanting to engage their students and congregations with serious life issues and to make an impact on global poverty can talk with Rob Douglas at Baptistcare on 9282 8650.

A network of concerned Christians have been praying for God to affect his influence on the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to be held in Perth in October, and on the Commonwealth nations as a whole.

UnitingCare West CEO, Sue Ash, who is also Chairperson of the Commonwealth People’s Forum Steering Committee believes having a network of Christians praying about this huge event is important.

“As part of the organising team for the Commonwealth People’s Forum, we have found it encouraging and refreshing to know that people have been praying, and that links have been made with so many people from all over the Commonwealth of Nations,” Ms Ash said.

The People’s Forum program has three parts that have been

Photo: Jill Birt

Advocacy challenge

All eyes on Perth for CHOGM

Wendy Yapp (CHOGM Prayer Breakfast organiser), Archbishop Barry Hickey, Graeme Napier (Anglican Church), Sue Ash (Chairperson of Commonwealth People’s Forum Steering Committee) and Terry Crane (Head of Task force for CHOGM) joined 120 church leaders and members of the business community at the CHOGM Business Prayer Breakfast in Perth on Friday 15 July.

the focus of prayer support; the development of a statement that is presented to Commonwealth Foreign Ministers; workshops on topics such as governance, women’s issues, indigenous people’s issues and trade; and there are a series of learning journeys or site visits to organisations in Western Australia.

“The organisers of the Prayer Initiative have done a great job at making it a supportive and collaborative event. We expect that there will be many friendships formed and issues shared between the two forums,” Ms Ash said.

Several West Australia Baptist Churches are also involved in the Prayer Initiative.

8

feature AUGUST 2011

Live well; die well

Photo: Jill Birt

“Teach people how to live well and die well,” a trusted mentor once said to me.

The past four years have added some dimensions of meaning to that statement.

By Peter Birt “It’s bowel cancer and we need to operate. Unfortunately you’ll end up with a permanent colostomy,” my surgeon explained in 2007.

I said, “What’s that?”

Believe me, I now know!

I responded well to chemo and radiation. But, two and a half years later both lungs were riddled with cancer metastases. More chemotherapy. More encouraging signs. Until on the first night of a speaking trip to South East Asia in May this year — I regained consciousness on the floor of my hotel room with no idea what had happened. I continued my trip, but when I returned home tests revealed a brain tumour. It was removed on 24 June. I start more radiation treatment in late July.

How do you live well with

Jesus, in these situations?

There will be many answers to that question.

Here’s one thing that doesn’t help: spending any time thinking about whether it’s fair or not. Fair just isn’t the point.

I wake up to a new day, and with it a new context in which to live out life’s greatest adventure: living and moving and having my very existence with Jesus in His Kingdom. The day unfolds. And in the midst of the unfolding — whatever that might be — I either meaningfully interact with Jesus the master of my life, or I don’t.

Doesn’t it all come down to that for you too?

Unanticipated surprises cause us to laugh for the sheer joy of being alive to beauty and hope, love and friendship, and the living presence of Jesus alive and active right where we are. Priceless, isn’t it?

Uninvited intruders team up too, smashing down doors and settling in, taking up spaces we’d set aside for more desirable guests, demanding attention and sapping precious life out of our often already over-taxed systems. Fair?

Just life.

Part of the car wreck of a world where, in the words of that great theologian Bob Dylan, ‘everything is broken’. Everything twisted out of shape yet still retaining the image of the Maker.

I have grown weary of people saying, “How could this happen to someone like you?”

At times I want to respond, “If you want to play the, whodeserves-what-game, let me show you just how dark my heart is and perhaps that will answer your question and help you see that what really isn’t fair is that Jesus suffered for me, the sinless One for the sinful one.”

“You’ve just got to be positive,” people have said to me over and over again.

What does that actually mean?

I think being positive is over rated. By nature I suspect I land towards the positive end of the

carry the weight of bodies that are being ravaged by diseases they may not recover from.

So what helps? To have within me, Christ the hope of glory, to have a grateful spirit no matter if my numbered earthly days are

So what helps? To have within me, C of glory, to have a grateful spirit no m numbered earthly days are longer or scale. I’m not about to curl up in a heap of woe-is-me. However, having hope is a whole lot more significant than being positive.

Having spent a fair bit of time in hospitals and doctors’ offices, I’ve overheard and had heaps of conversations with people who talk up the ‘be positive’ angle, but do not have a hope big enough to

longer or shorter.

Jill, my wife, and I have spent countless conversations doing what we call ‘paring things back to the goodness of God’. We’ve waded our way though enough leech infected swamps, been wounded with each other’s unique expressions of having hearts that are sinful and desperately wicked,

feature

9

AUGUST 2011

New school has strong influence

Principal Orlando dos Santos (left) and James Brown in the grounds of the new Austin Cove Baptist College.

New buildings in a picturesque new subdivision south of Mandurah, new staff focused and prepared, 350 new Kindergarten to Year 8 students in new uniforms ready for a new year of learning for life. It was an exciting first week for the new Austin Cove Baptist College (ACBC).

and been scorched by the burning sands of the valley of the shadow of death to know that we need help.

We keep on finding it in a bedrock conviction that’s grown in our souls. I have watched Jill

Christ the hope matter if my r shorter. handle harrowing pressure — not withstanding times of tears and turmoil — with an unforced grace and poise that testifies to the goodness of God. Years ago we asked Jesus to introduce us to His Father. And as we studied Jesus’ biographies, He did. And we saw that His Father was good, to the core of His being.

The Psalmist gave us much to ponder when he said of God, “You are good, and what you do is good,” and then added, “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.” [Psalm 119:68, 71] And for us, the end of Psalm 23 has been gold. “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.” We look back over our lives, through all kinds of trials and rebellious times and find ourselves lost in the wonder of saying, Lord, it’s true. We turn around, and like two faithful sheep dogs, Your goodness and love are there.

And when the pressure of living with the constant uncertainty of cancer causes anxiety and doubts to rise, we pare things back to the goodness of a God who, “did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all” and who “along with him, graciously give us all things.”

[Romans 8:32]

“We’d prepared for years and everything was ready,” Principal Orlando dos Santos said. “We didn’t anticipate what happened on Friday morning of that first week of classes.”

Lauren Ames, a student in the Year 8 class was critically injured in a traffic accident on her way to school.

With a strong mandate from the College Board, Mr dos Santos was focused on engaging the school community with the life Jesus Christ gives.

“We’d look at the crowd that God has brought to us and see them with His eyes — hurt, misunderstood, rejected, ones without hope, those who need forgiveness, those who need to forgive and those who need to love themselves,” Mr dos Santos said.

“To reach people with Christ’s love there needs to be compassion, accessibility, humility and transparency,” he said. “Jesus drew His strength

from His time with God and then He was able to deliver to the people. We seek to do the same.

We also instil a servant attitude in the culture of the school.”

Lauren Ames’ accident gave a unique opportunity for the College to serve her family and the wider school community.

Mr dos Santos and his wife Mary visited Lauren and her family in hospital several times and the staff regularly prayed for Lauren.

School Chaplain, James Brown, had many opportunities to talk with students, staff and families about faith and hope.

Sadly, Lauren died in mid-April.

A week after her funeral, another Year 8 student, Georgina Spies died tragically in a caravan park fire with her father and brother.

“There was a lot of emotional stress during this time and it put a strain on our school’s resources,” James said.

“One challenge for me came from juggling the time needed to work through these tragedies with the people involved and keep on with my teaching commitments.”

“James is a man of God who has a strong gift of communication to people of all ages and backgrounds. He is really well accepted by the College community as our ‘Pastor’,” Mr dos Santos said. “Many students, and now their families, come to see him about finding out more about Jesus. His influence and charismatic personality draw people to him to find out more about the God in him.”

The school’s deep commitment to working with

students and families to address their ‘whole of life’ needs dictates that there is a degree of flexibility in his role, enabling him to do chaplaincy work whenever it is needed. James also teaches music and Christian education.

“For me the most encouraging aspect of ACBC this semester is seeing kids enjoy Christian education. That is a core value Mr dos Santos has for this College and we seem to be fulfilling it.

We’re there to promote Christ” Mr dos Santos said nothing really surprised him about the school’s first semester and the intensity of grief and suffering the school community experienced.

“Stretching is a natural part of growth,” he said. “I feel like I’m on the big rollercoaster ride, with God at the wheel.”

To reach people with Christ’s love there needs to be compassion, accessibility, humility and transparency.

10 in conversation AUGUST 2011

Scot McKnight, a teacher from North Park University, Chicago, and the author of several significant books on Christian theology, is speaking at the Vose Conference, on 15 to 16 August at Vose Seminary. The Advocate caught up with him before he left the USA to travel to Perth.

You’re a prolific author. Which of your books would you rate as most significant or influential and why?

The most influential book, if we measure by sales or as known by others, is The Jesus Creed. As for most significant, which touches on my perception of contribution and insight, would be the combination of my academic monograph, Jesus and His Death, which establishes that Jesus thought His own death was atoning on the basis of rigorous historical methods, with A Community called Atonement, which theologises the academic and historical research of Jesus and His death. I’m convinced we have narrowed the atonement to one model — that Jesus suffered our punishment — and have missed the value of a larger and more robust approach to atonement.

activistic and not deep enough; as a result, justice is overwhelming holiness and worship.

Does the saturation of community with Christian thought and values actually aid the advance of God’s Kingdom?

Yes, but this of course depends on how Christian thought and values are saturating.

If we think billboards and snappy, even cheeky, saturations are of value, we are deeply mistaken.

If we think a local church embodying the gospel for that community to see, then we are onto something wondrous. The fundamental approach of Jesus and the apostles was not to go to Rome and convert the emperor and therefore change the world; that was how they did it with Constantine and it made more of a mess than it helped. The approach was day to day, one

What is the most significant thing you have done over the last ten years to develop you relationship with Jesus and how has that affected you?

I learned how to use set prayers at set times as a spiritual discipline. That came out in my books Jesus Creed and Praying with the Church. The Book of Psalms points the way: God

influence must remain attached to the same strategy: we are to love our neighbour as ourself. We are to do good and to witness to the saving graces of what God does for us in Jesus. We are to point people to Jesus, regardless of our context. I find this works better locally and with individuals than it does with some kind of universal strategy.

What (writing) are you working on currently?

My book on gospel, called The King Jesus Gospel, is about to come out: end of August, early September. This book will be my challenge to the evangelical community to read the Bible again and see that what we call ‘gospel’ (the plan of salvation) is not what Jesus and the apostles

“... Jesus suffered our punishment ...”

What will someone coming to hear you speak in Perth be likely to gain from listening and learning from you?

Our topics at Perth at the Vose Conference are about the church, and I will explore three topics impacting the church: the pastor and the church; the gospel and the church; and the atonement and the church. I hope they will be both inspiring and challenging.

What trends are you observing in Christianity in your context that encourage you? That concern you?

American Christianity overall is embracing a larger sense of what God’s mission in this world is, that is more than ‘saving souls’ and involves the church embodying the Kingdom vision of Jesus. My biggest concern is that Christianity is becoming too

by one, family to family and in one community after another of loving one’s neighbor as oneself as a form of embodying the good graces of God in Christ.

I heard someone say recently, “Churches will do almost anything except seriously and intentionally make disciples.”

Would you comment on this?

Sounds like an overstatement to me, but there’s something insidious about working for pay and about institutionalising the church. The dollars must come in or the full-time workers have to move on to a place with more money. The task of the pastorteacher is to be faithful, not successful and not liked. Using consumer models to measure åthings the church can do. We need wise people looking over our shoulders to see if we are faithful.

gave us those prayers to learn how to pray, and we are to pray to them — and we have learned to supplement them with the great prayers of the church. And I always say the Jesus Creed and the Lord’s Prayer — daily, often.

What difference is there in the influence of Christians on their local community between a postChristian community like Perth and the Christian-saturated community of some states in the USA? I’m not sure the USA is as Christian-saturated as Aussies may think. I live in a small block with six families, two of which are Christians. In the block behind us that number shrinks dramatically. America is more religious than Australia, to be sure, but Christians in the USA are officially in the minority so we are post-Christian. The

How has reciting the ‘Jesus Creed’ daily shaped your life?

Daily, constantly, after all these years, my instinct has grown more and more to ask myself what is the loving thing to do here. It’s subtle and it’s pervasive, and therefore it is radical.

Do we neglect the Father and Holy Spirit by focusing on Jesus?

We can. Some do. And evangelicalism, if I may speak now to what I perceive as a universal trend, is barely Trinitarian. We need to study Trinity more; we need to preach it and teach it more; we need to embrace it more deeply and learn that the communion between Father and Son and Spirit is the communion into which we are drawn and the communion on which we draw as we commune with others.

meant by gospel. I leave it at that and hope to get a conversation started in Australia about the gospel.

I’m over 50 percent done with a commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, one of the most enjoyable projects I’ve ever worked on, and I hope to be done

by Christmas 2011 and hope it will be published by Christmas 2012.

What do you still want to write about?

God, church, Colossians, and I may write a book on a Christian understanding of love.

What do you do to develop and grow your sense of wonder at God’s care and goodness?

Pray, ponder and read.

news 11 AUGUST 2011

Food crisis in Africa

Ms Valerie Amos, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, recently visited the community in Bisle Kebele, Somalia.

“I spoke to women who had walked for five hours with their children to get help — food assistance and health care.

Children are malnourished.

People have lost their livestock and now have no means of support.”

Thousands of refugees are crossing from Somalia into Kenya and Uganda every day.

TEAR Australia is partnering with Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC).

Wayne de Jong, Director of Disaster Response and Rehabilitation for CRWRC said that experts say this is the worst drought the region has experienced in 60 years.

Currently CRWRC is assisting approximately 50,000 people.

By August they will be helping a further 42,000 in the central, Rift Valley and coast regions of Kenya, costing a further $2.5 million.

In addition to the current and planned food aid interventions, CRWRC is working through its networks and partnerships to

Photo: TEAR Australia

The United Nations reports six million people across regions of Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti and Uganda are currently suffering from food shortages caused by failed crops due to drought. Ten million people will need assistance in coming months.

A woman tends mango tree seedlings surrounded by a ‘shelter’ of spiky grass in drought affected Atir village in Kenya.

identify supplemental activities, including water trucking and livestock fodder that would strengthen the food aid response.

CRWRC worker Jacqueline Koster visited the Kenyan village of Atir.

“Fodder is scarce and water very limited,” Ms Koster said.

“We’ve helped the village grow a one acre plot of drought resistant grass for their herds. The community have run with the plan and planted vegetable seeds among the grass plots.”

Each participating family is ‘assigned’ one mango tree to take care of.

New nation Following decades of civil war and oppression, the world’s newest country, South Sudan is a wrecked countryside.

With little infrastructure to support its own population, millions of returning refugees and migrants are expected to pour into it looking for work.

That is the harsh reality of this fledgling nation that won its independence from the North a month ago.

With the birth of this new nation, the call for prayer has also gone out. “This is a challenging time for Christians in both the north and south of Sudan,” Release International

CEO Andy Dipper said.

The new, mostly Christian nation — with its new national anthem, new currency and new freedom has been internationally recognised and accepted.

Official separation and the creation of the Republic of South Sudan was marked by a weekend of celebrations and worship, with church leaders calling the wartorn nation to prayer.

Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul of the Episcopal Church of Sudan spoke to the media before the independence ceremony began.

“Today is the day when we move beyond the pain and suffering.

For 55 years, we have been suffering, but today, justice has been done.”

“They’ve carefully built a ‘shelter’ of grass with spiky branches for their tree to protect it from animals.”

TEAR Australia worker, Phil Lindsay said the Australian aid group is currently talking with their African partners, including CRWRC, to see how Australia can help. Initially funds will assist the current projects, but more will be needed.

The latest news and ideas on how West Australians can support this emerging crisis will be available at the 2011 TEAR WA Conference on 13 August at Lifestreams Christian Church,

Murray Street, Como.

The conference has a global and local focus. It will encourage and equip people to take action towards greater justice and fullness of life in both these areas.

WA TEAR Australia representative, Dave Broadbent said renowned writer and experienced practitioner and advocate for justice and social transformation, Dave Andrews, along with Jonathan Cornford from Manna Gum in Victoria will speak at the conference.

For more information on the TEAR WA Conference visit www.tear.org.au.

Japan’s pain Hanae Igata, Pastor of Nankodai Christ Church and a board member of the Japan Baptist Convention (JBC) told the Annual Gathering of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in early July that there is great need for post-traumatic care in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami that affected north-east Japan on 11 March.

Igata, a Baptist Pastor, said people feel as if they are being torn apart. “The dead and the survivors are torn apart,” she said. “Victims of the earthquake, victims of the tsunami, and those multiple-stricken as a result of the nuclear power plant disaster.”

Hamano Michio, Chair of the Research and Training Institute for Mission of the JBC, said “The Japan Baptist Convention has been supporting the stricken areas. We are trying to bridge the gaps between God and mankind, among mankind, and between God, mankind and all creation, and to reconcile them to each other.” Michio said they aim, “to help people to have trust in God again in the face of the question, ‘Why does God allow all of this suffering to befall us?’”

Makoto Kato, Executive Secretary of JBC, said people in the affected areas “are gradually moving from shelters into temporary housing.” But fishing and farming areas are still affected, including the Tōhoku Region, which produces 30 percent of the nation’s rice.

“We would like to thank all of our brothers and sisters around the world, especially those from Baptist World Aid for your prayers and offerings as you remember the people affected by the great disaster,” Kato said.

TRINITY

THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE Perth, Western Australia

Information Night 7th September 2011 6:00 - 7:30 PM www.ttc.wa.edu.au 08 9228 9067 Preparing People for Effective Christian Service with Pastors Days . Annual Public Lecture Certificate Courses . Bachelor Degrees . Graduate Diploma . Masters and Research Degrees

12 leadership AUGUST 2011

Creating the space to innovate

By John Maxwell On 8 July, NASA launched the space shuttle Atlantis for the final time to the International Space Station. The flight of Atlantis marks the last of 135 manned missions conducted over the past 30 years

by NASA’s space shuttle program.

The program has done much to advance scientific knowledge of the universe, having accomplished the following: • Deployed and repaired the Hubble Space Telescope • Assembled the International Space Station • Launched the Magellan spacecraft to explore Venus • Launched the Galileo probe to explore Jupiter In addition to its achievements in outer space, technology from the space shuttle program has led to commercial innovations improving the quality of life here on Earth. For example, construction of the next generation of artificial hearts harnesses the technology of

space shuttle fuel pumps. Also, the infra-red cameras used to observe the integrity of a space shuttle’s heat shield have been employed to aid firefighters in locating brushfire hotspots.

The Law of Sacrifice Given the space shuttle program’s popularity and notable successes, many are mystified that the program is being scrapped. However, the decision to shut it down illustrates an important leadership principle pertaining to innovation: ‘leaders must give up to go up’.

Creativity and forward-thinking are undermined when leaders refuse to part with the past.

Pursuing a vision for the future often requires leaders to abandon existing systems — even ones that may be working well today. Ultimately, NASA hopes to send manned spacecrafts beyond low Earth orbit (LEO) to investigate asteroids and to land on Mars.

Space shuttles are not designed to make such long voyages into outer space. Although the shuttles are serving their

function as transport vehicles between Earth and the International Space Station, their upkeep and operation divert attention from NASA’s longrange goals. Thus, rather than maintaining the shuttles, NASA has decommissioned them in order to focus its resources on inventing a spacecraft capable of carrying a crew into deep space.

Summary In the words of author Kevin Kelly, success in the 21st century, “flows directly from innovation, not optimization. It is not gained by perfecting the known, but by imperfectly seizing the unknown.” As leaders, we cannot reach for the unknown until we let go of what’s familiar. To free up the space (the funds, manpower, energy, and time) to innovate, leaders have to make sacrifices. What might you need to give up so that you can get to a higher level of leadership?

Used with kind permission from The John Maxwell Company, www.johnmaxwell.com.

To free up the space to innovate, leaders have to make sacrifices.

Mould

By Monica O’Neil

Photo: NASA

We have renovated our bathrooms. It was a slow, rewarding and sometimes painful process. (Cleaning concrete off tools at 1:00 am in the dead of winter is unpleasant to say the least). But we have two shiny new bathrooms for our 18 months of slog and investment.

Early on one of these recent cold mornings I noticed some condensation on the shiny new roof and thought I saw a dark spot. Was mould entering our little sanctuary of shiny newness? I was overwhelmed with an urge to protect the integrity of our labour and prevent any destruction of our asset.

Like most renovators, we started our project with high

hopes. It would be quick, cost effective and our efforts would be rewarded with shiny bathrooms, which we would all enjoy for years to come. The project, however, followed the three rules of renovation to perfection: 1. It made more mess than anticipated.

2. It cost more than anticipated.

3. It took longer than anticipated.

Once done and the effort made, however, we are not about to let it be ruined.

When we lead we invest large amounts of time, energy and heart — heart, soul, mind and strength, so to speak, into projects, missions or visions.

We usually start out with noble intentions. So many good pursuits are birthed in our times with God. We catch something of God’s heart from scripture, from a revelation by the spirit in a particular context and we sense the fire of the God empowering us to proceed. And so we begin.

One day though, there sneaks in an expectation. The energy and commitment becomes an investment and an expectation begins to grow that there should be a return. Effort in, reward out.

It may not be about money or prestige. It might be an expectation that people will love what you do, that some healing will come to a life or a community, that you will be thanked. And so the mould begins to grow.

This is the time of year (or soon will be) when we get tired in our labouring. We start expecting returns on our labours, start feeling entitled to outcomes. And yet our call is more truly to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and our neighbour as ourselves, doing the things we see in our Father’s heart for the world He has created.

So if you spy the mould of entitlement and expectation on what has been a beautiful Godinspired labour of love, get out the scrubber and open up the windows. Restore your labour to one that is an overflow from God’s heart and yours. It is called servant leadership.

the facts 13 AUGUST 2011

contribute news

events calendar August 3 to 4 August

September Leadership Intensive training, Vose Leadership, 6313 6200

2 September

8 to 9 August

Women’s Leadership Clusters, Vose Leadership, 6313 6200

7 September

Information Night, Trinity Theological College, 9228 9067

12 to 14 August

Youth/Children’s Pastors Gathering, BCWA, 6313 6300

9 September

Family and Domestic Violence training, Vose Leadership, 6313 6200

13 August

TEAR Conference, www.tear.org.au

10 September

13 August

A Foot in Two Worlds, Perth Women’s Convention, www. ccowa.org

Be the Man, Perth Men’s Convention, www.ccowa.org

15 to 16 September

Girls’ Retreat, Lakeside Youth Camps, Lakeside Baptist Church, 9310 7111

Leadership Intensive training, Vose Leadership, 6313 6200

16 September

Fresh Leadership, BCWA, 6313 6300

17 September

Fresh Women’s Conference, BCWA Women’s Ministry, 6313 6300

14 to 15 August

An Evening with author Philip Yancey, Christ Church Grammar School, 9442 1555

15 to 16 August

Vose Conference, Vose Seminary, 6313 6200

21 August

Baptist Historical Society Public Meeting at South Perth Church, 9384 5460

17 to 18 September

Women’s Leadership Clusters, Vose Leadership, 6313 6200

50th Anniversary, Maida Vale Baptist Church, 9454 4626

23 September

Family and Domestic Violence training, Vose Leadership, 6313 6200

30 September to 2 October

Sportsfest, BCWA, 6313 6300

22 to 23 August

Do you have news that you would like to share with the rest of the West Australian church family?

Email your name, phone number and brief description to editor@theadvocate.tv by the 5th of each month.

We would like to know about: • Baptisms • Birth • Deaths • Events • Marriages • News about your church • Pastoral changes • Your views (letters to the editor)

To find your local Baptist church visit www.baptistwa.asn.au

FUSION PERTH is looking for a live in male staff resident for one of its houses in Bentley and a female staff resident for a house in St James supporting young people in danger of homelessness.

Live in staff must be able to be home 3-4 nights a week and be a Christian mature in their faith. The houses are a community living situation with two other staff residents and two students(16-18) of the same sex. The only cost is $70 per month to contribute towards utilities but rent, food and internet access are free. If you would like more information or interested in appying please email us at fshsperth@fusion.org.au.

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chances Sponsor a child like Rosie and you can change a life forever.

1800 children need sponsors this year and you can give them a chance to shine.

Call 1300 789 991 or visit www.shareanopportunity.org today.

“Let your Light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

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intermission 15 AUGUST 2011

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outofthepit.org With Western Australia firmly in the grasp of the mining boom, many people are working in the industry, often fly-in, fly-out and away from families, loved ones, and their church family. This can be a very isolating experience. Out of the Pit offers those involved in mining, whether locally or internationally a place to gather.

Out of the Pit connects miners with the Christian community so they don’t need to be alone. You can sign on and find a friend online, where the Out of the Pit team will pray for you, keep you connected and encouraged. Outofthepit.org, Mining for Christ.

win Generous Justice Timothy Keller Justice; a term rarely served in today’s society. And yet throughout the Bible there is that word, justice; woven and fulfilled generously in many different people’s lives.

This new release called Generous Justice by Timothy Keller takes us through the current outworking of justice in our society. There is evident, a people arising who are actively choosing to live out this biblical justice and are simply compelled to trade in their high profile careers, multi-storied houses and exuberant lifestyles; for a life that practically ‘does justice’.

Keller makes mention of the astonishing changes that occur within neighbourhoods, workplaces and lives as a result of these choices, made on purpose.

Here is a book for believers who find the Bible a trustworthy guide, as well as those who suspect that Christianity is a regressive influence in the world.

In Generous Justice, Keller offers them a new understanding of modern justice, human rights and an insight into a better world.

The Advocate, in conjunction with Word Bookstore is giving you an opportunity to win a copy of Generous Justice. To be in the draw, simply answer the following question:

Question: Who is the author of Generous Justice?

Entries close 19 August and all winners will be announced in the September edition of The Advocate.

VeggieTales winners: T Hollick and M Bradbury

competition Answer: Name:

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Resurrection

Cutback

Resurrection is based on Max Lucado’s renowned short story Resurrection Morning. This dramatic production follows Claudius, a Roman guard who finds himself in the middle of a cover-up of the tumultuous events following Christ’s execution. As he digs for the truth, Claudius discovers that the religious leaders, the Roman government, and even his closest friends are attempting to hide something from him and the world. In the end, his relentless pursuit of the answers to his growing questions threatens his reputation and even his life, but it also leads to his renewal.

High School senior Luke Harris (Justin Schwan) dreams of just one thing … pro surfing. With his best friend Casey (Angel Cruz) at his side, they have two goals: surf and party! But Luke’s mum (Raquel Gardner) and especially dad (Greg Carlson) have other ideas: pick a college and grow up. When Luke learns that a spot is opening up on the local surf team, he sees his big chance to prove to his parents that he can make it as a surfer and avoid being shipped off to school.

Only two things stand in Luke’s way: new-surfer-in-town Matt (Andy Shephard) who has his own eyes set on the surf team opening, and his dad, who insists he give up his surfing dreams and get an education.

Generous Justice Competition 11 East Parade East Perth WA 6004

“Grace. Unexpected. Undeserved.

Yet the core story of the gospel.”

Louie Giglio, one of the twenty first century’s great Bible communicators, presents this series of five messages on the core doctrine of grace. Utilising scripture and vivid illustrations, Louie breaks down what grace is and how we can experience the fullness of Christ as we understand the fullness of grace.

“The grace that is freely given cost the Son of God everything ... and ignites within all who receive it a desire to live for the one who sets us free.”

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Between a Rock and a Grace Place Carol Kent Carol Kent a wife, mother and minister shares a shocking and personal account of how one choice can affect the rest of your life. Kent and her husband Gene were living a quiet and peaceable life when tragic news reaches them. Their only son, Jason, has committed first degree murder; sentencing him to a life in a maximum security prison. Sparing no expense; the Kents throw themselves into one mission; the freedom of their son. And when all hope is dashed what is found is remarkable; the dimensions of God’s grace.

Redeeming Love

Heaven is for Real

Francine Rivers Bestselling author Francine Rivers poetically retells the biblical story of Gomer and Hosea. With a modern retake, Rivers sets the scene in the exciting backdrop of the California Gold Rush.

The heroine, Angel was sold into prostitution as a child and as a consequence this now young lady, knows only the cruel side of life. Michael Hosea is a godly man sent into Angel’s life to draw her into the Saviour’s redeeming love.

Redeeming Love is a touching and captivating story from beginning to end.

Todd Burpo Heaven is for Real is the true story of the four year old son of a small town Nebraska pastor who slips from consciousness and enters heaven during emergency surgery. Surviving this, Colton begins sharing about being able to look down and see the doctor operating and his dad praying in the waiting room. Written

by Colton’s father, Todd, the disarmingly simple message is clear; heaven is a real place, Jesus truly loves children, and get ready, there is a last battle coming.

Phone number: Please complete this form with your details and post it to:

Grace: The One and Only

Reviews and competition kindly supplied by Word Bookstore.

Website: www.word.com.au Locations: Morley - 4 Wellington Road, phone 08 9375 3722

Victoria Park - 359 Albany Highway, phone 08 9361 7899

16 sport & youth

Photo: Paul Renfree

AUGUST 2011

Bryce Godfrey learnt to surf six years ago and now teaches young kids to surf on WA’s south west coast.

Surfing with grommets Bryce Godfrey is a seasoned surfer, school teacher and part of Busselton Baptist Church. As a member of Christian Surfers, he runs Learn to Surf classes for grommets (young novice surfers) in the south west region of Western Australia.

He joined Christian Surfers after hearing about the group at church. In the winter of 2010, he and Ben Fearnley, Regional Coordinator of Christian Surfers

WA, organised a surf camp for 15 young people.

“We’re always looking for ways to create bridges from the beach to the local church,” Ben said. “Bryce’s Learn to Surf classes do a great job.”

Deeply committed to helping young kids grasp the basic skills and experience the rush of excitement and passion that comes from catching a good wave, Bryce runs classes for boys and girls.

“I love sharing a passion that you have with young people.

It’s the best way to build a relationship with them.”

“I enjoy watching the kids learn to surf and get stoked over their improvements more than catching waves myself.”

“This year I’ve taught two grommets classes,” Bryce said.

“In first term I taught a group of ten kids early on Friday mornings before school. Second term I had six kids on Thursday afternoons.”

“The relationship you build with your students helps you to have conversations about God. That’s important to me.”

“I didn’t learn to surf until about six years ago. I lived a long way from the beach and as a kid I stuck to body boarding until I was 18 or 19. I’d learnt to snowboard

later and thought that if I’d done that, at age 30 I could learn to surf.”

Friends said Bryce would have trouble learning to surf later in life, but it appears this has given him an edge when it comes to teaching others, especially young people.

“I reckon my favourite surf break is southern Java. It’s a great place for beginners or intermediate surfers. It’s a similar wave to Noosa. You get 400 metre long rides!”

Faith in Jesus has changed Bryce’s fear of death.

“I used to have trouble surfing by myself. I was always worrying about sharks, but my faith has helped me set that aside and trust God with my life.”

During the week Bryce teaches upper school physics and lower school science to students at Georgiana Molloy Anglican School.

I love sharing a passion that you have with young people. It’s the best way to build a relationship with them.