theadvocate.tv
JUNE 2011
“Rather than fearing change, embrace the possibility it offers.” JOHN MAXWELL
in conversation Pastor Karl Faase talks about building a team >>
Mission after bin Laden
6 Codex Sinaiticus arrives at Vose A copy of Codex Sinaiticus arrived at Vose Seminary Library in late April >>
Christians in volatile parts of the world were already under attack before the death of Osama bin Laden. Now organisations and missionaries are on high alert for signs of more attacks and retaliation.
8 Gay and the God-fearing The annual Mardi Gras parade in Sydney reminds us how far Australia has come >> Photo: AP
Squelching rumours that bin Laden had not actually been killed by USA armed forces, al-Qaeda confirmed the death of its leader on Friday 7 May. Through internet posts the group promised continued attacks on the USA and its ‘agents’. The increased security risk has been obvious in Pakistan where many Christian schools and churches closed after bin Laden’s death was announced. Some Christian communities have been under siege with many unable to leave their homes for fear of reprisals. Christians in Nigeria, where they have recently been targeted in post-election violence, are also braced for reprisals after hundreds of Muslims staged a protest in Kaduna denouncing the killing of bin Laden. In Indonesia, some Christians are seeing bin Laden’s death as an opportunity for the good news to spread. One foreign worker acknowledged they live in an area that is potentially more dangerous. He asked supporters to pray for boldness to sensitively share the good news of Jesus, even if they are misunderstood or reviled for doing so. Warren Larson, Director of the Zwemer Center for Muslim Studies at Columbia International University in South Carolina, USA, highlights what he believes are appropriate responses to the situation.
Larson, who worked for several years in Pakistan, quoted Solomon in Proverbs 24:17, ‘Do not gloat when your enemy falls’. “I cringed to hear of jubilation in Washington and New York, as it was a stark reminder of how offended we (Americans) were by some reactions by Muslims on 9-11 (2001). President Obama announced the surgical raid by Navy Seals in sombre tones, but ... then there were scenes of Americans dancing in the streets.“ Larson says bin Laden has been irrelevant in most of the Muslim world for many years, and his calls for violence have long since been dismissed. “This is clear through the uprisings that have rocked the Middle East recently. It has been an Arab revolution, not an Islamic revolution. Rather than rejoice, pray for Christians in Pakistan that they will be salt and light at this crucial time,” he said. Larson states bin Laden was a billionaire, but chose to live in poverty and hardship for his cause. Larson suggests Christians need to consider if they are willing to sacrifice for a cause they say they believe in.
After the death of Osama bin Laden in May, there have been mixed reactions from Christians around the world. Some are in fear of further attacks, while others see it as an opportunity to spread the good news of Jesus.
Rudd praises Christians Kevin Rudd, Minister for Foreign Affairs, met more than 100 Micah Challenge advocates at a breakfast at Sydney University two days after the Federal Budget was announced to thank them for their work in helping secure aid in this year’s Federal Budget. “The wider movement we call Micah Challenge and Make Poverty History has brought aid from the outskirts of the political agenda to centre stage,” Mr Rudd said. Mr Rudd credited the movement for mobilising wide public support of the Millennium Development Goals and for ‘etching the issue deeply into the souls of Australians’. In thanking campaigners, Mr
Rudd also urged those present to keep up the work of ‘hassling politicians’ on both sides of politics. “The work you’ve done — big tick. The work you’ll do in the future — even more important,” Mr Rudd said. “Keep it up.” Micah Challenge supporters are travelling to Canberra in September for the annual Voices for Justice Gathering. They plan to hold meetings with politicians then. “Our supporters believe that God has called Christians to speak up on behalf of the world’s poorest people,” Micah Challenge National Coordinator, John Beckett said. “They have no intention of removing their pressure from Australia’s politicians.”
16 Making music; changing lives Paul Morrison is Club Chaplain to the West Coast Eagles football team >>
We are stronger when we work together.
2
my view JUNE 2011
On air with Graham Mabury ‘Carpe Diem’ (seize the day), came roaring back into everyday speech thanks to the movie Dead Poets Society. Those who attended North Sydney Technical High School knew it years before. For 125 years, until the school closed in 1969, it was the school motto.
Graham Mabury Graham Mabury is a broadcaster and pastor at Mt Pleasant Baptist Church. You can hear Graham on Radio 6PR (882AM) every weeknight from 8:00 pm to midnight.
It’s from the Odes by Horace, written just before Christ was born. ‘Carpe diem, quam minime credula postero’ (seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the future). In a similar vein, ‘tempus fugit’ (time flies), is often inscribed on clocks. It’s from Georgics, a poem by Horace’s contemporary Virgil. My (very) rough translation, ‘time flies irretrievably, while we wander
around, prisoners of our love of detail’. Two thousands years ago these Latins knew that our precious life hangs by fine gossamer thread. The cyclones, floods, fires, earthquakes and tsunamis of recent times relentlessly reinforce this reality. Loved ones went to work, never to return home. No goodbyes could be said, often not even a body
to lay to rest, as with warning the mundane became the overwhelmingly tragic. Horace and Virgil also knew how constantly our one and only life fills with things that have little intrinsic substance or importance. A wise friend, who also understood this, once asked me to list everything I would do if I had only six months to live, and then cross out everything I was already doing. I was left with a list of things important to me that I wasn’t doing. “Now prove you have more than six months,” he said with a smile. ‘We don’t know what our future holds, but we know who holds our future’, has become a
cliché. Nevertheless, for followers of Jesus, it is utterly true and fundamentally transforms our world view. Christ came to bring back together all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe in vibrant harmony because of the cross. Our purpose is discovered in responding to His love, and to His particularly pertinent question: “What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?”
When your baggage makes it ... Now that I’m back from six weeks of lecturing in the USA, feel free to praise me for having navigated around some of the world’s most complicated airports.
Dr Brian Harris Dr Brian Harris is the Principal of Vose Seminary and Senior Pastor of Carey Community Baptist Church.
First there was getting through security. Given the thoroughness of each search, I’m convinced it would be easier to arrive at the airport naked. Now I’ve not tried it yet, but if you do, let me know if it helps. If you have multiple connections, as I did, the safe arrival at one airport starts the scurry to find Gate 236 in Terminal E from Gate 3, Terminal A, and to do so before your
flight departs in seven and a half minutes. Naturally you’ve got to do this at airports where people drive on the other side of the road and the escalators are back to front. If you hear that I’ve been selected for the Australian Olympic Sprint team, you’ll know the reason for my success. The real stressor, though, was at the baggage claim. Knowing how difficult it was for me to find my flights, it struck me how
impossible it must have been for my bulging bags. As I watched other people’s luggage glide past, my prayer life reached dizzy heights. I wondered how many days I could manage without a change of underwear, and reminded the Lord that I had some pretty important speaking appointments coming up, and that something other than my crumpled tee-shirt would be the expected garb. As my pulse rate moved into danger zone, I spotted it. My grey bag complete with Qantas labels (on an Air America flight) was approaching. Internally I sang the ‘Hallelujah’ chorus.
As I was driven away from the airport I pondered how little I had been in control of the process. I couldn’t control flight arrival or departure times, baggage handling errors or foul weather. For all these, and many other things, I’d had to accept that someone else was in charge. And that’s hard to do — almost as hard as accepting that ultimately God is in charge ...
letters to the editor Dear Editor
Dear Editor
“Kaya! Noonok moorditj?” I wonder how many people know how to say, “Hello, how are you?” in an Aboriginal language? Probably most of us would be able to say hello in French, Italian or Indonesian so why not the first language of the locals (Noongar in this instance)? There are many barriers to building bridges across a great divide caused through historical events. What we do today is creating a new history for tomorrow. One way to start might be attending a NAIDOC event (www.naidocperth.org) in July to share in celebration of Aboriginal culture. There has never been a better time to work together towards bridging the gap and a better future than now.
We are all too easily appeased. Sunday 28 May was the National Day of Thanksgiving and one focus for 2011 was Media and Communication. Truly there are some hard working people with high standards in the national media machine, but on the whole, this industry of misused power, slander and unchecked humanistic bias leaves me unsatisfied that this in itself is much to be grateful for. I have a lot of hope in and joy for a transparent and objective media culture in the future, but at the moment all I can hear is Jeremiah weeping. Beth Reid, Highgate
Pauline Vigus, Darlington
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.
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.
news
3
JUNE 2011
Pastoral retreat inspires
Pastors from Kununurra to Esperance came with their husbands and wives while some churches, including Kalgoorlie and Inglewood Community Church sent their whole pastoral team. More than 165 people registered for the two and a half day event. Most of the group stayed at the Atrium Hotel, a short walk from the Mandurah Christian Life Centre where the meetings were held. As well as celebrating God with vibrant worship led by Dan McGrechan, the group soaked up Pastor Karl Faase’s passionate talks about the need for pastors and chaplains to take care of themselves physically, emotionally and spiritually (more on page 10). Faase, from Gymea
More than 30 church teams are expected to converge on Australind for Sportsfest 2011 from 30 September to 2 October. Organisers expect 1,200 competitors aged 16 to 28 years and 150 volunteers will take part in the event. Sportsfest is an opportunity to mix with young people from the city and country regions of WA and enjoy an active weekend of sport.
Photo: Jill Birt
Pastors, chaplains, Vose Seminary students, Global Interaction team members and Baptist Churches Western Australia (BCWA) staff headed to Mandurah in early May for the All Together Pastoral Retreat 2011.
Sportsfest 2011
The team from Kalgoorlie enjoyed catching up with city friends at the All Together Pastoral Retreat in Mandurah.
Baptist Church in NSW, shared his own story of needing to recalibrate his life after he found himself constantly running on adrenalin. On the first morning of the Retreat, Pastor Mark Wilson, Director of Ministries for BCWA, led the group in communion. His comments focused on Christ’s brokenness and how Jesus’ followers often experience brokenness too. “In the hands of Jesus, brokenness shifts from danger to opportunity,” he said. “The Lord’s Supper reminds us that brokenness becomes the prerequisite to meaningful ministry.”
He reminded the leaders that Jesus followers can, “endure the breaking with full confidence that what we consider broken, He considers prepared.” There were daily opportunities for fun, relaxed conversations and quiet reflection. Pastor Steve Ingram and Monica O’Neil inspired the group to ‘flash mob’ (a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place to perform an unusual and sometimes seemingly pointless act for a brief time). Meal times at the Atrium Hotel became the forum for flash mob performances. One mob
Age 16 I say ‘yes’ to Jesus for the first time.
Age 18 I take a short term mission trip to Zimbabwe. It changes everything.
Age 21 Finish my teaching degree.
Age 25 I think God might be calling me back to Africa... for a long time.
At Vose Seminary, no two stories are the same. People join us to learn more about Jesus and The Word for all kinds of reasons. Some are young, some older. Each one seeking to follow Jesus in a deeply biblical, highly practical learning environment. Some come to fuel and equip a ministry journey they’re already on, or are exploring. Others because they’re wanting to add knowledge to cultivate a robust faith. Others come because they know that this is simply the next step on a long journey. Whatever your story, come, grow at Vose Seminary. Continue your journey at www.vose.edu.au
VOSE9369A_the-globe.com.au
Age 27 I enrol at Vose Seminary and begin a new journey of learning, growth, equipping and discovering Jesus in community. Pretty excited...
performed an interesting version of ‘Three Blind Mice’, another stood on chairs in the middle of lunch to serenade the group with an energetic version of the old song, ‘Father Abraham’, but the outstanding offering was a group singing new lyrics to ‘I Still Call Australia Home’. Mark Wilson commented at the end of the Retreat: “The All Together Baptist Pastoral Retreat was a fantastic time. We shared tears and laughter with such a positive, encouraging tone. Pastor Mark Edwards summed up the retreat in a meaningful way when he said, “Isn’t it a great time to be a Baptist?”
Age 30 What’s next, Lord? come, grow
4
news JUNE 2011
Aid leaders engage WA churches
“There is strong support for Baptist World Aid Australia here in the west,” John Hickey said following a dinner for supporters in early May. “Since the tsunami in Aceh in 2004, BWAA has developed into a significant aid and development provider in the Australian scene,” Mr Hickey told the 2011 Baptist Pastoral Retreat in Mandurah. Mr Hickey was appointed in July 2010 to lead the organisation through this ongoing development process. “I’m not a new broom,” he said. “I’m here to motivate, encourage and inspire our team and supporters. I’m here to help the organisation move from small to sizeable. Behind Caritas (Catholic) we’re the biggest denominational international aid provider among Australia’s churches.” Mr Hickey said BWAA aims to provide strategic emergency aid and international development funding for well planned projects that will make significant differences in local communities. “We’re not about reinventing
Photo: Jill Birt
John Hickey recently visited Perth for the first time as Chief Executive Officer of Baptist World Aid Australia (BWAA).
John Hickey (CEO), Robin Carter (South Australia and WA representative) and Scott Higgins (Director of Community Engagement) visited WA recently with news of Baptist World Aid Australia’s aid and development work.
the wheel or doing things just to feel good about assisting people in need,” he said. “We partner with established groups in emergency relief situations; groups already on the ground with local understanding and expertise. In Pakistan for instance, we’re working with Conscience International and TEAR who were already working in the area before the massive floods in 2010.” “The last thing we want to do is get in the way of delivering help for suffering people,” Scott
Higgins, Director of Community Engagement with BWAA said. Mr Higgins said there are huge logistical issues in delivering international emergency aid. Taking the small view of sending a small team to the area is not the best way to be effective. Following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in March, BWAA directed funds through two local Baptist Church networks which have 40,000 members in 400 congregations. Japan has a highly developed
emergency response systems that met the immediate needs of displaced people, which meant BWAA can focus aid efforts on helping the local church group in the rebuilding process. BWAA is about to launch a new children’s development project in Malawi. “There’s a change in how we’re doing things. Local communities look at what issues are holding back children’s progress, be it malnutrition or malaria, education or security. Then the community selects the
kids to be supported and we’ll monitor the changes,” Mr Higgins said. “In Bangladesh for example, girls in Children’s clubs highlighted how early marriages (12 to 15 year olds) are causing them to miss out on education and life learning, so through drama they’re taking the message of the what the problem is and how change can come to local communities. It’s exciting to see,” said Mr Higgins.
Don Francisco concert at Riverton More than 480 people, many from the local community, enjoyed the unique music of American musician Don Francisco at a Sunday afternoon concert on Mother’s Day. Riverton Baptist Church hosted the event as part of Francisco’s Australian tour.
A singer-songwriter from the late 60s, Francisco’s sound is clean acoustic without the complexities of modern production techniques, allowing his listeners to focus on the narratives of his lyrics. His lyrics draw deeply from the words of the Bible. “A highlight of the concert for me was hearing Don sing
‘He’s Alive’,” concert volunteer Dave Carr said. “It was goose bump material and right at the heart of what we’re here on this earth for.” The ballad follows the experience of a man who denied his Lord, but then has his life turned upside down when he met the risen Christ on the first Easter morning.
digital church Prayer by Amy Slaughter, 28 year old cancer patient.”
twitter.com/PastorMark “Our big God turns big obstacles into big opportunities.”
18/04/2011 Carlos Whittaker
twitter.com/craiggroeschel “Jesus is no security against life’s storms, but He is perfect security in them.”
21/04/2011 Terrance Crawford twitter.com/terrancecrawford “Lord, may those who know me but don’t know you come to know you just by knowing me.”
happy to sign merchandise and pose for photos with his fans. “He told me he doesn’t have any plans to retire yet,” Dave said. “He loves his work and his boss (God) hasn’t told him to stop.” Pastor Colin Meadows who helped organise the event said Don challenged the audience to live their lives obeying Jesus.
briefs
26/04/2011 Mark Driscoll
21/04/2011 Craig Groeschel
Before the song finished the crowd was on their feet, applauding. Mike Banta, Francisco’s longtime guitarist accompanied him, starting the show with a solo guitar number. During a break in the concert many people bought CDs of Francisco’s music. The singer was
twitter.com/loswhit “A worship leader should love the sound of others voices singing above their own.”
15/05/2011 Nikole Hahn www.bibledude.net “Heroes exist in church. I know many of them. They give selflessly. They sign up to pray for the pastors. They give church a good name. I wish more bloggers and people would speak
about ‘that’ — the good that comes from Christian church fellowship. Negativity gets out of hand if we don’t give it a short leash.”
28/04/2011 Tim Morey www.embodyingourfaith.com “Why do these images — of royals in love and royals in battle, wise and just kings leading well and fighting for their people — hold such power for so many of us? Is it possible that they awaken something very deep within us, primal echoes of the King in whose image we have been made?”
Baptism Janila Vander Ven was baptised on 17 April at Rockingham Baptist.
Deaths Coolbellup Charismatic Baptist Church Pastor Arthur Thomas passed away in his sleep on 27 April after a long battle with cancer. The funeral was conducted on 3 May at the Coolbellup church. Bill Haskell, long-term Treasurer of Baptist Aboriginal Ministries (including Marribank) died in early May. Mr Haskell was a prisoner of war on the Burma Railway during World War II. Associate Professor Ann Galloway of Kurongkurl Katitjin, the Centre
for Indigenous Australian Education and Research at Edith Cowan University, died on 16 May after a long battle with cancer. A gifted linguist and researcher, Ann had a long association with Dalkeith and Maida Vale Baptist Churches. Ann was the daughter of Laurie and Ruth Galloway.
BCWA changes Landcorp is doing property development around Baptist Churches Western Australia’s office over the next year which will impact on parking. Call the office on 6313 6300 if you need directions.
news
5
JUNE 2011
Health studies tour
Easter camp unites city with country
The team from Carey Baptist College joined pupils at a Balinese primary school for a game of football during their recent visit.
Students from Carey Baptist College spent part of their April school holidays at a primary school in northern Bali, teaching health education and learning first-hand about social justice issues. Health Coordinator at Carey Baptist College, Emily Lockhart, instigated the Health Studies Tour for students in the Stage 2 and Stage 3 Health Studies course after meeting families at Penuktukan village in 2009. “There were obvious needs at the school, so we started to see if we could help,” Emily Lockhart said. “The Health Studies WACE (West Australian Christian Education) classes at Carey are learning about global health, Millennium Development Goals, developing countries and inequity,” she said. “Taking a group of students to Bali to experience some of these issues was an ideal opportunity to help
the students learn.” Six Year 11 students, Maddison Brown, Kayla Butler-Hendersen, Tegan Clinch, Mitchell Coleman, Laura Jackson and Steven Jones joined three Year 12 students, Erindra Balage, Georgia Elliott and Crystal Pringle, and three staff on the nine day trip. Teachers Stewart Lowndes and Clare Levett assisted Ms Lockhart with the tour. The College raised $930 through gold coin donations on a free dress day at the College to purchase dental kits, vision screening equipment and oral health lesson resources. The team also collected used prescription glasses, books, maternity and baby products, stationery and first aid products for the people of the village. Two Balinese adults translated conversations and teaching points for the team. The group spent five days in the village of Penuktukan, helping to teach the children about health issues like cleaning teeth. They played games with the students, and experienced some aspects of Balinese family life. The trip concluded with some rest and relaxation in Sanur.
“This trip opened my eyes to the contrast between our two countries; we are so socially and economically different. It has changed the way I look at the world,” Mitchell Coleman said. Crystal Pringle commented: “The thing I got out of the Bali trip was to experience just how much we take for granted and how much the Balinese children appreciate all the small things in life.” “The Bali trip confronted us with simple situations that we took for granted. It was our reality, but their dream,” Erindra Balage said. Teacher Stewart Lowndes affirmed the Carey students. “Personally, I was truly touched by the children and families of Penuktukan and was so impressed by the way our kids took on board their responsibility and privilege of building into that community,” he said. Students paid their own expenses for the tour. “We’d really like to take another group next year,” Ms Lockhart said. “There’re plenty of things we can help with, including a library.”
Camp Director, Melissa Patterson said, “the event was a great time of fellowship, spiritual growth and fun.” Paul Quicke gave several talks on the foundation of a relationship with God (Romans 1-5) over the weekend. “Salvation comes to us: out of God’s grace alone, accomplished through Christ alone, and received by faith alone,” Paul said. On Easter Sunday the entire group celebrated Jesus’ resurrection with a dawn communion service on the beach, then watching the sun rise behind a cross placed on a
Strawberry Jam rocks Albany Rain threatened at Strawberry Jam in Albany this Easter, but it didn’t dampen the party. Eighteen hundred people flocked to Handasyde’s strawberry farm to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus in a unique way — pumping live music. The autumn afternoon of Easter Sunday faded to a warm clear night as Steve Fisher and his team of volunteers put the finishing touches to stage and sound gear for the fourth Strawberry Jam in three years.
As the music started around 4:30 pm there was a good sprinkling of salt and pepper hair in the crowd of 700 old rockers who came to see the classic rock band Petra.
the crowd moving. Matt Piche’s haunting melody lines juxtaposed with his ability to make his violin whine and scream in heartstopping confrontation of the life issues many teens face.
things have changed and today they often meet worship pastors who are in ministry because of the ground breaking work of Petra three decades ago.
When Petra took to the stage the crowd roared their welcome to the culture changing group. The early acts showcased local West Australian talent, including singer-songwriter Trent Williams who plays at the Fremantle Dockers home games at Paterson Stadium. The dynamic Canadian violin pop rock group, Article One, got
When Petra took to the stage the crowd roared their welcome to the culture changing group. Back in the 70s Petra copped a lot of flak for their hard rock sound from conservative elements of Christianity. Lead singer Greg Volz said
Campers gathered on the beach to celebrate communion at day break on Easter Sunday at Camp Kennedy.
Photo: Melissa Patterson
Photo: Barebright photography
Eighty young people from across the Great Southern, Perth and Karratha attended the Easter Camp at Camp Kennedy near Albany this year.
hill at the end of the beach. During meal times at the camp several people told their personal stories of encountering and following God, fitting with the camp theme of ‘God and You’. As well as focused spiritual teaching, campers were stretched physically with fun activities including morning sports of kickball, water-bomb netball and ultimate frisbee. An ironman event had teams digging their way under logs, swimming, running and downing breakfast cereal and fizzy drink. “I praise God for the opportunity for young country and city people to get together and enjoy fun, fellowship and spiritual growth,” Melissa Patterson said.
It rained for the young crowd of 1,100 on Monday afternoon, but it didn’t hinder their enthusiasm for Swithchfoot, the final act of this West Australian music event.
Share Your Will Power Thinking about your Will? Call 1300 789 991 or visit baptistworldaid.org.au/ bequests for a copy of Baptist World Aid Australia’s ‘Guide to Wills and Bequests’
6
news JUNE 2011
Codex Sinaiticus arrives at Vose A copy of Codex Sinaiticus arrived at Vose Seminary Library in late April. The copy, a bound, single volume printed from digital images of the original work, is valued at more than $600. Codex Sinaiticus is one of the most important books in the world. Handwritten by three or four scribes in the fourth century, the manuscript contains the Christian Bible in Greek. It includes the oldest complete copy of the New Testament and other writings. Comprising more than 400 pages of text, the Codex is of outstanding importance for the history of the Bible. Head of Biblical Studies at Vose Seminary, David Cohen, said the Codex will benefit students of all fields of biblical studies. Currently housed in a glass cabinet at the library, the Codex is available for people to peruse or to
use for research purposes. People interested in the Codex need to contact library or academic staff to arrange to view the work. Creating the digital copy of the Codex was a joint project of four institutions that hold parts of the original manuscript: the British Library, UK; Leipzig University Library, Germany; St Catherine’s Monastery, Sinai; and the National Library of Russia, St Petersburg.
Vose Librarian, Nathan Hobby, shows the exquisite calligraphy in the copy of the Codex Sinaiticus at the Seminary.
Photo: Jill Birt
Codex Sinaiticus is one of the most important books in the world.
New look for The Advocate The Advocate is turning ten years old in November, and to celebrate it has been updated with a fresh new look.
Jill Birt is the Sub Editor of The Advocate.
Readers are able to contribute to the paper by providing news about their church that they would like to share with their
fellow West Australians. “I would love to hear about news, activities, missions and events that are happening in churches. We also want to know about baptisms, births, deaths, marriages and pastorships,” said Sub Editor, Jill Birt. The paper contains information, comment and competitions that are both relevant to West Australian Christians, and interesting and readable for anyone who picks it up.
“The Advocate has been designed to be interactive. There are many places throughout the paper that our readers can contribute to, including letters to the editor, the events calendar and competitions,” said Jill. “In the lead up to the 10th Anniversary of The Advocate, we wanted to do something special. The paper has been redesigned to foster an even greater sense of community
between Baptist churches across Western Australia, promoting unity and fellowship to encouragte working together to achieve a common goal,” said Mark Wilson, Director of Ministries for Baptist Churches Western Australia. If you would like to contribute to The Advocate, email editor@theadvocate.tv.
million into the local economy. Christian groups will be heavily involved in the event.
begin. Dr Nguyen Xuan Duc, president of the Vietnam World Christian Fellowship, said he was very encouraged about the future of the church in Vietnam. “There is no fear, but rather wonderful spontaneity and irrepressible joy.”
of the Sudan Council of Churches. The statement calls for freedom of worship, movement, expression and residence in the two states. It also requests that the government of South Sudan ensure the security and the protection of the civil population caught in the crossfire between the militias and the government forces.
briefs Pastoral changes
Sydney wins
Ps Bradley Lewis has been appointed the new Youth Pastor at Bentley Baptist Church. Ps Chuck Barrett commenced at Mosman Park (Campus of Claremont Baptist Church). Ps Noal Atkinson recently concluded his ministry at South Perth Baptist Church. Ps Alex Huggett and Ps Andrew Nightingale are concluding their current ministry at Ellenbrook Baptist Church. Ps Tony Spencer will be concluding his current ministry at North Beach Baptist Church. Ps Henry Harding is concluding his current ministry at Cranbrook Baptist Church.
In what has been dubbed the ‘Olympics of the family movement’, it was announced that the World Congress of Families will take place in Sydney in 2013. In making the announcement at NSW Parliament House, Mrs MaryLouise Fowler, Chair of the Bid Committee, said the theme of the Congress would be, ‘Happy Families — Healthy Economy’. More than 3,000 participants from over 100 countries are expected to gather in Sydney in May 2013 for the seventh Congress of Families. It has been conservatively calculated that the Congress will inject $6
Vietnam celebrations USA based evangelist, Louis Palau, preached at the Centennial of Protestantism in Vietnam (1911-2011) celebrations in Ho Chi Minh City on 9 April, after government officials gave last-minute approval. In what seems to have become standard government procedure in Vietnam, permission requested months in advance was granted at a venue several kilometres from the one organisers sought, just three hours before the celebration was scheduled to
Sudan’s churches prepare As Sudan waits for the birth of two nation states, following its referendum, Sudan’s Christians have issued a strong statement of solidarity and unity. Leaders of ten Christian traditions in the country signed their name to the communiqué recently issued following the General Assembly
Copts attacked An unidentified gunmen shot at Christians in the early hours of Sunday 8 May as they continued their sit-in in front of the state television building in Cairo. Christians have spent the last week calling for equal
news
7
JUNE 2011
50 years of nursing
Vose refurbishment
Photo: Jill Birt
Vose Seminary has transformed their tired student accommodation into a suite of offices to house the Vose Leadership team and an executive meeting room.
Ann Mitchell shows the certificate she received from the WA Health Department who honoured a group of nurses who have been working in their field for 50 years or more.
Along with more than 40 other long-serving nurses, Mrs Mitchell was honoured by the West Australian Health Department at a breakfast at Burswood Entertainment Complex on 9 May. Health Department Director, General Kim Snowball, said many of the nurses had helped to shape their profession and set a benchmark for standards. Ann Mitchell has definitely made such a contribution. During the 1960s to 1980s she nursed mostly in Western Australia’s country and smaller private hospitals. She gained her midwifery qualification in the mid 1980s. With such a strong practical
rights and greater security after Muslims set fire to two churches in a rundown neighbourhood of the city the previous weekend, triggering violent clashes that left 12 people dead. In the latest clashes, Muslims reportedly surrounded the protestors in central Cairo before opening fire and hurling Molotov cocktails at them. Christians responded by throwing rocks and stones at the Muslims.
Nigerian killings Pastor James Musa Rike who lost his wife and three children in a brutal assault by Muslim extremists on a Nigerian village says he ‘will never forsake
Christ’. He comforted his wife, Dune James Rike (35), with the hope of the gospel as she lay dying following the assault on Kurum village, near Bogoro, on 4 May. The Muslim assailants also killed three of the couple’s five children. The attackers killed 12 other Christians in the village and set more than 20 houses ablaze. This was one in a series of attacks on Christian communities following the reelection of Christian President Goodluck Jonathan, who defeated Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim candidate from the north, in the 16 April poll.
made in her life is a powerful motivation to continue being involved with people in need. During her years in Bangladesh, she connected with a Muslim school in the north of the country. “They had so little, but with the help of my home church (Parkerville Baptist) we were able to set up a cottage industry, giving women the ability to have some income. And we organised for an educator of teachers to come from WA and run training sessions for the teachers of this remote, very poor school. The impact of that has been huge.” Mrs Mitchell is currently the Director of Nursing at a new 260 bed women and children’s hospital in Vietnam. “I’ve found an orphanage down the road from the hospital that is desperate for help. They’ve got 340 babies and children, so in my spare time I visit there with a Vietnamese friend. We take milk power and nappies,” she said.
Photo: Jill Birt
Since Ann Mitchell graduated from nursing school in February 1960 she has worked in six countries as well as Australia.
background, Mrs Mitchell was invited to join teams planning for new hospitals including Murdoch and Joondalup. She was headhunted to help with nursing standards and procedures for several hospitals across South East Asia including hospitals in Malaysia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand and Indonesia. “I really love this work, helping people reach their potential and getting the structures right to make sure the hospital runs smoothly,” she said. While working in Bangladesh in 2004, she was diagnosed with lymphoma, so she returned to Thailand for chemotherapy treatment. Once it was confirmed she was in remission, Mrs Mitchell boldly returned to Bangladesh to continue work setting up the new Square Hospital in Dakar. When asked what drives her to keep going, the 72 year old replied, “I want to make a difference.” Mrs Mitchell’s strong faith in Jesus and the difference He has
Business Administrator, Dr Mick Stringer, supervised the project which began in October 2010 and is due for completion soon. With 185 full and part time students, the Seminary has been desperate for more office and teaching space. “We’re using everything we have,” Dr Stringer said. “This project has really helped us.” The upgrade included removing some interior walls and creating a hallway for access
to several new offices. Security for the office block has been installed, but Wi-Fi internet access to the entire office block is yet to be completed. The new group of students studying under the Vose Equip program will probably find a permanent home in a new tutorial room which adjoins the refreshed and refurbished student amenities area. “We worked with an interior designer,” Dr Stringer said. “She’s created a fresh look with strong colour accents. I particularly like some of the artwork in the offices.” The final section of the $260,000 project includes a covered walkway between the original Seminary office block and the upgraded area. There are plans for some landscaping improvements once the walkway is complete.
Dr Mick Stringer in the recently refurbished offices at Vose Leadership.
Operation Mobilisation Australia (OMA) is seeking a new leader to serve in the role of National Director. We are a global, evangelical faith mission movement of over 6000 people, called by God, serving in 113 countries. Our purpose is to recruit, equip and send God’s people, in partnership with the Church, to proclaim Christ to the Nations. OMA is an exciting, action-oriented, entrepreneurial mission who has seen God graciously grow our ministry by greatly increasing the number of workers sent around the world in the last decade. We are seeking an exceptional Christian leader who has a mature relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated by a life of applying God’s Word, living prayerfully, obediently and humbly dependent on God. Our new National Director will be a proven experienced leader who has successfully developed and implemented strategy, understands 21st century cross-cultural mission, demonstrates superior communication and people management skills, has a track record of financial management, and whose management style fosters organisational health and growth. The successful applicant will lead the team from the Melbourne office beginning early in 2012. If you believe God may be calling you to this position please contact chairman.au@om.org for information or application forms. Applications close July 31st.
8
feature JUNE 2011
Time for some nuance be the gay and the God-feari By John Dickson The annual Mardi Gras parade in Sydney reminds us how far Australia has come since the dark days when gays and lesbians were legislated against and openly vilified, and when all conversation about the rights of individuals to form their own views about sex were shut down. We no doubt have further to go before homosexuals fully experience the acceptance in society they deserve, but some of us are wondering whether the noble march toward the end of discrimination has inadvertently damaged our moral imagination and limited the public conversation.
Contemporary minds are fixed to think of only two possible camps on the gay issue. Either you are pro-homosexual and therefore open-minded, kind and respectful, or else you are a mean-spirited, homophobic bigot. You are either for me or against me. No space is given to a third group, much larger than the current discourse allows, made up of people who sincerely want an end to discrimination and who show nothing but care and respect toward gay friends, but whose deeply held convictions prevent them from endorsing same-sex practice. This last clause may get the blood boiling for some, but perhaps that underlines my point. Some of us are unable to imagine how you can care for someone and disagree with their lifestyle at the same time. For me, a turning point came with a David Marr appearance
on ABC’s Q&A program. Angela Shanahan, a columnist with The Australian, had tried to explain the traditional Catholic view that God proscribed homosexual practice but still ‘loved all his creatures’. Marr seized the moment. “You people,” he said in a tone that got the audience laughing in nervous anticipation. “You people have no idea how unspeakably cruel you are.” He mocked the ‘poetry’, as he called it, of God loving gays but banning their sex and concluded amid rising applause, “I have no patience with it anymore. It is just bigotry and cruelty and hatred.” The argument was over. It was a powerful moment, and many thoughtful Christians realised the significance of it. We have entered a day when, for David Marr and many others, holding to the historic Christian teaching on same-sex activity is itself an evil, an act of
bigotry, cruelty and hatred. His language was more measured, but his February Sydney Morning Herald piece addressing this topic, ‘Sacking the Sinful’, was full of very loaded descriptions of the church leaders featured: all of them nervous, pent-up and narrow-minded. What else could they be if they thought homosexuality ‘sinful’! I know and respect each of the people interviewed for the article, but I found myself disliking Marr’s version of them. Perhaps in the tradition of ‘an eye for an eye’ the church deserves some purgatorial derision. No one could deny that professed Christians have used very condescending and spiteful language toward gay people (and, shamefully, sometimes even resorted to violence). But tit-for-tat won’t help us in the long run. The biblical perspective on sex — that all sexual intimacy
feature
9
JUNE 2011
Either you are pro‑homosexual and therefore open‑minded, kind and respectful, or else you are a mean‑spirited, homophobic bigot.
etween ing outside heterosexual monogamy is contrary to the Creator’s good intentions — is not going anywhere; and nor are our gay neighbours. This realisation alone demands that we work out together how to have a respectful, nuanced public conversation. In particular, we have to ask whether holding a moral view is in itself hateful. Obviously, strong moral codes, whether religious or secular, can promote hateful speech and behaviour, but are the codes inherently hateful? Specifically, I want to ask David Marr: Do you not believe it is possible to profoundly disagree with someone’s lifestyle and sincerely care for them all the same? I am not offering a defence of Christian teaching on homosexuality (which may, of course, be wrong); I am simply affirming that believers ought to be able to hold their view thoughtfully and respectfully
without being considered ‘bigots’ and ‘homophobes’. This is where I think we could learn from the moral genius of Jesus. He had the ability to hate the sin and love the sinner. I know that sounds cliched today — David Marr scoffs at the aphorism — but perhaps that’s because we have forgotten how to do it. For all our talk of open-mindedness, many have great difficulty seeing how you can dispute someone’s moral stance or behaviour and love them simultaneously. This shows itself in much contemporary discussion of both religion and ethics. If a Christian says she thinks Islam is untrue, she is heard to be demeaning Muslims — and vice-versa. If a preacher condemns materialism as immoral, he is heard to be saying materialists aren’t worthy of friendship. And, of course, anyone who questions the moral status of same-sex activity
is thought to be hateful and homophobic. There is a failure of ethical imagination here, an inability to utilise two mental muscles at the same time: the muscle of strong conviction and the muscle of compassion for all. Jesus was the master of this ethical exploit. Open the gospel of Luke at chapter 13 and you’ll hear Him condemning certain behaviour
and warning of coming judgment. Continue through to chapter 15 and you’ll find Him wining and dining with ‘sinners’ — those you might have thought were first in line for judgment — and illustrating the point with a parable about a father’s love for his prodigal son. Keep reading to the end of the story and the point is made with disturbing clarity: so seriously did Jesus take sin that He thought He had to die for it; so seriously did He love sinners, a category in which He placed us all, that He thought He had to die for them. He was able to be morally exacting and deeply compassionate toward the same people at the same time — though it is a sad and undeniable fact that many in the church since have had difficulty emulating the feat. But secular society sometimes shares a certain reasoning with narrow-minded religion. The logic says: we are able to love only those whose lives we endorse. This can take you in two directions. The religious version reduces the number of people it loves, to match the lifestyles of which it approves. The secular version increases the number of lifestyles it endorses, and derides those who don’t follow suit. In both cases the assumption is the same: we are able to love only those whose lives we agree with. There are weaknesses in both incarnations of the logic. The weakness of the religious version is its inability to love beyond the borders of its moral convictions; hence the hateful speech, and sometimes violence, of old-time religion against gay people. The weakness of the secular version is an aversion to speaking about ‘morality’ in the first place, especially in the area of sex. Ironically, this too can lead
to impatient denunciations, such as Angela Shanahan endured on ABC’s Q&A. But there is a third way, based on a different logic. We ought to be able to love even those with whom we profoundly disagree. It must be possible for Christians to question the moral status of sexual intimacy outside heterosexual monogamy while demonstrating respect and care for neighbours who are neither heterosexual nor monogamous. True open-mindedness is not merely accepting as true and valid someone else’s viewpoint; it is the more difficult and noble commitment to honouring people whose viewpoints you reject. Thoughts naturally rush to other important matters. Why does the church oppose gay marriage? Why should religious schools and organisations be exempt from certain employment laws? And what possible grounds could there be anyway for the Christian critique of samesex activity? These are good questions which must be tackled carefully. My point is more basic. For all the important advances we’ve made in this area in recent years, some of the associated rhetoric has damaged our ethical imagination to the point where agreeing with Christian teaching on same-sex activity equals cruelty and hatred. It’s time for a more thoughtful and open conversation. Used with kind permission from the Centre for Public Christianity. This article first appeared on ABC The Drum www.abc.net.au/ unleashed/44682.html
This is where I think we could learn from the moral genius of Jesus. He had the ability to hate the sin and love the sinner.
10 in conversation JUNE 2011
Our readers listen to you on 98.5 Sonshine FM. How did you get started in Christian media? It started when I came back (to Sydney) from five years in Melbourne. Christian Television Association NSW wanted a new presenter for a series they were running. Basically they asked me if I’d have a go at presenting on Channel 7. I did several series for them. Later the Face to Face series started on Channel 10 on a mid-week night. After two series there we moved it to the Australian Christian Channel. About the same time the Christian radio station in Brisbane asked if I would do some radio spots. I started doing them six years ago. Last month I recorded my 500th recording of the Daily Nudge. Initially I said I’d try to do 40. It’s just kind of developed. Those radio spots, alongside the TV work, are the media work I do. We’ve developed Olive Tree Media, it’s a small media production company. My wife, Jane, works in it full-time as business manager.
staff appointments, we actually waited 18 months for the right person. It’s just not worth putting the wrong person on. That’s one of them. The other thing is, as Christian organisations, we often put good people on because they’re lovely, nice people. But the question is can they do the job? So considering team from a staffing point of view, I don’t do any interviews without a human resources specialist. There are people in our church who work in the industry. I remember one interview I did. I said to this HR person, “I quite like this person.” “Oh, they’re alright, they just can’t do any of the things you want them to do.” They’ve done this process hundreds of times. They force you to ask questions around that process. I think that’s really important. The problem with teams is we always choose people we like and who like us, and that actually is a major failing. We all get on well, but we all have the same blind spots and miss the same things. So what we need,
Photo: Jill Birt
Pastor Karl Faase, the keynote speaker at this year’s All Together Pastoral Retreat, is the Senior Pastor of Gymea Baptist Church and a national media presenter. The Advocate talked with him about his media work, leadership and teams.
Karl Faase, Senior Pastor of Gymea Baptist Church spoke at the Baptist Churches Western Australia’s All Together Pastoral Retreat in early May.
“It’s not about you” Each year we have a project. Last year we did the Men’s Series for Face to Face. This year we’re doing the Family Series. I have a think tank in about a month where we’ll think about what we’ll do for next year. I’d really like to do something about Apologetics for evangelism. That’s an interesting area I’d like to get into. The Men’s Series has been shown in Australia, New Zealand, UK cable TV, and it’s just about to be shown in Korea. My day job is to run a church. I’m really committed to resources that churches can use. You talked at the retreat about teams in ministry. How do you go about building a team? A couple of things: The whole point is they need to fit where you’re going. Over the years I’ve probably made three staff decisions that given more time I probably wouldn’t have made. Leading a staff team in a church – you employ very slowly and fire very fast. It just hurts you enormously if you get it wrong. On two of our key
are people we work with that actually are willing to challenge us. It’s a whole terrible process where we choose people that like us and they want to support us and be liked by us. So what you get in the end is this agreement between the two and it’s like the blind leading the blind because nobody challenges anything. You wander down the same path in locked step as it were. Conflict is a good thing. There is nothing wrong with conflict. We can deceive the church by saying that conflict is a bad thing. We shouldn’t avoid conflict. What we need is healthy disagreement. Conflict helps sort things out. The opposite of conflict is this sort of lame agreement. It’s a poor way forward. Any other advice? Another thing everyone will say, but few people do, is you have to choose people who are better than you in that area. It comes down to your ability to let them do that. Give them space to succeed and back off. Let them
grow in their areas, step back and let them have a go. That’s part of the process. You talk about letting others have the ideas. One of the things I tended to do was come up with all the ideas, the vision. I kind of have more ideas than I know what to do with. I found it’s
your ideas! The best thing is to create a space — an area of ministry where somebody can have their idea and you watch it bloom and blossom and grow. If you can multiply people doing that, in the end you’re actually flat out keeping up with all of this growing ministry. All you’re doing is making sure things stay within the parameters.
That takes maturity in a leader. Yes, that’s the thing to remember. It’s not about you. You’ve got to remember the big picture and kind of step away from worrying about yourself all the time. One of the geniuses is to get people in very early and not to be precious about it. You can have a bit of a concept, get your people involved, put the concept
Leading a staff team in a church – you employ very slowly and fire very fast. unhelpful. What happened was I’m recruiting people to my ideas or vision or concept, which is great. You’d think that is what a leader should do. But what happens is they’re all recruited to my ideas and they don’t have group ownership of them from the beginning. You’re kind of less passionate about other people’s ideas, although I’ve heard it said that you’re doing well in life if you can have people spending their time in life thinking about
Tell us about creating these spaces. The thing with space is it’s not a void. Space has parameters. We’ve had ideas people come to us and we’ve had to say, “That’s a great idea, but not under us. That’s not us. That’s not what we do.” You’re not congratulated for that. People don’t like it, but you need to do it, because there are others who come up with ideas, pull a team around them and get moving and our job is just to champion them in the process.
on the table and be willing for it to be hacked about. If the team can change it and shift it and mould it they own it because it’s become theirs as well. Synergy happens. As a leader I don’t just lie down and play dead. You need to be open to feedback, criticism and responses of those around you. Variety in teams is very healthy.
news 11 JUNE 2011
At the 2011 WA Outdoor Recreation Industry Awards, the Scripture Union Western Australia (SU WA) received two awards. The first, the Outstanding Organisation Award under the category of Best Outdoor Activity Provider (not-for-profit sector). The second, the Most Innovative Program for the SU WA’s Leavers Ningaloo program. The first award, Outstanding Organisation Award for Best Outdoor Activity Provider, was for the SUWA’s white water rafting and kayaking programs. For more than 50 years SU WA has been providing white water rafting and kayaking programs for West Australian school students. Their first program ‘Canoemup’ began in 1961 with two groups of 22 students and
still runs today. SU WA continues to use white water rafting and kayaking to provide opportunities for young people to develop their physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing and overall resilience. Several hundred students participate in a diverse range of camping programs each year. The Most Innovative Program (Leavers Ningaloo) is a relatively new program, started three years ago to offer a creative option for end of school celebrations for students completing Year 12. The week-long camp at a site east of Exmouth includes early morning, daytime and evening activities including snorkelling, sailing, surfing, sand boarding, turtle watching, bush dance and much more. This year the event runs from 26 November to 4 December. “The award is also an exciting recognition of the many Christians from so many churches that have volunteered
Photo: Scripture Union Western Australia
SU WA wins outdoor rec awards
Scripture Union leaders Jamie Bennett and Jason Bresanello in discussion at a white water rescue training day.
their time on a SU program,” State Director of Scripture Union WA, Peter Barney said. Minister for Sport and Recreation, Terry Waldron, praised the values of outdoor adventure recreation recently at the 2011 West Australian Outdoor Recreation Industry Awards. “It was great to have an
Surgery changes young life
opportunity to acknowledge and reward the high achievers of the outdoor adventure recreation industry,” Mr Waldron said. “The WA government considers recreation to be crucial to the health and well-being of individuals and to the strengthening of our communities,” he said.
The awards, judged by a panel of outdoor recreation professionals, recognise excellence in contribution, presentation and participation by individuals, groups and organisations in outdoor recreation.
Teen Challenge founder killed
Photo: Mercy Ships
David Wilkerson, founder of Teen Challenge, died in a headon traffic accident in Texas on 27 April. His wife, Gwen, remains in hospital recovering from injuries she received in the accident. In 1958, Pastor Wilkerson moved to New York from Pennsylvania to work among the youth gangs menacing the city. As young people responded to God’s love and grace, Wilkerson saw the need to help and support many of them with drug addictions. He started Teen Challenge to meet that need. His best-selling book, The Cross and the Switchblade tells the story of his journey with
New York’s violent gangs and one young man in particular, Nicky Cruz. Wilkerson founded Times Square Church, which draws 8,000 people to services each week. It is known for its many social service programs. At the memorial service for David Wilkerson on 14 May in Times Square Church, his son, Greg, reflected that his dad’s life was marked by his sincere love for people and his strong personal commitment to ‘just be real’. Wilkerson’s brother, Don, told the mourners that Teen Challenge, with 1,000 centres in 85 countries across the world, exists today because of one man’s obedience to God’s call.
Isatu recently received surgery to correct her cleft lip on the Africa Mercy hospital ship.
The international charity Mercy Ships is working with Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health, Smile Train and local surgeons to provide specialised life-changing surgeries for people such as Isatu, who received surgery to correct her cleft lip. At the Mercy Ships medical screening, Isatu’s father described her as a very friendly girl who
is a big help at home. But she sat expressionless as he spoke. Quiet and withdrawn, she did not speak to anyone — a defence mechanism learned from years of being shunned. Almost overnight, she was transformed from a very sombre girl to one who giggled about everything and made friends among patients recuperating in the ward. For the better part of a day, Isatu sat on her hospital bed staring at the reflection of her face in a mirror. Despite the three thin strips of translucent bandage, Isatu
could see that the volunteer Christian doctors on the Africa Mercy hospital ship had corrected the cleft lip that had kept her isolated from people throughout her whole life. She was amazed. Now she could smile like other people. When Isatu’s brother arrived to take her home, his delight with Isatu’s successful surgery was obvious. He revealed Isatu was to be enrolled in adult education classes, followed by training to become a seamstress.
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12 leadership JUNE 2011
Changes worth making By John Maxwell Comfort lulls us into complacency. We get accustomed to routine or familiar with a role, so we settle in. As leaders, we must relentlessly challenge ourselves not to let ease and security dissuade us from making the changes necessary to fulfill our vision. Perhaps the most difficult transition I chose to make as a leader came when I resigned from Skyline Wesleyan Church in 1995. I was perceived as a respected leader within the denomination, and my reputation with the church congregation was stellar. The city of San Diego was a great place to live, and both financially and professionally I was doing well. Yet, I knew that I had not yet tapped into my full potential. I aspired to train leaders domestically and internationally, and I could not give that vision the time it required while leading the church. It was tempting to let go of my vision in order to stay in a safe and successful position. Yet, I understood that to achieve the growth I desired as a leader, I would have to make the change. Trading up Life is a series of tradeoffs. If we’re going to grow as influencers, then at different junctures of life, we’re going to have to let go of what we have to take hold of something better. We must give up to go up. When we’re just starting out in life, the tradeoffs are relatively painless. Having barely established ourselves, it’s easy to part with our present situation so that we can pursue opportunities
to expand our influence. However, the higher we go, the tougher the tradeoffs become. We get attached to what we’ve built and become invested in our success. To illustrate, consider the process of moving to another city. Relocation isn’t tough when you can pack all of your belongings in your car. However, moving no longer comes as easily when you own a nice home with a big yard in a great neighborhood. The more we have, the more averse we become to change. I’d like to recommend three tradeoffs you ought to be willing to make in order to reach your potential as a leader. Each involves risk and requires change, but all are more than worth the effort. 1. Exchange affirmation for accomplishment Stop being a people-pleaser. If you always say yes when you would rather say no, then you will find yourself unhappily going through the motions of living, giving control of your time, energy and spirit to anyone who asks for it. Fundamentally, leadership involves serving others and adding value to them. However, you do that best by proactively and strategically contributing your strengths, not by passively allowing others to dictate how you spend your time. 2. Exchange security for significance Security can be tough to pass up. We like the certainty that comes with being in a stable job, making a steady income. Yet, significance usually calls
for risk. It involves stepping away from familiar territory in order to explore new lands. To be a pioneering leader, you have to change your attitude toward uncertainty; otherwise you will confine your influence. 3. Trade immediate victory for long-term sustainability To excel as a leader, you have to change the timeframe
in which you view success. If you measure your performance solely in terms of immediate results, then you run the risk of giving up when times are tough. Also, when you only concern yourself with present professional achievement, you tend to neglect relationships, ignore your health, and lose all sense of work-life boundaries.
Summary Staying the same means stagnating. Leaders must plunge bravely into the future to avoid bogging down in complacency. Rather than fearing change, embrace the possibility it offers. Used with permission from The John Maxwell Company, www.johnmaxwell.com.
Learning from the tribe By Steve Ingram At our recent Pastor’s retreat we formed four different tribes as a way of doing things together, getting to know one another and having some fun. After a rather raucous activity designed to help each tribe take a name, they were set to work on their major activity for the three days. Each tribe was to plan and execute a ‘flash mob’ event. A flash mob involves choosing and practising a song as a group and then performing it in a public setting at an unannounced time. Watching these groups of leaders trying to organise themselves presented some beautiful learning moments regarding leadership in general. In the spirit of sharing the learning, here is what we noticed. Decisiveness sacrificed quality One of the groups seemed to come to a quick decision regarding both song and process. To be fair they were
given the instruction to maximise participation even if it meant sacrificing quality. The interesting product of speed for this group was a struggle when performing. Due to a lack of confidence, participation and quality were both compromised. In a world that constantly demands quick decisions we need to take time to reflect on what we compromise if we do not take enough time. Older leaders listened, younger leaders talked In most of the groups an interesting dynamic emerged. Each group had a cross section of ages and leadership ability as well as a good cross-section of leadership experience. In the chaos of everyone trying to lead, it was interesting to note that more experienced leaders tended to hold back and the discussion was led by less experienced, but enthusiastic leaders. It is helpful to remind ourselves that in ministry we need the enthusiasm of new leaders and the wisdom and direction of experienced leaders working in concert together.
Pressured to conform One of the groups that had decided to spend some extra time practising was under constant pressure to conform to other groups. Having removed themselves from the main hall, this group was trying various renditions of their song. While this was taking place a small subsection of the group kept poking their heads back into the main hall to see what everyone else was doing. The voice of the head pokers became louder after each passing practise, ‘the others have finished and are drinking coffee’ became the catch cry. The team finished their practice hurriedly and discovered there was no coffee! Being first to finish did not guarantee a better time for all, but the pressure was still felt. How often do we compromise our leadership because we believe we are out on a limb by ourselves?
the facts 13 JUNE 2011
contribute news
events calendar June 14 - 15 June
Leadership Intensive training, Vose Leadership, 6313 6200 Supervisor and Coaches training, Vose Leadership, 6313 6200 Clear Minds training, Vose Leadership, 6313 6200 Quiz Night, South Perth Baptist Church, 9368 1479
20 June
10 & 24 June 11 June
14 - 15 August
15 - 16 August
1 July
Spiritual Care for the Aged training, Vose Leadership, 6313 6200 Juniors Camp at Serpentine, BCWA, 6313 6200 Inters Camp at Serpentine, BCWA, 6313 6200
11 – 15 July
16 – 20 July
August 3 - 4 August
Leadership Intensive training, Vose Leadership, 6313 6200 Youth/Children’s Pastors gathering, BCWA, 6313 6200 A Foot in Two Worlds, Perth Women’s Conference, www.ccowa.org
12 – 14 August
13 August
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)
September 10 September
15 - 16 September
July
Do you have news that you would like to share with the rest of the West Australian church family?
Girls Retreat, Lakeside Youth Camps, Lakeside Baptist Church, 9310 7111 Vose Conference, Vose Seminary, 6313 6200
16 September 17 September
9 & 23 September
30 September - 2 October
Be the Man, Perth Men’s Conference, www.ccowa.org Leadership Intensive training, Vose Leadership, 6313 6200 Fresh Leadership, BCWA, 6313 6200 Fresh Women’s Conference, BCWA Women’s Ministry, 6313 6200 Family and Domestic Violence training, Vose Leadership, 6313 6200
To find your local Baptist church visit www.baptistwa.asn.au
Sportsfest, Baptist Churches Western Australia, 6313 6300
Public welcome to register
Drug Addiction Seminar Come and learn about the latest approaches to recovery-orientated drug treatment at an all-day seminar at The University of Western Australia on Friday 8 July 2011.
Keynote speaker Graham Mabury, a pastor at Mt Pleasant Baptist Church and host of 6PR’s Nightline, will talk about the worldwide problem of drug addiction and his experiences of helping families recover from addictions. Other speakers include: • Dr George O’Neil, Medical Director,
• Professor Jon Currie, Director of
Fresh Start Recovery Programme • Professor Neil McKeganey, Director, Centre for Drug Misuse Research, University of Glasgow
Addiction Medicine, St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne • Professor Gary Hulse, Director of Research and Education in Alcohol and Drugs, UWA
For more information and to register, go to www.freshstart.org.au or call Laura on (08) 9381 1333
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14 kids only JUNE 2011
from Ed
games
Hi kids Welcome to the first edition of the ‘kids only’ page in The Advocate, designed for you to have fun, be creative and learn. We are giving all our readers the opportunity to win a fantastic prize from Word Bookstore every month with our ‘picture of the month’ competition. This month, all you have to do is send us in a drawing of your favourite sports team, along with your name, age and phone number by 15 June. Congratulations to our first picture of the month winner Winston Genat (3 years old) who has drawn a picture of his favourite superheroes — Spiderman and Ironman. Well done Winston! We hope you find this page lots of fun! The answers for the two games will be in the July edition of The Advocate so keep an eye out for it at the begining of July. Let us know what else you would like to see on this page by writing to: Kids Only Page, 11 East Parade, East Perth WA 6160. Until next month Ed
picture of the month winner
t n Gena Wins t o l d so 3 y ear vil le r e Par k ch t C hur Ba p t is
picture of the month Name: Phone number:
Age: Category: Favourite sports team
Please complete this form and send it with your drawing to: Kids Drawing Competition, 11 East Parade, East Perth WA 6004.
Answers for both games will be published in the July edition of The Advocate.
Games supplied by www.ChristArt.com
intermission 15 JUNE 2011
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Mail Chimp www.mailchimp.com If you use email to send out newsletters or updates to groups of people, then Mail Chimp will be a great help. Mail Chimp is an online service which makes it easy to design and distribute email newsletters, manage subscriptions and track their effectiveness. The free plan allows you to send 12,000 emails per month, and helps you stay compliant with the Australian Governments Spam Act 2003 (visit www.acma.gov.au for more information). Mail Chimp also offers lots of helpful guides on effective use of their services. Mail Chimp is a cheap and effective solution for sending newsletters and information out to groups of people.
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Amish Grace
A Greater Yes
Amazing Grace
Word Family Films Based on the true story of five Amish girls murdered senselessly in a schoolhouse shooting. The school shooting occurred at the West Nickel Mines School, an Amish one-room schoolhouse in the Old Order Amish community of Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, on 2 October 2006. The film explores the Amish community’s reaction through the eyes of a grieving mother. An insightful portrayal of unconditional forgiveness and support extended to the gunman’s widow. (Closed captions. Approx. 97 minutes.)
Heritage HM This is the true story of Amy Newhouse, a popular, sporty teen — founder of her school’s first drugs, alcohol and violencefree club — and the biggest battle of her life — cancer. Amy continually prays for healing, but with an apparent ‘no’ from God, she dies from the one battle she cannot win. However, with her death comes life and redemption, proving to all doubters that God has a ‘greater yes’ after all. (Approx. 90 mins.)
Heritage HM The incredible true story of William Wilberforce, who tirelessly campaigns to abolish slavery in Britain. At a time when the slave trade was perceived as acceptable and necessary for the economy, Wilberforce and his fellow abolitionists dared to speak out against this massive injustice, fighting long and hard for the freedom of others. The impressive British cast includes: Loan Gruffudd, Rufus Sewell, Romola Garai and Michael Gambon. Directed by Michael Apted. (Approx. 113 mins.)
Life Without Limits
Come of Age
Take the Risk
Nick Vujicic Meet Nick Vujicic, a 28 year old Aussie born without arms or legs, now a successful international inspirational speaker. Full of wisdom, faith testimonials and laugh-out-loud humour, Nick teaches ‘perfection isn’t always perfect’ and ‘brokenness can be a good thing’. Nick’s acceptance of what can’t be controlled encourages readers to find their purpose and go for it! Nick appeared in an acclaimed short film performing his own stunts. His zest for life is unbelievably infectious.
Angus Buchan In the wake of Faith Like Potatoes and A Farmer’s Year comes Angus Buchan’s latest book Come of Age. Now in his sixties, Angus has had to come to terms with his own mortality, collapsing in the middle of a rally and being airlifted to hospital. Forced to reappraise his priorities, he now focuses his efforts upon mentoring younger men, encouraging them to develop their own spiritual maturity and to truly come of age.
Dr Ben Carson How far do people go to avoid risk? “Too far!” says Dr Ben Carson. Offering his inspiring personal story of living with risk, Carson provides insights into risk avoidance and its pitfalls. Carson shares his method for sizing up and accepting appropriate risks. Carson’s life dramatically portrays connections between great risks and greater successes, with insights to help dispel your fear of risk you can dream big, aim high, move confidently and reap unimagined rewards.
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Donald B Kraybill, Steven M Nolt Praise for Amish Grace: “A story our polarised country needs to hear: It is still grace that saves.” Bill Moyers, Public Affairs Television “This balanced presentation ... blends history, current evaluation of society, and examines what builds community into a seamless story that details the shootings while it probes religious beliefs that led to such quick forgiving. Recommended.” Library Journal The Advocate, in conjunction with Word Bookstore is giving you an opportunity to win Amish Grace (paperback). To be in the draw, simply answer the following question:
Question: Who are the authors of the book Amish Grace? Entries close 14 June and all winners will be announced in the July edition of The Advocate. Operation World 7th Edition winners: S Falconer, R Read, J de Kock.
competition Answer: Name: Phone number: Please complete this form with your details and post it to: Amish Grace Competition 11 East Parade East Perth WA 6004
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: AMAC and Wise Photography
JUNE 2011
Eagles Club Chaplain Paul Morrison (left) and midfielder Koby Stevens performed ‘Picking up the Pieces’ at the Eagles season launch in March.
Making music; changing lives Paul Morrison is Club Chaplain to the West Coast Eagles football team. Highly motivated and energetic, the father of four is passionate about people, footy, music and God. ‘Picking up the Pieces’ emerged from Morrison’s creative mind after he and some of the first and second year Eagles travelled to Cambodia in November 2010 as part of the club’s player development and leadership
program. They helped build 20 houses in a regional village where poverty dominates almost every household. “I was very moved by what I saw in Cambodia and my expression of that was this song,” Paul said. “The verses were pretty much the story of our trip — but the chorus is about how together we can move forward.” “We were so impacted by the bravery of the people. It moved us to want to give more to them. Through the proceeds of the song we’re endeavouring to raise $50,000 to build a school.” The recording features Eagles players Nic Naitanui, Brad
Sheppard, Koby Stevens and Gerrick Weedon. Paul left his job on the staff of Riverview Church in mid 2010 to work as the voluntary Club Chaplain for the West Coast Eagles. “I’m around the club every week at various times. Obviously game day and mainly key training sessions when everyone is present, but I also spend one on
“I’m an invited guest at the club and my role is voluntary, so I am free to create what I think is needed. I also respect that this is a professional football club with the primary goal of winning games of football, not winning souls to Christ.” “They’re just blokes who are good at playing a game with a ball,” Morrison said. “The
the things we might face over 20 years of life in three or four.” “These boys must learn to become men quickly. I know God loves these young men deeply and so my desire is to help where I can to navigate some of these pressures in the light and knowledge of that love.”
We were so impacted by the bravery of the people. It moved us to want to give more to them. one time with different players and staff depending on what is going on,” Paul said.
complexity is that with that skill comes many obstacles and challenges that compress some of
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