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In Conversation Perth Wildcats and Perth Lynx CEO Nick Marvin shares how he balances work, faith, family and life. PAGE 12>>
MAY 2016
“The biggest waste of time is the waste of time in getting started.” DAVE KRAFT PAGE 13>>
4 120 years Katanning Baptist Church is celebrating their 120th anniversary in 2016 >>
7 Evening with Silvie Photo: Tobias Houston
Mount Pleasant Baptist Church will host singer Silvie Paladino in May >>
After years of work by Global Interaction, the opportunities for the Yawo people could be at risk.
Missions feeling the pinch Addressing a recent Global Interaction Directors Meeting, General Director Heather Coleman observed “we are entering a time of remarkable opportunity and significant challenge.” Global Interaction, the global mission arm of the Australian Baptist Ministries, has teams working across Africa, Asia, the Middle-East and Outback Australia. “Opportunities abound as we begin to see the fruit of years of pioneering work,” Mrs Coleman said. “People are coming to Jesus and faith movements are beginning in both Muslim and Buddhist settings.” This ministry takes years of patience and dedication, building trust, respect and love. Mrs Coleman spoke of Simon*, an orphan who became headman of a Yawo village in Africa.
“For years Simon shared a friendship with Global Interaction team member Ian Dicks, sharing life, praying and discussing the scriptures.” “When Simon’s relative plotted to overthrow him and threatened his life he turned to Ian as he fled the country.” “Later, in South Africa, Simon was caught up in ethnic violence and again fled. He eventually and miraculously found his way back to Malawi and reclaimed his position as headman.” “As he travelled he remembered the story of Joseph and opened the Bible Ian gave him, recognising that the God who protected and delivered
Joseph was the One who protected him too.” “He sought out his friend Ian and told him about his encounters with God. Late last year he chose to be baptised and now is an enthusiastic follower of Jesus, part of a movement of Yawo people turning to Jesus!” At the same time the General Director noted the two greatest challenges facing mission: the need for more workers committed to long-term ministry and the financial consequences of the falling Australian dollar. “We are currently in a period of our history where those who are retiring after long faithful service outnumber those being sent out. The harvest is plentiful; the workers are few.” The falling dollar means doing ministry overseas costs a lot more. $100 becomes $70 causing workers to be under supported and Global Interaction is feeling the impact
of providing the extra money to cover the gap. In a letter to pastors, Heather wrote, “our teams around the world have examined their budgets and made savings. In Australia, staffing levels have been reduced.” “Our priority is to reduce expenditure while maintaining key ministry goals. God has called nine families who are preparing to go and another eight waiting in Australia to return to crosscultural teams.” “There are opportunities for many more. But a significant budget deficit stands in the way.” This May Global Interaction is calling all Western Australian Baptists to join in specifically praying for more long-term workers to join Jesus in the harvest and to give sacrificially to secure the future of God’s mission to the least reached. * Name changed for privacy reasons.
8 An ego dinted Phillip McCallum learns a lesson on reliance on God in the WA outback >>
We are stronger when we work together.
BAPTIST CHURCHES WESTERN AUSTRALIA
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my view MAY 2016
So, there has been a change? Adjusting to a new role recently has prompted thoughts about change. I recall that while I was a chaplain I heard the word change used often as people shared their stories.
Ann Clews Ann Clews is the Pastoral Care Pastor at Morley Baptist Church.
In my reflection a memory was triggered of a time when I found myself struggling to adequately describe something I was experiencing. I remember feeling such relief when the nurse simply said “so there has been a change”. Affirmation that ‘change’ was an adequate word for effective communication somehow felt healing and helped me to realise that ‘change’ is a weighty word in our language and culture for all sorts of reasons.
To varying degrees until then, I think I had mostly experienced negative feelings with the word ‘change’. Just recently a number of people voiced to me in unison “we don’t like change”. My thought and feeling at the time was I hear you, I ‘get it’. I have to acknowledge my own struggles with change, particularly as I get older. As I reflected while contemplating the plants in my garden, some of them new and young, others mature and
deeply rooted, others looking as if this may be their last summer, it struck me that ‘change’ even when God inspired is not necessarily comfortable. I was reminded of a kind friend’s words to me some years ago “change, even good change means an adjustment”. In our struggles with change, how important is it then to discern the difference between change that leads to death and change that leads to life. For in God we continue to see new
expressions of His life being born and bearing fruit, providing us with reasons for rejoicing and celebration even though the journey may still be painful. My prayer then as I journey through life, particularly when I am feeling the struggle of adjustment and change, is that I will continue to remember that God who is the author of life and who designed our world to provide a fresh expression of His life and love every day, will sustain and hold us safely through every season of change.
On location … I love where I work. No, not just the work I do, but where I am located. For those who don’t know, I serve as principal of Vose Seminary, and we are located in Bentley, right across the road from Curtin University, and next door to a low security pre-release prison and alongside several retirement villages. It is such an interesting area …
Dr Brian Harris Dr Brian Harris is the Principal of Vose Seminary and Pastor at Large for the Carey Group.
Take Curtin. Its students are amongst the world’s brightest and best – and there are 46,000 of them. They come from all over the world. Walk across the campus and you’ll hear a dozen different dialects. It doesn’t take much imagination to sense the thousands of stories waiting to be told. For the moment, they are stories that are on hold. This is time out to prepare for a career in the future.
Then there is the prison. For its inmates, it is also a time out zone. It is a pre-release prison, so the stakes are high. Has anything been gained from the enforced time out? We can’t tell at the moment, but the next few months will provide the answer. As I walk past the prison, I pass some who have been visiting inmates. I always wonder what stories lie behind the usually expressionless faces. I suspect that
hopes have been dashed far more often than met. Pass the prison, and you are in the retirement village. It is its own kind of time out zone. After a lifetime of hard work, the residents now enjoy a gentler pace of life. Many are outgoing and chatty, but others look at me suspiciously. I try to smile reassuringly, and imagine the stories waiting to be told.
I return to the Seminary. Our students are also enjoying time out as they train for ministry. As they prepare, they are surrounded by 46,000 students from around the world, and can cast an eye on prisoners and start a conversation with their friends or with the elderly. It is the stuff of life. It is our location. We are called to be the Jesus people in it … just as you are, in your location.
Tears of joy It was a tough morning, we had just received information regarding our support target for the next three years. The figures didn’t inspire much confidence.
Ben Good Ben is a missionary working with Global Interaction in Mozambique with his wife Sam and children.
They were below what I was expecting which in turn meant more work on home assignment. That coupled with a less than pleasant visit to a government office got to me. I was overwhelmed, sucker-punched. Fortunately Sam (my amazing wife) could sense this, she took me by the hand, led me into our room and sat me down, gave me my headphones and told me to listen to some music. Music is my happy place but as I sat there I couldn’t switch
off, the morning’s events were still replaying over in my mind. I picked up my phone looking for something to take my mind off of the day’s disappointments then my eye caught the Bibleview app. Should I look at it? I didn’t want to, I didn’t have the energy for it. Obligated I opened it to the chapters of the day, Romans 5-6. I began reading, ‘Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done
for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know
how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.’ All it took was the first five verses. The Holy Spirit met me at my lowest, comforted me, calmed me, shook me up, refocused me, and gave me the courage and drive to keep on going. I began weeping, not tears of sorrow or sadness but tears of joy.
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MAY 2016
Controlling emotions at Fresh Brisita Rojas
The average person experiences over 30,000 thoughts a day, so perhaps it is no wonder that what happens in our minds can affect our wellbeing. As a Cognitive Neuroscientist with a PhD in Neuropsychology, Dr Caroline Leaf knows what it means to have an active thought life. Having studied the human brain for over 25 years, she is now considered one of the leading experts in examining the unique connection between the mind and brain. This August, Leaf will visit Perth as the keynote speaker at Fresh Conference, where she plans to bring her engaging and thoughtprovoking presentation about using biblical principles to control toxic thoughts and emotions. Leaf believes that the most powerful thing in the universe, after God, is a person’s ability to think. “87 to 95 percent of illnesses that plague us today are a direct
result of our thought life,” Leaf explains on her website. “What we think about affects us physically and emotionally. It’s an epidemic of toxic emotions.” With rising concerns over mental illness, depression, anxiety and worry in today’s society, Leaf’s work has never been more timely. Conference organisers said that she demonstrates a unique ability to explain the connection between science and God’s Word, showing how the world of neuroscience can be better understood through the lens of the gospel. Having published her hugely popular book Who Switched Off My Brain? Controlling toxic thoughts and emotions, Leaf has spoken to audiences around the
world and inspired millions in the areas of managing stress and applying wisdom. Her research and theories have been widely received by both Christian and secular audiences through published works in academic journals and popular magazines, as well as her various radio and television interviews. Leaf’s programs encourage people to breakthrough negative thought patterns that have been influenced by their past or current environment. In its tenth year, Fresh Conference encourages women of all ages and walks of life to be all that God has called them to be. With the presentations by Dr Caroline Leaf, as well as many other significant communicators, Fresh Conference 2016 promises to be a great event where women will walk away feeling inspired to lead. For more information, visit www.freshconference.net
Photo: Mac Leaf
Cognitive Neuroscientist Dr Caroline Leaf will share her many years of research with 2016 Fresh Conference participants.
Finances under new management In February, Baptist Churches Western Australia appointed Dorothy Zander as Finance Manager, succeeding Peter Lu who retired having served in the role for 20 years. purpose of sharing the practical message and love of God. Baptist Churches Western Australia Business Manager Greg Holland said that Dorothy has been a wonderful addition to the team. “I am encouraged to see her being a faithful steward of the resources that God has entrusted us with, while also looking to new ways to improve on the excellent service that the finance team provides,” Greg said.
Photo: Matt Chapman
Prior to moving to Western Australia, Dorothy was based in Brisbane having completed the majority of her chartered accountant training at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Dorothy is a committed Christian and her father is the pastor of the Slavic Baptist Church in Perth. In 2010, Dorothy completed one year aboard the MV Logos Hope ship visiting ports with the
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BaptistcareWA
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news MAY 2016
Katanning celebrates 120 years On 27 January 1896 Katanning Baptist Church was formed. That marks 120 years and counting. As I reflect on that statement, ‘120 years and counting’ it’s the second half of this that I actually think about. Our past is forever written with indelible ink in the annals of time. And its message to us here in Katanning, is that God is faithful and His grace is sufficient. It’s the future that is yet to be written, that is up for grabs! As the pastor, I seem to have taken my fair share of funerals, and I can’t help but think that we are saying goodbye to a generation. A generation that knew about sacrifice, with many of that generation having lost close relatives to the ravages of two World Wars. Times were tough. I’ve heard stories of immense heartache, isolation, and sorrows
beyond belief. I’ve heard stories of drought and also of abundance. I’ve heard stories of depression and of rabbit plagues, which, at least, provided food on the table. I’ve heard stories of one teacher schools. Imagine a young city girl being thrown from teacher training college into the middle of nowhere with no internet, no phone, no electricity, which all adds up to no support, not even a shoulder to cry on. The life of the farmer and farmer’s wife, was often not a lot better. An infrequent trip by horse and cart or in later years the farm truck into Katanning would have been a social highlight with the thought of Perth or Albany only a dream. When I look at some of those from this dying generation, I have seen in them the love of
Photo: Shirley Brokenshire
Katanning Baptist Church is celebrating their 120th anniversary in 2016, Pastor Mal Good shares his reflections on this significant anniversary.
Young and old selflessly serving others through Operation Christmas Child at Katanning Baptist Church.
Christ. They have immersed themselves in His grace, and He has produced in them a selfless generosity and concern. This has caused them to reach beyond the trivial and touched the lives of others in a profound way. Yes, even with nothing, they could bless! And so what of tomorrow, what of the ‘and counting’?
Has the good news changed? Are we today longing for a good news that makes us feel good with the bonus of free entertainment on a Sunday morning? Has the good news become more about us than our neighbour? If we water this good news down to a feel good gospel, then it’s not only our
neighbours that perish but so do we! Oh to be drenched in the life saving grace, which produces a selfless generosity that reaches out to our neighbours. I see this in some of the next generation too. And so I say, ‘bring it on! One hundred and twenty years and counting.
Nepal on the mend “Sitting amongst the poverty and very obvious circumstances of struggle, we asked one of the self-help groups, ‘As women, what is your greatest challenge?’ After a thoughtful pause, they replied, ‘We have no challenges, we are so deeply grateful’,” Karen said. In September last year, women gathered at Fresh Conference in Perth and gave to help these people re-establish their lives. Their generosity was overwhelming according to event organisers. “It was deeply challenging and inspiring to go to Nepal to see the difference these finances made,” Karen said.
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davekraft.squarespace.com/posts I don’t want to go to God and tell Him how big my problems (impossibilities, fears, obstacles) are, but go to my problems and tell them how big my God is.
moore.edu.au/resources/ thinktank We see in the Bible that the natural reaction for those who come into contact with the risen Christ is to worship him. Think of Thomas’s response when he touches the risen Christ. … Likewise, the women as they met Jesus on their way from the empty tomb … This was, and still is, the only appropriate response of sinful humans who meet the one who conquered death on their behalf.
philpringle.com/blog God doesn’t love us because we have loved Him first, or because we have been such wonderful people, or because we did everything He asked of us. He loves us because He is love.
twitter.com/CSLewisDaily It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition is gone, pride is gone.
Stephen McAlpine
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stephenmcalpine.com The church is future-proofed in a manner way beyond our immediate or even long term future in this declining culture. Babylon the Great will fall and the world will wail. But not the church. The church will rejoice because Babylon’s fall will
ourdailyjourney.org Jesus’ teaching is more than simply gaining heaven when we die; it’s about living a resilient life now by His power. His words and presence help us build a base for our lives that will withstand even the fiercest of winds.
The devastating effects of the two catastrophic earthquakes that hit Nepal in 2015 were clearly evident to a small team from Perth that visited the country with Baptist World Aid Australia in March. During their nine day visit the six participants and two Baptist World Aid leaders, listened to story after story of families who had lost loved ones, whose livelihood had
Photo: Karen Wilson
been destroyed, whose houses were cracked and broken. Western Australian State Womens’ Director Pastor Karen Wilson said they heard from women who talked about having absolutely nothing and no hope following the earthquakes, while are now managing agriculture businesses in a way that gave them dignity and provision for their family for the future. Non-government organisations in Nepal, partnering with Baptist World Aid, have assisted in setting up self-help groups, including the administrative requirements to keep these businesses running.
A women’s self-help group in Nepal.
This year participants at Fresh Conference will again be asked to reach out to help those in need. “We can’t do everything, but each of us can do something and together we can make a
difference to the lives of many,” Karen explained. To register for Fresh Conference 2016, visit www.freshconference.net
digital church Dave Kraft
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Michael O’Neil theologyandchurch.com We are forgiven. We are never forgotten. God’s covenant loving kindness is the deepest reality of our lives, and of all reality, something upon which we can trust, and so also rejoice and sing.
Ed Loane
Phil Pringle
Simon Elliott writesomething.org.au Why does Jesus say ‘do not be anxious about your life’ in an almost dispassionate way? Because He knows that you don’t have to and He doesn’t want you to be wearied by its weight.
CS Lewis
coincide with the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven.
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Keila Ochoa odb.org Beneath all of our longings is a deep desire for God.
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Sheridan Voysey
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MAY 2016
New campus open for business The new Campus was officially opened with a ceremony in April with an event that saw 130 parents, students, staff and members of the surrounding community gather to commemorate the occasion. The event was well supported by Local, State and Federal Government, with representatives including Senator for Western Australia Linda Reynolds, City of Armadale Mayor Henry Zelones and councillors. Engineers from Tracc Civil, Classic Contractors builders, engineer David Wills and associates from T&Z Architects as well as a strong contingent of staff from the Carey Harrisdale Campus were also present. Campus Principal Nigel Wise said that his personal highlight was witnessing the student involvement on the day. “The students performed a piece Be Happy and they also led us in the Australian national anthem,” he said. “It was so great to see them involved in the morning. It bought
another level of enthusiasm and energy to the day.” “I also really enjoyed listening to the Linda Reynolds’ presentation.” After the official ceremonial proceedings, the attendees enjoyed tours around the campus, hosted by the Principal. Nigel said that it was a delight to be able to show the campus to the people that worked on it, especially because the Carey community have been dreaming about it for years. He also acknowledged the fantastic support the campus has received from parents. “It is wonderful to be up and running, and to already be building community and relationships,” Nigel said. “It is one thing to talk about building a school, plan it and start interviewing, but it is so much better to be opening our doors to families and children and to be operating as a fully functioning school.” The Campus is initially catering for Kindergarten to Year 4 and
Photo: Mark Wagenaar
Years of planning, prayer and patience has finally been realised with the opening of the Carey Baptist College Forrestdale Campus this year.
Principal Nigel Wise addressing attendees at the official opening event for Carey Baptist College’s new campus.
students have settled into their new surrounds and some have already been involved in football clinics and an interschool carnival at HBF Stadium. Carey Baptist Church has also launched a second campus on
the Forrestdale site and this has already become an integral part of the community. Many of the staff and families from the Forrestdale Campus are now regular attendees at this campus.
New dean for college
A new date for Easter? The heads of Christian churches are close to agreeing on a common fixed date for Easter Sunday it was revealed by the Archbishop of Canterbury at the meeting of Primates of Anglican Communion earlier this year.
Photo: Australian College of Theology
The Australian College of Theology will have a new Dean and Chief Executive Officer from July. Following the retirement of Dr Mark Harding, Dr Martin Sutherland has accepted the Board’s invitation to head up the Australian College of Theology (ACT) of which Western Australia’s Vose Seminary is an affiliated college. Dr Sutherland will relinquish his position as Academic Dean of Laidlaw College in Auckland, one of the affiliated colleges of the ACT. ACT Board of Directors Chairman Richard Cardew said that in his role he became familiar with the workings of the ACT and continued his interaction with government regulatory agencies with impressive outcomes. He was responsible for curriculum and faculty matters relating to the disciplines of theology, ministry, education and counselling, as well as doctoral programs undertaken in partnership with Auckland University of Technology.
Limited places are available for 2016 and 2017. To learn more about enrolling your child at Carey, visit www.carey.wa.edu.au
The new Australian College of Theology Dean, Dr Martin Sutherland, is looking forward to his new role.
Dr Sutherland’s research interests are mainly in the field of church history and he has considerable experience in supervising and lecturing at universities in New Zealand. “He is a respected scholar, an experienced church pastor in the Baptist denomination, and
he exhibits a strong awareness of the opportunities and obligations arising from the aspirations of the ACT,” Richard said. “Foundational to his work is his strong conviction about the centrality of the gospel to education and preparation for Christian service.”
At this stage, the date will most likely be either the second or third Sunday in April and implemented within five to ten years. Since the tenth century, there have been many attempts made to have a fixed date for Easter, however none have been successful. If a mutual date is settled upon it will have a worldwide impact on schools, businesses and the travel industry. In the majority of Western churches, Easter Sunday falls on a Sunday between 22 March and 25 April – the first Sunday after the first full moon following the Spring equinox. However, the Eastern Orthodox churches use the old Julian calendar which results in their Easter Sunday falling on a different date. This current attempt to set a common date was introduced by Coptic Orthodox
Pope Tawadros II who over the past two years has been communicating with the heads from the Church of England, Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church. Once a common date has been agreed upon, all governments will need to pass or revise legislation for it to be put into place. Anglican Archbishop of Sydney Glenn Davies said our celebration of Easter is more important than being concerned about the actual date. “I believe it will be a significant witness to the world if all Christians could unite together with a common date to celebrate … the fulfilment of God’s promises to save His people, and the securing of our inheritance of eternal life, when Jesus rose from the dead and defeated death once and for all,” he said.
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Craigie shifts focus to families “We believe that it is important in our modern world to meet families where they are at but then to love them enough not to leave them there. Instead, they then journey with the families in their community towards Jesus,” he said. Craigie Baptist Church is currently focused on running a quality children’s program on Sundays and are investigating running Toddler Jam during the week. As the church grows they will look to expand into offering other programs and support events to champion children and families in their local community.
Craigie Kids trying out the water slide during their launch party.
Renowned Professor visiting Perth Youth and those involved in caring for youth have a fantastic opportunity during May, as Baptist churches host a range of events featuring worldrenowned author and speaker Dr Duffy Robbins. Duffy is Professor of Youth Ministry at Eastern University, St Davids, Pennsylvania, and is a 36 year veteran of youth ministry. He completed his Doctor of Ministry in Youth and Family Ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary and his Master of Divinity at GordonConwell Theological Seminary. He is the author of numerous books including The Ministry of Nurture, This Way
to Youth Ministry, Speaking to Teenagers (co-authored with Doug Fields), Youth Ministry Nuts and Bolts, Enjoy the Silence (co-authored with Maggie Robbins) and his latest book, Building a Youth Ministry that Builds Disciples. Duffy is also an associate staff member at the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding, which aims to help parents, youth workers, educators,
pastors and others understand and reach today’s youth culture. Baptist Churches Western Australia Youth and Young Adults Consultant Ed Devine said that Duffy has a reputation for his ability to minister to all ages, and there is an event to suit everyone while he is in Perth. “Youth will benefit first with Carey Baptist Church’s Catalyst Event on Friday 13 May, followed by NYMC Encore for pastors and leaders, Saturday 14 May,” Ed said.
Sunday 15 May will see Duffy equipping parents of teenagers at Quinns Baptist Church and College, while students and pastors will benefit from Vose Seminary’s ‘Youth and Young Adult One Day Conference’ on Wednesday 18 May. For more information on all of these events, please visit www.facebook.com/ BCWAYouth
Photo: www.supportlocalmusic.com.au (Website contacted for permission).
A launch party for the new ‘Craigie Kids’ was held across the month of February. The new year started with a splash, with water slides and a family photo booth set up. There was a sense of excitement and new energy around the church with a few visiting families really enjoying their time at Craigie, members of the Family Ministry Team observed. “We believe that coming to church can and should be the highlight of a child’s week and that’s what we want to try and create,” Craigie Kids Team Leader Jenny Palandri said. “When kids are happy, parents are happy, and when families are happy that sets up a great vitality and energy in the church.” “Excellence honours God and inspires others and that what we want to be about.” Pastor James Middleton said they are making a transition towards a stronger family approach. “As a church we’ve started to realise that if we’re going to have a greater impact on the children in our community then we need to reach the whole family,” James said. “Families often no longer see churches as a place to send their kids to get good morals but instead look upon the church with fear and scepticism.” “It is important that we go above and beyond community expectations and help whole families see the hope of the good news of Jesus.” James shared that Craigie Kids aims to ‘Journey with families towards Jesus’.
Photo: Serena Kavanagh
A new look children’s ministry has been launched at Craigie Baptist Church. After a review of the existing ministries in 2015 the Family Ministry Team decided to pivot towards a more family oriented outlook in 2016.
36 year veteran of youth ministry Dr Duffy Robbins is visiting Perth during May.
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MAY 2016
An evening with Silvie Paladino
The Church will be hosting ‘An Evening with Silvie Paladino’ at their Booragoon Campus on Saturday 14 May. Silvie Paladino is one of Australia’s most accomplished and gifted entertainers, with critically acclaimed theatrical and concert performances, including appearing annually at Carols by Candlelight in Melbourne. Silvie has had a successful career in musical theatre, which started with the role of Eponine in Les Misérables, which toured Australia in 1989. She later toured London in 1992 in the same role and again in 1997 as Fantine in Les Misérables for a two year season. Silvie has also performed in Silvie Paladino Sings Streisand,
“This concert will showcase songs from my latest album with the Melbourne Staff Band of The Salvation Army, When You Believe, and also a few songs from my favourite musicals.” “I pray the audience will be entertained, uplifted and encouraged.” “I will be sharing my testimony, which I hope the audience will connect and identify with, giving all glory and praise to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” Mount Pleasant Baptist Church Executive Pastor Simon Ford said that Mount Pleasant are looking forward to hosting this performance. “In taking on this event we keep in the forefront of our minds that this is not just a musical concert, it is an evangelistic event and an opportunity for people to invite friends and family. All are welcome to this event.” For more information and tickets, visit silviepaladino. eventbrite.com.au
Photo: David Cairns
One of Australia’s most versatile and talented performers will be gracing the stage at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church this month.
Hair, Cats, Miss Saigon, Mamma Mia!, Sideshow Alley, The King and I, Chess and Stephen Sondheim’s Passion. Silvie’s concert performances feature herself as the lead artist, accompanied by symphony orchestras. Accompanying Silvie at the Perth performance will be the renowned music of the Western Australia Brass, conducted by Ken Waterworth. “I love Perth. It was the first city we travelled to when we began the Les Misérables tour,” Silvie said. “I was just 19 years old. It holds great memories for me – living in South Perth and the beginning of my independence.” “This visit to Perth will be somewhat different to the many other times I’ve worked there. I will be sharing my life story – family, career and, most importantly, my love for Jesus,” she said. Silvie will be sharing songs from her life in musical theatre, as well as her testimony and songs that have inspired her own spiritual journey.
The Perth community will have the opportunity to enjoy the musical talents of Silvie Paladino in May.
Pastoral care over coffee Eliot Vlatko
The Hope Café, a new ministry venue that has recently launched at Kalgoorlie Baptist Church, is providing opportunities for believers from a range of backgrounds across the Western Australian Goldfields to work together. As a result of the café, strong ties have developed among the pastors of many of the churches in one of Australia’s most isolated inland cities. Pastors have reported that
many opportunities have opened up for God to build His Kingdom through the combined efforts of different denominations. In one case, it seemed that in January a door was opening for Rev. William Thomas and his wife Sue, from St John’s Anglican Church, to bring their infectious passion and considerable experience in pastoral care to the table. “William and I were having a good old natter over coffee – as we often like to do – when we found ourselves brainstorming possibilities for a workshop which would provide a basis for equipping people wanting to help others through pastoral care,” Sue said.
“From this ‘germ of an idea’ our Introduction to Pastoral Care was ready to be launched as a free event at the Hope Café in late February.” A cross-section of Baptists, Anglicans and Goldfields Alliance Church members took part the basic pastoral care course, aimed at those who hold positions of caring for others. Rev. William covered topics such as the definition of pastoral care, who are pastoral carers and effective listening. “The response was so enthusiastic that William and I have already pencilled in follow-up sessions, commencing in July,” Sue said.
as implausible, undesirable or irrelevant. Why is it so? Does it matter? Roy Williams will address this issue at ‘The Secular Juggernaut – How religion fell off the radar in Australia’ event on Thursday 26 May. After a 20 year legal career, Roy Williams, authored his first book God, Actually in 2008. He has since written In God they Trust? and Post-God Nation? The event will be held 5.30pm to 8pm at the Atrium Theatrette, 168 St Georges Terrace. Tickets are from $35, including drinks
and canapés. To register, visit at www.citybibleforum.org/ juggernaut
industry”. The service will be held at 6pm each Sunday, followed by soup and questions.
Additional service for Margaret River
New head coach for Lakeside
Margaret River Baptist Church will be trialling an additional service during the winter months to help better fit with the lifestyles of those who work and visit the southern tourist and lifestyle town. Pastor Michael Lochore is hopeful that this will allow people to “check out Jesus that isn’t at the peak time for those in the lifestyle and hospitality
Sam Oatman has been appointed as the new Head Coach for the Lakeside Lightening Men’s State Basketball League team. Sam is from the United States and has a strong heart for ministry and wants to serve God through the basketball ministry that is happening through the Lakeside Lightning program.
Photo: Helen Kenny
Kalgoorlie Baptist Church Home Group Leaders meeting over breakfast at the Hope Café to pray together and encourage each other in ministry.
briefs Pastoral changes Pastor Gerard Field has been appointed as the new Pastor at Gnowangerup Community Church. Pastor Terry Nightingale has been appointed the new Pastor at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Rockingham. Pastor David Scaife has commenced as the Pastor for Children and Families at Carey Baptist Church.
How religion fell off Australia’s radar Christianity is perceived by more Australians than ever
All Together Baptist Pastoral Retreat At the time of going to print, over 218 pastors, chaplains, ministry leaders and their spouses had registered to be in attendance at the All Together Baptist Pastoral Retreat in Mandurah from 18 to 20 April. This is the largest number of participates ever recorded and Baptist Churches Western Australia staff said there is a buzz of excitement about what God is purposing to do during the Retreat.
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feature MAY 2016
Photos: Queensland Baptists
An ego dinted … but soul intact
Phillip McCallum
Those who know me will recognise that one of the most common battlegrounds in my spiritual walk is to work out when I need to let go of control, and trust God for the outcome. A little asking around has revealed my battle is not uncommon among those who are administratively gifted. We are born organisers, and often only relax when we know things are under control. For example, if I walk into a church service and get the feeling that the program is disorganised, or no-one has taken responsibility for ensuring things flow along in a coordinated manner, I literally cannot enter into a sense of worship until someone sorts out the problems. Occasionally this is so frustrating that I simply want to jump up and do it myself, even though I am a visitor and stranger in the church! My sense of order is offended, and it seems I am unable to control my desire to fix things. That can’t be healthy, can it? Undoubtedly, one of the Bible passages that challenges me, over and over, is Matthew 6:3133. Worrying over issues like ‘what shall we eat?’ ‘what shall we wear?’, and so on, can readily dominate my life. The summarising verse: ‘... but seek first his kingdom and
his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well’ is almost the exact opposite to what I want to do in my life. I am often committed to getting ‘all these things’ in order, and then I might be ready to allow ‘his kingdom’ to slide into focus. I wonder if I am alone in this? On a few occasions I have been sternly reminded of my need to be reliant on God, rather than trusting in my own abilities. Not least of these reminders was my ‘Pingandy Road Experience’ in 2002, and it does me well to reflect on it from time to time. I joined a group to drive the length of Pingandy Road in Western Australia – a track not even shown on most maps which runs from Mount Augustus across country to the back of Tom Price. Our group was led by a man who had not been that way before, and my impression was that he was taking the trip a bit too lightly. I did not! I hunted everywhere until I found maps of the region that
showed enough detail to identify the route. I phoned around local councils until I found the person responsible for the maintenance of the track, and asked when he had last graded it, and what to expect. Our leader recognised it was a rough and rocky road, and encouraged us to make sure we had two spare tyres with us in case of multiple punctures. I also recognised the risk, and decided to take three spares! On the night before we set off, we were sitting around the campfire at Mount Augustus, and we prayed together that we would be looked after on the road ahead. Or, I confess, they prayed! I was pretty confident that I had matters in hand, because I had the best prepared vehicle, the best maps, and the best information. God dealt with me on that road! As the day wore on, the group was pleasantly surprised by how easy the driving was, and it looked like we would make it through without a problem. But not me. In the course of just a few hours, I had puncture after puncture, until I finally stopped beside the road with a flat tyre ... and no spares left. Could anyone possibly have four punctures in a day? And could they do it on a day when no other vehicle in the convoy had any problems whatsoever? We were blessed – we were surrounded by a group of friends who looked after us and found
a way to get me and my vehicle through that section, and we limped into Tom Price to find a dealership to replace my faulty tyres. I was also blessed because I knew that, through the experience, God was telling me that I ought not rely on my own ability to handle every problem, but rather seek Him in everything I do. Not, mind you, that being prepared is bad; but my reliance on God needs to be greater. The parable of the rich fool in Luke 12 comes to mind. I was pleased to escape my ‘Pingandy Road Experience’ with my soul intact, even though my ego was rather dinted. As servants of the King, some of us need constant reminding – this is His work, His plan and the outcomes are in His hands. We are servants and we travel this road at His direction. I am reminding myself of this as I set out in 2016. I trust it’s a helpful reminder to some of you as well. Phillip McCallum is the Director of Administrative Services at Queensland Baptists and worships at Kruger Parade Baptist Church. Printed with permission and first published in The qb, February 2016, www.qb.org.au
9
feature MAY 2016
I thought I had a plan, until …
Sally Pim
Sally Pim, Sarah French, Alex Winning and Braden Fildes preparing to go to northern Western Australia.
Photo: Paulo
to develop their own distinctive ways of following Jesus. By God’s grace I now have the opportunity to be a part of this work. Early next year, once I have raised my support, and finished my ministry degree at Vose Seminary, I will be moving to Lichinga with Global Interaction. I will be involved in building relationships with local Yawo women to see them know the love of God, sharing the hope I have found in Christ that has freed me from my fear. This was definitely not the plan I would have chosen. It’s been a long journey, and at times a hard one as I consider the implications of entering into long-term mission as a young single woman. But I am on a journey of discovering God’s plan for me. As I continue on this journey I am reminded of God’s promise that He has a plan for us, and that as we become open to the possibility of His plan, God will open up opportunities for us to enter into the work He is doing in this world. I will be joined on the trip in the North West this July with Alex Winning, Braden Fildes and Sarah French. Each has a passion for knowing Jesus and making Him known. As we visit beautiful places like Newman, Tom Price, Port Hedland and Karratha, we will be hosting an event focusing on Global Interaction’s vision, involving worship, entertainment and sharing. As we continue on our own journeys of discovering God’s plans for us, we will be asking the question: “Where are you at on your own journey?”
Photo: Owen Price
The team are looking forward to sharing with
Sally Pim learning how to make the
churches in northern Western Australia.
Mozambican local food.
For more details or to request a visit while the team are up North, email sally@rivo.org.au You can join Sally’s journey to Mozambique by visiting www. globalinteraction.org.au/sally
Photo: Sally Pim
Now I’m planning to go on a three week road trip across North Western Australia engaging churches in the vision I share with Global Interaction to see growing, vibrant faith communities emerge amongst least reached people groups. This forms part of my plan as I prepare to leave Perth and move to Mozambique to be a part of the work that God is doing amongst the Yawo people there. How did a girl with big plans to be a successful actress, turn to this? It all changed when I was in my final years of high school. Anxiety and fear set in and I began to lose hope of what my future could look like. The fear trapped me for a long time, and to avoid this feeling I would stay at home, seeking out the comfort of control and staying away from anything that could see me not being in full control. It was in this time, experiencing great weakness, that I turned to God and discovered the hope Christ brings. He challenged me in my walk of faith and also that perhaps the plans that I had set up for myself, were not the plans God had for me. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are God’s handiwork, and that we are created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God has prepared in advance for us to do. This verse shows me that the things we involve ourselves in – based on who we are in Christ – allow us to rejoice in what God does in our lives and in the lives of others. I didn’t know what it was that God had planned for me, but I chose to follow Him and trust Him with my anxiety anyway. As I did, my own plans began to crumble around me. When I was asked to join a Global Xposure trip in 2012 to Mozambique and Malawi, I agreed to go, though rather apprehensively. As I spent time in another country experiencing another culture, the work Global Interaction was involved in resonated with me. I wanted to join God in seeing the Yawo community empowered
Photo: Owen Price
Ever since I was a young girl I wanted to be an actress. I would hold one-woman shows in my living room where my family were invited to watch me (for a 50 cent fee) perform my heart out.
Massangulo Mountain in Niassa, Mozambique – the area Sally Pim is planning to live.
10 news MAY 2016
Party to share the gospel “Hello, I’m Josh and this is Dan. We live in your street and just thought we would take the opportunity to introduce ourselves … We are also looking to get a street party going and would like to introduce you to Jesus … have you met Him?”, is how recent Law graduate Josh described how they went about introducing themselves to their neighbours. “I remember knocking on that last door, hoping no one was home,” Josh said. “A well-built young Chinese man, Max, answered the door and invited us inside.” “Immediately he asked me what my message was and whether he should gather all his housemates together.” “They would not come downstairs, so he told us not to worry because if we told him the
message he would share it with them for us.” The duo proceeded to outline the gospel using the prodigal son story, then they prayed with Max. He believed in Jesus. They immediately trained him in how to share the gospel and asked him who he could share it with. Two days later they met with Max again and he brought along a friend who he had already introduced to Jesus. “The strange thing for me was that this was normal for Max – he had no fear or Christian cultural norms preventing him from sharing as he didn’t know any different!” Josh said. The group followed a simple Discovery Bible Study method according to the Training for Trainers paradigm, which trains every believer in how to multiply and plant churches.
Photo: Angus Pither
Melbourne students Josh, 24, and Dan, 20, from the Monash University Christian Union recently decided it was time to introduce Jesus to people living in their own street.
Neighbours gather for the ‘Party for Jesus’ where university friends Josh and Max introduced them to Jesus.
Although the street party did not eventuate, in March 2016 Josh and Max got together to host a ‘Party for Jesus’. They invited over 100 people and told them they could invite their friends. “We had speeches for Jesus and people got a chance to hear
about the kind of guy Jesus is and meet some of His family,” Josh said. In the last month two new believers from this network have chosen to follow Jesus. One was baptised at Easter. “We often don’t realise that the gospel changes you as much
Henna tells the gospel
Followers of Jesus are engaging Muslim and Hindu women by using henna designs that tell the stories of the Old Testament prophets and detail the truth about Jesus. At a recent gathering of women in a coffee shop in Southeast Asia, a group of women who are all engaging with Muslim women in their communities had their first lesson of drawing designs on their hands and arms, practising the elements of God’s story as they drew. Part of a worldwide movement, Henna Stories aim is to engage women with the truths of the gospel. Each group has adapted motifs and narrative to fit their local area. As well as women, children are also engaging in this unique form of storytelling, practising to draw the motifs and tell stories as they draw. “We’ve been working with a group of young children around our village,” one woman said.*
international briefs
“We even have a design that looks like a gecko and tells the story of Jesus being the one who can save us.” For more information, visit www.hennastories.org * Name has been withheld for security reasons.
Kenyan honour
Easter bombing
Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta has posthumously honoured Salah Farah, a Muslim teacher, for his act of courage when he shielded Christians on a bus after Islamic extremists attacked them in Kenya last December. The terrorists killed two people and wounded four others before ordering the Muslim passengers to separate themselves from the Christians, but the Muslims on board refused to comply. “We asked them to kill all of us or leave us alone,” Farah recalled to the BBC. To protect the Christians, Muslim passengers gave them their religious attire to wear on the bus so that they would not be identified easily.
At least seven Baptists died in a bombing that killed more than 70 people on Easter Sunday, 27 March, in the city of Lahore in Pakistan. According to a Baptist World Alliance source in Lahore, 74 people, 54 of them Christians, were among those killed by a Taliban suicide bomber at a park where Christians were celebrating after attending Easter Sunday services in their respective congregations. A total of 39 children died, two of whom were Baptists. Pakistan, a predominantly Muslim country with a population of almost 200 million, has just over two million Christians.
New opportunities for Syria
Photo: Jill Birt
For generations Muslim and Hindu women have celebrated life and beauty with henna designs on their arms and legs.
“Initially we went too fast and they couldn’t remember the story, but now they are doing amazing things.” Seven of the children shared the story of their henna design with 65 people in one week. “I am working closely with my national partner and together we’re developing motifs and designs that are engaging women and children,” the woman said.
Temporary henna designs are giving Christians the opportunity to have engaging conversations with women as they explain the good news.
as the person you share with,” Josh said. “Don’t be afraid to step out in faith, try something new and fail.” “The real problem is when we settle for the good at the expense of the great!”
World Watch Monitor reports of an estimated population of 17 million in Syria, 11 million have either left the country or been internally displaced by the five year civil war. About 4.5 million have left Syria, but for many of those remaining there are new opportunities – in both business and in living out their faith. Some enterprising Syrians are in churches which are creating work and opportunities for those in the wartorn country. Church leaders and others are adapting to the growing interest in Christianity of former Muslims in Syria and neighbouring Lebanon, where new former-Muslim believers can at times outnumber long-term church goers.
Iranian growth Christianity is spreading swiftly inside Iran despite a government crackdown against house churches. A London-based organisation that trains Iranian Christians reported that hundreds of thousands of new Christians – former Muslims – are worshipping secretly in a rapidly accelerating house church movement inside the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Christian Post reported that a source affiliated with the Pars Theological Centre said the rapid church growth will eventually change Iranian society. “This is not a political movement at all, but it will have political implications because it is touching the core foundations of society. This is battling prostitution and drug addiction … you have to develop the values of the grassroots,” the source said.
news 11 MAY 2016
Pray through Ramadan
Jill Birt
Photo: Jill Birt
The 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World is a prayer focus which coincides yearly with Ramadan, an important month of fasting and religious observance for Muslims.
Muslims around the world will fast from sunrise to sunset for the season of Ramadan from early June to early July to fulfil the requirements of Islam.
Sacrifice in serving
Christians worldwide are making an intentional but respectful effort during Ramadan this year, 6 June to 6 July, to learn about, pray for and reach out to Muslim neighbours. David Garrison, author of A Wind in the House of Islam has years of experience working among Muslim people. “We are in the midst of the greatest turning of Muslims to Christ in 14 centuries of MuslimChristian interaction,” David said. “More than 80 percent of all the Muslim movements to Christ in history have occurred in the past two to three decades, a time period that coincides with the modern prayer movement for Muslims.” “At the heart of this modern prayer movement is 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World.”
Photo: Jill Birt
In every case, persevering, persistent prayer has formed the foundation, scaffolding and superstructure of these new ‘houses’ which God is building. National worker Em chats with a neighbour outside her home in the area where about 400,000 people of an unreached people group live in Southeast Asia.
Em is 33. She has been married to Rick for eight years and has two young children. They live in a rural town among an unreached people group in Southeast Asia. Em suffers with an undiagnosed medical condition that causes her severe chest pain. It takes days to recover her strength after an attack. One of her children suffers with decreased mental development from seizures following a recurring bout of malaria. This is Em’s daily life experience as she and Rick strive to learn a new language and understand a different
culture within their own nation. She is growing to love her neighbours and help meet needs in the community. Together they are praying to find the people of peace who will open doors into the community so that many people can meet Jesus. Em and Rick depend on the prayers of God’s people for perseverance and faith. They look to God to meet their needs. Name has been withheld for security reasons.
The 30 Days Prayer movement helps Christians look beyond the fear, ignorance and even anger incited by limited reporting by some global media outlets to focus on specific groups of people, learn about them, and respond and pray with Christ’s heart for these families and nations. Australian author and researcher Dr Stuart Robinson is convinced of the place of prayer with the burgeoning number of Muslims becoming followers of Jesus. “There are reportedly 69 movements in 29 Islamic nations in which Muslims are becoming followers of Jesus. It is estimated that between two and seven million new believers are involved,” Stuart said. “In every case, persevering, persistent prayer has formed the foundation, scaffolding and superstructure of these new ‘houses’ which God is building. To think that it could happen otherwise would be like expecting a bird to fly without wings!” he said. One way Christians around the world can pray is for God to reveal Himself to Muslims who are consciously seeking to know God and are open to hear from Him during the fasting month of Ramadan. Resources to help individuals, families and churches pray for the Muslim world during Ramadan are available at www.30daysprayer.com. Prayer guides for children and adults are available through Koorong Books.
12 in conversation MAY 2016
More than wins and losses How did you become the Perth Wildcats CEO and did you know much about basketball prior to commencing the role? I was a management consultant for about ten years in Melbourne and a series of events led me to Perth and becoming a corporate partner of the Wildcats 11 years ago. When Jack Bendat purchased the club another series of events led to me being offered the job of CEO. It was primarily to manage the club’s financial turn around and I had the opportunity to take over the entire operations in 2009. I didn’t really know much about basketball when I took the job, but I spent a year as an assistant coach with Lakeside Lightning just to learn more so that I could do my job better – I think this has paid dividends.
you are not performing or can’t really change the result. Your faith is the constant – belief there is something bigger than all of this and someone bigger than all of this. It is really important in any job, but particularly in a job that can have very large highs and very large lows. Your faith is important, it provides meaning and purpose and direction in what we do. There is a very strong battle for faith and how that is represented. An obligation for all Christians is to live their faith, and share the reason for their faith and lifestyle with those around them. Sometimes you have to make difficult decisions in the workplace, but I try to make sure that my faith is not compromised by what I do at work.
one of the most remarkable people in the organisation. He probably spends his entire time with us in the shadows of the organisation. He has always been there for the club and really only rises or is given prominence when we hit difficult times. We have had the unfortunate predicament of one of our staff members passing away and Philip really played a very important part in helping the entire organisation come to terms with what happened and work through it. With Phillip’s leadership, for the first time in basketball we have had a chapel at Perth Arena for Wildcats and visiting athletes to use. It has been used which is great. Philip has been a longstanding servant of the faith for us and something I am very grateful for.
The Perth Wildcats are one of the premier sporting clubs in Australia with sustained success stretching 30 years (including their recent 7th NBL Championship). Why do you think the club has been so successful and how has it maintained this high level of sustained excellence? Looking back, before my time with the likes of Kerry Stokes and Andrew Vlahov the club has always been quite focused on success. Over the last ten years it has been about holding individuals accountable across the whole organisation and not accepting mediocrity. There is a great focus on hard work and getting better every day. They are the philosophies that we aspire to. We think we have this obligation and privilege to represent the city and the state in the sport that we love. I think it is that strong focus on performance that has resulted in such a good record of success.
What has been the biggest challenge during your time as Wildcats CEO? The biggest challenge has been to try and explain our role in what we do in this organisation and take the focus away from winning and losing and make it a more holistic view about our ability to change lives and inspire people around us, especially those around us that are less fortunate. This has been difficult but it has been a passionate pursuit of my entire existence here, and it is slowly paying off. People in this organisation are seeing that we are very fortunate, that we have been gifted as athletes or administrators, and we have this currency called basketball that we can use to inspire those around us and maybe entertain a few people while we are at it.
What does success look like for you? Does it extend beyond profitability and winning championships? Everyone measures success differently, my directors and owners probably measure the success of the club in a very different way to myself. I always say if you can make a difference in someone’s life, particularly for the better, give hope and assurance, help others aspire for excellence than we have already succeeded. Success is not a goal, I think success needs to be a lifestyle or a daily pursuit and getting better everyday. Finding more meaning, family and faith are the things that I think are the most important in my life. You really don’t know if you succeed or not until the time when we are all held accountable for our lives. Until then it is a daily pursuit of trying to get better.
How do you balance your very busy professional life while ensuring you have enough family time? I’ve always believed it is quantity time at home and quality time at work, so I try to spend as much time with my family. Everyone is up by about 6am and we usually go to church in the morning, so I spend an hour or two with them before work and I usually get home by 5.30pm. If I have work to do I jump back on the computer when they are asleep. I try to make every minute at work quality time so I can spend more time with the family. How has your faith impacted on your professional career and the Wildcats and Lynx culture you have helped build? In this role there are a lot of dark times where you feel like
What are your personal future ambitions? My personal ambitions are to be a better father and husband, and make sure I don’t lose sight of that. This is my primary role and ambition, if I can have a meaningful life, provide my children with purpose, meaning, context of who they are, and show them what they can achieve and the difference they can make, particularly in light of their faith. Work is an opportunity to do good and to make a difference, but it is not the primary purpose of my existence. Baptist Churches Western Australia Pastor Philip Bryant is team Chaplain to the Wildcats – what does Philip’s role entail and what impact does he have on the players? Philip has been at the Wildcats a lot longer than I have and he is
How do you deal with losing and also the occasional public criticism of the club or you personally? I’ve never been one to worry about wins and losses. I’ve told every coach that has worked with me that I don’t really care about wins and losses. I do care about effort, our execution and preparation and how we pursue our roles. I love criticism whether it is constructive, harsh, unrealistic or ruthless. I’ve always said to those around me that criticism is really good and provides the opportunity for us to be humble. Wisdom comes to the meek so it is good when people give you feedback in all forms and we take it seriously. The Wildcats and Lynx are very community focused and players spend significant time giving
Photo: Perth Wildcats
Nick Marvin is CEO and managing director of the Perth Wildcats and Perth Lynx professional basketball teams. The Advocate caught up with Nick to discuss his role and the impact the teams have in the community. Nick has been married to Leigh for almost 20 years, they have six children and attend Victoria Park Catholic Church.
Perth Wildcats and Perth Lynx CEO Nick Marvin shares how he balances work, faith, family and life.
back to the community in the form of coaching clinics, school, prison and hospital visits and public appearances. How has this culture within the club been developed? In 2009 we did only 12 school visits and the club really was at a crossroads. It was a great opportunity to start from scratch and I wrote down a simple mission statement on a whiteboard. I said we exist to inspire and to entertain through excellence. We set a goal of doing 100 school visits in the off-season and then we increased that to 200 and then 300. We have reached a point now where the male athletes do about 300 school visits a year and another 300 with the female athletes. In addition to this, we have our InspireRed program where we go into some of the more disadvantaged schools and do an intensive program of role modelling and incentive based leadership. It has had some really great results with literacy, numeracy and truancy.
Many athletes from other sports are often in the media for the wrong reasons due to misbehaving or getting in trouble with the law. You never see or hear of Wildcats players behaving like this. Why do you think this is, does it come down to the strong Wildcats culture and values? We are all frail and weak, we all make mistakes so I wouldn’t separate us from anyone else and take any moral high ground. We are just fortunate that none of us in this organisation have fallen or made a mistake, but I think a lot of it is just being very fortunate. The way we select our employees on and off the court may have something to do with it, but I still maintain that whilst we all aspire to do good we all fail. It is hard to judge those around us and their mistakes because they are so public and you don’t see the context of their mistakes – all we can hope for is that when you do make a mistake that you can turn your life around as quick as you can.
leadership 13 MAY 2016
I’d love to read more … but! – Part 2
Dave Kraft
Last month we shared the first two suggestions from a list of seven things that you can do to build the habit of reading more. This month Dave Kraft will share the remaining five things he has identified.
Build the habit with a set routine Not all routines are bad (one of the lies of the enemy). Find the time of day and days of the week that will work best for you and build a consistent habit to read at those times. Shut down your computer and turn off your iPad or phone so you are not distracted. Find a place that can be your reading place. Don’t try and read where you normally work. If you were to faithfully and consistently read just 20 to 30 minutes a day, consistently, you could finish two 250 to 300 page books every month. I know it works, for I have been doing this for quite a few years. During your lunch hour, early in the morning or just before bed are times that have worked for lots of people. Start with the Bible Why not start with consistent Bible reading. Don’t read other books and neglect your Bible. There are dozens of Bible reading plans out there to pick from. Don’t read the Bible so you can say you read your Bible regularly. Read it because you want to hear from
Jesus, build a thoughtful theology, gain perspective, develop courage, preach the gospel to yourself every day, be reminded of how much He loves and cares for you and has a plan and purpose for your life, build an intimate relationship with Him. Get recommendations on books to read I have leaders whom I deeply respect and admire. Some are friends or co-workers and some are authors. I always have a keen eye open for books they recommend. I also have six to ten favourite authors and read anything they write. Ask some of your co-workers or leaders you know what they have been reading recently and get some top-notch recommendations. I generally don’t read what is on the best sellers’ list or what everyone else may be reading. I have to be motivated. I read what I am pretty sure I will enjoy and profit from. When I am reading a magazine article, I always have an eye open for a book that is referenced or highly
recommended and, in a couple of minutes, it’s on my iPad. I made the shift from paper to electronic about six years ago (but that is a topic for a future article … maybe). Don’t read primarily for entertainment, but for growth I mostly read to learn and grow as a leader. It is not that I never read something for the pure joy of reading, but the bulk of my reading diet is nonfiction. I love to read business books (just finished the story of In-NOut Burger), sports related books (read the story of Duke’s Coach K and Pat Summit of Tennessee’s Lady Vols). But most of my reading is centred on the church and on church leadership as that is where I work and spend lots of my time. I want to honour Him better in the way I do the work He assigns me. Suffice to say, you will be more motivated (as you probably were not in school) to read if there is a good reason to read what you read. Follow your hobbies, your interests and your passions as you choose your books. Start today … don’t wait The biggest waste of time is the waste of time in getting started. Used with permission from Dave Kraft, www.davekraft.org
Sue Ash
Current news I’ve been reading has been dominated by Syria, Turkey, the Royal Commission and Tax Reform. The social media reaction is more extreme. “Let them stay”, hypocrisy of Church leaders, and ‘lifters’ and ‘leaners’. What does it mean for followers of Jesus to lead into this environment? What does leading into the future look like? The future reality is emerging. Australia is no longer a predominately Christian community. The relationship between the church, the community and the State has changed. The foundation values and institutions of the country, including the legal code, tax distribution and support and relationships between citizens, is becoming less influenced by Christian values and beliefs.
What does this mean? It is increasingly likely that the laws of Australia will diverge from laws consistent with Christian values. Financial support by the State for the Church, particularly through tax concessions for fringe benefits, land tax relief and support is likely to diminish, or even come to an end. The community will have ambivalent views of the people who follow Jesus. Unfortunately, as a result of past activities in most church institutions, Catholic and Protestant, an increasing number of people view all ‘the church’ as unsafe.
Reading Acts it is clear that the Church has been in this situation before. In Christ, the church has the strength and capacity to deal with these issues. Leading in the future will need to focus on the basics. We need to be deeply connected to one another as individuals and as community. A community of obedient, growing believers is a critical. We need to build muscle memory, music memory, scripture memory and stories of God’s provision to encourage a base for faith. Learning to do this in an environment of digital disruption where there is constant change, easy access to resources, including electronic scriptures, YouTube and apps for communication is a leadership challenge. Resources will be different. If there is no fringe benefit
tax exemption, congregations and the wider church could be working with 30 to 50 percent less resources. We need to be focussed on what we are here for. If our identity and purpose is too confused, too complex, then when times become difficult, we won’t have the framework to make the tough choices and to work through the pressures of being a minority in the community in which we are a part. Jesus said: ‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” [Matthew 28:18b-20]
Photo: UnitingCare West
Looking forward in leadership
Sue Ash is a member of the Riverton Baptist Community Church and CEO of UnitingCare West.
14 news MAY 2016
Bigger things ahead for Mel
98five Music Director Chela Williams
Editor: Managing Editor: Subeditor: Production: Creative: Advertising: Distribution: Editorial deadline:
Matt Chapman Andrew Sculthorpe Maclain Bruce Vanessa Klomp Peter Ion Catherine Bartlett Sally Phu Sally Phu 5th of each month
created with a purpose to produce music that would have a broader appeal and a clear message. It was Mel’s desire for Neolight to cause listeners to open up for deeper faith conversations. “My latest release Faithful (2016) on the other hand is without question a Christian pop [and] worship album,” Mel said. “An album that I hope will have people dancing in celebration and thankfulness to God as well as falling to their knees in worship of Jesus.”
Miracles from heaven
For more information, visit www.98five.com/latest-music
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Mel Crothers passion for ministry was ignited at WAAPA.
Photo: Sony Pictures
“I was in my first theatre production at the age of four and attended dance classes throughout my childhood,” Mel said. “I loved performing and could think of nothing better than making career of it, so studying musical theatre at WAAPA was the most logical next step.” Unexpectedly, Mel’s time at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) only made her faith grow and directed the performer to utilise her gifts for a greater purpose. “Neolife Ministries was established by my husband Daron and I in 2010,” Mel explained. “Both being musicians it was only natural that the initial focus of the ministry was sharing the gospel through music and worship but as God broadened our call as a couple, the vision quickly grew to include church planting and the mobilisation of church planting leaders around the world.” Mel’s current single ‘Bigger’ is being heard right around the country and is taken from her second album Faithful. “I wrote ‘Bigger’ as a declaration and reminder to never forget that despite what we might see, God is still in control and He wants us to be living our lives with His perspective and for His glory,” Mel said. The songwriter’s debut release Neolight (2011) was
Photo: Joshua Fernandes Photography
Performance is deeply weaved in homegrown singer and songwriter Mel Crothers’ DNA. As well as a Compassion ambassador and Neolife Ministries’ cofounder, Mel wants nothing more than to see the local church multiply and released to worship Jesus wholeheartedly.
Jennifer Garner stars with Martin Henderson in Miracles from Heaven, based on the true story of Annabel Beam and her amazing recovery from a chronic disease.
Miracles from Heaven, a movie based on the true story of the Beam family, was released in cinemas throughout Australia on 17 March. Show business magazine Variety reported it was the most viewed faith-based movie trailer of all time, while the film grossed US$1.9 million on its first day, finishing second at the box office. Starring Golden Globe winner Jennifer Garner as Christy, the film follows her pursuit to find a cure for her ten year old daughter Anna after receiving the news that she has a rare, incurable digestive disorder. Medical specialists were baffled when the symptoms
of Anna’s chronic disease disappeared after a falling three stories headfirst into an old, hollowed-out tree – a fall that could have caused death or paralysis. Miracles from Heaven has a talented cast joining Jennifer Garner, including child actress
Kylie Rogers (Space Station 76) as Anna , Martin Henderson (Grey’s Anatomy, Secrets and Lies) as Christy’s husband and Queen Latifah (22 Jump Street and the Ice Age series) as a waitress that befriends Anna and her family at the hospital.
intermission 15 MAY 2016
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A minute with ...
Photo: Than Htaik
Princess Cut
Myanmar Baptist Church Assistant Pastor Cung Lal What led you to this role? I basically grew up in and with this church. I have always been involved in the heart of it and now I am Assistant Pastor. I think to myself I am still doing this with the same passion as ten years ago but only a little better now. Where is the church located and what time are services held? Our church is at 200 Crimea Street, Noranda. The Sunday service starts at 1pm, followed by a time of fellowship, usually with tea and coffee. Sometimes (once a month) we have a big lunch. How and when did the church start? The church started with a couple of God-loving Burmese people around 2001. Who makes up the ministry team? Two pastors, three advisors, 11 Management Committee members (leadership team). What is a feature of your church or ministry you’d like to share? We love our time together after each service. This is the time we chat about life and really get to know each other more. What is a key scripture that motivates you in life? ‘… yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.’ [1 Corinthians 15: 10b] and ‘for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil his good purpose.’ [Philippians 2: 13] A final thought … All glory to God!
listen Holy Bible NIV: Read by David Suchet ‘Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.’ [Romans 10:17] There are many reasons to get the Bible in an audio format – maybe you just want to hear the word spoken, maybe you drive for hours and don’t get as much time to read as you would like, or maybe your eyesight is not what it used to be. If you have never considered getting the Bible in an audio format previously, try out the version read by David Suchet. Though it is not dramatised let David carry you into the Word of God with his excellent expression, read with passion for the Lord and an understanding of how to present His Word well. Build your faith through hearing God’s Word daily and develop a new love for the Lord and His Word.
Have it All: Live at Bethel Church
This voucher entitles you to 15% off your next purchase in store at Mount Lawley The Advocate – May 2016
Reviews by Koorong Mount Lawley Assistant Manager Dorothy Waddingham
The Princess Cut is an award-winning romantic drama about spirited heroine, Grace Anderson, who initially is caught up chasing her prince charming fairy tale. She longs for a man that she can marry and spend the rest of her life with, and live ‘happily ever after’. The film follows Grace’s journey through the ups and downs of romantic relationships and along the way discovering truths about love, which viewers can apply to their own lives. But her hopes are dashed as the men in her life have little or no respect for her. This is the catalyst for her quest, with her Dad’s help, to understand what it means to truly love another person. This movie presents the true meaning of a Godbased relationship and is good viewing for any single women or fathers who have daughters starting dating.
Website: www.koorong.com Address: 434 Lord Street, Mount Lawley Phone: 08 9427 9777
Have it All was recorded live at during Bethel Church weekend services and is another amazing praise and worship album from Bethel. With both structured songs and spontaneous worship sessions this album will bring listeners gently and confidently into the presence of God. The sculpture of the heart on the album cover can be a reminder that God wants our whole heart and the worship a prompt to offer it to Him once again. There are two discs filled with simple songs and powerful lyrics to bring listeners back to the feet of the Lord God who has loved us, shown us mercy and grace, and desires us more than life. Prepare for the Spirit of God to move in and through you as you surrender to His Lordship of your heart.
16 news MAY 2016
Elka’s grateful life Elka Whalan (nee Graham) is a dual Olympian having represented Australia in swimming at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and 2004 Athens Olympics. Elka is also an Ambassador for the National Day of Thanks – celebrated on the last Saturday in May every year. Elka shares her thoughts on being thankful.
I choose not to be a victim of life but take every opportunity to give thanks for everyone in my life and those whose lives I am privileged to be a part of.
For more information, visit www.austhanks.org.au
Photo: Bradley Patrick
change and positive opening in your world. As we bring awareness to the National Day of Thanks, take the opportunity to write a letter to someone, or send an email or text, or leave a voicemail and say ‘thank you’ for a moment they saw light in you and believed in you when you needed it.
Olympic swimming champion and National Day of Thanks Ambassador, Elka Whalan.
Golfer preaches on 18th hole Christian AmericanAustralian professional golfer Aaron Baddeley was given the opportunity to deliver the sermon for a sunrise service on the final day of the 2016 RBC Heritage golf tournament in April. Baddeley won his first Professional Golfers’ Association tour title at the Heritage tournament ten years ago. It was also the day of his first sunrise sermon held at the home of the tournament, Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
A few hundred people listened to him speak about faith and golf at the service held on the 18th green. Baddley said that faith in God has brought him peace, despite career struggles. “Even though I didn’t make enough points to keep my full-time job last year, I had a complete peace in my heart. I’d gone from being anxious and worried about losing my card to actually losing my tour card, to being at complete peace about it,” Baddeley said. “Doesn’t make sense, right? It does, if you have faith, which brings a ‘peace that surpasses all understanding’. That’s what he counts on now, not wins or losses, comebacks or long, painful falls.” “We don’t always know it or feel it, but God’s plans are good,” he said.
Photo: Tony Bowler / Shutterstock.com
No matter what religion or relationship people have with something ‘higher’ than themselves, a common thread is always ‘love and gratitude’. I have learnt over the years that the more I am grateful for, the better life is. I’ve always referred to that philosophy: ‘Are you a glass half full or half empty person?’ I see many people with their cup overflowing and others who won’t even acknowledge there is a cup! Being grateful has allowed me to be so thankful in my life for all that comes my way, especially in the hardest and toughest of times. There are so many private moments I have walked through behind closed doors and God has always been there for me as a source of comfort, guidance and reassurance. It humbles me when I read ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’. [Philippians 4: 13, New King James Version] I am thankful every night we have a roof over our heads. I often think in the winter months as it teems down with the rain of the homeless people, how chest infections and pneumonia could strike and they are unable to access antibiotics. How many have lost all hope and dreams. The National Day of Thanks is on the last Saturday in May and it’s so exciting to be an ambassador for something I do believe I live out. I am thankful for all that is currently in my world, for the people and moments that are yet to come and the way in which I realise how waking each morning is a gift; that both my legs work for me to stand-up out of my bed and my lungs inhale and exhale for me to breathe. I choose not to be a victim of life but take every opportunity to give thanks for everyone in my life and those whose lives I am privileged to be a part of. Recently, we took our children to America and purposefully visited downtown Los Angeles to show them real people doing it tough. They saw with their own eyes exactly why we tell them it’s so important to be thankful that we have a house to live in and even at the age of five and four, they saw that life is not to be taken for granted. What are you thankful for in 2016? What excites you to bless someone or encourage someone? Lift them up! Be a cheerleader and thank someone for making a
Aaron Baddeley preached to fellow golfers ten years after his RBC Heritage win in the US.