Go Mag 2011

2011 magazine

GOLD COAST HEROES SERVING OUR CITY

LADY GAGA, MIRACLE WHIP & MOET

ONCE WERE WARRIORS

STAN WALKER’S STORY

POLITICIANS ARE PEOPLE TOO

PINK HAT PARENTING HOW TO HAVE A

TROUBLE-FREE SHRINK WRAP BUSINESS WHO NEEDS COUNSELLING?

PARTNERSHIP WORKS. “Never underestimate the power of a small but committed group of people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” ~ Margaret Mead

“Partner with us today as we help a wide array of Gold Coasters in need, along with some of the poorest around the world.”

Find out more at:

www.gopartnership.org.au

PARTNERSHIP

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CONTENTS_

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FROM the editors.

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A VISION TO IN[SPIRE].

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LADY GAGA, MIRACLE WHIP & MOET.

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GOLD COAST HEROES.

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SHRINK WRAP.

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HOW TO HAVE A TROUBLE-FREE BUSINESS.

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ONCE WERE WARRIORS.

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slum dogs/desert rats.

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2011 AT A GLANCE.

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for the ladies.

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pINK HAT Parenting.

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POLITICIANS ARE PEOPLE TOO.

our senior pastors say howdy

PRODUCT PLACEMENT IN POP MUSIC COLLIDES WITH CHURCH HISTORY

WHO NEEDS COUNSELLING?

KASEY MAC INTERVIEWS STAN WALKER’S PARENTS OUR COMPREHENSIVE CALENDAR FOR THE YEAR

THE LATEST ON OUR ICONIC FACILTY DEVELOPMENT PLANS THE VOLUNTEERS SERVING OUR CITY

the inimitable wazza bray

on the ground in the world’s biggest rubbish dump connecting & serving in 2011

TAKING PARENTING TIPS FROM POPSTAR, PINK

say hello to our leading faces

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CREDITS_ Editor-In-Chief & Metro Pastor_ Garry Mac // Editorial Contributions_ Kasey Mac, Katrina Meade, Leah Fineran, Wazza Bray // Proofing_ Jordan & Katrina Meade, Janine Palmer, Madeleine Worth, Petrina Tuppen // Creative Direction & Layout_ Bel & Dodge Pangburn // Photography_ Bel Pangburn No part of the publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without prior permission. Copyright METRO Church 2011.

Phone_ 1800 008 375 Post_ PO Box 7244, Southport Park, Qld 4215, AUSTRALIA Online_ www.metro.org.au Email_ info@metro.org.au ADDRESS_ 116 Ridgeway Avenue, Southport, Qld 4215 Service times_ Sundays 10am & 4pm, Wednesdays (MOJO Service) 6:30pm

EDITORS’ NOTE_

FROM THE EDITORS_ Welcome to GO magazine, the in-

house magazine of METRO Church. GO is distributed directly through METRO Church services and special events with a readership of around 10,000 Gold Coasters. This outstanding issue includes a great range of brilliant articles by our gifted team of writers, all of which convey that very special ‘community spirit’ and ‘passion for people’ which are at the heart and soul of METRO Church.

METRO turns a BIG ‘5 years old’ in 2011. Our early formative years have been a wonderful season of fun and activity as an amazing ensemble of low maintenance Gold Coasters rolled up their sleeves to lay the foundations of what has become one of the city’s great church congregations.

Throughout 2011 it is our aim to consolidate all that wonderful foundational work in order to build strongly upon it for the future. Our theme is the ‘Year of Excellence’ and we will be endeavouring to refine all of our unique initiatives for greater effectiveness. Be encouraged to take this theme into your own life and home this year. Imbibe ‘the Spirit of Excellence’ that is part of the culture at METRO and unleash more and more of your latent potential.

you to a FREE cuppa after any of our services.

GO Magazine will let you know everything about METRO Church and how you can get involved if you want to. Church is ultimately a big family and you are genuinely more than WELCOME... HOME! If you have received GO Magazine in the mail or are viewing it online please feel free to stay in touch with us via our FREE weekly online TV show, METRO TV, and also our FREE ‘in the loop’ e-newsletter. You can subscribe for both online at metro.org.au or by phoning 1800 008 375. Make sure you come and VISIT us in person REAL SOON!

- It is never a waste of time to sharpen the axe – commit time and energy to training.

The centrefold of GO is a 2011 calendar outlining all our METRO activities for easy reference. Kasey and I want to encourage you to stay ‘consistently connected’ with your church family throughout this great year. We have prayerfully planned a year of excellent ministry which we believe will add incredible value to your world. So plug in and make a quality decision to draw the very best out of every second of 2011.

- If you don’t measure it, it won’t count – hold everything to account without fail.

All things are possible with God and all things are possible for the one who believes.

- Failing to plan is planning to fail – know exactly where you are going and how you plan to get there.

Garry & Kasey Mac METRO Senior Pastors

Here are a few simple tips on ‘Excellence’ that we will be exercising this year in particular:

- Being a big fish in a small pond makes you a small fish – get out of your little world and rub shoulders with bigger people and bigger things.

Stretch your thinking. Grow through purposeful exposure.

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Put garbage in and you get garbage out - treat your body, your close family and close friends with respect and ultimately the rest of your life will flow a whole lot easier.

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Integrity costs in the short term but pays off in the long run – keep your word, own your mistakes and stay determined to err on the side of mercy and grace always.

The ‘pursuit’ of excellence never really comes to an end for those with the true spirit of excellence but in 2011 we are fully committed to the process, so why not join us in the chase?

If you have received GO Magazine as a visitor at METRO Church then let us say how much we appreciate having you with us at our church. We would love to get to know you a little better so PLEASE stop by our welcome lounge and we’ll shout

WHERE & WHEN?

116 Ridgeway Ave, Southport Sunday services: 10am & 4pm Wednesday Mojo service: 6:30pm

CONTRIBS_

WHO’S WHO IN THE ZOO? Meet the METRO Church Staff team. Call by the METRO offices on any given Monday and you’ll find this crack team hard at work leading in the following areas of ministry. >>

Garry Mac Vision, Leadership

KASEY MAC_

WAZZA BRAY_

LEAH FINERAN_

A lover of tea, marshmallows, the beach, pelicans and numbers rounded to the nearest 10, our lovely METRO Senior Pastor (whose favourite word just happens to be “lovely”) is fun, a little quirky, passionate and outgoing! She is especially passionate to see women who are confident, doing what they were born to do. There is much more to Kasey than her role as the Senior Pastor, she is also a qualified teacher, an accomplished pianist, and the Editor-in-Chief of Enhance Magazine.

A jovial character with lightning wit and global expertise in marketing, there is much more to Wazza Bray than meets the eye! With extensive experience in the business world, he is the co-founder, owner and Managing Director (Asia Pacific) of the international creative company, LMG Digital Media.

He also happens to be a typical Aussie bloke, plays the drums, loves the cricket and footy and firmly believes that food should always be able to be eaten by hand in case you have to leave in a hurry.

As a journalist for News Corporation as well as our local paper, The Gold Coast Bulletin, Leah is no stranger to writing a gripping story! She is a 20-something young thing who adores the Gold Coast, social media and family walks with her staffy at the Southport Broadwater Parklands.

KASEY Mac Womens, Go Partnership JORDAN MEADE Admin, Facilities, Publishing, Events JOSHUA BRADFORD Worship, Video ben peters Youth Sabrina peters Youth BEL PANGBURN Design DODGE PANGBURN Design JOHN MAC Care, Counselling & Connection, Catering, Hospitality

KATRINA MEADE_

BEL PANGBURN_

MARK PAUL_

With a Bachelor in Education, Katrina is also the Assistant Editor of the best women’s magazine around as well as a fulltime mother of two. Katrina feels happiest when consuming a good steak, ice cream, milo, strawberries & cream lollies and chocolate (not simultaneously)!

She just happens to make a killer low fat chocolate cupcake!

Amongst these admirable (and very yummy!) qualities, she’s got quite a way of stringing a few words together, earning her the title of resident wordsmith!

As METRO’s Art Director, the talented Bel knows how to make things pretty! As a professional photographer, Bel has been sticking her lens in people’s faces for 8 years and loving every moment of it.

Constantly in pursuit of ‘that’ shot, she shoots with fresh eyes and a determined mind.

With a background in Fine Art and Design, she brings her gift for composition to every photography project. On top of that she highly prioritises having FUN. And it shows.

Mark Paul is a 30-something husband and father with a career in the building industry, a head full of dreams and dreadlocks, an acoustic guitar and a blank page. He loves technology while simultaneously bemoaning the excesses of modern life.

When asked to describe himself in a few words he responds with “I am Confidently Inept. Painstakingly Chaotic.

Tirelessly Lazy. Flamboyantly Demure. Arrogantly Modest and Gorgeously Unattractive. I, like most other people, am a walking dichotomy”.

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JO MAC Care & Connection, Catering, Hospitality TREVAN DEELEY College, Care Support Andy kirk Kids, Edge, Schools Support DES BROWNE Information Technology RUSSELL BAKER Production

ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES FOR A YEAR ?_

IN TE RN S H IP Invest a year to serve our community and beyond as part of the METRO Church Internship Programme. Applications for the 2011 midyear intake and the 2012 January intake are being considered now. View the prospectus online NOW at metro.org.au or grab a copy from the information desk this Sunday at a METRO Church service.

Here are a few things you should know...

METRO is a great We have some FREE Foundations course church for people who stuff for every visitor is FREE & runs don’t go to church every Sunday and participants get a FREE BIBLE Every single week we welcome visitors at METRO who have NEVER darkened the doorway of a church in their life. Sure we also have plenty of seasoned church-goers joining us for the first time but for those who have never experienced a contemporary church service like METRO we always want to ensure the experience is fun, welcoming and most of all RELAXED. We understand how uncomfortable it can feel in a NEW environment, let alone with a bunch of wildly enthusiastic ‘churchies’. So please be assured there is NO PRESSURE. You can feel free to slip in and out without anyone bothering you if that is your style but please know that we are more than happy to answer any questions you might have or help in any way we can.

There is a virtual tour on our website so you can take a peek at what it’s all like before you come. Also, if you are planning your first visit to METRO you can always take advantage of our concierge service online and arrange to have a car park and seating reserved, along with a host to meet you upon your arrival and show you around. Whatever suits YOU best, you are just welcome.

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First of all we’d just love to shout you a cuppa in our Visitors’ Lounge and get to meet you.

We’d also love to give you a copy of our first music CD ‘We Can Change The World’. If you simply make your way to the Visitors’ Lounge after any service concludes, someone will be waiting to arrange your drink and give you your FREE CD. One of our team will also see if you want to give us your contact details so we can keep you informed of what’s happening in the church but there is no pressure to do that if you would rather not. We’d just love to meet you and hopefully you will enjoy the gifts. It’s our way of saying “Welcome to METRO”.

Our Sunday services runs in two halves with a short intermission. Every week after the intermission, those who are interested head downstairs to take part in FOUNDATIONS course while upstairs the rest of the congregation enjoys the teaching and preaching component of the service.

FOUNDATIONS is a life-changing four week Bible study course for anyone who wants to build their life unshakable and unbreakable on foundational Biblical truths. We are so convinced that this course will help the people of our city that we have a vision to see 50,000 Gold Coasters complete FOUNDATIONS in the next 25 years. Have you done it yet? Why not start this Sunday? You can call now and let us know you are coming on 1800 008 375.

There are A few different ways you can to get to know people at METRO We are a busy church with a growing congregation and although that is a great thing, it can also make it very easy to get lost in the crowd. If you want to build genuine friendships with some quality people at the church there are a few places you can start.

ONE: Find an age specific programme and plug into it. Programmes like Revolution Youth for grades 7 through 12 or EDGE Young Adults for ages 18 to 30ish are a perfect way to get to know people.

TWO: Find a Connect Group that interests you.

These groups are just fun social get-togethers like movies, motor cycle rides, golf or surfing, etc.

You are invited to get to know Garry and Kasey DNA is a six week course which runs Tuesday nights and is built around the vision, mandates and core values of METRO Church.

Pastors Garry and Kasey take the time to present this course personally because it is about the heart of the church and the ‘why?’ behind all that METRO does. Many hundreds of people have reported that this course has been one of the best investments of time they have ever made. Cost is $50 and the course has intakes every six weeks. All notes and supper are provided for the entire six weeks.

We are here to help YOU! Our Pastoral Care & Counselling department are busy every day serving our congregation and the wider Gold Coast community with all kinds of support and connection. If you ever need us we are here for YOU. If we can’t personally help, we will do our best to connect you with someone who can. So don’t be too proud to pick up the phone. We are waiting for your call.

WHERE & WHEN?

116 Ridgeway Ave, Southport Sunday services: 10am & 4pm Wednesday Mojo service: 6:30pm

THREE: Plug into a MOJO location. These are our citywide daily Bible reading groups. They are a great way to connect with good people whilst getting a shot in the arm from the Bible. You can find out more about ALL these connection opportunities at metro.org.au or just chat to one of our leaders and they will answer any questions you may have.

FOUR: Serve in the Volunteer Army. All great churches are really just a group of people committed to working together to make church great and serve the world around them. There is really no better way to develop great relationships with quality people than to serve in the Volunteer Army.

The only prerequisite is that you must complete our DNA course before you can serve on a METRO team.

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lADY GAGA, MIRACLE WHIP & MOET_

What connection does William Booth, founder of The Salvation Army church, have with Lady Gaga? The link is obscure but undeniable and is found in the strange world of pop song product placement.

Love her or hate her, Lady Gaga is definitely a drawcard act. Over 97 million people have viewed Gaga’s highly provocative music video clip ‘telephone’ on YouTube. That is over 4 times the population of Australia. No wonder it’s called ‘popular’ music. In total Gaga’s combined music videos have been viewed an unprecedented 1 billion times.

No other artist in history has attracted this level of interest in music clips.

Twenty five years back, the primary outlet for music video clips was MTV. All the children of the 80s will remember MTV’s heyday well. Big haired, spandex clad rockers were all the rage but ‘product placement’ was certainly not.

MTV’s policy did not allow clips that included product placement and so for many years the practice was not a part

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of the video clip industry. Like many other things, this all changed with the advent of the internet. Nowadays music videos are primarily viewed online on sites like YouTube, and without policies limiting product placement this precious real estate is now being sold unashamedly to the highest bidder.

Gaga’s telephone clip featured a string of highly visible strategically placed consumer goods. Miracle Whip is one such brand which happily confirms they paid to have their product featured on the Gaga ‘telephone’ clip. Even a small percentage of 97 million bottles of Miracle Whip spreads a very long way.

Now travel back in time to 1867 where the famous entertainer and pop star of his day, George Leybourne, began making celebrity endorsements for Champagne. The Champagne maker Moët commissioned him to write and perform songs extolling the virtues of Champagne, especially as a reflection of taste, affluence and the good life. He also agreed to drink nothing but Champagne in public.

Leybourne was seen as highly

sophisticated and his image and efforts did much to establish Champagne as an important social status symbol. It was a marketing triumph, the results of which endure to this day.

Leybourne penned what is considered by many to be the very first ever recorded popular song to incorporate paid product placement into the lyrics, it was called ‘Champagne Charlie’. The song was a smash hit for both the performer and also for Moët as an advertising campaign. The fourth verse of the song states proudly: ‘Some epicures like burgundy, hock, claret and moselle, But Moet’s vintage only satisfies this champagne swell.

What matter if to bed I go and head is muddled thick?

A bottle in the morning sets me right and very quick.

It seems Lady Gaga is not such a groundbreaker after all. Provocateurs of ‘shock rock’ and ‘shock pop’ have long known that controversy sells records and as far back as the 1860s ‘shock pop’ has also been an effective channel through

lADY GAGA, MIRACLE WHIP & MOET_

It seems Lady Gaga is not such a groundbreaker after all.

Provocateurs of ‘Shock rock’ and ‘shock pop’ have long known that controversy sells records...

which brands have found the power of cool.

But what does all of this have to do with William Booth, founder of The Salvation Army? The answer can be found on The Salvation Army’s own International Heritage website which chronicles the rich history of this highly respected and beloved movement of churches. Details of the following story can be found outlined in full at www.salvationarmy. org.uk.

On the night of January 22, 1882, William Booth arrived in Worcester to speak at a church rally. The place was so packed that Booth himself had trouble accessing the building. While waiting to take the stage Booth stood enjoying

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lADY GAGA, MIRACLE WHIP & MOET_

Today all over the world tunes akin to Lady Gaga’s ‘telephone’ and many other top 10 artists are being played in packed worship services. a hymn being led by one of the local church leaders. The song was called ‘Bless His Name, He set me free’. “That is a fine song, what tune was that?” inquired the Army’s founder. “Oh”, came the reply in a rather disapproving tone, “General, that's a dreadful tune. Don't you know what it is? That's Champagne Charlie". It is recorded that Booth immediately replied with a statement that went on to become the title of a song itself, “Why should the devil have all the good music?”.

From then on use of such pop music tunes in the Army’s public church worship became standard operating procedure. This practice was adamantly defended by Booth himself when he wrote in the Army’s War Cry publication: “Secular music, do you say, belongs to the devil? Does it? Well, if it did I would

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plunder him for it, for he has no right to a single note of the whole seven. . . .

Every note, and every strain, and every harmony is divine, and belongs to us. . . . So consecrate your voice and your instruments. Bring out your cornets and harps and organs and flutes and violins and pianos and drums, and everything else that can make melody. Offer them to God, and use them to make all the hearts about you merry before the Lord.”

130+ years later and recent studies clearly show that the number one reason why people are joining growing churches is worship style. Notably the second reason is the Senior Pastor as people look for authenticity in a world of spin doctors.

William Booth was no man’s fool. He was not afraid of the so-called ‘devil’s music’.

If Moet Champagne was smart enough to use the power of pop to build its brand power, he was certainly not going to shrink back from using that same music to channel the gospel of Jesus to the hearts of men.

Today all over the world, tunes akin to Lady Gaga’s ‘Telephone’ and those of many other top 10 artists are being played in packed worship services. The lyrics, however, are an entirely different kind of provocative. They are sanctified and holy, and they glorify Jesus with all the passion and style of the 21st century.

METRO Church is totally committed to producing NEW songs for the next generation expanding church. Our creative team are purposefully and passionately writing and producing a steady flow of NEW songs that are

not only totally contemporary but also reverently holy. In 2011 METRO is rolling out its vision to provide a perpetual stream of wildly cutting edge FREE worship to the ends of the earth.

with envy and make the Miracle Whip marketing department go Gaga.

Why? Our answer is the General’s question...

The all NEW METRO Worship Neighbourhood will make all our newly released songs available for FREE download anywhere in the world. You can subscribe NOW to be part of this NEW global music neighbourhood at metro.org.au and receive notification any time a new song is available. Who knows, maybe one day 97 million people will be downloading each NEW song released?

WHY SHOULD THE DEVIL HAVE ALL THE GOOD MUSIC?

So be warned in advance: If you ever walk through the doors of METRO Church on any given Sunday, be prepared to hear music that would turn Moet green

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GLOBAL WORSHIP NEIGHBOURHOOD www.metro.org.au/global-worship

WORDS_ KATRINA MEADE For the most part, modern culture has an incredibly misguided stereotype of the counsellor.

view of the therapist. It seems that on these shows there are only two reasons why one would visit a counsellor:

Thanks to our avid love of television drama, we’ve witnessed a myriad of counselling sessions; all pretty much sticking true to the same formula:

1) A police officer requires counselling following a traumatic event. (This, of course, is almost always highly objected to by the police officer who seems to regard a counselling session as a waste of time, and sign of weakness!)

Patient lying on couch. Therapist sitting behind desk or across room on comfy lounge chair. Patient discussing issue and asking a question. Therapist answering question with a question and commenting on excellent progress. Patient demonstrating no change or breakthrough regarding issue.

Take Adrian Monk, for example, from the TV show, “Monk”. Week after week he visits his therapist who lends an ear to Monk’s many phobias. And week after week, Monk continues to add to his list of fears with alarming escalation.

Of course, we see no improvement in Monk’s problems as his dysfunction is the essence of his crime-solving genius.

A breakthrough just wouldn’t make good television!

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Neither has our penchant for crime shows like “Law and Order” aided in a positive

2) A suspect or criminal requires psychiatric assessment. (Implying of course that one must have done something terrible to require the services of a counsellor!)

So, with prejudices such as these, it’s about time we debunk the myths and take a fresh, unbiased and open look at the role of counselling.

We’ve touched base with some amazing, experienced and qualified counsellors from churches across the Gold Coast to allow them to set the record straight and make us aware of the real benefits of counselling. After all, this is real life, and holding on to our dysfunction doesn’t translate into good ratings like it does on TV!

SHRINK WRAP_

Dot Deeley

Ian Rumsey

“You don’t have to be ‘crazy’ or have a mental problem to need counselling. Most people who seek counselling and who benefit from counselling are normal people of all ages who want assistance to get them through a tough time or situation. They are people who have tough decisions to make about difficult issues. A counsellor listens and communicates effectively, is non-judgmental and is empathetic. They help the counsellee to be aware of the underlying causes and empower them to make the choices to improve the difficulty that they are facing.

“People would always talk to me about their problems wherever I went. I’d be on a bus or train and find myself talking with complete strangers about their big issues... After a while I thought there might be more to this than meets the eye! I believe everyone could benefit from a session or two with a counsellor or psychologist. People regularly get health checkups with their GP, dentist or chiropractor, so why not allow their ‘noggin’ to have a checkup too? Psychology has grown in the last 10 years and is making huge advances in the health of our minds as well. The process normally starts with a trip to a GP and sitting with a practitioner to have a chat about a mental health care plan.

This can then be the start of a journey to healing.”

Counsellor Graduate Diploma of Counselling Studies in Christian Counselling METRO Church

Counselling is a one on one relationship that takes place whilst sitting in a chair or sometimes walking along the beach, or relaxing in a park.. It is important that the counsellee feels comfortable with the counsellor and has trust in him/her.

In most cases it is an environment that the counsellee feels safe to share freely in without any fear of being judged or belittled. Everything that is spoken about during a session is strictly confidential except if the counselee asks for the counsellor to disclose what has been said to someone else, or if they are a danger to themselves or someone else or if the court subpoenas the information.”

Dot’s top 3 tips for a healthy mind and soul are: 1_ Live by Faith 2_ Don’t give in to your feelings 3_ Be prepared to face the pain and then grow in the Spirit

Pastor & Psychologist Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts (Psychology), Advanced Diploma in Ministry, Certificate III Disability Care, AMAPS, AACBT Generation Church

Ian’s top 3 tips for a healthy mind and soul are: 1_ Laugh Spend at least 10 minutes a day laughing – grab a funny movie, joke with friends, etc.

Laughter releases endorphins within the body that are a natural antidote to stress and pressure. It’s the body’s way of saying ‘everything will be okay’.

2_ Regular exercise Much of our mental stress can be released through physical activity because it engages all of our senses. Information which is gained and retained by our senses is released in regular healthy exercise routines.

3_ Talk Talk regularly with your spouse, partner or close friend about key issues that are affecting your life. This allows the ‘pressure cookers’ that create psychological stress to be ‘let off’... Letting stuff go.

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SHRINK WRAP_

Simon Reddrop

Greg Gardiner

“I think that when we are constantly hitting our head against the same wall and our thoughts are going around in circles then it’s time to talk about it with someone.

Talking about things with a counsellor can help you challenge your thoughts and walk away with PRACTICAL ways to cope and overcome your barriers! Counselling is only a term given to something that involves ‘effective’ and ‘healthy’ communication, and brainstorming ways to overcoming issues. I think it’s dangerous to believe that you have ALL the right answers. No one is perfect and it’s important to be able to accept that. There is nothing to be ashamed about when you require counselling, it just means that you’re serious about overcoming your barriers and progressing forward in life; and who doesn’t want to do that?”

“The people who attend sessions with a psychologist or counsellor range from those who are ready to take responsibility for their lives and are somewhat committed to resolving personal or relational issues to those who are forced by a crisis to reach out for help. Crisis counselling can initially be focused on keeping people alive or stabilising people until a more long term approach and life assessment can be implemented.

Youth Worker Bachelor of Social Science majoring in Counselling and Mediation METRO Church

Simon’s top 3 tips for a healthy mind and soul are: 1_ Always remain positive We can overcome life’s many obstacles and battles through remaining positive and it will create a healthier perspective of the life we live.

2_ Check your thoughts Always be aware of your thoughts as they produce certain actions and behaviours.

Some good, some not so good. To remain rational in your thinking you have to keep reminding yourself of the evidence; the battles you have won in the past, and see yourself as God sees you!

3_ Rest Firstly rest in God. You can’t control everything in your life but you can control how you react. To react positively and consistently we have to practically set time aside to rest and rejuvenate. This reduces stress and allows our minds to process what has happened also allowing us to grow and see what God wants.

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Pyschologist and Counsellor SIMPLY Counselling

Counsellors address a more general range of issues whereas psychologists are often addressing a more severe range of cognitive dysfunction and emotional health issues combining a structured psychotherapy approach with psychometric testing and clinical assessment.

People who are ready to take responsibility for the outcome of their lives are the ones most likely to find themselves in therapy. For example if you are often sad, feeling worthless and easily aggravated you can either continue being depressed and aggressive or take responsibility for your condition and get help. If you realise your marriage relationship is in trouble you can either ignore the crisis and hope it goes away or you can mobilise yourself and proactively take responsibility to find help to resolve the issues. (Note: It is my experience that women are more relationally aware and in most marriages it is the women who are most likely to proacitvely seek solutions for problems in the marriage relationship).

Although psychologists play varied community support roles, those who will benefit most from seeing a psychologist in a clinical setting will be those who have experienced grief and loss, trauma, abuse, neglect or deprivation. Some families provide toxic environments for their children that create long term problems however, sometimes bad things happen in good situations that also disrupt life functioning. Very simply, if you are an adult

and you find doing life is hard work, you will benefit from seeing a therapist.”

Greg’s top 3 tips for a healthy mind and soul are: 1_ Slow down Being busy and living a hectic life works well for achieving tasks but doesn’t work well for nurturing relationships, and prohibits you from ever being fully present and able to connect with the present moment (which is the only thing we ever really have). Slowing down is good for the mind and allows you to appreciate qualities of the journey of life that you will miss while travelling through life at freeway speed.

2_ Simplify life Simplifying your life is a key strategy when attempting to slow your life down. Many people say yes to opportunities that appear too good to pass up, yet if they had made a proper assessment they would have put them off until a less stressful period or a more family friendly time. A good tip for a happy life is to talk with others before exercising our freedom of choice to avoid unnecessary busyness and the stress it may cause you and your family.

3_ Show gentleness When you make the choice to slow down and simplify your life by eliminating unnecessary busyness, you will find your life will naturally become more peaceful and quiet. And when you experience what it is to be quiet, gentleness will occur more naturally for you. When you stay in a quiet place you will be in a good position to maintain your health and take full advantage of your faith and spiritual growth toward maturity.

SHRINK WRAP_

Christie Kirk

Youth Worker Bachelor of Social Science majoring in Youth Welfare and Counselling METRO Church

“I realised through my own journey that outward behaviour is only a product of what’s happening on the inside. A counsellor is really a significant other who walks beside you through the hard times of life, encourages you to deal with core issues and creates space for you to rethink and change the things in your world that you are not happy with.

It is common to feel overwhelmed and filled with self doubt in certain circumstances you face in life. Being able to go beyond yourself and allow someone to support and provide accountability enables you to move towards personal growth and breakthrough.

I love seeing people take authority over their world and walk in their full potential!”

Christie’s top 3 tips for a healthy mind and soul are: 1_ Challenge your norms Ask yourself “why?” when you react, get hurt or upset in certain situations.

Challenge your normal responses by allowing God to intervene and surrendering things whole-heartedly to Him. Sometimes our normal reactions are learned behaviours that are not beneficial, so realise that what you’ve come from does not determine your future. There is a bright future and hope for everyone in God. 2_ Choose life A negative mindset will produce negative outcomes, while a positive one will achieve positive outcomes. Choose to have a perspective that is LIFE giving.

3_ Laugh lots Life can be too serious sometimes so have fun and laugh lots! The joy of the Lord is your strength!

from those who’ve been there: “

Spending time talking with a counsellor was a turning point in my life. I learnt that I didn’t have to be super woman and that grieving was not my weakness; it was my strength. For when I am weak He is strong!

Receiving counselling helped give me a fresh and Godly perspective on the season I was in. It helped me not only deal with the past and the present but more importantly it helped me to see that I still have a future… and a great one at that! I will forever be thankful for the love, support, prayer and honesty I received through counselling at METRO as I know that it has played a pivotal role in the strong, passionate and hopeful woman I have now become.

“

”

My husband and I married very young, and never seemed to find ‘our groove’. We argued constantly and were both pretty unhappy in our marriage. After attending METRO for six months we underwent some marriage counselling. It was the best thing we ever did. It helped us understand our differing communication styles and expectations (of which most were unrealistic). It opened communication lines between us and we were able to recognise our weaknesses and put things into place to overcome them. To be able to step back from our stress and emotions and discuss things in a non judgmental and loving environment saved our marriage.

”

“

“

Growing up in somewhat of a dysfunctional family and having gone through some very traumatic experiences as a young woman, those experiences compounded in my life where I needed some help to deal with those issues.

Having suffered sexual abuse at a young age and never having had the oppurtunity to speak with anyone to help me overcome this experience, the medical system quickly labelled me clinically depressed and wanted to keep me on anti depressants for an extended period of time. Once I had a firm connection with the church and I discovered the value of a counsellor in the church community, this counsellor helped me deal with these very serious issues in my life, just being able to talk these experiences freely without feeling judged or being given a label was invaluable for me in the healing process. I recommend anyone who is going through or has gone through difficult times in their life, be it broken marriages, abuse, eating disorders, post-natal depression or the many other challenges so many of us have faced to access the use of the great christian counsellors available in your church community to aid you in the healing process and get on to living a full and blessed life as God always has intended for you.

”

My experience with counselling following my husband’s death was a positive one; the difficult part for my three kids was that he was not meant to be called home so early in his life. Words from friends like ‘God knows better’, whilst true, were not much help for my kids who were hurting badly. I chose a counsellor who did not throw ‘christianeze’ phrases at us; she instead advised us to look at photos, remember funny stories, to thrash out verbally what went wrong but then to look at what we could now as a family of four (one mum, three kids) do to get on track.

She gave us the permission to cry and laugh as both are okay!

”

23

Sometimes...

24

... you just need someone to talk to.

Call 1800 008 375. » Family Violence Counselling » Sexual Concerns Counselling » Grief Counselling » Trauma and Crisis Counselling » Workplace Counselling » Marriage Counselling » Problem Gambling Counselling » Child Violence Counselling » Sexual Abuse Counselling » Men's Counselling » Eating Disorders Counselling » Pregnancy Counselling

Pastoral Care & Counselling Serving the Gold Coast every day of 2011 25

words & interview_ kasey mac IMAGES_ BEL PANGBURN

26

While the music industry floods the airwaves and our young people’s brains with messages of despair and dissatisfaction, there is one voice rising with a very different message of life and hope. Since Stan Walker was crowned King of Idol in ‘09, he has gone on to become a famous force in the Australian music industry.

Kasey Mac had the chance to catch up with Ross and April, Stan’s mum and dad, to fill us in on the growth and transition of ‘Stan the Boy’ into ‘Stan the Man’.

27

You guys are Kiwis! :) Tell us a bit about your family and when you moved to Australia.

We moved over here from New Zealand around 1990 and went to Melbourne, where Stan was born. We left Melbourne to go back to New Zealand about a year after he was born because we got homesick, but then we decided to move back to Australia to Byron Bay not long after. We were there for another five years and then felt God calling us back to New Zealand. We went back to New Zealand for five and a half long years.

Stan was still a naughty little kid running around!

Are you musical too?

April: Yes, we both sing. We used to have a Christian band and I was the lead singer and then we tried to put Stan in to lead but he was naughty half the time so we dropped him and put Mike, our oldest son, in to do the real rock stuff, and we got Russ in with me to do the souly r’n’b stuff and Ross backs. He should be lead but he forgets the words. He’s a better singer than us but he just forgets the words!

So music has always been part of your life.

Was Stan involved in music pursuits at school?

How many kids do you have?

Five. Mike is 28, Russ is 25, Stan is 20, Noah’s 12 and Mary-Grace is 9.

When did you guys notice that Stan may have had a music gift on his life? Was he that little kid who was always running around singing?

April: He was so funny when he was little. He used to sing like an opera man, like one of those old singers like Englebert Humperdinck.

He used to have that shake in his voice! That old man stuff. That’s how he sang ‘cause he heard his Nanna (Ross’ mum) sing and she was sort of like an opera singer and my father was sort of like that a bit too and Stan was in between. It was cute!

In New Zealand he was the Handsome Prince in a pantomime when he was about eight.

Then he entered into a talent quest and came second to some River Dancers in an intermediate age group. There’s a video link on YouTube if you want to check it out!

Has there been a lot of stuff come out on YouTube?

Yeah there’s some stuff that his friends took of his old songs and stuff from when he was little. They showed some on Australian Idol.

It’s worth a look.

You mentioned you were in a Christian band.

Have you been Christians all your life?

April: No, only about 15 years. Have you ever seen that movie “Once Were Warriors”? Our life was like that but more drugs than booze.

I was sick of that lifestyle and I just wanted to change it. Around 1995 I had kicked Ross out and taken him back several times and people said ‘Why don’t you leave him? What about the kids? It’s so easy; you should have just done it.’ But it’s not as easy as what people think it is. I had a really low selfesteem and Ross was abusive.

Ross: I was fully at the end of my rope ‘cause I got kicked out and I had nowhere to go.

This was in Byron Bay and that’s where we became Christians, at the Christian City Church. James was the pastor and he came around one day and slapped me round the ears real hard and asked me what I thought I was doing. Somehow James got me connected with some older people and they prayed for me. I was so touched by God that it was like I was knocked out for about 5 hours. I came out of it and I felt intoxicated and I said, “Far out, if I can get this for free, why would I pay for it?” And then I made a pact with God that if He’d give me more of this I’d follow Him for the rest of my life. It’s been 14 years now.

Far left: Stan performs at the Australian Idol Finale.

Left: Stan's mum and dad sharing their story.

How about you April?

Have you ever seen that movie 'Once Were Warriors'?

Our life was like that...

April: No, it didn’t happen straight away for me. Ross was out of the house for eight and a half months. Pastor James wanted us to have counselling and I didn’t want to. I was still hurting. I just couldn’t do this any more. I was determined not to get back with Ross. I was taking Ross to church, which I didn’t even want to do, I just wanted it over. My first real God-moment in my whole life was when the people Ross was staying with were asking me to take Ross back. I was determined that was not going to happen. I didn’t care if he’d changed, I didn’t love him. He had treated me horribly and was so abusive to the kids.

Ross really wanted to come back and he was praying about it. Anyway, they asked me one more time and for some reason I just said, “Okay”. I was freaking out because I’d just finished saying I don’t want him back! But I felt this peace and God changed my heart in a matter of seconds.

How old was Stan when all this was happening? I imagine all this has helped him trust God and become the well-balanced, down-to-earth person he is.

April: Absolutely! Stan would have been seven when this happened. Noah wasn’t born yet because I didn’t want any more kids because I still didn’t trust Ross. Two weeks after we’d moved back together, Ross wanted

another baby but I really didn’t. Ross was praying about it, for God to soften my heart and when he got home I told Ross maybe we should have another baby and he started crying and told me about how he’d prayed.

And then we had two more!

Are all of your children Christians?

April: Yep! All our kids are Christians. My oldest son, Mike, is in the worship team and is also the music director for Stan and his band. Our second son, Russ, is the music director at a church in Byron. Our sons’ wives are heavily involved in church, and Stan of course, Stan is walking with God! :) Having our kids all following God, it had to start with us you know. If we’re not walking the walk, how are our kids going to have an example but it’s taken a long time. It’s a team effort now, learning to be better parents. We help each other. We’re still pretty involved in church now.

Did you ever dream that Stan’s career would roll out as it has?

Ross: No, I thought Stan was going to do something in sports because he’s really good at sports. Now he’s a bit chubby though!

Australian Idol was kind of a bit of a journey for Stan. We kept suggesting it to him, every year, but he wasn’t spiritually ready for it and I think he knew it in his heart. It’s been a journey for Stan to be where he is in God

now too. He’s a lot more grounded now.

Our main focus has been to get our kids to wherever it’s happening for them, not where we are.

Did you go with him to the audition?

April: Stan didn’t want me to go to the audition ‘cause I’d make him laugh or I’d stress him out. He took some of his mates though. That was at the Brisbane audition.

Stan had to go down to Sydney when he got in the top 24. He rang me up just before the top 24 and told me how he was confident before but now he wasn’t because he felt funny and he felt pressure and he wasn’t sure if this was what God wanted him to do and I told him, “Boy, have a peace about whatever happens. If God wants you to get through this thing, God’s going to take you all the way, but if He doesn’t, have a peace about it and praise God anyway.” He felt more comfortable and I knew that’s how it would go. I told Stan not to look to the left or to the right and I reminded him to keep moving forward, looking up and praising God, no matter what happens. And praise God he won!

Did you go with him to some of the events?

April: I’ve travelled with Stan a bit. Ross stayed home ‘cause he works and looked after the kids. I was hoping the camera wasn’t on my face when they announced that Stan had won! I was shocked. Ross was shocked. I had a feeling he’d win but I was going to be happy whatever happened. I wouldn’t have cared if he’d come second. It was all good.

How was Stan received by the Idol people?

Did they like him?

April: Yes, in the seven years that they’ve had Idol, there have been a lot of Christians.

They never once put Stan down for being a Christian. They all knew he was a Christian but he was real, he was himself. Kyle told Stan that he was the only one he’d told his friends about. Stan wanted everyone to see someone real. This is me, this is who I am, this is where I came from and this is what happened to me. I’m alright now, I found God, God has helped me in this. This is what he wanted people to see and most people saw it like that.

Far left: Worship rally or nationally televised Australian Idol performance, Stan always remains true.

Left top: Stan's debut album, released shortly after his Australian Idol victory.

Left bottom: Stan’s latest album, From The Inside Out.

God helped him through a serious situation when he was nine. Can you tell us about that?

freaky when people ask us for our autograph and we’re not even famous!

How do you feel Stan is coping with it all?

"He is not mucking around.

Stan is shamelessly in love with God!"

April: When he was nine he was raped. It happened in our own house. This boy came to church with us, ate with us at our table and lived with us. We confronted him and asked him to get help. Stan didn’t tell us until much later though. We feel that God is using this sad situation to help other kids. That’s why Stan has so much compassion for kids.

He loves babies and deprived kids. When he was a little kid he used to laugh at them but we noticed that when we went back to NZ when he was nine, he first met his cousin Andrew who is autistic, and Stan just loved him. It was like God had given him a real understanding and grace. We’re so proud of him. It’s like God is positioning him to be a real influence.

He has already touched so many lives!

But how has the fame thing affected your family?

We try to keep Stan grounded by reminding him to pick up his mess and clean his room!

He was glad for it because it was normal.

We pray with him too and pray for him and just let him know that we’re there. It’s a bit

He’s good. He can deal with all the pressure which is good for a 20 year old. To let him have his own peace from time to time and to have fun without people hounding him is good too.

What does the year ahead look like for Stan?

Busy! So far he has been travelling here and to the U.S. and Haiti, photo shoots, interviews, recording. He’s contracted to Sony for promotions and whatever they want him to do and he does gigs himself because that’s his living. He’s got an awesome manager, David Champion, and I’m his assistant manager. He’s in Sydney for a while to see how it goes and is coming home a bit for holidays. He goes to church in Sydney too.

Girlfriend?

Stan hasn’t got a girlfriend. He wants to concentrate on his career and get himself set up and then he wants a wife, not a girlfriend. He is not mucking around. Stan is shamelessly in love with God!

31

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CITY WIDE DAILY BIBLE READING GROUPS

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take part in our enriching Successful Living courses; Bible based training to build a strong flourishing life on. Here’s what is on offer in 2011:

courses STRONG FAMILY STREAM

LIFE SKILLS STREAM

HEALTH STREAM

PARENTING HATS 1: Nursing years 0-2 This is an opportunity to spend time hearing from a few experienced mums along with some health care professionals about how to maximise this important season in your child’s life.

Winning with People Built around the best seller ‘how to win friends an influence people’ this short course will help you improve in your relational skill and let’s face it, life is all about relationship.

Stress Less You don’t need to live life stressed out. You can learn to ‘be anxious for nothing’. This course will help identify areas of stress in your life and teach you to stress less!

Money Matters You already have enough money to get ahead.

Many people struggle to master their finances and have never learned the practical keys of how to move forward. Learn some practical keys to steward your finances in this brilliant course.

Healthy Living We’re constantly being bombarded with new diet plans that promise to revolutionise our lives. With so much information on what we should and shouldn’t be eating how do you separate healthy eating facts from fiction?

This course will cover a wide range of healthy eating tips, information and ideas.

PARENTING HATS 2: Toddler years 3-5 We affectionately call this course LEGS AND A WILL as your little treasure enters the all important phase of testing the boundaries.

This is a vitally important season of parenting and will establish your child’s capacity for honour and respect. It is perfect for those with kids about to enter this season and vital for those who are already there.

PARENTING HATS 3: Childhood years 6 -12 This season of parenting we call the GOLDEN YEARS. It is the time to build into your children all the wisdom and foundation they will need to face the teen years. This course is a must for anyone with kids entering or in this age bracket.

PARENTING HATS 4: Teens The teen years can be tough for both parents and kids to navigate. This course will empower and equip parents to lead their children on the all important journey from dependence to independence. This course is known as COACHING CHAMPIONS. Building Strong Marriage HEAVEN ON EARTH is God’s idea for what marriage it is meant to be and it should get better and stronger with every passing year.

Many struggle needlessly and so this course is perfect for any couple who are about to get married or any couple who are already married (no matter how many years).

Entrepreneurs Business is a battlefield and everyone involved ought to be on a constant growth curve. The entrepreneurs short courses ‘Business Basics’ and ‘The Art of Negotiating’ are brilliant to sharpen your business acumen whilst ‘The Boardroom’ is a more intense training ground for the individual committed to making a serious impact on the world.

Destined for Greatness Discovering your purpose and calling in life is a process. This course will help you discover more about yourself and how to find a sense of destiny in your life.

WHOLENESS STREAM Captivating This women’s course covers the glorious design of womanhood, describes how the feminine heart can be restored whilst casting vision for the power, freedom and beauty of a woman released to be all she was meant to be.

Grief and Loss Grief and loss can occur during all walks of life and take the form of many different situations. Grieving helps people cope with losing a loved one and sharing grief helps people to gradually accept the loss and get on with their lives. This course covers grief, loss, bereavement and the challenges of coping with difficult times.

Check out the 2011 calendar centrefold for dates on each course. To register for any of these courses contact info@metro.org.au or phone 1800 008 375.

SHOULD WE BE TAKING PARENTAL TIPS FROM PINK? WORDS_ GARRY MAC

38

“

I believe parenting is seasonal and sequential and with every NEW SEASON parents need to CHANGE HATS.

Recording artist PINK recently stirred controversy (surprise, surprise) by stating;

“I think parents need to beat the crap out of their kids” While many will legitimately take great issue with PINK’s choice of words, especially in the light of growing child abuse statistics, it appears many Queenslanders might agree with part of her underlying sentiment. The Courier Mail recently ran the headline “Smacking children OK with nearly 90 per cent of Queenslanders, State of Families survey finds” while another survey reported a ‘lack of respect for others and authority’ to be the number one publically perceived growing concern about the state of children and youth.

In her interview with Access Hollywood, PINK stated plainly that she believed political correctness had gone too far, she also said that her own father’s beatings saved her life. “Oh, he put me through a wall, it’s the only reason I’m still here, it’s the only reason I’m still alive.”

Her statements stirred heated debate all around the world last year but now in 2011 the central issue of how to effectively discipline kids will come home to roost in PINK’s own

”

house with the birth of her first child. This prospect has her sounding far less dogmatic. In a separate interview with Ellen DeGeneres she disclosed her concerns about having to deal with a carbon-copy of herself as a child. “I’m terrified because the doctor thinks it’s a girl.

My mum has always wished for me to have a daughter just like me”. All the mums and dads out there will now be smiling at that comment understanding that it is all too easy to give advice about parenting when you don’t yet have kids.

As pastors, Kasey and I have been working in the trenches with families, parents and youth for over two decades now. Those years have witnessed much triumph and tragedy whist all the while consolidating in us a strong conviction that SUCCESSFUL FAMILY LIFE first requires a lot of grace from all involved.

Somewhere between being abusive (even verbally) and being neglectful of discipline there lies a middle ground that all good parents strive for and often miss. Strong families without fail must first develop a capacity for forgiveness or they will invariably fracture, simply because none of us GET IT RIGHT all of the time.

Having said that, I believe most parents desperately want to get better at GETTING

IT RIGHT. This can often be as easy as a little preparation and understanding of the sequence of parenting. I distinctly remember reading a parenting book when my first son was three years old and thinking; I really wish I read this a year ago. Typical bloke! We don’t like to read the instructions do we guys? The only problem with this kind of ‘work it out as you go’ approach is that there is so much at stake and as a child ages it gets harder to make up for lost parenting opportunity. Perhaps even PINK might agree that some of her so called ‘beatings’ during her teens might well have been avoidable if things had been a little different earlier on in her life.

After years of working with families I have come up with a simple ‘Seasons of Parenting’ guide that has seemed to help a lot of people around the world (including our own family).

Check it out over the page.

I believe parenting is seasonal and sequential and with every NEW SEASON parents need to CHANGE HATS. No one can parent a 6 month old the way they parent a teenager. This may sound overly simplistic but it is incredible how many parents seem to suffer from lack of clarity when it comes to the season they are in and the style of parenting it demands.

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PINK HAT PARENTING

seasons of parenting AGE

The following is a guide only, it is as vague as children are unique but hopefully it will get you thinking about what season you are in and what HAT you are wearing.

SEASON

PRIMARY PARENTING HAT

OUTCOME IN CHILD

0-2

Baby

NURSE

Learn safety & security

2-5

Toddler

DISCIPLINARIAN

Learn respect & boundaries

5-12

Child

TEACHER

Learn about life, prep for teens

12-18

Teen

COACH

Learn independence

20+

Adult

FRIEND (BABYSITTER)

Full independence

45+

Mature

DEPENDANT

Support parent

Exact ages vary greatly from child to child and of course just because you wear a primary HAT that does not mean you are not doing all the others at the same time. Obviously the friend HAT is one that every parent wants to enjoy in every season. I personally do NOT believe the theory that you cannot be friends with your kids. This is one of my greatest aspirations in life.

THE NURSE HAT

When your little bundle

of joy comes home there

is no chance they will

steal the car, take illicit

drugs, or start hanging out with a bad crowd. There is just a lot of sleeping; eating and you know what-ing!

Also they are often awake when you would like to be sleeping. This phase of parenting lays a strong foundation within a child of deep security, safety and connectedness to parents. There are a lot of tricks that can make this season a little easier but every family needs to find their own equilibrium of what works for them. It can be incredibly fatiguing so we always encourage couples to ensure they do not neglect each other, especially if you have more than one child in this age group or the next. It is very wise to take advantage of Nanna and Pop as baby-sitters (if you have them) and take a break every so often so you can stay fresh for the job at hand. METRO runs a Nursing Parents course twice a year for all who are interested in a little input and support. See the centrefold calendar for details.

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THE DISCIPLIN ARIAN HAT

No one can deny that there

is a point when a child’s

own independent WILL

starts to really kick in. This is usually around the time when they start walking but it varies from child to child. This is when the real work of parenting begins in earnest. Some kids are incredibly compliant and require very little in the way of correction in order to learn to respect and honour the authority of their parents. However, many others are incredibly WILFUL and so (like it or not) it JUST WILL be a battle of the WILLS for a few really important years. Of course parents will be wearing the TEACHING HAT a lot during this season too but it is often a surprise to a lot of people how much focus must be on discipline during the toddler season. One mother recently asked me “It feels like all I do is discipline my child lately, is this normal?”.

The truth is, it is not just normal it is incredibly important for your child’s future. If this season of parenting is not handled with wisdom and care the following seasons can become a real challenge. Any child who does not learn to honour and respect parental authority will ultimately struggle to honour and respect other forms of authority. The good news is that it doesn’t last forever. Once a child truly learns to respect parental authority and the boundaries that are set in place for their own benefit they

will often graduate into a ‘golden season’ of parenting where you rarely need to discipline them at all. In our personal home by the time our kids were about 5 or 6 they rarely needed disciplining again, yet from ages 2 to 5ish it seemed to be all we did. The Bible has much to say about this incredibly important season that can really equip parents. METRO runs a Parenting Course called ‘Legs and a Will’ twice a year to help parents of toddlers in this season.

THE TEACHER HAT

In a world where hard core internet pornography easily

streams in high definition

to a phone handset, parents need to step up and teach their kids about life early. As a child graduates out of the toddler season and into what is meant to be the innocence of childhood parenting should get somewhat easier for a season.

Kids head off to school, mum and dad regain a little more freedom and normality, the kids themselves become more relatable but this is not a time to coast along as a parent.

The parenting HAT needs to read TEACHER more than any other during this season.

Soon enough they will be teenagers and the hormones will start kicking in. Childhood is when parents can fill kids up with wisdom and understanding about all that lies ahead.

PINK HAT PARENTING

In the years getting closer to the teen years, parenting ought to be full of discussions about what to expect as a teenager and how to handle every situation. One of the best things you can do for a child is involve them in serving the community and expose them (in measured fashion) to society’s fallout.

My firstborn son Jack turned 13 in India; I will never forget seeing him surrounded by 50 women (all who had been infected with the death sentence of AIDS) singing Happy Birthday to him. That did not happen by chance. I purposefully took him there so that he would enter his teens with some real perspective on life, I took him to TEACH him about the real world. Thank God for great schools and quality education but there is simply no substitute for a parent wearing their TEACHER HAT. METRO also presents a training course for parents of children aged 5 to 12 called ‘the Golden Years.’ This course runs twice a year. See centrefold calendar for details.

THE COACH HAT

It is very difficult to play

‘catch up’ on past

seasons once a child hits

puberty. If a parent fails

to teach a toddler to honour authority and how to be respectful in disagreements the teen years can be tough for everyone. If parents fail to teach their kids about the real world and expose them to the real ‘fallout’ firsthand, teens can be unprepared to face the very real challenges and temptations of the season of youth. The lead up to seasons is vital but so too is the HAT change of parenting into the teen years.

Teens simply do not need their parents primarily wearing the DISCIPLINARY HAT as they face the peer pressures and insecurities of the superficial teen universe. They need the constant encouragement of a COACH who believes in them. Teens neither need Mum and Dad to be wearing the TEACHER HAT all the time lecturing them on everything.

The smart parent will understand the power of slightly older mentors and position their teen around the right people. Mum and dad might say the exact same thing as 19 year old cousin Tom but when Tom says it the 15 year old listens while mum and dad are perceived to be just nagging. The teenage years are that slow journey from childhood or dependence into independence. Time and time again I have witnessed parents who have failed to change HATS at this point micro-managing their teen and producing a 25 or 30 year old who is still very much dependant on mum and dad. The COACH hat is a great time of life to enjoy friendship and teaching all rolled into one. It is a time when your teen can rest in the knowledge that you are there to help them succeed in life.

METRO hosts ‘Coaching Champions’ parenting teens course twice a year. See the centrefold lift out for more details.

THE FRIEND HAT

(May include baby sitting duties.)

Hopefully in all seasons

families can remain

the very best of

friends. However, for

any parent there can be nothing greater than to see their child grow to become a functioning, mature

and independent adult who they just like to spend time with. This may include the child getting married and having kids but not exclusively. The real benchmark here is a LAUNCH into independence. The child is now responsible to take care of themselves and they have become a real contributor to society at large. Parents need to change HATS here and let their child run their life the way they see fit and just enjoy the friendship. If a parent fails to make this HAT change they may not remain genuine friends with their kids and the family connection might become more obligation than enjoyment.

THE DEPENDANT HAT

There comes a point in

life where it is time for

kids to support their

parents. Most parents hate the thought of being dependant on their kids but inevitably that is the way life often goes. Many people find themselves alone at the end of their lives without the love and support of their children and in some part because they have not learned to change HATS with the seasons along the way. Hopefully this short article might help YOU just a little in your parenting journey so when that time eventually comes... your kids still like YOU!

41

WORDS_ LEAH FINERAN

THEY are elected by the people, known by their public image and entrusted with making the big decisions that shape our city and our lives.

But who are the real people behind the names that fill local headlines? What are they really like behind the suits, the smiles and the strong handshake? We invited our city’s 28 elected politicians to offer a glimpse into their personal lives.

Eight got back to us >>>

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Federal Stewart Robert Fadden

Steven Ciobo Moncrieff

Karen Andrews McPherson

Peter Lawlor Southport

John-Paul Langbroek Surfers Paradise

Peta-Kaye Croft Broadwater

Michael Crandon Coomera

Roslyn Bates Mudgeeraba

Janet Stuckey Currumbin

Christine Smith Burleigh

Ray Stevens Mermaid Beach

Margaret Keech Albert

Alex Douglas Gaven

Ron Clarke MBE Mayor Councillor

Donna Gates Councillor Div. 1

John Wayne Councillor Div. 2

Grant Pforr Councillor Div. 3

Margaret Grummitt Councillor Div. 4

Peter Young Councillor Div. 5

Dawn Crichlow OAM Councillor Div. 6

Susie Douglas Councillor Div. 7

Robert La Castra Councillor Div. 8

Ted Shepherd Councillor Div. 9

Eddy Sarroff Councillor Div. 10

Jan Grew GAICD,MFT (Bond) Councillor Div. 11

Greg Betts Councillor Div. 12

Daphne McDonald Councillor Div. 13

Chris Robbins Councillor Div. 14

STATE

LOCAL

POLiticians are people too: LOCAL

Federal Steven Ciobo

Federal MP for MONCRIEFF The Surfers Paradise stalwart has held one of the safest Liberal seats in Queensland for years and lives on the Gold Coast with his wife Astra and son Asher.

A word that best describes me is... contemplative.

It’s a bit uncool but I love… listening to Neil Diamond, especially his Hot August Nights album.

My favourite food indulgence is… dessert – I have a real sweet tooth and enjoy all the dessert combinations.

Five people I’d like to invite to dinner are… Frederick Hayek, Ronald Regan, Barack Obama, Margaret Thatcher, Nelson Mandela.

When I was little I wanted to be a… lion tamer in the circus.

My nickname as a kid was… Torpedo because I used to swim competitively.

My life before politics was… less busy!

My perfect weekend includes… the chance to spend unscheduled time with my family, especially taking my son Asher to his swimming lesson.

The proudest moment of my life was… when Asher looked at me and said “da da” knowing I was his old man. It puts everything in perspective.

Five years from now, I will… be in my 40s! Still intend to be serving the community as a MP – back in Government!

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POLiticians are people too: LOCAL

STATE Ros Bates

State MP for mudgeeraba This former nurse is known for her feisty, take-noprisoners style of politics and made headlines for setting up Mudgeeraba's Hoon Watch program.

A word that best describes me is... determined.

It’s a bit uncool but I love... doing crosswords.

My favourite food indulgence is... French food, particularly crepe suzette and baked camembert.

Five people I’d like to invite to dinner are... John Howard, Tony Abbott, Alexander Downer, Nick Minchin and Bronwyn Bishop.

When I was little I wanted to be... a famous opera singer.

My nickname as a kid was... Pooh Bear from Winnie the Pooh.

My life before politics was... as a nurse and a vocal health advocate in Canberra.

Alex Douglas

State Member for Gaven

(Married to Gold Coast Councillor, Susie Douglas) Dr Douglas’s profession is that of a juggler - keeping both his political stints and his GP practice running smoothly.

He won his current seat Gaven in 2009 with just 317 votes in a cliff-hanger count.

A word that best describes me is… persistent.

It’s a bit uncool but I love... Monty Python.

My favourite food indulgence is… strawberries.

Five people I’d like to invite to dinner are… John-Paul Langbroek, Tony Abbott, Bill Clinton, Aung Sun Sui Ki, and my wife, Susie.

When I was little I wanted to be a… business man.

My nickname as a kid was… Zander.

My life before politics was… a GP.

My perfect weekend includes... time with my family, relaxing reading the newspapers and watching movies.

My perfect weekend includes… being at home with my family and friends.

The proudest moment of my life was... when I was elected as the Member for Mudgeeraba.

The proudest moment of my life was… every time Susie and I became parents.

Five years from now... I would still like to be representing the residents of the Mudgeeraba electorate but in a Liberal-National Party Government.

Five years from now, I will… hopefully be a respected local representative who has had the opportunity to meet everyone in the Gaven electorate.

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POLiticians are people too: LOCAL

Ron Clarke

Susie Douglas

Dawn Crichlow

This man barely needs an introduction.

Olympian, businessman, Mayor - Ron Clarke has filled all roles. He is currently serving his second term as mayor of the Gold Coast.

She has served Surfers Paradise since 2004 and prior to politics was a trained nurse, midwife, Life Education team leader and owner-operator of an accredited nanny school.

Since 1991 Dawn has been one of the city’s most outspoken councillors and a fierce advocate for Southport.

A word that best describes me is… diligent.

A word that best describes me is… loving.

Aside from politics, Dawn’s talents and business skills including hairdressing, taxidermy, floristry and racehorse training.

It’s a bit uncool but I love… all kinds of icecream.

It’s a bit uncool but I love… Songs of Praise on Sunday mornings on the ABC.

A word that best describes me is… hyperactive.

My favourite food indulgence is… chocolate.

My favourite food indulgence is… Thai.

It’s a bit uncool but I love… eating with my hands.

Gold Coast City Mayor

Five people I’d like to invite to dinner are… Orson Wells, Robert Kennedy, Don Bradman, George Bernard Shaw and Robert Menzies .

When I was little I wanted to be a… stockbroker.

My nickname as a kid was… fat.

My life before politics was… all about finance and philanthropy.

My perfect weekend includes… family activities.

The proudest moment of my life was… marrying Helen on March 11, 1959.

Five years from now, I will… hopefully still be living.

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Councillor [division 7]

Five people I’d like to invite to dinner are…

Hillary Clinton, Barnaby Joyce, Sally Anne Atkinson, Jimmy Barnes, Mark Loane.

Councillor [division 6]

My favourite food indulgence is… oysters.

When I was little I wanted to be... an actor.

Five people I’d like to invite to dinner are… just my good friends.

My nickname as a kid was… skinny jimmy.

When I was little I wanted to be a… pilot.

My life before politics was… nursing, health education and caring for family.

My nickname as a kid was… Ginger Meggs.

My perfect weekend includes… walking along the northern end of The Spit with my husband and dog.

The proudest moment of my life was… giving birth to all my beautiful children and winning my first election.

Five years from now... I want to be the Gold Coast Mayor.

My life before politics was… lots of fun.

My perfect weekend includes… a leisurely breakfast.

The proudest moment of my life was… I can’t remember.

Five years from now, I will… be five years older.

POLiticians are people too: LOCAL

LOCAL

Peter Young

Ted Shepherd

Peter has been heralded as the Council’s `green conscience’ for his committment to ecologically sustainable development.

The Southport High graduate calls Mudgeeraba home and has represented the city’s western suburbs since 2000.

He has been an advocate for a variety of topics including saving Coomera’s koalas and strengthening trade ties with China.

He is also the head of the Council’s City Planning Committee and oversees thousands of development applications that pass through the council each year.

Councillor [division 5]

A word that best describes me is… busy!

Councillor [division 9] My life before politics was… busy. Sue and I ran four businesses - Shepherd Rest Flower Farm, Central Produce, Gold Coast Repairs & Maintenance and Happy Pelican Seafood. Prior to that I was a draftsman and supervisor for the Council.

My perfect weekend includes… working in the vegie garden or just doing nothing but watching a good movie at home.

It’s a bit uncool but I love… falling asleep watching the AFL on Saturday afternoon TV.

A word that best describes me is... sincere (but that covers a lot of attributes and faults).

My favourite food indulgence is… really good oysters.

It’s a bit uncool but I love... my wife, my kids and Christmas.

The proudest moment of my life was… being re-elected in 2004. In 2000 I beat an unpopular councillor, but in 2004 I won on my performance.

Five people I’d like to invite to dinner are…

Jesus, Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela, Peter Gabriel, Walt Whitman, my mum (I know, that’s six!).

My favourite food indulgence is… (obviously ALL) but I do like a good Chinese meal.

Five years from now, I will… be Deputy Mayor of the fastest growing, most vibrant, most liveable city in Australia.

When I was little I wanted to be a…. fireman, truck driver, cricket player, racing car driver, astronaut, pilot, etc.

My nickname as a kid was… Youngy (not very imaginative is it?).

My life before politics was… consulting in Geographic Information Systems. Life was simpler then.

My perfect weekend includes… sleeping in, mooching around the garden, walking the dogs, having a cold beer, watching a good movie or West Wing with my sweetheart Karen.

Five people I’d like to invite to dinner are… my Campaign Committee. They have stuck by me and we get together at least monthly - they are great friends.

When I was little I wanted to... help people, represent my community, be widely recognised and be thanked for what I do.

True story, I guess I’ve achieved three out of four.

My nickname as a kid was… Teddy, now its Ted - my real Christian name is Edward.

The proudest moment of my life was… getting married.

Five years from now, I will… be wiser.

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48

In 2009 METRO’s Pastors Garry & Kasey announced their vision to build the Gold Coast’s first iconic church Cathedral complete with the world’s tallest church SPIRE. In this interview Garry and Kasey answer a few questions about the overall concept and the progress...

When you made the announcement in 2009 it made front page news. Did this surprise you?

Kasey: Yes. For us the idea is just beautiful and it really excites us to aim at adding something so historic to the region, but it was still a shock to us that the Bulletin wanted to run the announcement as weekend front page news. The idea generated a lot of interest and we were stunned to be honest. It was nice that the church was described as being GOOD for the city though. It is always sad when the church makes news for negative reasons.

Was all that interest positive?

Garry: I think whenever you aim to do something that is standout or high profile you will always get your fair share of vocal critics and there was certainly plenty of that right from the start, but the overwhelming sentiment and reaction from the community was definitely positive. I think the wider community can get behind this project and take a sense of pride in it. It is our city and the facility we would like to build will be a beautiful and historic addition to the landscape. It will be a space for the whole community that ultimately is devoted to serving the community. Our plans are never just about a building. The church is here to serve the people of the city and we do that every day.

49

A VISION TO INSPIRE

^ METRO’s iconic church cathedral plans make front page news in the Gold Coast Weekend Bulletin.

So there has not been much talk about it lately, are you definitely still planning to build it?

Garry: We have never actually said, “This is what we are going to do”. Ultimately the decision on whether we can build a building like this has to be approved by all the powers that be. What we did say is that “we are aiming to develop plans and then discuss those plans with the local council to see if the idea is possible on the right parcel of land”.

This is a long term project and we are in no rush. Anything that is worthwhile takes time and it is going to be a process. But yes, we do certainly plan to build an iconic modern church facility. Whether or not it can have a 165m spire over the foyer remains to be seen.

We still aim to try though.

50

Do you have a landsite yet?

Kasey: That question is a bit of a sad one for us. We had worked for over a year in 2009/2010 towards securing a site that we felt was perfect for all that we hope to achieve but at the last minute it was snapped up by another party. At times like that you just have to believe God has a bigger plan.

We are now looking at other possibilities in the hope of securing something that suits the vision. You need a special parcel of land to build a building like this on and there are just not that many places where you think, “that would be perfect”.

There was talk of a Tweed campus. Were you thinking of building the cathedral on the southern end?

Garry: No, we also have a vision to establish a ministry centre for the community down there, as we love that area deeply.

Unfortunately after investing two years and a fair amount of resource into trying to secure

a certain property, it was also snapped up at the last minute by another party. So we have put our Tweed plans on the back burner for now in order to focus on the cathedral vision.

Can you design the cathedral without the site?

Garry: We have always planned to coordinate a global architectural design competition to determine the best overall concept. We put this on hold when we thought we had a site as it will ultimately be better if we can say to those entering the competition, “this is the site and we have preliminary approval to build a 165m spire over the foyer.” However, it is possible that if the land search drags out, we may look at running the design competition first. This will allow us to get a better estimate of the costs involved.

Couldn’t the money be used for better things?

Kasey: We do not believe that being a

A VISION TO INSPIRE

Christian means that you have to choose between being generous and having nice things. We believe that true Christianity leads to both generosity and also a life of success and blessing. Our church family is an example of that reality. Since we have started METRO we have been able to generate more funds for the poor than we have for our building fund. We don’t go bragging about that but we certainly do not believe that building a beautiful place of worship has anything to do with not being generous.

in the same direction, towards Jesus and heaven. One of our favourite quotes is by CS Lewis who once said “if we find that nothing in this world completely satisfies us, we can only conclude that we were made for another world”.

What will the progress be in 2011?

Garry: Slow and steady, we will keep everyone posted!

We believe that true Christianity leads to both generosity and also a life of success and blessing.

Our church family is an example of that reality...

Can people support the project financially if they want to?

Garry: Yes donations towards our building fund are fully tax deductible. We will gratefully accept donations towards bringing this dream to life. I would also add that we have a wonderful ministry called GO Partnership which supports a host of local community works and also international aid. If people are getting out their cheque books for the facility, we would not want to miss a chance to say please help us help the community and the poor.

What do you say to those who suggest you are trying to build an idol?

Kasey: We usually don’t justify those kinds of uninformed comments with a response.

Garry: However, let’s just say that the pointy bit (the spire) will hopefully inspire people in their faith but rest assured that everything about METRO Church will always be pointing

ROYAL HOUSE SUNDAY June 26 Once a year METRO receives a special collection for its building fund. Last financial year the church and community gave a total of almost four hundred thousand dollars toward this amazing vision. You can give towards the METRO ‘Royal House’ vision anytime but start planning now for what you might do on Royal House Sunday. The goal is to hit one million, on one Royal House Sunday within one decade. This will be our fifth Royal House Sunday.

51

GOLD COAST HEROES Words_ Leah Fineran

52

Behind the Gold Coast’s glittery facade beats a strong heart with a passion for others.

A growing army of more than 100,000 volunteers are quietly working away each day, each year, decade after decade to make a difference. You won’t read about them on the front pages of newspapers or see their actions leading the nightly news but their presence is as integral to the city as a heartbeat.

Leah Fineran highlights a few of the wonderful Gold Coast volunteer organisations supported through METRO GO Partnership.

Picture: Andy Gourley, Red Frogs Hotel Chaplaincy co-ordinator, with some of his team at Schoolies week.

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TRANSFORMATIONS

RED FROGS

For Michael Barrett helping others is a passion born from personal redemption.

Michael was once a drug addict whose habit blurred any vision of his future and forced him to live hit by hit. He says it was by the grace of God that he was able to turn his life around and for the past 10 years he has focused his life on helping others `make it through’. Today his organisation, Transformation Ministries, runs a live-in drug and alcohol rehabilitation programme for women and men, a counselling service, outreach ministry and a popular foodbank service on the Gold Coast and is in the process of expanding to Adelaide, Brisbane and Hervey Bay.

Accountant Andy Gourley certainly saw a need when he visited the annual Schoolies Festival in 1997. In response to the drunken teenage mayhem and hotel owners’ desperation he created the Red Frogs hotel chaplaincy program in the late 1990s.

“It’s a passion to see people find hope again and realise that they can recover and make a real life for themselves,” Mike says. “The need is stronger than ever with the influx of drugs like ice (crystal methamphetamine) into our city which causes not only drug dependency but mental health problems as well.”

With a team of five key staff and more than 15 volunteers, Transformations is making a significant impact in the city and the list of turned-around testimonials on their website gives evidence to their high success rate. But no-one said changing lives for the better would be easy. “It can be absolutely frustrating and the hardest part is not always having enough finances to make the difference that we need to,” he said. “There have been moments where I’ve wanted to quit but this is not a job for me - this is a calling.”

“For the volunteers, just working alongside the clients can be a transforming experience”

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He started with 17 volunteers but last year the programme attracted 1300 18 to 25-yearold helpers drawn from 210 churches of all denominations looking after 75,000 schoolies in 17 locations around the country. With the support of community donations and Allens Lollies they handed out 10.1 tonnes of red frogs (their jelly calling card) and made 36,000 pancakes for schoolies in 2009.

It’s not just about food, it’s about providing a neutral and safe source for teenagers to turn to during their first week of freedom. There is no end in sight for Andy with generations of high school graduates still determined to mark their milestone on the Gold Coast each year but he isn’t fazed.

“As long as there are Schoolies, there will be Red Frogs to help out,” he said.

METRO SCHOOLS SUPPORT TEAM Andy Kirk’s passion is to reach kids during the difficult years before graduation. Since 1999 he has been invited into schools to reach kids with behavioural problems and for the last four years he has led the METRO School Support team. This year the School Support team of volunteers are aiming to reach up to 11,000 students with their NEW BOUNDARIES programme featuring DVD interviews with Idol winner Stan Walker.

“Most kids have some form of brokenness in their lives and just don’t have any positive role models to look up to anymore so that’s what we do - I feel it’s our opportunity to help the next generation,” said Andy. “The principals are thrilled with our help and the kids look up to our volunteers like they are heroes just for spending time with them.”

The change in kids’ behaviour is noticeable but Andy said the real results were only revealed over time. “Ten years ago I worked with this troubled nine-year-old boy who just couldn’t function at school but today it is so wonderful to see him as a 19-year-old successful tradie who is about to buy his own home,” he said.

“That is satisfaction to me.”

DREAMWORKERS

PARADISE KIDS

For Debbie Smith, finding a way to help those in need came from her nursing background.

Together with seven mums, she founded a new Gold Coast charity called Dream Workers. Their specialty is helping individuals that no-one else knows how to help.

Imagine facing the pain of losing your mum or dad to illness or accident when you are still just a child. Consider the heartache of watching your parents separate and wondering if it is your fault. Many Gold Coast Children face these challenges daily.

Since 2005 they have worked not just dreams but miracles for families who had nowhere else to turn. One recent recipient was 20-year-old Jessica Dunne who was tragically struck down by the meningococcal virus in 2008 which led to brain damage and 15 months in hospital.

With Dream Workers and the Gold Coast community’s help, she was able to live at home with the best medical training equipment and a renewed hope for the future. Dream Workers co-ordinated over $100,000 of donations from local sporting, business and community groups and rallied a team of volunteer workers to completely renovate the Dunne home to make it accessible for Jessica’s wheelchair. The donations afforded Jess some Swiss exercise equipment that gave her the chance to learn to move and walk again. Sadly Jess passed away in her sleep in 2010 but her family has vowed to donate her life-changing equipment to Youngcare to help other young people in need.

Paradise Kids is an incredible Gold Coast Children’s Charity founded in 1996 to help kids working through these hard times.

Their work equips children to deal with grief through death, loss or illness. Whether the loss is the death or approaching death of a parent, grandparent or sibling, grief through the stress of separation or divorce, or the child’s own chronic life-limiting illness, Paradise Kids provides programmes to ‘help heal the heartache.’

“I’m just so thankful for the wholehearted response from the Gold Coast community,” said Debbie.

“The city seems to have a reputation for being selfish and shallow but I am amazed how people have really taken up each one of our causes when we’ve asked.”

John Macdonald Director of METRO Counselling and Pastoral Care services says: “Paradise Kids are one of the best partner organisations we deal with when it comes to helping children through some of the toughest times in life.”

Need inspiration on how to serve your city?

‘Volunteering Gold Coast’ has more than 500 volunteer roles for anyone wanting to help and the Gold Coast City Council’s programme Gold Coast Gives has many ideas for those wanting to help.

Visit www.volunteeringgc.com.au or www.ourcommunity.com.au/goldcoastgives Mobile phone tutor for seniors Primary school reading volunteers Firefighter Lifesaver Op shop assistant Beach carer Hospital librarian Tourism ambassador Dog walker Possum box builder Friendly home visitor for seniors Sailing volunteer Bingo caller Newspaper reader for nursing home Wildlife rescue phone operator Hospital foundation knitter

You can become a GO Partner today for as little as $10 per month and help METRO support all these amazing local organisations and MORE. Visit gopartnership.org.au to find out more.

PARTNERSHIP

2 Timothy 2:15 King James Version: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Amplified Bible: Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.

New International Version Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

New American Standard Bible Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

STUDY THE WORD.

COLLEGE OF THEOLOGICAL STUDIES

Prospectus out now Scholarships available www.metro.org.au 1800 008 375

6 weeks | Tuesday nights | Costs $50 | Intake every six weeks DNA is a course built around the vision, mandates and core values of METRO Church.

Pastors Garry & Kasey take the time to present this course personally because it is about the heart of the church and the “why?� behind all that we do. Many people have reported that this has been one of the best investments of time they have ever made.

WORDS_ Wazza Bray, Managing Director LMG Digital Media There is one easy step to make your business trouble-free immediately: sell it today!

The only people who will ever tell you that you can run a trouble-free business have either never been in business or they are a business coach/consultant.

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Rewarding – yes, challenging – yes, great fun – yes, frustrating – yes, make you want to run head first into the letterbox because that would be less painful – yes. Being in business is all these things, but trouble-free it ain’t.

If you are cut out to be in business though, you’ll find it a heck of a ride and life will definitely NOT be boring. There’s great joy and satisfaction in taking something and building it from scratch. But it’s not for everybody. You really have to decide if you are cut out to be in business before you start. You’ll also have to recheck that about a hundred times during your time in business. So for those about to start, and those in the midst of the journey, here is your pre-flight and mid-flight checklist.

Answer NO to any more than 5 of these, and you should run screaming from being in business. Ready? Here we go then. (It’s probably a good idea to grab a coffee at this point).

Do you like to make decisions? Ultimately as the owner of a business, the buck will stop with you so you have to be able to make decisions and then act on them.

Do you like long hours? Being in business, especially the first 5 years, you will work harder than anyone you employ. You will be in the office at midnight, wondering, “Why am I the only one doing this?” The truth is, some of us actually enjoy a good 80 hour week. Do you?

Do you have the capacity to laugh in the face of failure? You’ll need to because not everything you do in business will be successful. It’s cool, just dust yourself off, get back on the horse and try not to do it again.

Do you like pressure? Regardless of how smoothly your business runs, there will always be unexpected events that will put you under time or money pressure. Remember pressure is not stress, you have to hate stress and reject it from your life but the day you hate pressure is the day you want to get out of business. So do ya like pressure? Do ya?

Do you have an exit strategy? You should never start without having a plan to get out. This is not about retirement but rather knowing exactly how you will proceed in an emergency and exactly what constitutes an emergency. Where are your cut off points and boundaries of risk?

Do ya know?

Does your family own the business as much as you? No matter how brilliant or organised you are, your family will need to be extremely flexible, especially with time together and especially for the first few years. There are some great time management strategies you can employ but unless your wife and kids own the business with you, you won't beat the trouble, you'll go home to it.

Are you cool with change? You will spend hours and hours writing the most awesome plans and strategies, and you can bet your boots that something will happen with either staff, customers or competitors that will change everything. Ya just gotta roll with it and adapt.

If you can foresee change that’s even better.

Do you have controlled passion? Passion in business is a must but you have to be able to control it so that the highs aren’t too high and the lows aren’t too low. Can you keep a cool head and a warm heart?

Do you like being “the man” (or woman)? As uncle Ben said in Spiderman One “With great power comes great responsibility”. Similarly being a business owner means you ultimately are responsible for everything to do with your business. Every time one of your staff makes a mistake, it’s your fault (and money). Are you cool with that?

Are you patient? I wasn’t when I started, but I’ve learned that you need to be. Things always take longer and are more work than you think they will be so you have to be able to deal with that without taking to your staff or equipment with a cricket bat in frustration.

Can you be unreasonable? Unreasonable people get things done. They won’t be satisfied with the status quo and will demand progress and action.

Here endeth the checklist. How did you go?

Finally, here are some “business myths” (which is very hard to say ten times quickly).

1. I’ll just build the business up and then get someone to run it for me: Every business owner I know that has tried this has had to come back within 12 months to save the business. No one will care about your business as much as you.

2. If I build it they will come: No they won’t, you’re gonna have to entice them. You will need to market your business and then work very hard to keep them coming back.

to steer the ship. Business plans are actually valuable.

5. I’m building this business to fund my charity, church etc: That’s awesome, but it shouldn’t be the reason you get into business. You must be profit focussed and then you can focus on funding causes that are important to you.

Now, having said all that, being in business is awesome and I couldn’t think of anything I’d rather be doing, with the possible exception of sitting on a ridiculously large yacht being fed grapes and saying things like “I think the Bahamas look good William, please set us forth accordingly”.

The satisfaction you get from growing your business, growing your people in both capacity and skill, creating a successful environment, carving out your own part of the economic world and contributing to the planet is incomparable.

There is a real joy that comes with success as a business owner that I don’t think you can get from working for somebody else.

So, if you want to have a crack, then by all means do, just look at the checklist first and do your due diligence before you start.

If you’re in business and a bit over it, I encourage you to get around some other business owners who will understand what you’re going through, take a couple of days off and then fire up and get back into it.

Remember, if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. But if at first you do succeed, just try and hide your astonishment.

METRO Entrepreneurs

3. I won’t have a boss: Yes you will, you’ll have more than ever. The ATO, your customers and your staff are just a few. To lead is to serve.

Headed up by Paul van Riet, METRO Entrepreneurs is designed to help people who want to be in business to get started. It also offers resources for established business owners who wish to keep educating and growing their own acumen.

4. I’ll just start it up and it will all be fine: No it won’t. You have to plan and take time out

For more info email: entrepreneurs@metro.org.au

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Kids suffer the most wherever poverty reigns.

METRO Church is passionately committed to helping more and more children each passing year. Come meet some of our extraordinary friends who are saving and serving the SLUMDOGS and DESERT RATS.

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Slumdog Millionaire was nominated for 10 Academy Awards in 2009 and won eight, the most for any film of 2008, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It gave a glimpse into life for the poorest inhabitants of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) a city with a population of 24 million people. That is more than the entire population of Australia. There are 300,000 street children living on the streets of Mumbai. This represents a large percentage of the population of our entire city here on the Gold Coast. With all the help provided to these children it is estimated that only 15,000 of them receive any kind of attention and care.

Introducing Biju Thampy, a great friend of METRO Church

who is making a huge difference in Mumbai on a daily basis. Below Biju shares how his work in Mumbai was birthed.

BIJU THAMPY

“One day a friend of mine told me about a newspaper cutting he had seen, there was a picture of a 3 year old boy lying next to a dog. Looking closely at the picture one could figure out that the little boy was drinking the milk of that dog! The caption given under the picture read, “This dog is his mother”. When I heard this, that was it! I decided that I was going to do something about this and not just turn away from the horrendous conditions of these children. If I could make a difference in the life of ‘one’ of these kids, if I could keep ‘one’ child from drinking the dog’s milk, if I could keep ‘one’ child from death due to starvation and malnutrition, I would do it!”

This commitment gave birth to Vision Rescue, a non-profit, registered charity committed to providing food, non-formal education, medical help, skill training and other kinds of help to the addicted and abused street children.

METRO GO Partnership is proud to support the ongoing work of Vision Rescue.

In October/November 2011 the GO Partnership team will travel to India and Burkina Faso to work with leaders and inspect the vital efforts on the ground.

Individuals can apply to join with these tours and experience a side of the world few ever see. It is also a wonderful opportunity to visit with a sponsor child if you have one in either area.

Desert Rats was a 1953 American war film about the World War II siege of Tobruk. Tobruk is located in the north western coastline of Lybia and the desert in question is the Sahara.

The Sahara is a massive unforgiving landscape covering the bulk of North West Africa and if the street kids in Mumbai are treated like SLUMDOGS, then the children living in and around the Sahara are surely treated like DESERT RATS. In the tiny land locked nation of Burkina Faso situated on the southern edge of the Sarhara, one in five children don’t live to see the age of five.

This child mortality rate is staggering and yet this kind of stifling poverty never makes the evening news. Those kids who do survive run great risk of child trafficking and hard labour. One in 30 of the population are infected with HIV and Burkina Faso is the 3rd poorest nation in the world.

Introducing JacqueS CompAore, another great friend of METRO who is working tirelessly to help the children and needy in his nation. METRO first met Jacques as we began focussed efforts to sponsor children in the nation of Burkina Faso. Almost 1000 children have now been sponsored as a result of METRO’s efforts.

Apart from Jacques’ role working as part of the Compassion child sponsorship ministry in Burkina Faso Jacques is developing an exciting micro finance programme which is seeing amazing results.

SEE IT FOR YOURSELF

JACQUES COMPAORE

GO Partnership is proud to support the work of Jacques Compaore and Compassion in Burkina Faso. Please consider becoming a GO Partner today.

For as little as $10 per month YOU can partner with these vital works along with many other wonderful initiatives right here in our own community. Partners receive monthly email updates outlining how their contributions are making a difference.

You can also sponsor a child directly today and truly transform the life of a child caught in the grip of poverty.

Call us today on 1800 008 375 or visit gopartnership.org.au to partner with these wonderful causes.

This year METRO WOMEN are enjoying life together and raising funds for some amazing causes. We are hosting an event every month and would love to invite you along to hang out and enjoy the fun while getting to know some of our great girls and sowing into our local community... All our events will be held at METRO Church, Ridgeway Avenue, Southport except for our Christmas Breakfast which is at Palazzo Versace, and they are strictly for the girls! No fellas allowed!

THE PANEL

On Saturday March 26 at 6pm, we are hosting a team of qualified experts who will be answering all our questions covering topics from nutrition, raising kids, marriage, sex, health and beauty etc. There will also be prize give-aways and other surprises throughout the evening. If you plan on attending, you can email your questions to kasey.mac@metro.org.au. Funds raised via donations on this evening will go towards TRANSFORMATIONS women’s rehabilitation programme which helps free women from drug and alcohol addiction.

MOTHER/DAUGHTER EVENING

Mother’s Day is Sunday May 8 but we are starting celebrations early as we host an evening for mums and daughters on Friday May 6 at 7pm. There will be food, gifts and treats for all the mums and if you don’t have your mum or daughter close by, come along anyway and ‘adopt’ one for the evening!

Come prepared to donate a little something to the Salvos wonderful work at Still Waters home where they care for homeless women and children in our community.

CLOTHES SWAP

On Friday evening August 5 at 7pm, we are holding our annual clothes swap. All funds raised from clothing, shoes, jewellery and handbags will go towards our METRO School Support Team who help kids with behavioural problems. So come along and pick up some bargains and support this great cause. To donate clothing or other items, email kasey. mac@metro.org.au closer to the day for delivery and drop off details.

SINGLE MUMS PAMPER DAY

Every year, the lovely ladies at METRO Church set aside one day to pamper the single mums in our community. On Saturday September 17 at 2pm, we will be spending the afternoon giving all the single mums out there the royal treatment. If you are a single mum or have a friend who is, then you are invited! We want to take the opportunity to give you an afternoon off and basically tell you how amazing you are! We will treat you to a facial, a manicure, a delicious High Tea, we will lavish you with gifts and flowers and all the while your children can enjoy a fun afternoon of activities in our ‘Dad for the Day’ programme with our amazing team of blue-carded ‘dads’. To register yourself or a friend and/or your children, or to donate to this very worthy cause of spoiling the single mums of our community, email kasey.mac@ metro.org.au. You could pop along to our fundraiser afternoon tea on Saturday June 25 at 2pm where at just $5 you will get a beverage, a delicious cupcake and help raise money to spoil our single mums.

CUPCAKES FOR A CAUSE

October is Breast Cancer month so on Saturday October 22 at 2pm at we are going to hold a fundraiser where we will hear from some brave women who have survived breast cancer as they share their stories of hope with us and perhaps even some who are on the journey currently. For $5 you will receive a beverage plus a hand crafted designer cupcake made by our talented team of cupcake experts so be sure to mark this date in your diary and come and support the wonderful work of the Breast Cancer Foundation.

BREAKFAST AT THE PALACE

On Saturday morning December 10, we are kicking off the Christmas season with a beautiful breakfast at Palazzo Versace.

The cost is $50 per person for a full cooked breakfast along with prize giveaways, live entertainment and a gift for every lady. All proceeds from this event will go to Paradise Kids who help kids dealing with grief through death, loss or illness. This event has limited places and fills quickly so be sure to secure your seat early by emailing kasey.mac@ metro.org.au

TOUCHING HEAVEN EVENINGS

Throughout the year we are also hosting four evenings on Saturday February 12, April 16, July 23 and November 12 at 6pm where we will spend some time in prayer and worship and hear from some of the great women of METRO Church as to how God has touched their life and met them at their point of need.

If you need some time just to relax, recharge your batteries and connect with the Creator, then these nights are for you! We will also receive donations on these evenings for some of the other great Gold Coast community charities that we support including The Lifehouse Project, Dreamworkers, Bravehearts and Rosies.

SUB SCR IBE.

Grab a 1 Year subscription for only AU$39.90.

Subscribe at www.enhancemagazine.com

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ATIO

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METRO’s daily citywide devotion and friendship watering holes.

What is the MOJO grOOve?

NS

ATIO

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- Mostly in coffee shops but in some private residences - Our aim is to have daily citywide locations happening morning, noon and night - List of locations to be launched in October

Where and When dO MOJO lOcatiOns happen?

when people become established in the Word of God)

- The Word of God sustains YOU (many problems fade

Why Meet tO read the BiBle tOgether?

- Turn up at a MOJO location with a bible, notepad & pen - Catch up & buy a drink (please don’t freeload) - Break into tables of 4-6 (table leaders set by location leader) - Sit, read and journal for 15-20 minutes - Share your MOJO (only your MOJO) - Total time 45-50 minutes (peoples’ time is precious) - Hang out for as long as you want afterwards

What is the MOJO grOOve?

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ATIO

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isolated, you need to be purposeful in friendship)

regularly says something about a person)

Where and When dO MOJO lOcatiOns happen?

- Relationships define YOU (foolish people live METRO’s daily citywide devotion and friendship watering holes.

when people become established in the Word of God)

- Prioritising relationship with people who prioritise God’s Word is incredibly wise (attending a MOJO location

isolated, you need to be purposeful in friendship)

- Relationships define YOU (foolish people live

What is the MOJO grOOve?

METRO’s daily citywide devotion and friendship watering holes.

Where and When dO MOJO lOcatiOns happen?

- Mostly in coffee shops but in some private residences - Our aim is to have daily citywide locations happening morning, noon and night - List of locations to be launched in October

- Turn up at a MOJO location with a bible, notepad & pen - Catch up & buy a drink (please don’t freeload) - Break into tables of 4-6 (table leaders set by location leader) - Sit, read and journal for 15-20 minutes - Share your MOJO (only your MOJO) - Total time 45-50 minutes (peoples’ time is precious) - Hang out for as long as you want afterwards

Why Meet tO read the BiBle tOgether?

isolated, you need to be purposeful in friendship)

when people become established in the Word of God)

- The Word of God sustains YOU (many problems fade

- Mostly in coffee shops but in some private residences - Our aim is to have daily citywide locations happening morning, noon and night - List of locations to be launched in October

- The Word of God sustains YOU (many problems fade

Why Meet tO read the BiBle tOgether?

Where and When dO MOJO lOcatiOns happen?

- Relationships define YOU (foolish people live

- Turn up at a MOJO location with a bible, notepad & pen - Catch up & buy a drink (please don’t freeload) - Break into tables of 4-6 (table leaders set by location leader) - Sit, read and journal for 15-20 minutes - Share your MOJO (only your MOJO) - Total time 45-50 minutes (peoples’ time is precious) - Hang out for as long as you want afterwards

regularly says something about a person)

regularly says something about a person)

What is the MOJO grOOve?

isolated, you need to be purposeful in friendship)

- Prioritising relationship with people who prioritise God’s Word is incredibly wise (attending a MOJO location

- Prioritising relationship with people who prioritise

ATIO

when people become established in the Word of God)

- Relationships define YOU (foolish people live

- Mostly in coffee shops but in some private residences - Our aim is to have daily citywide locations happening morning, noon and night - List of locations to be launched in October

LOC

- The Word of God sustains YOU (many problems fade

- Prioritising relationship with people who prioritise God’s Word is incredibly wise (attending a MOJO location

METRO’s daily citywide devotion and friendship watering holes.

Why Meet tO read the BiBle tOgether?

God’s Word is incredibly wise (attending a MOJO location regularly says something about a person)

NS

- Turn up at a MOJO location with a bible, notepad & pen - Catch up & buy a drink (please don’t freeload) - Break into tables of 4-6 (table leaders set by location leader) - Sit, read and journal for 15-20 minutes - Share your MOJO (only your MOJO) - Total time 45-50 minutes (peoples’ time is precious) - Hang out for as long as you want afterwards

GET YOUR MOJO ON. METRO’S CITYWIDE BIBLE READING GROUPS Find locations and times online at www.metro.org.au or download the iPhone app.

MOJO Service: Wednesdays 6:30pm @ the church

THE JOURNAL Jot down all your MOJO journal entries in one place! Available at the Information Desk on Sundays for only $6!

THE APP Type in all your MOJO journal entries in one digital place!

Available at the iPhone app Store for FREE download!

LOC

ATIO

NS

METRO’s daily citywide devotion and friendship watering holes.

What is the MOJO grOOve?

- Turn up at a MOJO location with a bible, notepad & pen - Catch up & buy a drink (please don’t freeload) - Break into tables of 4-6 (table leaders set by location leader) - Sit, read and journal for 15-20 minutes - Share your MOJO (only your MOJO) - Total time 45-50 minutes (peoples’ time is precious) - Hang out for as long as you want afterwards

Why Meet tO read the BiBle tOgether?

- The Word of God sustains YOU (many problems fade when people become established in the Word of God)

- Relationships define YOU (foolish people live isolated, you need to be purposeful in friendship)

- Prioritising relationship with people who prioritise God’s Word is incredibly wise (attending a MOJO location

Where and When dO MOJO