All the Good stuff in our Community
smacked!
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All the Good stuff in our Community
with Kerry Medway
Is water divining wrong? Youth For Christ ‘gets’ young people
Wanted: passionate people who share a heart for youth
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We choose to actively go into their world, sharing honestly about our own lives and giving them an opportunity to find new life in Jesus
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EVERYONE knows youth are perplexing, fascinating, and energetic creatures. What confounds most adults is what is going on in their brains. Given some of the things they do, most parents wonder if there is anything at all going on between their ears. In reality, the changes in the adolescent brain are so great they often explain much of what looks like aberrant behaviour. They struggle with identity, feel invincible, have trouble making decisions, and believe no one understands them. Youth For Christ is relational to the core – a friend you can depend on. We ‘get’ young people: we like hanging out with them and identify with the culture they live in. So we’ll go the extra mile - making sacrifices of status and salary to be part of their journey. We’re willing outside the status quo and try new things because we’re sold-out on investing
on investing in the next generation. Given that only one in five are ever likely to wander into a church, we choose to actively go into their world, sharing honestly about our own lives and giving them an opportunity to find new life in Jesus. We are calling on passionate people who share a heart for young people to join the movement. For more information on how you can get involved please do not hesitate to contact us. Daryl Carter Regional director YFC Port Macqaurie/Hastings
THIS question was sparked by the recent film by Russell Crowe called The Water Diviner (which I recommend as a very moving and inspiring film). The art of water divining, also known as water dowsing and in the US water witching, is the art of placing two sticks across each other (or two lengths of strainer fencing wire) or a Y or L-shaped twig or stick (I have seen someone water divining using a wire coat hanger) and walking around seeking water below the ground. Over the centuries this practice has been condemned by the Church and seen as occult or receiving supernatural powers from the devil. Science has also condemned the practise as unscientific and some have described it as tomfoolery. The Bible doesn’t have anything to say about the practice of water divining, but warns the Israeli nation about the dangers of adopting pagan practises such as omens, the reading of livers, necromancy, etc. While I strongly disagree with the use of crystals for healing or the use of Ouija boards or séances to talk to dead people, I have no qualms about the craft of water divining as long as the diviner is not seeking some supernatural power in his practice of looking for water. I have been with a number of water diviners in outback Australia, usually ordinary bush blokes or farmers, who in some cases simply seem to have a gift of knowing when there is water hidden below in a certain
Q & A with Pastor Kerry Medway spot. I have seen some of these men find water in what looked to me to be the driest of places and seen several others find nothing. So keep the questions rolling-in to Stump the Preacher - kerry@kerrymedway.org or via this paper.
Port’s first clergyman and his passion to win souls
The Rev Thomas Hassall in later life
THE first clergyman to arrive in Port Macquarie was the Rev Thomas Hassall in August 1824. Hassall arrived on the ship Sally with his new wife Ann (Rev Samuel Marsden’s eldest daughter). Thomas was a protégé of the Wesleyan/Methodist revival in England and was strongly supported by William Wilberforce and Rev John Newton (both heroes in the abolition of slavery. Newton wrote the famous hymn Amazing Grace). He went with his parents as missionaries to Tahiti. After a couple of years the family was forced to flee for their lives and sought refuge in Sydney. Thomas Hassall was ordained
as an Anglican clergyman and worked alongside the Rev Samuel Marsden at St John’s Parramatta. Hassall was appointed by Governor Brisbane as a chaplain to the penal colony of Port Macquarie on November 1 1824. Thomas and Ann had a passion to win souls for Christ. They lived on the north shore of the Hastings River. Hassall was assigned the job of supervising the construction of St Thomas’ Anglican Church. Governor Macquarie had instructed a large church to be built, seating 600-700 people. He wanted no church spire on the building so that in the future if it was no longer used as a church, it would be a useful
Way back when
With Pastor, Kerry Medway public building. The foundation stone of the church was laid on December 8 1824 with Rev Hassall preaching a powerful sermon dedicating the building to the “glory of God.” Rev Hassall and his wife were transferred back to Sydney after one year and continued ministry throughout NSW.
Invest in the youth of tomorrow and sponsor the next generation of interns at YFC. All donations over $2 are tax deductible Cheques Payable to: Youth for Christ Australia Direct Deposit: BSB: 013 225 Account No: 2554 51321 Online giving available at: www.yfc.org.au Mark your donation: Leadership Fund if you would like to provide funds for a scholarship for a YFC intern For more info contact the Port Macquarie Hastings team on 02 6583 3396 or email: port_macquarie@yfc.org.au
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smacked!
All the Good stuff in our Community
Here’s to a break-through HAPPY New Year I hope everyone has enjoyed a lovely Christmas and New Year break and are ready for whatever 2015 might have in store for you and your families. I am believing that 2015 is going to be a year of ‘break through’ for many people and hold on to that belief for myself and my family. 2014 has been a year of extreme highs and lows for many of us and my own family has certainly had its fair share of both highs and lows. Some of the lows have been hard to take and have had a huge impact on my family and loved ones. Probably the lowest point was in July. My second daughter and her husband were excitedly awaiting the birth of my 9th grandchild in August; their other children were all prepped and ready to welcome the newest sibling into the fold and then disaster struck. Tragically, our little angel Georgia was still-born just a few days before her due date. As you can imagine this has absolutely devastated my daughter and her husband and sent shockwaves through the entire family and has been a huge thing to deal with for their other children (all under the age of 12). As I write this six months later (to the day), I have to say we are all still trying to cope with the fallout of such a tragedy on so many different levels. I can’t even begin to imagine how my daughter and her husband are still feeling, and I’m a mother of four! For me, the hardest thing I have to deal with myself over this is the guilt I carry. You see, the day our little angel was due, ended up being the day of her funeral; the same day that we took over the paper. I had to make a really hard decision; I could not be there for my daughter and her family due to the prior commitments I had made. This guilt has been playing in my mind and on my heart daily.
Letters of A poem for Georgia (Written for Georgia by my daughter) You may be gone now, But you’re still our Angel Girl. We watched you lying quietly, Memorising your face. Complete with such innocence, Yet filled with such Grace. We need not be afraid As to where you might be. Someday we’ll be together, Just wait and you’ll see. It hasn’t helped either me or my daughter for me to carry this around on a daily basis so I have had to hand this guilt over; in faith. I was beating myself up and then letting other people beat me up with their judgmental words and actions. I was stuck in a quandary: I wanted to be there for my daughter, but I also had huge commitments of my own that I could not walk away from. My actions may have appeared selfish from the outside. However, I knew also that I could be of much better use to my daughter later on. That later on came in October, when I was able to take eight days to go to her in Tasmania
So tiny and small you were, So soft to the touch. Fly to the gates of Heaven, We’ll miss you very much.
Sandy Mackenzie
and spend time with her on her terms. Not stay with her, but be around so when she wanted me she had me and my full attention. Although it was not as much time as I would have liked, I still felt the time spent was of benefit. You see, she has her own life now and although I am her mother and will love her unconditionally forever (as I do each of my four children), I have had to learn to respect how she chooses to do things. She is a mother of three with three stepchildren and is forging her own way in life and needs to deal with her own grief in her own
way; not how everyone else thinks she should. Probably with a lot more wisdom than myself at her age. You are now probably wondering where the high points have been after reading this. Well, there is a silver lining in every cloud and for me that silver lining is that I have come to realise through this situation that I have four absolutely amazing children who have all grown up to become outstanding adult human beings. This is just one example of what a great handle they have on life. To my daughter in Tasmania and her husband; you are shining examples of strength and courage, facing each day as it comes; dealing with your grief in such an awesome manner and also supporting your children through this painful time. Your wisdom is way beyond your years and you have both earned the utmost respect from myself, your friends and family . . . you have been an inspiration to many! Lesson: Look for the silver lining in every dark cloud . . . there will always be a significant positive to be found. Sandy Mackenzie Independent newspaper owner
A new, thoroughly good, world will be ushered in. In the meantime, God entrusts governments and their legal systems, imperfect though they are, with his justice. But even the worst offenders, are human, made in their Creator’s likeness. Humans bear God’s image. So human life is sacred. We don’t write-off criminals because God doesn’t. Good Friday, the day when Jesus gave his life, sees “the good one” standing in for us all who are not so good. Christ’s sacrificial love offers forgiveness to the worst offender. This is that uniquely christian wonder known as “grace”. Through grace a criminal may be restored to God and to others . . . while nevertheless serving their sentence. Before God we are all offenders. Fortunately Jesus, the innocent one, stepped in to take the punishment we deserve. Any who trust God’s grace in Christ find themselves acquitted. That’s
‘Amazing grace’. So what’s the bottom line? The Bible [Genesis 9:6] says that to take a human life is a capital offence. Sadly, if I wilfully take someone’s life, then I should forfeit mine. That is retributive justice. So capital punishment is not wrong in principle, but there are good reasons why it should not be used. Firstly, what if you arrested the wrong person, or there were unknown mitigating circumstances? Capital punishment cannot be reversed in light of fresh evidence. Secondly, someone has to fire the trigger, pull the trapdoor, flip the switch, or administer the injection - this brutalises the executioner. The two Australians may deserve a severe sentence, but they should not be put to death. Ken Fenton Minister Trinity Anglican Church Port Macquarie
We know you’re shining down on us, From the heavens above. You are our baby Georgia, We’ll never forget, but always love.
In a moral world should such offenders die? ON February 13, 2006, two Australians were sentenced to death by firing squad. The Indonesian court found Chan and Sukumaran guilty of being ringleaders in the smuggling of $4million worth of heroin. Their pleas for leniency have been unsuccessful and they may soon be shot. Considering the misery and death caused by heroin, should such offenders die? Some shrink from the notion of justice and retribution, and prefer to focus on rehabilitating offenders. So some prefer ‘Department of Corrective Services’ instead of “Justice Department”. Others go the other way and suggest more severe penalties than deserved, in order to deter others from committing the same crime. But this is unjust to the offender. Instead, the Bible affirms retributive justice. God is just, and does not overlook human wrongdoing. Wrongdoing must be punished in proportion to the crime.
Minister Ken Fenton – “We live in a moral world” So we live in a moral world. How we behave matters. Our Creator entrusts us to live in his world his way. And God has a future day planned, a day of justice when all wrongs will be righted.
GRIEF & LOSS “RECOVERY” WORKSHOP GETTING SUPPORT FOR YOUR GRIEF This workshop is a non-religious, self help program held twice a year at:
Administration Centre, Uniting Church, Corner Oxley Highway and Sherwood Road, Port Macquarie Next program: Mondays - February 9th - March 16th - 2015 4pm till 6pm - A fee of $40 will help cover costs. If you would like to hear more about this workshop please call: Kaye on 6581 2414 - 9am-1pm
Grief and loss program receives positive feedback WITH a history dating back to 1994, the grief and loss program run at Port Uniting Church, has consistently received positive feedback from participants. The program is run as a nonreligious workshop that is available to the wider community. One of the most important aims is to provide a safe and confidential space where people who are grieving can have the opportunity to express themselves with honesty. The individuality of people’s grief experiences is recognised and affirmed during the process. In a society where people can sometimes be told to “get on with their life”, this course gives people the opportunity to take time out, so that they can work through some of the profound sadness
associated with the death of a loved one. The aim is to encourage and support folk in this process. One woman who lost her husband recently found it very helpful to be able to talk about her grief in a safe, friendly and supportive environment. “I appreciate the support and loving care from the facilitators and highly recommend anyone grieving the loss of a loved one to attend,” she said. To register or to find out more information phone Kaye at the Uniting Church office on 6581 2414 between 9am and 1pm Monday to Friday. The next program will run from Monday, February 9 to Monday March 16.
All the Good stuff in our Community
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Prayer Day gains momentum
THE 5th Australian National Day of Prayer & Fasting will take place on Sunday, February 15. Once again Christians will gather in the Great Hall of Parliament House in Canberra to pray and fast for Australia. Many local churches Australia-wide will participate by celebrating the event during their own church services. The prayer focus this year is that Australia will recapture its destiny in Christ. The chairman of the organising team, Matt Prater, said the aim was to make it possible for more and more Australians to pray and fast for the revival and transformation of our nation. “We are excited by the growing momentum for prayer and fasting,” he said. This year there will be newly added state days of prayer and fasting in a growing number of capital cities. These pre-events will take place on Saturday, February 7. There will also be new regional pre-events in different cities, towns and rural locations, as well as small groups like prayer meetings and home
groups, from Saturday, February 7 to Saturday, February 14. Dr Graham McLennan, a member of the team and co-founder of the Australian Christian
Heritage Research Institute, said for Australia to find its destiny we must first understand our Christian heritage. “The National Day of Prayer & Fasting and its
pre-events will therefore have a strong focus on Christian foundations and history of Australia,” he said. Following the National Day of Prayer & Fasting will be the 40 Days of Delight. This extended time of prayer and fasting affirms that our personal and national destiny is found as we delight ourselves in the Lord. It will take place during the 40 days of Lent from Ash Wednesday, February 18 to Palm Sunday, March 29. Daily devotions will be sent to those who register and will be available online. A new feature this year is the daily recorded blessings called “Have a Good One” to be broadcast on Christian radio. For more background see this two-minute YouTube Promo: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=7RVuw12f5Eg You can also find links to what is planned regionally at nationaldayofprayer.com.au or 40daysofprayer. com.au and find them on facebook at facebook. com.ndopf
A TEAM from Grace Church in Port Macquarie will be among those who travel to attend from the Hastings. The team will include Trevor Suitor, founder of the Jesus Campaign, and the senior pastor at the Grace Church, Todd Murray. They will be launching a bold new strategy for connecting with un-churched people groups in Australia. “The Jesus Campaign is all about getting the conversation started and then connecting hurting people with a loving Christian community to journey with them through the pain, supporting them, encouraging them, helping them, and providing both inspiration through their personal triumphs and answers to the deepest questions,”
Mr Suitor said. “Our purpose is to connect with people on their level, inspiring them with stories of people who, because of their personal revelation of - and encounter with - Christ, have risen above their circumstances and experienced healing, restoration, and forgiveness. These real-life stories are inherently interlaced with the truth that, in Christ, we have hope, for He is the answer, no matter what challenges we face in life.” The team hope their presentation in Canberra will further raise the profile of the initiative and invite the Australia-wide Christian community to join the campaign leaders in taking the Jesus Campaign message to the people of the nation and connect with Australians in a fresh, contem-
porary, real, and relevant way. “People are suffering, silently tormented daily by issues depression, domestic violence, and drug addiction among other things,” Pastor Murray said. “Across our nation souls are silently shattering. People are desperately crying out, overwhelmed by life - they’ve never felt more alone. They are desperate for an answer grabbing hold of any glimmer of hope that there is life “after” the horror and torment they current face. “We need to reach out, connect with them in the midst of their pain, show them there is life beyond their current circumstances and connect them with the local Christian community who can rally around them, love them, pray with them
and be a reflection of God’s love here and now. Healing will come, restoration will happen, eternal destiny will redefined but only if we act.” The Jesus Campaign has already received significant long-term funding support and will begin in the Port Hastings region later this year. This inspired new approach to communicating the Christian message will make use of a number of proven promotional mediums including television, traditional press and mobile ready social media platforms such as facebook. Mr Suitor and his team are busily recording local transformation stories. For further information on the Jesus Campaign please contact Pastor Murray at Grace Church in Port Macquarie.
Join with all Christians in praying and fasting
Launching the Jesus Campaign