The QB Magazine Dec 2019/Jan 2020

QB MAGAZINE THE VOICE OF QUEENSLAND BAPTISTS | DEC 19/JAN 20 PLEASE READ AND SHARE...

The old old story

A Letter from Uganda

The value of Wasted Time

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Print post approved ISSN: 100003837 | The Queensland Baptist - first published in 1890. This series Vol 17 Issue 6. | qb.org.au

MAY YOU FIND JOY THIS CHRISTMAS FROM THE TEAM AT

QB MAGAZINE

CONTENTS

QB MINISTRIES 18 QB Women Reflections 19 QB Kids and their Families Converge 20

QCCC Memories of Currumbin

22

QB Archives Major changes at the Archives

24

Carinity Creating Christmas connections for homeless youth

ARTICLES 33

The Gift of Service

34

Digital Minimalism:

Focus in a Noisy World

36

Where you want your heart to be

38

The Value of Wasted Time

40

Back to School in 2020

41

You’re Too Nice

12 REGULARS 4

From the Director

of QB Services

7

Baptisms

8

Vision Series

10

Speaking out: Peter Francis

12

Around the regions

14 Milestones

40

22 Mr and Mrs WH Green (credit: Mrs E Dyer)

30

17

God Moments

28

Persecution brief

42

Reviews

44

Fun zone

46

Called Home

47

Classifieds

QB PARTNERS 26 BWAA

Emergency: Innocent lives

are in grave danger 30

Global Interaction Reflections of our Cambodian season - inspired by Solomon

QB.ORG.AU DEC 19/JAN 20 3

FROM THE DIRECTOR OF QB SERVICES

PRIORITY I really enjoy a good coffee. I only started to drink coffee in my 30s, but I soon got used to barista made silky cappuccinos prepared with high quality fresh roasted beans. I might even be considered by some to be a coffee snob, as I no longer drink instant coffee, and would prefer tea if instant was the only coffee on offer! It could be said that good coffee is a priority for me.

Soon after I am out of bed in the morning, my priority is to get the coffee organised. However, once I have enjoyed my coffee I can then get on with other things. That is until around 10am when coffee is again my priority, and my thoughts turn toward the coffee van that turns up at the QB centre to dispense this lovely liquid elixir!

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OR

PRINCIPLE

Jesus says in Matthew 6:33; “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

When Jesus commands us to seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness, we might think that this is a matter of priority that Jesus is talking about. The context of the passage is about being counter cultural and not worrying about the physical and temporal things of life (like coffee!) that those that do not follow Jesus pursue, but that we should first make a priority of seeking God and His agenda for us.

What is key to Jesus’ teaching here is how we might define or understand the meaning of the term ‘priority’.

It seems to me that a common understanding of a “priority” is something that we prefer or need to do before we move onto something else.

I treat good coffee like this, I like good coffee, I prefer good coffee!

It could be an over statement, but sometimes I need good coffee—but once I have had a good coffee I get on with other things.

Understood in this way, seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness would be like doing something important before moving onto other important things. I don’t think that seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness is not meant to be a priority. Rather, it is meant to be a principle!

A priority is usually understood as something that is more important and valuable at some point in time than other things, but a principle is that which governs all other priorities.

The Oxford dictionary describes a principle as, “a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behaviour”.

Understood as a principle, seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness should be the organising factor and lens through which all other things should be viewed and ordered.

It is not the first thing we think about before we do other things in life, it is meant to be that which takes precedence over and governs all other things at all times!

A practical outworking of seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness is found in the six values that Queensland Baptists are seeking to live out as a movement over the next five years.

discipleship, effective mission and servant leadership should all be out workings of lives that are in submission to the rule and reign of God, and as such, are an expression of seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

As we conclude 2019 and move into 2020 let us all consciously make the rule and reign of God and His values the organising principle that determines how we live, the choices we make and that which governs our actions and attitudes.

After all, living life in submission to God’s rule, reign and values is way better than coffee!

God do you good

Stewart Pieper Director of QB Services stewart.pieper@qb.org.au

It seems to me that scriptural authority, collaborative autonomy, fervent prayer, intentional

MINISTRY TEAM CHANGES We anticipate David Elvery and Mark Westhuyzen joining the QB Ministry Team in the New Year. David was appointed as the Director of Pastoral Services and Mark the Director of Church Health Services at a special Assembly in October. We said farewell to Pieter Henning who has returned to local church ministry after a significant season serving as a Regional Consultant. Stephen Ball has moved into a part time role and will assist myself in bedding down the various changes that we have implemented until mid-year. We anticipate the commencement of the Regional Ministers from February and will begin the process of appointing Area Pastors around that time as well.

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QB MAGAZINE

FROM THE EDITOR

THE VOICE OF QUEENSLAND BAPTISTS

The QB is a member of the Australasian Religious Press Association, published bi-monthly by Queensland Baptist Services Group in February, April, June, August, October and December.

Editor: Linda Nevell Design: Shell Graphix Print: Printcraft This magazine is printed with soy based inks and paper from sustainable forest plantations.

We welcome reader feedback and opinions about our articles. Remember to include your full name, email and postal addresses.

Articles and advertising in The QB express the opinions of the authors, not necessarily the editor or publishers. Every effort is made to ensure the correctness of facts and information however we cannot accept responsibility for errors. The publishers reserve the right to accept or decline any advertising.

It is the end of another decade, and we are heading into the roaring 20’s again! It is amazing how quickly time passes, and how many things have changed since the last time we celebrated the calendar turning to a new decade of the 20’s. Yet, the things that matter remain the same.

The gift of Christ, descending from the throne of heaven to a humble manger is an old, old story and yet the amazing wonder of it echoes into eternity. Peter Francis writes about the Christmas Story (Speaking Out), and how important it is to make it real to others, so they can look beyond the tinsel of the season to the real gold.

For the holiday puzzlers, there are Christmas themed games and a competition (Fun Zone) with a chance to win a Koorong voucher.

Please visit the QB magazine online www.qbmagazine.org.au for more festive fun, like the latest competitions, online games and new stories.

Thank you to all our readers, and contributors. We appreciate your support and encouragement throughout the year. May you have a blessed Christmas and be filled with the peace that passes all understanding.

God Bless,

It is the time of year when giving should be more joyful than receiving.

Please consider the story of Michael in Uganda (Baptist World Aid - Be Hope) and how a small contribution can bring so much change to a life and community.

Deadline for advertisement and copy: 10th of the month prior to the month of publication.

PO Box 6166 Mitchelton Qld 4053

P 07 3354 5600 Advertising rates are listed in The QB Media Kit available at qbmagazine.org.au.

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Please contact us for details. A limited number of inserts are also accepted.

Copyright © 2019 by Queensland Baptists. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means without written permission from the publisher.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture verses appearing in The qb are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Baptisms

Kate Harper - Moore Park Baptist Church

PRAYER IS POWERFUL Please set aside some time to pray for the people recently baptised. They have taken a courageous and life changing step in their walk with Christ.

Baptism is an important event in the believer’s walk with Jesus Christ. The Bible talks about water immersion baptism, in which a believer makes a public confession of their faith. Jesus led the way in example of water baptism!

Outlook Christian Church Toowoomba

Bundaberg Baptist Church • Jo-Anne Locke • Drew Bursey • Zak Timms Clontarf Beach Baptist Church • Genevieve Atkinson • Natalie McDonnell • David Reece Moore Park Baptist Church (Indooroopilly) • Harper-Kate Moore

Outlook Christian Church Toowoomba • Emma Dowley • Brandon Forrest • Emma Hughes • Israel Phillips • Ayesha Saleh • Ashley Webber • Jake Webber Stafford Heights Baptist Church • Sam Willetts

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!

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VISION

Change is in the Air

BY JOHN SWEETMAN

(John Sweetman has been working hard and using his extensive experience and knowledge of QB in leading the implementation of QB Review recommendations as accepted by the annual assembly.)

I’m involved in implementing the QB Review recommendations.

Yesterday I had a really good day.

I worked hard, I achieved a lot, things went relatively smoothly, people were very cooperative, and I was working in my sweet spot— structuring for change. It really felt like God was blessing. I love those times. I felt energized. I knew that we were making great progress towards God’s vision for the QB Movement. Change is in the air!

Of course, there are other days when I’m cranking it out, facing setbacks and disappointments, and wondering whether we will ever get everything in place with the right values and structure to lead QB forward. This is what you expect when you’re pursuing God’s vision.

It’s going to be fun and it’s going to be hard fought. But change is certainly in the air.

I want to say thanks so much for your patience. While the QB Services team has worked extremely hard in the interim period, we are aware that resources have been reduced while one structure comes to the end, and a new structure begins to kick into life. The QB ministry team tells me that churches have been very kind. May God bless you for your grace at this challenging time.

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WHAT WILL HAVE CHANGED BY THE END OF 2019?

Apart from a whole lot of advertisements for new positions and special Assemblies, you may not have noticed too much happening on the ground yet. But let me give you a peek at what is going on behind the scenes.

We will have two new Charter Groups (Baplink and QCCC) operating with their own Councils.

They still report and are accountable to the QB Board, but will, through their Councils, have more say as well as greater scrutiny. We will also be moving towards the amalgamation of all training (accredited and nonaccredited) under Malyon Education and Training Services Charter Group.

We will have a QB Services Leadership Team in place that will develop collaboration and sharing of resources between the QB Services Groups as they seek to assist churches in Kingdom ministry. This Leadership team will involve all the major leaders in QB Services.

We will have a Church Support Services Group that will involve the Director of QB Services, the Director of Pastoral Services, the Director of Church Health Services, the Director of Ethnic and Multicultural Services, the Director of Church Planting Services, the Coordinator of Regional Ministers and a Regional Minister representing the north of the State. This team (working together and separately) will ensure that our

churches and pastors are supported in their ministry.

We will have a recommended Strategic Plan (it will need to be approved by the Annual Assembly) that will spell out the God-given vision and the strategies that we will be implementing to pursue this vision over the next five years.

We will have a recommended Constitution (again needing to be approved by the Annual Assembly) that embodies all our structural changes and removes many of the inconsistencies and anomalies in the present Constitution.

We will have ten Regional Ministers ready to support, equip and mentor pastors and churches in all Regions in the State.

We will have an Intentional Interim Director of the QB Movement who will focus on leading the Movement to “impact Queensland and beyond for Jesus through a movement

of praying churches that disciple intentionally and mission effectively.”

WHAT WILL CHANGE IN 2020?

I know you’re thinking, “Well all that sounds good, but will it really make any difference in the trenches? QB will have goals and strategies and leadership teams and new positions and even a new constitution. Yeh! We may have a more effective structure and more intentional direction, but is this really going to be of any help to pastors and churches?”

Well I’m a little nervous about promising too much, but here a few changes that I think you will see during 2020.

Pastors will be supported and resourced even more. Pastors will get at least one contact a month from their Regional Minister.

They will be offered resources and assistance, and maybe even mentoring if this is needed. The

Regional Ministers will not only be aware of the resources that are available in their Region, but they will be backed by a whole resource system. This system will take time to develop, but it should be very helpful to pastors and churches.

Church leaders will also be assisted in their development and ministry.

Not only will there be training for young leaders, but church leaders will receive a bimonthly resource email that will focus on their particular needs and interests.

Churches will find QB Service Groups even keener to collaborate with and assist churches. QB Services will be implementing a Strategic Plan that focuses on their contribution to churches. Some exciting projects and ideas will emerge.

We will be providing assistance to churches in areas that we can do more effectively together. For example, we’ve just started working

on a discipleship project for new Christians. All that churches will have to do is provide us with the email address of the new Christian and their mentor, and choose the appropriate modules, and QB Services will do the rest, emailing daily studies to the new Christian and their mentor.

The QB Movement will be strongly focused on its six priorities: biblical authority, faith-filled prayer, collaborative autonomy, servant leadership, effective mission and intentional discipleship. A fresh sense of vision and direction will pervade our mission and ministry.

None of this of course will be compulsory. We are a Movement of autonomous churches and you will be able to choose your level of involvement. But we are hoping that a strong spirit of collaboration will grip us, and we will see the powerful ministry and mission that flows from true unity as Scripture promises (Eph. 4:1-16).

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SPEAKING OUT

THE OLD, OLD STORY The old, old story—keeping it fresh; keeping it real!

How do you come up with a new way of presenting the Christmas story, especially if you’ve been doing it in the same place for the last 15 years or more?

That’s the kind of question I have heard on multiple occasions over the years as I have caught up with pastors who’ve had longterm pastorates! But it’s not just a question for pastors; it’s a question we might all be asking ourselves.

How do we take this “old, old story” and present it to people around us in fresh and living ways?

Of course, among our churches there is often a variety of ways in which we seek to convey the message of God’s love, revealed in the coming of Jesus, to those around us. Many churches, such as Lifepointe in Maroochy, have used Christmas lights as a great way of attracting people, visually displaying the Christmas message, and creating opportunities to engage directly with people from the

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wider community. We praise God for the many who have discovered a real and living relationship with Jesus through this kind of outreach.

Other churches have presented community Christmas carols events, with great music and family friendly activities, including things like face-painting, animal petting zoos, and in some cases even a “living nativity!” Others have used children’s plays or video clips in an effort to relate the wonderful message of the incarnation.

But, how do we present the Christmas message in a way which is more than just entertaining? While many of us love the certain ambience and warmth that comes with the telling and singing of that “old, old story”, especially in the reading of familiar passages of Scripture, and the carols we have come to know and love, the question remains, how do we keep the message fresh and real, especially for the sake of those we connect with during this Christmas season?

The first thing I’d suggest is that we always keep in mind the reality that the story of the incarnation is an integral part of the much larger metanarrative of the Bible—the grand story of God’s salvation plan.

This is the unifying message of the whole of the Bible which finds its ultimate fulfilment in not just the incarnation of Christ, but His subsequent life, death, burial and resurrection. To focus purely upon the incarnation is to deprive people of the opportunity to understand the greater story.

In 2020 we are introducing a brandnew unit of study into our Malyon Theological College courses called Introduction to Biblical Theology.

This unit of study is designed to help students understand how the big story of the Bible hangs together.

Michael Lawrence says that “biblical theology is about reading the Bible, not as if it’s sixty-six books, but a single book with a single plot – God’s glory displayed through Jesus Christ.”1 Goldsworthy makes a similar assertion, maintaining that

“he [Jesus] is the interpretative key to the [whole] Bible.”2 The message of Jesus is not just about His coming as the babe of Bethlehem, but as coming of the King of all glory! Thus, in the presentation of the incarnation, we must always view it in the light of the bigger story of God—the Christ of the cradle also became the Christ of the cross— who in turn became the risen Lord and the coming King.

But how do we retain our freshness in the telling of the story?

I would suggest that the freshness can only come as we, ourselves, continue to inhabit the story of God’s redeeming grace. It is only out of the richness of that personal, ongoing and growing relationship with the Christ of Christmas that we are truly able to share the message of His life with any sense of real and personal conviction. People will often ask me about my wife Wendy’s work and ministry. I have no problem at all in talking about her (and singing her praises!) because there is a freshness and reality in the relationship that we share. In similar ways, we can keep the telling of the story of Jesus alive and fresh, if the telling of that story comes from the overflowing richness of our living personal relationship with Him. In that sense, we are not just retelling an “old, old story,” but one which is alive and real for us today.

But, what of those with whom we are sharing this message? How do we make it real to them?

Much has changed in our Aussie context over recent decades. ABS figures indicate that, while in 1996 88% of Australians identified as Christians, the latest census in 2016 saw that number drop to 52%. The 2017 McCrindle Report on Faith and Belief in Australia3 had that figure down as low as 45% with just 15% attending a church on at least a monthly basis. But the news is not all bad! Of the 30% who identify as Christians, but don’t regularly attend church, there are still a sizable number who are what we sometimes refer to as the “C and E” Christians; those who make it their business to connect with a local church at Christmas and Easter times at least.

When you add to this the 14% that McCrindle notes identify themselves as “spiritual but not religious,” there are still some wonderful opportunities to share the message of Christ this Christmas.

But, how do we help them to move from a sense of mere religious observance, in the hope that their biyearly association with a church will somehow or other serve as eternity insurance (if all of this stuff is real), to a real personal encounter with the living Lord Jesus Christ?

I have recently been revisiting Sam Chan’s book, Evangelism in a Skeptical World: How to Make the Unbelievable News about Jesus More Believable. In this he reminds us of the importance of understanding the mindset of our audience. The reality is that at Christmas time we cannot afford to simply address our messages to the faithful believers. If there is one

time in the year when unbelievers or the ‘heaven hopefuls’ will come our way, it will be Christmas. So, Chan urges us to understand the postmodern mindset which is no longer convinced by mere propositional truth claims.4 In one sense, postmoderns are more concerned with the significance of what you believe than the substance of what you believe. They want to know that it works for them in the competing marketplace of ideas which is the world they inhabit. Chan cites his own approach which, “instead of focusing on what happened at Christmastime, [focuses] on the significance.” One of his Christmas messages is entitled, “Why We Need Christmas to be True”. The main focus of this message is that “we need Christmas to be true because it means that (1) we are special to God, (2) God is a loving God, and (3) it’s ok for us to admit that we’re not ok”.5 That’s why Jesus came!

As we approach this Christmas season, the challenge for us, as always, will be to present the message of the “old, old story”, keeping it fresh, keeping it real.

Peter Francis Principal, Malyon peter.francis@malyon.edu.au

Lawrence, Michael, Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church: A Guide to Ministry (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2010), 15.

Goldsworthy, Graeme, Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture (Grand Rapids: IVP, 2000), 25.

3 https://mccrindle.com.au/insights/publications/reports-and-summaries/ faith-and-belief-in-australia-report/ 4 Chan, Sam, Evangelism in a Skeptical World: How to Make the Unbelievable News about Jesus More Believable (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2018), 121.

5 Ibid., 127.

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Around the regions

Celebration and Reflection for the Regional Consultants Queensland Baptists celebrated and honoured the end of an era, with the Regional Consultancy (RC) team roles concluding in 2019. A special afternoon tea was hosted at the QB Centre at Gaythorne, so that family, friends and church leaders could express their appreciation to the 11 men who served in the role over the last 17 years. It was also a time to honour Pieter Henning who concludes at QB at the end of 2019, and Stephen Ball who is retiring from a full-time role.

Around fifty people attended the event, and it was an afternoon of thanksgiving, and catching up with old friends. A certificate of appreciation was presented to each former Regional Consultant, and speeches were made by Stewart Pieper, who is the Director of QB Services (and a former RC!), and Phillip McCallum who is the Director of Administrative Services.

Former Regional Consultants also shared their memorable moments, changes over the years, and expressed their privilege in serving the churches to further the Kingdom. Susan Harris who served as the Personal Assistant to the team for almost 12 years was presented with flowers and recognized for her hard work and dedication.

As we move forward to new structures, roles and challenges in 2020 and beyond, we appreciate those who have served faithfully, by building good and strong foundations for the future.

Please join us in praying for wisdom, strength and seeking God’s perfect plan for Queensland Baptists.

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Image top (l to r) Pieter Henning, Peter Francis, Stephen Ball, Emil Rahimov, Stewart Pieper, Susan Harris, Steve Twible, James Baker, Geoff Cramb, David Chatelier.

More Precious than Gold!

Stanthorpe Baptist Stanthorpe Baptist created an outreach opportunity for the church when they held a Family Service, led by the Sunday School children and teachers. The highlight was the action chorus’ from the past done in medleys, with the entire church trying to keep up with the actions of the children! It was such a great time and feeling, and the little ones took their parts so willingly and sincerely.

Lois Neville, who is the Mission Contact for the church said “Top marks to our Pastor who took the sermon to a new level of teaching about our worth to God. We had many laughs but the message was clear—we are more precious to God than silver or gold (or a $50 note!)”

Please pray for the ministry of Stanthorpe Baptist Church and the district.

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as the fellowship felt the Lord’s strong leading to press on despite the difficulty of the task.

The next generation

MILESTONES

BEACHES BAPTIST CHURCH (MACKAY) REMEMBRANCE OF 25 YEARS Pastor Rob Ruge from Beaches Baptist Church (BBC) reflects “As I sit at my desk to pen my contribution to this article, the day is November the 11th – Remembrance Day. For most Australians and their allies, today commemorates the ending of World War 1, but for Beaches Baptist Church it marks twenty-five years since our church began. While Remembrance Day marks the ending of hostilities against our enemies, for our church it marks the advance of the Kingdom of God into new territory”.

The following is an account of the church beginnings put together by the church family.

Discussion began in 1994 among various Baptist folk in the district about a new work in Mackay Northern Beaches. At the time, a Mackay Baptist Church home group (attended by four local families) was meeting in the Beaches area.

Prayer about the possibility of a church in the Beaches area led to the commissioning by the Mackay Baptist Church of three families (Lloyds, Hodges, and Hockings) to begin the new work.

Letter box drops were done, and renovations to the Hodges’ house were put in place. Jan Taylor was

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the first person from the community who responded to the letter box drop.

Jan became a Christian through the ministry of the Know Your Bible (KYB) ladies’ group.

The first service was held at the Hodges’ home in Bucasia on November 11th, 1994.

At first, music was all by CD’s and cassette tapes. Ian, Sally, Paul and Peter led worship, and Peter and Paul did the preaching. Lisa Hodges’ focus was on children and hospitality.

The primary goal was to attract people not attending church, rather than people from other churches.

Later, more home groups were started, and ‘Christianity Explained’ was run.

The group remained closely linked to Mackay Baptist Church, taking part in their camps and other activities.

Preachers from other churches were invited from time to time.

Many attempts were made to find larger facilities, and the move was made to Eimeo Road State School in January 1997. The fellowship was recognized by the Baptist Union of Queensland as a Fellowship within the Union of churches in September 1999.

There have been high and low spots in our church’s history, perhaps the lowest being in 2002, when discussion took place as to whether the group should disband and rejoin the ‘town’ church. That low turned into a high,

Rev. John Whitbourn was called to the pastorate in October 2002, during which time the church applied and was accepted as a constituent church of the Baptist Union of Queensland.

In mid-2006 John Whitbourn resigned and responded to a call to minister in Darwin.

The church called and appointed Mr Paul Potgieter on 6 June 2007. Mr Potgieter’s time with the BBC was short, his resignation being received on 11 August 2008.

From August 2008 until January 2011, the church carried on with a continuous supply of lay preachers, from within and without the congregation, who faithfully presented God’s word. This period highlighted two of our church’s greatest strengths—a mature and Godly leadership team, and a congregation who understands the concept of the priesthood of all believers.

Pastor Jabin Mills and family became our pastor in January 2011. He was at BBC for 5 years, and in December 2015 he accepted a call to Beenleigh Baptist Church. During this period the church sharpened its focus on reaching the Northern Beaches community, particularly through its schools’ ministries.

In July 2017, Pastor Rob Ruge and family responded to the call to minister in the church. Since arriving, the whole family has sought to make strong connections with the community, particularly through their involvement in Eimeo Rd State School (with both Rob and Karen teaching Religious Instruction), Karen’s involvement in the P&C and their children’s involvement in the school.

Outreach into the local primary and high schools remains strong through support of the chaplaincy program.

As a church, our eyes are now firmly fixed on the future, with plans to take the Good News to every household within the Northern Beaches!

So, we look back with thankfulness, and remember God’s faithfulness in preserving, establishing and expanding our witness to the Northern Beaches community.

NORTH PINE BAPTIST CHURCH – 50 YEARS OF HISTORY Before we begin to talk about the 50 years of history of the North Pine Baptist Church, we really need to look back to around 1963.

The Pastor of Margate Baptist Church visited the primary school in Kallangur to build up a Sunday School in the area. Between the families of the Margate Baptist Church and the Deception Bay Baptist Church, a significant number of children were attending a Sunday School. In a short space of time, the children’s numbers grew to the extent that church services were being held in a hall in Kallangur.

A preaching roster was raised between two pastors from Margate Baptist church, with help from others.

By 1964, some members began looking for land so this new church could have a permanent home. Before long, a property was purchased in Andrew Street Kallangur as well as the old Petrie Court House—for the princely sum of £50. In February 1965 the building was modified and moved to its new site. The building was opened in March 1965. At this stage, the church was known as the Kallangur Baptist Church, and was constituted on 7th December 1969 with nine foundation members.

Over the coming years, pastors from the Margate, Deception Bay and Scarborough Baptist Churches shared the preaching for the church.

On the 1st January 1978, the church changed its name to “North Pine Baptist Church”.

The Church continues to support a number of ministries including various children’s and youth programmes which have been operating within the church since the 1970s. In recent years, it is not unusual to see on a Friday evening EVERY room of the church occupied by some type of youth fellowship programme! What a blessing.

The church also runs social groups such as The Friendship Club, which was founded in 1984. This club has catered for the senior members (over 50 and not working full time) and has provided quality fellowship and guest speakers. Over the years, the club has enjoyed trips to various places of interest. In recent times, the Friendship Club has sponsored a child through the Baptist World Aid programme and has donated funds to various mission and social establishments.

The Caravan club is another initiative that was founded around the year 2000 and provides quality fellowship and travel for like-minded Christians.

Anniversary event. There were numerous displays of past and present church ministries, and lunch was served in the main auditorium.

The speakers recalled memorable accounts of how God had blessed their ministry, including the amazing building programme. Malcolm Munro, who was the first Pastor to be called by the church in the early 1970s, also gave a speech, and it was clear that Malcolm (now in his mid-90s), had not lost his touch!

On Sunday, the Anniversary Service took place. Many past members were there, including several past members of the Pastoral Team. It was a vibrant yet challenging service, where Pastor Duncan spoke from first Samuel and reminded us that Anniversaries are a great opportunity to reflect as well as to refresh. We are thankful for God’s handiwork and look forward to and seek God’s guidance for future years. Following the service, during morning tea, three senior members were invited to cut an Anniversary cake.

Today and always, the Church exists for the purpose of worshipping God and proclaiming the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, in order that people may come to know Him personally, to follow Him obediently and to serve Him faithfully.

The church celebrated the 50year milestone with a weekend QB.ORG.AU DEC 19/JAN 20 15

MILESTONES

A CHANGE OF SEASONS - BROWNS PLAINS BAPTIST CHURCH Earlier in the year the church members made the difficult decision under God’s direction that the church at Browns Plains would conclude at the end of October 2019, and the remaining members would disperse to different churches as led by God. “When a church closes its doors its life isn’t lost—only redistributed.” (quote from Len Hjalmarson) Sunday 6th October saw the final meeting of the congregation, and on Sunday 13th October a Thanksgiving Service was held to acknowledge and thank the Lord for His goodness, faithfulness and many blessings over the past 30 years. During the Thanksgiving Service there was time to highlight many of the outreach activities that the church was involved in such as; Playgroup, Kids’ Club, Youth Group, Sunday School, Religious Instruction, Ladies Craft Group, annual Christmas Carols events, Community Family Picnics, Church in the Park , Ladies & Men’s Ministry and 25 Community Car Boot Sales.

We attempted to contact as many of the past members and attendees as possible to invite them to this service and were encouraged with the response. There were about 116 16 DEC 19/JAN 20 QB.ORG.AU

adults and children in attendance— too many to fit inside the church house, so a large marquee was set up outside to accommodate everyone.

Among those in attendance were our very first pastor Rev Dr Max Davidson and his wife Mary, and another former pastor, Cain Mann and his wife Nerine. Greetings and words of encouragement were brought by Max and Cain as well as messages from our other former pastors, Rev Les Herbert, Rev Peter Wilkins, Rev Ian Deane and Rev David Blackburn.

Also in attendance were Gary and Ruth Weston (missionaries we have supported for 18 years), and members of the God’s Squad Christian Motorcycle Club who have their clubhouse on the church property. It was a wonderful time for everyone to reunite and share memories of the past.

Thank you to Rev. Stephen Ball, who has been our Regional Consultant, and for the encouraging message he brought from God’s Word on the ‘Circle of Life’. Stephen reminded us that there are changes of seasons in life and ministry, and that there will be mountains and valleys. But God is equally present and at work in each and every season. God’s plans continue to be worked out. This is not an end of work but a change of seasons, and God is doing a different work.

Photo: Final meeting of congregation on 6/10/19

We are pleased that the property will continue to be used to proclaim God’s Word in the future—Ethnic Baptist church groups will now make use of the church building and assets. During the service this was recognised in a handover to Rev. Emil Rahimov, the Director for Ethnic and Multicultural Services.

Over the final weeks of the church the song ‘Sovereign Over Us’ which quotes from Romans 8:28 and Jeremiah 29:11, has reminded us, and renewed our hope and trust in God, that: “You’re working for our good and for Your Glory.

Your plans are still to prosper, You have not forgotten us You’re with us in the fire and the flood You’re faithful forever, perfect in love You are sovereign over us.”

All praise to God for His enabling, and for the opportunity to serve Him in the Browns Plains area for 30 years.

ON THE MOVE •

•

Pastor Brent Van Mourik has concluded with BWA and commences with Outlook, January 2020.

Pastor Colin Christian concludes at Boonah, January 2020.

HETTIE VAN WYK I wasn’t looking forward to visiting the store, ‘Twas Christmas Eve, and I was hot, my feet were pretty sore.

I found an empty parking spot, my luck could not believe, With cars and people everywhere, this busy Christmas Eve. I had a little girl with me who did her best to help, By choosing things from all the shelves, so proudly “by herself”.

We made our way down all the list, and as we went to pay, She asked to show me one more thing, if she could lead the way.

Thinking it was Santa Claus that she had gone to find, I smiled my way through gritted teeth, resigned to stand in line.

But no! We walked past Mr Claus, his golden throne and sleigh, She seemed to know just where to go, let nothing block her way.

She pointed to a quiet spot, her eyes were filled with joy, A life-sized stable, dimly lit, with Mary and her boy.

She sweetly introduced herself, sat down, took off her shoes, And lifted up her little bear, so he could meet them too.

She didn’t see the paint was chipped, and Joseph’s coat was torn, She worshipped with the angels, the little child new born.

She beckoned me to sit with her, and sing the songs she knew, Like ‘Silent Night’ and ‘Peace on Earth’, and ‘Baa Baa Black Sheep’ too.

We sat and sang for quite a while, to praise the newborn King, And through the store’s cacophony, I heard an angel sing.

She welcomed Jesus to her world, in sweet simplicity, Her loving smile, this moment shared, her special gift to me.

So when you shop this Christmas, stop and listen, look around, We never know just when or where an angel may be found…

To lead us to the Christ-child, away from stress and noise, To fill our hearts with love and peace, and everlasting joy.

When The Rain Comes Down PETER J HALLORAN

god moments

A Christmas Poem

When the rain comes down Will you stand And give God praise For watering our land

Oh my friends Hear me now If you want to see the rain Come to him, bow.

When you see The rivers flow Will you bow to him, And your gratefulness show.

Oh yes my friends If you want to see the rain Come before him now.

What can I Give this Christmas?

RACHEL REES What can I give, To you my king This Christmas season?

It’s a special time, I can come to you Because you are The reason The reason I celebrate Your miraculous birth The hope you brought To the world Hope for the broken Love for the lost Joy for sadness Peace in chaos

I come to you To celebrate To thank you for The Christmas season You came to earth As a tiny babe, King of the world From the start So what can I give, To you Jesus?

I give to you My heart

WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE YOUR OWN “GOD MOMENT”?

It can be a poem, short story, testimony or quote. Please email your entries to marketing@qb.org.au or post to PO Box 6166 Mitchelton Q 4053. Every published entry will receive a $30 Koorong gift voucher.

QB.ORG.AU DEC 19/JAN 20 17

QB WOMEN

Reflections when things are good, and we’ve got lots to be thankful for, but do we also praise Him when things aren’t so good, when we have struggles and mountains to climb, when bad things seem to keep happening and happening to us, when we can’t feel Him there, and when it’s hard to believe He’s going ahead of us?

Sometimes we find it hard to even lift up our heads, let alone be thankful…

It says in Deuteronomy 31:6 As another year closes, and a new one begins, it’s always a good time to reflect on what God has brought you through. Some of us will have had a great year with lots to celebrate, while others may have faced struggles and hardships, and will have to search hard to find something to really be thankful for.

This year has been a very significant one for me personally. From nearly losing both my Mother in law to a heart attack and stroke, and my Dad to a broken hip and pneumonia, to celebrating the wedding of my eldest daughter and my son’s 18th birthday. We went from 4 children living at home to 2, as my son moved to Mapleton QCCC to do the 2-year Campfire internship, and then 6 months later my daughter married and moved out. A year of both hardships and celebrations, of pain and happiness.

It’s been particularly brought home to me this year that God is with us, regardless of the circumstances that we find ourselves in. Whether we feel like He’s there or not, He never leaves us.

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So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.

I love that it says, ‘For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you.’ Not only will He never leave us, not only is He walking with us, He’s ahead of us, preparing the way!

There’s a beautiful song out at the moment that talks about God being the same no matter where we are or what we’re going through.

‘No less God within the shadows, No less faithful when the night leads me astray, You’re the heaven where my heart is, In the highlands and the heartache all the same’. (Highlands – Hillsong United) It goes on to talk about praising and thanking God in all circumstances, on the mountains and when the mountains are in our way. Do we only praise God when life is great, when things are going well, when everything’s going our way, when life is easy? It’s not hard to praise God

In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 it says, Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

It’s God’s will for us to be thankful in all circumstances, on the mountain tops and in the valleys. When things are going well, and when they’re not going well.

It’s often not an easy thing to do, as we tend to concentrate on the problem before us, rather than on the God who is with us. It takes a concerted effort to be thankful and praise God when we can’t see anything to thank and praise Him for.

As we move out of 2019, why not make the time and space to thank and praise God—whether you’ve had a great year or a not so great one. Thank Him for who He is, for loving you, for sending Jesus to die and rise again so that you may know Him. Then as we move into 2020, make a concerted effort to be thankful and praise Him in all circumstances. As you do this more and more, it will become easier to be thankful, regardless of whatever is going on around you.

Cathy Knechtli, State Director, Queensland Baptist Women director@anewconference.org.au

Co nv er ge

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p

nt me rlia Pa at

Converge The fact that we were advocating for the needs of others—those who could not represent themselves.

It seemed to be a refreshing experience for many politicians.

Converge is an annual gathering of Baptist leaders from across Australia. They meet with Federal political leaders to discuss issues of justice, which are of concern to the Baptist movement. In previous years, representatives from our nation’s states and territories have advocated for refugees and asylum seekers, people living in poverty, people who have been trafficked, people unable to find secure and affordable housing, and people whose lives have been marred by domestic violence.1 In 2019, the team focused on the wellbeing of the children in our nation. We met to discuss effective policy options for improving the circumstances of children living in disadvantage and poverty.

It was a big few days gathering together in Canberra to discuss changes we hope to see for our children. Around 60 meetings were held with Senators and Members of Parliament over the two days.

We were able to present a report put together by Baptist Care Australia, which outlined seven key life domains that are important to the wellbeing of children. These included family, material basics,

1

safety, health, learning, belonging, and their hopes and dreams. We were able to share how the Baptist churches of Australia were meeting needs of children and families in each of these key areas, as well as suggesting strategies to bring about change with government help.

A particular highlight of mine was sharing some of the stories of hope I heard as I’ve visited churches in regions around Queensland. I was able to share with a group of Senators the initiatives and outreach programs that are happening in their own local areas of Queensland— programs and initiatives such as Boys Brigade, Kids Hope, Family Connect nights and more, all run by our churches in Rockhampton, Mt Isa and others. It was likewise encouraging to be able to share how our new initiative; You Parties is helping support foster families in local communities.

One of the most encouraging parts of the few days, was a common response from many of the political leaders we met with. Many commented how refreshing it was to have a group of people lobbying for ‘a cause that represents something beyond their own needs and wants’.

https://www.converge.org.au

I was reminded of the verse in Proverbs 31:9, “Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy,” as one of the many verses we read in scripture about our call to be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves. It was a true joy to represent our churches at Converge and communicate the heart of the gospel with our nation’s leaders by sharing the stories of hope and service provided by our many faithful church families. It is my hope and my prayer that our churches will continue to lead the way in loving and caring for children and their families in our communities, as we continue to keep the gospel as our reason and cause to serve.

If you would like to talk more about loving and caring for children and families in your local community, to read the Australian Baptist Care Report on Children that was presented, or would like more information about our You Parties resource, please email me. We pray that these meetings would be the first steps towards further change for the better for our kids and families across Australia.

Sally Contessi Team Leader QB Kids and their families sally.contessi@qb.org.au QB.ORG.AU DEC 19/JAN 20 19

Currumbin Creek on the Gold Coast, Queensland, 1932

QCCC

Opening of the BG Wilson Memorial Hall Currumbin Christmas 1931

Kenneth Lethem

Memories of Currumbin We received a wonderful letter with a recollection of Currumbin Boys Camp and the Legacy of Ken Lethem, who’s story was featured in a recent QCCC article (QB Magazine Aug/Sep 2019 – The Lethem Legacy). This is a great example of how Christian camping, and the efforts of Godly mentors can leave a legacy for a lifetime and beyond.

Neville Bishop (aged 89) shares his story.

I have just finished your article in the QB Magazine relating to “The Lethem Legacy.” Boy, did that bring

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back memories of long ago! Back to the early 40’s, when my parents had a visit one cold night from Ken Lethem. He had traveled by tram from the other side of town to our home in Ashgrove, to ask permission from my parents for me to go to a Boys Camp at Currumbin. From memory the duration of that camp was one week. Now, I don’t know how Ken got my name, possibly from connections with Ashgrove Baptist Church ( the original one in Trout Street). However, that started my association with the Currumbin Camp on Currumbin hill.

Back then, to get to the camp site, there was a train trip from South Brisbane station to Southport, then what was called “coordinated bus” to the Currumbin Hotel, which was next door to the camp site. BUT we had to carry all our luggage up the track to the main hall, where we would be allocated a hut which housed eight persons. I should say here that, at that time, there were separate camps for boys and girls.

I clearly recall the first night where I cried - I had never been away on my own, and here I was with a group of other young teenaged boys

all sleeping in the one small hut.

I guess I got over that, because I had a good time, and even wrote a letter to Mum, which I had been “instructed” to do.

The mornings started with the sound of a bugle calling us out of our sleep, and the walk up the hill to the ablutions block. Cold water—real cold, and a bit of fun as we sprayed it around. A boy from each hut was required to set up the tables in the main hall for breakfast, and another one to wash up. This was on a roster system, and sometimes it just didn’t work out fairly, but we still had some fun. After breakfast, and all things tidied up, we would have devotions in the hall, led by the “Skipper” who was the man in charge. Then off to the beach through a track at the back of the camp property, back for lunch and a “free” afternoon when we could play games in the hall, cricket or some other games outside, then get ready for the evening meal, and maybe sing songs around the piano. I think the last night might have been a concert or some other entertainment.

Whatever the case, we were kept busy, but at the end, it was time to go home, until next year.

first Youth Director. A modest office was rented in a building in Adelaide Street, where the old Isles Lane was. Betty Salisbury was John’s assistant. Early in his role as Youth Director, John “put his neck on the block” by announcing that he was starting Youth Camps, young men AND women in the same camp at the same time. The hierarchy in the Union were absolutely appalled!

“John, you can’t possibly be serious, young men and women together! It will never happen.” John’s response was - “You appointed me as Youth Director, I will carry out my task as I see fit.” End of story, BUT there continued to be rumblings for many days after.

Naturally, there were very strict rules applied, but in the main, most of the campers obeyed. Yes, there were times when it was necessary for the axe to be brought down on a couple, but this was done quietly,and without a lot of fuss. But the proof of John’s decision is in the large number of marriages that came out of those camps.

Young men and women meeting each other in a Christian atmosphere, some forming

time I had no thoughts of having a relationship. I just wanted to have a good time.

One of my favourite “skippers” was the late Rev. Reg Jarrett. He had reason to “chastise” me one day at a camp for disobeying an order he made while all the camp had been on an outing. Quite a lot of us had cars, and we were told to go straight back to camp. I had a few passengers, and one of them “suggested”, that instead of going “straight back” to camp, I go down to Coolangatta, turn around and go back to camp. Reg was waiting for me when I drove up the road. He tore strips off me. “I should send you home right now.” Then he told me why. He had just sent a couple home because they had snuck away recently, and you can fill in the rest. I apologized profusely, and he allowed me to stay.

I really appreciated that, and was terribly sad when he was called home. Reg Jarrett was one of God’s treasures and he will forever have my respect.

There is so much more I could say.

The above are just some of the results of that visit by Ken Lethem that night. I could talk about the concerts the young people put on, the view from the front verandah of the hall, all the way up to Southport, the time when John Knights told us that if wanted to have a praise time, we had to use the Baptist Hymnal, and the ditty that someone made up about that edict! Or the time I was in the front seat of the Tugun Baptist Church, where Rev. Percy Wolter was preaching. I heard the first few words of the sermon, then the benediction. I had slept the time in between - IN THE FRONT ROW. I wonder what Percy was thinking!

However - the time has come to close my story and, I trust that what I have said may be interesting for you.

Neville Bishop

Currumbin huts

Fast forward to early adulthood— 1950’s. The late Rev. John Knights was appointed by the Union as the

friendships which continued for many years. I met my future wife at one of those camps, although at the

QB.ORG.AU DEC 19/JAN 20 21

L to R David Parker, Bill Hughes and Anne Cameron

MAJOR CHANGES AT THE ARCHIVES An era has come to an end at the Baptist Archives. After 12 years of voluntary service, Bill Hughes (City South Baptist Church) has announced that he is concluding his involvement at the end of 2019, although he may still be available for some special projects.

Mr Hughes has digitised nearly all of the Archives’ photo collection and has written numerous books and articles.

Rev Dr David Parker, who has led the Archives on a volunteer basis since the unit was established in the early 1980s, has also announced that he is stepping down, but will be available to assist. Miss Anne Cameron, a volunteer for nearly 10 years, will continue her role, as able. The team has advised the Queensland Baptists Board of these developments and recommended that a part-time paid Archivist be appointed.

Archival services, including this page, will continue on a limited basis until new arrangements are in place.

Queensland Baptists appreciates and honours the enthusiastic, knowledgeable and hard-working archives team. We sincerely thank David Parker and Bill Hughes for their service to the QB archives and wider QB family over many years.

THE CYCLONE, THE POWDER MAGAZINE AND THE LADY MAYORESS! “The Cyclone, the Powder Magazine and the Lady Mayoress” - that sounds like the title of the latest thriller!

In a way, it is—one part of the early story of Baptists in Townsville which has recently been revived through an unusual set of circumstances.

The story starts in the 1880s when the few Baptists living in the area decided, with encouragement from the Baptist Association of Queensland, that it was time to organise themselves. So on 27 January 1888, they formed a church of 11 members. The first service was held on the 29th, and later that year, Rev J H Price became the minister.

They met in hired locations, and then, in 1891, bought an allotment situated on the corner of Sturt and Fletcher streets at a cost of £500. Two years later they bought a disused Congregational church building and had it re-erected on their block of land—this operation cost £220 and the first service was held in November 1893.

All went well for a few years under the leadership of various ministers, including Revs F G Buckingham, A G Weller and

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J S Rapkins, but on 9 March 1893 came a severe cyclone (Leonta), which destroyed the building, did great damage in other parts of the town, and left several people dead.

Assistance for the church poured in, and the old materials were used to erect another building on the same site—it was only modest, with hopes of better things in days ahead.

But then trouble developed amongst the people, which resulted in the departure of the pastor. The Baptist Union Jubilee history sadly remarked, “Internal dissensions, caused more trouble than the cyclone, and the services at length ceased.” It took several years to re-establish the work.

July 1918 saw the arrival of a pastor who would spend more than 10 years in the town (in two different terms) and make at least one important lasting change. He was Rev G. Parry Jones, a Welshman, who breathed new life in the fellowship, but particularly saw the need to replace the wooden building.

There was an old powder magazine on the edge of town, no longer used by the military. The church purchased this building, and by working bees, demolished it and cleaned up the 30,000 bricks. The bricks were then transported to the Sturt Street site where they were used to build “the finest Baptist church in Queensland” (according to a Queensland Baptist report), featuring good ventilation and electric lighting. A fruitful 5-week evangelistic mission was conducted soon after by Thomas McColl.

So after the cyclone and the powder magazine, we have the Lady Mayoress—her name was Mrs W H (Clara) Green and she laid the marble foundation stone for the new building on 8 July 1922. She was presented with a ceremonial mallet for performing this pleasant duty.

The building was opened 11 weeks later on 23 September. It was used until 1979 when services moved first to Currajong, and then to the current premises at Kirwan in 1982. The Sturt Street building, which is heritage listed, continued to be used as a church until a couple of years ago. It is due to be converted into offices and a café.

In September this year, the Baptist Archives received an unusual request—was there any information

was also involved with many other organisations.

about the plaque on the old church?

The enquirer was Elva Dyer, who attends Kew Baptist Church in Victoria, and is the grand-daughter of the Lady Mayoress. As we checked it out, the story began to unfold.

A great-grand-daughter, Joanne Batterham, whose husband was recently transferred in his work to Townsville, was walking by the church and, noticing the plaque, recognized the name. She alerted other members of the family. Mrs Dyer and her sister Clare Stranger travelled to Townsville a few weeks later, and visited the old church. Our photo shows the two grand-daughters at the church on October 30, 2019.

Mr and Mrs Green were remarkable people. William Herbert Green, OBE (1878-1968) was a successful pharmacist who owned many chemist shops around north Queensland.

He was not only mayor of Greater Townsville from 1920 to 1923 but simultaneously a member of the Queensland Parliament for the Northern Country Party. At his farewell from Townsville, a newspaper listed more than 30 organisations in which he was involved as chairman, member or patron. He was a busy man, which is no doubt why the Lady Mayoress laid the Baptist foundation stone! Mrs Green herself

They continued this service when they moved to Brisbane. Mr Green was a Methodist lay preacher for more than 55 years and served as an officer of most Methodist denominational committees at one time or another, including King’s College. He was deeply committed to the temperance movement, in particular as chairman of the Canberra Hotels in Brisbane and Sydney (BHQ member Berys Pfeffer, who worked for the Hotel, remembers Mr Green well!) Mr Green was also chairman of the Indooroopilly Toll Bridge Company.

Mrs Green continued her community involvement but sadly, she died prematurely in 1930 after participating in a function in support of Sunsetholme (now Carinity Hilltop!), of which her husband was committee chairman. There were five children, one of whom married the well-known Methodist minister, Rev Arthur Preston. Mr Green remarried twice and continued his business, community and church life until his death in 1968.

And that is the remarkable story of the cyclone, the powder magazine and the lady mayoress!

Baptist Church Archives archives@qb.org.au Phone 07 3354 5642, 07 3878 3178 https://goo.gl/GRX4ET

Image: Townsville’s “Powder Magazine” church with crowd of people and the plaque with earlier church behind (credit: Baptist Church Archives)

ALL THOSE 35MM SLIDES – FINALLY A SOLUTION! The Archives has a collection of 35mm slides, many of which contain valuable images of important people, places and events. Now at last, thanks to the generosity of Baptist Heritage Queensland, we have a high quality slide scanner to convert them into useable digital images.

The Archives can now offer a service to churches and families who have similar collections – you can come in with your collection and use our equipment to digitise your slides. Contact the Archives for information.

QB.ORG.AU DEC 19/JAN 20 23

CARINITY

Creating Christmas connections for homeless youth Christmas is a time for joy, togetherness and family – but when that’s no longer available it can lead to despair.

For young people disconnected from their families, the holiday season can be anything but festive.

Relationship breakdown continues to remain the major reason why young people experience homelessness.

Carinity Orana in north Brisbane provides crisis accommodation and emergency housing for young people aged 16 to 19 years. It often experiences an increase in referrals during the Christmas period.

Carinity Orana Program Manager Dave McNair says.

“Estranged family connections for many young people experiencing homelessness can often result in them turning to alcohol or illicit drug use to manage the pain.

“Many young people in this situation often experience the Christmas period alone or with a few of their friends.”

Carinity Orana supports young people on Christmas Day and during the festive season, helping to create a sense of family and sense of belonging.

“For many young people it has been so long since they have experienced any family connection and Christmas is just another day on the calendar.”

Dave says Christmas lunch at Carinity Orana is about valuing people for who they are.

“Showing young people they are valued at this time of year is so important. We do this also by providing them with Christmas presents,” Dave says.

“We also try to provide a great fun social outing whether it be going to a theme park or doing a high ropes course – something they wouldn’t normally get the opportunity to do.”

Dave says people in the community can support Carinity Orana’s residents this Christmas by donating items such as non-perishable food, new linen and gift cards, which can also be given to young people for their birthday or other special occasions.

“Christmas more than any other time in the year is a reminder of family connection. It can be a difficult time for many young people as they are often estranged from their families,”

“At Christmas time Orana puts on a Christmas lunch for the young people which is often lots of fun,” Dave says.

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Dave McNair from Carinity Orana which provides crisis accommodation for homeless young people in Brisbane.

Call (07) 3261 3969 or donate online at carinity.org.au/get-involved/ donate.

Give the gift of presence: Carinity Christmas Appeal She’s an unconditional supporter, confidante and spiritual guide. But more than that, Joyce Burrows considers chaplain Gwenda Jayawardhana to be her good friend.

Residents in aged care appreciate how they can speak easily with our Carinity chaplains – and without judgment – if they are facing difficulty.

Joyce says Carinity Clifford House’s on-site chaplain Gwenda is a “special friend” who cares for her, offers spiritual guidance and provided invaluable pastoral care when a fellow resident close to her passed away.

“Our chaplain is there to support us in any situation. Gwenda has a really natural gift and I definitely think she’s been called into this avenue,” Joyce says.

“It’s lovely to have someone who can handle people – not everybody

can – and it’s lovely for a chaplain to come in who is compatible with all the staff and the residents like myself. “I love her weekly devotions and I seem to connect really well with her. I can’t speak highly enough of her, she is marvellous.”

To fellow resident Carmel Lane, the chaplain is “someone you feel you can go to when you’ve got problems”. “Chaplains can empathise with you. They seem to know when you’re feeling down and you know what you tell them is confidential,” Carmel says.

They also provide pastoral care and prayer support for Carmel when she has to go to hospital for appointments.

“When I’ve been feeling a bit down about being in an aged care home because my family don’t come and see me very often, I can go and talk to Gwenda and she always makes me feel better,” Carmel says.

Joyce Burrows values her time with Carinity Aged Care Chaplain Gwenda Jayawardhana.

Gwenda enjoys being a chaplain “as you can see the real difference that you’re making in people’s lives”.

“Every person, regardless of their age, has a need to find meaning, purpose and connection in life,” Gwenda says. “Aged care chaplains offer the gift of presence to our elderly and help them to know they’re not alone and there’s always someone who cares about them.”

Supporting the Carinity Christmas Appeal will enable Carinity to place more chaplains in our aged care communities across Queensland.

“The money that is donated to support chaplains is well received and much appreciated by people like me because the chaplains do a wonderful job,” Joyce says.

Donations to the 2019 Carinity Christmas Appeal can be made online at carinity.org.au/donations.

QB.ORG.AU DEC 19/JAN 20 25

Your generous gift will save innocent lives.

Call 1300 789 991 to donate now. Photo: Medair, 2019.

stranded… internally displaced in Syria. 13,378 more have reached the relative safety of Iraq... which could grow to as many as 50,000 in the months to come.

Despite a ceasefire, localised fighting has been persistent.

The Syrian war is now well into its eighth year and its toll on innocent families continues to grow.

They’ve already lost so much.

Your help is urgently needed to provide medical care for sick and injured mums, dads, and children.

Your help is needed to provide emergency relief that will save lives.

EMERGENCY: INNOCENT LIVES ARE IN GRAVE DANGER

BY BAPTIST WORLD AID AUSTRALIA Your gift to the Syria Crisis Appeal will provide urgent medical care and emergency relief for mums, dads, and children who are fleeing for their lives.

Imagine you wake to a day like any other. You go about your usual routine… and then the shelling begins.

Your home is under gunfire. Your children aren’t safe. You have no choice but to flee for your life.

You gather your family and join 26 DEC 19/JAN 20 QB.ORG.AU

the thousands of others who are also leaving their homes in search of safety… where will you all find help?

On 9 October, the Turkish government launched a military offensive in northeast Syria.

Innocent families were caught in the crossfire – claiming lives and forcing those left to flee their homes.

The numbers are staggering.

108,514 people (nearly half of them children) are currently

When you give to that Syria Crisis Appeal, your generosity means mobile medical care in Syria and Iraq for families who have fled conflict and violence.

It will provide lifesaving food and nutritional support for severely malnourished children. Clothing and blankets to help stranded families survive the deadly winter months… which are now fast approaching. And urgently needed water and sanitation in already overcrowded boarder camps.

Today, your generous gift will save innocent lives.

Thank you so much for helping to provide urgent emergency relief and medical care for families who have been affected by terrible violence.

Please give generously to the Syria Crisis Appeal. Go to baptistworldaid.org.au/syriacrisis-appeal or call 1300 789 991 to donate now.

A LETTER FROM UGANDA

BY BAPTIST WORLD AID AUSTRALIA

Be Hope for dads like Michael this Christmas.

Michael, a dad of three, shares his heart with you.

when he was killed, I remained helpless.

I grew up as a son of a peasant farmer. When I was in grade two, I fell sick and become disabled and as a result failed to complete my education.

I have a lot of stress and pain because I cannot live a normal life like my peers... when I am sick, it is well-wishers who give me money for treatment. My disability has made it hard for me to get money to take my children to school.

Life was so hard because I had no skill that could help me for survival. This was made worse by the sickness and the disability I had.

Then, in 2003, insurgents abducted my brother at night from his shop together with a few people... and they were killed. It was painful because he was a brother to whom I could run and seek support in times of need, but

Education is very important to me... I pray my children should have a bright future and be good children who respect people and love God. And I surrender my problems and life to God and pray that he gives me a good life. I believe that with prayers, God will grant this request.

If possible, I would request our supporters in Australia to provide support to our community.

Thank you.

Michael Even in the darkest of times, Michael’s faith in God held strong. Through the conflict and trauma of his childhood at the hands of extremists… through persisting poverty that he lives with still. But Michael doesn’t want his children to grow up in poverty like him. And with your generous support, they won’t have to. Go to baptistworldaid. org.au/be-hope to see how you can be hope for families like Michael’s this Christmas.

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PERSECUTION BRIEF

what happens when faith isn’t free?

There’s been a lot said about freedom and expression of religion in 2019.

even suspected, their entire family can be sent to a labour camp for life – at best.

Regardless of where you stand, religion has long been a cornerstone of Australian culture and politics.

But, as numbers in the census show, increasingly, Australians are not identifying as Christians. This has led some to decry that freedom of religion is on the way out in Australia.

Islam is the state religion in Afghanistan. Officially, there are no Christians in the country. Anyone who leaves Islam is seen to bring shame to their Muslim family, and relatives will do everything they can to bring converts back, including violent acts of abuse.

That’s not the case in Australia.

Through my involvement with Open Doors, I’ve seen what it truly looks like to have no freedom of religion.

In North Korea, Christians must keep their faith entirely secret.

Often, believers do not even tell their own children for fear of them revealing their belief in God. If a secret believer is discovered, or

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For a long time, religion, and especially Christianity, has remained relatively unquestioned in its cultural significance. That appears to be changing. But debate and a difference of opinion are not persecution. Despite all the debate in the public arena which dramatises the Religious Discrimination Bill both

ways, freedom of religion remains our daily reality in Australia.

At the same time, persecution against Christians around the world is on the rise; over 245 million Christians were persecuted at a very high or extreme level in 2018.

As a ministry, freedom of religion, while it’s something for which we can long for our suffering brothers and sisters around the world, is not our chief concern. In fact, we don’t even exist to end persecution.

Instead, Open Doors works to help people follow Jesus all over the world, no matter the cost. In over 70 countries, we help Christians to stand in the face of persecution and shine as brightly as they can for Jesus.

For more than 60 years, Open Doors has been going to the most dangerous places on the planet to follow Jesus, to strengthen the local church and enable them to write their own stories of courageous Christianity.

We know there are always things that will try to stop us from following Jesus, both here in Australia, and in places like North Korea and Afghanistan. We can’t avoid those things, but we can overcome them, together.

the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This is the freedom on which the persecuted church is built; that earthly restrictions have no eternal hold, that earthly sufferings are merely temporary, and that one day, Jesus will reign in peace and perfect justice.

Following Jesus is the most important thing, and we see everyday that freedom of religion is not a prerequisite for that.

The persecuted church shows us that obedience to Jesus can be extraordinarily costly, and yet He is worth it, no matter the cost. They show us that the freedom that truly matters is not declared by the State but found in the Bible.

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36).

In Jesus, we have received the most important freedom, the only freedom that cannot be shaken and can never be taken away. We have been set free from the shackles of sin by

Even as authorities and often their own families seek to further constrict their own personal freedoms, they never lose sight of their eternal freedom, won by the blood of Jesus Christ; they fix their eyes on Him as the pioneer and perfector of faith.

In fixing their eyes on eternal hope and not temporary freedom, the persecuted church spurs us on to do the same.

On a recent trip to visit the church in

China, one Christian brother said to Open Doors CEO, Mike Gore, “We look at Australia as a prophetic example of when faith becomes free, the value of Jesus drops.”

As church attendance in Australia sinks and the underground church in places like Iran and Algeria grows, this statement seems to ring true.

Those who must truly consider the cost of following Jesus, who must face the daily reality of possibly dying in His name, are those who most fervently share His saving grace, regardless of their lack of freedom of religious belief.

They recognise that freedom of religion is not the freedom that Jesus calls us to. It is a precious blessing, but ultimately, a temporary one. The freedom that Jesus calls us to is eternal, and thus infinitely more consequential – and infinitely more important to share and discuss.

The church in Australia has much to learn from their persecuted brothers and sisters about following Jesus, and sharing Him, no matter the cost.

After all, persecution can only exist where the gospel is being shared.

Freedom of religion may come and go, but Jesus calls His followers, who have taken hold of true freedom through Him, to use that freedom to love, serve, and draw others to Christ.

The freedom that Jesus offers transcends any earthly freedom, and must be shared, no matter the cost.

Nicole Todd, Open Doors Australia www.opendoors.org.au

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GLOBAL INTERACTION

Reflections of our Cambodian season - inspired by Solomon Scott, Janelle, Rosie and Isaac Windus recently returned from their second term with Global Interaction in Cambodia. They will conclude this phase of their ministry in December.

Janelle reflected on their time in Cambodia during a Thanksgiving Brunch at Reedy Creek Baptist Church.

Our lives are a series of seasons, linked together by some sort of transition. For missionaries, these include major transitions of packing up life in one culture, and moving to live in another. But in-between these uncomfortable transitions are

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seasons, when we more likely feel content and often see the fruit. Allow us to share about our Cambodian season while reflecting on Solomon’s famous words in Ecclesiastes.

A Time for Everything There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, Over our Cambodian years, two nephews were born. Despite being in Cambodia, we were the first to see one of our nephews via skype

only moments after birth. We were also blessed to be back on Home Assignment during the time of my Father’s death. a time to plant and a time to uproot, We committed to live incarnationally in Cambodia, which meant we planted ourselves right among the Khmer people. This meant that when it was time to leave, it really did feel like we had to pull ourselves up by the roots to remove ourselves—a painful process.

a time to kill and a time to heal, The only killing I can relate to involved ants, mosquitos, spiders, rats and snakes. Right now, having uprooted us we’re in the long process of healing. a time to tear down and a time to build, When we lost our tennis centre at the hotel, we had the unpleasant task of tearing down our office and pro-shop and removing all signs and evidence that we had called this place our tennis home for three years. At that time, we didn’t know how we would continue our tennis ministry with no foreseeable options. But within a few weeks we were given the green light to build a whole new tennis centre in partnership with a church. God opened doors and His timing was perfect!

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, Not sure this is what Solomon was referring to, but when I think about stones in Cambodia, I am reminded of our bumpy dirt road where we lived. Wet season caused deep potholes all over the road so our Khmer neighbours would fill it with an overflowing pile of stones or broken bricks. This made riding down our street so much bumpier, usually with tyre punctures.

Thankfully, as it rained, the road

enough that allowed me to hug women, and Scott to hug men in times that it was appropriate. That was special. a time to search and a time to give up, I recall the time a month after arriving in Siem Reap, when we lost our daughter Rosie when riding bicycles in the streets, just as night was falling…definitely a time to search! And, when we packed up our house in Cambodia in June,

a time to weep and a time to laugh, Building relationships with Khmer people revealed many devastating stories of hardship; losing family members during Khmer Rouge times, houses being bombed, husbands being violent, husbands leaving their wives for another, children being constantly sick, children being parent-less, not having enough to eat...we wept with them. But so many times we laughed with friends: when we said something wrong in Khmer, misunderstand their idioms, played games together, shared stories, shared meals, ate wasps and scorpions together…many funny times. a time to mourn and a time to dance, As above for mourning. But a time to dance often came at Khmer weddings as we attempted to dance Khmerstyle around a table of fruit, often on uneven muddy ground in our high heels, being watched and laughed at as the only white people at this function.

eventually absorbed the stones into the mud and smoothed it out over time. a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, Cambodia is a Buddhist country, so Scott and I practiced being culturally appropriate by refraining from physical touch in public. The good news is that now we’re back in Australia we are allowed to hug and hold hands! Whilst it is not customary in Cambodia to hug, we developed relationships deep

we held an open house and invited friends to come and take whatever items they wanted. We had already packed away the things we wanted to keep—or so we thought. Several times we have searched for that one thing we were sure we had kept— finally giving it up as we realised it has inevitably gone to a new home.

And that’s OK too. a time to keep and a time to throw away, Giving away all our stuff has been liberating, reminding us to hold

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political dictatorship that squashes free democracy by arresting the opposition and buying votes, or the injustice of poorly-educated Mums trying to get documents signed from government officials without having to pay more bribes. a time for war and a time for peace Whilst it is now a time of peace in Cambodia, it is on the back of recent civil war that still strongly affects every Khmer person we know. The stories were horrendous, impossible for us to relate to. It is hard to reconcile why there needs to be a time of war when only a few decades later peace is really only paper-thin.

But at least there is peace, for which we thank God. lightly to the things God has provided—they are all His anyway.

Our motto is, “keep very little” – just meaningful significant mementos, and throw away everything that passed through the hands of several previous team members before us.

to practice speaking Khmer and make the unique sounds that are so challenging for our English mouths!

Building deep relationships requires lots of being silent to listen—and then speaking about how Jesus brings hope and healing. a time to love and a time to hate,

We were constantly reminded that our trash is someone else’s treasure, as the Khmer would rummage through our rubbish to find items to use or recycle and make money. a time to tear and a time to mend, It’s well-known that Cambodian products are not renowned for their high quality. We bought shirts or shorts that would too quickly take on the resemblance of a stretched, shapeless sack. Sometimes we mended our favourites to give them extra life, and sometimes we would just add them to the rag pile. I have a favourite skirt which I have twice repaired, but I’ve just counted 5 new tears…I’m reluctant to admit it might be time to throw it away… a time to be silent and a time to speak, We realised early on that if we wanted to learn the language effectively, it was best to be silent and listen! But there did come a time when we needed

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While we lived in Cambodia, we felt the love God has for the Khmer people, which we were privileged to share with them, growing stronger the longer we lived there. Times we hated were more about situations – dust in the house only hours after cleaning, ants in the cereal, a flat tyre on my moto every single week leaving me stranded, the

What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

What a hope, what a promise! We witnessed only a glimpse of the burden God laid on this one people group. While we have been toiling away in Cambodia, being just one small part of the whole plan, which only God knows from beginning to end, we clung to the hope that God will make it all beautiful in its time.

Amen to that.

Great are the deeds of the Lord!

They are studied by all who delight in them.

Psalm 111.2

He was generous to and provided support for the needs of the indigent, the widows and orphans. He bought freedom for slaves and even visited prisoners during the night, giving them alms and listening to their concerns as well as exhorting them to leave their former ways of life behind and to repent of their crimes.

He was known to have carried wood on his back in the middle of the night to those that needed it for fuel and assisted at the funerals of the poor.

The saint was memorialized in the 1853 song, “Good King Wenceslas,” which celebrates the power of following the footsteps of a holy man. The fourth verse opens with the king’s page weakening as they press into the night to serve a poor man in the snow:

The Gift of Service

BY STEVEN DILLA, THE PARK FORUM | WWW.THEPARKFORUM.ORG

The story of Christ’s birth is the story of giving. Christ humbled himself. He was familiar with financial tension (his family lived at the sustenance level).

He knew the pressures of vocation, and of working one job though he was designed for another—the Messiah was a carpenter for well over a decade. He gave himself to obedience, even to the point of death.

The words of Scripture instruct us to live as Christ lived, and draw models for Christian living from those that came before us.

One such person to examine is Wenceslas I, the Duke of Bohemia, who later became a king and a saint. Ed Masters, writing for Regina Magazine, chronicles Wenceslas’ reputation:

“Sire, the night is darker now And the wind blows stronger Fails my heart, I know not how, I can go no longer.”

“Mark my footsteps, my good page Tread thou in them boldly Thou shalt find the winter’s rage Freeze thy blood less coldly.” In his master’s steps he trod Where the snow lay dinted Heat was in the very sod Which the Saint had printed.

Wenceslas did not walk under his own strength; the king was often found at night praying in the church.

His gifts of service were expressions of Christ’s ultimate gift—something our service to others can bring to life this holiday season.

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D I G I TA L M I N I M A L I S M :

Noisy World FOCUS IN A

DANIEL JANG PRESS SERVICE INTERNATIONAL

Irresistible attraction to screens, constant alerts, mindless scrolling and clicking— feelings of anxiety, inadequacy and mood swings... no one signed up for such loss of control. People are tired of feeling like they’ve become a slave to their devices.

Two common experiences people have about modern digital life can be best described as: distraction

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and exhaustion. Few people actually want to spend so much time online, but today’s technology tools have a way of cultivating new forms of digital addictions.

It’s not that one app or website is particularly bad when considered in isolation, but the overall impact of having so many useful tools each demanding attention at irregular intervals, is problematic. An endless

bombardment of digital information is subtly pushing us to become information addicts. “I used to be a human being”, one blogger lamented.

LESS IS MORE? In his book “Digital Minimalism”, Cal Newport proposes a new philosophy of technology use based on the belief that less can be more to our relationship with digital tools. He argues that common sense tips such as turning off notifications, and observing a digital sabbath once in a while do not go far enough to help us take back control of our technological lives, while any attempts to unplug completely are complicated by the demands of family, friends and work.

What we need is a thoughtful method to decide which tool to

use, for what purpose and under what conditions. Newport provides examples of digital minimalists who ruthlessly reduce their time online to focus on a small number of highvalue activities and happily miss out on everything else.

One of them is an ex-social media addict quitting the service and using that time to re-claim leisure. Digital minimalists rethink their relationship with social media, rediscover the joy of the offline world and reconnect with themselves through regular time of solitude.

Some of the practical advice Newport suggests are: • • • • • •

spending time alone leaving the phone at home taking long walks writing letters by hand not clicking “like” buttons building something physical each week

• •

using social media sparingly dumbing down the smartphone.

How about taking a 30-day digital detox (from Instagram, Facebook, Netflix etc) and filling the available time with high-value analogue activities? The declutter may also provide some much-needed time and space to refocus on what is truly important in life. Do you have the courage to disconnect for a month and join the attention resistance? It would be David and Goliath 2.0.

BE STILL AND KNOW Many people want to use retreat or solitude to block out distractions and refresh their body and mind. But the time of true solitude offers all that and more. To be alone with God, to pray, to meditate on His Word and to simply enjoy His presence are priceless moments that refresh our soul.

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” It is much easier to be still if we choose to be away from our digital devices and pursue minimalism in general. Technology is intrinsically neither good nor bad.

The key is using it to support our goals and values, rather than letting it use and control us.

We can no longer passively allow the tools, entertainments and distractions provided by the internet age to dictate how we spend our time and how we feel. We must take thoughtful steps to extract the good and refuse the bad.

The old hymn by Helen Lemmel reminds us aptly: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus / Look full in His wonderful face / And the things of earth will grow strangely dim / In the light of His glory and grace.”

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Where you want your heart to be…

BY BRENT VAN MOURIK I’m passionate about caring for the poor now, but I haven’t always been. There was a time in my life when I knew I was supposed to care for people experiencing poverty, but I just didn’t care that much in all honesty.

What do I still lack?

It’s not the most well-known part of the story, but a phrase from Jesus’ interaction with a rich young ruler in Matthew chapter 19 verses 16-22 really resonates with what I was feeling at that time: “what do I still lack?”

I had enough head knowledge on the issue, I was cognitively aware that I was supposed to care for the poor, but I wasn’t emotionally invested. My heart wasn’t in it, so to speak. And I wonder if this was how the rich young ruler felt at this point as well, given the question he asked here: What do I still lack?” He had some sense that whilst he was doing lots of good things, he still lacked something.

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Sell your possessions and give to the poor…. What?!

Into this confusion Jesus spoke the startling words, “If you want to be perfect, go, and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.

Then come, follow me” (Matthew chapter 19, verse 21).

As someone involved in fundraising, I am intrigued by this command. It seems like a wildly impractical thing to say! I’m confident that if I decided to make such a suggestion from the front on a Sunday, there would not only be those who go away sad (see Matthew chapter 19 verse 22) but some would ‘stick around’ angry (the angry ones never just ‘go away’…)

Of course, Jesus was abundantly more qualified to make outlandish statements than I am, because He really lived what He preached. I, on the other hand, would look a bit silly telling people to give everything away, just to hop in my car and go out to lunch with my wife! Jesus could say it, because He lived it, and his hearers were compelled to listen to Him.

Lessons abound There’s obviously a bunch of lessons here: Jesus wants our whole lives, including our finances, to be submitted to His will; Jesus wants us to free ourselves from those things that compete for our attention or that we rely on for our comfort outside of Christ. But I want to suggest that Jesus is also suggesting a strategy for emotional investment: that we can motivate ourselves by investing treasure in specific places.

Strategic treasure placement If we assume the rich young ruler truly felt that he was ‘lacking something’, and that he was not ‘sold out’ for the mission, then we can assume that Jesus’ suggestion is: ‘put some (in this case all) of your treasure into it.’

I’m reminded of what Jesus said back in Matthew chapter 6 verse 21, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

We usually see this verse as a way of measuring our spiritual temperature; we understand it to be saying ‘you can tell where your heart is by how you spend your money’ (or other treasure – time, energy, whatever). But I wonder if it can also be read as saying ‘where you want your heart to be, put your treasure there’?

This is certainly in line with how I came to care about those in poverty when I was struggling to engage the issue, I put some treasure into it. I invested money into poverty alleviation work. And I found that, over time, I did became more emotionally connected to the issue! Furthermore, I found that the more treasure I invested in poverty alleviation, the more motivated and engaged I became.

Where my treasure was (some of it, at least – let no one misunderstand and think I sold everything and gave the money poor!), there my heart was also.

Where can you invest your treasure?

Perhaps you’re struggling to engage with some area of the faith as well.

Maybe, like me, you don’t feel engaged with the issue of poverty alleviation. Or (and this is very common, in my experience) you know your church supports mission work, but you just don’t care that much about it – maybe you can’t even name the missionaries the church supports.

One way to become more passionate about it is to put some treasure into it. Start to give regularly to the churches mission budget.

Or give some of your time (which is worth far more than money, for many

of us) to pray for the missionaries regularly, or to read all their reports and engage in the issues they are dealing with.

Of course, the application of this is far broader than just mission work – there are all manner of areas we could engage better in – evangelism, outreach, chaplaincy in schools, all kinds of stuff.

The question really is, what is the issue for you? What’s an area that you know Jesus cares deeply about, but you don’t share His passion?

Then, put some treasure into it (be it money, time, effort, or something else) and see if you experience a change of heart in that area. I am quietly confident that you will.

THE VALUE OF WASTED TIME

BY CHRISTINE WOOD LIVINGWITHMARGINS.COM

Waiting.

Right?

Sitting in an airport; the plane is delayed for 3 long hours because of a thick fog. Stuck. Going nowhere, along with thousands of other slightly annoyed travellers. A time to be frustrated, or a time to pause?

Wait. Stop. Be still.

I have a friend who published her first book a couple of years ago. It is fun and insightful, a great read. She has a lovely conversational writing style that makes you feel like you’re having coffee with your best friend as you read. I was with her, and someone asked when she was going to write her next book (we all know she has many more in her.) She answered, “I’m too busy. I only get creative when I’m bored.”

Not easy to do in our productive, high achieving culture. Doing nothing is not a good use of our time. It’s a waste and it should be avoided. I will never recover these precious lost hours.

We have planners and courses and apps that help us keep up the pace, to squeeze the most out of every moment of time so we can be more productive and achieve more, earn more and accumulate more. More is good. A faster pace is what we should always be aiming for.

Slow is not.

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It wasn’t lack of time or lack of will.

It was the mental clutter and pace of productivity that keeps her from writing. She is smart and capable and a high achiever, and she is too busy to be bored.

We live our lives overscheduled, and over distracted.

During work hours, I work hard.

I schedule meetings back to

back, have organized to do lists and systems in place to be as productive as I can be. Apart from the occasional long-winded meeting, boredom is not something that happens at work.

When I am home I have responsibilities that take up my time.

The pace has changed since my children have grown and the majority of my time is not taken up with parenting and home management, but there is still plenty to do.

Then, in my downtime when I’m not working, I distract myself with Netflix, I read books and listen to podcasts.

I plan and write and create branded Instagram content. I read blogs about blogging and watch videos about Pinterest strategies. I fill up my discretionary time easily. I don’t have time to be bored. Boredom is for lazy people. Right?

It’s all good stuff, and I do believe wholeheartedly in being productive and achieving great things. I love my life full of opportunities, learning and giving.

But when there is no time to completely stop and be bored, our lives are poorer for it. Like a garden that has grown several crops without fresh fertilizer, the fruit gets smaller, new growth slows down, and the plant gets weak and prone to disease.

Selah Pause for a moment. Stop and listen.

Psalm 46 is a beautiful song expressing God’s power and provision. It’s a Psalm that builds faith and courage.

And, after each stanza is a pause, an interlude, Selah. A word that means, “Just stop for a moment and ponder this; take it all in.”

I need to schedule in Selah, pause time. Time to just think about things, time to get bored and think creatively.

It’s so important for us to give our mind time to just think and process all of the activity, the conversations, the feelings, the pain. Processing time. Like the little spinning circle that freezes your computer while it’s working hard behind the scenes, processing information. It’s super frustrating, we don’t want to wait, but sometimes our brains need a little spinning ball to freeze and process things too.

I’m going to do what I’ve never done before. I’ve only read about it in books and heard other people talk about it. I’m taking a two-day personal retreat. I’ve booked a hotel not far from home by the beach to be bored. The TV will be off, the email notifications will be off. I will have my Bible and journal, a beach to walk on, and the precious gift of uninterrupted, solitary, time.

I have two goals. Firstly, to rest. I know I am emotionally and spiritually tired and I need some recreation time. I am an introvert who refreshes with quiet solitary, so jumping off the treadmill for a couple of days should do the trick and fill up my energy tank.

Secondly, I am ready to listen. To find a clear voice of wisdom as the clutter dissipates. To quiet my own thoughts, sit quietly in God’s presence, and listen. It’s amazing what problems I can solve when I just take the time to think about it. When I allow time for my brain to sort through the chaos, I can distinguish the voice of the Spirit, and find clarity and peace.

Selah How about you? When was the last time you were bored with nothing to do apart from think? When was the last time you sat quietly without turning on the distractions to just let your mind wander? Can I encourage you to take a moment, an hour, a weekend, and get busy being bored? Waste some quality time with God and allow Him to restore your soul.

kmsmith.com.au

Phone 3252 2031

BACK TO SCHOOL IN 2020 Going back to school after the Christmas summer break is a time filled with many emotions for most children, as well as their parents. Excitement, nervousness, anticipation, relief, dread – all these feelings can play a part. One emotion that shouldn’t be present for parents and grandparents, as they watch their children walk back through the school gates for another year of learning is fearfulness.

But safety concerns are becoming a reality for many adults as we witness a radical change in focus in the school curriculum.

you really understand how to respect diversity.

One such change is the Queensland Government announcement that the Respectful Relationships Education Program (RREP) will now be a compulsory component of the curriculum for all State Schools.

•

This is in direct opposition to the truth written in Genesis 1:27 that God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

One of the recommended Respectful Relationships resources for students in years 7-12 is ‘sextiquette – dos and don’ts of a good sext life’ which gives students tips on how to send and receive sexts. For example -

• Whilst this program contains many good resources and concepts, it also promotes radical gender ideology and links to unsafe, and age-inappropriate, sexual concepts and advice.

As part of the lesson to help children respect diversity, there is a quiz with two choices as the answer to a group of statements. One of the statements that requires a ‘Myth’ or ‘Fact’ answer is - People are born as either male or female, and that’s how they should stay. If the student believes that people ARE born male or female and so answers “Fact”, the result they receive at the end of the quiz is that they need to think more about respecting diversity. If they answer that it is a “myth”, that people are NOT born male or female, they receive the result-

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DO... double check you’re sending messages to the right person before you hit send! Remember, ‘Dan’ is dangerously close to ‘Dad’ in your contacts, and that mistake could be awkward.

DON’T… stress out that all forms of digital fun will end with you in prison. As long as you and your sender/receiver are both into to it and old enough, there are plenty of ways to have a sexty time. (This links to “50 Example Sexting Ideas You Can Use Right Now”).

Parents are understandably outraged.

Our children are depending on us to refuse to accept dangerous ideologies and concepts that rob them of their childhood and their innocence, and potentially lead them into paths that will only ever lead to misery.

Jesus said “whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. But whoever causes one

of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” This is a serious warning to anyone who would corrupt a child or expose them to concepts that violate their innocence and deprive them of their childlikeness.

What to do – • Pray for your children every day, pray with your children every day.

• Encourage your children to talk to you about absolutely everything.

• Join your school P&C group.

• Develop a good relationship with your children’s teachers and assist them in whatever way you can – their job is not an easy one, with many demands which can at times be overwhelming.

• Ask to see what your child/ren will be taught in the Respectful Relationships Education Program (RREP) – in particular regarding gender ideology, sexual relationships, diversity and sexting. Don’t take no for an answer.

• Know your rights - you can remove your children from lessons that you believe are inappropriate for them.

If you would like any clarification or more information, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Wendy Francis Qld State Director for the Australian Christian Lobby www.acl.org.au wendy.francis@acl.org.au

You’re Too Nice…

“You’re too nice”. This is something that has been spoken over me my whole life. And while the words themselves may seem rather innocuous; complimentary even; I am starting to realise the powerful negative impact that such a label can have on a person over time. On me.

Sometimes I wonder what it even means to be too nice. People can dismiss my opinions very quickly, because in their minds “nice” translates to an inability to be sincere. I can admit that I’m not a confrontational person, and I will always temper anything negative with something positive. But this doesn’t mean that I lack the ability to give honest, thoughtful feedback.

Recently I completed some study in the area of leadership and management, and I realised how I had been living up to my label of “too nice”. I was so accustomed to being unnoticed in a discussion that I rarely participated anymore. My confidence was at an all-time low and my silence had become comfortable. This was not good!

I often felt bullied into making decisions, and God began to reveal to me just how much other people’s perceptions of me dictated my actions. I realised how my silence was reinforcing the myth that I was “too nice” to have anything valuable to offer.

There were actually very few people in my life who knew the real me.

Many of us struggle to get out from underneath the labels forced upon us.

Whether they came from

our families, or were imposed on us at school, most of us will carry them well into adulthood. We wear them with a certain sense of pride, and if we aren’t careful, can let them define who we are.

I had never really thought that being labelled too nice was a bad thing, but I’ve come to understand that it has the potential to limit my ability to become everything God made me to be. Every label does, whether it’s positive or negative, and whether it’s true or not.

God did not give me a spirit of fear and timidity, but people did. And the crazy thing is, I embraced it! After so many years of having it spoken over me, I began to believe it. Being labelled had caused me to lose something of myself. To some extent, it allowed my actions to be controlled by others.

Through the experiences of study and ministry, God has been showing me how to embrace who I really am. I am NOT too nice! There is no such thing as too nice, or too “anything” for that

matter! I am exactly the right amount of nice that God created me to be!

A good friend reminded me of that recently. And it’s true. We are created uniquely by God to do the work He prepared for us to do. My personality and the gifts He’s given me allow me to be effective in what I’ve been called to. That is true for every single one of us.

My life is not about what other people think of me, it’s about who God created me to be. I don’t have to correct all the misconceptions, but I do have to work in partnership with God to be the best that I can be for Him. Which means finding my voice at the right time and in the right season.

I haven’t perfected that yet, and I doubt I ever will. But with enough prayer and trust, all things are possible with God, even this!

By Melinda McCredie thedevotedlife.com

2 Timothy 1:7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

QB.ORG.AU DEC 19/JAN 20 41

reviews

BOOK (HARDBACK) THE READING LIFE: THE JOY OF SEEING NEW WORLDS THROUGH OTHER’S EYES C S LEWIS $26.99 AT KOORONG The revered teacher and bestselling author reflects on the power, importance, and joy of a life dedicated to reading books in this delightful collection drawn from his wide body of writings.

Cultivated from his many essays, articles, and letters, as well as his classic works, The Reading Life provides guidance and reflections on the love and enjoyment of books.

Engaging and enlightening, this wellrounded collection includes Lewis’ reflections on science fiction, why children’s literature is for readers of all ages, and why we should read two old books for every new one.

A window into the thoughts of one of the greatest public intellectuals of our time, this collection reveals not only why Lewis loved the written word, but what it means to learn through literature from one of our wisest and most enduring teachers.

- Publisher

www.koorong.com

BIBLE (HARDBACK) - NIV BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: COMMENTARY BY NICKY GUMBEL $49.99 AT KOORONG Start your day reading through the Bible guided by commentary packed with insight, wisdom, and application from Nicky Gumbel.

Nicky Gumbel, pioneer of the Alpha Course and vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton, London, presents a oneyear programme designed to help readers understand the Scriptures better.

Drawing out a theme for each day from the designated Bible readings, Gumbel’s exegetical writings are packed with insight, wisdom and application.

His reading notes will enhance the study of anyone reading the Bible in One Year each day.

THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS is one of the most popular books of all time, and one of the most important stories of our faith! Second to the Bible in total copies and translations, this powerful allegory of the Christian life was written by pastor John Bunyan, while imprisoned for sharing his faith.

Based on Bunyan’s epic masterpiece, this beautifully animated movie will help everyone in your family understand that the spiritual journey is the most important journey in life. They’ll discover the importance of sticking to the path, especially when the journey gets hard, distractions abound, and obstacles stand in our way.

- Publisher - Koorong

CD - VOICE OF TRUTH: ULTIMATE COLLECTION CASTING CROWNS $19.99 AT KOORONG With 16 songs, including ‘Voice Of Truth’, ‘Who Am I’, ‘Just Be Held’, ‘Praise You In The Storm’, and ‘If We Are The Body’, this CD is the ultimate collection for any Casting Crowns fan.

- Koorong

42 DEC 19/JAN 20 QB.ORG.AU

DVD - THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS (2019) RATED PG (RECOMMENDED FOR AGES 8+) $19.99 AT KOORONG

CENTRED BY RICHARD BLACK Despite our Christian faith, many of us wish our life was different.

Society’s general focus on ‘happiness’ leaves us wondering whether we’re missing out on what others’ experience. Should we be more loving, more assertive, fitter, trimmer… the list goes on? Would this make us more content with our life? Change takes time, and there are times when we just cannot make the change we aspire for, no matter how much we pray.

Centred has been written from a position of our identity being found in Jesus and written in such a way that you could hand on this book to anyone who has an interest in self-improvement. It’s the first of five principles that are key ingredients for thriving in life and growing the best version of you. This is not a quick fix – this is a mind-shift and a pathway to creating significant and permanent change. Centred is the first in the Mind HealthTM series.

Individual Sales These books are available through Koorong www.koorong.com and Mainly Music www.mainlymusic.org.

Fundraising These books are available to your church on consignment if you’d like to hold a church bookstall.

The recommended retail price is $20. For the purposes of a bookstall, a special price of $15 each can be offered. Freight will be added. Email auorders@mainlymusic.org if you would like to arrange a bookstall.

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WIN A BOOK

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To win a copy of the book, ‘Centred’ by Richard Black, email your name and address to marketing@qb.org.au, or enter online at www. qbmagazine.org.au or post your full name and address to: QB Magazine – Book Draw, PO BOX 6166, Mitchelton QLD 4053.

Two (2) winners will be randomly chosen, and the draw closes at midnight on 20 January 2020.

We’re for compassion, Not for Profit.

As not for profit funeral directors, we show compassion by actively investing back into mission, humanitarian and community work. So when you arrange a funeral with us, not only will your loved one be honoured, they will also leave a legacy of hope.

To find out more, go to bethelfunerals.com.au or call us on 07 3219 9333

FUN ZONE WHERE IS THAT LITTLE PIGGY? Sir-Save-a-Lot the Baplink piggy bank is hiding somewhere in the magazine.

Can you find him? Congratulations! Congratulations! To all those who found Sir-Save-a-Lot hiding on page 13 (Oct/Nov Issue of The QB Magazine).

WORD UNJUMBLE

WORD SEARCH

Unjumble the words relating to Christmas.

Then unjumble the red letters to answer the clue:

Can you find the hidden words? They may be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, forwards or backwards.

Who was Jesus descended from (on earth)?

ERDOH AEGSNL EMEHETLBH KNOYED DANVET NKERPINEE VLILGEA UJNROEY

REBUS PUZZLE Can you find the hidden Christmas Carol in the picture puzzles?

For solutions, visit Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GaythorneOffice/

44 DEC 19/JAN 20 QB.ORG.AU

Accordion Bagpipes Banjo Bassoon Bell Bugle Castanet Cello Cembalo Chimes Citar

Clarinet Cornet Cymbal Drum Euphonium Fife Glockenspiel Guitar Harmonica Harpsichord Lute

Lyre Marimba Oboe Organ Panpipes Piano Piccolo Saxophone Whistle

Puzzle Choice www.puzzlechoice.com is the source of this Crossword. www.puzzles.ca is the source of this word search.

SUDOKU CHALLENGE Sudoku rules: Each row, column and block must contain one of the numbers from 1 to 9. No number may appear more than once in any row, column or block. When you’ve filled the entire grid, the puzzle is solved.

Sudoku puzzle provided by www.sudokuoftheday.com visit them and get a new Sudoku every day!

CHRISTMAS COMPETITION – WIN A $30 KOORONG VOUCHER We will randomly draw 3 (three) winners, who have correctly answered the clue to the Word Unjumble in this issue. To enter, you can visit www.qbmagazine.org. au or email marketing@qb.org.au or post your full name, address and Clue Answer to PO BOX 6166, Mitchelton QLD 4053. Entries close at midnight (12pm) on the 20th January 2020. The winners will receive a $30 Koorong Gift Voucher.

ENTRY SLIP Name: Address:

Answer to the Word Unjumble: (Who was Jesus descended from (on earth)?

CALM SPOT - COLOUR

CALLED HOME

Esther Ross [nee Buckley] 19 OCTOBER 1930—4 MAY 2019

“Now with her Lord and Saviour whom she faithfully served” Written in the pages of Australian Baptist Missionary Society (ABMS) history is the name Esther Buckley, now with her Lord and Saviour whom she faithfully served all her life.

The following is drawn from her memoirs: “While in Bundaberg (1950), Rev Victor White tell us about the work in what was then East Bengal, but today is Bangladesh.

As he spoke, I knew without any doubt that this was the work that God wanted me to go to. I waited until I was 21 and then sent my application to the Mission. They were unable to accept me because I needed a qualification such as teaching before I could serve overseas. At 23 I went the Teachers’ College in Kelvin Grove, Brisbane.

“The area was ‘extremely sensitive’, politically. We were not expected to stay long term, but to train national workers who would carry on the work. There were some amazing people well able to spread the gospel. By 1969 l was on the list to return home after only 6 years in Assam.”

Postscript - Lance Mergard, Senior Chaplain, ChaplainWatch.

As a 10 year old I attend Sunday School and Christian Endeavour at South Brisbane Baptist. I can remember the name of the missionary, Esther Buckley and Assam, being spoken about and prayed for. It was one of those Holy Spirit leading moments that has led me into full time ministry. And to top it all off, I never imagined that 30 years later Esther Buckley would marry my father-in-law, Les Ross, to become my step-mother.

As with Enoch (Gen 5:24), I believe that Esther’s life reflected the glory of the Lord, and only until she had fulfilled her divine commission, the Lord called her home.

May this godly woman be remembered for what she left behind—a life of faith, commitment and service for the King.

I was strongly prompted again by the Holy Spirit, to reapply to the Baptist Mission. This time, I was accepted for service in India. That meant that in 1956, I left for Melbourne, where as a Mission’s candidate I undertook the Victorian Baptist Deaconess Training.

We female students boarded in a Girls’ Hostel in Camberwell Road, Camberwell.

The ABMS Board approved four out-going candidates to go to Assam. I was one of them.

On the way, the Mission Board re-routed me to East Pakistan, as there was no room for me in Assam.

The first two years there I studied Bengali, and then was given the job of running the Mission Primary School. I spent four years altogether in Mymensingh, from November 1958 to December 1962.

After furlough, I was ready to go to Assam.

Eventually I learnt enough Garo to be able to teach at the Sunday School and as a teacher in the schools. We saw many give their lives to the Lord as we became better at communicating with the locals. It was a wonderful time.

QB MAGAZINE

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THE VOICE OF QUEENSLAND BAPTISTS

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WHY NOT SUBSCRIBE? Treat yourself or give as a gift.

Email details to qb@qb.org.au Or post to PO Box 6166 Mitchelton Q 4051

Address Email Phone Send invoice via email

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QB.ORG.AU DEC 19/JAN 20 46

POSITIONS VACANT

ACCOMMODATION BRISBANE: House available as a ministry for

Birkdale and Cannon Hill Baptist Churches are looking to fill a Senior Pastor role. This role will provide leadership and oversight of the pastoral, staff and ministry leadership teams over both Birkdale and Cannon Hill campuses. The purpose of the Senior Pastor role is to lead the church to fulfil its mission and vision in accordance of its core values through leadership, preaching, teaching and directing its activities including the supervision of all staff. Birkdale and Cannon Hill Baptist Churches have an established, gifted and committed pastoral team and staff passionate about continuing the discipleship journey with our congregations and communities.

Birkdale and Cannon Hill Baptist Churches are churches in partnership. This role will minister across both these campuses to a combined congregation of 300-400 people who call our church home. Our vision is to “ Make Disciples who.Love God More, Love Each Other More, and Love the World More” in our local community, nation and world through the ministries we operate or support. Birkdale is located in the Redland City on the bayside of Brisbane. Cannon Hill is located in the eastern suburbs of Brisbane.

If you would like more information about this role, you are encouraged to contact Neil Drury by email at neildrury@tpg. com.au or phone Neil on 0417 716 648 or Steve Morris on 0428 911 552 to receive an “applicant information pack” which includes a position description, selection criteria and information about our churches and communities.

missionaries and church workers on the move.

Three bedrooms, fully furnished, everything provided. Bus stop at the door. Minimal rent.

Email: gtho4536@bigpond.net.au

CALOUNDRA: Sunshine Coast, Qld, beachside units from $400/wk, ph 0427 990 161.

CORAL COVE: BNB accommodation on coast

east of Bundaberg. Nightly costs $30 plus $12 each additional person plus one-off cleaning fee $12.

Weekly bookings discounted. Details can be seen at: https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/33140733.

Discounts available for Baptist members. You may phone Ken or Margaret direct on 07 4155 6605 or email: kandmbnb@outlook.com

FOR HIRE LARGE AUDITORIUM: Seats 290. Queensland Baptists’ Centre at Gaythorne. Phone Sharon, 07 3354 5600 for more information or visit www.qb.com.au – venue hire.

CHURCH ADVERTISER

THE

SENIOR PASTOR BIRKDALE BAPTIST CHURCH

Classifieds - Notices - News

POSITION VACANT SANDY BAY BAPTIST CHURCH Sandy Bay Baptist Church (Hobart, TAS) is seeking a Pastor.

Details: https://sbbc.net/pastorsearch

Do you have something to sell or a service that you want to advertise?

Introducing the Church Advertiser - the newest (and free) place to be seen and heard online. Connect with people and services in your own church and neighbourhood.

Enquiries and to place your ad for FREE Linda Nevell basicblocksweb@gmail.com

CHILDREN’S AND YOUTH PASTOR/WORKER – PART-TIME A vacancy exists for a part-time (2-3 days) Children’s and Youth Pastor/Worker at Tenthill Baptist Church. THBC is a small country church 10 mins from Gatton in the beautiful Lockyer Valley, SE Queensland.

We have a vibrant Youth Group, Sunday morning children’s program, and monthly evening Sunday services alongside our morning service. There is ample opportunity for ministry, particularly with our young people.

Interested applicants who would like a copy of the position description are encouraged to contact Jayson Windolf (jayson@windolffarms.com.au) or 0427 578 226.

CARINITY CHRISTMAS APPEAL Carinity Chaplains supporting seniors Carinity chaplains share God’s saving love as they give the “gift of presence” to people in hospitals, prisons and schools, and those receiving aged care.

Your donations will help us to continue and expand this vital work, especially to those living in aged care and the frail elderly living at home.

By supporting the 2019 Carinity Christmas Appeal you can help to increase our chaplains’ impact to even more people, by enabling Carinity to place more chaplains in our aged care communities across Queensland.

The gift of presence is at the very heart of the Christmas story. Thank you for making it possible to give that gift through our chaplaincy team, and our wider mission in Christ’s name, to make a real difference to people in need.

“Chaplaincy in aged care is important for the people who need to be listened to on a deeper level. Every person needs the safety of being free to talk about their concerns without fear.”

“Whatever their faith, I can help residents to explore their own spirituality and express to them the value they have in our community. I strive to shine God’s light into every situation.”

“The opportunity to support people emotionally on their journey is a very important aspect of chaplaincy as it canbe a time of confusion and loss or they may be fearful about the future.”

Aged Care Chaplain Carinity Brookfield Green

Aged Care Chaplain Carinity Wishart Gardens

Aged Care Chaplain Carinity Hilltop

DONATE NOW

Visit carinity.org.au/donations or call 07 3550 3737

CAR016-1019

You can positively impact the lives of seniors in need by helping us to place more chaplains in Aged Care. Please give today.