FEB-MAR 2020
THE VOICE OF QUEENSLAND BAPTISTS
RISE STATE YOUTH CAMP 2020
PRIORITY 1 BIBLICAL AUTHORITY
Prayers for Australia in the Bushfire crisis
PLEASE READ AND SHARE... Print post approved ISSN: 100003837 | The Queensland Baptist - first published in 1890. This series Vol 18 Issue 1. | qb.org.au
CONTENTS
QB MINISTRIES 14
QB Women Anew Conference Still
16
QB Kids and their Families Amplify Conference
18
QCCC Noosa here we come!
20
QB Archives QB 2005-2020 - A movement in flux
22
Carinity ‘Model’ residents star in new aged care campaign
24
QB State Youth Camp RISE 2020
08
ARTICLES 08
Prayers for Australia in the Bushfire crisis
30
Telling it like it is
32
Knock, Knock, Knocking... On Which Door?
34
REGULARS 4
From the Intentional Interim
Director of QB Movement
Follow my example
7
Baptisms
36
Radical Outreach to Outcasts
38
Pure Beauty
10
Speaking out: Peter Francis
40
How I Became the Rich Fool
12
Around the regions
15
God Moments
17
Persecution brief
42
Reviews
44
Fun Zone
46
Called Home
47
Classifieds
22
34
QB PARTNERS 12
26
Global Interaction The times, they are a-changin’...
28
Baptist World Aid Australia Generous Australians help Syrian refugee families
Front Cover: Chelsea Loader from Outlook Christian Church enjoys the mud pit challenge at QB State Youth Camp 2020.
QB.ORG.AU FEB/MAR 20 3
FROM THE INTENTIONAL INTERIM DIRECTOR OF QB MOVEMENT
PRIORITY 1
BIBLICAL AUTHORITY In 2019, the Annual Assembly set six Priorities to guide our QB Movement for the next 5 years. These priorities will be reflected in our QB Movement Strategic Plan that will be presented to the 2020 Annual Assembly. To whet your appetite, I thought I would write a series of short articles that give my perspective on the present state of affairs for each of these Priorities and where God is possibly calling us to go. PRIORITY 1: BIBLICAL AUTHORITY The truth of Scripture centred in Jesus is fundamental to all our beliefs and practices. We study the Bible, we teach and preach the Bible, we submit to Scripture and we live its truth. We expect Scripture to direct and change our hearts and minds as it is enlivened by the Holy Spirit. (2 Tim. 3:16; John 16:13) The inspiration of Scripture is remarkable. In a series of discipleship studies for new Christians that I have been preparing (more on this at some later stage), I write, “It’s incredible really. Not only has God revealed himself in human form (through Jesus), but He has
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breathed out a very special book that speaks of God in language we can read and understand. The Bible is not just another book about God. It is actually God’s book. He has especially inspired authors to write down His ideas. As Paul said, “It’s all been God-breathed.” Yes, people wrote it, but God’s power breathed it and lives in it. The Bible is one of God’s incredible gifts to us.”
not the latest ideas or trends. To do this we have to be studying Scripture consistently (2 Tim. 2:15) and doing what it says (under the leading and power of the Holy Spirit (John 16:13). Some ideas we have on enhancing the priority of biblical authority in the QB Movement over the next 5 years include: •
As a QB Movement, I believe that we are quite passionate about biblical authority. Our training Colleges take the Scripture very seriously, we use the Bible as our guide in decisions on theology and practice, we predominantly preach from Scripture every Sunday, and 52% of our members say that they spend time in prayer, Bible reading and meditation on most days. Our acceptance of biblical authority and our genuine desire to live as biblical people is one of the strengths of our Movement. This is so important. We are a people moored to biblical truth.
•
• • •
Encouraging bible reading programs through our churches. Building a biblical engagement component into the professional development program of registered pastors. Pouring more resources into the equipping of biblical preachers. Offering a 4 week, biblically based sermon/small group series across the QB Movement. Developing biblically-based discipling resources.
I’m very interested in your feedback. Please email john.sweetman@qb.org. au.
I would give us an 8/10 on this Priority. But we can’t rest on our laurels. As our culture moves further away from Christian foundations, it is vital that we are guided by God’s revelation,
John Sweetman Intentional Interim Director of QB Movement john.sweetman@qb.org.au
STAFF ROLE UPDATES AT QB SERVICES: With the New Year has come the much-anticipated finalization of our Qld Baptists Review recommendations. The implementation of these recommendations, along with a restructure of QB Office Administration has resulted in a number of staff role changes for the QB Services team: •
Ann Armour has concluded as Personal Assistant to Rev Stewart Pieper in his role as Director of QB Services (DoS). Mrs Susan Harris is now the Administrative Support Officer directly assisting Stewart as DoS and Rev John Sweetman as Intentional Interim Director
•
•
•
•
of QB Movement (IIDoM). Rev David Elvery will be commencing his role as Director of Pastoral Services in early February. Mrs Ann Armour is now the Administrative Support Officer for David in his role as Director of Pastoral Services. Rev Mark Westhuyzen will also be commencing his role as Director of Church Health Services in early February 2020. Rev Stephen Ball will be continuing in a part time capacity from February as the Assistant to the DoS. Mrs Liz McFarland has commenced in the new QB Services Office Manager position. Liz is in transition from her previous role
assisting the manager of Baplink and will be coordinating the combined QB services administration team as well coordinating Church Safety Services from March 2020. It is a blessing to be working with such a wonderfully gifted team of godly and experienced men and women who are committed to serving the Lord Jesus and Queensland Baptists.
Stewart Pieper Director of QB Services stewart.pieper@qb.org.au
QB.ORG.AU FEB/MAR 20 5
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. Deadline for advertisement and copy: 10th of the month prior to the month of publication.
It has been a difficult start to the new decade, with parts of Australia devasted by bushfires and drought. There have been calls to prayer and other ways to help, both financially and in volunteering roles. We have a special feature this issue (Prayers for Australia in the Bushfire crisis). As Christians, we are grateful that God is in control, and He listens to our prayers and petitions. The QB Youth and Young Adults team, in conjunction with QCCC, hosted the annual State Youth Camp for 2020. This is the third year of the camp, and the first year using the Kidcaff Farm and mud pit, which was a great success! We have pages of photos from the camp and will post more on the QB magazine blog – www.qbmagazine.org.au in the future.
QCCC have some amazing facilities, and to celebrate the addition of the Noosa Outdoor Education Centre (NOEC) to QCCC’s site list, The QB Magazine and QCCC have combined to offer a great competition—a chance to enjoy a self-catered family camp for a QB Church at NOEC in the second half of 2020, for up to 200 people! See the QCCC article on page 19 for more details. I pray that God blesses you and your loved ones, and I hope you enjoy this first edition for 2020. God Bless, Linda Nevell Editor, the qb marketing@qb.org.au
PO Box 6166 Mitchelton Qld 4053
P 07 3354 5600 Advertising rates are listed in The QB Media Kit available at qbmagazine.org.au. Prices are also available on enquiry and advertising packages can be tailored to suit your budget. Reduced contract rates apply to three bookings within a 12 month period. 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.
ISSN: 11323-7829
Advertise in The qb It’s affordable and effective! Contact us for details and pricing. P 07 3354 5600 marketing@qb.org.au
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Baptisms
Cameron Hurry baptised by Rev Ian Wright from City South Baptist Church
Ratan Kumar, Fraser Coast 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! 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!
Yee-Ping Goh baptised by Pastor John Moore
Bundaberg Baptist Church • Daniel Bridle City South Baptist Church • Cameron Hurry • Alison Hurry • Dan Bertucci Fraser Coast Baptist Church • Ratan Kumar Lifepointe Baptist Church Buderim • Rylan Jensen • Mia Jensen • Jake Jensen • Blaine Jensen • Ashton Miller • Leaf De Beer • Angelique Hallett • Johnny Woodhouse/Sumner • Summer Toracki Moore Park Baptist Church – Indooroopilly • Yee-Ping Goh • Alison McClintock
Alison McClintock baptised by Pastor John Moore
Gateway Baptist Church – Logan Campus • Pierce Sutcliffe Gateway Baptist Church – Mackenzie Campus • Madeleine Bramley • Peter Slee • Cornell Strauss • Jaco Strauss • Tiffany Cowley • Gaurav Merai • Sini Sivanandan • Andrea Kilpatrick • Iain Moxham • Sophie Lai • Natarlee Way Gateway Baptist Church – Redlands Campus • Aimee Hopkins • James Hopkins • Jacqui Van Heerden • Kathleen Viset • Jacob Ainsworth QB.ORG.AU FEB/MAR 20 7
Australia is in the midst of a devastating and unprecedented bushfire season. This comes at a time when much of our country is in drought and after a long hot summer. Over 10 million hectares has been burnt, lives have been lost, communities, livestock and native animals destroyed.
Prayers for Australia in the Bushfire crisis
A prayer for the Australian Bushfire Crisis - By NSW & ACT Baptists Prayer Coordinator, Carolyn Altman Almighty God, We are powerless to stop these bushfires that are crippling our nation, that are turning day into night, that are making widows and orphans, that are destroying homes, lives and businesses, and that are decimating our wildlife, our livestock and our crops. But Lord, we remember that You have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm, and nothing is too hard for you. So, Father, we ask in Jesus’ name that You will hear and answer our cries for help and pray that You will send rain, because that is the only thing that will put out all these fires. We pray Father for our Pastors, Churches, Chaplains and Pastoral Carers that are in the midst of these fire-ravaged communities. They need Your special strength, grace, peace and comfort that can only come from You, as many of them need to care for others while also suffering their own losses. May they be able to show the love of Jesus to those in their community, and may we uphold them with our prayers and our support in any way they ask us to. Lord, we ask for a special blessing and a ring of protection upon all of those people that have, and are continuing to, put their lives on the line fighting fires on our behalf. We pray that You will keep them safe and give them strength and stamina to keep fighting.
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Please also bless those that are caring for our injured wildlife and give them the emotional strength to care for these suffering creatures.
Dr Byron Smith (Common Grace) is offering this prayer for use or adaptation in your devotions and church worship.
Father God, we ask that You comfort those that have lost so much, and that we as Your children will be Your hands and Your feet to those that need help in putting their broken lives back together.
Beauty
Please don’t let us in the weeks and months to come, just get back on the treadmill of life and forget those that have suffered so much. Please draw us together all around this special nation of Australia, to continue to pray for Your Kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven, and to care for those that are suffering.
We close Almighty God, with once again asking You to send droughtbreaking rain to cleanse our country and put out every single one of these fires. Thank you Lord. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen
Creator of life, this beautiful land cries out. For the disfigured splendour of charred forests, blackened soil, ashen skies, we grieve. For the hundreds of millions of creatures that perished in smoke and flame, for the millions more who emerge after the inferno to starvation or predation, for the twisted, frayed and torn strands of ecosystems that may never recover, we mourn. For smoke-filled lungs, dread-filled hours, anxiety-filled evacuations, for ruined livelihoods, incinerated
sacred sites, smouldering homes, for bereaved families, inflicted trauma, gutted dreams, we weep. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Generosity Jesus our brother, all generosity echoes your own. For the dangerous labour of firefighters, for the kindness of strangers, for neighbourly bonds reforged in calamity, we offer thanks.
For sandwiches made, shelter provided, funds donated, we are grateful. For accurate reporting, insightful forecasts, skilful logistics, we acknowledge our debt. Christ have mercy. Christ have mercy. Justice Spirit of truth, your justice flows like water onto parched soil. For too long, our notions of prosperity have been dominated by theft, destruction and fire: stolen land, poisoned rivers, dirty fuels. May we rediscover true wealth in mutual trust and care, in treasured
stories and places, in clean water and air. May justice fall like rain, pouring like grace on the tongues of the poor, settling like ash in the mouths of those who profit from lies. Let ancient wisdom be respected, careful science heeded, the worship of money rejected. May we truthfully embrace our full history, honestly acknowledge our present crises, humbly nurture a shared future. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.
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SPEAKING OUT
BIBLICAL AUTHORITY – A PRIORITY OR A NECESSITY? In the early 1990s an idea began to grow in popularity among many in the business world and beyond. The idea, perhaps first popularised by Thomas Leonard, an American financial planner, was to find someone who could serve you as a “life coach”. The “life coach” was someone who would help you think through the bigger questions of life, not just your financial strategies for safeguarding your future, but someone who would help you organise and prioritise your life’s goals and activities. In many ways, the task of the “life coach” was to help you set the whole trajectory of your life. But long before the latest fad of “life coaches” came along, we Christians already had a coach to show us how to live, and where our lives should be heading. That coach came, not in the form of a series of DVDs and training manuals, or the counsel of a professional “life coach”. It came in the form of a book which, in His grace, God has preserved for us down through the millennia. That book is the Bible, the Word of God, which Paul reminds us is God-breathed, or inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16). I have recently returned from a week-long Bible Conference in which I was asked to share in the Word of God at the SIL (Summer Institute of Linguistics) bi-annual conference in Vanuatu. This was a particularly precious time as, over the course of the week, we worked our way through Peter’s second, and final, letter to first century believers. In this letter Peter, in one sense, serves as a life coach as he reminds believers about the foundations of their precious faith— foundations which are grounded in 10 FEB/MAR 20 QB.ORG.AU
the Word of God. Peter wants his readers to understand how vitally important it is that they are firmly established in the truth of God’s Word. And, towards the end of chapter one, Peter wants them to understand that this Word is not just the product of “cleverly invented stories” (v.16), nor is it just a collection of opinions from prophets of a bygone age. Peter, in this letter, makes three great appeals to the veracity and value of God’s Word. 1. He draws attention to the witness of the apostles of Jesus. These are the men who had been there with Jesus, who had seen what He did, heard what He taught and had witnessed His manner of living. Indeed, Peter reminds his readers that some of them had witnessed His glorious transfiguration (vs. 16-18).
They heard the voice from heaven saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (ref Matt 17:5). They had also witnessed His life, death and resurrection. But it is not just their own first-hand witness to which Peter appeals. 2. He draws attention to the witness of the Old Testament prophets. Peter is careful to remind his readers that the prophets did not simply speak of their own accord, offering their own opinions about life, the origins of the universe and the meaning of life. Peter tells us that these prophets spoke as they “were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (v.21). While men may have penned the words, God breathed or inspired the words they wrote.
It is this same word, recorded by the prophets and the apostles, inspired by the Holy Spirit, which serves as our “life coach”, teaching us how to live, love and serve God with the entirety of our lives. It is this word that reminds us that we should not live with the same kind of shortsighted temporal view of life shared by the world. It is this Word that reminds us that we should “seek
earth where only righteousness dwells (3:13). This is the blessed hope which Paul speaks of in Titus 2:13. So, in light of the certainty of Christ’s return, Peter asks the question, “what kind of people ought you [we] to be?” (3:11). He says, “[We] ought to live holy and godly lives.” This book, which serves as a life coach, reminds us that as God’s people we are to live lives of hope and holiness. As I shared with the SIL team, we should remind ourselves of the importance of immersing ourselves daily in the Word of God. For the members of this team it is, in one sense, their daily task as they translate the Scriptures into a range of languages and dialects from across the islands. But we were also reminded that the study of God’s Word must not be merely intellectual. We must let the Word sink deeply into our hearts. We need to allow the Word to continue challenging and transforming us from the inside out. And so, as we concluded, we revisited Colossians 3:16 which calls us to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.”
first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matt 6:33), that we should live not for ourselves but for Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. This Word lets us know why we are here, where we are headed and how we should live right now today! 3. He speaks about the certainty of Christ’s return Towards the end of Peter’s letter, he speaks about the certainty of Christ’s return and the unpopular topic of God’s coming day of judgment. But Peter reminds us, as does Malachi, that for those who have trusted in Christ, we actually “look forward” to that day—that day in which sin will finally and forever be done away with, and God will usher in a new heaven and new
I thank God for the privilege of sharing amongst a fabulous team of men and women who have dedicated their lives to translating the Scriptures into the languages of others, so that they too may allow the word of Christ to dwell in them richly. Many of these missionaries have been living in tough and isolated islands for years as they have sought to learn the local languages and then begin the arduous task of translation. One of these couples is Adam and Hester Pike, who went out from the church in which we first ministered, Cleveland Baptist. For the past 16 years this precious couple, supported significantly by Cleveland, Victoria Point and Eastside Baptist churches, has poured their lives into the translation of the Scripture into the Merei language. Over this time, they have translated 80% of the Scriptures into this language! But, why have they done this? Because they believe that the Word of God is not only a priority, but a
necessity in the development of faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. Their desire is to see every person in their language community being shaped and developed by the power of the Gospel and the power of God’s Word. The writer to the Hebrews reminds us that “this Word” is “living and powerful” (Hebrews 4:12). In 2019, our Annual Assembly set six Priorities to guide our QB Movement for the next 5 years. The first of these priorities concerns biblical authority. It states that: “The truth of Scripture centred in Jesus is fundamental to all our beliefs and practices. We study the Bible, we teach and preach the Bible, we submit to Scripture and we live its truth. We expect Scripture to direct and change our hearts and minds as it is enlivened by the Holy Spirit. (2 Tim. 3:16; John 16:13)” The priority of this Word is not just for missionaries who have devoted their lives to Scripture translation. It is for all of us. In a world that shouts at us and to us from all directions, a world that beckons us to pursue the temporal and fleeting pleasures of self-indulgence and sin, we each need to know what it is to immerse ourselves in God’s Word. And the truth is, the more we get into God’s Word, the more God’s Word will get into us. So, here’s the unashamed sales pitch! If you have never contemplated it before this, why not consider enrolling in a course of study at Malyon Theological College? You can study for credit or simply as an audit student. You can study fulltime or part-time. You can study in class or online. But, either way, you will be well assured of a deep and solid grounding in the Word of God.
Peter Francis Principal, Malyon peter.francis@malyon.edu.au QB.ORG.AU FEB/MAR 20 11
Around the regions
City Prayer Gatherings 2020 Brisbane and Ipswich More than 750 people attended the annual City Prayer Gathering in Brisbane, organised by Riverlife Baptist Church on Sunday the 5th January. The event was held in King George Square to pray for the city and enjoy worship together. Prayer was said over the City of Brisbane and Australia, asking that God would bless and guide our leaders in the year ahead. Our nation needs more prayer than ever with the bushfires, droughts and natural disasters heralding 2020. It was wonderful to see so many Christians come together in worship and petition. As one participant said “It was so encouraging!!! Thank you for taking the initiative in organising. Prayers for our city will be heard and answered!” Ipswich area churches, including Kruger Parade, Silkstone and Leichhardt Baptist Churches joined a Prayer Gathering held in D’Arcy Doyle Place on the same Sunday, to open
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the new year in praising God, and many people from all denominations joined together to share words of encouragement and worship. It was powerful to unite and uplift each other to face the challenges which the residents and businesses may encounter in 2020. Oikos Café Ipswich also opened its doors and welcomed everyone for coffee and toasties after the prayer gathering. One of the worshippers said “A big ‘thank you’ to all who came along and participated in our time of worship and prayer in D’Arcy Doyle Place, and to all who helped make it happen, particularly Pastor Phil Monteith from Silkstone Baptist Church and the music team. It was a really special time... A fresh expression of God’s Church in the heart of our city!” Amen!
Shift BMX Bridgeman Baptist Community Church “The vision of Shift BMX is to use freestyle BMX demonstrations to facilitate opportunities for the proclamation of the gospel”. For over 10 years, JC Epidemic forged an incredible ministry across Australia, leveraging extreme sports to share the good news of Jesus. JC Epidemic was established in 2004 and mobilised teams of BMX, FMX and skateboard riders, together with support troops and musicians to connect with the local community. This was an amazing opportunity to entertain and speak to people’s minds and touch their hearts with Jesus. When the JC Epidemic season finished in 2016, a vision was born for the continuation of the ministry in a local church context, and was adopted as an initiative of Bridgeman Baptist. A close alignment already existed between JC Epidemic and Shift Youth Festival, which has been held annually for the last 15 years (hosted by Bridgeman Baptist Church). And so, with the blessing and accommodation of JC Epidemic personnel, Shift BMX is now seeking to steward the assets and ministry format established by JC Epidemic to continue to serve the local church in Queensland.
Backyard BBQ Party Rivers Baptist Church Lawnton The sun was shining, the water bombs were filling, and the sausages were sizzling for the Big Backyard BBQ Party on Australia Day at Rivers Baptist Church. The celebration was part of the churches’ mission of neighbourhood outreach— loving people beyond the church, and fostering a sense of community for people within the church. Many families attended, and enjoyed the giant slip and slide, backyard cricket and games, jumping castle, and the quintessential Australian event – the thong throwing competition. The Australia Day event was part of “Generous January” where Sunday mornings were an opportunity for the church to practically express Generosity through community morning teas and sharing— it was demonstrated that when we trust God to be a generous host, we can pass on that generosity to others. The Australian national anthem also acknowledges how God displays His generosity in creation. Please pray that God opens new doors to share His word and love in the local Pine Rivers community.
If this tool could be of any blessing within your ministry context, it would be a joy to serve you in that way. For further information please contact david@bridgeman.org.au or visit online www.bridgeman.org.au/shift-bmx/
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QB WOMEN
Be still and know that I am God – Psalm 46:10 This is a verse we would probably already know but do we really know what it means to ‘Be Still’? ‘Be still and know that I am God’ is a command to consciously stop and rest in God. Does it mean we just stop what we’re doing and do nothing? It would be easy to misappropriate this verse as giving us permission to rest while ignoring the second part of the verse. If we were simply to be Christians at rest, we could more accurately be described as being lazy. It is not stillness or rest that is the point here, the point is learning to rest IN God. When we truly rest in Him we rest in the knowledge of God’s ability to win every battle. The victory is His alone and understanding that gives us the freedom to say, ‘My battle belongs to Him’ also. Coming to the end of ourselves and choosing to fall back into the arms of the Father, is what being still in Him really means. It is listening to Him, hearing His voice. This kind of stillness is an act of faith, not laziness. In fact, it can be far harder to rest in Him than in ourselves, to trust Him with our battles rather than trying to fight them ourselves. Being still is not a position of weakness but a posture of power. Being still in this way is not a onceoff act, it’s a lifestyle of learning to rest in Him and His infinite strength.
The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. - Exodus 14:14 My battle belongs to the Lord. When we are confronted with an enemy, we are to rest in God and He will sweep in for the victory, for no weapon can stand against Him. We see all through the bible that God has won countless victories, and this can give us faith that He also sees our battles and will fight them for us. We fight battles every day, some seen, but more unseen. We fight battles with things like depression, financial strain, relationship stress, work issues and parenting—just to name a few. The concept of a battle won by God gives strength to the position of stillness in Him. He desperately wants to fight our battles, we just need to let Him. He will turn them into something good, something beautiful. A bed of flowers in an abandoned garden where there was nothing but dust; an intricate painting on a blank canvas. He will take those battles and make beauty where there was none before. All He asks of us is to be still, to be still in Him, to rest in Him, to listen to His voice, to put down our weapons and allow Him to do the fighting for us. This year at Anew Conference, we’re going to be learning about being Still and resting in God, allowing Him to take control and fight our battles for us.
We’re taking Anew across the state again and visiting some new places and some we haven’t been to for some years. The team is preparing and planning for the conferences and we are excited with what God is going to do this year amongst His women in Queensland. The conference dates, venues and speakers for this year are: • • • • •
Longreach – May 29th and 30th, Longreach Baptist Church, Speaker – Shannon Perrett Hervey Bay – June 13th, Hervey Bay Baptist Church, Speaker – Suzie Botross Rockhampton – July 24th and 25th , Rockhampton Baptist Church, Speaker – Yvette Cherry Cairns – August 7th and 8th, Cairns Baptist Church, Speaker – Suzie Botross Mapleton – August 28th – 30th, QCCC Mapleton, Speaker – Yvette Cherry
All information regarding conferences, speakers and registrations is on our website www. anewconference.org.au. Looking forward to meeting as many of you as we can this year as we seek to share the love of God together and to learn to be Still in Him! By Cathy Knechtli, State Director Qld Baptist Women and Sheridan Lindee – Cairns Baptist Church
We’re for compassion, Not for Profit.
god moments Drought DON MCLELLAN Starving stock and flocks of crows; ground like rock, “long paddock” droves; dusty yards, agistment fees, everything dying men and trees.
What is a drought to city folk? Parched yards and drooping flowers; dusty cars, four-minute showers; rising costs, expensive peaches, and look! The dams have all got beaches.
City folk should stop complaining, and pray for the bush till it starts raining.
What is a drought to country folk?
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
To the Firies KATHRYN RODGERS We’d like to say you’re doing well For protecting this great land; The fire brigades and volunteers Are a very special brand. You fight the fires all through the night – Even family men; But that’s the brand you are And we’re sure you’ll fight again. We trust the firies with our lives. They’re not just common men; We pray when you leave this earth You’ll be rewarded then. So thank you all the firies For the good work you have done; If you’re not rewarded now You’ll be by God’s dear son.
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.
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Amplify Ignite 2 Pg DL Flyer - V5(OL).indd 1
14/11/19 12:21 pm
AMPLIFY CONFERENCE It’s that time of year again! It’s time for our favourite and biggest annual gathering event, the first Saturday in March! And this year, we are excited to announce, IGNITE Children’s Ministry Conference has merged with Elevate Youth and Young adults conference to become… AMPLIFY Conference. Kids, Youth, Young Adults and Families Ministry conference, all in the one place! We are specially blessed to have Jake Mulder from Growing Young & Fuller Youth Institute coming out from California to talk about how our churches can Grow Young Together. Many of our church teams have discussed the Growing Young research as part of workshops we’ve done together - so it will be great to have Jake here in person! As usual, there are plenty of opportunities to bring your teams along. Ignite Summit will remain the Friday before - now called Amplify
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Summit.: a gathering for Leaders of Leaders within our churches. And this year, for the first time, your church can choose to subsidise tickets for your team for Amplify if you’d like to. Plus there’s our usual favourite subsidies available for those travelling long distances to be a part of the conferences. It’s going to be a great couple of days - and as usual, I am excited to meet together and connect with our big Baptist family from all over the state!
Looking forward to seeing you there, so if you have any questions, just let me know and I’m more than happy to help.
Sally Contessi Team Leader QB Kids and their families sally.contessi@qb.org.au
PERSECUTION BRIEF
as persecution rises, open doors calls for unity in the global body of christ Open Doors | www.opendoors.org.au
future, aimed at equipping and strengthening the global Church to stand courageously for Jesus.” Please pray for Christians as they follow Jesus in the most dangerous places to do so. Pray for The Persecuted Church In 2020: • • Key Findings: • •
•
260 million Christians in the top 50 countries alone experience a high to extreme level of persecution. Christians in 34 countries experience a very high to extreme level of persecution. In 2019, it was 29 countries. Persecution is going digital, with surveillance cameras, facial recognition software and biometric systems used to monitor and target Christians.
The nature of persecution against Christians across the world is getting increasingly worse, the annual report released by global NGO, Open Doors International claims. The 2020 World Watch List, reveals that in the top 50 countries alone, 260 million Christians face a level of persecution measured as extreme, very high or high. In total, one in eight Christians worldwide face persecution measured as extreme, very high or high - a six per cent increase from 2019. Released each year, ranking the top countries where the persecution of Christians is most extreme, the World Watch List is the most authoritative of its kind. The list accounts for the 12 months ending 31 October 2019. North Korea remains the most dangerous place for Christians, having been number one since the inception of the list in 2002. Something as simple
as owning a Bible can mean a person is arrested and taken to one of the country’s infamous labour camps, never to return. Currently 50,000 – 70,000 Christians are in labour camps. Despite not ranking in the top 50 last year, the fastest riser on the list was Burkina Faso at #28. Due to increasing Islamic extremism in the sub-Saharan region of Africa, a multitude of radical Islamist jihadist groups are taking advantage of instability and poverty to set up home in states like Bukino Faso, Mali (#29), and Niger (#50). In these weak and fragile states many Christian communities are left without protection by their governments. Sri Lanka rose significantly from #46 in 2019 to #30, largely due to the church bombings that took place on Easter Sunday. The coordinated attacks claimed the lives of hundreds of Christians as they gathered to celebrate Easter.
•
Praise God that in the face of rising persecution, the Church is showing resilience and strength. Pray that believers who experience persecution will remain steadfast in the truth, finding strength and hope in God’s promises. Pray that those who persecute Christians will come to know the love of Christ.
2020 WORLD WATCH LIST TOP 10
Mike Gore, CEO of Open Doors Australia and New Zealand says, “The 2020 World Watch List once again shows that the cost of following Jesus is increasing the world over, as both violent and nonviolent acts of persecution increase. Now more than ever before, the global body of Christ needs to stand united, both parts serving the other, and together helping each other follow Jesus all over the world, no matter the cost.” “The ongoing commitment to global discipleship will be at the forefront of the work of Open Doors for the foreseeable
QB.ORG.AU FEB/MAR 20 17
QCCC
NOOSA, HERE WE COME! The recent Queensland Baptists (QB) Review provided pastors and stakeholders the opportunity to reflect on every aspect of QB and its ministries. One of the strongest points of feedback about QCCC was the difficulty for QB churches to afford a weekend catered camp, especially for family and youth ministries. Anecdotally, we know that many QB churches have gravitated towards self-catered and tent-camping sites. At the same time the National Church Life Survey (NCLS) was looking at the ongoing importance of camping programs for faith and congregational formation, finding nearly 60% of churchgoers consider attending camp as an important part of strengthening their faith, and nearly 1-in-2 15-29 year olds (the age bracket where 80% of
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conversions occur) suggest camp was where they came to faith or made a re-commitment. The NCLS also found 28% of congregants believe their church has too little or far too little commitment to events such as Christian camps, retreats and conferences. By contrast, only 2% stated that there was too much commitment to these. This indicates the desire for more camp opportunities that facilitate community, space for contemplation and reflection and spiritual input. Again, the cost was listed as the largest single impediment to going on camp. For nearly ten years QCCC has been seeking an “overflow� site for groups being turned away from alwaysbooked QCCC Mapleton, and the results of the QB Review re-doubled
efforts to also find a site with selfcatering for churches, so QCCC can offer it to QB churches on a budget. The search is over. In 2020 QCCC will take over an operating licence for the Teen Missions campsite near Noosa. The property will be re-branded as the Noosa Outdoor Education Centre (NOEC) and bookings are already being taken for selfcatered church and youth camps, with priority given to QB groups and ministries. The property offers accommodation in basic facilities for 150 people augmented by several additional camping areas for tent camping. The multiple accommodation options include dormitory style A-Frames, cabins sleeping 3-5 people in single beds (some air-conditioned), tent camping and unpowered sites for RVs. NOEC
has a camp kitchen for communitystyle catering, a large “pole-barn” for dining and a recently built meeting hall capable of seating 400.
well suited to the property. Our partnership with Triballink will enable the development of immersive Aboriginal camp experiences.
The operating licence also includes the “Ridge Retreat” a fully selfcontained retreat centre with 4 ensuited bedrooms (sleeps up to 16), a kitchen/dining/lounge area and a large seminar/lecture room. Our hope is that this facility will become a popular option for pastoral retreat groups.
Students will be able to sleep in gunya shelters and experience a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, taking responsibility for their food gathering and living out some of the organising principles of the world’s longest surviving human culture with yarning circles, and night time corroboree experiences from Kabi Kabi operated Triballink.
Set on 125 acres, it’s hard to believe the property is less than 20 minutes from Noosa’s world-famous Hastings Street and Main Beach. From the site it’s possible to walk to the abseiling and rock climbing of Mount Tinbeerwah, the world-class bush walks and mountain biking of the Noosa Trails network, and canoe and kayak options at Lake Macdonald and Lake Cooroibah. NOEC also gives QCCC a unique addition to its sequential outdoor education for schools with the ability to offer two new camp concepts
NOEC will also be used for survivorthemed camps, the ultimate teambuilding activity, immersing students in an experiential role-play where they will learn and exercise the fundamentals of navigation, camp fire skills and cooking whilst being challenged with a range of problemsolving activities which are both fun and memorable. NOEC’s onsite camping options also make clover-leaf expedition programs to access the surrounding
world-class outdoor recreation options easy. With kangaroos roaming free throughout, it’s hard to believe NOEC is just a short hop from a world-renowned tourist destination and soon-to-be international airport. Nestled amongst 125 acres with three distinct eco-systems, it gives QCCC an exciting opportunity to offer some new and innovative camping programs to add to what we already offer. Long a favourite for self-catered camps, QCCC is excited to retain this aspect of operations giving QB churches an affordable option for youth and family camps. It will be possible for QB churches to stay at NOEC for the weekend for as little as $30 per person when they bring their own food. QCCC commence the lease on 1st February 2020, and will quickly ready the site for a bold new future. For more information on the facility go to: www.qccc.org.au/noosa
QB/QCCC CHURCH CAMP
COMPETITION To celebrate the addition of Noosa Outdoor Education Centre (NOEC) to QCCC’s site list, The QB Magazine and QCCC have combined to offer a free weekend self-catered family camp for a QB Church at NOEC in the second half of 2020, for up to 200 people. To be in the running, we ask QB churches to encourage their congregants to write their testimonial of how they came to faith on camp, or their best experience on church camp, and submit it to freecamp@qccc.org.au by 15 June 2020, with their name and QB church they attend. The best story of a church camp experience will win the weekend camp for the church they attend. The competition can also be entered online at www.qbmagazine.org.au. Terms and Conditions: NOEC will be offered for a weekend of accommodation, on a weekend mutually agreed by the QB church and QCCC, for up to 200 people (150 beds plus tent and RV camping). QCCC will not be responsible for travel costs to NOEC, food (BYO) and other incidentals. Testimonials submitted may be published in future editions of QB magazine and/ or used in QCCC publicity. Promotion available to QB churches and attendees only.
ANDREW GRANT – CELEBRATION OF 10 YEARS’ SERVICE Congratulations to Andrew Grant for 10 years’ service as Director of QCCC. Andrew has a passion for Christian camping as a way for people at all stages of faith to encounter God. Andrew has overseen many significant changes and outstanding initiatives across QCCC, including developing an Outdoor Recreation internship program, acquiring and developing the Kidcaff farm, opening the Triballink centre, and adding the Noosa Outdoor Education Centre (NOEC) to the site list. Andrew is a real asset to the QB family, a passionate follower of Jesus and a great servant of the Lord. Thank you, Andrew!
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QB 2005-2020 A MOVEMENT IN FLUX
Baptist House 345 Ann Street, City, 1960
15 years ago we published our 150th anniversary history of Baptists in Queensland, Pressing on with the Gospel. A lot has happened since then, so now is a good time for an update. The good news was that in 2005 the Archives moved into the newly opened Gaythorne property, acquiring excellent facilities for the first time. It has developed strongly over the years with a great team, and now offers a top-rate service. The Gaythorne site was opened on 4 September 2005 by Rev David Coffey, one of his first engagements as President of the Baptist World Alliance. This property provided large new headquarters for the Baptist Union, its fifth location since dedicated offices were first acquired in 1960 at 345 Ann Street (a project, including a bookshop, costing about £50,000 initiated by a £50 donation from the Women’s Union). In time, the
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$3 million property (plus refurbishment costs) became financially viable and was fully paid off in 2019. Most departments welcomed the change to the commodious new facility, but it was a completely new day for the theological college—it was now no longer residential, it was co-located with the rest of the Baptist Union operations, and it also changed its name to Malyon College (currently Malyon Theological College), honouring the founding principal. A small full-time faculty assisted by several part-timers cared for about 50 full-time students. Led by its Council, and in its new 3-level building, it was able to develop its tuition which has since gone online, enhance its academic status, enlarge its faculty, and offer courses up to doctoral level. Many students are now distance or part-time. Several specialist units have augmented its regular programmes.
A second training unit, Calam (then The Training Collaborative TTC), based originally at Townsville, provided TAFE level courses. After rapid expansion working with many local churches and numerous outside organisations—even interstate, it has since re-focused, working intensively with Baptist Union entities instead. Now located at Gaythorne, it is known as Malyon Vocational Training. Statistically there has been growth over this 15-year period, from 177 churches with a reported membership of 11,244 (this figure is very rubbery!) to about 200 churches—very diverse in nature, with a total membership of 17,700. One report noted a growing trend towards more larger churches (now 20+ with over 200 members) and also more smaller ones (nearly 90 with under 50). The biggest growth has been in multi-cultural churches, numbering 50 groups, covering 15 languages, with some churches very large. There have been many church
plants (not all survived) and many mergers, re-locations and churches with multiple sites; many churches have changed names to project their ethos rather than their location. There are about 450 ministers (including about 30% retired), up about 23%. They work under a new rigorous recognition system focused especially on ‘registration’ rather than ordination (which is still for men only). The number of baptisms reported has remained unchanged at around 800. Mission to Queensland (MTQ), established in 1981 to plant churches in remote and mining areas, now sees itself as a catalyst encouraging existing churches to plant new ones. A recent initiative encourages new models including ‘simple’, multicampus and ‘hybrid’ churches. Direct financial support of the Baptist Union by churches stands at around $900,000–an increase of only about 20%, despite significant inflation and numerical growth. Extra funds to make up the annual budget, now more than $3.3 million, are supplied from the Gaythorne property, camping, care ministries and Baplink (the treasury arm). Some of these groups struggled in the early 2000s, seriously impacting the work of the denomination, as did the GFC. But the situation gradually improved due to good planning and administration. Queensland Baptist Care changed its name to Carinity (care+affinity) in 2013 and turned 70 in 2019. It is now a state-wide operation employing more than 1,300 people, with 11 residential aged care sites, 5 retirement villages, 5 schools, and various services for disabilities, young people, inhome care and families, as well as many institutional chaplains. Having recovered from malicious unfounded attacks on its integrity in recent years, it has developed new properties and is re-furbishing/rebuilding older units. Like other similar organisations, it faces serious challenges in the future. Camping (QCCC) has also seen major changes since difficult days at the beginning. It works extensively with schools in outdoor education hosting more than 50,000 guests annually. Its three sites (down from 5 originally), including the former college property at Brookfield, are all in popular
indicating the expanded scope of buildings and property now required. The BUQ was led for much of the time by a stable group of officers, although there was considerable fluctuation in some areas, and not all ministries flourished. There were many internal reviews, but a major overall denominational review stipulated by the Constitution to be held every 5 years was not carried out until 2017. This revealed many concerning issues, especially the need for new focus, vision and leadership. It has resulted in far-reaching changes, including the abolishment of the positions of General Superintendent and Regional Coordinator.
Queensland Baptist Logo, 2009
demand. The premier site at Mapleton recently added an indigenous component, while adventure camping is also a prominent feature. The operations are based on strong foundations related to the ‘Triple Mandate’ of Scripture.
The new system, with the tag, ‘A Collaborative Movement of Goddirected Churches and Services’, commencing in 2020 has reverted to a pattern similar to the 1980s, involving multiple senior leaders and a buzz of Directors—with nearly a dozen part-time Regional Ministers as a new feature.
Administratively in 2005, the denomination was bedding down a new system arising out of reforms of the late 1990s focused on the Board and General Superintendent, supported by Regional Consultants and other entities governed by councils. The role of President, in place since 1877, was last filled in 2009 and abolished soon after—the inevitable result of the decision made 20 years earlier to make the General Superintendent the spiritual leader of the denomination.
These are a just a few of the trends in this important period. A full-length account is planned for later in the year to be published in QB Forum, the Baptist Heritage Qld newsletter. Don’t miss out - sign up now for a BHQ membership subscription for only $10 for individuals and $20 for churches.
Increased Government regulation in areas such as financial accountability and child safety has severely impacted most areas of work, requiring the denomination its support of churches. Baplink has also provided steadily growing financial services support. Its loan register topped $100 million,
Baptist Church Archives archives@qb.org.au Phone 07 3354 5642, 07 3878 3178 https://goo.gl/GRX4ET
SPECIAL 15 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OFFER Quote the code-word Movement for your copy of Pressing on with the Gospel for only $10 including Postage - see contact details.
Book cover, Pressing on with the Gospel
QB.ORG.AU FEB/MAR 20 21
CARINITY
‘Model’ residents star in new aged care campaign Four Carinity Brookfield Green residents were models for a day when they featured in a professional photo shoot for Carinity’s new aged care promotion. From the make-up chair to camera flashes, Don Smith, Jim Chadwick, Joan Bell and Maud Harbort were treated like stars during the photo shoot at the aged care community in Brisbane. “Our residents really enjoyed this new experience of being ‘on set’ and had a ball being photographed,” Carinity Brookfield Green Activities Officer Nicola Zuvich says. “The smiles on their faces were genuine. True happiness like that isn’t something that is easily faked.”
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The photos have been used in Carinity’s new “Living with Purpose” advertising campaign with images of the vivacious seniors featured on posters in shopping centres and bus shelters around Brisbane. Promoting inclusiveness and purposeful activity, Living with Purpose highlights the stimulating experiences and activities offered to seniors living in Carinity residential aged care communities across Queensland.
“Carinity understands that the difference between really living, and just enduring, lies in the richness and variety of meaningful experiences. “We recognise each person is unique. We passionately believe everyone deserves to feel loved and supported, whatever their life’s circumstances.” Discover more about how Carinity is supporting Queensland seniors to live their life with purpose at carinity. org.au/living-with-purpose.
“Far from being places where people go to exist, our aged care communities are where people go to live,” Carinity Aged Care Executive Manager Valmae Dunlea explains.
Carinity Brookfield Green residents Don Smith and Maud Harbort chatting during the photo shoot.
Carinity assists droughtstricken farmers “You will never understand how much this means to me and my children.” Amanda Park and her family are some of the thousands of Australian farmers experiencing the worst of a drought that is crippling rural districts around the country and driving families to breaking point. Resourceful staff at the Carinity Brownesholme retirement community near Toowoomba have done their part to help desperate local farmers like the Parks. “We had the idea to harvest our unused paddocks for hay as many local farmers are struggling with the drought and the extraordinary increased cost of feed for their animals,” Carinity Brownesholme Village Manager Garry Slik explains. “I found a local farmer who was kind enough to harvest the hay. He supplied all equipment and fuel and manpower.” The Carinity Brownesholme site consists of around 120 acres of which the retirement village covers around 30 acres – meaning there was a lot of grass to harvest. Two harvests resulted in around 320 hay bales being distributed to six farming families in areas such as Highfields and Goombungee. Amanda, who runs a horse farm, expressed “extreme gratitude” for the free livestock feed.
“With paddocks bare, water tanks almost empty, the price of hay almost tripled and hungry animals… we have had to face this drought alone,” Amanda says. “If only you could have seen the relief on my 11-year-old son’s face when he came home that afternoon and there was hay to feed his beloved sheep, some of which were bottle-fed orphans.
presents at Christmas, as long as he could have a bag of chicken feed and a bag of sheep feed.” Garry is delighted to “help others with a resource that has in the past gone to waste”. “It was a wonderful thing for Brownesholme to do and it certainly aligns with Carinity’s core values – helping others in need,” Garry says.
“He had mentioned to me that he would understand if he didn’t get
One of the Park family children with an orphaned lamb on their farm at Highfields, near Toowoomba.
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RISE STATE YOUTH CAMP 2020
This is the third year of the event and it just gets bigger and better! This year there were 280 campers, which was 60 more than last year, and the camp ran for an extra day and night. The program kicked off on Monday with huge storms that put an end to the planned Outdoor Big Games session, so a 4-way Indoor Duster Hockey Tournament broke out in the Dining Room! The first evening was held in the Triballink Rainforest Arena with a powerful testimony from QCCC Charter Group member Kerry Neill, told against the forgiveness narrative of the Glasshouse Dreamtime story.
20 – 23 JANUARY There was also a huge array of electives from 8 brilliant presenters – covering issues such as climate change, multi-culturalism, doubt, sexuality, Revelations and more. There was also a powerful evening prayer focus time— praying for the State and every church.
Tuesday was a day of worship and teaching in Kirkwood Hall, as well and enjoying outdoor activities, free time at the pools, and electronic and board games in the new courtyard area.
The last day started with worship and teaching, and each individual youth group had a visioning time to plan the year ahead. Tribal Games were again moved indoors due to weather, but the rain cleared off for a final swim and sad farewells until next year.
The QB State Youth Camp was the first group officially allowed to do activities on the new Kidcaff Farm, and they made it count with a very messy mud challenge!
Thank you to the team at QCCC, the Youth and Young adults’ team (led by Aaron Fozzard), and everyone who contributed to the success of the event. So good!
GLOBAL INTERACTION
“The times,
they are a-changin’…
”
So said Bob Dylan way back in 1964. And, yes, the rate of change just got faster and faster through the 70s and beyond. Today we look back and see just how much the world has changed. But in many ways the needs of this world remain the same. For the Church, there are still those who have never heard the wonderful news of Jesus Christ. The task of sharing Jesus with those who have never heard of Him is still to be accomplished across the globe. In 2020 Global Interaction is committed to doing all we can to encourage and mobilise Australian Baptist churches to answer Jesus’ call. We seek to gather those who will “empower communities to develop their own distinctive ways of following Jesus”. It takes time to “empower” people. Trusting relationships must be built. And it takes time to learn culture and
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language, to commit to build friendships and to be open and sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading in people’s lives. Over the past two years Global Interaction has undertaken a full and thorough examination of how we operate, how we are answering God’s call, and how we are using the funds He provides through His people to undertake the task. We praise God for those who have heard His call to “Go” and seek to provide the best training and support as they go. During that time change has occurred, with some staff moving on, and others joining the team. And a great deal of time, prayer and effort has gone in to seeking God’s person to lead the organisation. It was felt this person needed special strategic skills and experience as he/she set the vision for the coming years and built the team.
Late in December it was with great pleasure and deep thankfulness to God that the Chairman of Global Interaction, Mr John Peberdy, made the following announcement Dear Friends, On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to confirm the appointment of Rev Scott Pilgrim to the role of Executive Director at Global Interaction. Scott is currently the Executive Pastor at Crossway Baptist Church in Melbourne. He
commenced his working life as a journalist with the Newcastle Herald & Fairfax Media before moving into ministry. In addition to serving as a Church Pastor, Scott has held leadership roles within Baptist Churches in NSW and within the Baptist Union of NSW/ACT, and Australian Baptist Ministries. He has also spent a number of years in various leadership roles in BaptistCare NSW & ACT. The recruitment process has been a long journey and has taught us much about relying on God. We have placed a great deal of emphasis on the discernment process for both ourselves and the candidates. The transition plan for Scott to transfer from Crossway to Global Interaction is being finalised. This will include Rev Ken Clendinning serving as the interim leader from 6th December 2019 until Scott’s commencement on 16th March 2020 to help with the transition. Ken will become Board Chair following our AGM on 2nd April 2020. Thank you for your patience through this long process. We acknowledge the contributions of Rev Chris Barnden and Rev Bruce Tudball who have stepped in as interim leaders.
Rev Scott Pilgrim
And we thank you for your prayers as we have worked faithfully through this process. We continue to pray for God’s wisdom as we seek His direction in the continuing work of Global Interaction. Here in Queensland we are also seeing several changes occur. In the April/May 2019 edition of the QB Magazine, it was announced Rev Morris Lee was commencing a threeyear period of change. Morris felt the need to move from the leadership role of our South Asia team to spend the next few years developing several on-line courses specific to this people group. He will also disciple specific strategic leaders in South Asia. Finally, he will mentor Australian cross-cultural staff to carry on the ministry in that location. We are pleased to announce that God has confirmed these plans with the announcement that Rev Ryan Smith, Global Interaction’s State Director in Victoria, together with his wife, Suzie and family, have been accepted as candidates with Global Interaction. Following their Partnership Development, Ryan will take up responsibilities as Team Leader in South Asia. Also, Mr Roger White, of Gateway Baptist Church, has been appointed Social Enterprise Manager of our partner NGO in South Asia.
Rev Ken Clendinning
Rev Ryan & Mrs Suzie Smith
Further, Mrs Lisa West Newman has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of this same partner NGO. Lisa moves into the role with business qualifications and 10 years of past experience in community development in South East Asia. Lisa has served with us for two years as the Queensland Young Adults Consultant. Over that time, she has built strong relationships and provided guidance to many young adults seeking to know God’s will for their lives. We have been greatly blessed to have her serving with us and pray God’s richest blessing on her as she takes up this new role. These changes have followed a great deal of prayer across our churches and much hard work by committees of men and women who have spent time considering just what the call of God is on cross-cultural missions in this changing world. Daz and Bee, serving in South East Asia (SEA), are returning to Queensland for a shortened Home Assignment from midMay till early August. If you would like them to visit your church or Home Group, please contact Lynda (3354 5603). By Bob Rogers Queensland State Director, Global Interaction
Mr Roger White
Mrs Lisa West-Newman
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GENEROUS AUSTRALIANS HELP SYRIAN REFUGEE FAMILIES BY BAPTIST WORLD AID AUSTRALIA
Without heating, and living in flimsy shelters, Syrian refugee families are at risk of freezing during the cold winter months. Next month, the conflict in Syria will enter its ninth year. “It is a protracted crisis,” explains Baptist World Aid Australia’s Director of International Programs, Dan Skehan. “Meaning, its effects are drawn out and have been felt by families over a prolonged period.” Baptist World Aid has been responding for many years. “Because of the nature of the crisis, the need has been constant,” says Mr Skehan. “And
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we’ve partnered with several organisations in the Middle East region in that time, thanks to the generosity of our Australian supporters.” The Lebanese Baptist convention – LSESD’s development arm Merath has been responding to this disaster since it began 9 years ago. In that time, they have served tens of thousands of Syrian and Lebanese communities that have been affected by the conflict in the region. “Lebanon has one of the highest proportions of refugees per capita in the world,” says Mr Skehan. “Around one in every four people
is a refugee, and closer to the Syrian border this ratio can be even higher. “So, the populations of some areas have quite literally doubled as a result of the ongoing crisis in Syria.” Syrian refugee families are unable to work and gain legitimate income and their children are unable to access education. And this is a gap which Baptist World Aid supporters are helping to fill. “Baptist World Aid supporters fund work, through our Baptist partners on the ground to provide things like healthcare, informal education and food assistance,” says Mr Skehan.
Photo credit: Daniel C White
“But the most urgent need at the moment is the provision of items that will help Syrian refugee families – many of whom do not have permanent housing – to survive the freezing winter months.” The Syrian families seeking refuge in Lebanon left their homes under duress. They were fleeing for their lives and, because of this, were carrying very few clothes, blankets, or personal belongings with them. And now these families, who have survived conflict and violence, are facing a new threat. “Right now, in Lebanon, temperatures are falling. It can get as low as -5 degrees Celsius and many Syrian refugee families are living in structures which offer little protection from the subzero temperatures,” Mr Skehan says. Without the urgent provision of warm clothes, blankets, and fuel for heating, many of these already vulnerable families are at risk of sickness, and even death, during the cold winter months. “We’re inviting anyone who’d like to help Syrian refugee families through the winter months, and beyond, to give to the Middle East Crisis Appeal,” says Mr Skehan. You can donate at baptistworldaid.org.au/middleeast-crisis-appeal or call 1300 789 991.
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Telling it like it is BY JOHN MOORE | PASSIONFRUIT MINISTRIES
It was a stinking hot day at a leadership conference in Vijayawada, India. We were standing in a long line of pastors waiting to be served a bowl of curry and rice. A middle-aged man walked up and said to me, “They came to kill you last night!” His closely following companion chimed in, “Oh yes, but they put their rocks down because it was a very nice message that touched their hearts.” It turns out that a group of hostile young Hindus had joined together with some equally upset Muslims with a plan to kill me in the slum area during the event. The problem 30 FEB/MAR 20 QB.ORG.AU
was that they had showed up at a peace event and God rearranged their lives within a forty-minute message. I remember seeing their angry defiant eyes slowly melt away as tears began to flow down their softened faces. For me, this is a common scene in my travels. Thousands of people have committed their lives to Christ in India on each trip. I’ve been doing my peace events for quite a few years in India, Africa, USA, and Australia. In some ways the events could be likened to a crusade, but there are some distinct differences. Usually
they are quite a bit smaller than full blown crusades (200-2,500 people). Often, they can be held in a church hall, a workshop, a theatre, or in an open field. A church in West Hollywood, California, incorporated craft into the event but they were a bit of an anomaly. If possible, several churches combine together to provide a venue, great music, and a meal. The message is the heart of the event. This is not just an approach we use overseas, Australians readily respond too. My son, Syd, joined me in three peace events, and a three-day leadership conference with several hundred pastors. He was blown away with what took place. His main experience has been with extensive youth and children’s ministries in the USA. Concerned Australians often ask, “What about the follow up?” Our ministry is not pioneering
unreached people groups, we are working in areas that have a variety of churches. We are invited by the churches. Each local church has its unique program and activities. Peace events stimulate the evangelistic efforts of those churches. We talk to the leadership about the need to apprentice newly declared disciples. It’s not always as neat as we would desire. On my last trip to Uganda, I spoke with a pastor from one of the churches. He was attending the pastor’s conference attached to the peace event. He had heard separate testimonies from several people within his church choir. Each of them told a similar story of listening to a ‘mzungu’* preacher in the slums several years before. They shared how they were uninterested in God or the church, but heard the music in the streets. That made them stop and listen to the message. They were convinced by the truth of what was said and they committed themselves to Jesus and then went looking for a church. Subsequently, they settled in a church and joined the choir. Their commonality came to light through sharing testimonies. As soon as they heard I was coming back into town, they arranged for the pastor to come along to the conference. He was astounded by the similarity of their spiritual birth testimonies. He couldn’t wait to tell me his extraordinary tale. No person can produce results like this, it is the divine activity of God. The churches in the area are very keen for me to return in March 2020.
Christ and his fruit that follows. Syd is keen on pastoring or planting a church in Queensland. In 2020/21 we are opening up as many opportunities as possible for Australian churches to host their own peace events. Ideally, Queensland will lead the way. While we have some international commitments, our desire is that we are much more fruitful in our local efforts. I’m happy to discuss the possibilities with you or with your leadership team. Is your church interested in hosting an evangelistic event? Let’s make it happen. Both Syd and I are available for itinerant speaking engagements. We require committed partners to pray and financially support Passionfruit Ministries. If you are interested in a grass roots Australian evangelistic initiative streamlined to go into all the world, join us. Our desire is to work with you. johnmooreministries@gmail.com passionfruitministries.com Ph 0435 412 814
Pastor John Moore left Moore Park Baptist (Indooroopilly) in December 2019, and the church farewelled the Moore family as they embarked on a new journey and ministry. Please hold them in your prayers.
For many years I have also been church planting at Riverwalk on the Sunshine Coast and pastoring Moore Park Baptist Church in Brisbane but my time has come to ramp up my evangelistic efforts with our newly formed development called Passionfruit Ministries. Our passion being *(in East Africa) a white person.
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Knock, Knock, Knocking… On Which Door? PS ALLAN QUAK | NORTHSIDE EVANGELICAL CHURCH The scenario is a familiar one; as is the testimony. Samantha is a sinner. She comes to a point in her life where she needs to change—but she is not sure why. Later in her spiritual journey, someone explains to her that it was Jesus knocking at the door of her heart. Inevitably they turn to Revelation 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and The The scenario is a familiar one; as is the testimony. Samantha is a sinner. She comes to a point in her life where she needs to change—but she is not sure why. Later in her spiritual journey, someone explains to her that it was Jesus knocking at the door of her heart. Inevitably they turn to Revelation 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. This verse is often interpreted as a powerful image of the need for transformation, and the calling of Jesus to repent. Asking Jesus into our heart … opening the door … it is certainly a response that can be called for when we understand the
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penalty of sin, the payment of Christ and the promises of the resurrection.
all was OK between them and God, but they were wrong. They were “lukewarm”.
It is all true. But that the primary purpose and application of Revelation 3:20? (This would be a good time to open your Bible and read Revelation 3:14-22.) Looking at the context, we see that this section was written to “the angel of the church of Laodicea”. Many books and scholarly articles have been written trying to identify the “angel”. For all the discussion, there is general agreement that these verses were written to a specific group of believers based in Laodicea. They were a fellowship gathered by the grace of Jesus—an “ecclesia”. To this group Jesus says, “those whom I love I rebuke and discipline”. Have you ever tried to discipline someone else’s child in the supermarket? It is a mistake you will only ever do once. The dynamic here, is that the ones that we rebuke, and discipline are those who are already part of the family. That includes the spiritual family: “The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. (Hebrews 12:6-8) Discipline is not for those who are outside the faith, and who have not repented. The discipline here is for those who have experienced “ecclesia”. In Revelation 3:14-22 Jesus is speaking to those who have already experienced converting grace. To these people Jesus, in the Greek text, literally says: - “You make Me vomit”. Jesus uses graphic language to describe His revulsion of this church because the church was under a delusion. They thought
There is a historical reference here. Laodicea was famous for producing an eye-cream that was in wide demand throughout the Roman world (which gives significance to the words in Revelation 3:18). The city was also famous because it had no central water supply. No rivers. No lakes. No wells. There were some cold springs – 20km away at Colossae. There was also a hot spring located 8km south of the city. To get the water, the city engineers of Laodicea constructed a rather ingenious aqueduct of stone pipes that brought the water from the hot springs into the town. The water came out of the ground very hot—but by the time it travelled through the stone pipes and reached the city of Laodicea, it had become lukewarm. Lukewarm water is useless water. It’s like being in the middle of a hot day and taking a sip of room temperature watered-down-all-the-fizz-gone Coke. You just want to spit it out. Laodicea was lukewarm – neither hot nor cold. To these people Jesus says, “I stand at the door and knock.” It is not an invitation for conversion— it is an invitation for renewal. An invitation spoken to a church that says, “I am rich I do not need anything” (Revelation 3:17). The modern word we use for this condition is “Affluence”. Affluence is the capacity of wealth to spiritually seduce us. Affluence tries to insulate us from coming to a real understanding of just how needy we are. “Hey, I’m doing pretty well in life, I’m getting along great. I’m not sure I even really need Jesus that much.”
Affluence distracts us from the things of God. The more affluent you are, the more toys you can afford, and the more time you need to use those toys. The more affluence you have, the more opportunities are open for you to do things other than what God might be calling you to do. Affluence tries to seduce us to believe that luxuries are necessities while, in the meantime, we turn the necessity of a living relationship with Jesus into a luxury. Affluence, when not spiritually dealt with, can cause the church to churn the stomach of Jesus. On those occasions when affluence has penetrated the church, Jesus knocks. He is NOT knocking on the door of the heart of the unconverted; he IS knocking on the door of the affluent “you-make-Me-want-to-vomit” believers. Jesus knocks because He wants us to identify with Him once again. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9) As He knocks Jesus is saying, “You” — not “You” as in individual but “You” as a church — “You” who are affluent and lukewarm. “Do you want to identify with me in my poverty?” The primary focus of these verses is not individualistic, but corporate. The application for QB churches is to read Revelation 3:20 and then ask two very important questions. 1. Is Jesus knocking because QB churches are caught up in affluence? 2. If Jesus is knocking, are we willing to do what is necessary to be victorious?
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FOLLOW My holiday at the beach is over for another year. We had a wonderful time, slowing down. One of my absolute favourite things to do is walk on the sand. You can’t walk on the beach without leaving footprints. I tried. No matter how gently or carefully I tread, there was evidence of my presence to anyone who walked behind. The beach was covered in footprints – children jumping and skipping, adults with serious fitness goals, birds, dogs, and wanderers like myself. Each part of the beach was marked with the footprint of those who passed. It got me thinking… wherever we go, and whomever we encounter, we leave a mark behind us. There is always evidence, but it often isn’t clear or obvious. Have you ever tried to follow in someone else’s footprints in the sand? It’s hard, but it’s kind of fun to try. The reality of course is that we are all following someone, and all too often, it’s not particularly intentional or considered. We follow the influence of people in our lives, good and bad. We act and react to things we see, hear and feel without a lot of thought about what direction it’s taking us. When our daughter was about three years old, my husband asked her to do something simple like put her shoes away. It was a simple, very normal request asked in a kind and gentle tone of voice. No one was angry or annoyed, tired or stressed. Then my sweet little three year old, in a booming voice replied, “No never, you moron!”
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MY EXAMPLE
You can imagine the shock on our faces. We didn’t talk to each other like that in our family, and it didn’t make sense at all. Until the next day when the Toy Story video was played once again. My sweet little girl was learning how to speak from a toy dinosaur trying to save his friends from the evil head with legs. Who are you spending time with? What are the words you are reading, watching and listening to? Who are you being influenced by? Are you following the right set of footprints? You can’t help but leave prints for others to follow. Someone is always watching, walking behind and trying to fit their feet into our steps. We see regular stories of celebrities making terrible life decisions and fobbing it off with the comment, “I never asked to be a role model.” You don’t get to ask. You and I may not have the profile of a celebrity, but there is a whole world out there looking for role models, looking for someone they can aspire to and emulate. Looking for footprints that have gone before and left a clear mark to imitate. Like it or not, we are leaving prints behind us, and someone is trying to match our gait. If you’re a parent this is painfully obvious every day. Our kids have a way of holding a mirror up to our tone of voice, attitudes and language choices. It can be funny or humiliating, and often enlightening. But, even if we don’t have young children in our home, we need to be careful how we behave because, like it or not, we are influencing someone. The Apostle Paul understood this when he wrote, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).
mannerisms am I imitating? Where am I headed? If I’m not careful, I’ll follow the crowd somewhere I don’t want to end up. There are a small number of godly people who I admire and want to be influenced by. I need to find their footprints and get my feet in the right place behind them. Whether I like to acknowledge it or not, I am leaving a trail of footprints behind me that others are following. As much as I am able, I will seek to have an influence of godliness, and lead others to a place of maturity in Christ. This is our mandate in Christ. “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24–25 May I encourage you today to look carefully at whose footprints you are following, and think about where those prints are leading you? Consider getting a mentor to intentionally walk towards godliness. And just as importantly, consider who is looking to you. Look for ways to speak encouragement and truth into those who see you, so you can join Paul in saying, “Follow my example”.
Christine is a mum, wife and Pastor at Gateway Baptist Church. Visit Christine’s Blog to read more stories and devotionals - www. livingwithmargins.com
I’ve come away from my holiday at the beach with a fresh intention to consider who I am following. Whose habits am I picking up? What
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Radical Outreach to Outcasts JOHN TILLMAN | THE PARK FORUM WWW.PARKFORUM.ORG
Luke 4.25-28 “I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.” All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. The backlash that Jesus experienced in response to His Nazareth sermon was sudden and violent. One second they are talking about how well Jesus spoke, and the next they are shoving Him toward a precipice, attempting to take His life. What did Jesus say that was so divisive that the congregation went from friendly hometown crowd to murderous mob in a heartbeat? “God’s blessings are for your enemies, not just you.”
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The characters Jesus holds up as examples of the types of people who would experience “the year of the Lord’s favour” represented everything His audience feared as “other.” The widow of Zarephath was a foreigner, living in Sidon, one of Israel’s great enemies. Naaman the Syrian commander was even more controversial. He served the king who was oppressing Israel at the time he was healed. In today’s terms we would call Naaman a terrorist, a child-kidnapper, a human trafficker, and a war criminal. These are the kinds of outsiders that Christ celebrates as examples of who the Kingdom of God is available to, of who he will manifest Himself to. It is when we are the closest to Jesus that He will challenge us most directly. It is when we know Him the best, like the Nazareth crowd, that He can surprise us the most. Everyone is pleased with Christ’s words when we agree with them. When He is blessing us, helping us, healing us, and promising us the kingdom,
we listen affectionately. But if we listen long enough, Jesus will say something that makes us want to throw Him off a cliff in anger. He will ask us to allow someone in, whom we would prefer to keep out. He will ask us to accept someone we don’t want to accept. He will ask us to risk our safety to help outsiders who may be dangerous. He will ask us to share our blessings with people who do not deserve them. (Of course we don’t deserve them either…) Jesus chose to announce God’s kingdom in His backwater hometown, that most young men would seek to expunge from their résumés. He chose to go out of His way to reach out to despised people—tax collectors, prostitutes, Samaritans, Roman Centurions, lepers, adulterers, foreigners. If we are to participate in Christ’s Epiphany, we must choose to manifest His same radical love and outreach to outcasts. The Call to Prayer Search for the Lord and his strength; continually seek his face. — Psalm 105.4
PURE BY MELINDA MCCREDIE
“Scars and their stores are important to God. Scars proved Jesus to be the saviour, and His scars tell the story of our salvation. There is such beauty in our broken and painful stories.” - Elisa Morgan, Author. Pure Beauty. Seeing ourselves the way God sees us. What comes to mind when you hear those words? For most of us as women, applying those concepts to our lives is difficult, if not impossible. Ask a group of women to make a list of things they don’t like about themselves, and they will come up with a million things. But then ask them to do the opposite and come up with a list of things they do like, and they will get strangely quiet. They will find it hard to name one single thing. Have you ever wondered why that is? Part of the reason is that we base our ideals of beauty on the way we look. We define it by what is aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and we see those images perpetuated everywhere we look. Billboards, magazines, movies and television. We have become so used to seeing what the world wants us to see as beautiful, that we forget the most important thing. Above all else, we are “fearfully and wonderfully made”, by God, in His image. But somewhere along the way, the idea that beauty comes from within has been lost on us. Feeling beautiful has so much more to do with what’s going on inside us than it does with what we look like on the outside. True beauty embodies our love for each other and God, our courage, our strength
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beauty and our willingness to be real. It casts out fear and judgment and allows us to be the best version of ourselves that we can be. It has nothing to do with how thin we are, how old we are or how much make-up we wear. It has everything to do with us growing into who God created us to be. We women are so good at hiding behind our smiles. We are experts at walking up to each other and saying ‘Hi, how are you?’ and then responding with the standard answer of “Good thanks, how are you?” and continuing on our way. When the truth is, we are feeling overwhelmed and alone, longing for someone, just one person, to dig a little deeper and ask if we are really ok. Because everything we feel on the inside; the guilt, the sadness, the shame; leaves us feeling ugly, not only to each other, but to God. How could we possibly tell anyone how we actually feel? But true beauty reaches past that. We can’t be in relationships with other women, in community with each other, if we don’t share our stories. It’s not until we open up that we start to realise that what we thought was ugly, God can make into something beautiful. Our stories are all different, yet all the same. Each one of us has something
unique to offer, and who knows how many people we might help if we were just brave enough to be honest? To fight the fear and shame, and let God cover us with beauty and love? When you are hurt, the easiest thing to do is retreat from the world. Our instinct is to build a wall of protection around our hearts, so we never have to feel that way again. The problem with that, is the walls not only keep out the bad, they keep out the good too. Learning to trust again can be difficult and painful, but when you feel you can’t trust yourself, trust God instead. He will lead you. No matter how desperate you feel, keep trusting God and keep doing good. Pure beauty is revealed in us when we focus on helping others, when we can finally take what we have learned and use it to help someone else. Next time you look in the mirror, remind yourself that Jesus loves you and sees you as beautiful. Nothing and no one in the world can take that away from you! Melinda is a writer who primarily writes devotions based on her own life experiences with God. She also has a blog www.thedevotedlife.com and a self-published
Next time you look in the mirror, remind yourself that Jesus loves you and sees you as beautiful. QB.ORG.AU FEB/MAR 20 39
HOW I BECAME THE RICH FOOL RACHEL LI | PRESS SERVICE INTERNATIONAL
We want to be wealthy, yet so many of us fall into the same trap of the rich fool in Jesus’ Parable of the Rich Fool found in Luke chapter 12. In this story, Jesus addresses three common delusions that we get caught in.
The First Delusion: “I’m in control.” Jesus doesn’t waste time with his words. Immediately he dives into how a certain rich man got richer: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest” (Luke 12:16). It was ‘the ground’ –and not so much the rich man’s hard work or talent – that brought him a bigger yield that season.
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When life is going well we can fall into the trap of thinking that it was all from our effort, intuition or giftedness that brought us there. Of course, sometimes our doing does play a part, but often it’s not the biggest part. We see countless examples of wealthy and ‘successful’ people who have worked hard to build their career and forge their way in life, but then eventually realise they are not immune to economic downturns or sudden illnesses. Just recently I’ve heard about a teacher who started her new job as a deputy principal, but only a short few weeks into her new role she is devastated by the news that she has leukaemia. “I’m not actually in control of my life.”
The Second Delusion: “I can secure my future.” The second reason why the rich fool was a fool is because he thought he had the power to control his future. He believed that by building a bigger barn, he could store up his surplus crops and continue riding this wave of wealth till his old age. Jesus quickly cuts to the chase: “You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?” (Luke12:20). Even though we know that one day we’ll die, no one expects that we’ll die early. Yet the fact is, a lot of us die earlier than we expect. Jesus reminds us that death changes everything and knowing that we will die should help us rethink our priorities. Rather than spending time investing in a bigger barn for ourselves, Jesus reminds us to invest in our relationship with God. He says:
“… do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes… Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? … But seek first his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well” (Luke chapter 12 verses 22, 23, 25 and 31). More than any mindfulness workshop or meditation class, Jesus shows us that the only way to inner and eternal peace is when we put God’s priorities above our own. To ‘seek God’s Kingdom first’ is to respond to God’s invitation for a relationship with him, and then secondly, to live out our life knowing God’s kingdom is already here. • In God’s Kingdom, money doesn’t define your status. • In God’s Kingdom, your job title doesn’t get you accolades. • In God’s Kingdom, God endlessly provides all the riches, mercies and grace that we will need. It will be more than we can ever imagine.
“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God” (Luke 12:21).
How I became the rich fool.
The Third Delusion: “I’ll enjoy my wealth.”
I lived life thinking that I completely trusted God was in control—but every time I faced a small bump in the road—like seeing petrol prices rise, or noticing my bathroom scale’s readings creeping up, I fell right back into the attitudes of the rich fool.
The rich fool was foolish to think that his wealth was everything. We foolishly buy into the lie of consumerism, in which we believe that money can buy happiness, and that status and fame will bring us satisfaction. But all around us we are becoming more anxious and fearful. We are relying on medication and drugs to relieve stress. We are pursuing ‘mindfulness’ and scheduling times to destress and relax, only to re-enter back into the very world that causes us anxiety and angst.
Seek First God’s Kingdom After Jesus’ parable about the rich fool, he reminds his disciples:
So how did I become the rich fool?
I needed to remind myself that Jesus didn’t have any barns, let alone a place to lay His head, yet He lived the most secure life when He was a man in this world.
Rachel is the children and youth pastor at Northern Life Baptist Church in Sydney. She has recently finished studying a Master of Divinity at Morling College and is continuing further studies.
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CHURCHES CALLED TO DISCOVER A NEW PASSION FOR MISSION AND EVANGELISM Churches across Australia are being challenged to rediscover their passion for mission and evangelism as a new resource presents the importance of global mission in a ground-breaking series. Jesus The Game Changer: To The Ends Of The Earth is the latest release from Olive Tree Media and encourages churches across the country to once again see mission as a priority and regain confidence that the church has the truth that many in our communities are often searching for. The video series, which is hosted by Christian commentator Karl Faase, follows the success of the first Jesus The Game Changer resource, and it is hoped the 6-week second season will be used by more than 500 churches between May and June this year. Each week the videos focus on a different theme, including Jesus, Paul, Bible Translation, China, Persecution & 20th Century Mission.
ABOUT OLIVE TREE MEDIA Through the production of various programs and resources, Olive Tree Media is seeking to introduce people to Jesus, communicate a Christian worldview, and transform beliefs, attitudes and lives. Our resources can be viewed and purchased online, on various television networks around the country, heard on radio and in many Christian bookstores.
Karl Faase, CEO of Olive Tree Media says, “I have travelled the world observing the impact of the church. The sense I have increasingly felt is that churches, particularly in Australia and western countries need to regain a focus on evangelism. We need to rebuild a passion for mission.” The second season of Jesus The Game Changer features stories from Nigeria to Northern Ireland, Iran to Taipei, and includes insights from many leading theologians from across the world sharing their passion for mission, and the urgency for churches to once again go to the ends of the earth as Jesus spoke of. Karl Faase continues, “Jesus the Game Changer season 2 focuses on the growth of the church over the centuries. Form a backwater of the Roman Empire to become a truly global faith. This has occurred as people have followed their call to take the message of Jesus to the ends of the earth. The stories in this series will inspire a new generation with that same passion.” To register your church and order a copy of the video resource and the accompanying discussion guide, visit www.olivetreemedia.com.au/jesus-thegame-changer/
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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 9 (Dec 2019/Jan 2020 Issue of The QB Magazine).
CROSSWORD
WORD SEARCH Can you find the hidden words? They may be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, forwards or backwards.
For solutions, visit Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GaythorneOffice/ or visit www.qbmagazine.org.au
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Puzzle Choice www.puzzlechoice.com is the source of this Crossword. www.wordsearchaddict.com is the source of this word search.
SUDOKU CHALLENGE
WORD UNJUMBLE
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.
Unjumble the words relating to Heights. Then unjumble the red letters to answer the clue.
Sudoku puzzle provided by www.sudokuoftheday.com visit them and get a new Sudoku every day!
Clue: A quick way to get down a mountain ETNASC CLANABE F I F C L EOBAV POLILHT YDZIZ GNARE ANSWER:
CALM SPOT - COLOUR
REBUS PUZZLE Can you find the hidden meaning in the picture puzzles?
AGED AGED AGED SK8 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
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CALLED HOME
Stella Doreen Bowen 9 MARCH 1923 – 6 NOVEMBER 2019 “Stella was a lady who cared deeply about others” Stella Doreen Bowen was born at Gillingham, Kent in the United Kingdom. In 1943, during WW2, Stella was working in the Baptist Church in Kent serving baked beans on toast to service men and sea farers. Among those lined up for a serve of food was a young Welsh man by the name of David Bowen. He was captivated by her, and asked his friend John Jaques, if he knew who this girl was. He told David that her name was Stella Trenard, from a family well known in their Baptist Church. David told him “I am going to marry her.” So, it was love at first sight! They were engaged on the 12th October 1946 and were married in 1948. David become the assistant Minister of the Southampton Church and Stella embarked on the role of a Ministers’ wife and supported David throughout his ministry. In 1957 they migrated to Tasmania where David
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took up ministry at The Launceston Baptist Tabernacle, followed in 1974 to the Ministry at Wolston Park in Brisbane, and they remained there until David retired in 1984. Stella had firm views on the role a minister’s wife should play. She also had settled views on the content, presentation and particularly the length of sermons. 20 minutes was the maximum length! A family friend, Mr Max Lockhart, said that Stella was a lady who cared deeply about others. She had been active in the life of Wishart Village, remembered birthdays, was always concerned for the welfare of others, and was a prayer warrior. Max at her 90th birthday told her in his speech that the name Stella comes from the Latin meaning a star. She was a star in her Christian life and witness. In caring for others, she was a star, as a special friend she was a star. Stella Bowen was one of our Lord Jesus’s special ladies. She is survived by her sister Marjorie and brother in-law Bill Lehman. Stella was the oldest member at City South Baptist, and was a much-loved member of the church, and was previously at the City Tabernacle.
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The Open Door is a relaxed, refreshing environment that provides a unique uninterrupted setting for leadership seminars, prayer retreats, team weekends and missionary holidays.
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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.
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For residents at Carinity’s aged care communities, “living with purpose” involves more than just physical health and wellbeing. We also care about spiritual needs for people of all faiths or no faith. Through pastoral support, we help find meaning, connection and hope, for a holistic quality of life. It’s in our DNA. It’s in our spirit.
