The qb, the voice of Queensland Baptists

The voice of Queensland Baptists June 2012

What is our worship saying?

The Holy Spirit FACT, faith, feeling QB Convention 2012

Print post approved ISSN: 11323-7829 The Queensland Baptist - first published in 1890.

This series Vol 10 Issue 3.

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Contents

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10

28

32

In this issue Comment: David Loder Speaking out: John Sweetman QB Convention 2012 Baptisms Around the regions Intentional ministry series Persecution brief Reviews Fun zone Classifieds

05 06 08 10 11 14 36 40 45 46

QB partners Sati’s struggle rewarded (BWAA)

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QB ministries Let’s get messy (QB kids & their families) Why church camps still matter (QCCC) She is... is almost here (QB Women) Bigger is better (QB Youth) Minden celebrates 130 years (Milestones) Intentional church planting (MTQ) Partners in ministry (QB/SSEC) Death and new life (QB Archives) Chaplaincy support helps students build better futures (QBC)

Articles The hearts of the fathers The holy spirit - FACT, faith, feeling Is it worth it? (Salt) Financial discipline for children

18 20 22 24 25 26 28 31 32

37 38 43 44

Our cover: QB General Superintendent, David Loder, and Rockhampton Mayor, Margaret Strelow, at QB Convention/Rockhampton Baptist Tabernacle 150th celebrations.

(Background - one of the tranquil views at QBC’s Shalom Village.)

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News, views & issues

From the Editor On a small group of islands very close to Helsinki, Finland, you can visit the UNESCO Word Heritage listed Suomenlinna, a maritime fortress that began in the mid-18th century. The complex offers a fascinating glimpse into the history of the region. Of special interest is the Evangelical-Lutheran Cathedral, which houses the only working lighthouse in a church. The lighthouse is still operational, transmitting the letter ‘H’ (for Helsinki) as a beacon for air and sea traffic.

Visiting that church/lighthouse brought to mind the lighthouse and focussed beam of light that we are using to depict our annual theme, ‘Intentional ministry’. In this issue, you’ll read about intentional ministries at Hosanna Church Brisbane and The Hills Christian Family (Intentional ministry series), but the theme continues throughout: Gladstone Baptist’s ministry to sailors, Jayden’s strong witness in his circle of influence, Dalby Baptist’s outreach to Africa (Around the regions), and a report from QB Regional Consultants about their recent trip to the Solomon Islands (Partners in ministry). These are just a few examples.

You will find many more on the following pages as churches, groups and individuals strive to find ways to transmit the Good News, which does not change, in ways that meet the needs of their communities.

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

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I trust you’ll be encouraged by this issue of The qb.

Robynne Milne Editor

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Comment

The treasure within ‘To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.

I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings’ (1 Corinthians 9:22-23).

‘But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us’ (2 Corinthians 4:7).

Loving God... BETTER - Intentional Ministry Over the years, I have seen some magnificent decorative vases. Most vases and clay pots, however, are for use; not decoration. It is a sad situation when the magnificence of the pot overshadows its contents—when the jars of clay attract more attention than the treasures within. In the spiritual life, we sometimes mistake the jar for the treasure; at least the emphasis on the jar supersedes the real treasure. Jars of clay come in all shapes and sizes: cultures, traditions, preferences, style, fashions, fads, and more.

However, the Gospel treasure never changes! Jesus and the message of the Kingdom of God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Paul intentionally changed the ‘clay pot’ that held that precious truth; in his words he became ‘all things to all people’ in order to be more effective in presenting the Gospel.

We need to do the same. Intentional ministry requires us to lay aside our preferences for the sake of the Lord Jesus. This is a choice that needs to be made personally, as churches and as a movement. This is intentional ministry!

Ministry Matters: Convention 2012 Our Convention in Rockhampton will be recorded as an outstanding event! I am sure our combined celebrations with Rockhampton Church for their 150th Anniversary contributed to this. There was a good sense of unity and fellowship and a great ‘buzz’ around the place. The speakers were well received and the program entered into enthusiastically. There was a holy sense of the presence of God on a number of occasions.

Thank you for your participation! Congratulations again to

the Rockhampton Tabernacle on this special and significant anniversary, and thanks again for being fantastic hosts!

Week of Prayer There is an increased emphasis on prayer throughout our churches. This was evident in the number of churches who joined together recently to pray for each other and our communities. Prayer changes things and I encourage you to continue this vital ministry.

Australian Baptist Ministries Baptist leaders from around Australia gathered recently in Melbourne for meetings. A number of QB people attended: Emil Rahimov for Ethnic and Multicultural Ministries, James Baker for Crossover and Phillip McCallum for Administrators.

We all attended the Rev Keith Jobberns’ induction as Director for Crossover and National Ministries Director. I also attended National Council, Remote Churches Ministry Planning and State Leaders’ meetings. These meetings prove to be encouraging and valuable times together as we share resources and insights and plan combined ministries.

Finally…

I wonder what you and I need to change in our lives (the earthen vessels) so that the treasure of the Gospel may be seen more clearly? What about our churches and our movement? May God grant us the grace and courage to be sanctified risk-takers for the Kingdom of God! David Loder General Superintendent, Queensland Baptists gs@qb.com.au www.qb.com.au June 2012

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Speaking out

What is our worship saying?

I have written quite a few articles on worship recently.

This is mainly because I am teaching a unit on worship at the moment and am thinking constantly about it. The unit finishes at the end of semester one and I promise that I will move on to other issues.

This is a new concept (to me at least) that I am still working through. But my thesis is that no matter what we say about our understanding of God and the gospel, our worship inevitably preaches our true perspective in an unmistakeable way that worshippers will grasp at a deep level.

Feel free to disagree, but my hunch is that if the messages of our preaching and worship are not congruent, worshippers will believe the message of our worship rather than the content of our preaching. If this thesis is true, the nature of our worship is absolutely vital to the gospel we preach and the theology and values we present.

In 386 BCE Aristotle supposedly wrote, ‘You take control of the government, education and religion. Give me control of the music and I will control the destiny of the nation’ (Dennis Prince 2008, p. 16).

I will try to offer a few brief historical examples of this theory and then look at the gospel that our contemporary worship may be conveying.

Late medieval worship saw the priests taking over all the holy worship actions and the congregation resigned basically to the role of observers. The service in Latin revolved around the Table (altar) with the re-sacrifice of Christ in the elements and actions

‘

...perhaps this gospel presented in our worship lacks a realistic edge.

We do struggle with sin.

We do find it difficult to obey and follow Jesus.

We are spiritually slack...

We may need a place in worship for confession and lament.

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’

Speaking out

of communion ateach mass. The gospel portrayed in this worship was that of a holy, angry God who was distant from sinful man but who could be appeased by the actions of special, holy people (the priests) who worshipped and acted on behalf of the congregation. People could receive the sacrifice of Christ on their behalf and be saved, but they were mainly excluded from a personal relationship with God and had little incentive to grow in God. The worship in the camp meetings on the American frontier was moving and challenging. After some stirring singing, a dynamic preacher would present the gospel and call for repentance and commitment (often with a good deal of emotional manipulation). The gospel encapsulated by this form of worship was a ‘four spiritual laws’ gospel. People were sinners and needed Jesus to save them so that they could go to heaven. Passion for God and burden for the lost were prized (often resulting in revival), but the worship placed little emphasis on Christian thinking and service. Going to heaven, avoiding hell,and passion for Jesus was what really mattered.

The traditional Pentecostal worship of the 20th century encouraged a powerful spiritual experience of God in worship and provided the opportunity to enjoy the supernatural working of the Holy Spirit through the exercise of spiritual gifts. The gospel presented through the worship was that of a powerful, immanent, intervening God who wants to fill Christians, give them victory over Satan and empower their lives. Salvation was more about Spirit power and victory than forgiveness and security.

So what gospel are we presentingthrough contemporary worship in Queensland Baptist churches? Here are some tentative thoughts. This is a difficult exercise because every church has different emphases, but consider my ideas and see whether you think they may apply to the gospel presented in your worship services. I’m mainly reflecting on the worship led by the worship leader. Different themes may emerge in Communion, pastoral prayers and other parts of the service.

1. God is powerful and incredible. He created the world and he continues to work in his creation. We really praise him for his magnificent greatness.

2. God is a good, approachable person who loves us deeply and wants the best for our lives. He is like a friend who you can talk with at any time and in any way. He enjoys a good joke and is not too high and mighty. He deserves our praise because he is working in our lives.

3. Jesus died for us so that we can have a personal relationship with God. We deeply appreciate what Jesus has done on the cross because through him we will be right with God forever. Jesus is great and we really love him.

4. Sin is not a huge issue for us now. Our sin has already been dealt with by Jesus. The important thing is to keep on loving God and doing the best we can to please him and serve him and thank him.

5. The Christian life involves praising God, enjoying God and living constantly for God. Everything we do is filled with God’s presence.

6. It’s really good living for God. Most Christians are passionately following Jesus and are enjoying the way God fills their lives with many good things.

If my ideas are right, there are many important gospel truths that are clear in contemporary worship, especially the truths about Jesus, the significance of his death, and the need to passionately follow him. God is great. God is close and does care deeply about us. He is powerful and is working in our lives. We should be thanking him and offering ourselves to him. All this is good theology.

But perhaps this gospel presented in our worship lacks a realistic edge.We do struggle with sin. We do find it difficult to obey and follow Jesus. We are spiritually slack. We do face many disappointments and discouragements. God does not always seem caring towards us. We do struggle with doubt in God’s protection of us. Sometimes God seems far away or silent. We may need a place in worship for confession and lament.

Perhaps our worship gospel also lacks a sense of the separateness (holiness) of God. Our best anthems do move in this direction and we do frequently use the word ‘holy’ in describing God. But respect and reverence flowing from our fear of God is probably not all that prevalent in our worship.

Our God is fantastic but not all that frightening.

So like the worship at any point in history, contemporary worship has its strengths and blind spots. If my thesis is correct, it is likely that our theology will have similar strengths and blind spots.

My greatest concern is that the gospel we present in contemporary worship could easily become a consumerist gospel that invites us to personally come to Jesus because he is a good, loving God who will accept us and give us lots of blessings (good things). I hope that this is not the gospel message that our worshippers are taking to heart.

John Sweetman Principal, Malyon College John.sweetman@malyon.edu.au

www.qb.com.au June 2012

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QB convention 2012

2012 Belinda Clark (event coordinator) in action. Thanks Belinda!

QB Convention

A picture paints a thousand words!

others better...

Intentional Ministry

The weather was perfect and the welcome warm at QB Convention 2012. The amazing team at Rockhampton Baptist Tabernacle ensured that the convention, which incorporated the church’s 150th Anniversary, was a celebration to be remembered. The country-style hospitality was outstanding and the buildings and grounds looked beautiful. Thanks so much everyone!

Next year, QB Convention will head to Mapleton’s QCCC campsite. It’s scheduled for the school holidays, in the week immediately after Easter (2–7 April 2013), and will incorporate fun activities for kids and teens. Pencil it in your diary now!

Happy birthday Chris!

David Loder and Doug Behan.

David Loder and Mark Westhuyzen.

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June 2012 www.qb.com.au

David Loder and Jacob Kim.

Mark McCrindle.

QB convention 2012

Karl Faase encourages pastors and spouses.

Barry Downes & David Parker Book Launch Something more than gold.

Jammin’ at the 150th Dinner celebrations.

Good fellowshipl

Seeing the sights around Rocky.

Special thanks to Kelly Brook for providing some of these images.

www.qb.com.au June 2012

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Baptisms

Baptisms There has been another cause for celebration at Agnes Waters/1770! Monique, a young mum, was baptised in the pristine waters of Bustard Bay. Glorious weather added to the beautiful moment when she publicly declared her decision to ‘live the Jesus way’. Pastor Adrian and the congregation celebrated this blessed occasion following a very personal and moving church service where Monique sang a solo and shared her life experiences - Pastor Adrian said there wasn’t a dry eye in the packed church. A delicious BBQ Lunch in 1770 Parklands capped the day’s activities perfectly.

Monique has experienced some tremendous personal hardship.

Two years ago, she came to the church in a desperate state.

Her husband left her - two weeks before her baby was born.

German born and on a temporary visa, Monique had no welfare entitlements and no support from her estranged husband.

The Church embraced her, supported her financially and emotionally, and loved her.

Image: Monique Gusewksi (centre) with Pastor Adrian and Ruth Geck

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Please pray for more baptisms in this hurting community.

We also encourage you to pray for those baptised in all our churches around Queensland, including: Agnes Waters/1770 Monique Gusewksi

Forest Lake Dulcie Slater

Brisbane Slavic Musheg Hurshudian Olga Kolesnikova Denis Kozinets

Gateway Jennifer Hobson Desmond Nelson Kathryn Nelson Ashley Palmer Gregg Parrot Michael Spears

City North Eloise Bennett Greta Bennett David Birch Laura Nainby Forest Lake Carol Contessi Pauline Dobbie Dawn Dormer Lauren Krause

Kalbar Evan Connell Tanya Irving Kym Rieck Silkstone Natalie Manning

Around the regions

A new witness for Jesus

Reaching the world on our doorstep Gladstone harbour is home to one of the busiest ports in Australia, with over 1200 ships visiting it annually. With the huge LNG and coal expansion projects currently underway, the port is projected to double in size within five years. The crew members of the ships that frequent Gladstone mainly come from third world or ‘10-40 window’ countries and are typically away from their families for 9–10 months of the year. They work long hours, in dangerous conditions, and have little opportunity for contact beyond their ship-bound community.

That they only have brief port visits, and endure extended times at sea, means that seafarers are essentially inaccessible, unseen, and forgotten. Given their unique profession and limited opportunities to hear the good news of Jesus, they constitute one of the world’s unreached people groups.

With these needs in mind, Gladstone Baptist Church has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Seamans Christian Friend Society (SCFS) to begin a ship-visiting ministry in the Port of Gladstone. For over 150 years SCFS missionaries have faithfully ministered to seafarers worldwide and have seen many come to faith in Jesus Christ. Through this pioneering partnership in Australia with SCFS, Gladstone Baptist will seek to complement the existing work, in the Port of Gladstone, of the Anglo-Catholic, ‘Mission to Seafarers’. The newly appointed SCFS chaplain to the Port of Brisbane is Trevor Phillips. With his help, work has begun to recruit, train and coordinate ship-visiting volunteers to share the Gospel of Jesus with seafarers and to encourage and equip those seafarers who identify themselves as believers in Christ to reach out to their shipmates. This is the ‘world on our doorstep’ and the door is wide open. Please pray with us as we ask God to call believers to action, to bring the good news of the Gospel to ships’ crew.

Pictured: Pastor Stewart Pieper and SCFS Chaplain Trevor Phillips meeting with Wang Fu Chao ‘Charlie’ (Ship Chief Officer) from China.

Jayden came to our church through a friendship with one of our young girls. He was a great young man, sporting a modern hairdo and clothes: an apprentice hairdresser and carpenter, studying for both at TAFE College. He came to both services each Sunday and attended our Youth Group, and another one at another church.

He said he enjoyed church, but couldn’t take that last step to accept Christ because he didn’t want to give up anything or change his lifestyle. Jayden comes from a family with Italian ancestry, so he and his brother were raised in a close-knit home.

One Youth night, he took the step of accepting Christ and is now growing in faith and witnessing to his family and other young people.

We were so encouraged recently when he led two teenagers to the Lord. He is a real blessing to our church, and we trust we can be a blessing to him as he starts his personal journey with Christ.

Sue McGinty Pictured: Jayden

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Around the regions

Moogerah Passion Play

Award for KIDS HOPE mentors

This year, the Moogerah Passion Play celebrated its 20th year of presentation of the Easter message at the Lake Theatre at Moogerah Dam near Boonah. Each year, a dedicated team of people from Boonah, Ipswich and surrounding areas have practised and presented the message of Easter in this dramatic way.

The original vision came from Kosti and Carol Siemons who have worked hard each year to prepare the scripts, train the actors (who are all amateurs) and present the play. The presentations are held on the Saturday and Sunday nights of the weekend before Easter and then on Good Friday and Easter Saturday nights. Much time has been spent over the years preparing the costumes and the scene, set on the shores of Lake Moogerah. A small pool has been developed which represents the Sea of Galilee on which the disciples go fishing on the morning of the Resurrection.

This year, approximately 2,000 people watched the play. As the play unfolded, people saw: the Wise Men arriving to see Baby Jesus at Bethlehem, John the Baptist preparing the way for the coming of Jesus, Jesus calling his disciples, Jesus and his disciples attending the wedding at Cana where Jesus performed his first miracle— turning water into wine, and the feeding of the 5,000; and more.

At a recent Awards Service, the Agnes Water/1770 Baptist Church presented an engraved shield to each of the five KIDS HOPE mentors who support local Agnes Waters State School children.

The one-on-one time of an hour weekly has built self confidence in each child and enabled them to cope with social challenges that previously were impossible for them. The results from this program have been amazing! One of the children even became part of the AWSS Student Leadership team!

The play culminated in the arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane following the Last Supper. There were dramatic scenes as Jesus was taken before the High Priest, Pilate and Herod, flogged by the soldiers, then taken away to be crucified.

What joy there was when Jesus rose from the dead and spoke to Mary in the garden.

I would encourage anyone who has not been to see the Moogerah Passion Play to plan to go next Easter to see this visual presentation of the life of Christ. It is in a delightful location with the mountains and lake in the background. During the time of the presentation, you see the sun set behind the mountains and experience a glimpse of the pain and agony suffered for each one of us by our Lord.

It’s advisable to take a folding chair. Food and drinks are available before the presentation and during the interval, or you can take your own food. The presentation is free but donations are accepted for future ministry. It’s advisable to take a coat as it does get cool after the sun goes down.

Rose Neumann

Principal Geoff Fitzgerald is 100% behind this WORLD VISION sponsored program; guaranteeing its success.

Our trusty mentors are feeling so rewarded for their efforts. This year, seven children are receiving support as another mentor from the Church has joined the team.

Well done folks. Our community thanks you!

Adrian Iles

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Around the regions

REACH out to South Africa At the end of last year, ‘Dalby-ites’, ranging from early teens to grandparents - most of whom had never left Australia - flew to Capetown, South Africa; but not for a holiday! Representing Dalby Baptists in our REACH (Reach, Equip, Assist, Care, Help) Mission Team, they went to work with Living Hope Ministries (an arm of the Fish Hoek Baptist Church in Cape Town). The work of Living Hope seeks to reach people for Christ, bringing hope and breaking the despair of poverty and disease, through four different areas: • Living Care - compassionately supports the health of the community through a health care centre and community-based care program which provides outpatient in-home visits (36,000 home visits annually) and serves people with chronic illnesses including HIV and AIDS by offering palliative care in its 22 bed facility • Living Grace - a place of refuge, restoration and recovery that seeks to transform the shattered lives of homeless and destitute people in the area, as well as reaching out to substance abusers through rehabilitation programs • Living Right - providing guidance to right living by seeking to prevent the spread of chronic illnesses including HIV and AIDS through support groups, health counsellors, and life skills education • Living Hope - helping people earn their way out of poverty by empowering under resourced communities in the area they serve with economic and job skills.

The REACH team assisted with teaching, training and helping those already involved with this ministry. They put their many and varied skills to use installing a much needed ceiling, teaching sewing skills, assisting with kids clubs, and giving guidance to those in the educational side of Living Hope.

Two weeks later, the team flew to Johannesburg to assist with the Multi Ministries Conference of about 350 pastors from all over Southern Africa. They shared in different churches around Johannesburg before helping with registrations, the book shop, distribution of second hand clothes and other tasks where needed for the conference. A lighter moment during the week was provided by a soccer competition between the various countries represented at the conference. Unfortunately our Aussies didn’t have enough men to make up a team so the ladies were seconded! Our team beat Zimbabwe 3-2 but Zambia thrashed us 7-0!

The culmination of the trip was a visit to Kruger National Park where the team saw all the ‘big 5’ within the first 24 hours—highly unusual, so a special blessing to end a great time of ministry in this beautiful country. A tired but inspired team returned to ‘Oz’ in the early hours of 12 December.

Each team member covered their own expenses which enabled the church to fundraise for the purchase of a much-needed vehicle and a number of sewing machines for Living Hope Ministries and to provide bicycles for pastors from all over Southern Africa through Multi Ministries. With a market stall after church each Sunday, an ‘Out of Africa’ meal, a movie night, and an evening with Bel Morrison followed by a Dinner/Auction night, we were able to raise $27,000!

The success of this mission adventure was due to the tireless efforts of our Senior Pastor, Pieter Henning, and his wife, Barbara, (previously from South Africa) in organising the trip and equipping the team to meet the challenges of the culture, and in facilitating the bonding of the team. All were challenged and blessed by their involvement in this Mission trip, and our Youth Worker, Kylie Jones, has returned for short term mission with Living Hope for three months.

On the move • Rev Allan Jones has concluded at Kalbar • Pastor Dan Harding has concluded at Life Point • Pastor Robert Howells call (part time) to Leichhardt has been extended • Rev Des Limkin has commenced as (part time) Interim at Bundaberg as Pastor for Youth & Children’s Ministry

Dawn Vickers www.qb.com.au June 2012

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Intentional ministry series

Intentional ministry series

Invite, connect, celebrate Pastor Joshua Avia responds to some questions about the intentional ministry happening through sporting events at Hosanna Church Brisbane.

What led the church/organisation to get involved in this type of ministry?

Since we officially launched our church in 2009, we have seen many young families joining us. Our church leadership team is also made up of mainly young couples (except for one or two older ones). Most of these young people play sports, so we decided to start a sports ministry. Towards the end of 2009, we realised that the church was growing very fast and most of the people came to us through this sports ministry. Many church members invited their friends to our Sunday sports and eventually connected them to church; and these friends became church members.

Traditionally, some churches hold evening services, but our evening service starts at 4pm and instead of a church service, it’s a sports outreach. We do sports every Sunday. In 2010, we planned to start an annual sports festival during the Easter weekend; and in 2011, our first Sports Connection Festival was a huge success. Up to 1000 people attended with teams from many clubs and organisations. Local businesses, the police and the council got involved. Our local councillor came to open the festival and was amazed. She immediately phoned the Lord Mayor to invite him to come and have a look. During lunch time, the Lord Major arrived and was so impressed that he has offered his support for future events.

One of our core values at church is health and fitness, and this sports ministry is part of our mission. During the Easter Weekend this year, our Easter Outreach was planned to include an Easter production and the Sports Connection. We divided the church into two teams; one for the Easter Production (Heaven’s Gates, Hell’s Flames - I highly recommend this presentation for other Baptist churches) and another for the Sports Festival.

Each event fed off the other and the result was outstanding.

We invited people for sports and then invited them to the production at night. We saw over 200 people give their hearts to Jesus and many recommitted their lives to the Lord. Many new families are now joining the church as a result. Robert Chapman from Baplink visited us on one of the nights and he prayed for the people who came to the altar. We as a church are so blessed to see support from the Queensland Baptists Services Group: a big thank you to David Loder and the team there.

What community need does this ministry seek to meet?

Image: LtoR Hosanna Church Pastor Sam Lavatai, Councillor Angela OwenTaylor, Pastor Joshua Avia and Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk.

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We saw a huge need in the community for the young people and young families to get connected to events that they are

Intentional ministry series

‘

One of our core values at church is health and fitness, and this sports ministry is part of our mission.

’

Pastor Joshua Avia

Image: Sports by day

This sports ministry is about more than having fun. It is an outreach program with the main purpose being to win people to Christ. We plan everything well during our leadership training meetings. We also make sure we do things well, with a spirit of excellence. At the beginning of this year, one of our pastors who is also a personal trainer took this concept internationally.

He has just returned from a successful trip to Tonga teaching people there about health and fitness. The government officials got involved and even offered him a job to train their national rugby team. He will be in Samoa in August to instruct the parliament on health and fitness. It is a request from the Speaker of the House. Also, we are now offering this to other Baptist churches that are interested in starting up something similar.

excited about. This also helps some troubled young people find meaningful things to do instead of causing trouble in the community. One of the amazing things is that even the older generations are getting involved in this whole area of health and fitness. We also realised that the government and health organisations are encouraging organisations to fight the obesity problem and this ministry really gets local government excited. As a result, we now have a very good relationship with the community, especially the council. They are so supportive of this ministry and are now offering some assistance for our other ministries. It’s a huge win-win situation for our vision and mission.

Image: Counselling sessions

How does this ministry fit in with the purpose of your church?

Our mission is carried out with these three words – ‘Invite, Connect, Celebrate’. We simply encourage our people to INVITE people to all our church events, then CONNECT them to Jesus (salvation) or to church; then we regularly CELEBRATE our goals and achievements. The sports ministry is one of the best tools we use to achieve our mission. Today, when you invite the unchurched to a church service, most are reluctant to come. When you invite someone to something like sports or a function, they come; therefore, we try our best to minister intentionally, and this applies to other areas of our church.

What are the outcomes of this ministry to this point in time?

We have seen so many people come to church as a result of this ministry. One of our Hosanna churches in Sydney is also running a similar sports event, and in February, a new church was born out of that sports ministry. Another big plus for this ministry is the ability to connect many young people, especially the young adults, to church. It’s often difficult for churches to connect the 20 plus age group, but we find that a ministry like this is a very good way to get them connected and involved in church life. One of the fastest growing ministries in our church is the Young Adults ministry. They are excited about the sports ministry and more comfortable about inviting their friends to it, and the church keeps growing - glory to God!

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Intentional ministry series

Intentional ministry series

A crying need for ‘real people’ Pastor Craig Adams provides an update on The Hills Christian Family.

It took several years to sell the property at a reasonable price and to find a suitable home. God was good to us. The Brisbane Housing Company planned a new development for Blackwood Street, Mitchelton which would provide us with a golden opportunity. Through much negotiation and relationship building, and with the assistance of some very special friends, we eventually purchased two shop fronts in the new building in Blackwood Street. One is for our ministry base called ‘The Centre’, the other is an investment.

Mitchelton is a social hub for our area; the railway station is located in the main street and the area is designated for major residential development. The sky is the limit. There are definitely people in financial and social difficulty in our area, but we do not (as a rule) give welfare aid. We prefer to walk beside people who are in need, who have a disability or who are isolated. You might say we are advocates for people.

Image: Craig Adams at the door of new premises in Blackwood St, Mitchelton

As a small congregation we faced constant maintenance on our three acre property in Brisbane’s north-western suburbs.

Simply put, it was too much. We could have spent $100,000 on the building and still had little to show. We therefore had to face the future and decide what to do. After much debate and anguish we decided to go for a new start. We decided to sell up, cross the Jordan (Kedron Brook) and move to the only social hub in the area: Blackwood Street, Mitchelton arose as a distinct possibility. Mitchelton was the Promised Land!

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We also have a large middle class population in the area. As the new medium to high density residential buildings appear, there will be a greater emergence of young professionals. They are also important to us as we value all people. We are attempting to minister to people from all social backgrounds and to integrate them into one church.

Australians cry out for a relationship with Jesus - many just don’t know they are doing so. We must regain the public agenda from the vocal minorities, and to do this we need to be one with the community. It is not enough to be in, or to do for, the community. We seek to desensitise the community to our church and the name of Jesus, and develop relationships with people of all backgrounds so they will listen to our message.

The real thing is to introduce people to Jesus. We hand out cups of water at the Blackwood Street Farmers’ Markets once a month. The cups have a sticker that reads: ‘Jesus said everyone

Intentional ministry series

‘

There is a crying need for ‘real people’ in this age of the Internet. It is our desire to get to know people as people, to meet with them face to face and develop trust.

’

There is a crying need for ‘real people’ in this age of the Internet. It is our desire to get to know people as people, to meet with them face to face and develop trust. We seek to make relationships with local people from Upper Kedron to Enoggera, through participating in schools, handing out water and Bibles, visiting the local nursing home, holding a weekly community breakfast, inviting people to the Alpha Course, participating in community events and connecting with our neighbours. To use a borrowed expression, we like ‘deliberate loitering’.

who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst’ (John 4:13-14).

In summary, the heart of our church is to proclaim Jesus Christ to the world and this is expressed in our logo ‘Jesus Is’. We are gradually being accepted and trusted as we hang in there.

Continuity is part of the strategy. We always hope to share the name and person of Jesus with more people.

Join with us in 2012 as we celebrate and savour God’s faithfulness over the years and anticipate the future.

KEY EVENTS: Youth Ministry Reunion – Saturday 21st July from 1 pm till after dinner – designed to come and go as you are able.

Hymn Fest – Sunday 19th August at 2 pm with The Crusade Choir.

Back to Silkstone Month – September – every Sunday.

Brigade Reunion Dinner – Saturday 15th September for all leaders and members of both Boys and Girls Brigade (details still being finalised).

Centenary Concert with The Male Voice Choir – 7pm Saturday 20th October at Ipswich Girls Grammar School – offering will be taken.

GRAND CENTENARY DINNER – 5:30 pm Saturday 27th October at Swifts Sports Club – entry only by pre-purchased tickets ($35)

For full program or information or to be on our mailing list: www.silkbap.org.au info@silkbap.org.au Phone 07 3812 3033 Write to: Centenary Committee Silkstone Baptist Church 169 Blackstone Road Silkstone Q4304

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QB kids & their families

Let’s get Lucy Moore, founder of ‘Messy Church’ talks about the value of interactive church.

Messy Church began in my church on the south coast of England in 2004 as an attempt to run church for families in a way they would enjoy. We were frustrated with the model of conducting children-only groups or holiday clubs which sent enthusiastic children back to families where the other family members had no interest in the local church (other than as a purveyor of cheap childcare).

So we decided to try something that would appeal to the whole family—adults as well as children—that would give families an opportunity to grow in faith together, rather than in isolation from each other. We spent time asking families in our community what would interest them if our church did something specifically for families; we prayed a lot and acknowledged the gifts we felt God had given our church in particular.

It became obvious very quickly that the sort of families who might come were far from wanting to join in the existing church services on Sundays. We decided that our new group would need to be church specifically for them. Not a way of leading them surreptitiously into Sunday church, but a church in itself which would do its best to be a Christian community with Christ at the centre, sharing worship, learning and fellowship.

I hasten to add that we had not thought things out that clearly right at the start: we just wanted to do something that families would attend, enjoy and have the opportunity to meet God. The values behind Messy Church are far more important than the shape it takes (which may, and should, change from church to church as each one responds to the needs of the families in 18

June 2012 www.qb.com.au

their areas). The values of creativity, celebration, hospitality, being all-age and being Christ-centred are the elements at the heart of Messy Church: its DNA if you like. These are an attempt to reflect a God who delights in creation and recreation; who invites his people to celebrate who he is and their own place in his story; a God who welcomes us to his feast and invites us to invite others unreservedly.

Messy Church tries to be a community where everyone of any age, learning preference, gender, background, experience or belief is at home—adults as well as children, children as much as adults. And it may be a great place for families to learn to play together and eat together, but—more than anything—it’s a place where they can meet Christ in the stories of the Bible, in the songs, prayers and activities and in the lives and conversations of the Christians they meet.

Families enjoy the chance to be together and do creative things that don’t get precious homes messy. They’re in church but nobody’s asking them to keep their children quiet or join in with rituals which appear alien. They are participating, rather than having their religion done to them; they can join in at whatever level they like, or simply observe.

They are experiencing the generosity and goodwill of Christian community perhaps for the first time...and it’s fun! Getting hands into paint, sand or water; making something out of junk; experimenting with different materials; learning new skills; expanding horizons; enjoying the life-changing stories of the Bible; exploring what it means to be a family: these are steps towards the life in all its fullness that Jesus came to bring.

Check out www.messychurch.org.uk

QB kids & their families

Like to know more?

Learn from Tracey Davies (Territorial Children’s Secretary, Salvation Army Victoria) at Connect 12.

For the last three and a half years, Tracey has been exploring ways of doing Messy Church, incorporating its key principles and values into her work with children and families. She believes: • Messy Church is not ‘just a children’s activity’. It is for all people and has been especially helpful in allowing dads to engage with their kids and church; • Messy Church is not ‘a way to get people to come to Sunday church’, it is church.

She will ask us to consider questions of relevance and effectiveness when people attend church in 2012. Do we provide services that allow people to relate to God in memorable, enjoyable and challenging ways, or are we boring people and showing how out of touch we are?

Messy Church is not just a quick fix. Its practices and values are a great way to challenge your thinking on how to connect with people in your community.

Toowoomba Community Baptist Church has held their own Messy church three times now.

EDUCATING YOUR CHILDREN AT HOME? WHAT WE OFFER AT A GLANCE Prep to Year 12 accredited Educational Service Provider Christian curriculum designed for schooling at home Individualised program for every student Support and advice from registered teachers Access to fully qualified Special Needs teachers Workshops, camps and other student events Library and educational resources

GROVES CHRISTIAN COLLEGE DISTANCE EDUCATION

www.groves.qld.edu.au l Phone: (07) 3827 6527 l Fax: (07) 3808 3755 l Email: de@groves.qld.edu.au 70 Laughlin Street, Kingston QLD 4114

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QCCC

Why church camps still matter Queensland Baptists have owned and operated campsites for more than 80 years.

Some groups who come to our sites have been doing so for many decades. One such group is a church congregation who has had a longstanding arrangement of bringing their family camp to Mapleton on a long weekend. At its peak the group could pack out Mapleton to capacity—up to 250 people. We’ll call them Camp X. During the earlier part of this decade, the numbers for Camp X started to dwindle. In talking to many other campsite operators, I’ve discovered that there is a trend where churches are finding it harder to organise weekend events that the whole congregation can access.

I think back to Queensland in the 1980s and early 90s. The major shopping centres closed at 12 noon on Saturday and didn’t open until 9 am Monday. Organised junior sport was more ‘hit and giggle’ than the serious business it is today. Even the petrol stations closed and a roster was established and publicised for the one or two open for the weekend.

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Compare that to today, where people are often working on weekends. Junior sport is a major weekend commitment for families, and the overall pace of e-life has sped everything up. It all adds up to it being tougher to organise a church camp and for people to get there.

Back to Camp X. Their response to dwindling numbers was to shake up their format. (There is a saying: ‘Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.’) The main focus of the camp was shifted away from Kirkwood Hall and several teaching and preaching sessions. Time in the hall was cut back to once daily. The remaining sessions were replaced with a lot of fun, family-focused activities and licence to enjoy the facilities and great outdoors, onsite, at a beautiful time of year.

Sure the organisation of this new format takes more work. A lot of thought and effort goes into the activities, but the results are enjoyed by all on camp. The net outcome is that dwindling attendance at Camp X has been turned around, and the camp is growing back to Mapleton’s capacity.

The results of last year’s survey on congregational life will be available soon;

QCCC

some of the questions focused on the importance of camping programs in church life. It is expected that the survey will show that camping is of strong importance to church health and is a significant contributor to the personal spiritual journey of many people in our congregations.

Contact details of QCCC’s sites in Brisbane, Sunshine Coast Hinterland and Gold Coast Hinterland can be found at www. qccc.com.au.

But if you don’t believe me, take a straw poll of people in your church to establish how many people have made a commitment to Christ, major life-changing decisions, or met their spouse within the context of a camping environment. A majority is not unusual.

We are excited to announce that Queensland Baptist Convention 2013 will be held at QCCC Mapleton. The folks at Rockhampton Baptist Tabernacle did a great job organising this year’s convention, and they’ll be a tough act to follow… but we’ll do our best!

The investment of organising a fun and innovative church camp is paid back ‘in spades’ in lives changed.

There are some changes to the format of Convention in 2013 that are worth mentioning and pencilling into your diaries now.

The special ability of camping to achieve results not seen within the context of the ordinary everyday is certainly recognised within our education sector. This comment is from a senior leader of the Queensland Secondary Principals’ Association:

Convention will be held earlier in the year: 2–7 April 2013 (commencing on the Tuesday after Easter). This shifts the important Pastors’ and Spouses’ Conference (2–4 April) into the school holidays. So mum and dad can concentrate on

‘There is a very strong recognition of the importance of camping programs to provide curricula and extra-curricular activities to fulfill both mandated curriculum requirements and develop the whole child. Most schools pursue camping programs to provide these specific experiences and activities because they are very aware of the benefits of being able to take their students away from the classroom into different learning environments and access places where group dynamics can be matured outside of their school context.’

the teaching at conference confident that QCCC Mapleton will be running excellent programs for primary and high school students, as well as running some electives for teens on surviving being a pastor’s kid.

Similarly, I can guarantee that a church camp has a similar ability to sharpen focus, solve issues and build relationships in your congregation. QCCC sites host hundreds of events every year and we’re here to help make your church camp a success.

Get the ball rolling now!

Convention 2013:

Business Day on Friday 5 April will be followed by a weekend conference concluding on Sunday 7 April. It should be a great celebration of all things Queensland Baptist! Plan now to attend.

Andrew Grant andrew.grant@qccc.com.au Director of Camping Queensland Conference and Camping Centres www.qccc.com.au

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QB women

She is... is almost here!

Ever come away from a conference and thought, ‘I’d really love to explore this idea or theme more. I want to dig deeper; go further and discover more’?

In 2012, Qld Baptist Women will be exploring how each woman is Made with LOVE. To uncover more of God’s redeeming, restoring and releasing love, we invite all women to download our free bible study that further explores this great topic. With contributions from Baptist World Aid, Fathering Adventures, QCCC, She is... team members and our 2012 speakers, this bible study will unpick and unpack the love of God available for each of us. This resource is free and available for download from www.sheis.net.au from June 20. Gather your girlfriends and explore this theme before you attend the She is... conferences and camps or download afterwards to help cement the themes in your life.

I can’t wait to catch up with you at She is... Make your commitment today to come and hear how you have been specially and uniquely Made with LOVE. Sue Peters State Director, Qld Baptist Women www.sheis.net.au To subscribe to the monthly QBW enews please email Sue at sue@sheis.net.au.

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June 2012 www.qb.com.au

QB women There lies within each of us a superhero with the power to defeat and defend; the ability to rescue and save; to be a force of strength for the weak, and a voice for the voiceless.

Some say that to bring out our inner superhero we have to exercise ourselves, build up our self-talk muscles with 1000 repetitions of ‘I am unbeatable’ or daily sweaty sessions of ‘I am strong’. Others say that the way to rouse our sleeping superhero is to use precious stones of ancient and mystical significance to stimulate some dormant force to life… just don’t use kryptonite!

Still, there are others, many others who simply believe.

They believe and are saved (Hebrews 10: 39). We may not suddenly grow a cape and have the ability to fly, but all of a sudden the strength we can now access is superhuman and beyond our natural limits. Rather than using our mere human powers of emotions, feelings and fears, we have the one and only real superhero indwelling us: he who always leads us into victory (2 Corinthians 2:14) and makes us more than conquerors (Rom 8:37).

There was a big difference between Clark Kent and Superman, and it wasn’t just his glasses. It was the transformational time spent between walking into the phone booth and then striding through those folding doors decked out in that tight-fitting body suit. Sometimes I stand before that (metaphorical) phone

booth—believing that Jesus Christ can give the strength to not shrink back and be destroyed. I believe that he has the power and magnificence to pummel my inadequacies and decimate my self-doubts. I have witnessed the fierceness of his wrath to free and deliver his oppressed. I believe he can and has crushed his enemy, Satan, exposed his lies and sentenced him to an eternity of molten lava, pitch forks and bad TV re-runs.

I truly believe that Jesus can do all these things; he is the only true hero after-all. The problem is that he wants me to do them too! He doesn’t just want me to stand there looking at that red phone booth, exposed to the drenching of my anxieties, self-doubt, depression and fear. He wants me to open that folding door and enter into the changing room: he wants me to clothe myself wholly and completely in him, and to believe not IN Him but HIM! Only I can make the choice to do it! To decide to leap into the booth and rip off my ordinary exterior clothing and adorn myself with the power of his promises and ability, and for his victory to become mine. When I emerge from the phone booth, his image will shine splendidly in the sun and I will bound off (in my cape) with the knowledge and firm belief that my inner superhero is now displayed for all to see—and Jesus is victorious, unbeatable, magnificent and mighty—to infinity and beyond!

Brooke Jackson Brooke will be sharing her story at the She is... camps and conferences - Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.

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QB youth

Northreach youth leaders at Boot Camp Jan 2012

Bigger is

BETTER! It takes time to deeply impact the life of just one high school student, but how do you impact many high school students?

Simple answer: ‘Multiply your leadership team!’ Bigger is better!

Northreach Baptist Church in Townsville has supported a fiveyear vision to grow a significant youth group of 200–300 high school students by 2014. In 2010, we had seven leaders and 10 teens at our first Friday night event. We now have 30 leaders and an average of 95 teens attending from more than six high schools. God has blessed us with 29 teens who have come to faith over two terms of student ministry this year.

When it comes to youth related ministry, I am convinced that a big team of well-trained youth workers is in a better position to grow an effective church-based youth ministry. As I look into the eyes of our 30 youth leaders, I see young adults who have caught the missional fire of the Gospel as found in Romans 1:16, ‘I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes’. They are believing in God to do the impossible! As a result, the whole church is blessed.

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Each week, all 30 leaders mentor three or four teens. We have already seen high school students who have come to faith, then transitioned from attending on Friday night to being inspirational youth leaders. I am convinced if you want to reach numbers of un-churched teens effectively, you need to keep preaching the Gospel and grow a team of mission-minded youth workers who will trust God for the unbelievable (the salvation and discipleship of many teens).

The first question to ask While on holidays in Sydney, an elder of a small church asked me, ‘What would be the minimal cost to the church if we decided to employ a youth worker to reach the unchurched youth in our area?’ This reminded me of a story I read about evaluating whether a church is ready to pay the price to reach unchurched teens. Rick Bundschuh recalls meeting a lovely group of older, committed churchgoers who asked him about the cost involved in reaching teens. After explaining crosscultural missions’ strategies necessary to engage the minds of the teens, he:

Milestones

‘...looked around at the prestige state of the church building and said to the group. “Well, if you end up achieving what we’re talking about, you can expect to have two or three window panes broken by flying balls, broom handles, careless horseplay, or some poor kid’s head.” At this they nearly choked on their cookies and tea.’...‘I gave them the ballpark idea of the cost, not only to their facilities but also to their budget. I carefully worked to help them understand that these things might even affect church attendance for a while, particularly on Sunday mornings. They quickly thanked me for my insight and voted to table the idea until a later meeting–which in layman’s language means, “We ain’t gonna do this crazy thing!”’ (R. Bundschuh, Reaching Unchurched Teens, Standard Publishing, Ohio, 2009, 47).

If the local church is really going to reach unchurched youth effectively, we need to move past the cost of damaged buildings, additional cost to budgets, and potential challenges to Sunday morning church services. All of these things are unavoidable outcomes when any foreign subculture enters an established meeting place. However, having worked with youth over the past 10 years, in great churches and para-church organisations, I am convinced that the greatest price to pay in reaching youth is time, and the cost of ‘sacrificing our best church leaders’ so they can effectively lead teams of youth workers.

If, as a local church, we are going to be serious about asking the right questions when it comes to starting an effective youth ministry, we must be ready to sacrifice and deploy our best church leaders. A youth pastor needs to be self-motivated, able to teach, able to recruit a team, wellread, willing to take calculated ministry risks, a servant at heart, comfortable in vulnerability, and financially savvy, as youth generally don’t have lots of money to contribute.

When I contemplate what it costs the church to reach the unchurched youth I ask, ‘Are we willing to release our most qualified church member from their paid work and deploy them into this task—five days a week?’

So, let’s go back to my winter holiday in Sydney when the church elder asked me that question. I replied: ‘What price are you willing to pay to reach teens in your area?’ Because that should be the first question we, the church, should ask of ourselves.

God will bless you and your church as you release your youth leaders into God’s harvest of student based ministry.

Christian Aguilera Northreach Baptist Church Townsville christianaguilera@northreach.org.au

Minden celebrates 130 years The Minden District Baptist Church family celebrated its 130th anniversary on 22 April. Coincidently, about 130 people attended the service and luncheon held in a marquee on the church grounds.

Greetings during the service were offered by local councillors including the Mayor, Graeme Lehmann, by previous pastor, Col Boundy, and Alma Hume, the widow of previous pastor, Don Hume. Other greetings were received from previous pastors Fred Hill, Viv Morse, Garry Woolnough and Jim Kitson. Current pastor, Stephen Henley, is the 24th pastor who has faithfully preached the Word and served the church and community over the church’s 130 year history. A history of the church and an item by the youth were well presented and much appreciated.

Foundation and long-serving family representatives also present and acknowledged included the Truloff, Lehmann, Sippel, Schumann and Schulz families. All are German names as the area was originally a German settlement, and the church was a part of The German Baptist Conference of Churches.

The Rev Stephen Ball brought a greeting on behalf of the churches associated with the Baptist Union of Queensland and gave a message from Acts 6 about how the church can fulfill its purpose of proclaiming the Gospel through dependence on prayer and building healthy relationships.

It was a very enjoyable day where people caught up with previous attendees, families and friends. The church is looking forward to what God will do at Minden as his message of salvation continues to be presented, just as it was 130 years ago, and will be until Christ returns.

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MTQ

‘ Intentional Church Planting Church planting is a part of the larger vision of many churches, but all too often the immediate pressures of current ministry push it down the list of priorities. Often I hear a statement that goes like this: ‘Church Planting is a part of our vision but...’, and some of the comments that follow are: ‘We are just about to do a building project’; ‘we are looking at appointing an associate pastor’; ‘we need to strengthen home-base first’; ‘we need more leaders here before we could consider it’, etc. It is my observation that most churches will never find themselves in an ideal position to initiate a new faith community. Therefore if church planting is ever to get up the list of priorities for a church, there needs to be some intentional commitment to start somewhere.

The best and most logical place is to begin praying about what God may want us to do: Ask, ‘Is there a place or people group that we can reach out to? What possibilities are there for us to initiate a new faith community to connect with these people?’ Then start publicly sharing the vision for a future plant and what some possibilities for that might be. When individuals start showing interest in any of these possibilities, support them as they explore their potential involvement. Put even a small amount into the church budget to build up a fund for future planting.

Without some intentionality to take even small steps now, it is unlikely it will ever happen in the future. Some of the issues to be worked through along the way are: Factors determining how, when and where to plant a church.

1. Identifying the right people group

We need to discern who God is calling us to reach with the good news about Jesus, and then whether starting a new faith community is the best way to reach them. It might be those in a particular geographic location, a new suburb, a specific town or it could be a demographic

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‘It may be time to get off that “but...” and take some intentional first steps.

’

sub-group in an established area that are not being effectively reached by existing churches. Many of our regional cities and towns, especially up the east coast and in mining areas, are growing and there is opportunity to plant additional churches in them. Many suburbs are changing rapidly and to reach the residents moving in may require new churches that are different to those already in the area.

2. Identifying the right planters

We need to identify the woman and men who have the gifting and calling that could lead them to be effective church planters, and help them explore if this is what God is challenging them to do. Are there members of your pastoral team, leadership or congregation who should be encouraged and equipped to be sent out for this task? How can you help them obtain any further training and experience that may be needed, both in the local church context and beyond?

3. Forming the right core team

Some plants are initiated by a single planter or couple moving into a new area; however, it is far more effective to start with a team as the core of the new faith community. The core team may be a small group committed to the venture, or it may also include a larger group commissioned by the sponsoring church to be part of the new venture. There will be a cost for the sponsoring church; they may be weakened for a season until they can grow and replenish what has been given. Are you willing to pay this price for the sake of the Kingdom and out of love for those who need to be introduced to Jesus?

4. Discerning the right time to launch

Having said that, there will never seem to be an ideal time to launch into a church plant. When we do take some intentional steps in that direction, it is important to be discerning about exactly when it should be launched. Some of the issues to consider are: readiness of the planter and core team, ownership of the sponsoring church, the window of opportunity that the selected people group presents, and are the necessary resources available.

Some of these may be pushing the venture forward with urgency and others will be urging further preparation. There will always be a faith component, as rarely will everything be ready when you launch. In the end we must have a sense of when God says GO!

5. Establishing the right means of funding

While every new venture requires a significant level of faith in launching—trusting God to provide as we step out—we should also be diligent in planning and seeking financial support. Often the main burden of faith for financial provision

rests on the planter and core team, and they are the ones that have to make the greatest financial sacrifice.

Sponsoring and partner churches also have a responsibility to challenge their people to sow into this new faith community by sacrificial giving, to enable the best opportunity to successfully plant. Begin budgeting for a future church plant as early as possible, even if you have no idea when or how it could be done. Then when the opportunity arises, a significant fund may have already accumulated.

6. Discerning the right style or form for worship, ministry and mission

We need all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people.

The critical issue is that what we do and how we do it must be contextually relevant to the people group we seek to reach.

The planting team should have a major role in developing this as they investigate and engage with the target people group, rather than the sponsor church expecting that it will be a church just like them but in a different place.

7. Defining and establishing the right sponsor and partner church relationships

The benefit of having a strong supportive sponsor church relationship to a new plant cannot be overstated. This relationship should be cultivated long before the church is launched and requires ongoing effort to maintain, but the support it offers to the planter and their team can be vital in sustaining them in the early stages of establishment. These relationships are not about controlling the new venture, but rather supporting and resourcing the planting team and their vision.

Very few sponsoring churches can meet all of the support needs of the new venture on their own. So if each plant had a number of other churches partnering with them to give further prayer and material support, the support would be greatly enhanced.

It is definitely not a one way flow of benefit, as being involved and sharing the journey of the new venture can revitalise many aspects of the mission and ministry of the supporting churches.

Does your church have a vision to be involved in church planting one day but is currently stuck on their ‘but...’? It may be time to get off that ‘but...’ and take some intentional first steps.

James Baker Leader of MTQ Coordinator of Church Planting james.baker@qb.com.au Mob: 0418 124 862

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QB/SSEC

Partners in ministry QB Regional Consultants visit the Solomon Islands

Image: Steve Twible, Col Peaker, SSEC General Secretary, Jesimiel Wale, & Stephen Ball

in presenting a two-day seminar for 30 pastors and leaders as well as preaching in the local church. This program was repeated at Kakara on the western side of Malaita—60 pastors participated. Both seminars focused on studying the book of 2 Timothy. The churches in this part of the Solomons have faced particular challenges from those who have departed from the authority of Scripture and sought fresh revelation which supersedes the authority of Scripture. The authority of Scripture and guarding the gospel from false teaching were particularly relevant to their situation. A particular concern for the pastors was that people were being attracted from the churches by those preaching a prosperity doctrine.

The graciousness and hospitality of my hosts was wonderful.

They shared generously out of their limited resources. Building a good relationship with Rev Peter Maesulitala was a highlight.

He is a courageous leader with a love for his people and a desire that they would stand firm under the teaching of God’s Word.

Last year, QB General Superintendent, David Loder, and South Seas Evangelical Church Bishop, Matthias Lima, signed a partnership agreement between the two denominations designed to build a relationship whereby each encourages the other to grow in their relationships with God and with the ministry to which God has called them.

At the end of March, QB Regional Consultants Stephen Ball, Col Peaker and Steve Twible went to spend time and minister with three of the six SSEC regional superintendents in their regions. The SSEC is a denomination of some 600 churches with a church community of around 100,000 people. They trace their Christian history back to Queensland where the Solomon Islanders were brought by force to work in the cane fields and heard the Christian Gospel for the first time. When they returned home they took the good news of Jesus with them and many people came to faith. Over the years many Queensland Baptists and churches have served and assisted the Solomon Island church so there is a long history of relationship between us.

Stephen Ball ministered in Northern Malaita. He writes: After a brief stopover at Honiara to get our bearings, I set off by boat to the Northern Region on the northern part of Malaita accompanied by Simeon Robson, the SSEC Secretary of Education. On arrival I was met by the Northern Regional Superintendent, the Rev Peter Maesulitala, who was my host for the week.

From the main town, Auki, we drove to the eastern side of Malaita to the Bible School at Fera’abu where I was involved 28

June 2012 www.qb.com.au

Image: Stephen Ball and friends at Kakara A fierce tropical low that hit the Solomons made returning to Honiara a real challenge—nine hours on a boat and much sea sickness; however, preaching at Honiara Central Church on the final Sunday and the service being broadcast around the nation was an unexpected blessing.

Col Peaker ministered the Makira Province. He writes: I worked with SSEC Regional Superintendant, the Rev Shadrack Ha’aaru, at Kirkira. There are some 58 pastors spread around the island and 20 pastors and elders attended the week long seminar series. The island is remote so the pastors came by boat or walked for many hours. The people of Makira are a gentle, welcoming, sincere people who really enjoyed the wider fellowship.

Local church women graciously provided all meals—a big commitment by these communities, especially since some delegates were held in Kirakira by bad weather after the seminar finished. Their hospitality was much appreciated.

QB/SSEC

The highlight for me was getting to know my counterpart, Derek Pongie, the Regional Superintendent for the Renbell province. While we come from different cultures and languages, we soon discovered we had much in common, especially because we both had remote churches in our regions and faced similar issues. We also discovered we had the same sense of humour and a firm friendship was forged over the ten days spent together.

The seminar sessions focused on ‘Godly Leadership’ based on the first eight chapters of Nehemiah, and in the afternoons, casual discussions with delegates gave insight into local customs and culture, and provided good opportunities to build relationships. Then, in the evenings, the local people gathered for a service. The primary goal of building relationships with our counterparts in SSEC appears to have been very effectively met and a good foundation in building the partnership with SSEC has been laid.

As I reflect on this trip to the Solomon Islands, I can say it was a very stretching and exhausting time, but it was also very rewarding. I was touched to see how much people appreciated the visit, and how people were encouraged to see the formation of a partnership between SSEC and Queensland Baptists.

Steve Twible ministered on the Islands of Rennell and Bellona.

He writes: Bellona and Rennell are located approximately 200 km southwest of Honiara. While the majority of people in the Solomon Islands are Melanesian, the 3000 people of Rennell and Bellona are Polynesian. It’s a very remote region and there are often food shortages. A supply boat visits only quarterly (if it comes) so the people rely heavily on their gardens and the sea. There is no running water on Bellona, so people rely on rainwater and coconut juice.

Not knowing what to expect, I soon discovered that they are a beautiful people who welcomed me with arms wide open and accepted me for who I was. I began the first half of the week at Bellona leading sessions on the subject of Christian leadership. I also preached on several occasions; it was very exhausting, but also very exhilarating.

I then travelled on to the Island of Rennell to repeat the teaching and preaching. On both islands they embraced the sessions with enthusiasm, and they continued to reflect and discuss the teaching long after the sessions finished. They are so keen to learn from the Scriptures. Some of the pastors at Rennell walked for two days to attend.

Image: Steve Twible and friends Bishop Matthias writes: The South Sea Evangelical Church (SSEC) of Solomon Islands is thankful to the Lord for the fruitful and blessed ministry of the three QB Consultants from March 24 – April 3. Their engagement in teaching and preaching the word in three SSEC regions transformed and built lives. The underprivileged leaders in the remote churches greatly benefitted from the sound teaching of the scriptures which built their spiritual lives and equipped them for effective ministry. The training is an historic one for them. All seminar topics under God’s guidance were relevant to the contemporary needs of the SSEC. We appreciated the simplicity and sacrifice of these men in the context of Solomon Islands’ culture.

The other value of the visit for the SSEC was the building of relationships with the leadership of QB as a way forward in strengthening our Partnership. Our Regional Superintendents enjoyed building relationships with their counterparts and used the opportunity to exhort and pray for one another. The equal sharing of their roles and experiences provided opportunity for exchange learning.

The SSEC is looking forward to a God-honouring implementation of our Partnership through increased future exchange visits. I highly commend QB for its spiritual investment in building lives and leaders in Solomon Islands. www.qb.com.au June 2012

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ARCHIVES

QB archives

Death and new life

Church records - going digital!

In the last issue, 14 baptisms were listed at six of our churches - a cause for thanksgiving and celebration... but imagine that number of baptisms on one day, at one church. That happened in 1874, at the Petrie Terrace Baptist Church, Brisbane, when Pastor William Moore baptised 14 young people in the original chapel (built 1870) on the corner of Judge and Chapel Streets.

The chapel was in Judge Street behind the well-known Petrie Terrace church building (built 1895) which still exists. The baptisms had their origin in the death of the daughter of one of the church’s families. The Minute Book records:

Church records are no longer just large, sometimes musty, minute and financial books, but also records stored on computers, in emails, or perhaps even on ‘old fashioned’ floppy disks.

These digital records are harder to pin down, but the task of keeping track of church information is still just as important—but now more complicated.

Mary Rollinson, one of the scholars in the Sunday School, 15 years old, died after a short illness on Sunday 1 February 1874. This caused such a gloom to fall on all in the neighbourhood and led to such results that we think it well to record the facts here.

Mary was buried the same afternoon in the Paddington cemetery on the other side of Hale Street. (Neglected for many years, graves in the old cemetery were eventually relocated to Toowong to make way for Lang Park/Suncorp Stadium.) It was a solemn time. A young man from the church addressed the Sunday school scholars and parents, and a special prayer meeting was held after the evening service. An invitation to come forward was given to all interested in knowing more about Mary’s faith and 11 people responded! Days later, at the close of another special prayer meeting, nine people responded. All who responded, and others, were invited to meet privately with the pastor. About 30 attended, and Pastor Moore and Church Secretary, Edmund Gregory, subsequently saw 19 who wished to go further.

Shortly after, another prayer meeting was held and three women came forward seeking baptism. Baptisms were arranged for Sunday 22 February 1874, and Pastor Moore baptised 14 believers, extended the ‘right hand of fellowship’, and received all of them into church membership amid much praise and thanksgiving.

William Moore was one of the pioneering pastors in the early days of Brisbane just after the time Queensland became a separate colony. Moore Street in Milton is named after him.

Edmund Gregory, his close friend and Church Secretary, later became Queensland Government Printer.

The Baptist Archives, archives@qb.com.au Phone 07 3878 3178, 07 3354 5642, 07 3256 8897 The Baptist Archives, QB Centre, PO Box 6166, Mitchelton Q 4053

The basic aim remains - to preserve the material for as long as required, and to organise and retrieve the information when needed. But the process is different. It is new and there are few established procedures. There are more documents, they are likely to be scattered across different locations, and the technology keeps changing, not to mention media degrades.

Then there is the personnel factor - more people are involved in creating and managing the records. Another difficulty relates to security of the documents - how safe are they from deterioration and even tampering? It all might seem too hard, and besides, the documents are not visible like the big old books, so it is a case of ‘out of sight, out of mind’!

But the no-paper environment is here, and the Baptist Church Archives and Baptist Heritage Qld have moved with the times.

We have upgraded our procedures, expanded our digital archives, and also put out new Guide Sheets. We have also moved into digital publishing. Our basic recommendations are simple - if you have good technology at your church and a budget to match, implement a high level professional digital record and retrieval system immediately. Also, maintain your old paper records but begin digitising them. Other churches should maintain their existing paper records at a high level in the usual way, and start planning for a digital system as soon as practicable. A comprehensive policy on records for the church is a must, and it should be reviewed regularly.

Churches need good information for planning, legal protection, and especially, to honour the godly heritage entrusted to us.

Book Prize for Heritage Story Win a copy of ‘Something more than Gold: Baptists in Central Queensland 1862-2012’! We invite contributions of not more than 500 words telling the story of a Queensland Baptist person, church or ministry showing their contribution to our heritage. One copy of the book will be mailed to the winner chosen by the Archives team and the story will be printed in The qb and QB Forum. Closing date: 30 July 2012. Contact the Baptist Archives for more information or send your entry with full contact details to the address shown (left).

www.qb.com.au June 2012

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QBC

Chaplaincy support helps students build better futures High school students are often reluctant to openly pursue a relationship with God due to peer pressure. That’s why oneon-one chaplaincy support, mentoring programs and making Bible passages relevant to young people’s lives is making headway at Glendyne Education and Training Centre in Hervey Bay. Queensland Baptist Care’s Glendyne is a fully accredited, independent, co-education, non-state secondary school and a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) that provides an alternative education for young people aged 12–17 years who are at risk of disengaging from education.

Glendyne chaplain, Mark Macrae, said that many of the students ‘won’t outwardly acknowledge their spirituality or growing connection with God because they are conscious of their peers’.

‘That’s why our personalised support is so valuable. Over time and through love and care we are managing to break down barriers. Their sense of finding God can often be shown by an increased level of wellbeing. They start to reach out, be more considerate and start to think about their feelings and take responsibility for their own actions instead of blaming everyone else. It’s a healing process,’ Mark said.

New students are often angry and troubled with very low self esteem and feel like they have no options and no future. Many are battling substance abuse and have been expelled from other schools in the area, or referred from the youth justice system.

Since 2011, Glendyne has had a full-time functioning youth support centre, which is helping to bring purpose and direction to these young people’s lives and hope for a better future.

Within the support centre there is a chaplain, youth support coordinator, eight youth workers and a counsellor. Mark Macrae said that staff members become a stable influence in the student’s lives, and Glendyne’s teachers often share personal stories of how God has helped them on their own journeys.

‘At the morning tutor groups, staff also explain how aspects of their own faith have been tested and then reinforced in the arms of a caring God. This has generated much discussion and given the kids a real sense of hope. I also try to select

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Bible verses that the students can connect with at their own level,’ he said.

Students at Glendyne are given practical education in smaller classrooms, with studies in hospitality, agriculture and carpentry, as well as a range of life skills. However, counsellor at the Queensland Baptist Care school, Jill Yates, said that ‘schoolwork just won’t get done unless you firstly build up a relationship with these kids and win their trust’. ‘I tell them all that they were created unique, and try to help them find a purpose in their lives through God. You go on the spiritual journey with them and let them know that God has a bigger plan for them. I have come across students with very bad home lives involving gangs and bikies etc, whose lives have been turned around by coming to church. When they are shown that they are genuinely cared about, their eyes just light up.

‘I think Christianity is us representing God on earth, and I think that when we show students what the love of God can be like, it helps them to believe in God. We can preach all we like, but unless we are walking the love of God ourselves and showing the kids this love, it doesn’t matter,’ Jill said.

Staff at the Queensland Baptist Care school are passionate about caring for young people, and the Mentoring Program also allows them to build positive relationships with students in an informal family-like environment, offering both an out-

of-school hours recreational sport program and a holiday program, along with excursions and camps. Helping to break down barriers, the program results in more students engaging at school and going on to pursue jobs, or further education.

One student said that Glendyne is somewhere where she feels very safe and cared for, while another said that he feels like the support staff are his family and can always be contacted, even after school has finished. Praising the school counsellor, the student added: ‘She has helped me not to be afraid of being who I am and to be positive. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be alive.’

Queensland Baptist Care’s other secondary school, Southside Education Centre in Brisbane, recently hired an Indigenous Youth & Family Support Worker to encourage the spiritual and cultural development of students and help them to overcome barriers to their education. Principal Christine Hill said that the new member of staff has been really ‘engaging the students and encouraging them to participate in school life’. ‘Chaplains model themselves on Jesus in caring for other people, and this extra support and encouragement is proving hugely beneficial to students at the school,’ she said.

Mary Earls www.qbc.com.au www.qb.com.au June 2012

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BWAA

Sati’s struggle rewarded ‘My daughter will not have the same life as me,’ says Sati. ‘I will do everything I can to make sure she can study and have whatever job she likes.’

Sati, like all mothers, only wants the best for her children, and she is overjoyed that she can now have confidence in her daughter’s future. As a poor Nepalese woman with a physical disability, this was not always the case; there was a time when her daughter’s future looked very bleak.

Not long after her daughter was born, Sati’s husband moved away to find work. When she didn’t hear from him she went to find him, only to be told by his family that he didn’t want to see her anymore and neither did they. Sati had no choice but to move back to her mother’s house.

She and her mother went to the market each day hoping to find casual labouring work and make enough money to put food on the table. She was willing to try anything that might make things easier, and when she was invited to join a savings group for women with disabilities, she jumped at the opportunity.

This new group met together regularly, facilitated by Baptist World Aid Australia’s partner International Nepal Fellowship, and every week they would contribute five rupees each to their group savings. Although they were taking part in useful

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health training and other activities, a number of women left because of the stigma associated with being in a disability group. With just five members remaining, their savings were growing very slowly, but these women were determined to stick together.

They established a work team to do casual labour in farming and cleaning and even began busking at local festivals to earn extra income. With the additional money going into their savings, the women began taking loans to start up businesses, pay for medicines and help their families. Sati took a loan from the group of 1,700 rupees (just AU$20) and began a small goat breeding business.

When the community saw how successful the group had become, many more women wanted to join and now the group has 40 members, both able-bodied and those with a disability. And most are now able to contribute 40 rupees a week!

Sati’s story has continued to improve, not only is she now more accepted, as the community has learned to overcome their prejudice and recognise her value, she has also managed to secure a job working at a local school. With a good, stable income to rely on, Sati can now afford to give her daughter a quality education and support her as she grows up with many more opportunities and a hopeful future.

The END OF GREED

A Pr BiBl Fiv eA e e ch St We u e in g dy k Pr An og d rA m

Consuming as if God, People and the Planet Matter

The consumer culture in which we are immersed urges us to acquire as many things and experiences as our incomes will allow. But what if our habit of acquiring more is simply a modern manifestation of greed?

In this book and Bible study series, you’ll discover how damaging consumer culture is and identify practical steps towards a Christ-shaped consuming that embodies love for God, people, the planet and our fellow creatures.

Order now at www.endofgreed.com.au or call 1300 789 991.

The impact that Sati and the other four women have had in their community is astonishing! Not only have they improved the lives of their own families, they have become the heart of their community, leading the way for others to also find a way out of poverty.

2996_EOGAd_QLD3.indd 1

Each year, Baptist World Aid Australia receives funding from the Australian Government to support the work of INF and a number of other partners. To use these funds, BWAA must supply at least $1 from its supporters for every $5 of government funds. BWAA’s Matching Grant appeal is running from now until June 30 to raise these funds. Give now to match your donations with government funds and make your gift go further to help transform lives and share God’s love with people living in poverty, as Sati was.

12/04/12 3:51 PM caught up in the lie of consumerism just as much as the rest of society?

Rev Scott Higgins and Baptist World Aid Australia have released a new book and preaching/Bible study series called The End of Greed. These resources explore how consumerism is damaging to our relationship with God, saps our capacity to be generous, exploits people in poorer countries and wreaks havoc on creation. Through an exploration of the scriptures, The End of Greed also helps identify simple, practical steps towards a Christ-shaped consuming that embodies love for God, people, the planet and our fellow creatures.

Katherine Roberts Baptist World Aid Australia

‘Scott reminds us that we have vastly more than our grandparent’s generation - unimaginable wealth compared to most people on the planet - and yet we find ourselves still wanting more,’ says Rev Dr Mike Frost, Vice Principal of Morling Theological College.

The consumer culture in which we are immersed urges us to acquire as many things and experiences as our incomes will allow. From updating to the latest technology, to planning regular overseas holidays, to upgrading to larger homes, our culture tells us that we want more and that getting it will make us happy.

‘This is a brilliant resource that nicely smacks you around the ears with the harsh realities of God’s universal reign on earth. Then, having confronted us with our own greed, Scott offers us realistic ways forward. If The End of Greed does contain a prophetic challenge, and I believe it does, then like all prophetic texts we ignore it at our peril.’

But what if our habit of acquiring more is simply a modern manifestation of greed? And what if Christians find they are

Preview and order The End of Greed resources at www.endofgreed.com or call 1300 789 991. www.qb.com.au June 2012

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Persecution brief

Please pray SYRIA—UPRISINGS WREAK HAVOC Ten Christian families were expelled from their village in Syria by armed militants as jihadists hijack the anti-government uprising and wreak havoc across the country. The group seized control of Qastal al-Burg village, which is around 30 miles northwest of Hama, on 10 May. They ordered the ten Christian families who live there to leave empty-handed and took over their homes. The militants also occupied the village church, turning it into their command control centre.

A Barnabas Fund partner in Syria said that despite the UN’s peacebuilding efforts, armed groups have increased their activities. They have taken control of a number of Christian suburbs in Homs, establishing their own police centres and monitoring the movements of the people. Churches have been damaged and, as the economy grinds to a halt, many people have not been paid for months or are without work altogether. Christians have been forced to flee, leaving their homes and possessions behind.

According to official Syrian government figures, 38% of the population are living on less than $2 a day. This compares with 24% two years ago. Unofficially it is estimated that the number living on less than $1 a day must now be between 14% and 18%.

NIGERIA—HUNDREDS SLAUGHTERED Anti-Christian violence in Nigeria continues unabated. The Rt Rev Timothy Yahaya, Bishop of Jalingo, Taraba State, in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, told Barnabas Fund that 300 Christians have been killed in his diocese in a series of incidents earlier this year. On Sunday (29 April), three church services in Northern Nigeria were targeted in attacks that left 27 people dead. The first happened when people had gathered for worship in two lecture theatres at Bayero University in Kano. So far 22 people are confirmed to have died, while 23 were injured, after bombs were thrown into the building at around 8.30 am and gunmen fired on worshippers. Witnesses said that the offenders first threw in explosives and fired shots, and as Christians fled, the gunmen chased them, firing indiscriminately.

Later on Sunday, gunmen opened fire on another church in the northeastern city of Maiduguri. Five people, including a pastor, were killed in the attack at the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) building.

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SUDAN—CHRISTIANS IN PERIL AS SUDAN AND SOUTH SUDAN HEAD TOWARDS WAR The threat of an all-out war between Sudan and South Sudan is mounting amid intensifying fighting in the disputed border region, putting Christians in both nations in great danger. Fierce clashes in the oil-rich territory earlier this year have been described as the worst fighting since South Sudan gained independence in July 2011.

The tensions threaten a return to the deadly civil war that devastated the South and left more than two million people, mainly Southern Christians, dead. The independence of South Sudan was meant to herald a new dawn of peace, but a number of serious issues between the two countries remain unresolved, including disputed border territory, oil revenue and citizenship rights.

The hostility between the two nations has left people of Southern origin, who are mainly Christian and mainly African, in the overwhelmingly Muslim and Arab Republic of Sudan, in a state of limbo and increasing danger. They were stripped of their citizenship of Sudan after the South voted to secede in January 2011. The deadline to sort out their papers has now passed, and, treated as foreigners in Sudan, they have been denied work permits, while South Sudan has not yet started issuing identity documents. Thus they have been left without an official nationality.

A deal that would have given citizens of both countries key rights to live, work and own property - in the other state has stalled, and there is little hope of further progress; a planned summit between the two presidents at the beginning of April was called off because of the violence in the border region.

Thousands of people are consequently living rough - hundreds of them on wasteland around Khartoum - having had to give up their homes; many do not have the money and resources to transport their families and possessions to South Sudan. Around threequarters of them are Christians.

SOURCE: BARNABAS FUND

Family

The hearts of the fathers ‘He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse’ (Malachi 4:6).

These words clearly reflect God’s heart for his children, and God’s heart for his representatives (fathers) and their hearts for their/God’s children. How do I know that to be true? Because it was the very last thing that God said to his people for around a 430 year period—before entering into communication silence, if you will—in preparation for the single greatest rescue mission of all time… the redemption of mankind, through the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, The Son of God himself.

And I believe that our society today experiences that ‘curse’ mentioned by Malachi—on a daily basis. Just switch on the 6 pm news. The symptoms of fatherlessness and father absence - even when Dad is still actually in the home, albeit disengaged - are wide-spread and getting worse. Truancy, juvenile crime, juvenile substance abuse, teenage rapists, teenage pregnancies, and teenage suicides have become commonplace, even within the Church.

The good news is that there are movements afoot throughout Queensland, and even further abroad, to reverse this current tide - to help men understand the significance and weightiness of their role as dad, and more importantly to experience it for themselves. ‘Fathering Adventures’ is a ministry devoted to this cause. Hundreds of father-son and dad-daughter relationships are now richer and more whole because dads are making an investment and becoming more present, more engaged, and more intentional.

And ‘Queensland Baptists’ are helping to lead the way!

In South-East Queensland, ‘Fathering Adventures’ and Queensland Baptists’ QCCC (Queensland Conference & Camping Centres) have developed a strategic partnership to expand these pursuits, currently facilitating both Father-Son and Dad & Daughter Adventure Weekends at QCCC Mapleton

in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, and QCCC Tamborine in the Gold Coast hinterland.

Queensland Baptists’ Churches across Brisbane are also exercising great leadership by casting and conveying this vision among the fathers and families within their congregations and broader communities. One such leader is Dale MacArthur, the men’s ministry leader at Bridgeman Baptist Community Church, who has experienced a ‘Fathering Adventures’ Dad & Daughter Adventure Weekend with his daughter. Dale had this to say about his experience: ‘I have always spent time with my children; however, there have been dimensions to this weekend that I could not have created on my own, and those elements have been priceless and precious. The format and process was perfect. I have been relaxed, challenged, encouraged, and I have had a beautiful time with my daughter.’

However, there’s no time to rest on all that’s been achieved to date. Every great victory is won ultimately by never giving up, and by continuing to advance, together as one. For this reason, we urge all Church Pastors and leaders to join us in turning the hearts of the fathers to their children. Because when that happens, the hearts of the children always turn to their fathers. And instead of our land being cursed, it will be blessed, as it was always meant to be from the beginning with men, women and children, relationships, and families, filled with restoration, freedom, and LIFE to the full.

Please help us to build a united and stronger future for our Nation… one family at a time. Discover more about our Father-Son and Dad & Daughter Adventures by exploring the ‘Fathering Adventures’ website, emailing me or phoning 0431 839 035.

Darren Lewis info@fatheringadventures.com.au www.fatheringadventures.com.au www.qb.com.au June 2012

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Thinkspot

The Holy Spirit FACT, faith, feeling Most Christians are practically unaware of the indwelling Spirit.

A central truth of Christian teaching is that all true believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. However, some believers might express the concern: ‘I’m not aware of Christ’s presence within me. I don’t feel him at all.’ In fact, I think that many would echo these words. Though the Holy Spirit is the most active and powerful agent in all the world, he is not recognised by the majority of humanity, and even the majority of Christians. Why is that?

One problem is that we often judge that suffering and losses are evidence that we don’t have the Spirit. Job thought God treated him as an enemy (Job 13:24) and David felt he was a castaway (Psalms 43:2). If the best of people thought this way, it’s no surprise that we do too.

But this just isn’t the case because the Lord openly states that he corrects every child he loves (Hebrews 12:5). The godliest of people have been afflicted, and often the most godly are the most afflicted.

Furthermore, outward temptations from Satan and inward motions to sin befall the best of God’s people. As a result, they sometimes doubt, sometimes rejoice. Sometimes they believe, at another time they long to believe.

Sometimes they don’t fear others and at other times they are afraid of them. But this is no proof of the absence of the Spirit; it is simply the common lot of Christians.

Another important reason we cannot discern the Spirit’s working involves the manner of his presence and working in us. He interpenetrates our personalities on such a deep

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level that no matter how much we search, we cannot make ourselves aware of him. F.B. Meyer expresses it this way: We cannot discern what he is doing any more than we can follow the workings of nature in the roots of the trees in spring; and because his presence will yield to no test that our sense can devise, we are apt to think it is not there, and to suppose that it cannot be for us to say with Paul, ‘Christ is in us–in me, the hope of glory’.

The reality is that we are often unaware of many things in ourselves and around us; the work of the spirit within us is one of them. It’s one thing to have Christ in us and quite another to see him in us, and feel his comfort. It is quite possible that the Spirit may be living and working in us, yet we have little or no awareness of his presence. Having said that, if we carefully review our past lives, can’t we all testify to his activity at times? F.B. Meyer writes: Are we not conscious at times of uprising thoughts that defy speech; of hopes that overlap the narrow horizon of our life, of yearnings and impulses and inspirations that surge up from inner depths? All these witness to the existence of that marvellous capacity for God which characterises the spirit of man; and it is there, in the innermost depths of our being, that the living Christ enshrines and hides himself.

These experiences testify to the truth that the Spirit does

Thinkspot

‘Despite the fact that we do not feel the Spirit’s presence and despite all the changes that occur in our lives... we must dare to believe that he is constantly present in our lives and unchangeably the same.’

live within us and operates in our lives.

How do we relate to the Spirit? What is expected of us?

But we should not rest primarily on our experiences. The truth that the Spirit indwells us is to be embraced by faith.

We constantly make a great mistake about the things of God by saying that we should feel them first. F.B. Meyer writes: We reverse the divine order. We say, feeling, faith, fact. God says FACT, faith, feeling. With him feeling is of small account; he only asks us to be willing to accept his own Word, and to cling to it because he has spoken it, in entire disregard of what we may feel.

So, we are to base our lives and rest our faith on the truths recorded in the Bible and God’s promises. This is where we begin. I am told in passages like 2 Corinthians 13:5 that Christ dwells within me in the Person of the Holy Spirit; I admit that I do not feel his presence, but I believe that he lives within me–not for a moment but permanently–because God says so. Martyn LloydJones therefore counsels that we should begin each day by saying, ‘The Holy Spirit is dwelling within me, he is in my body; my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is living and dwelling with me. I must remember that’.

Then, throughout the day, we should deliberately remind ourselves, saying, ‘Christ is within me; God is here.’ Let’s believe that he waits within us to give us what we most need: patience when we are impatient, calm when we are restless, strength when we are weak, wisdom when we do

not know what to do, and love when we feel unforgiving.

The importance of faith in this truth can’t be overemphasised. The apostle Paul assured us that Christ dwells in our hearts by faith (Ephesians 3:17), and that we receive all of his fullness by faith (Ephesians 3:19).

We hinder the operation of God’s power by our lack of faith. Despite the fact that we do not feel the Spirit’s presence and despite all the changes that occur in our lives–sometimes we are earnest, sometimes lethargic, sometimes joyous and sometimes despondent–we must dare to believe that he is constantly present in our lives and unchangeably the same. Christ told Martha: ‘If you believe you will see the glory of God’ (John 11:40). The same is true with us. If we exercise faith to believe, we will become aware of Christ’s glorious presence.

We are called not only to believe that he is within us, but to actually commune with him as often spoken about in the New Testament. So, we ought to thirst for communion and fellowship with the Spirit within. If we do, let’s constantly remind ourselves that this fellowship is available and earnestly seek it. F.B. Meyer reassures us that when we accept the fact of the Spirit’s presence in our lives, encourage him to fill us, and seek constantly to draw on his presence, we will find ourselves increasingly aware of a splendour that changes our lives and infuses a strange beauty into the commonest things, so that this life becomes a foretaste of heaven.

Jim Greenbury jimncath@tpg.com.au

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B O O K S . DV D S . M U S I C CD: HOPE: SONGS OF FAITH AND INSPIRATION www.hopeinthislife.com Price: $27.99 from ABC Shops or online ABC Music, Universal Music Australia and World Vision Australia, in partnership, present this multi-artist album of uplifting music and spoken word emanating both from within and also outside the Christian faith. With guest appearances from Australian and international celebrities, Hope is an album like no other; its theme of spiritual and emotional rejuvenation through the joy of music offering a fresh view of timeless, uplifting classic songs. Darlene Zschech has recorded the appropriately-titled track My Hope especially for the album, while Olivia Newton-John performs the inspiring Isn’t It Amazing. Chart-topping young stars Mark Vincent and Stan Walker are also featured, alongside a cappella vocal legends The Idea of North. Inspiring reflections on Hope by the Rev Tim Costello, bookend the album.

COMPETITION If you would like to win one of three copies of this outstanding collection of worship music, email a verse of Scripture that includes the word ‘hope’ to qb@qb.com.au

Theological and leadership education for the 21st century. www.malyon.edu.au

DVD: (SMALL GROUP DISCIPLESHIP STUDY RESOURCE) NOT A FAN www.notafan.com.au Price: Visit the website for details on pricing ‘Are you a follower of Jesus? Or are you really just a fan?’

The Not a Fan feature film and small group series examines contemporary Christianity and asks, are we completely committed followers or just enthusiastic admirers? In a culture of comfort and entertainment that guides our lives and permeates our faith, this is perhaps an important question for individuals and churches to consider.

Challenging compartmentalised Christianity and the cultural pursuit of comfort, Not a Fan seeks to break down the dichotomy between believing and following. Teaching Minister, Kyle Idleman, suggests that many have responded to a gospel message that emphasised believing but not dying to self and following. The result is people believe in Jesus, they’re a fan of Jesus, ‘but they never really make a commitment to follow him.’ Not a Fan argues that believing without following is not an option. ‘To truly believe is to follow.’

The feature film follows the journey of Eric Nelson, a nominal Christian who is confronted with the call to become a completely committed follower. The life and death drama is interlaced with commentary and teaching from Kyle Idleman. The result is an effective teaching method for contemporary audiences attuned to forming values of morality and spirituality from cinema.

The film also follows the journey of family members, friends and coworkers who resent or oppose an all-out commitment to following Jesus. An older daughter is confronted with the message that following Jesus is not serving out of obligation or with an expectation of gratitude or self-fulfilment, but rather it is genuine love, forgiveness and engagement with others. This multi-layered storyline results in a universal message that will speak to all age groups. Dramatic roles are well acted, and the filming and production are to a high standard.

Not a Fan has impacted churches across the US and has been endorsed by credible leaders. The six week church wide program begins with the feature film and follows with six small group studies and weekly sermons. The follow-up book of the same name is available as a paperback or ebook from Christian bookshops, and is also available online as an audiobook read by the author.

For more information visit www.notafan.com.au

...developing Christians of influence for the 21st century.

‘Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding’ (Jeremiah 3.15).

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Reviews

BOOKS:

Even Before Publishing, a Christian based Australian publishing house is excited to announce the release of three new works of fiction. The books are available at Koorong, Word, Light the Dark and other Christian bookstores. Even Before Publishing is a division of Wombat Books www.evenbeforepublishing.com

Against the Unknown

by Graham Carter Nothing is quite as it seems. A US senator introduces a bill that could change the course of history— then his daughter vanishes. A woman wakes up on a riverbank with no idea who she is or how she got there. Behind the scenes, powerful forces are at work. Only one person stands in their way.

Will these forces be able to defeat their enemy, or will a single warrior destroy their plans?

Jac of Hearts

by Jenny Mahoney Jac, a feisty 17 year old, refuses to conform. But, as her final year of high school approaches, she awakes from a coma and everything has changed. Can she accept her father is dead, or will she try and find out what really happened? Will she date the popular guy or leave things as ‘just friends’? Can she remain true to herself and her faith?

Though the Bud be Bruised

by Jo Wanmer Can one little note, read at midnight, really trigger a chain of events that could shake the very foundation of Zara Heymer’s life? Though the Bud be Bruised is based on a true story about recovery after sexual abuse. Jo Wanmer says of her book: ‘My life and faith were radically changed by these events, and I’ll always be grateful for the things God taught me. For many years, it has been my heart to bring this testimony to the goodness of God. I pray that as you read it, you too will find a closer relationship with the Almighty God, who loves you!’

All profits support the work of missions Providing Christ like care for grieving families Personalised care & support Prepaid Funeral Planning

24Hr 7 Day Service Serving Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast

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2998 Logan Road, Springwood, QLD 4127 07 3219 9333

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CORNERSTONE

Salt

Graham Preston and his family attend South Bank Baptist Church - but Graham hasn’t been there for the past month or so. That’s because he is in jail. He received a 232-day sentence for refusing to pay around $8000 in fines, accumulated after ten years of non-violently blocking the entrances of four abortion clinics around Brisbane. Graham refused to pay the fines on principle, arguing that trying to save the innocent from harm should not be regarded as criminal behaviour. Graham and his family are highly respected for their unfailing commitment to protect the unborn children of Australia. When anyone pays a very high price for something, it makes many ask the question, ‘Is it worth it?’ Graham believes it is. He wants our society to recognise the worth of preborn babies.

Martin Luther King Jr. wrote from Birmingham jail, ‘...there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws.

One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws.

Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws’.

Is it worth it?

Wendy Francis Qld Director, Australian Christian Lobby wendy.francis@acl.org.au Date Claimer ACL Qld Conference Saturday 28 July at the QB Centre, 53 Prospect Road, Gaythorne 9 am – 3 pm

Transform your world by degrees Apply Now > chc.edu.au Discover a dynamic partnership between your future profession and your Christian faith. Life is about flexibility, find out how CHC can help you integrate life and study to get you where you want to go.

Business

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Finance

Financial discipline for children Surely, one of the most neglected areas in family life is teaching children financial discipline. Even in families where Bible study and prayer are an established way of life, finances are rarely, if ever, discussed. Is it any wonder that so many young couples suffer because of financial mismanagement?

Self-discipline for parents It will not be possible to teach financial discipline to children unless the principles are real in the lives of their parents. The old adage, ‘Don’t do what I do, do what I say,’ doesn’t work. Parents must set examples for their children.

Where to start?

Decisions about developing financial discipline in children must be made by both parents. When children are old enough to understand, start with a conference on family goals where the children can contribute their ideas and objections. Show them your willingness to compromise without losing sight of the fact that your goal is to teach God’s financial principles.

Be sure your plan covers the following: Savings Savings should be tied to a future purchase or event, such as buying a bike or going on a holiday. This allows the results of the savings to be seen and enjoyed. A longer term savings plan is also a must for future purchases such as a car, home and contents. It is also important that an ongoing savings reserve account be maintained for unforeseeable events like illness, job loss, mortgage interest rate rises, repairs and replacement of assets etc.

Budget From the earliest stage when a child starts to earn income or pocket money, he or she should have a budget. In a very young child, the budget should include giving, savings and spending components, preferably kept in separate containers. Accumulated savings could be deposited in a bank account so that the child learns about the value of

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compound interest. By adolescence, the money can be divided into categories such as saving, giving, clothes and entertainment. By the teenage years, the budget should include bank accounts and associated bookkeeping. By school-leaving or tertiary education level, parents should have full confidence that their children are very budget and banking oriented.

Giving Teaching a child to give the first portion of income or pocket money to God through their local church is a vital character-building exercise that will become a part of their DNA for life. The biblical principle of 10% is a good starting point for Christian giving. Jesus said ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’ (Acts 20:35).

Borrowing The vast majority of people will borrow money during their adult lives. Parents can teach the realities of debt and borrowing money by giving their children a loan with a rigid repayment plan which includes interest payments.

Remember that if parents don’t require that their children stick to a repayment plan, eventually a creditor will. ‘Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender’ (Proverbs 22:7). Emphasise the importance of tailoring any borrowings to the ability to make regular repayments without placing undue strain on the overall budget.

The financial pressure placed upon young adults is impossible to resist unless they have been armed with an unshakable source of strength–God’s Word. As parents, it is our responsibility to train our children in financial matters and to model the rules of self-discipline. ‘Train up children in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it’ (Proverbs 22:6).

Trevor Owens Director, Crown Australia Phone 0400 795 302, email t.m.owens@ bigpond.com www.crown.org.au

Fun zone

LIKE A CHALLENGE? COMPLETE THESE TO WIN PRIZES!

April 2012 solution:

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

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.

Sukodu solutions to: QB Magazine, PO Box 6166 Mitchelton Qld 4053 Two correct entries will be chosen to receive a $30 Word bookstore voucher. Don’t forget to include your full name and contact details.

Name Address

Congratulations to Nita Woodward & Pam Kennedy a $30 Word Bookstore voucher is coming your way!

Hey Kids, Look for Lucy!

Email

Congratulations! To all those who found Little Lucy hiding at the bottom of page 34 (April issue).

Hey kids! Look for Lucy in this issue! Little Lucy is hiding somewhere. Tell us where she is hiding and snail mail your answer, or email qb@qb.com.au

Creative Captions Win a Word Bookstores Gift Voucher Send your creative caption for their image to admin@qb.com.au or mail to PO Box 6166 Mitchelton Q 4053.

Don’t forget, if you have a great photo that needs a clever caption, send it to admin@qb.com.au or snail mail.

Last issue: ‘What?!

Chicking out so soon?’

Congratulations to Jean Sheehan!

www.qb.com.au June 2012

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Subscribe to Order by phone: 07 3354 5633 Payment via credit card.

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Classifieds POSITIONS VACANT

Accommodation

Youth Pastor Position (Full Time) Dalby Baptist Church

CALOUNDRA: Seafarer Chase luxury 2 b/r holiday apartments on the Sunshine Coast. Ocean views, heated pool, BBQ, security parking, close to beaches, shops, cinema and bowling club.

Contact Marianne/Martin Burton, phone/fax 5491 7155.

Dalby Baptist Church currently has a thriving Youth and Young Adults Ministry which requires a dedicated energetic Youth Pastor. The role involves oversight and development of youth programs including pastoral care and discipleship of youth and training and nurture of leaders.

CALOUNDRA - GOLDEN BEACH: Highset three bedroom holiday home. Weekends or weekly. Pets OK. Close to beach. Phone 0402 077 822 or lizottaway15@gmail.com

For further information please contact the Pastoral Search Team c/- joshuaaylward@provincelawyers.com or mobile 0439 567 484. Applications close 30 June 2012.

INTEGRITY TRAVEL Make your travel and holiday bookings with Integrity Travel and assist missions.

Interested in travelling to Israel during 2012... contact Integrity Travel to join one of their groups.

Also a 26 day African train tour for Sept/October 2012 Phone Norman 07 3863 1007 visit www.integritytravel.com.au Join Integrity Travel’s Christian Cruising Program today!

CALOUNDRA - KINGS BEACH: Holiday unit, modern, pool, 100m from Kings Beach. From $390 pw. Phone Ray 0427 990 161.

CELEBRATION Bruce and Murielle Taylor (Beenleigh Baptist Church) recently celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary at Bli Bli House* with their family―Ken and Karen Conwell, Ian and Margaret Wright, Peter and Wendy Francis and Dave and Leith Stranger, along with Murielle’s two sisters and their husbands. Whilst in their life together they have shared sad times, in particular losing their beloved daughter Dianne, they took the opportunity to once again testify to the Lord’s goodness and say from 1 Samuel 7:12 ‘Ebenezer, Thus far has the LORD helped us’. *Owned and operated by Phil and Merryl Greenbury (Maroochy Baptist).

CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENT The congregation of the Lindum Baptist Church will be relocating to the Wynnum Baptist Church in mid October this year. The final service in the old church will be held on Sunday 7 October.

The Rev Stuart Robinson, who had a long association with the church, will be the guest speaker. If you have any memorabilia from the church, or are interested in attending this service, please call 3390 5833 and let us know.

FOR HIRE Large Auditorium: Seats 290. Qld Baptists’ Centre at Gaythorne.

Phone Claire or Emily 07 3354 5600 for more information or visit www.qb.com.au – venue hire.

GENERAL BOOKKEEPING: Brisbane based MYOB Approved Bookkeeper and registered BAS agent, member of the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers. Servicing greater Brisbane area. Andrew Richardson 0407 614 547.

HOUSE SITTING: Newly retired couple available for short term House Sitting (1−4 weeks). Pets, pot plants okay. Pools will need instructions. References available. Phone: 07 4165 4501 Email: wkippen@bigpond.com.

www.qb.com.au June 2012

47

RELAX

knowing your money is safe and working hard for you, and at the same time, helping to support much needed local projects.

Simply deposit your savings and investments in BAPLink, the investment fund of the Baptist Union of Queensland.

BAPLink was set up to give people like you the opportunity to enjoy healthy interest returns, while creating a pool of funds from which Baptist churches and ministries can borrow to grow and serve their local communities.

BAPLink provides: • Competitive interest rates • Security of a guaranteed return on your investment • Friendly service • No account keeping fees on savings and investment accounts

Facilities available: • Internet banking (for churches only) • Savings accounts at call and term • Partnership accounts - a new way of giving • Electronic transfers for both deposits and withdrawals • Deposit facilities through the Westpac Bank • Cheque accounts for churches • Loans to churches and ministers Join the growing number of ‘Baptists making a difference’ by depositing with BAPLink.

For more information or an application form contact BAPLink: Building 1, Level 2, 53 Prospect Road, Gaythorne PO Box 6166, Mitchelton 4053 Phone: 3354 5611 or 1800 650 062 (outside Brisbane) Fax: 3354 5605 baplink@qb.com.au www.qb.com.au/baplink