SPRING 2019
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unveiled OVERFL
IN THIS ISSUE
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Bringing Hope Behind Closed Doors How Alpha is opening doors to youth in detention.
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Vast. Brutal. Stoppable! What should be the response of the Church to some of the world’s greatest injustices?
Vital Signs
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Why regular prayer ministry is actually good for you.
Live to Love What does it mean to ‘live to love’?
22 Prepaing for the Future
Grade six students dive deeper with God to prepare for high school.
Stepping into a Life of Overflow Are you operating out of a trickle or abundance with God?
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Financial Summary
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Buckets of Love
Loving our Community, one mum at a time.
Whats in your hand?
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Mothers and Fathers of the Faith Why sharing generational wisdom is a blessing for everyone.
How one man’s faithfulness has bought hope to famers out west.
Tracking Riverlife’s financial progress.
44 Beyond our walls
Celebrating what our church family are doing in the wider community!
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“A river whose streams make glad the city of God” PSALM 46:4 (ESV)
The imagery of a dam at overflow capacity, where the spillway runs the overflow into nearby water courses is a powerful one. For me, the imagery suggests rivers of life refreshing not only the creatures that live in the rivers and streams, but also the trees that run along their banks and the farmers who draw from its source to nourish their crops and animals. God talks a lot about water in the Bible and often compares Himself and His attributes to the properties of water. God begins to speak about rivers in the second chapter of Genesis and doesn’t finish until the last chapter of Revelation – and says a lot of interesting and powerful things in between. He compares the life in Him (which ultimately becomes the life in us) to water, calling it a well, a fountain, a stream, a river and rain. He uses peaceful water to paint a picture of the rest He desires to give us (Psalm 23:2). He mentions the
river of delights and “a river whose streams make glad the city of God” (Psalm 46:4). He speaks of the passion of love using such phrases as “a garden spring”, “a well of fresh water” and “streams flowing from Lebanon” (Song of Songs 4:15). He even compares His Word to water (Ephesians 5:26). What excites me is the promise Jesus makes to every believer, that there is the capacity to operate in the overflow, to allow the Holy Spirit (who is like a mighty rushing river…a lifegiving river) to flow through us (John 7:38). In effect, we would be a people who minister out of the overflow of God’s presence in our lives. I hope this edition of Unveiled inspires you to live a life out of the overflow of God’s presence within you. God bless, John Robertson Senior Pastor
Bringing Hope Behind Closed Doors
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LUKE 15:20
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“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”
just opened for the group to present the Gospel and build relationships with young people.
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“Many of these kids have never even been to church, let alone heard the Gospel before,” Liza said. Since January 2019, teams from Riverlife have been able to present the Alpha program to nearly 50 young people in detention across Brisbane. Held weekly, Alpha is a series of sessions exploring the Christian faith that has been designed to create conversations about the big questions in life. Developed in the 90s at London’s Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) by Nicky Gumbel, Alpha has enabled the team to reach vulnerable youth and speak hope into their daily situations. Since its creation, Alpha has been translated into 112 different languages and reached 500,000 Australians alone. Just as the Bible reminds us in Luke 15 of how far the Father will go to search for the lost, the heart behind this ministry has been to bring hope to the least, the last and the hurting. Following God’s prompting to contact local centres, Riverlife’s Alpha team leader Liza Kelder couldn’t believe how doors
“By going to them, we’re able to break down barriers that would be difficult to overcome in normal life and demonstrate that Christians are trustworthy, regular people and help them to become curious about who God is and how much He loves them,” she said. “The benefit of partnering with a world-renowned program like Alpha, is that the material really covers the key foundations of the Christian faith in a logical, non-threatening way. These kids mean the world to God and I love seeing the lengths He’ll go to give them an opportunity to know Him”. Prayer is a major component for the team, and they meet regularly to cover the program, the team and the participants in prayer. With many similar volunteer programs not lasting more than an average of three weeks in such environments, the resounding support from detention staff has been overwhelming and definitely an answer to prayer.
“Our supervisor said they couldn’t believe the uptake we’d had from the kids and their willingness to keep coming back and actively engage in the sessions,” Liza said. “The team’s heart for the kids has been incredible and it has been so encouraging to see them flourish as leaders out of the overflow of their individual walks with Jesus”. Alpha Australia’s National Director Melinda Dwight believes there is a growing sense of momentum throughout Australia to see churches take programs like Alpha into the prison system. “The example of Christ teaches us to bring the gospel into all corners of our nation, and we have seen Alpha be the tool to bring transformation to prisoners as they discuss with life's big questions without fear of judgement,” Melinda said. “It has been wonderful to hear the stories from the team at Riverlife about how they've been able to connect with, encourage and love on young people through Alpha.” While plans are in place to continue delivering Alpha to youth in detention in the future, the program has also enabled Riverlife to support other
organisations such as Education Queensland’s chaplaincy program, Krosswerds and the Presbyterian church of Qld in the work they’re also doing in the prison system. Just as we know that it takes a village to raise a child, it is only when the Church works cohesively together that we can begin to create a safe, positive environment for the lost to truly know how wide and how deep the Father’s love is for them. Together, we can make a difference.
Alpha is also held on Thursday nights at Riverlife throughout the year and everyone is welcome to attend. Our next round kicks off on 10 October. To find out more, click here
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Vast. Brutal. Stoppable! What should be the response of the Church to some of the world’s greatest injustices?
In July, I was privileged to travel to India to visit first-hand the frontline work of International Justice Mission (IJM). This was made even more special, because we had the opportunity to reconnect with IJM staff we had met previously. One of the powerful interactions I was humbled and wrecked by was time with Pachayamma, a living example of hope beyond slavery. Married as a young girl into a Rock Quarry, Pachayamma was rescued and released in 2012. During the two years she was supported by in the IJM aftercare program, there was a moment Pachayamma realized that she had been
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Church history shows us that when the world was at its darkest, the church stepped in to be salt and light in obedience to Christ. Despite Scripture’s clear teaching, the threat of violence is still a part of everyday life for the poor, especially in the developing world. It’s as much a part of poverty as hunger, disease or homelessness. Injustice presents in contexts of forced labour, sex trafficking, rape, police brutality, property grabbing, and intimate partner violence.
Christ invites us to address injustices on behalf of the voiceless, as part of His work in bringing restoration and reconciliation to a broken world.
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God is deeply grieved by all contexts of slavery and the violence that perpetuates it. He has always heard the cry of the oppressed and has always used His people to rescue the vulnerable and to call rulers to act justly. God has made the pursuit of justice core to the mission of His people.
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freed but was not living in the fullness of what it was to be free. As we sat cross-legged in her one-room home, all 10 of the female influencers from Australia cried as we listened to Pachayamma describe in detail the moment she decided that her freedom needed to look like something. Pachayamma had been rescued with eight other families, and as young woman of 24 years, without completed education, she started lobbying the local authorities. Initially it was for ration cards for her rescued community to be issued, then for land to be allocated and resources for homes to be constructed and their access road paved. Then it was to the Electricity Board to have electricity installed. Now, at 28 years of age, Pachayamma is not only her village leader, but the leader of the six villages surrounding and a key member on the Government Vigilance Committee where she uses her past and her voice to speak for others in bonded labour. But most powerfully, she has been personally responsible for leading rescues of more than 100 people in the last year. Pachayamma asked for us to have a group photo with her. At the time I didn’t understand the significance of why she asked
us to hold out our hands for the group photo. But after the photo Pachayamma said, “I wish that I had ten hands so I could do much more. There are people trapped in bonded labour slavery and I need to rescue them!” The photo is a reminder to me, not only of a female influencer leading the way to rescue others, but also of that moment and of my heart’s commitment ‘until all are free’. Though the arc of history bends towards justice, it is a long arc, and calls forth depth and character. For the Christian, justice is a call to spiritual maturity and requires relentless perseverance and long-term investment to live out the Micah 6:8 life. It is critical to connect deeply and intimately with both God’s character and concern for justice. One of the most powerful observations I took away from the time spent with the incredible IJM staff was just how deeply they each understood that the initial flame of justice passion easily burns out on the frontline. Only when it is anchored to a foundation of scripture and a lifestyle of prayerful communion with God will action be sustained that
genuinely serves and restores victims of exploitation and abuse. In a time when justice threatens to become merely a movement rather than a genuine cry of the heart, IJM models to us that the exhausting work of bringing freedom to the oppressed begins with devoting ourselves to diligent prayer. What is in YOUR HANDS, to not just hear the cry of those who are in slavery or situations of injustice, but to reflect the just and compassionate character of our gracious God? If you are willing, God will USE YOU to do more than you can imagine. At Riverlife, we’re participating again in Freedom Sunday, because it is just too easy for us to lose sight of the 40 million people who have no voice, and tragically, no sense of hope that their lives will ever be any different. The IJM Australia team were moved by Alice’s visit and committed to give an additional $120K on top of alreadypledged commitments for 2019 to urgently resource Southern Asia’s efforts to combat bondedlabour slavery. This is a daunting task to raise, but we know that it’s God’s weight, His work, and together we can make it happen!
Please prayerfully consider if you would like to joyfully contribute towards this $120K commitment. All donations towards IJM can be made here: https://ijm.org.au/
Robyn Robertson Mission Pastor
Live to Love What could God do through you if your yes to Him was uncompromised?
We recently had the wonderful privilege of hosting Iris Global’s Live to Love conference. True to the name of the conference, all the speakers challenged us to live in a way that reflects the love of Christ to the world around us. I think what challenged me the most however, was the way in which Heidi Baker has lived this out personally.
Iris Global is raising up young men and women who are giving an uncompromised 'yes'. A faith-filled generation who are willing to live by faith. This also could be easily dismissed as unreasonable, not culturally relevant – too radical for a middle-class western church. It would be easy to put it into another class for missionaries in far-flung places of the globe. But again, I think this would just be dodging the inevitable question: what could God do through you if your 'yes' to Him was uncompromised?
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You could be tempted to put her into an untouchable category as one of God’s superstars; a saint beyond what could be expected from others. However, after spending personal time with this humble lover of God, this is not the case. She isn’t a superstar. Special? Yes. Superstar? No. You see, while spending time with her you soon realise it’s not her but what God has done through her as she continues to say 'yes' to God. While she might
Putting her in a superstar category would not only make her terribly uncomfortable, it would just be a cop out for all of us. The true superstar is Jesus as He lives His life through a willing vessel. Now that becomes the confronting part, because what is stopping Jesus being the superstar in all our lives? Perhaps it’s a compromised 'yes' Perhaps, we say 'yes' with conditions.
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Heidi exemplifies what it means to die to self and allow Christ to live. I don’t say this lightly – her personal sacrifice of health, comfortability and ease of life to radically pursue God’s Kingdom with a love for the least, the little and the lost being her motivation – is like no-one I have ever met before. Heidi has willingly died to self to allow Christ to raise up in her whatever He wants, and the results of what God has done are simply extraordinary.
be determined, intelligent and courageous, it’s her faith that stands out. Her 'yes' comes with no compromise, no conditions and she literally waits for the Lord to speak to her before moving.
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It might mean that He takes you to locations that are in the darkest places of the world, or it may just mean that your yes is to Jesus first, right where He currently has you. But that’s the point, it’s not a yes with conditions. These people (and we met plenty of them through the Iris Global family), live a life of faith from day-to-day. Are they sometimes scared? Yes! Do they sometimes suffer? Yes! Do they sometimes go without? Many times. The reality of persecution for many of them is daily and yet, they continue to say yes. So, what is the secret to a life like this? Every single one of the speakers and the Iris Global team have had a lifetransforming encounter with the love of God that has ruined their desire to give a compromised yes. This coupled with a lifestyle that makes room for a presencecentred life of intimacy with God, keeps them humble and dependant upon the daily bread of Jesus. You may not like their presentation, their style may be confronting or not your cup of tea, but I got to see behind the scenes. I got to eat meals, share down time, talk candidly and freely, and beyond the fruit of their lives and ministry, there lies
an incredible hunger for God and a humility to stay dependant upon Him for literally everything they do. What if that was all of us? What if we all lived with an uncompromised 'yes'? What would it look like for the Kingdom of God to come through you, right where you are because you had responded to a life-transforming encounter with God with an uncompromising 'yes'? Teacher, doctor, tradie, parent, school kid, whatever, God doesn’t reserve His fruit for cross-cultural mission workers, He makes fruitful all who are on mission. The sooner we realise that we are all on mission, right where God has us and we start to learn to live to love with an uncompromising 'yes' and radical faith, the better off the world will be. We are all called to ‘live to love’ wherever we are. We may want to create our own safe and secure bubble, free from the infection of the world, but Jesus calls us to be salt and light in a world wrestling with decay and darkness. Salt and light permeate and have an impact on whatever they touch. They transform by their very presence. In the same way, we are called to engage the world around us and re-present the love of Jesus.
What if we all lived with an uncompromised 'yes'?
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Have you had a lifetransforming encounter with the love of God? Was it so powerful that it wrecked you for anything less than an uncompromised 'yes'? Have you let the reality of living amongst a corrupted world spur you on with compassion to want to see it changed? John Ortburg said, “You have never looked into the eyes of a human being for whom Jesus did not die.� Too often we are reluctant to give an uncompromised yes. The world is sadly so often more ready to hear and respond to genuine expression of the love of God than we are to share it. This situation dramatically changes when we appreciate the state of the world, experience the reality of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit and by faith, say 'yes'. I hope that the visit from the Iris Global team has done more than just given you some great memories from a weekend at conference. I pray that as you encountered His love, somewhere wrestling to get out, is a radical on-fire revivalist with an uncompromising 'yes' to Jesus. John Robertson Senior Pastor
Click here to listen to our Going Deeper podcast with Heidi Baker
Vital Signs When we intentionally take the time to let God check our hearts, He can bring healing and wholeness and restore our intimacy with Him and others.
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This year I am turning fortyfive years old. I’m at that age when you should annually visit your doctor whether you have a concern or not. It is recommended to keep track of your physical health so that you can continue to live an active life. Your vital signs reveal how healthy you are. How is your blood pressure? Do you need to lose some weight? Is everything functioning as it should? These health checks help the physician monitor how your body is doing and whether you need to make some changes in your lifestyle. Most of us would agree that physical health is vitally important. But what about our spiritual and emotional health? Feeling healthy and energetic goes a long way in our enjoyment of life, but it will not singularly bring us abundant life as spoken of in John 10:10. There’s more to us than just a body. Matthew 6:25 makes a similar observation, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” As a church, we are incredibly blessed to be able to offer prayer ministry and Christian counselling through the
LifeCentre. Most churches do not have the resources available to develop such a wonderful ministry. The LifeCentre has been operating since 2013, but prayer ministry has been offered through the church for more than 30 years. Over the last six years, hundreds of people from all around Brisbane and Australia have been cared for and experienced powerful healing in their lives through the LifeCentre. The men and women who serve as members of the LifeCentre team are incredibly compassionate and capable people. It truly is a safe and effective space to engage with God to be healed, set free, and come closer to Him. Yet, there seems to be some trepidation and mystery to prayer ministry. I have often had conversations in which I am asked, “What really happens in the LifeCentre?” Understandably, ministry names such as ‘Sozo’ and ‘M.O.R.E.H.’ do sound mysterious. ‘Sozo’ is a Greek word used more than 120 times in the New Testament and it has three meanings. It can mean ‘saved,’ ‘healed,’ and ‘delivered.’ It is actually a pretty cool name for an inner healing ministry! M.O.R.E.H. simply stands for ‘Ministry of Reconciliation and Emotional Healing.’ The name
There isn’t anything mysterious about prayer ministry. The only mystery is how God can touch our lives so deeply through prayer. It is a gentle and nurturing process that leaves most people feeling emotionally lighter and at peace. If you’ve never received prayer ministry before why don’t you consider it? If it has been a while since you’ve received prayer ministry, why don’t you come in to the LifeCentre for a spiritual checkup? The world we live in is dark and difficult most of the time. People say and do things that hurt us. Only God can heal our hearts. He wants to take our burdens and heal our hearts so that we can live empowered lives in freedom and blessing. Eric Whitley LifeCentre Pastor For more information, or to make a booking at the LifeCentre, simply click here
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Unfortunately, many people do not consider receiving prayer ministry unless there is a significant problem. In his book, Freedom Tools, Andy Reese observes, “We all have ‘stuff,’ and that stuff diminishes living and destroys lives. It pops up and bursts out at the most inconvenient times. It tarnishes us and hurts those we most love.” Reese goes on to point out, “It has to get very bad to actually go for help. And so, it does get very bad.” Thankfully, God can work with our mess, but we don’t have to wait until it is so big that we are overwhelmed. Like an annual doctor’s checkup, it would be wise to have prayer ministry each year or so. This would enable you to stay emotionally and spiritually healthy. When we intentionally
take the time to let God show us where there are areas of unforgiveness or woundedness in our hearts, He can bring healing and wholeness and restore our intimacy with Him and others.
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tells you what the ministry is about. Both of these inner healing methodologies help the client to address the wounds or sins of the past with God so that true healing and change can occur. Isaiah 61:1 is our mission statement: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.”
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Preparing for high school with God at the helm
Designed to equip pre-teens with a radical understanding of faith, identity and relationship, Foundations celebrates its latest participants as they come to the end of an exciting adventure with God. Foundations is a 17-week program specifically designed for children in year six that aims to solidify their faith before the major milestone of high school. Tanja Hagedorn, the Foundations director, shared her heart behind the Foundations program. “Kids transitioning to high school often face a much larger school environment where new friendships and challenges await them. Intentionally preparing them for this transition is so important, as we create these safe spaces for them to grow their relationship with God,”
Tanja said. The program has had a profound effect on kids and their relationship with God, with participants often undertaking baptism as a public declaration of their faith. “We see the kids grow in their faith through engaging in worship, praying for each other, hearing God’s voice, an eagerness to be part of the church community and volunteering in ministries such as Kids Church and Street Teams,” she said. Those that have graduated from Foundations have continued to become more Christ-like in their journey of faith. “The Foundations graduates really stand out in Youth because they are relationally wellconnected and continue to grow spiritually.” Not only has the faith of young
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“The course has had such a major impact on some kids that it has brought entire families back to church and created opportunities for family-wide discussions about faith.” “Another major outcome is seeing the mentors grow in their ability to engage with the kids in an environment that is less structured than the Kids Church or classroom environment, investing love and time into each child.”
Mentors and leaders play an integral role in the program as they discuss the five main topics: Christ, Calling, Character, Competency and Community. Foundations also have a range of guest speakers throughout the program in order to tailor the teaching to each child’s individual needs and learning styles. With a generation facing more social obstacles in their youth than ever before, programs like Foundations are a key component to developing a lifelong, steadfast faith in the Lord.
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children been dramatically impacted, but families and mentors too.
F O U N D AT I O N S G R A D U AT E S
We asked some of our past participants what they had to say about their experience with Foundations.
What was the best part of participating in Foundations?
What would you say to others thinking of doing Foundations?
In what ways has Foundations changed your faith in Jesus?
I really think that through Foundations, I came to understand more about God and who He is to me. I connected with God in a way that I hadn’t really before, revealing an intimate precious love and desire for a relationship with me. I realised He wanted MY heart and it didn’t matter what other people were doing, He wanted me to know Him and for me to realise just how much I was loved by Him. Eliah Fenton-Smith
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Eliah Fenton-Smith
Hannah Beckitt
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Just don’t be afraid. I was definitely one of the most selfconscious people ever and was always a little bit hesitant to step out with my faith and also into a place with God. But Foundations was a beautiful opportunity for me to realise that God is with me wherever I go, to step into my role as a daughter in Christ and to act on the calling that God has placed over my life.
Not only did I get to grow in my faith with God but I was also able to make some lifelong friends to continue in my journey with. Foundations had lots of fun activities that I could enjoy with my friends. It created a family of people my age and leaders that were able to encourage and support me in years to come.
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Stepping into a Life of Overflow
“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” JOHN 7:37-39
This wasn’t a new idea for Jesus, or His Jewish hearers. The Prophet Ezekiel had prophesied centuries earlier about a river of water that would flow from the dwelling place of God’s presence, and would bring life wherever it flowed: it was living water. That was always God’s plan: where His presence is, living water will flow. We see it in Genesis in the Garden of Eden, with four waters flowing from
one headwater; we see Ezekiel’s river; and God performs water miracles in the desert with Moses to preserve the lives of Israel during the wilderness. In the final picture of the renewed creation, the River of Life is still flowing from the dwelling place of God. Rivers of living water are a picture of God’s life flowing from His presence. And where the river flows, there’s always an abundance of life. God blesses the places it runs; they overflow with abundance, fruitfulness and divine evidence of God’s presence poured into human life. What a powerful theme we find. We can read this, and even desire this for ourselves and our families, but our reality can often be a long way from that. For many of us, when we take stock of our lives, the presence
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When we start our journey toward a life of living in the overflow of God, it’s encouraging to start with what Jesus has already promised! John 7 lets us know that when we allow Jesus into our lives, by His Holy Spirit, rivers of living water will flow out. And not just a trickle for a moment, but enough for an ongoing, fruitful river. What a fantastic illustration of ‘overflow’!
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of God can sometimes look more like that little trickle. Or even worse, ‘overflow’ becomes ‘leftovers’, and the little bit of God’s presence that flows out from us is more like the little bit extra we had, and it’s a limited supply. Far from abundance, we find turmoil, stress, conflict and confusion. It doesn’t sound like the living water that Jesus prophesied. We get another clue from Jesus in the John 7 passage, “Now this He said about the Spirit.” It’s the life of Jesus as given to us by the Holy Spirit of God, the One who Jesus promised would come and make His home with us. That’s the reason living water flows from our heart! The Holy Spirit lets the life of Jesus flow from the place where His presence dwells. Paul got it, calling us each and all together the temple of the Holy Spirit. All of that is fine, but how do we step into a life of overflow, where the water gushes out, instead of a muddy trickle? Jesus said “come to me and drink.” That’s our first step: come to Jesus and drink. It all begins with Jesus and His invitation to life. Maybe you’re reading this, and you responded to Jesus years ago, or maybe you’re new in your faith. Maybe you haven’t yet responded to Him. But the
invitation of Jesus is to all people always, and not just for one moment of salvation. It starts with salvation, but continues in a life of surrender and intimacy. Jesus is jealous for our affections, and desires us to come to Him daily, moment by moment, drinking in the reality of His invitation and gift of life. The other thing Jesus says, before the invitation to drink, is: “If anyone is thirsty…” That’s the real question. If we are a Christian, we know (even if we don’t actually practice) we should come to Jesus all the time. But thirst implies a whole lot more. Thirst implies need and a recognition of that need. When we have no idea of our need, we don’t go looking for what is required. In the natural, we’re supposed to drink two or more litres of water every day, regardless of how thirsty we feel. That’s because we are always getting more thirsty as we go through our day, regardless of if we recognise it or not. But how much do we recognise our need for Jesus? We can go about our daily tasks, but forget that life is only found in Him. And that’s one of the unusual things about the kingdom of God: we need to drink (and eat) of God to grow in our thirst and hunger. It’s counter intuitive to the ways of the world.
LIVING A LIFE OF OVERFLOW IN GOD
That’s not to say that we should be all pharisaical and count up our ‘Jesus-time’ and make a strict rule of it. But even in a simple sweep of a given week, there’s not much space to get thirsty for God. What that means is, overflow erupting out of our lives will require some change on what we prioritise. We can’t hope for intimacy when it’s only
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We need to drink of Jesus. That’s a beautiful metaphor, but what does that mean practically? I can’t buy bottled ‘Jesus-water’. Here’s what we mean practically: begin with a decision in your heart and mind to recognise your need. That means surrender. It means acknowledging that you can’t give yourself living water. That means re-prioritising your day and your time to seek Jesus. On average, practising Christians come to church every three or four weeks. So, at a generous estimate, average believers are spending almost three hours a month at church, around other believers being instructed from the word and corporately
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If we want to get more thirsty for God, we need to desire Him more. And as we drink, we get more thirsty.
worshipping God. People are busy, and family commitments are enormous in our culture. But if time is too tight to come together more than that, how much time are we able to make for Jesus in our daily rhythms? Even if we were super-devout and had a daily quiet time of 15 minutes every day, that still takes our total Jesus time to approximately ten to eleven hours a month. I suspect that if I gave my partner, kids or close friends, let alone my workplace, so little time a month, there would be some intimacy issues arising!
a casual commitment.
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But here’s the blessing: Jesus promises that when we make room for Him and prioritise and seek Him, when we allow the Holy Spirit to have space in our lives to let the reality of Jesus create a thirst in our hearts (that is, drink from Him), He is faithful to unleash unending streams, that will bring life! Abundant, joyous life! Maybe you already prioritise Him. You’re reading this article, so perhaps I’m preaching to the choir so far. Here’s one last way to step further into a life of overflow for you who have persevered to the end: give it away! Start to pour your life into someone else. Jesus told us that what we’ve received for free, we should freely give away! (See Matthew 10:7-8) I have found that as I have practised the spiritual discipline of giving – be it time, resource, ministering to others or just being generous with my life – God pours more in, so I can pour more out.
If you’ve read this far, then take a moment now to pray:
JESUS, I surrender myself to you. I am making a choice today to make more room for You, to thirst for You. And Jesus, bring me people today that I can pour living water into. Thank You that it’s never going to run out or run dry when it’s coming from You! Amen. Jo Leutton Pastor of Spiritual Formation
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of Love “A friend loves at all times.” PROVERBS 17:17
Riverlife Women partnered with local contacts including Mission Australia, chaplains and the Department of Community Services to identify women who were either pregnant or had recently given birth and would benefit from extra help during this time. Buckets for Bubs guests were able to shop for their babies at
Riverlife Women’s Sarah Watterson said the idea had grown from hearing so many women say they wanted to do something practical to support other women in the community.
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In August, women from all over Brisbane came together to show their support for new mums by hosting ‘Buckets for Bubs’ – a free baby boutique for expecting mums and their families.
a custom-made baby shop and choose from a wide variety of clothes, nappies, wipes, bottles, baby equipment and maternity clothes – all for free. Items were gift-wrapped and sent home with as many hugs and words of encouragement as could be mustered to say, ‘We love you and you’re doing a great job’.
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There is nothing quite as exciting as the impending birth of a new baby. That neat, round bump is filled with so many promises of new life and one can only wonder at the many plans God has in store for His beloved creation. Yet for some, the hardships of life such as financial strain, broken relationships or illness can overshadow what is supposed to be a momentous occasion.
donations coming via word-ofmouth from far and wide. Mission Australia Program Manager Jenny Chaves said while some of the guests had been hesitant to come at first, they were overwhelmed with the love and dignity they were shown on the day. “When we heard about Buckets for Bubs initially, it sounded like more than just a handout but something that offered women dignity and reminded them that being a parent was really important,” Jenny said.
“As women we know how hard normal life can be, even when things are going according to plan. Having a baby is such a precious gift from God but sometimes the challenges of life can make it feel like more of a burden that a blessing,” Sarah said.
“This is a really great opportunity for parents from some of our programs to be supported and feel like people are embracing them and supporting their parenting as well. People have been really keen to come along,” she said.
“Our heart behind Buckets for Bubs was to demonstrate love to women in our community in a practical way, by showering them with items they would need to help celebrate such a special time in their lives”.
“Now that we’ve been here, Mission Australia would love to be involved next time – it’s really not just about us doing ‘our bit’ but extending ourselves to others and connecting with them at the earliest point of intervention”.
For months beforehand, women faithfully collected items in excellent or new condition and washed, ironed and sorted them for display. Many items were handsewn, with word spreading amongst the community and
Following the success of Buckets for Bubs, a similar Buckets of Joy Christmas event is planned for later this year, where parents and carers can come and choose Christmas gifts for their children. The morning will
include entertainment for the kids, live music and morning tea, so they can enjoy a fun time together preparing for Christmas.
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When we practically demonstrate God’s love to those in our community, we begin to be the hands and feet of Jesus. If you would like to help support the Buckets of Joy Christmas event either by donating items or volunteering on the day, please email Sarah Watterson via sarah.watterson@ riverlifechurch.org.au
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Riverlife Women is asking for unwrapped donations of new Christmas gifts for both boys and girls to the value of $40 (no second-hand items please). While we cannot accept electrical items, suggestions may include boardgames, scooters, sporting equipment, dolls, Lego, action figures, books and toys. In addition to these main gifts, we are also collecting small stocking stuffers, Christmas crackers and Christmas lollies/biscuits. Unwrapped donations can be delivered to the church office during business hours or at the Info Desk on Sundays.
Mothers and Fathers of the Faith "For though you have countless guides [teachers] in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel."
1 CORINTHIANS 4:15
This current generation of young adults is easily the most resource-rich generation in history. The internet is very much a normal part of our lives and takes our devices from mere tools of communication to platforms of access. At the click of a button, we can access seemingly endless articles, podcasts, books, resources and teaching.
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The vision of a generation of
If you are reading this as a member of an older generation, I want to reiterate that as a Church we believe there is somewhere for you to be connected and serving; you have something to give and it may very well be this mentoring program! If you are reading this as a young adult, we have the opportunity as a generation to pioneer the future of the Church. It makes sense that as we do
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Despite all of this access, as someone that is both of this generation but also leading this generation, for years the words of Paul to the Church in Corinth have echoed in my mind, “For though you have countless guides [teachers] in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (1 Corinthians 4:15). Despite the fact we’ve got a generation who have access to more resources or teaching than any that have come before them, there isn’t an online resource in the world that can take the place of a mother or father [in the faith]. There simply is no substitute for what we have access to in the proximity of the Church family. With all of this in mind, we have been developing a mentoring program to address this current reality in the Church.
Riverlife young adults connected to mothers and fathers that have gone before them is what this mentoring program was birthed out of. I believe that honour is a bridge and as a generation of young adults, we won’t fully ‘cross-over’ into what it is that God has for us until we can honour those that have gone before us. And this mentoring program serves as a great platform for the generations to connect and for us, as young adults, to recognise the value of those who have gone before us. At any Church gathering, I don’t ever want to take for granted the amount of history, experience and wisdom in the room at any given time. To the generations that have gone before us, we honour you and thank you for paving a way for us to begin far ahead of where we would have been without you.
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so, we would start by taking the time to recognise those who were here before us, learn from them and keep building upon the foundation that is their lives, sacrifice and prayers. It’s only fitting that in the context of Church family some of the vision behind this mentoring program came from the late Steve Eather; a man who was fiercely passionate about this Church family. Included in the team of people helping facilitate the running of the program are two volunteer leaders from different generations. It really is and has been a family effort. At the heart of the program is the desire that we would see the young adults connected with mentors being cared for, empowered and growing. Mentoring is going to look different from person-to-person and be specific to different situations and circumstances but ultimately, what we’re looking for in a prospective mentor is you. Genuine, authentic, vulnerable you. Paul says to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12, “Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanour, by love, by faith, by integrity” [MSG]. It’s our hope that through this mentoring program the life of the mentors would become their loudest message and serve as
an encouragement and source of learning to the young adults of Riverlife. We’re asking for mentors to specifically sign-up to mentor a young adult in the areas of either their personal, professional or ministry life. We have put together a list of resources and a document that outlines the ‘need-toknow’ information around our expectations and so on. One of the greatest joys in facilitating this mentoring program so far has been the messages of excitement and testimony coming through from the mentors and young adults after their catch ups. One of the mentors had this to say about his experience so far, “At the first meeting with my mentee, we quickly established a good relationship. I found him to be a true young man of God, whose life wasn’t all easy, but who had a hunger for a relationship with God and a passion to see this impact his world. He was keen to meet as frequently as possible, and our meetings have been a real blessing to me, and I believe to him too (which is, of course, the objective of the whole thing), as we have a coffee, share and pray together. It is a privilege to walk with a man of similar age
to some of my grandsons and share life experience with him and be touched by his youthful vigour and passion.”
Nick Lloyd Pastor, Young Adults
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If you’re interested in becoming a mentor or you want to be connected with a mentor, you can email nick.lloyd@ riverlifechurch.org.au.
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The mentoring program has been running since March of this year and we’re continuing to further develop it and ensure that moving forward we see the generations continuing to connect. I believe more than ever, that mentoring has significant value in the context of the Church community, but particularly in the context of leading the young adults of today.
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What’s in Your Hand? How one man’s heart is changing the lives of farmers, one feed delivery at a time
For Ray Jensen, working on the land with farmers from crop to market is a generational legacy that runs deep in his blood. Ray’s own father spent his life working in fruit businesses, including roadside stalls. “Dad always kept Sunday as the Lord’s Day and I remember him loading up the leftover food on his truck and dropping it off at a local ministry for drug addicts every Saturday night. I really believe that our business was blessed by that, as he set aside time for the Lord and made sure people in need were never without fresh fruit,” Ray said. Despite being retired, Ray’s heart for the ‘cockies’ out west has meant he can’t sit by and not lend a hand when they’re walking through some of the worst drought conditions Australia has ever seen. More than 65 per cent of Queensland is fully drought declared, meaning a prolonged, abnormally dry
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Yet the beauty of God’s design for humanity, is that He created our inmost being and knit us together in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). He reminds us in Jeremiah 29:11 “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future”. When we begin to find our true identity in Him, we begin to walk confidently in our own path and begin to use the tools, experience and circumstances we’ve received to glorify Him. Perhaps not surprisingly, it is then that we see God’s plan begin to unfold as our acts of service and love
for those around us overflow from our love for Him and the body of Christ begins to flourish and thrive.
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It’s no coincidence that God has created us all unique, each with our own gifts and talents. 1 Corinthians 12: 5-6 says, “There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.” Yet we can often find ourselves questioning why we were born into certain times or circumstances and begin the ever-destructive pattern of comparison with those around us.
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period when the amount of available water is insufficient to meet normal use. Not only do farmers face the daily reality of struggling to keep their crops and herds alive, the emotional strain caused by financial pressures and practical hardship has sadly seen an increase in farmers taking their own lives. Keen to support in any way he can, Ray loads his truck and trailer with fodder and food hampers every few months and heads out west to deliver it to farmers who are in need – for free. His only aim is to demonstrate to these families that they’re not alone; people do care and to give them a practical reminder that hope still exists. “Working in marketing for fruit and veggies gave me a liaison position between the farmers and what happens to their product. It’s given me an understanding of their needs and a heart for the west – and the cockies are struggling. In some places there’s a line where the rain falls on one side of the road and on the other, it’s desert. “When we first went out there, I knew the area from working so I could talk to people about the area and older generations. But
they all wanted to know if these blokes were for real. The next trip they said, ‘Would you like a cuppa tea?’ The next trip, they might come riding past on their quadbike and say, ‘We’re busy down the paddock, but go in and make yourself a cuppa tea’. The next trip ‘Would you like a feed?’ and now we’re to the stage that if we ask if we can throw a swag out, they say, ‘There’s a bedroom there, come and have a feed’. “We’ve often turned up when they’ve just gone through hard times and just having someone who understands what they’re going through and can talk things through is important,” reflects Ray. “Often you get there and they’re cranky and frustrated at not being able to see any progress. I think in the time we’ve been going out there, they’ve had just one good season. But we let them know that other people are thinking of them and that the church is behind them; that the people in the city haven’t forgotten them.” While Ray remembers his own mum and Dad spending Easter to August on properties helping those doing it tough, he’s now able to do the same for the
children of those exact families. When asked how he would like his own kids to remember him, Ray said “With my hands held open”. “I didn’t think that God would ever use interests I had like farming, shooting, camping and horse riding, but by just being available, He has.”
Because that’s just it: when we allow our hands to remain open and allow God to use whatever is in them for His glory, incredible things begin to happen.
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What’s in your hand? What story does your life tell? Who do you know and what has He laid on your heart? Even the most difficult circumstances or unlikely situations can bring glory to God when we allow His strength and provision to shine through. For as we know, “…in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
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“We’re not here for ourselves, are we? We’re here to keep our hands open. My wife always says that every time I travel around, everyone I meet is my new bestie. But I believe we meet people for a reason and usually it’s to share God’s love with them in whatever way we
can.”
Beyond our Walls Here at Riverlife, we want to celebrate the incredible things that our church family are doing in the wider community!
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provides opportunities and funding for refugee youth to be welcomed and included into Australia through sport.
Riverlife Baptist Netball Club
After volunteering to be a trainer at a Pushing Barriers netball clinic, Alice welcomed in eight refugee women to play for the Riverlife Baptist Netball Club.
As President of the Riverlife Baptist Netball Club (RBNC), Alice Shepherd-Ashby received the Queensland 2019 Australia Post One Netball Community Award for her efforts in engaging young people with refugee backgrounds in club sports.
As two of the netball team’s players were Muslim women, she went above and beyond in organising additional uniform coverings to be allowed for religious reasons, ensuring international netball rules were followed and sourced suitable uniforms for an affordable price.
Alice worked alongside Pushing Barriers, an organisation that
“We’re so proud of the fact that our netball community
Alice Shepherd-Ashby
has embraced the necessary changes to allow women from different cultural backgrounds to play in the competition. To receive an Australia Post award is fantastic recognition for everyone’s efforts,” said Alice.
After visiting Haiti during the aftermath of the 2010 earthquakes, Rebecca was profoundly inspired by the lack of resources available to educate children in developing countries.
Alice’s heart to help young refugees participate in team sports has allowed them to develop new friendships and feel exceptionally welcomed and accepted in Australia.
Since then, Rebecca has set up online libraries for Haiti, Rwanda, Mongolia, Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Papua New Guinea and Laos.
Library for All
Winner of the Women in Technology Community Award, Rebecca McDonald has big dreams for her organisation Library for All – a not-for-profit determined to offer electronic reading resources in local languages worldwide.
Rebecca now plans to create books for Indigenous children in remote Aboriginal communities.
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Rebecca McDonald
“There’s just this special magic when kids get to see books that represent them, they can see themselves in the pages and that’s why we’ve focussed so much on culturally-relevant material,” Rebecca said.
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With an aim to reach 20 million children worldwide, Library for All continues to work with local writers and illustrators to create stories about their culture in their own language.
M AT T H E W 6 : 2 1 ( N I V )
Actual Income
% of Budget
Budget Variation
July 2019
112.7
$38,950 -$25,405
Pastor al
29%
ty
18%
try
19%
s ini
34%
Administratio n
er op Pr
Co sts
M
Expenditure by Expense Category
2019 year (7 mths) 98.9
Mis so n an d
Financial Summary
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also
Income Budget Debt
Per annum
Per week
$11M
Per auditorium seat
$2,461
$47
$7,333
Per regular attendee (18+)
$2,198
$42
$6,471 47
1.05
1.1
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2018
2019
0 .75
0.8
2017
0.7
Income vs Budget
0.85
0.9
0.95
1
16
20
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
MORE TESTIMONY Have more testimony on what God has done at Riverlife and the surrounding community? We’d love to hear about it! Please email your testimony along with your name and contact details to church@riverlifechurch.org.au
By submitting testimony you are giving Riverlife Baptist Church your permission to share this testimony verbally in messages or sermons and in written form in reports and email newsletters.
Unveiled is a publication of Riverlife Baptist Church If you have any further questions about anything you have read, please visit the information desk in the foyer on Sundays, call the church office during business hours or visit our website. Our regular service times are 9am and 5pm every Sunday.
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