From the General Secretary & CFO

From the General Secretary, Cheonneth Strickland

We are living in unprecedented and unpredictable times. In spite of this, we serve a God who doesn’t change and is in control all the way!

During this Coronavirus crisis, the Conference Office is still OPEN for business, but with variations. In light of the health and safety of our staff and to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading, we have given the Departmental Directors and office staff the option of working from home or in the office from March 17 onwards. Most staff have opted to work from home. Unfortunately, we do not know how long this arrangement will be, but will notify you in due course.

Please note: If you are planning on seeing someone in the office, please ring or email them direct to confirm that the meeting is still on. We are discouraging face-to-face meetings, in preferance of utilising technology like Zoom where appropriate. Reception will continue to be open for your phone calls, emails and drop-ins. We would like to thank Nerise Fehlberg and Rebekah Rankin who have agreed to do this.

Please keep social distancing when attending the office. If you are feeling sick or been in contact with someone who has tested positive to Coronavirus, please stay away from the office at this time. See https://sydney.adventist.org.au for updates.

We thank you for your understanding.

A FEW HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE LAST FEW MONTHS:

• We have had many positive comments from those in attendance to Think Tank. It gave local churches an opportunity to strategise and plan projects. Keep these conversations are active, even if taking place in home groups or online.

• New legislation about mandatory reporting and reportable conduct came into effect on 1 March 2020 as it relates to protecting children and vulnerable people.

• In 2022 and 2023, the AUC are wanting evangelism to be the focus as a nation. Do you have any ideas of how we can impact our communities?

• Mr David Hobson has been appointed as the new Executive Director of Education for our schools. David is a former teacher, principal and WHS and Return to Work Consultant. He has been heavily involved with our schools during this crisis.

• The redevelopment project at Kings Langley Aged Care is progressing well. We expect completion by May 2020.

• We are exploring the possibility of providing Home Care for elderly on Lord Howe Island.

• The new Conference website is well under way and is expected to be completed shortly. See page 05.

From the Chief Financial Officer, Eva Ing

We’ve started 2020 with a disastrous bang.

First there were the bushfires and then when had the floods. Now there is a super-virus that has affected not only us here in Australia, but literally the rest of the world.

To prevent the spread of disease and protect the most vulnerable amongst us, the church made the appropriate decision to close our places of worship for a time. The impact of closing our doors is unknown. However, the risk of keeping them open would be equally great, if not greater. We do not want to be contributors to the spread of COVID-19, as other faith-based communities overseas have. There is no question that the longer our doors closed, the larger the impact.

Will we still remain faithful as a community of believers? What can we do?

For now we need to look after each other, carefully. Sometimes virtually. We need to continue to worship together. Thankfully in this era we have the technological means to do so. Many churches are live-streaming their services, and simply put: if your church doesn’t, it should!

eGiving also needs to be an essential part of worship. With the new eGiving App, giving has never been easier. Simply download the app through the iTunes Store (Apple) or Google Play Store (Android). If you’re unable to access the App, the eGiving website (http://egiving.org.au) is a trusty alternative. Please don’t forget to create an account so that it’s easy to give each and every time.

God bless you and keep you during these troublesome times. Maranatha.