{
People, Places & Events in Greater Sydney NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2015
Celebrating
Jesus’Birth
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“No, not seven times”, Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven”. Forgiveness is not always easy. Sure, we can say that we are sorry, but are we really? Grace is a bit the same; as sinners we freely receive the grace of Jesus Christ on a daily basis, but how do we go about dispensing this same grace to our spouse? Our children? Our fellow church members? The parable of the unforgiving debtor in Matthew 18:21-35 is a challenging parable. Here we see that the king forgives the servant who owed him ‘millions of dollars’. The forgiven man goes away, grateful for the actions of the king, but then when he comes across a fellow servant who owes him a ‘few thousand dollars’, he grabs him by the throat and demands an instant payment. The onlookers were outraged at this injustice and repor ted it to the king. The king was also outraged and threw the man in prison until he paid off his entire debt. The most challenging par t of this parable is v35, where it says, “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your hear t.” Wow, that is a challenge. Natural Church Development (NCD) results across Australia show that the most significant area of growth needed for Seventh-day Adventists is loving relationships. So many times when I am called into church boards or elders meetings it is because of a break down in relationships. Sure, as a church we are a family, and sometimes as families we go through tough times and difficult decisions have to be made. One thing that I am very confident of is that if we demonstrated more grace--if we had a greater focus on loving relationships within our churches-
michael worker, president
The focus of the Executive Committee over the last few months has been the redevelopment of the Conference Office. A second special Constituency Meeting was held at Mountain View Adventist College on Sunday 8 November where a very clear majority voted in favour of the redevelopment (for more information, see page 3 for Pr Worker’s ar ticle, Redeveloping the Conference Office to Better Fund Our Mission). As has been repor ted in the media, the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse continues its work. It is tragic to note that the Commission has received over 60 current and historic allegations of child sexual abuse relating to Seventh-day Adventist entities in Australia (the number of cases within the Greater Sydney Conference is unknown at this stage). It is highly likely that at least one case will be brought to a public hearing. In addition, the Office of Children’s Guardian
adrian raethel, general secretary
-then our churches would be more effective in the proclamation of the three angels’ messages and our evangelism would be more effective. This is what our focus on “Reaching Across” is all about. At the beginning of this year, I made a challenge: to be a church more like the church described in John 13:34-35 – that all people would know that we are His disciples because we have love for each other. How are we doing with this challenge? Are the fruits of the spirit becoming more and more evident in your life? Transforming the church takes place one life at a time, and it begins with me. Recently, I have been challenged by some of our team members that in addition to the key evangelistic strategies we have as a Conference, such as the Dinners with Geoff and Gary, the schools-based evangelism and the upcoming Introduction to Christianity Seminar that we also have a strategic focus on spiritual renewal in our churches. I am being increasingly convicted of the need for revival, or spiritual renewal, as a focus in our Conference over the next couple of years. I am not a fan of revival for the sake of revival, but the idea of spiritual renewal to refocus us on being disciples who make disciples and to refocus us on being churches who make churches, that I can get excited about! I believe we also need to have a special focus on reclaiming former members, par ticularly those lost through broken relationships. These are all key elements of Growing in Discipleship: Reaching Up, Reaching Out and Reaching Across. I pray that God will continue to bless you as you grow in discipleship.
(OCG) is currently conducting an audit of all local churches within our Conference to ensure compliance with current regulations. Churches with any form of children’s activities or ministries must be registered with the OCG. All those working with children (including key lay leaders) must have a Working with Children Check. The local church Safe Place coordinator or church clerk must verify each person working with children. Failure to comply may result in a fine to the local church of up to $11,000. The Conference Safe Place Coordinator Ms Abigail Figueroa is available to assist with any questions or concerns and can be contacted on 0432 357 496 or by email at abigailfigueroa@adventist.org.au. On a lighter note, the festive season is rapidly approaching. Whether you are travelling or staying at home, stay safe and enjoy singing some carols to our King.
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REDEVELOPING THE GREATER SYDNEY CONFERENCE OFFICE TO BETTER FUND OUR MISSION UPDATE #1 This is the first regular news update that will be provided on the redevelopment of the Conference Office. It is envisaged that there will be a shor t update in each Intrasyd from now until the completion of the project. In addition, when we achieve major milestones, such as the new building design, selecting a temporary office building, relocating, commencing works and so on, we will publish a special flyer so that our whole Conference is kept up to date with progress. When the proceeds of the redevelopment are received, it will be communicated, and we will let you know how the income is being spent to better fund our mission. At our special constituency meeting on 8 November, after waiting until 11 am to get a quorum, around 90% of the delegates voted in favour of the redevelopment. If anyone would like to receive a copy of the documentation provided to delegates, please contact our CFO, Eva Ing. As presented to the Constituency Meeting, at the end of a competitive process where a number of targeted, reputable developers were invited to submit offers to redevelop our office, the Real Estate Committee and the Executive Committee have selected Southern Han International as the preferred developer. Southern Han International have agreed to pay $12m cash and provide the Conference with a stratum of 1650m2 of retail and commercial proper ty as well as up to 50 parking spaces (subject to Council approval). In the week after the constituency meeting, Eva Ing and Michael Worker, together with Augusta Proper ties, commenced work with our lawyers on drafting the contracts. Included below is an indicative timeline. This timeline will vary depending on progress made at each stage. Any timeline revisions will be provided in the regular Intrasyd updates as well as in the flyers produced at the various milestones. Select partner developer
October 2015
Planning/DA application
October 2015 - December 2015
Developer pre-sells units
October 2015 - December 2016
Search for temporary new premises
October 2015 - December 2016
Relocation of Conference Office
November 2016 - December 2016
Construction period
January 2017 - December 2018
New building completed and return to Epping
March 2019 - June 2019
If you have any questions about the redevelopment, please feel free to contact our CFO, Eva Ing at evaing@adventist.org.au. Michael Worker President
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Communication Director: Michael Worker Editor: Rachel Lemons Aitken Design: Rachel Lemons Aitken Editorial Consultant: Adrian Raethel
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Photo Credit: Paul Family. The Paul Family from Mile End Community Church appeared as the feature story for the month of December in the 2015 Greater Sydney Conference Calendar. When thinking about the Christmas story, Kelly Paul recounts, “When I was a young person, my family read the story”. Now, her family’s Christmas tradition of reading through the story of the birth of Jesus in Luke 2 continues. “That’s the reason we do it in our family now – to carry on that tradition.” The Paul family, which includes Kelly and her husband Phillip, along with children Jordyn (8), Jericho (5) and Jairon (2), has its own way of remembering the reason for Christmas. “Last February, I was at one of the Conference-run events, and a lady was there with her playful worship stuff. She gave me a great idea to get out the animals for my youngest so he feels like he’s participating and not just listening.” As the family has grown, it’s become a more child-friendly experience. Kelly shares, “Now that my oldest is reading so well, she wants to read the story.” After the story has been read, the family takes time to pray and thank God for the gift of his Son. While the gatherings, Christmas concerts and the presents are all important, it’s important to the Paul family to be thankful for such a miraculous gift.
GREATER SYDNEY CONFERENCE Communication Department sydney@adventist.org.au 4 Cambridge Street Epping 2121 Phone: (02) 9868 6522 Fax: (02) 9868 6533
www.sydney.adventist.org.au / November - December 2015 3
Open Day
ADRA C ommunity Centre Macquarie Fields *Names have been changed to protect anonymity of persons.
The ADRA Community Centre, Macquarie Fields held a Fun Day on 30 October 2015 as par t of the Knocktober ADRA Appeal.
The ADRA Community Centre has been running in Macquarie Fields for almost two years now, and it was time to have some fun and open our doors wide to announce to the world that we are here. To do this, a group of church members from Church in the Fields (CITF) along with ADRA staff and volunteers rallied
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together and worked very hard to send out thousands of flyers, put up a jumping castle, have acts, singing and dancing and put on a mean feed! We had Ingleburn Rotary come along to host a BBQ for us, and we had mini versions of all of our programs. It was an outstanding day and lots of fun was had. The CITF church members and ADRA volunteers contributed a total of 50 hours of volunteering between them on just the one day. There were a lot of residents and people living in the local community that had never been to the ADRA Community Centre before who came to have a look and jump on the castle. John* is a grandparent who is officially raising his five grandchildren whilst caring also for his ill wife. John rarely finds time for himself so when he saw the adver tisement for our fun day, he decided he needed to come along and check it out. As he was leaving with his grandkids, I had the oppor tunity to chat with him and was able to invite him along to our Grandparents Care & Share time for grandparents who are the guardians and carers for their grandchildren. Open Days such as this are a fantastic oppor tunity for ADRA to meet many people and show them what is available in their community. Tina* is a resident who heard about ADRA through door knocking; she gave us her phone number and we sent her invitations to par ticular programs that might interest her. She star ted attending our Ar t and Mental Health Information group, and when she found out about our hosting an Open Day, she created an incredible welcome sign that welcomed all who came
November - December 2015 \ www.sydney.adventist.org.au
along. She spent hours on the sign and was very proud of her effor ts. It is an impor tant step for our clients to also become volunteers. Everyone has a need to be loved and to love back. This was her way of showing appreciation for her acceptance and experience at the Ar t groups. Overall, ADRA staff, volunteers and CITF church members came together to make the day spectacular and joyful. Thank you all who were involved! The ADRA Community Centre in Macquarie Fields offers counselling, case work, community building events, groups and homework help. Volunteers and donations are always welcome. The ADRA Community Centre is looking to host a holiday program for the January side of the school holidays. If you have been involved in a StormCo or other form of children’s programs, please contact us and get involved! Call 9828 6701 or e-mail macquariefieldscentre@adra. org.au. Contributed by Alysha Karraz, Coordinator, ADRA Community Centre, Mallee Rose Cottage
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The ABC Dilemma eva ing, chief financial officer
It’s no secret that Greater Sydney Conference’s Adventist Book Centre has struggled financially over a long period of time. In fact over the past 10 years, we’ve averaged losses of $173,000 per annum, making our ABC the worst performing ABC in Australia. Or if we want to put this in a better light, of all Conferences in Australia, our Conference has been the most patient and suppor tive of our book/Adventist literature ministry, making significant sacrifices in order to prop up this ministry. As a Conference we are absolutely committed to having an Adventist Book Centre presence. There is no doubt that the ABC provides an impor tant ministry. We all agree on this and believe that there is a reasonable level in which we can suppor t this ministry. It’s impor tant to provide a means in which our members and those in the community can purchase Adventist books and other Christian literature. However, this function or purpose has steadily diluted in impor tance in recent times. For example, our lesson pamphlets are easily accessible free of charge either through the internet or an App. Another example is the entire collection of Spirit of Prophecy books by Ellen G White, can also be accessed freely in the same way. You can even buy Spirit of Prophecy books through Amazon.com.au where Desire of Ages as an eBook would cost you $1.03. Looking more broadly across the sector, we’ve seen the recent closure of Word Christian bookshops, and we’ve been advised that Koorong the largest chain of Christian bookshops in Australia, has been sold to The Bible Society, demonstrating how difficult it is to operate in the Christian book market that others much larger than us are finding it tough to survive. With external factors alone, the future of our ABCs looks increasingly difficult. To compound matters, the ABC has a number of internal issues as well. These include that some work practices are highly manual, and therefore inefficient; the website we’ve been working on needs improved interfaces with our point of sale system; our staff par ticularly at our Epping store are significantly overworked to the point of our ABC being an unhealthy workplace; stock control could also be improved and the range of stock tightened; having two shops creates an unreasonable and unsustainable workload for our staff; dealing with day-to-day issues and workload afford scarce time for management to market and plan effectively. With these issues in mind, our Church Ltd Board
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considered a number of recommendations, including the closure of the Wahroonga ABC located in the SAN. While no doubt this shop is an impor tant contributor to the Adventist identity of the hospital, providing oppor tunities for staff to witness to non-Adventist visitors, as recently described in the Record, it suffered a loss of $60,000 last year and also accounted for a significant amount of costs at Epping. This loss is not a one off, but rather an ongoing issue. Our Conference absolutely affirms that the Hospital is a major mission field and in fact already funds the salaries of half its chaplaincy team at the Hospital (2.5 positions out of 5) who are trained to provide spiritual suppor t to patients and their families in often very stressful times. Questions need and should be asked whether the ABC is the right vehicle for missional activity in the hospital, when in reality, the Wahroonga shop sells mainly drinks, greeting cards, and food. In fact, less than 10% of sales are comprised of Christian Literature. However, what was not considered in the decision, was the outpouring of community suppor t experienced when news of the Wahroonga ABC closure spread. Recently, a meeting was held at the hospital chapel, which was filled to capacity with people who suppor ted the store’s ministry. Testimonies were heard of the impor tant work that the ABC does that it is a beacon on the hill. As a result of the meeting, it was decided that the official announcement of the Wahroonga ABC closure would be postponed, and a repor t of the community suppor t would be presented to the Church Board, as an oppor tunity to review the decision. This reprieve still does not address the fundamental issues of the ABC and how it operates. So what can we do to make this a viable and continuing ministry? Two simple things: 1. Pray. We need to pray intentionally and constantly for the ABC. God can work miracles and we need one for the ABC. 2. Suppor t. It’s not enough to say how much we love the ABC. We need to walk the talk, and the ABC should and needs to be the first point of call, when we consider purchasing Christian literature and other related materials. Our local churches also need to suppor t the ABC. The words “Use it or Lose it” have never been more painfully true. If we don’t get behind our ABC, it may become a lovely and distant memory. Our prayers and continued suppor t are necessary for its ongoing ministry.
www.sydney.adventist.org.au / November - December 2015 5
Let the Little Children Come to Me “Oh, look at those tiny toes and hands... that cute button nose... those beautiful eyes and adorable little lips! Sooooo cute!!!” I remember those words spilling out of my mouth as if it were just yesterday, instead of nearly five years ago. There are some moments in life that are forever etched in our hear ts. Moments that may be insignificant and unknown to most of the world, yet so life-changing for us personally. Holding my firstborn in my arms for the first time was one of the most amazing and miraculous moments in my life! After months of excited waiting, she was finally here for me to see and hold. It was love at first sight. My hear t was so full of joy and gratitude at this incredible gift and miracle from God. And I felt instantly that I would love her forever, no matter what. My hubby and I had read up about the basics of caring for a newborn and also a few Christian parenting books. Yet suddenly I felt overwhelmed with fear as the questions came in quick succession: Will we be good parents? Have we got what it takes? Will we be able to raise her to be fully-devoted to Jesus? Or will she choose to reject Him instead? If you’re a devoted Christian parent, then you can
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relate to these questions. There is nothing more impor tant to Godly parents than discipling their children. And it is a Godgiven responsibility that we need to take seriously. Take a few minutes to stop and reflect right now: Am I prioritising my children’s spirituality above all else? “We can strive to give our youngsters all the advantages the world has to offer, and motivate them to make the most of available oppor tunities and resources; but unless their spiritual life is prioritized and nur tured, they will miss out on much of the meaning, purpose and joy of life [found in Jesus alone].” George Barna, Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions. As a parent of two pre-schoolers, I’ve only been on this journey a relatively shor t time. But here’s some practical things that our family has discovered in our experience and research that can be a blessing in your family too.
Be the real deal
Have a personal relationship with Jesus and model that to your children. Oh, I know how hard this is for tired, “no-time-forme” mommies (especially in the early months/years of having children). But take my word for it, the alternative is not pretty! In my experience, I’ve found that to be the best mom that I can be, I need a daily filling-up from God’s Word and time in conversation with Jesus. When I “run on empty”, in my own strength, it just doesn’t work long-term. Carve out some time to spend with Jesus every day. While spending an extended amount of devotional time alone with God each day is ideal, I know in reality that on some days it just isn’t possible. It is exhausting work being a mom and your energy and will-power get drained so easily throughout the day. So be intentional to squeeze in numerous smaller moments with God as you go throughout your day. For example, a shor t prayer before you get out of bed or go to bed at night; 5 minutes to read an online devotional on your phone while eating breakfast; silently praying while you’re feeding, putting clothes on the line, or driving.... basically, take Jesus with you every step of your day.
Pray for your children...LO TS!
Intercessory prayer is one of the most powerful things we can do for our children. 1 Peter 5:8 cautions us to be aler t and vigilant for the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Although we can’t see it with our
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human eyes, the reality is that each family is caught up in a fight between good and evil. The devil has his sights on our families and he wants to annihilate our faith in God. But through prayer, we gain access to God’s presence which protects, leads, and helps us be victorious. So entrust your children to God daily and rest in the confidence that our Heavenly Father loves and cares for them even more than we do as parents! He is for them! Only God’s Spirit can reveal Himself and be real in the lives of your children, so pray frequently for your children and rely on Him.
Make Jesus a part of your every day life as a family
Make Jesus central to all that you do as a family 24/7; not just something you do for a few hours once a week at church. Bring God into your conversations and into every aspect of your family life, instead of compar tmentalising God in a box off to the side.
Bless your children
“Children carry the words we speak over them into their future - whether it be positive or negative” (John Trent, The Blessing). Blessing is an invaluable gift that you can give to your children. Sadly in our Western society today we have lost the value of blessing loved ones. But throughout the Bible we can see many examples of the impor tance blessing held on the future of the people involved. The basic idea is that you prayerfully speak lifeaffirming words of love and affirmation to your child. They hear and feel your love for them, as well as how much God loves and values them. They are also assured of God’s and your commitment to love and suppor t them to discover God’s wonderful plans for their lives – no matter what. We can speak words of blessing over our children in a formal, planned way (eg. their bir thdays or baptism). But the most life-transforming way is to find ways to bless them each day. Make it a habit to inject blessing in everyday moments with appropriate meaningful touch, spoken or written words, messages of their high value and a special future, and evidence of your active commitment to them (John Trent, The Blessing). For example, at breakfast, over bedtime prayers, in the car on the way to school, while on the soccer field, at church, at the park or in the backyard.
Make Christianity relevant and practical
Make Christianity relevant to their lives. At the pre-school age their greatest need is feeling safe, loved and secure. So constantly shower them with your love, but also reiterate that Jesus is their best friend; that He loves them even more than you do, and is always with them. Remember, they’re pre-schoolers, so make your conversations and teaching fun and hands on! Capture their imagination and find ways to bring the Bible stories/teachings to life. Use what you have around the house to make stories/ Like www.facebook.com/sydneyadventists
teaching come alive in their minds and hear ts. Above all else.... be practical! Teach and demonstrate to them how to pray. How to study the Bible. How to worship. How to serve. How to share Jesus with others.
Let God’s love and light shine through you
Regularly involve your family in service and outreach oppor tunities. Be proactive in identifying needs in your family’s circle of influence, and include the whole family in filling these needs on a regular basis. It doesn’t have to be weekly; but often enough that it becomes par t of your family’s identity (George Barna, Revolutionar y Parenting). Some examples for families with pre-school aged children include: make a card or small gift to encourage someone; give a tray of strawberries to welcome a new family who has just moved in; make a meal for a family who has just had a baby or has a sick family member ; pick up litter at the park or local areas; help an elderly neighbour in need of help with their yard or grocery shopping; “adopt” an international student into your family circle (include them in social outings or occasional meal and fun times); invite other neighbourhood families to your house for a playdate to deepen friendships and suppor t them on their parenting journeys; go on a local or international mission trip as a family, etc. It might seem daunting at first to reach out to others, but honestly, once you step out, you will never want to go back to just “hoarding your Christianity” to yourselves!
Contributed by Marilyn Östring
www.sydney.adventist.org.au / November - December 2015 7
CastleTin HillFood & Thornleigh Drive Contributed by Megan Howie
The tin food drive is getting bigger each year. Castle Hill Pathfinders enthusiastically letterboxed and then collected hundreds of tins (including SPAM and tinned Sardines) and other food parcels on behalf of ADRA Blacktown. This event is especially enjoyed by the children as they feel a real purpose in reaching out and helping those less for tunate in our Community. We are especially grateful that the
Community rallied behind us and were very generous in providing tins for collection, with some homes leaving tins on their porches for collection even though they were away! ADRA Blacktown were extremely grateful as their shelves had once again run dry and they did not know what they were going to do.
Mobile Dental Van in the Solomon Islands The Dental Division at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara received a boost yesterday with the donation of a mobile dental van to suppor t its dental services, thanks to Dr. Genna Levitch from Sydney, Australia. The donation was described as a blessing to the dental service in the country, which is currently lacking facilities to suppor t its work. Dr. Genna, who served as a dentist in the country in 1978 after completing his studies, said he always has the hear t to help the country to improve its dental service. He said the van is fully functional because it has a dental chair, x-ray, stainless steel bench, fridge and storage. The van was presented to the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) Permanent Secretary Dr Tenneth Dalipanda, the head of Adventist Disaster Relief Agency (ADRA), Richard Reya and the Director of the Dental Division Dr Loreen Oti. Upon receiving the donation, a memorandum of
understanding (MOU) was also signed between the Ministry of Health, Adventist Disaster Relief Agency and Dr. Genna. The MOU will allow the MHMS and ADRA to use the van for a period of three years with maintenance and after the three years if the van is not needed in Honiara, it will be sent to other par ts of the country to carry out dental services. The van is the first of the four mobile dental vans that Dr. Genna wishes to donate to the dental service in the country. The other three, which are still in Australia, will be arriving in the country soon. In receiving the van, Dr. Tenneth thanked Dr. Genna for his generosity. “The donation is a timely one that comes at the time when dental service in the country needed it most.”
Shared from Solomon Star Thursday 12 November 2015, “Mobile Dental Clinic Van Donated” written by Biriau Wilson Saeni
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What’s Your Church’s Priority? The people you include in the visible life of the church make a statement about church priorities. Do you include people from all sectors of church family life in your Sabbath School and worship service? Do you include family members par ticipating together in various aspects of church life? Consider some of the following possibilities:
The need for the church to strengthen and support families has become a major priority. To remain unresponsive to the growing needs and concerns of individuals and families in our congregations is to be guilty of neglect and to fail in our
• Have couples or families lead in various aspects of worship such as reading of Scripture, leading music, offering prayer etc. • Utilize people of various ages and life situations in the worship and Sabbath School programs. Give some high school-age youth a chance to read the Scripture. Have a single person lead the congregation in prayer. Give a senior citizen an oppor tunity to present a special feature. Do a shor t interview with a divorced person or a single parent, giving them a chance to share how the Lord has led and how other congregational members have been helpful in their special situation. Give children’s groups a chance to be involved in the worship service apar t from the regular children’s story. • Help make your worship service family-oriented by making it child-friendly. Include a children’s story in the service. Plan a once-a-month children’s church. Explore new options in child-care in addition to a traditional “mother’s room.” This might mean a rotating group of people who would care for toddlers during worship so that their parents can be involved in the service without the distraction of children. Use stories and illustrations in sermons that can be understood and appreciated by children. • Pastors, Sabbath School speakers and
Christian responsibilities.
Facts about Family Ministries
teachers should strive to be inclusive in the illustrations they use. Do all your illustrations or points presuppose that your members are married in traditional families, or do they include the wide range of people and family situations in your church? Do you always address people as isolated individuals, or do you take into account the relational context of their lives? If you plan a worship service around one set of needs, do you focus on that group alone or do you make an effor t to build bridges to other groups as well? (For example, if you have a marriage commitment Sabbath, do you make any effor ts to offer ideas that would be useful to singles as they form relationships also?) Do you ignore groups in the church with special needs (blended families, divorced people, single parents, couples in midlife, widows and widowers etc.), or do you strive to include them in the content of your presentations? Shared from Developing Family Ministr y in the Local Church, Family Ministries, Trafford Fischer, pg 18. Contact Pr Cheonneth Strickland, Director of Children, Youth and Family at Greater Sydney Conference for a copy of the complete document or to learn how to star t Family Ministries at your church.
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Family crises cannot be the only motivation for family ministry. Healthy family functioning is a primary goal. A family should provide for the transmission of values, and be a witness for God in the world of His power to unify and engender the happiness of each person. Families need to develop stable relationships patterned after God’s relationship with us. He has declared, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Heb 13:5 NIV). God’s love is unconditional, enduring and responsible.
Spiritual gifts related to family ministry include teaching, encouragement, and emotional healing. The gift of teaching is mentioned in three of the four major Bible passages dealing with spiritual gifts. (Rom 12:7, 1 Cor 12:28,29, and Eph 4:11). In Romans it states that if you have this gift you must see it as a service to the congregation. An on-going, effective family ministry program requires a leadership team that is thoroughly committed to ministering to the families of the church. Your first task, is to draw together a group of people willing to make such a commitment to the life of the church.
www.sydney.adventist.org.au / November - December 2015 9
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REGIONAL leadership TRAINING il Yap Photography by Abiga 27 FEB
3-6pm HAC Kellyville North Western Region: ADRA Emergency Management Part 1, Adventurers, Youth, Stewardship, Elders Workplace Evangelism and Family)
19 MAR
3-6pm WAH School-Northern Region: Elders, Family, Women’s, Sabbath School, ADRA Emergency Management Part 2, Health Screening.)Children’s,
28 MAY
3-6pm (MAC-South Western Region: Women’s, Home Grown, Youth, Family, Health, Elders, Missional Small Groups, ATSIM)
25 JUN
3-6pm (MVAC-Western Region: Gracelink, Women’s, Youth, Family, Health Screening, Stewardship, Sabbath School, Elders, ATSIM)
19 NOV
3-6pm (SASA- Central Region: Gracelink, Women’s, Youth, Family, Personal Ministries, Sabbath School, Deacons/Deaconess, ATSIM)
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Ar thur Schofield was born on 30 July 1914 celebrating his 100th bir thday in July 2014. It was a big affair with many family and friends attending celebrations & sending congratulatory messages from far and wide. This year he celebrated his 101st bir thday quietly with family. These celebrations marked the long and fruitful life of a man well loved and respected by his family and church. After his celebrated journey on this ear th, Ar thur recently passed away and feel asleep in Jesus. Bro Schofield was a long standing and well respected member of Windsor church attending since 1930. Bro Schofield held many offices at Windsor church. When Windsor church was being rebuilt after an arson attack, Bro Schofield habitually called in to check progress with the builder and was very interested in the progress As a foundation member of Windsor church, Brother Schofield was a wonderful example to members in his life and witness. Ar thur truly loved his Lord and was a true and faithful servant who was looking forward to Jesus’ soon return. He attributed his long life to “Christian standards: following a healthy lifestyle, including abstinence from alcohol, following a vegetarian diet and of course marrying Val”. Contributed by Narrelle McCoy
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ARTHUR SCHOFIELD
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HURSTVILLE CHURCH ALL NIGHT PRAYER MEETING The Hurstville Church has conducted many All Night Prayer Meetings since Pastor Jimmie Cha began ministering at Hustville. This year, the Granville Multicultural Church, also pastored by Pr. Cha, joined the All Night Prayer Vigil with the Hurstville Church. Jesus is our Example and Model! The Bible says “Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12, NKJV). This godly discipline is not easy - as we all lead hectic lives and look forward to a good night’s sleep, especially in the middle of winter (the Vigil was held on 4th July this year) in Sydney. However,
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SYDNEY FIJIAN BAPTISMS
Sydney Fijian Pathfinders had two baptisms in September. First on the 16th September, 7 Pathfinders were baptised by Pr Etonia Temo at Enmore Church and 9 Pathfinders were baptised later on the 26th September at Campbelltown Church by Pr Usaia Baravi. This baptism was the result of Bible studies taken by the Pathfinders from all four churchers - Enmore, Granville, Cabramatta and Campbelltownthroughout this year under the leadership of Pastor Baravi and Pastor Alex Ratu. Contributed by Waifa Tokaduadua
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SOLOMON ISLAND PASTORS VISIT
Five pastors from the Solomon Islands visited the Greater Sydney Conference. The visit was par t of Greater Sydney’s relationship with the Solomon Islands to collaborate and share resources with its Par tner in Mission, the Solomon Islands Mission. The pastors visited schools, preached at churches, attended INSPIRE, as well as Conference meetings, to get a sense of the runnings of the Conference. In addition to learning from the pastors and directors, the five par tners in mission also provided great value by sharing a morning worship service, preaching at local churches, giving feedback during meetings and sharing some of the best practices from their mission. Greater Sydney was extremely blessed to share the time with them.
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FOOD FOR REFUGEES
Contributed by Associate Prayer Coordinator, Sue Misbrener
the par ticipants at the All Night Prayer Meeting wanted to dedicate their precious 8 hours to the Lord. It star ted at 10 pm on 12 September and concluded at 6 am on 13 September. Every two hours, we gathered together and sang 3-4 hymns, and Pr. Cha gave shor t lessons from God’s Word to facilitate our prayers. He also taught us how to pray. Pr. Cha mentioned that he would be acting as a prayer coach rather than a pastor during the night. We learnt how we could engage in a deeper level with God through our prayers and how we could focus on prayer during the long night hours.
Interestingly, we all realised that the 8 hours went so quickly because the Holy Spirit was with us! About 25 people came to the All Night Prayer Meeting and by 6 o’clock the next morning there were still 18 people at church. After that, we had a fellowship breakfast and shared what God had done during the night. Some people said “I have never par ticipated in an All Night Prayer Meeting in my life.” Others said, “I have never done an All Night Prayer Vigil in 50 years!” God blessed our prayer meeting
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EPPING YOUTH FUNDRAISE
ADVENTIST WOMEN RECEIVE AWARD Adventist Women’s Ministry received an award for being a finalist in the Wesley Mission Volunteer of the Year Awards. This is in recognition of the pamper packs and 780 undies donated by attendees from BREATHE 2013 and 2014.
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Contributed by Ber yl Landers
The Youth of Epping Church, are heading off to Cambodia with ADRA in early 2016 where they will be involved in a program called, ‘Learn Through Play’, providing education around health and nutrition for mothers and their children. To get over there requires plenty of hard work and planning, not to mention the suppor t of our church community. In early September we hosted a fundraiser dinner and auction night for 80+ guests. The event was an incredible success, the tickets sold out and the hall was packed with suppor ters; we’re praising God for close to $8000 that will help our team get across to Cambodia and serve the community there. Contributed by Adrian Peterson
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Borg Rassmussen has been recognised by the Warrawong Women’s Refuge with a cer tificate of appreciation. Through his charity, each week, Borg supplies refugees with food that he obtains from reclaimed food sources and from the markets in Sydney. Borg has been supplying food to the refuge for about a year and plans to continue suppor ting this vital service. He was presented with a cer tificate earlier this month when he came to make his usual delivery. Borg stated he will work with anyone who is providing homeless services for children and youth.
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Contributed by Pam Grootemaat
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ILLAWARRA PATHFINDERS WIN
Rebecca Soto, ADRA Youth Ambassador, and Malcolm Rea, ADRA Director for Greater Sydney Conference headed off expectantly to Wollongong to beat the Pathfinders at their own game--the ADRA Knocktober Appeal! As par t of tradition, Malcolm Rea challenges the Pathfinders to raise more moeny than him for the Knocktober Appeal. Rebecca and Malcolm knew that the competition was fierce so they slipped off early while the Pathfinders were still getting organised. Although the sun was hot, the money rolled in and the Knocktober fliers and receipt books star ted to thin. The 4:30 curfew called both teams back to the church and then the counting began in earnest. A triumphant shout went up as each collector received their collection total. The $751 to $187 win was after all, a decisive win for the Pathfinders! Victors three years in a row! Well done, Illawarra Pathfinders! Contributed by Malcolm Rea
www.sydney.adventist.org.au / November - December 2015 13
Exciting Year for Sydney Advent i st Scho o ls 2015 has been an exciting year for the Greater Sydney Adventist Schools. From building projects for growing schools, to mission trips overseas, there are many things we can thank God for and see His hand working through students and the Sydney schools. Some highlights are below: • • • •
Our enrolments have increased which have enabled us to add to our resources with building projects in four of our schools. The strategic investment in Information Communication Technology (ICT) networking will continue to improve teaching and learning in our classrooms. Our senior high school students have had the oppor tunity to serve others on mission trips. Our teachers, students and their families have had an oppor tunity to encounter God through Bible classes, worships, weeks of spiritual emphasis and combined days of worship.
We would like to wish all of God’s blessings to our Year 12 students as they move into their chosen career paths. And to those coming back, have a wonderful summer holiday, and we’ll see you next year! Blessings,
The Education Department
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www.sydney.adventist.org.au / November - December 2015 15
At the heart of Adventist education is the belief children achieve true growth when their mental, physical and spiritual needs are met. All of our school locations across Greater Sydney strive to deliver an education that can enable your child to succeed academically, be nurtured spiritually, and leave prepared for their future.
Search for any of our six schools online or visit www.greatersydney.adventist.edu.au today to see what Adventist Education can do for your child.