MAGAZINE
intrasyd SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2016
contents FEATURES
LOCAL NEWS
EDUCATION
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04 - Editorials 05 - KNOCKTOBER 05 - Office Redevelopment Update
06 - Indian SDA Fellowship 07 - GSC & Safe Ministry 09 - Everard Gibson A Faithful Servant
Be the difference in your community!
10 - Building Our Schools for the Future 11 - MVAC Reports: Jasmine Carrasco
Your participation in the ADRA Appeal can provide access to resources to help people thrive in Australia and overseas. Register at www.adra.org.au/appeal
SUNSET TIMES:
support the 2016 ADRA Appeal this
07 Oct 7:02 Fri – 14 Oct 7:08 Fri – 21 Oct 7:14 Fri – 28 Oct 7:19 Fri – 04 Nov 7:26 Fri – 11 Nov 7:32 Fri – 18 Nov 7:39 Fri –
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EVENTS:
OFFERINGS:
For the latest event information, visit Sydney.adventist.org.au/ events and Sydney.adventist.org. au/announcements.
08 Oct / ADRA Appeal 15 Oct / Local 22 Oct /Education (Hills) 29 Oct/ Annual Sacrifice 17 Oct /Education 29 Oct / Local 05 Nov / Local
sydney.adventist.org.au
Sydney Adventists
FROM THE president Dwight Nelson is coming to Sydney! He’ll be speaking at Ignite - our citywide weekend
of worship. We’ve called this event ‘Ignite’ because we want Sydney to shine with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and to mobilise the Seventh-day Adventist movement to be even more effective in making disciples. Ignite is for everyone and all churches across our Conference. It will be held at the Sydney Showgrounds on 17-18 March 2017 and will serve as a catalyst for a number of initiatives that will help us to grow in discipleship. Two of these initiatives are to do with a strong focus on prayer and reconnecting with former and inactive members. We will also have a special offering to help establish new churches and ministries on the eastern seaboard of Sydney – from the Northern Beaches right down to the Shire.
OUR TEAM President Michael Worker michaelworker@adventist.org.au Editor Joyce Taylor joycetaylor@adventist.org.au
Reaching Across is a key element of Growing in Discipleship. It is all about being intentional in developing warm and loving church communities. Visitors and members alike need to feel valued, appreciated and experience a sense of belonging in our congregations.
Design & Layout Lynda G. Abreu lyndagomes@adventist.org.au
A major initiative of our Conference in 2017 will be to reconnect with those who no longer attend our churches. They may be family members, friends, folks we used to sit beside in Sabbath School classes or just people we no longer see sitting across from us during service.
Editorial Consultant Adrian Raethel adrianraethel@adventist.org.au
Following on from our Ignite weekend, we would like every church in Greater Sydney to have a ‘Welcome Home’ Sabbath on 6 May. This will be a focal point for connecting with and inviting back to church all those who have drifted away over the years. At our most recent ministers meeting, we provided training resources to our pastors to share with their elders teams and local church boards. I would like to invite you to start praying for absent members and start looking for opportunities to reconnect with them. Let them know that they are missed and that they are loved by God and by their local church community. Prayer is such an essential element of the Christian life, and so often we don’t spend enough time with our Lord due to the pressures of everyday life. At the Ignite program in March we will be launching a Conference wide 40 Days of Prayer and we would love every member across Sydney to join with us in this special prayer focus. The 40 Days of Prayer will commence on 18 March and will continue until 29 April 2017. I believe that God will be able to pour out His blessings on the church in Sydney as we seek Him earnestly. I would encourage you to put these dates in your calendar and start preparing for this special focus. As we then launch from a special time of prayer into welcoming home former and inactive members, we will be well placed to reach out into our communities and be disciples who make more disciples as we await the soon coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
PR Michael Worker President
Other Contributors Anjuli Cruz, Josh Dye, Jane Gibson, Eva Ing Next Intrasyd Deadline 02 November 2016
Want to talk to us? Communications Department 4 Cambridge Street, Epping NSW 2121 Ph: 02 9868 6522 sydney@adventist.org.au Follow us on social media: Tweet @SydneyAdventist Facebook SydneyAdventists
EDITORIALS
FROM THE GENERAL SECRETARY
ADRIAN RAETHEL
From the Church Ltd Board
One of the departmental directors presents a report to the board each month on what has
been happening in their ministry area. Recent presentations have been made by Dr Jean Carter representing the Education department; Sven Ostring and Lyndelle Peterson representing Personal Ministries/Sabbath School/Discipleship and Stewardship; and Claire Marsh from Adventist Counselling Services.
• The Church Ltd and Schools Ltd boards have taken action to support the proposed model for the new Office for the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Persons (AdSAFE) along with the funding model. AdSAFE will replace Safe Place Services.
From the Executive Committee • Valerie Donat (Parramatta Church) has been appointed as a member of the Executive Committee replacing Victoria Karraz who was unable to continue due to scheduling conflicts. • The New Hope Group, currently meeting on the Nirimba campus of University of Western Sydney (USW) at Quakers Hill, has been given approval to become a Company. • The Australian Union Conference has formally commenced a conversation as to whether 10 administrative structures are needed to lead the church in Australia. A working party of administrators and lay people has been established to carefully investigate all options and their financial implications.
FROM THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFfICER
EVA ING
The great Benjamin Franklin once said, “Failing to plan is planning to fail”. Proverbs 21:5 says that
“the plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty”. There is great wisdom in planning, and in many successful organisations, a great deal of time and effort is spent doing so. Because without a plan, you just don’t know where you will end up. At the Conference, we do a lot of planning. This includes strategic planning, event planning, annual calendar planning and budgeting - best of all, but I might be biased here. Budgeting is simply organising with numbers. It’s an important part of planning because you can very quickly find out whether plans are realistic and achievable and work out what’s really important to you by the amount you allocate to each area. As I write this column, it’s budget time at the Conference. We’re developing financial plans for the next three years, and we’re meeting with each departmental director and administration individually. It’s a time for exciting ideas to be shared, for rationalising some of them, and a time for when diplomacy and negotiating skills come to the fore. At times it can be stressful but it’s all good, because in the end we have a great set of plans that become all that more exciting when we set out and achieve them. Does your local church have a budget? It should. Local treasurers, come and see us! We’d love to help you achieve this important part of your ministry.
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sydney.adventist.org.au
Sydney Adventists
ADRA #Knocktober Appeal James and Carol (names changed) arrived weary and broken.
Unemployed and homeless, they had just been moved out of the local caravan park because they ran out of money. All they had was their car and a few possessions inside. They were greeted at the ADRA op shop with warm smiles and open hearts. ADRA staff gave them enough food for a week and a tank of fuel. For James and Carol, this was life-changing. They were very grateful and promised to return the favour when they got back on their feet. A couple of weeks later, James and Carol returned requesting help again. They had secured some emergency accommodation but had nothing to put in it. This time, they received more than they could have dreamed of: furniture, clothing and kitchenware. Now, they have started their own business. James and Carol were so moved by the help they received, they volunteered to help at the op shop so they can help others in need.
JOSH DYE
Of course, door-knocking is not the only way to raise funds. Ideas for fundraising as a church include running a trivia night, a car wash or a fundraiser concert. And it’s an opportunity to invite friends and neighbours to church in a relaxed setting. This year, the ‘Knocktober’ appeal is seeking to raise $1.1 million to help improve the nutrition, health and wellbeing and livelihood opportunities for more than 30,000 people in Australia and overseas. “We’re asking people to give freely, love deeply and act mercifully to help people thrive,” ADRA Australia CEO Mark Webster said. “If every church member can raise $50, it will help more than 30,000 people in Australia and overseas.”
“Amazing things are happening but we want to multiply our impact and help more people reach their full potential,” Mr Webster said. Judith says that everyone can take part.“ The beauty of the ADRA Appeal is the fact that anyone, no matter where you come from During October, another group of people will be volunteering their or how old you you canAppeal help andcan be aprovide worker for Christ,”toshe Your participation in are, the ADRA access resources time to help people like James and Carol. Volunteers in every said. “It’s about approaching people and asking for their help, to help people thrive in Australia and overseas. Australian state and territory will be publicly raising funds for the and people like being asked to help.” ADRA Appeal through door knocking and public place collections Register at www.adra.org.au/appeal as part of the annual appeal for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Australia.
Be the difference in your community!
Judith is a loyal volunteer and long-time ADRA Appeal doorknocker. Her secret is to have a positive attitude and look at the opportunity to connect with her community. “The people on the other side of the doors are beautiful people.” This helps her have a positive mindset when she approaches people to ask for money, which isn’t always easy to do. “If people say ‘no’ that’s ok. It’s nothing personal. Don’t let that deter you,” she said.
KNOCKTOBER KNOCKTOBER support the 2016 ADRA Appeal this
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support the 2016 ADRA Appeal this Register at www.adra.org.au/appeal
to help people thrive in Australia and overseas. Your participation in the ADRA Appeal can provide access to resources
the difference in your community! CONFERENCE OFFICEBeREDEVELOPMENT
We met with our developer Southern Han and Augusta Properties who are helping
us with the development. It was our first Project Control Group meeting and we heard good news that the pre-Development Application lodgement meeting with Council went very well. No major concerns were raised regarding the plans that were presented. The next steps are: • • •
Finalise the commercial design Receive consultant reports Submit development application to Council
Please continue to pray for our development; that plans and reports are received in time and that a smooth passage through Council occurs. We’ll continue to provide updates on this endeavour as it progresses. L-R; Pr Michael Worker, Martin Hillier (Augusta Properties), Eva Ing, Pr Adrian Raethal, Tom Kudinar (SH), Wayne Smith (Augusta Properties), Steve Ju (SH)
LOCAL NEWS & EVENTS
The Indian SDA Fellowship On 9 July, the Indian SDA Fellowship took a great step
meetings held every Thursday at 7.00 pm. Please keep this group of people in your prayers and pass this message around to anyone who would be interested in joining.
towards establishing a church of their own. With blessings and best wishes from their mother church at Hoxton Park, the group branched off to form a church plant focusing on the Indian community. CONTACT INFORMATION Sharif Khan, 0401 680 771 indiansda@outlook.com After spending the last six years meeting Friday nights, www.facebook.com/indiansda the fellowship enjoyed its first Sabbath worship 16 July in the rear hall of Hoxton Park SDA church. At their inaugural service, the group thanked the church To contribute financially visit www.gofundme.com/indiansda. for their support and had Pastor Sven Ostring pray for God’s guidance as they step out to win souls for Christ in faith.
The Indian SDA Fellowship currently meets once a month with plans on having fortnightly meetings in the very near future. Pastor Shiu Kumar currently serves the church in addition to Pastor Mario Guzman, along with Ashok Kumar Rudhar as Head Elder and Leader.
There is an open invitation for any people from the Indian or Fijian Indian communities to attend service 9.30 am and prayer
WELLINGTON Goes TO JAIL Wellington Caqui-Bazan, the
Peruvian pastor with the British name, has been appointed a prison chaplain subsidy the church was recently successful in acquiring. The pastor of the Marrickville, Blacktown, Campbelltown and Fairfield Spanish Churches will now serve as a full-time chaplain in the Long Bay Correctional Centre in Matraville NSW. This is the fifth subsidised chaplaincy role in the centre. That Caqui-Bazan even holds this position is by the glory of God. “This is a newly created position. Many churches of varying denominations applied for the subsidy, but it was the Greater Sydney Conference representing the global Adventist Church that was offered the bid.” As a member organisation of the Civil Chaplaincy Advisory Committee (CCAC - www.ccacnsw. org.au), which oversees the provision of chaplaincy services in prisons, Juvenile Justice and public hospitals across New South Wales, the Adventist Church has had the opportunity to apply for government-subsidised prison chaplaincy placements. Wellington’s role in this setting will be to accompany inmates on their correctional journeys and provide them spiritual and
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emotional support, wherever in the spectrum they may be. “The purpose is to bring hope and healing to them, but not explicitly in the Adventist way. It’s a bit hard for our members to understand, but one I hope they try to.” While Caqui-Bazan will be representing the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the subsidy strictly prohibits him from preaching the Adventist mission. “I’m not there to convert. I cannot. My primary job is to assist inmates in whatever they believe. I’m there to serve them.” This isn’t to say conversions wouldn’t take place. “If they ask about my background and my beliefs, I’m happy to share with them. I can and will, but I cannot broach my beliefs.” Surrounding him will be a number of chaplains from other faiths and denominations. “I want people to know that I’m still a Seventh-day Adventist pastor, and that I belong to the Greater Sydney Conference (GSC). I’m still here and will still be attending GSC pastoral events and my local churches. I just have a different day job.” By early October, Wellington will would have already completed his training -- as required by the Corrective Services of NSW -- and commenced worked. The role is based in Long Bay with travel as needed. “This is the first time we’ve had a full time paid Adventist prison chaplain in NSW, so I’m the guinea pig so to speak. I’m a little bit scared… But the excitement is there.
sydney.adventist.org.au
Sydney Adventists
Safe PLACE Ministry
BY JOYCE TAYLOR
Greater Sydney pastors recently took part in safe ministry training, which focused on providing
training on appropriate boundaries in ministry. Safe Place Services, a Seventh-day Adventist service established to support people, safeguard churches, and handle allegations and complaints of sexual misconduct, harassment, abuse and assault, facilitated the mandatory two-day training session held at the Fox Valley Church in Wahroonga. From 23–24 August, all pastors, pastoral assistants and Bible workers were presented a number of vignettes and scenarios to analyse, deliberate and formally discuss. The overall objective of the workshop was to enable pastors to identify situations with the potential to become harmful and offer practical information to navigate them. “What we do is intervention and prevention within the church,” says Abigail Figueroa, Safe Place Coordinator at the Greater Sydney Conference (GSC). “The reason why we wanted to train the pastors is to ensure that they are equipped to serve and protect the people around them and themselves. The importance of professional boundaries cannot be stressed enough.” On the collaborative approach taken, David Robertson, recently retired Director of Safe Place Services, said this: “Ministry is a very human-oriented field and boundaries are not all black-and-white. We need to hear these [different] perspectives because of the complexity of these situations. Every day we have to negotiate them. There needs to be context and principles.” Bryan Craig, Safe Place Services Guest Lecturer, stressed the gravity of transparency and keeping things out in the open. “If something is being done in secret and must be kept so, it is probably something that should not be happening.” If unsure whether something they were doing may be causing harm or discomfort, pastors were advised to seek counsel from an objective colleague outside of the situation. Workshops topics included mutual relationships with parishioners, romantic relationships in ministry, sexual abuse/misconduct, guidelines for general electronic communication and developing appropriate boundaries, strategies for minimising/eradicating violations, and appropriate responses for if/when abuse or misconduct do occur. “We want to bring about an organisational change to highlight the importance of having our churches be safe places,” added Figueroa. “That is why the GSC is also asking all church board members, as well as those directly working with children, to not only have their ‘Working With Children Check’, but also go through the 6-module (plus webinar) ‘Safe Church’ Training program. We do not take this lightly.” Training is available online through e-learning and face-to-face. Visit safeplaceservices.org.au/training to learn more. To report a concern, allegations or for additional information on Safe Places, please contact Abigail Figueroa (02) 9868 6522 or 1-800-220-468 (24/7 hotline). Complaints may also be submitted online at safeplaceservices.org.au/allegations.
LOCAL NEWS & EVENTS
DUNDAS CROATIaN GETS RENOVATED M
embers of the Dundas Croatian Seventh-day Adventist Church have completed the long and unfun process that is the ‘Church Renovation Project’ and now have a stunning worship home to show for it. Work on the church building wrapped up September 2016, but not without a few bumps along the way. With the decision to keep the existing structure rather than begin completely anew – a decision attributed largely to advice by Professor Bruce Judd, Head of Department and Architecture and Design at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) – partial demolition began 29 September 2015 only to come to an abrupt halt two months later due to a missing certificate. It would not resume until March 2016. For nearly six months the church remained completely exposed to the elements, forcing members into the smaller, inadequate rooms of the church. Still, they worshipped and persevered.
Despite the hiccups, renovations were completed in good time. In addition to worship services, the church will serve as the new host location for the pastors and worker’s meetings for the year 2017 and onwards. Members are also planning to be more involved in the local community. Free professional counselling services amongst other endeavours are currently in the works.
AdvAPD
YOU’RE INVITED!
Dundas Croatian Church is hosting a dedication ceremony Saturday, 17 November 2016. All are invited to attend. The ceremony begins at 10.00 am and continues with a shared meal followed by a concert at 4.00 pm. The church is located at 40 Kissing Point Road, Oatlands.
Food As Medicine
DPAvdA
AdvAPD
Discover why every meal matters and how your food choices control the expression of your genes, which is important if you have a family history of disease. Learn how healthy diets can deliver a list of positive effects like those of medications. See why your wellbeing is affected by when you eat and why mindless eating is dangerous. If you maintain the healthy way of eating described, you might never need to diet again. - 150 delicious recipes for your best health, and those you cook for, addressing the nutritional causes of our most common chronic diseases. - Makeover your kitchen, pantry, fridge and freezer so it’s easier to cook and live well. The meal ideas and plans will help you easily put the recipes into practice.
FOOD AS MEDICINE
C O O K I N G F O R Y O U R B E S T H E A LT H
- Explains the scientific research and health significance of the recipes, equipping you to make better lifestyle choices for your best health.
FOOD AS S A D O O F MEDICINE ENICIDEM
Hardcover. $55 Purchase C O O online: K I N G FSydneyABC.com O R Y O U R B E S T H E A LT H
H TL A E H T S E B R U O Y R O F G N I K O O C
Available from your local Adventist Book Centre lacol ruoy morf elbaliavA
Available for purchase at your local Adventist Book Centre locations in Epping and Wahroonga
Available from your local Adventist Book Centre 8
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2016
ertneC kooB tsitnevdA sydney.adventist.org.au
Sydney Adventists
A Faithful Servant Born 9 August 1936, in the
Polynesian island of Rotuma, a young boy called Everard Kafoa Gibson became a significant benefactor in the lives of many families. A surprise 80th birthday using the theme of “This is your life” was held at the Mountain Adventist College, NSW where his children attended. In 1998, he was recognised for serving for over 15 years as a volunteer mechanic to maintain the fleet of buses in Sydney’s west in addition to running his own business. The event was a tribute to the financial and service contributions Everard made in the areas of education and transportation for individuals and their families in South Asia, the Pacific and Australia. The Deputy Principal Dr Rejieli Liligeto represented Fulton College in thanks for Everard’s dedication to support four Rotumans to complete the Bachelor of Theology program and carry forward God’s ministry, “In total, Mr Gibson has committed
BY JANE GIBSON
himself to paying the tuition for each student, as well as supporting their families financially.” Pastor Michael Sikuri is one of the ministers and shared his testimony at the event, about meeting Everard in 1998 when he and his family were wrestling whether to take up the call for ministry. In describing Everard he said, “He walks humbly with his God and supports God’s cause sacrificially. He worked hard and leads a simple life which enables him to give liberally to advance the Gospel…Today Kafoa is 80, his movement is limited however he still enquires about sponsoring another student.” At the end of Everard’s surprise birthday he emphasised that all glory go to God. Attendees commented that the event inspired their hearts and revived their faith. Everard Gibson exemplifies the disciple Christ calls to be in his selfless reaching up, out and across to help others in whatever way he can. Gibson, a member of the Bankstown Church, stands as a testament to us all.
Retirement Ready? Plan now to retire well
Presented by Pr Bruce Manners Retirement Ready? This workshop offers a personal and practical guide to making the most of the exciting opportunities of retirement and meeting its inevitable challenges. While life is uncertain, planning for this stage of life gives the best possibilities for living well in retirement. Pr Rodney Woods JP, Trust Services Director
Seventh-day Adventist Church (Greater Sydney Conference) Ltd
will be presenting general information on the following topics:
The need for a legal Will Who gets your estate if you die without a valid Will? The process of making a legal Will through the GS conference. Implication of assets such as superannuation Implication of how assets are held - joint and sole Implication of 2nd marriages and family provision law
RSVP by 21st of October 2016 Email: carinaslame@adventist.org.au Phone: (02) 9487 0600
6th of November
Wahroonga 79 Mount Pleasant Ave Wahroonga NSW 2076
13th of November
Kings Langley 56 Elsom St Kings Langley NSW 2147
3pm - 5 pm COST: $20
(Includes book and worksheets)
EDUCATION NEWS
its
Building Our Schools for the Future
BY ANJULI CRUZ
In 1977 Nike released first print ad. It is an image of a lone runner travelling down a seemingly endless stretch of road; below are the words,
“THERE IS NO FINISH LINE.”
Those words resonate when reviewing the mission and efficacy of the Seventh-day Adventist School system in Sydney. “There is no ‘Finish Line’” says Dr Jean Carter, as we are emphasising continuous school improvement that focus on nurture for today, learning for tomorrow and character for eternity”.
Greater Sydney has one of the fastest growing Adventist school systems in Australia. God is continuing to bless our strategic marketing emphases, and our system has seen an increase of over 300 students in the past three years. In 2017 we will see further significant growth. While this growth is an exciting time for our school system, it also brings its own challenges in keeping up with the resources needed for the expanding school system; with the continually changing educational landscape; and with being able to continue offering Bible-based, Christ-centred, service-oriented education to young people across Sydney. The population growth in Sydney is set to see another million
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people call the city home in the next ten years*. One reason why we are investing heavily in infrastructure across our schools is so that we’ll be in a position to service our community, to share Jesus with young people and to meet the demands this growth will bring. “What an awesome time to live in Sydney and be able to share God’s word with great students whose families have chosen to send them to Adventist schools,” says Eva Ing, CFO at Greater Sydney Conference. This year has seen an outpouring of generous support for the Adventist school system from the churches of the Greater Sydney Conference. Many of the needs and resources required are being met through education offerings, tax-deductible donations and through members giving of their time and skills. The continued and increasing support has strengthened the impact our schools have in being a fertile mission field, as we’ve seen highlighted in the past few years through baptisms and families coming to know God through the education we provide. Our challenge is great as there is no finish line. However we acknowledge that this is not a challenge we are approaching alone. We have an amazing family, our church, and an awesome Father, our God, who are our partners. Thank you to all who continue to support Adventist education in Sydney. *References: https://www.nsw.gov.au/tomorrows-sydney Vintage Nike ad: “There is no finish line.”
sydney.adventist.org.au
Sydney Adventists
MVAC REPORTS: Jasmine carrasco Jasmine Carrasco, a Year 12 student at Mountain View Adventist College, was invited to Western Sydney University to compete in the Creativity Unlimited Music Festival and Competition in early September. This event included performances from High School Certificate (HSC) students, undergraduates, postgraduates and faculty from the university’s music department. Carrasco performed among a high calibre of students from a number of Sydney schools renowned for their prominent music programmes, including Campbelltown Performing Arts, Newtown Performing Arts and Abbotsleigh. She competed against 15 other HSC groups and soloists who went head-to-head in Battle of the Bands to win a prize. Carrasco’s entry, a vocal piece entitled “Misty” and her performance of it, earned her placement amongst the day’s top competitors. For her strong performance, Jasmine received an early admissions offer to Western Sydney University’s Bachelor of Music programme.
Looking for ways to support our schools and also receive a tax deduction? There are three funds where you can donate: the Seventh-Day Adventist Schools Building Maintenance Fund, the Seventh-Day Adventist (Greater Sydney) Scholarship Fund, and the Sydney Adventist Schools Library Fund. You can either donate through eGiving, your local Church, at your child’s school, or directly through the Conference. Please make sure you receive a receipt. This will enable you to include your donation in your income tax return. For further information, please contact your Conference Finance team on 9868 6522.
WHAT THEY
LEARN
BECOMES PART OF
WHO THEY ARE
You can provide access to resources to help people thrive. “…Freely you have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:8
support the 2016 ADRA Appeal this
KNOCKTOBER
#
1800 242 372 www.adra.org.au