Southern Cross SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2024 by Anglican Media Sydney

Three new churches launch across Sydney

Praying for opportunities to introduce people to Jesus: A family arrives at

Tara Sing

At least three new church plants have been launched in the past few months in Sydney, with congregations sending members to new or developing suburbs. There is so much to praise God for, with new teams of people jumping in to work alongside

those already in these suburbs to see more people come to know Jesus.

Praise God for the desire across the Diocese to see churches grow and flourish, communities being loved and cared for, and many people

SHARIN G STORIES OF FAIT H LOV E AN D HOPE

Missed the last issue of Southern Cross ? Download here: sydneyanglicans.net/about/southerncross

for

coming to find salvation in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

MULTICULTURAL BIBLE MINISTRY (MBM) BLACKTOWN

On Sunday, August 5, MBM Blacktown held its first public

service at Toongabbie Christian School. With a launch team of 70 adults and kids, members are excited to reach their community for Christ.

Kwabena Nsiah, one of the launch team members, shares how he is praying for

Managing

MBM Blacktown

its first service in August. photo: Sally Abboud

opportunities to introduce people to Jesus. “Pray that we would continue to build relationships with the people in the Blacktown area so we can share the gospel with them!”

GRACE CITY CHURCH, ROCKDALE

After months of prayer and planning, a team of more than 60 adults from Grace City Church in Waterloo will start a Rockdale

Sunday afternoon service in October. The service will include weekly kids’ programs and dinner afterwards.

With so much good already happening in the St George area, the team at Grace City is excited to join the wonderful work there.

Members are hoping to see God use these churches to bring many to eternal life in Christ.

The Rev Jade Hajj, who is heading up the plant, says prayer is the key to seeing this new church flourish.

“Please be praying for God to use this new plant to reach new people for the gospel. We are praying to see people transformed, turning away from sin and putting their hope in Jesus.”

CORNERSTONE, BOX HILL

In the fast-growing suburb of Box Hill, Cornerstone is ready to welcome people as they move into the area. Although the church has been meeting since June, members celebrated an official public opening on August 25 in a meeting at Arndell Anglican College.

Launch team member Sally Taylor is enthusiastic about

getting to know people in the community, and sees her neighbourhood as a rapidly growing mission field.

“There are so many people coming from so many different places,” she says. “I don’t really know what to expect – and I think there’s going to be hard work that needs to be put in –but God has got this, and he will glorify himself through it, so we just need to be relying on him.”

IN THE PIPELINE

In response to the planned metro station and urban renewal of the Burwood North precinct, St James’, Croydon – which recently amalgamated with the parish of Concord and Burwood – is preparing to plant a church to serve the proposed 6000 dwellings expected in the next few years.

“We want to see a new church opened up in that Burwood North area that is engaged with all of the people that live there now, and the many people that are going to be moving in,” says the Rev Blake Hatton, Croydon’s planting team leader. “Jesus has hope and we want that for all the people in Burwood North.”

“Jesus has hope”: (clockwise from above) Kids’ activities at MBM Blacktown photo: Sally Abboud; morning tea at Cornerstone Box Hill photo: Rhonda Mason; building relationships in the amalgamated parish of Croydon with Concord and Burwood.

Western women are back

Challenging testimonies and good fellowship have marked the resumption of a western Sydney institution. It has been five years since the Sydney Anglican women of the Western Region met together and a relaunch has proved better than expected.

The region had a long history of an annual autumn dinner, previously held in Blacktown, but for 2024 the committee revamped the format to a Saturday afternoon tea.

As well as an inspiring talk by Jenny Salt on 1 Peter 2, the gathering gave local women an opportunity to hear a series of Christian women telling their stories.

Indigenous woman Kayleen Manton shared about her passion for ministry in Mount Druitt and Sharon Smith gave a heartfelt Region-wide

testimony of the challenges she had faced because of her Indigenous heritage, and how she had finally found peace and hope through Jesus at her local church in western Sydney.

Said Mrs Manton: “I should have been an alcoholic, because that was my family upbringing – gambling, all that. But [it’s] only because of Jesus that he’s changed me and led me on a different direction and path. And I’m proud and I feel privileged that God can use me, somebody from an Aboriginal community, to break that stereotype.”

She then spoke of an incident the previous week when she was refused service in a shop.

“I don’t want to be that angry Aboriginal woman that they expect,” she said. “You might have gotten this from somebody else, but you’re not getting it

“I feel privileged that God can use me”: Kayleen Manton at the event.

from me. So, that’s the challenge as an Aboriginal. Most of us who are Christians do go through those situations.

“Sometimes I give my[self a] pat on the back and say, ‘Good on ya. You walked away and you wasn’t angry’. I’m glad the Lord Jesus, you know, you can

help me to be that person. I’m glad that I can reflect you in that situation.”

The regional committee is planning to keep the momentum going, with the next event in its new format to be held on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2025. SC

Anglicare Job Opportunities

Finding purpose in your work can truly transform your professional life and be rewarding and fulfilling.

Anglicare has 160 years’ experience caring for people, including those in need. Join a diverse team of 4,000 hardworking employees and 2,000 faithful volunteers, who serve our community with compassion that transforms. With more than 400 unique roles across Anglicare including Community and Mission, Residential Care, Seniors Living, Anglicare at Home Services and Support Centre, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to grow and develop your career, all while doing the best work of your life.

If you would like to learn more about Anglicare job opportunities please visit our careers hub at www.anglicare.org.au/careers or contact our friendly recruitment team at jobs@anglicare.org.au

“We love because Jesus first loved us.” – 1 John 4:19

Find out more 9421 5344

www.anglicare.org.au/careers

Russell Powell

Moore College’s venerable training course, the Preliminary Theological Certificate or PTC, has been a staple for church members for many decades, but this year’s graduation may have taken the record for age span.

Sixty-eight awards were conferred on 65 students, from 12-year-old Joshua Liew to 86-year-old Norma Jacques.

“We are such a diverse bunch and the thing that holds us together is a love for the Lord Jesus Christ, and this course that has helped us to know him better,” said the Rev Dr Simon Gillham, the college’s then acting principal.

Geographical diversity was evident, too, as the graduates

live everywhere from Fiji to Shellharbour.

“Doing Level 1 PTC has been transformative,” said Adewale Obadina. “It is the best thing that has happened to me. I couldn’t get enough of it. I have grown closer to Jesus as a result of the course because when you get to know someone better, you grow closer to them.”

Norma Jacques began the PTC when she was 74. She was part of a group of 12 encouraged to study by her minister, the Rev Nigel Parker, and has completed all three levels of the course.

“If anyone is contemplating studying a PTC course, don’t be worried!” she said. “If I could start at 74, and do it for the last

“Take that opportunity”: Simon

12 years, anyone can do it – and if God’s calling you to study his word so that you know more about him, and so you can serve

him better, please take that opportunity. I’ve never regretted the time I have spent learning about our God.” SC

Gillham congratulates Norma Jacques.

Work on singleness wins Christian book of the year

Judy Adamson

The SparkLit Australian Christian Book of the Year for 2024 has been won by Sydney Anglican the Rev Dr Dani Treweek for The Meaning of Singleness: Retrieving an Eschatological Vision for the Contemporary Church

Dr Treweek, who worked in parish ministry at Centennial Park from 2009-2015 before tackling a PhD on the topic that became her book, told those at the awards ceremony last month that, in writing The Meaning of Singleness , she wanted to “start a conversation that I don’t think we had been having and that I thought was important for us to have... not just for single Christians but for who we are as God’s household – as brothers and sisters together.

“My hope is that people will pick up the book and engage with the ideas in it, percolate, discuss them with each other, particularly church leaders... and then just take it forward as we walk alongside each other as married and single Christians in the church community.”

The judges described The Meaning of Singleness as “a work of tremendous scholarship and intellectual acuity”, adding that Dr Treweek “demonstrates that in church history, in biblical exegesis and Christian theology, singleness has the same eternal significance as marriage.

“She takes on sacred cows and names Christian leaders who have veered away from the Bible to privilege marriage and devalue singleness. Treweek presents us with a vision of the church that is far more inclusive

and faithful to Scripture.

“Taken seriously, this book will change the way churches operate, preachers preach, Christian organisations act, friends befriend and, crucially, how we love and are loved.”

A number of Christian leaders appeared by video at the event to express their admiration and appreciation for the book, including the former director of the St Mark’s National Theological Centre in Canberra, the Rev Dr Andrew Cameron.

“[Christians] are enslaved to a number of false narratives about singleness and about relationships in general,” he said.

“But, in this book, Dani Treweek... gives back to us a biblical picture and a historical account, really, of how singleness was honoured in the church, and of how single and married people can respect each other’s vocations and work together differently.

“It’ll help you if you’re single, it’ll help you if you’re married and it’ll help us as a church.”

English pastor the Rev Sam Allberry said the book helped him realise his singleness was “not just an incidental detail... There’s theological significance and, indeed, eschatological significance as well. We will all be single in the age to come, and our singleness now makes sense in light of that. It has dignity in the light of that. It has consequence in the light of that. I’m so grateful for such a robust theological work as this.”

Dr Treweek, who is also founding director of the Single Minded community and conferences, said a biblical

perspective on singleness was so important “because marriage and singleness need each other. They make sense of each other. You don’t know what marriage is if you don’t have singleness. You don’t know what singleness is if you don’t have marriage.

“They’re not in competition... and I think that’s what we do in our church community far too often. We pit them against each other rather than actually seeing

them as complements that sit alongside one another... within the purposes of God’s plans and purposes for us.

“If we don’t have a robust, faithful, fruitful, pastorally nourishing theology of singleness as the church, we’re not just doing wrong by our unmarried brothers and sisters – we actually don’t understand who we are fully as the community of God’s people.” SC

Trusted for over 75 years, Anglicare At Home supports older people with compassionate and specialised home care.

Enjoy peace of mind, knowing your health and support needs are in caring, professional hands Services range from help around the home to high care nursing support. We also offer complimentary pastoral care services. Enjoy peace of mind with home care

Looking for Home Care? Call 1300 111 278 or visit anglicare.org.au/at-home

Robust theology: Dani Treweek receives her award from Michael Collie.

All God’s children

In West Tamworth, there is palpable excitement in Glen Street on Wednesdays. Children finish school and go straight to Aunty Lucy Gibbs’ place, where they wait for Frontyard Church to begin – filling in the time by running around or jumping on the trampoline.

In the late afternoon, about a dozen people arrive from St Peter’s, South Tamworth, spending the next half hour

at the vacant block next door unpacking a shipping container full of chairs, tables and lights, plus a sound system and the allimportant barbecues. It’s still cold in the evening, so they bring out three metal drums for fire pits, plus bags of lap blankets and beanies.

While this is happening, a couple of others go around West Tamworth – known to most locals as Coledale – to invite

people to come to Frontyard Church. The ministry is aimed at primary school children, with 60 to 120 joining each week for church, followed by a simple dinner of home-cooked hamburgers.

The work is led by the Rev Jum Naden, an Indigenous assistant minister St Peter’s, who says, “This ministry is highly relational and we try to keep things fairly simple”. Simple does not mean

unsubstantial: Rev Jum took the children through a doctrine series based on J.I. Packer’s Knowing God in Term 1, followed by studies in Judges and prayer. Each week Frontyard Church follows the same format. It begins with five or six songs – usually by Colin Buchanan – with guitar accompaniment. Then there is prayer, Bible reading and a short talk. Over time the meetings have looked

Rachel Doran Church in the yard: Jum Naden speaks at an outreach rally on the block of land in Coledale.

at “important words” from the Bible such as sin, salvation, illumination and sanctification, as well as completing Emu Kids’ The King, the Snake and the Promise series.

“WE ARE ONE HUMANITY IN GOD’S IMAGE”

The Coledale ministry began in 2011, after the current Bishop of Armidale, Rod Chiswell, became vicar of South Tamworth. Over time, the work has grown to include a parish- and Anglicarefunded community chaplain, fortnightly mobile pantry and Bible study, and a breakfast club and weekly Scripture Union SupaClub at the local public school.

Rev Jum is appreciative of this support for the Coledale community.

“It’s really encouraging to see more and more people come and be part of the church service and to see more people join the team of volunteers who make things happen,” he says. “And that applies to the Anglicare

pantry van and Bible circle on Thursdays as well.”

Bishop Chiswell says that, in the towns and communities of the Armidale diocese, the proportion of Indigenous people ranges from 11 per cent to 60 per cent, adding: “If we’re not reaching out with the good news of Jesus, who is doing it? We are one humanity in God’s image, with one problem: all are under sin, and one solution – the Lord Jesus Christ.”

His passion for Indigenous ministry was fired by his time as vicar of Mungindi, in the north of the diocese, where within weeks of his arrival a couple of Indigenous Christian women asked if he would read the Bible with them.

“We had a group of two initially, which grew to three and five and so on, all in the front yard,” he says. “We’d sit around in chairs and chat. Sometimes we’d have a fire and cook doughboys with honey. I loved it and how relational it was.”

When he became vicar

of South Tamworth, “I had Coledale with 3000 residents in my parish, one third of whom are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders. We were growing as a church at St Peter’s and looking to potentially plant another

congregation, and I had a vision to begin a work in Coledale, mainly to reach the Aboriginal people.

“We started as a small Bible study group [in someone’s home]... then we would go

ABN

Chat time: (from left) Margaret Love, Aunty Maria Johnstone, Angie Haines and Aunty Lucy Gibbs yarn around the fire in Aunty Lucy’s front yard.

outside and sit around a fire and offer hot chocolate to those who wandered by and read Bible stories to kids if they wanted us to.”

Some of the women at Frontyard Church recall those early days. “We would walk past... and [they] would sing out to us every time, ‘Come on, come in’,” one woman recalls. “We’d say, ‘No, we’re right’, and keep going. But we started to go in.”

Says Bishop Chiswell: “[Eventually, we] started doorknocking and inviting people with flyers each Wednesday afternoon, then we would have a Frontyard Church gathering at Aunty Lucy’s around 5pm, in a similar format to now but much smaller: first eight people, then 10, then 12, then 15, then 20 and so on over the years.”

For Aunty Lucy, it’s always been about the children. “I’ll do anything for any kids. If they come and ask Aunty Lucy, I’ll make sure I get what they need. I’ve lived my life, but theirs is just beginning and that’s where I’ve got to step in. I’m trying to guide them.”

Adds Aunty Maria Johnstone: “Since Frontyard Church has been going, Coledale has changed. People come down here because they know where their kids are. They know that we pray for them, and they see those prayers answered. We’ve got people who really care. They’ve brought respect back into the kids, and the adults too”.

THE FUTURE AT COLEDALE

When the children reach high school, they tend to stop coming to Frontyard Church because they think they’ve outgrown it. Everyone wants to see teenagers stay involved and, with a ministry centre now being constructed on the block (see above), the women hope to offer supports like an after-school homework group for older kids. Rev Jum is tremendously excited by the prospect of the

A MINISTRY ROOF OVER THEIR

HEADS

Frontyard Church has been going since 2014 and, while everyone enjoys being outside, when it rains everything has to be cancelled – usually at the last minute.

A decision was made about five years ago to buy a block of land in Coledale where the church now meets, in the hope of one day building a ministry centre. In July, with about 20 per cent of the $330,000 cost still to be raised, a concrete slab was poured and construction of the building finally began. People and organisations have been supporting the ministry and building project for years – including Sydney’s Work Outside the Diocese Committee. Frontyard Church’s ministry leader, the Rev Jum Naden, is also grateful for the support of Anglicare, particularly over the past two years.

“The church has never really had a permanent place to secure the long-term

ministry centre. “This has been a long-term dream for the Coledale ministry – it’s exciting because the attendance has grown so much it would never fit in Lucy’s front yard any more!”

Senior minister at St Peter’s, the Rev Xavier Lukins, says a key aspect of Frontyard Church’s success is Rev Jum’s leadership and a core team of resilient, enthusiastic and committed people.

“We’re praying that it will be a training platform for others interested in Indigenous ministry or ministry in marginalised areas,” he says. “We’ve now got a block of land, we’ve got a committed team, we’ve got a staff member and [we will soon] have a building. It’s a really good platform to work from.

ministry going forward, so [the centre] will make such a big difference,” he says. “To be able to meet regardless of what the weather’s like would be such a joy for us as a church, but also for the whole community.”

Rev Jum would love the new centre to be finished by October but adds with a laugh that “it’s taken us five years to get to this point! October would be great, but it wouldn’t surprise me or the church or the community if it was longer.

“As a church we’re really excited because it gives us greater scope to try different things in reaching out to the community. Hopefully the Lord will bless our efforts as we take the gospel to people who live there.”

To help St Peter’s, South Tamworth finish raising the funds to complete the Coledale ministry centre go to: www.stpeterstamworth.org.au

“Pray for wisdom that we culturally hit the right notes so that the building will be full in the years to come with people praising the Lord Jesus, and for much fruit from those seeds sown into the children.”

As the conversation around the fire draws to a close, the women are asked what this building will mean to the community.

Aunty Maria, who attends both St Peter’s and Frontyard Church, says, “The main message the building will bring is that it’s something being given to Coledale. They know now that there are people trying to help the community, that they love Coledale for what it is and are not putting it down.

“You get a lot of people who used to come in and do

something which didn’t work, so they moved out again. There was no trust. Knowing that you’re bringing the building people say, ‘Oh, wow, they’re gonna stay here. You’re gonna stay’.” SC

This is an edited version of a story that first appeared in Armidale’s diocesan magazine The Link

PRAY

• that teenagers and adults in the area will come under God’s word regularly

• for God to fulfill the dream of planting a Sunday congregation at Coledale, and the wisdom to lead it well

• for staffing of Frontyard Church, now and into the future

ELEVEN. THAT’S ALL WE NEED

Eleven people for our parishes without clergy1

Ministry in the Bathurst Diocese is different. Our shepherds smell like their sheep because of the time they spend with them.2 They quietly build connections that last. They understand that everyone has a story worth listening to. They value the individual, not just their role or contribution. They embrace flexibility, as life in a small town can be unpredictable. They nurture a sense of belonging, where everyone feels valued. They gently guide, rather than direct from a distance. They invest in the lives of others and watch them flourish. They journey alongside, through life's joys and challenges. And they keep it real; being authentic in all interactions.

“That’s not so different,” you may think. “City churches and ministers aspire to those priorities and values too.” True! And yet out here in the west, these are essential. And there is more time and opportunity to make them a focus.

Many people who have only lived in the city have limited exposure to life out west. They can envisage the challenges but haven’t experienced them. And there are many! Our congregations are aging with some wedded to tradition and unwilling to change. There are few families or young people in our churches. There is isolation from family and friends. And finances are challenging3. And yet believers have been making similar sacrifices to work remotely for the sake of the gospel for centuries. Just as we still need to be sending people to Africa, Asia and Europe, so do we need people for Condobolin, Coonabarabran and Coonamble.

The costs are real, but so are the needs and opportunities. Believers here are hungry for the word of God and clear teaching. Many have an increasing Jesus-like compassion for the harassed and helpless. They want to share Jesus so that others will find the joy and life and hope and forgiveness they have found. The schools here are full and flourishing and there have been opportunities to link parish roles with chaplaincy and SRE. God is good and has graciously provided financial support for some of our ministers through BCA4, family, friends and past churches5

And there are many delights when ministering in a small country town. Rural life and ministry occur at a vastly different pace to the city. Hardly any ministry happens at night. And the Bathurst Diocese policy and expectation (as of 2023), is that ministry happens five days a week (of course understanding that at times, flexibility is needed). There is a close connection with neighbouring clergy, even though they may be an hour or more away! There is help available – from me or a senior colleague - whenever there’s a need. There are fortnightly zoom training sessions for our new ministers and monthly zoom meetings for all clergy for fellowship, prayer, and support. There is a powerful sense of gospel partnership and collegiality in the Bathurst Diocese, which is proving to be such a blessing to all.

We are seeing the Lord marvellously at work here. In the last three years, some congregations have doubled in size or more. Children’s work, youth work, kids’ clubs, and playgroups have been established or reestablished in some churches. People have become Christians. The number of Bible study groups is growing. Giving is increasing. Most of our parishes are planning strategically for the future. Safe ministry policies are up to date and have been embraced. Clergy are trained, supported, and encouraged. Licensed laypeople are also being trained and set free to minister in new ways. There is greater engagement with diocesan events such as our annual conference and camp. There is an increasing excitement and passion for our diocesan catchphrase, Sharing Jesus for Life.

“That all sounds great,” you may ask, “but what does this have to do with me?”

Firstly, would you please pray that the Lord would continue to raise up gospel workers for his harvest field here in the west?

If you’re on a staff team at a big city church, might you consider a move to the country? Or do you belong to a city church that has the vision and heart to serve the west by sending one of your (willing!) clergy out here along with some funds to help support them?

Or would you consider coming out as a children’s and youth worker (with funds to support you). You could come as a women’s pastor to teach and disciple women, or men’s pastor to teach and disciple men. You could move out as a layperson and join a church to volunteer as a Bible study leader or licensed lay minister.

Has your church thought about partnering with one of ours? You could pray, give, send a mission team, or send one of your ministers for a couple of weekends a year to bless a congregation that rarely has a minister visit. Or if you are a retired clergy person, you could consider serving for a month or two at a time as a locum.

Or has the Lord blessed you financially? You could consider purchasing a property in one of our towns which has no rectory, so that a significant financial burden in appointing a minister is diminished; or simply donate a portion of a stipend to assist a parish.

I would love to have a conversation with anyone who would consider joining us. If you would like a taste of rural ministry, we can set you up in the holidays to be involved in one of our churches. The challenges are real; the opportunities greater! Please email me to arrange a time to come to visit you in person, or even just to begin with a phone or video call!

Mark Calder

Bishop, Anglican Diocese of Bathurst Covering central and western NSW bishop@bathurstanglican.org.au

1 Bourke-Brewarrina, Condobolin, Coolah-Dunedoo, Coonabarabran, Coonamble, Cumnock, Gilgandra, Nyngan, Trundle, Warren, West Wyalong

2 Thanks Luke Merriman, our new minister in Narromine.

3 We could not continue as a diocese without the generous support from Sydney Diocese, supporting the bishop and business manager. We are very thankful. The initial 6-year gift has been extended to 2030.

“They get married as children, and then start having children”

Two Brand New Songs of Praise

Russell Powell

Genital mutilation and child marriage awaits many girls as they become teenagers in Africa, but a second Tanzanian diocese has begun to lift the status of teenage girls through Christian education – with strong support from Sydney Anglicans.

“Girls are in a very precarious, very challenging situation in much of Africa,” says Bishop Mwita Akiri, who leads the Tarime Diocese east of Lake Victoria and west of the Serengeti. “If you have two children, one is a boy, one is a girl, parents are likely to offer opportunity to the boy.”

Dr Akiri says the culture is changing, but change needs to happen faster.

“Where I come from, there is a crude and old practice of female gender mutilation. The girls get circumcised by the time they finish seven years of primary

school [and] the next thing for them is marriage. So, if we create opportunity for them for secondary education, it means they’re there for another four years, which gets them to adult age.

“Hopefully they can go to high school, then university, but even if they didn’t [pursue tertiary education] at least the churches contribute to getting them to adult age and then they can pursue other avenues for the future.”

Giving a future to girls and young women is why longterm CMS missionary, the Rev Canon Helen Hoskins, pioneered the establishment of female secondary schools in the neighbouring Mara Diocese. Bunda Girls’ Secondary School opened in 2014 with help from the Archbishop of Sydney’s Anglican Aid. Shalom School,

Tremendous need for girls’ secondary schools: Laying the foundations for a Christian high school in Tarime Diocese, Tanzania.

GIRLS’ EDUCATION AND HELEN HOSKINS DAY

The impact of the fruitful ministry of Sydney CMS missionary the Rev Canon Helen Hoskins continues to be felt in the Diocese of Mara. So much so that Mara’s bishop, Dr George Okoth, has declared that Helen will be annually celebrated on May 12, which he has declared Helen Hoskins Day.

Canon Hoskins worked in the diocese for more than 24 years. She was the founder of the Bunda Girls’ Secondary School, ACT Shalom Primary School and the Girls’ Brigade Centre Technical College.

a pre- and primary school supported by Anglican Aid with funds from a private foundation, opened in 2018.

Dr Akiri spoke at Anglican Aid’s conference at Moore College in August, which also heard an update about the work of the schools in Mara (see above). Tarime Diocese has drawn inspiration from Mara, and is now planning its own education outreach.

There is already a preschool, which Dr Akiri says gives children “a better environment, quality education when they’re still younger so that they can begin to see the light, see the

The diocese described the day as a unique honour and, when it was first celebrated in May this year, the Girls’ Brigade service included a highly approriate text selected by Bishop Okoth – Hebrews 13:7:

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith

Canon Hoskins’ dream was to have a guest house enabling school groups from other countries to visit. With the help of funds from Anglican Aid, it

was completed in January. In July, the first school group visited – from Helen Hoskins’ alma mater, Abbotsleigh.

The school’s senior chaplain, the Rev Sarah Hobba, was in the group, as were various girls from Sydney Anglican families – appropriate given that some of Abbotsleigh’s families have also supported bursaries for Bunda Girls’ Secondary School.

Roseville College is also a supporter, and has a sister school relationship with Bunda Girls’ and the new Shalom co-educational junior school.

opportunities, and be nurtured in Christian faith while they’re also learning and starting a journey towards their future”.

To help with this ongoing aim, the urgent need is for a girls’

high school to open next year.

“That is actually the project I hope to finish before I retire,”

Dr Akiri says. “I need to get the girls there to start the education in January 2025.”

At the moment, the school is a cluster of partly finished buildings. “We still need money because these buildings haven’t got windows, haven’t got doors, haven’t got the tiling,” he explains.

“We have to connect power from the national grid – the national electric supply to the school. We have to do the fencing for the girls so that they can be secure. These are things which still require money and, with my retirement just around the corner, I need all the heavens and all the angels here in Sydney to pray with me to make this a reality.” SC

The case for better education for Tanzanian girls.

Canon Helen Hoskins tours the Diocese of Mara with then-Archbishop of Sydney, Glenn Davies, in 2019.

Partly finished: Bishop Akiri at the school he wants to open next year.

Multifaceted support keeps youth in church

Tara Sing

From the young adults who led him at youth group to the 65-year-olds who knew him by name, Al James (right) certainly remembers the relationships he had at church when he was young. These helped him develop a deeper connection to the broader body of Christ and shaped his faith.

Youthworks research into youth retention at church is uncovering the significance of relationships like these, which are one of the key factors helping young people who grow up in church to remain in church.

Currently less than two thirds of those who attend church as children continue to do so into adulthood. Increasing this percentage requires a multifaceted approach,

focusing on deep discipleship, family involvement and intergenerational relationships.

EARLY LINKS

Although the official report is not due for some months, preliminary connections are emerging. The research so far has revealed a strong correlation between children who remain in church as adults and the following:

Families as faith hubs –beyond family Bible devotions and prayers, faith is discussed in everyday conversations; Cultural relevance – young people need a strong understanding of how faith makes sense in their world; Partnering with parents –formal children’s and youth

ministries are fantastic, but must partner with families to be fully effective; Intergenerational discipleship – young people need strong relationships with other adults at church, and a way to contribute and serve the wider church community.

“The big picture of this [research] is there is a whole ecosystem giving young people a sense that the faith they are living out works in the world they live in,” says Mr James, who is

WHO ARE YOU RAISING UP?

a youth ministry advisor with Youthworks.

FAMILY FAITH

Talking about God at home correlates with a strong retention of young people in church.

“It’s easy for us to talk about family devotions – reading the Bible around the dinner table – and while I would never say that it’s not a good thing to do, research from a book called Handing Down the Faith talks about impromptu, ad-hoc, informal conversations,” Mr James says.

“It talks about parents being ready to have conversations about how the Christian life works, how faith interacts with the world the kids are inhabiting

Youthworks College partners with churches to train leaders in effective gospel ministry to children and young people, through an integrated approach to theological study. Start your ministry journey at our Newtown campus or online. FIND OUT MORE

Research reveals keys to youth engagement and how to help them deal with the real challenges they’re facing along the way – trivial or significant or societal.

“It’s not having all the answers, but displaying to the kids that this is not just a fix on Sunday. It’s something that we are living out day to day. We’ll talk on a Tuesday or a Thursday about how faith impacts how we do relationships at school, or study, or exams, or why helping around the house is important.

“It’s an integrated faith, not just a Sunday faith... that is able to interact and wrestle with the real challenges young people are facing.”

WHO DO YOU INVEST IN?

One danger of having brilliant children’s and youth ministries is that we can inadvertently leave investing in young people to the leaders. Mr James observes that discipling young people is something for the whole church.

“Just as we would want adults to encourage one another, we also want to recognise there’s

a place for the whole body of Christ to encourage our kids and for our kids to encourage our adults,” he says, adding that adults in church have a responsibility to look to connect with and encourage younger people in appropriate ways.

“The primary responsibility of discipleship to young people lies with the family. God has tasked this to the household – but the household can include more people than just Mum and Dad and siblings. What we’re trying to create is a five-to-one team [five adults to every youth], or create a discipleship group or family around young people.

“That’s done best when it’s led by the family rather than as a program of the church. And that’s done through relationships and through community.”

Mr James recalls a family at the church he attended as a child whose kids were his leaders at youth group and kids’ club, and whose mother was “very invested in all of the young people”.

“I remember another much older saint who conversed with us whipper snappers. They didn’t speak the ‘lingo’, they weren’t cool, but they always remained interested and ready for conversation.

“Sometimes I was not easy to talk to and would ask challenging questions, and they were very gracious. It enabled me to wrestle with faith, knowing that someone would be okay if I didn’t have all the answers yet. I was very blessed by God to have a number of different people who were interested in me and my faith at the various stages along the way.”

PRAY

Mr James remembers that even though youth ministry was agespecific, there was a sense at his church that young people were connected to something bigger and he was also welcome in that wider space.

“Being a teenager is complicated,” he says. “My story is that the body of Christ gave me a deep sense of connection. Sixty-five year olds are often scared of 14 year olds, and 14 year olds often don’t know they need – or want – to talk to 65 year olds. That’s a barrier that in God’s kindness is and can be overcome, but it can take some persistence.” SC

that through the holistic discipleship of young people, they will encounter and grow in a coherent biblical faith that they can see works in the world

• for families who take on the daunting task of discipling their children, that they will keep faith on the agenda and talk about how Jesus makes an impact on how young people live

• for churches to take seriously how young people are discipled now, recognising that they can meaningfully contribute to the life and faith of others and to the body of Christ

JOIN OUR OUTDOOR MINISTRY TEAM!

Are you passionate about the great outdoors and eager to make a lasting impact on young lives through ministry? Combine your love for nature with your faith in our Christian Outdoor Ministry Traineeship.

What’s in it for you?

Hands-On Experience: Gain practical skills in outdoor education and adventure-based learning while actively leading students.

Spiritual Growth: Deepen your relationship with God through regular spiritual training, discipleship in a team of like-minded believers.

Accredited Training: Receive nationally recognised qualifications in outdoor recreation that will equip you for a variety of career paths.

Supportive Community: Be part of a vibrant, Christ-centred community that encourages leadership development and a commitment to serving others.

Already Qualified? Now hiring for Outdoor Ministry Leaders at our Port Hacking and Shoalhaven sites.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!

Scan the QR code to learn more and apply today!

Embark on an adventure of faith, leadership, and service—join us at Youthworks!

Leaders in Training conference goes national

Tara Sing

From his very first visit, Andy Stevenson knew the Leaders in Training conference was something special.

Twenty years later, he is still caught by the vision to disciple and train senior high school students for a lifetime of following Jesus and serving others.

That same vision has now spread around the country –with LiT camps launching in other states and towns.

From one NSW camp in 1999, LiT has grown to five camps around Australia with more in the pipeline.

Three are run by Youthworks in spring and summer holidays in Sydney, Tasmania began LiT

Strengthening young people to serve: senior high school students at an LiT camp in Sydney.

five years ago and Victoria’s camp was established in 2021.

Next year, LiT camps are set to launch in South Australia and Western Australia.

There are also discussions with gospel partners in Queensland, and foundations are being laid for future conferences

with partners in the Northern Territory, the Armidale Diocese and the Diocese of Canberra-Goulburn.

“When I first attended LiT, I thought, ‘These young people are switched on!’” recalls Mr Stevenson, who is head of Youthworks’ ministry support team. “It created a culture for all young people to be keen to inspire and encourage one another to continue following Jesus, and to get involved in ministry and have a crack at it. That is quite powerful.”

A SHARED VISION

“The driver behind LiT has always stayed the same,” he adds. “It’s to help senior high school young people in their discipleship of Jesus, living as Christians amongst their friends at school. It’s to see them sharing their faith and being able to be young leaders in their churches and communities.

“From there, the idea is we train them in the foundations of teaching the Bible in various contexts... in multiple ministry workshops such as children’s ministry, school lunchtime group leadership, evangelism and many more church and school-based ministries.”

Seeing young people flourish

like this involves working closely with local churches.

“We have churches send their young people and they provide leaders. Together, across the churches, we’ve built great leadership teams to do the core business of discipleship and training young people for a life of following Jesus and for ministry, both now and in the future.”

A PRAYER FOR GROWTH

As LiT’s conference reach expands, Mr Stevenson prays the camp culture will remain focused on young people growing in Christ and partnering well with local churches.

“I’m so thankful for the likeminded partnership with people all over the country,” he says.

“I’m thankful for the vision of many to see that the resources and camps like LiT are the place where we start to train people who will lead our churches in the future.

“I’m praying LiT continues to start the leadership pathway for young people in churches around the country, all while seeing them strengthened to serve their local churches and communities.” SC

For details about LiT, see www.youthworks.net/lit

Faith questions this generation ask

Judy Adamson

It doesn’t seem so long ago that, when talking to young people about Jesus, the questions most often related to whether Christianity was true, and the historical facts of our faith.

These days, campuses are still buzzing with gospel workers keen to talk about the good news with students searching for answers... but what are they asking about?

For Ryan and Natasha Betbeder-Matibet, both in their second year of Campus Bible Study’s traineeship program at the University of NSW, the questions they’re most commonly asked are less about whether Christianity is true (or even if it’s good), but more about whether it “works” and can blend appropriately with a student’s own experience.

“Non-Christians are interested in the practicalities of whether Christianity works, in terms of: Do you get to talk to God? And does he actually answer your prayers?” Mr Betbeder-Matibet says. “I think the questions are more experiential than moral.”

He recalls a walk-up chat with one student who regarded Jesus as an imaginary friend he could unburden himself to when he was stressed.

“I said Jesus might talk back to him... He wanted to know how that worked, and is it possible that Jesus could talk to him in the Bible, and what would he say? It was experiential. I think this generation has a self-defining attitude to truth – that is, my experience is what the truth is.”

Mrs Betbeder-Matibet agrees, having had a number of conversations with people who made up their minds about

“I think the questions are more experiential than moral” : Ryan and Natasha Betbeder-Matibet at UNSW.

God and the Bible based on their experiences. So, “if that doesn’t align with what the church and the Bible are saying, they say, ‘I’m going to change how I perceive God rather than let the Bible show me how to see him –fit him into that rather than let the Bible tell me who he is.’”

It’s not too far from her own faith journey, which began early in high school. Despite being open to what the Bible was saying, she recalls working to fit what she read or heard into her existing experience.

“However, as I continued to read the Bible, I grew and learnt that God is the one who tells us who he is... He shows us that experience can’t be relied upon,” she says. “You as a created being deciding something for yourself just isn’t the ultimate source of truth, unlike the God of the universe telling you!”

HAVING A CONVERSATION

If you want to talk about Jesus with someone of university age, the couple suggests that:

• discussion about the historical Jesus could still

be part of a conversation, but unbelievers are more likely to bring it up as proof that we can’t trust what the Bible or other sources say, because it’s too long ago (they also think the same thing about Julius Caesar);

• students are looking for solutions to the problems of the world, Natasha says – from housing crises to war and global warming – so they need to see that “the big problem of the world is actually sin, and that the Bible provides the perfect solution for the problems they’re experiencing”;

• the greatest barrier to faith is understanding that living with Jesus as Lord will change their life and lifestyle;

• they’re most likely to lean into the things of faith if they have a Christian friend, and are shown the biblical character and person of Jesus.

“Having a Christian friend they can trust is really big but the character of Jesus is also quite

compelling,” Mrs BetbederMatibet says. “Instead of dwelling on all these other issues and problems they might have with the Bible or Christianity, you show them Jesus – who might be very different to the Jesus that they think they know!

“Relationship is really important. Building trust. It’s so important to care about them as a person and not just as a ‘project’. They’re human, and they have had different experiences in their life that will mean they’re interested in different things, so be prepared to show them Jesus and build a relationship with them.”

Adds Mr Betbeter-Matibet:

“The other challenge is, do you feel you can explain your experience of the world today from the Bible? Because I think if you struggle to do that you might struggle to share the gospel with young people.

“I don’t think I’m raising the bar there... if you understand the gospel you can explain the world we are living in. And that’s a good thing for Christians to think about.” SC

Archbishop speaks

Sydney’s great need

Kanishka Raffel

Two years ago we met in the southwest growth corridor at Oran Park and I asked you, “Do you see the crowds?” The crowds of people moving into Sydney –growth areas and established areas, people from many nations, people without knowledge of the Lord and his cross. Do you see the crowds? I believe you do.

Today I want to ask, will you help the crowds see Jesus?

The great need of Sydney is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. I do not mean that Sydney does not have many other pressing and important needs. Our churches and agencies are constantly engaged in responding to the real-life impact of cost-of-living pressure, the housing crisis and the wickedness of violence against women. Motions and reports in our business paper range across these issues as well as the scourge of online gambling. Our churches, schools and agencies engage with the felt and physical needs of Sydneysiders throughout the Diocese, and I am very thankful for all the ways in which so many respond to the needs of others with practical and financial assistance, the truth and comfort of God’s word, in prayer, compassion and personal support.

But Jesus said to the paralysed man who was brought to him by his four excellent friends, “son, your sins are forgiven”. In doing so, he taught that beyond our visible and felt needs are our deepest needs – and only Jesus has authority to minister to what is deepest

as well as what is on the surface. Our need for reconciliation with God, forgiveness, freedom from the chains of the world, the flesh and the devil, rescue from God’s just judgement on sin, and hope in this world and the next.

The task before us, without neglecting what compassion requires, is bringing the life and hope and grace of the gospel of the Lord Jesus to the 6 million or so individuals that inhabit Greater Sydney and the Illawarra. I have expressed our goals as a diocesan fellowship in terms of multiplying disciples of the Lord Jesus, multiplying churches and multiplying leaders in mission.

MULTIPLYING CHURCHES

We’re here in the northwest growth corridor, 37 kilometres northwest of Sydney’s CBD. Its 120 square kilometres include the parishes of Marsden Park, Quakers Hill, Riverstone, Mt Druitt, Stanhope, Kellyville, Rouse Hill, Pitt Town and Windsor. Since 2000, Sydney Anglicans have been planting churches in these suburbs as they have grown in population – Kellyville in 2001, Rouse Hill in 2008, Stanhope Gardens in 2020; and we have greenfield sites in Marsden Park, Riverstone and Box Hill. The population in this area is expected to grow by 10,000 people every year from now until 2031.

Dear brothers and sisters, you ought not to think that commitment to the evangelisation of new communities is a

common or ordinary thing. I assure you it is not. I praise God for his work among us, to give us a heart for the lost sheep that beats with the heartbeat of God. Every parish across our Diocese shares in this work. What a joy that is! What a gift of God! What a privilege! But I believe we can do more and we must do more.

We are not content merely to belong to a healthy, growing church; we want every Anglican church across the Diocese to thrive, grow and be a faithful and fruitful instrument in the hand of the Lord. And we have rejoiced to combine resources and determine together, led by the Spirit of God, to establish schools, Anglicare, Moore College and Youthworks, among others. We have a long history of parishes planting new works in partnership; today numerous partnerships between local churches enable ministry in marginalised communities, Indigenous ministry, ministry in culturally defined communities (as well as ministry in the Bathurst and Armidale dioceses), to name a few. And we have gladly partnered with other gospel-centred denominations and organisations as well.

We have done this because of the conviction that God has been at work in the fellowship of Sydney Anglicans for many generations. That we ought to count ourselves as those who have received much and from whom much will be expected. That we have been given “five talents” and will not prove faithful stewards attending to our Master’s business if we only return what he has entrusted to us, and only harness these resources for ourselves while leaving countless souls in growing parts of Sydney without a witness to the gospel of the Lord Jesus, and facing a desperate eternity without him.

In recent years, a few parishes committed substantial resources from the sale of underutilised or surplus assets to fund church planting in the greenfields, sometimes alongside undertaking their own revitalisation strategy. I hope such examples are an encouragement to you and a stimulus to your prayers as you consider how to support new churches for new communities.

At the beginning of this year, with the endorsement of last year’s Synod, the Anglican Church Property Trust, the Anglican Church Growth Corporation, New Churches for New Communities and the St Andrew’s House Corporation merged and became Sydney Anglican Property. This was the most significant restructure of Sydney Anglican property organisations for 50 years. I am extremely grateful to God for the men and women who served in governance and in management of these organisations, and I praise God for the gospel-minded mission clarity that drove their commitment to implementing this change.

MULTIPLYING DISCIPLES

The mission that Jesus left to his disciples is to make and mature disciple-making disciples. We must not accept the perspective of our unbelieving culture that faith is merely inward, personal, subjective and private. We must not think that we have been saved by the Lord for an entirely future experience of his sufficiency and beauty and power – and, in the meantime, make our way through life as best we can, holding down a job, caring for our families and looking to the Lord to smooth the way. That would be far too meagre a discipleship so as hardly to be worthy of the name.

The apostle Peter says, “you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light”. There is an apostolic vision of discipleship!

I take it that every Sydney Anglican is able to explain to another

person how it is that they came to confess Jesus as Lord and trust in him as Saviour. I take it that you are able to bear witness to the power of Jesus’ transforming grace in your life. I take it that the character of your life is such that the resurrection of Jesus is the only explanation for it. Why would you devote six half days [at Synod] to the business of our fellowship if this were not so? Why would you devote your hard-earned money, and your discretionary time, and your gifts, skills and expertise to the work of making Christ known, encouraging his people, serving others in his name, if it were not so?

How I praise God for the faithful witness of ordinary Sydney Anglicans to the lordship of Christ in their lives. It is rare, thrilling and beautiful. We know that average Australians are far more likely to investigate Christian faith as a result of the testimony of ordinary people who live out their faith in a genuine way than they are through the words of religious officials like me or the throwaway references to the spiritual by prominent people and so-called celebrities. Our culture prizes authenticity and it is open to respecting and even admiring authentic faith lived out.

May I ask you for whose salvation you are praying? Who is it that you long to come to know Jesus? I have thought recently that my own efforts at praying for the salvation of those far away from the Lord has been far too weak. So, here is what I have decided to do, with the help of God. Five days of prayer for those who don’t know Christ. Can we pray each week for five people to come to know the Lord?

FIVE DAYS OF PRAYER

Day 1 a family member

Day 2 a friend – work colleague, sporting buddy, someone from your book club, the parent of your child’s school friend

Day 3 an acquaintance – a neighbour, your doctor, your barista, your Uber driver, the person you buy milk and bread from

Day 4 people you no longer see on a regular or even occasional basis (either because they’ve moved away or you have, or life moved on). God can work in their lives through others, in response to your prayers

Day 5 someone who has drifted from Christian fellowship or Christian faith

We must reclaim a sense of personal responsibility for sharing God’s word with others – and, as churches, seek to support one another in doing so.

Last year’s Synod requested the Standing Committee to report on average attendance and the impact of social change on church attendance. The Attendance Patterns and Mission in the Diocese report presented to this Synod fulfils that request, and I am very grateful to the members of the committee for their work in bringing it to us. I make the following brief observations.

The finding that two-thirds of church centres in the Diocese experienced decline over the decade to 2023, and that average adult attendance declined by nearly 7 per cent (or just over 14 per cent adjusted for population growth) is rightly a matter for deep reflection, prayerful lament and frank self-examination – including, where necessary, repentance as well as positive, deliberate and hopeful response and action in dependence on God. Complacency is not an option, but neither should we give in to despair or self-pity. The committee is at pains to point out there is no blame in this exercise, but there should be robust and

considered response. That is why I hope every senior minister, parish council and ministry team will give it consideration in the months ahead, seeking in a humble and open way to learn from its findings. Responding to these findings will require the engagement of the whole church, not only the ministry team.

The report is full of numbers, statistics and graphs but every number represents a person. And every person in church matters. Every member matters, every visitor matters. Every encounter with another person matters. Perhaps paradoxically, attention to systems and structures and even statistics – all right and proper things – might inadvertently result in a failure to attend to the thing that is closest to the heart of the Lord. People.

Of course, the issue is not merely that churches have declined in attendance but that they have not grown. The report makes reference to the impact of secularisation expressed in the numbers of people who recorded “No religion” in the 2021 Census. The two regions that had the greatest decline in church attendance also had the greatest increase in the number of people who identified as having no religion.

A 2017 McCrindle study found that 61 per cent of Australians are attracted to the person of Jesus, though one in 29 have never heard of him! Encouragingly, Australians who know at least one Christian are likely to use the words “caring”, “loving” and “kind” to describe them.

This represents a marvellous opportunity. People are more open than we might think! And yet, between 2016 and 2021, the National Church Life Survey (NCLS) found that the number of Sydney Anglicans who invited others to church fell from 39 per cent to 32 per cent. Perhaps one of the more concerning findings of the 2021 NCLS was the continuing decline in the number of new people in church, which fell from 12 per cent in 2001 to 5.4 per cent in 2021. These are matters for deep reflection and selfassessment as well as prayerful, united and courageous change.

Are we really welcoming? Do people feel judged or cared for when they come to church? Is it okay to have questions or a messy life? If someone came to church and listened in on the after-church conversation would they be attracted or repelled?

We must not run silent on the great themes of the Bible, including those that may be unpalatable to newcomers, but neither should we be indifferent to the kind of community we are and the way we interact with those among us who are not yet Christian. We are to speak the truth in love, with all the diligence, care and wisdom that implies.

Have we lost hope that God is able to save even the most unlikely person? Have we become angry or frightened by social

change around us? Are we so burdened by life’s difficulties or so distracted by life’s pleasures that we have lost sight of the kingdom? Have we become resentful of a culture that no longer gives us much thought or status? They gave no status to Jesus either when God in the flesh came among us. Yet Jesus “saw the crowds, and had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd”.

Will you pray with me for a heart more burdened for the lost?

MULTIPLYING LEADERS

Synod has before it a request to approve, in principle, the establishment of a new diocesan evangelism engine to be known as Evangelism and Ministry Partnerships.

The proposal is to restructure Evangelism and New Churches, Ministry Training and Development (MT&D) and Anglican Media to align the activities of all three around the same mission goals and priorities. We want to put the “people” functions of the Diocese in the same room with the evangelism and church planting functions so they work together, inform each other’s thinking and practice, and present to those whom God is raising up from among us a clear pathway into ministry in this Sydney Anglican fellowship, that accompanies and supports them on the whole journey.

The development of The Well Training program – a collaboration between the Ministry in Marginalised Areas Committee, Moore College, several parishes and some key seed partners – is an expression of our desire to ensure we are involved in gospel work in all kinds of communities in every part of the Diocese.

It is a great joy to me that within our diocesan fellowship are those who are labouring to bring the gospel to the tens of thousands of people from other places and backgrounds, who are now part of our community and know little or nothing of the Lord and his gospel. The Satya group, named after the Hindi word for truth, is equipping us for ministry to those of South Asian background. MTM works closely with churches in areas where there are many people of Muslim faith.

Thirty-five of our congregations are Chinese speaking. Other non-English language services include Indonesian, Japanese, Dinka, Vietnamese, Urdu, Farsi and Arabic. A recent Southern Cross reported on the establishment of a new Korean language service in Lidcombe, through a partnership between Enfield-Strathfield and Lidcombe parishes, and conversations are taking place between other churches considering a partnership in foreign language ministry to cater to large ethnic populations distributed around Sydney.

Dr Amelia Haines

M.B.B.S (Syd), M. Hlth Sc. (Sexual Health) Grad. Cert. Psychiatric Medicine

Dr Amelia Haines MENTAL HEALTH, SEXUAL AND RELATIONSHIP THERAPIST

M.B.B.S (Syd), M. Hlth Sc. (Sexual Health) Grad. Cert. Psychiatric Medicine

MEDIATOR